Columbus to St. Louis

An uneventful drive that took the normal 6 (plus a little bit) hours. When I got there, I found out that Sherry had come down with strep. She decided to join Sandy and I on the trip anyway.

St. Louis to Dixon

Sandy and I switched back and forth driving and shared nefarious men stories while Sherry slept in back. Everyone was pretty tired by about 1 AM, so we stopped in Erik, Oklahoma and got a room. I slept in the car because I was ready for a little time alone, and it felt great, although the view left a little to be desired. The hotel was undergoing renovation, and early the next morning some construction hooter woke me and told me that I'd better move my car, because they were "gettin' ready to spray some black stuff." I think he meant asphalt topping compound. I moved the car. We wandered around for a few minutes and topped off the gas tank and the other fluids, and then decided to have breakfast at a little place named "Cal's". It was possibly the finest breakfast that any of us have ever eaten. I ate like a pig and I think my bill was something like $2.49. It's just a little teeny place in the middle of not much, but I actually entertained the thought of sitting there in the hot Oklahoma sun until they started serving lunch. We kept driving instead. Across the Texas panhandle. Into New Mexico. It was really really hot, even in the mountains.

We arrived in Dixon the afternoon of August 10th.