Day Four – Oklahoma to Illinois

Walmart SuperCentre, Vandalia, IL

On Tuesday, Apr.11^th we were up before the sun again to that silent alarm clock. It’s quiet all around us, the large rv’s pulled out after their owners had supper. We’d stay here again; it is so peaceful. After eating and packing our lunch, we pulled out at 7:04am CDT. It was 48F/8C and we were still in our shorts. The forecast will still be in the 70’s/20’s.

I can't believe I actually caught
the sunrise this morning!

As we drove out, I got pictures
of the front of the casino
This cemetery was just across the way
Oh, and I saw my first robin on this fence!

We easily caught the I-40E after checking out the Valero for fuel. I couldn’t see a price yesterday when we arrived, they didn’t have diesel. No real surprise, we were above half a tank so will keep our eyes open for the best stop. Gibbs was curled up in his bed within a few minutes. He’s getting used to this, he actually ate some supper last night after a couple of picky days. 😊

I didn't know that Arkansas
had Boston Mountains
but it was a beautiful drive

By 7:20 we were crossing the state line into Arkansas. It’s always interesting to see how each state looks after their portion of the interstate. So far, so good. We got onto I-49N and travelled through the scenic Boston Mountains. We scooted alongside Fayetteville and Springfield, Lowell and Benton, one right after the other. Quick easy route under partially cloudy skies. The traffic was heavier than we’ve yet seen but only because it was 8:30 and commuters were starting their day.

The Bobby Hopper Tunnel
in Winslow, Arkansas
Yes, there is a light at the end. 💗

Around 9, we crossed into Missouri and I was fortunate to get a picture of their welcome sign. Then at 9:30, we pulled off at Exit 24, Neosho, at a Kum & Go for diesel. It was $3.59/gal so we left smiling. 😊 The 64F/16C temperatures are sure nice and we left the clouds behind in Oklahoma. We took the exit to I-44E and it was pretty smooth sailing towards St. Louis.

Our sleepy boy. He likes the drive
because he is with us and he can sleep
all he wants. 👼

The Jello was jiggling though as we drove and realizing that we’d be stopping, according to our original plans, at 1:30pm. That was earlier than we thought so when we stopped for lunch, at Doolittle’s minimal rest area, we looked at our maps and found a new destination. There were vault toilets to use without opening the Suite and they were plentiful, clean and fresh smelling! Imagine that!! 😊

The 3 states we drove in today
We left Oklahama, making it 4 in one day

Bill put his seat back for a rest and to prepare for a longer ride today than planned but we both agreed that we should keep going. It was 1 pm when we pulled back out onto I-44E. I had to turn the ac on a few times since my passenger seat was in the sun for the day’s journey. I’d try to withstand the heat because Bill was in the shade but couldn’t for very long. At 1:45, we pulled off at Exit 225 to fill up at a BP.

Trees growing out of rocks
Beautiful blossoms
and I think this is my favourite water tower - ever!

All we can say is that it is a good thing Bill was paying attention to the pumps because their diesel is black and their regular gas is green handled. LOL Just a reminder for anyone who ‘might’ possibly be inclined to do the same thing we did. We fueled up at $3.69/gal and carried on toward the big city. We took the bypass I-255N around St. Louis. That meant missing the Gateway Arch up close but we could see it to our left.

Be wary of BP Stations
Diesel is black
Gas is green

Gibbs familarizes himself with grass
& dandelions again
Beautiful blossoms at the rest area
We saw many lawns being cut today
Keith, get ready! 😂

This interstate is terribly rough for about 5 miles and as soon as I typed that, it smoothed out. Should have typed it sooner! Gayle texted from Kansas City, which they just left, and will likely be traveling I-70 as well. We followed signs and took Exit 25A onto I-55N/I-70E. With one more stop at the Information Centre for 15 minutes, we headed ‘home’. 😊 Gayle and John are 3 hours away on the same interstate so we won’t be connecting with them this time.

Getting on the bypass before
St Louis is very important to us
We took Exit 276/I-270S

We took Exit 61 in Vandalia and found the Walmart on Mattes Ave. It is later in the day so we were happy to stop and relax for the evening. Today, we travelled 511.8 miles in 9 ½ hours. We didn’t feel tired but were happy to stop for the night. Because we didn't want to park in the row of semis, Bill checked inside. We were given approval to stay in the Garden area.

The Mighty Mississippi
should have a more elegant bridge
in my opinion
They were working on the left side
so our lanes were shared.

I nipped in to the store for some bread and a few other things and then warmed up our chili for supper. What a great day!  Since we covered such a distance today, our route for tomorrow will be changing once we look at the maps.

Settled for another night
We'll slow down after tomorrow's drive.
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by.