Travel from Red Bay, Alabama to Toomsuba, Mississippi

We drove our coach 180 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Red Bay, Alabama to Toomsuba, Mississippi.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map:

Leaving the Red Bay Acres RV park:

Leaving Red Bay Acres

Leaving Red Bay Acres

“Welcome to Mississippi”:

Welcome to Mississippi

Highway 76:

Highway 76

Exit to I-22:

Exit to I-22

I-22:

I-22

Tombigbee River:

Tombigbee River

A momentary loss of visibility from farm dust:

Farm dust

The speed limit signs also have a minimum speed, unusually:

Minimum speed sign

Exit to Tupelo:

Exit to Tupelo

We stopped for lunch at Tin Lizzie Cafe in West Point, Mississippi:

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

BLT (without the tomato) and “tater babies” wedges:

BLT and wedges

The highway had frequent turnaround lanes:

Turnaround

Paladin asleep next to the passenger chair:

Paladin

Highway 45:

Highway 45

Exit to I-20:

Exit to I-20

I-20:

I-20

TA fuel stop:

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

The pump price was $371.99 for 107 gallons of diesel (thirsty coach!), though we actually paid less, thanks to our Open Roads discount (see below):

$371.99 for 107 gallons of diesel

The slowest DEF pump; it took 10 minutes to pump five gallons:

DEF

$23.69 for 5.779 gallons of DEF:

$23.69 for 5.779 gallons of DEF

The Open Roads statement indicated that we saved $30.65 on the diesel (the DEF isn’t discounted):

Open Roads statement

A narrow road to our destination:

Narrow road

And a narrower road:

Narrower road

Our destination, a KOA Journey:

Our destination

Our destination

Our site:

Our destination

Our destination

Unfortunately no travel video today; my dashcam had filled up and failed to record.

Travel from Choctaw, Oklahoma to Russellville, Arkansas

Back to our regularly scheduled blog posts, catching up with travel from October last year. Where we left off, we were in Oklahoma.

We drove our coach 248 miles, about 4 hours of driving, from Choctaw, Oklahoma to Russellville, Arkansas.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

I-40:

I-40

“Speed limit 75, no tolerance”:

No tolerance

I-40

A stop at a rest area:

Rest area

Paladin:

Paladin

Crossing the Arkansas River:

Arkansas River

A VW microbus:

A VW microbus

“Welcome to Arkansas”:

Welcome to Arkansas

Another rest area:

Rest area

Crane:

Crane

Fall foliage:

Fall foliage

A motorhome and vanlifer:

Motorhome and vanlifer

It’s that VW microbus again!

It's that VW microbus again

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Causeway:

Causeway

Lake Dardanelle State Park entrance:

Lake Dardanelle State Park

Checking in:

Checking in

Visitor center

Checking in

Travel from Amarillo, Texas to Choctaw, Oklahoma

We drove our coach 284 miles, about 4 hours of driving, from Amarillo, Texas to Choctaw, Oklahoma.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

Departing the RV park:

Departing the RV park

Texas likes to have frontage roads with onramps to freeways, which is actually a good system:

Texas service road with onramps to freeway

I-40:

I-40

Cadillac Ranch:

Cadillac Ranch

RV Ranch:

RV Ranch

Amarillo overpass, with boots in the name:

Amarillo overpass

The Big Texan Steak Ranch:

The Big Texan Steak Ranch

VW Slug Bug Ranch:

VW Slug Bug Ranch

VW Slug Bug Ranch

Big cross:

Big cross

Leaning water tower of Texas:

Leaning water tower of Texas

Old building:

Old building

Wind turbines in a row:

Wind turbines in a row

Wind turbines in a row

Rest area:

Rest area

The rest area on the other side of the freeway had an underground shelter:

Rest area

Cotton field:

Cotton field

Welcome to Oklahoma:

Welcome to Oklahoma

Welcome to Oklahoma

Dinosaur:

Dinosaur

Our coach at the rest area:

Our coach at rest area

Elk City:

Elk City

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

A stop at Cherokee Trading Post:

Truck stop

Cherokee Trading Post

Cherokee Trading Post

Super-relaxed Paladin:

Paladin

Oklahoma City:

Oklahoma

Interesting bridge art:

Interesting bridge art

Interesting building:

Interesting building

Air Force One:

Air Force One

Air Force water towers:

Air Force water towers

Our destination, the KOA entrance:

KOA entrance

Koi pond:

Koi pond

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

Guided to our site

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

We drove our coach 139 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Moriarty, New Mexico to Tucumcari, New Mexico.

A rare nighttime drive! Our coach was finished being fixed at the end of the day; we could have stayed overnight again, but we were keen to get back on schedule. So we decided to head out, even though we normally avoid driving at night. It helped that we were familiar with the route, having done it (both ways) recently, plus were familiar with the destination RV park, since we stayed there on the way to Albuquerque.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

On the road again, back along I-40:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Not sure what that truck on the left is hauling:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Clines Corners truck stop:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Flying C Ranch billboards:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

We stopped at Flying C Ranch again:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Sunset:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Lots of swag:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

DQ for dinner:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Back to our coach:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Sunset reflected in our coach, plus a sliver of moon:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Driving in dusk:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

The cameras weren’t overly useful when driving in the dark:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Going past the rest area where we were stuck for a couple of days:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Arriving at the KOA:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Paladin on the passenger chair:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

In our site:

Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico

Travel from Guymon, Oklahoma to Tucumcari, New Mexico

We drove our coach 165 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Guymon, Oklahoma to Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southwest:

Route

An interactive map:

The drive-in screen as we depart the RV park:

Drive-in screen

Leaving the campground

Oversize load:

Oversize load

Welcome to Texas:

Welcome to Texas

A very long train:

Long train

Big cowboy:

Big cowboy

We stopped at a basic rest area for a bathroom break:

Rest area

Rest area

Seeing triple; three seemingly identical tractors driving down the road:

Seeing triple

Railway crossing:

Railway crossing

A mural in Dalhart:

Mural

Tatty Texas flag:

Tatty Texas flag

Dalhart:

Dalhart

We passed several feed lots; miles of smelly cattle:

Feed lot

I thought this was a clever idea: the start of a passing lane is marked with a dotted line, encouraging people to move right. More places should do this:

Passing lane

More farm equipment:

Farm equipment

Long straght road:

Long straght road

Fun with the phone zoom, making it look like we’re about to drive off a cliff:

Fun with zoom

We stopped for lunch at a picnic area; “watch for rattlesnakes”:

Watch for rattlesnakes

Paladin was enjoying a box:

Paladin in a box

A rail bridge by the picnic area:

Rail bridge

Our coach:

Our coach

Our coach

I got out to plug the 360 camera into a battery pack, since it was about to run out of power:

360 camera and battery pack

(On the passenger seat in that picture you can see stuff used for hooking up the truck to the coach.)

More fun with zoom:

More fun with zoom

Entering Mountain time zone:

Entering Mountain Time

We were in Mountain time, then had a couple of weeks in Central time, and now back to Mountain for a week, before returning to Central until the end of the year, when we’ll enter Eastern. Such fun.

Welcome to New Mexico, our third state today:

Welcome to New Mexico

Nara Vista, a rather run-down town:

Nara Vista

Bard, ditto:

Nara Vista

Paladin asleep in his safe spot:

Paladin in his safe spot

Lots of long straight roads on this trip:

Long straight road

More fun with zoom:

More fun with zoom

Canadian River?!

Canadian River

Tucumcari Mountain, the inspiration for Radiator Cap mountain in the Cars movie:

Tucumcari Mountain

Our destination:

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our site:

Our site

Travel from Scott City, Kansas to Guymon, Oklahoma

We drove our coach 163 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Scott City, Kansas to Guymon, Oklahoma.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:

Route

An interactive map:

Our coach by the lake, before hooking up our truck:

Our coach

Toaded:

Toaded

Our coach and lake

We stopped by the dumpsters to take out the trash on the way out:

Trash

Departing the park:

Departing park

Paladin in his safe space next to the passenger chair:

Paladin in his safe space

Scott City:

Scott City

A clever idea to use the water tower as a cell tower:

Scott City

There were lots of oversize load trucks on this route, including several with really long wind turbine blades:

Wind turbine blade on a truck

Wind turbine blade on a truck

And other things:

Oversize load

A brief bathroom stop (using the bathroom in our coach, of course):

Bathroom stop

More wind turbine blades and farm equipment:

Wind turbine blade on a truck

Oversize load

Wind turbine blade on a truck

Presumably a radar sphere:

Radar sphere

Another one:

Wind turbine blade on a truck

A lunch stop at a Subway at a gas station:

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Another oversize load:

Oversize load

Paladin in his safe spot:

Paladin in his safe spot

A pedestrian bridge in the ironically named Liberal, Kansas:

Pedestrian bridge in Liberal

Liberal

Oklahoma state line, and some roadworks:

Oklahoma state line

Oklahoma sign:

Oklahoma sign

This water tower reminded me of the famous Warner Bros one:

Water tower

Hooker, Oklahoma (the Wikipedia article says the motto is “It’s a location, not a vocation”):

Hooker

Guymon, Oklahoma:

Guymon

Half the main road through town closed for roadworks:

Road closed

Our destination:

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Travel from Ogallala, Nebraska to Scott City, Kansas

We drove our coach 209 miles, about 4 hours of driving, from Ogallala, Nebraska to Scott City, Kansas.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:

Route

An interactive map, with potential stops:

Sunrise:

Sunrise

Leaving the campground:

Leaving the campground

Spaceship water tower across the highway:

Spaceship water tower

Lots of fields of corn:

Lots of fields of corn

Old car store:

Old car store

Silos:

Silos

Not sure what this was? Perhaps for grain loading?

Not sure what this was?

Tractor:

Tractor

Paladin asleep:

Paladin asleep

Truck with hay bales:

Truck with hay bales

More silos:

More silos

We stopped in a large gravel area at this gas station for a bathroom break:

Bathroom stop

Zoomed highway:

Zoomed highway

Welcome to Kansas:

Welcome to Kansas

Zoomed view of the highway, emphasizing some big dips:

Zoomed view of the highway, emphasizing some big dips

Paladin mostly asleep:

Paladin asleep

Fuel and lunch stop:

Fuel and lunch stop

Fuel

Almost 90 gallons for $412; we saved $47 on this fuel up via our Open Roads discount card:

Almost 90 gallons for $412; we saved $47 on this fuel up via our Open Roads discount card

We then parked:

Parked

And had some tasty IHOP breakfasts for lunch:

IHOP for lunch

IHOP for lunch

IHOP for lunch

IHOP for lunch

IHOP for lunch

IHOP for lunch

An unusual thing; the napkin-wrapped silverware came with a straw; haven’t seen that before:

Straw with silverware and napkin

Paladin asleep again:

Paladin asleep

Cornfield and pump jack; two great tastes that taste great together:

Corn and pump jack

Paladin asleep yet again:

Paladin asleep

Wind turbine blade:

Wind turbine blade

Large farm equipment:

Large farm equipment

Lake Scott State Park:

Lake Scott State Park

Lake Scott State Park

Lake Scott State Park

Lake Scott State Park

Lake Scott State Park

Our site:

Our site

Travel from Hot Springs, South Dakota to Ogallala, Nebraska

We drove our coach 232 miles, about 4 hours of driving, from Hot Springs, South Dakota to Ogallala, Nebraska.

Here’s the map route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map, with potential stops:

A rabbit watched me pack up:

Rabbit

A stream of water from slide topper as we brought in the slides, from the rain we had during our stay:

Stream of water from slide topper

Leaving the campground:

Leaving the campground

Leaving the campground

Hot Springs:

Hot Springs

Hot Springs

Hot Springs

US-385:

US-385

A bridge over a river:

Bridge over river

Rail crossing:

Rail crossing

Entering Nebraska:

Entering Nebraska

A seemingly endless long straight highway:

A seemingly endless long straight highway

Zoomed view:

Zoomed view

Another rail crossing:

Another rail crossing

A lunch stop; we took up several parking spots in the back of the parking lot:

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Hay trailer:

Hay trailer

So many fields of corn:

So many fields of corn

US-385 highway disappearing into the distance:

US-385 highway disappearing into the distance

We paused for a bathroom break in an empty weigh station lane:

We paused for a bathroom break in an empty weigh station lane

Another zoomed perspective:

Another zoomed perspective

Jail and Courthouse Rocks:

Jail and Courthouse Rocks

Paladin asleep:

Paladin asleep

Broadwater:

Broadwater

Silo:

Silo

My gosh, it’s Oshkosh (but not the famous one):

My gosh, it's Oshkosh (but not the famous one)

Long coal train:

Long coal train

Oh look, more corn. So much corn:

Oh look, more corn. So much corn

Another hay trailer:

Another hay trailer

Not your ordinary town!

Not your ordinary town!

Welcome to Ogallala:

Welcome to Ogallala

We were going to fuel here, but most of the lanes were closed, with a huge line, so we bailed:

We were going to fuel here, but most of the lanes were closed, with a huge line, so we bailed

Our destinaton:

Our destinaton

Our destinaton

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

Travel from Medora, North Dakota to Spearfish, South Dakota

We drove our coach 203 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Medora, North Dakota to Spearfish, South Dakota.

Here’s the map route (the red portion), heading south:

Route

An interactive map, with potential stops marked:

I-94:

I-94

Bison:

Bison

US-85:

US-85

Paladin asleep in his safe space next to the passenger chair:

Paladin asleep in his safe space

A sunflower field:

Sunflower field

Sunflower field

US-85:

US-85

A cop car decoration in Amidon:

Cop car in Amidon

Another sunflower field:

Sunflower field

A cowboy riding a missile in Bowman:

Cowboy riding missile in Bowman

Plane decoration:

Plane decoration

We stopped at Grazers Burgers & Brews for lunch, since they had a large dirt area, big enough for our 60-foot coach and truck:

Grazers Burgers & Beers

Grazers Burgers & Beers

Grazers Burgers & Beers

Grazers Burgers & Beers

Grazers Burgers & Beers

Grazers Burgers & Beers

Entering South Dakota:

Entering South Dakota

Up and down on US-85:

US-85

Roadworks, with a flagger sitting in a car (makes sense with 90° weather):

Roadworks with flagger in car

Paladin:

Paladin

Belle Fourche:

Belle Fourche

Arriving at our destination:

Arriving at KOA

Guided to our site:

Guided to site

Travel from Devils Tower, Wyoming to Medora, North Dakota

We drove our coach 226 miles, about 4 hours of driving, from Devils Tower, Wyoming to Medora, North Dakota.

Here’s the map route, heading north:

Route

An interactive map, with potential and actual stops marked:

There was a car show outside the campground (and people obliviously waking in front of our coach trying to exit):

Car show outside campground

Car show outside campground

Car show outside campground

Bye Devils Tower:

Devils Tower

Hulett:

Hulett

Highway:

Highway

Cows:

Cows

Entering Montana (just passing through):

Entering Montana

A stop at Stoneville Saloon for lunch:

Stoneville Saloon

Stoneville Saloon

Stoneville Saloon

Interesting decor:

Stoneville Saloon

Notes on the ceiling:

Stoneville Saloon

Stoneville Saloon

Sawdust on the floor:

Stoneville Saloon

Fancy menu:

Stoneville Saloon

Simple burgers and fries:

Stoneville Saloon

MT-323:

MT-323

Mountains:

Mountains

Hey, trees:

Trees

MT-7:

MT-7

Interesting rocks:

Interesting rocks

MT-7

MT-7

Looking down at Paladin:

Paladin

Pause on the side of the road:

Pause on the side of the road

Sunflower field:

Sunflower field

Wibaux:

Wibaux

Detour down a dirt road; not a fun thing in our coach:

Detour down dirt road

Detour down dirt road

Entering North Dakota:

Entering North Dakota

Interesting rocks:

Interesting rocks

Exit to Medora:

Exit to Medora

Entering Medora Campground:

Entering Medora Campground

Approaching the office:

Approaching office

Office (staffed by foreign exchange people):

Office

Shop:

Shop

Our coach outside the office:

Coach outside office

Lots of bugs:

Lots of bugs

Our site:

Our site