Gone, Way Long Gone: Off we go ... back to Colorado

Amidst news of surging COVID-19 cases nationwide, we decided to drive to Colorado to visit with Noah and Susanna. Besides the joy of spending time with them, our intention was to help Susanna in her commercial take-out kitchen during her traditionally busiest week of the year (Thanksgiving) and help complete some home renovations in anticipation of Sweet Baby Girl's arrival in February.

We would blast out in two days, keeping motel stays limited to one. This time, we took the northerly route via I-64 and I-70, through Virginia, West Virginia, grazing Ohio, then Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and finally Colorado. Our goal the first day was to get past St. Louis. I was 8 weeks past total hip replacement surgery on the right side, so would be no help driving. We made a point to stop every 1-1/2 to 2 hours for rest / stretch / walk break. All in all, we spent 15-hours in transit that first day... 13-1/2 hours of actual driving time. Here's how the day went:

7:45am on our way

9:20am Pilot Mountain under blue skies

10:45am rest stop, lovely views of winter trees and cloud shadows on mountain ridges

1:00pm rest stop It started drizzling. We gathered our egg salad, corn chips, and veggie sticks for lunch on the road. As we traveled further into West Virginia, the day got more and more gray and the view became more and more industrial. I was fascinated by the steel bridges. We crossed the Kanawha River multiple times. It's a sizable river. Why have I never heard of it? It was a gray, timeless afternoon.

Most interesting sight today, a couple of subway train cars being transported on flatbed 18-wheelers.

In Kentucky, we were amazed at how the invasive Bush Honeysuckle was everywhere, lining I-64.

4:45pm Welcome to Indiana!

5:45pm We ate take-out hamburgers from Wendy's drive-through and gained an hour as we entered Central Standard Time.

Early evening, and we were getting car fatigue. Howard Stern's interview with Elton John on Sirius XM (recommended!) helped pass the time and got us past St. Louis. Hallelujah!

8:30pm We stopped for gas and rewarded ourselves with ice cream bars which we ate outside in the raw wind and cold rain west of St. Louis. Why??

9:45pm CST We stopped for the night at a Holiday Inn Express in Kingdom, MO, 140 miles east of Kansas City.