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 Badlands to Hot Springs, South Dakota

We drove our coach 132 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Badlands, South Dakota to Hot Springs, South Dakota.

Here’s the map route, heading west then south:

Route

An interactive map:

As mentioned yesterday, I added a mount for my 360 camera to the truck; it’s a magnetic mount, but I also secured it with three tethers, out of an abundance of caution:

Camera mount on truck

The camera mounted on the truck; I thought it would be fun to record the view from the truck on travel day:

Camera mounted on truck

The truck connected to the coach (aka toaded); ready to go:

Truck connected to coach

After leaving the campground, crossing White River:

White River

Badlands:

Badlands

Cowboy Corner in Interior, South Dakota:

Cowboy Corner

Badlands:

Badlands

A prairie dog town:

Prairiedog town

Bison:

Bison

Bison

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Roadworks

Roadworks

Roadworks

Roadworks

Roadworks

I caught a stowaway wasp:

Wasp

Badlands

Badlands

Leaving Badlands National Park; the Badlands was good:

Leaving Badlands

The roads were not so good (using my max-zoom technique to show the bumps):

Rough road

Big sunflower field going to seed:

Big sunflower field going to seed

Dinosaur:

Dinosaur

Road

Travel center lunch stop:

Travel center lunch stop

The camera was still there (I took it inside to secure and charge it during our lunch stop; check out today’s travel video for the fun footage):

Camera still there

Travel center lunch stop

Travel center lunch stop

Travel center lunch stop

Travel center lunch stop

Questionable food choices:

Questionable food choices

Onward:

SD-79

The Mammoth Site:

The Mammoth Site

The city of Hot Springs has some nice historic architecture:

Hot Springs

Hot Springs

Hot Springs

Our destination:

Our destination

Our site:

Our site

Our coach:

Our coach

Again, check out the travel video in the next post for a combination of the usual coach dash cam footage plus the 360 cam perspective from the truck. An unusual view!

(And if you haven’t yet subscribed to the Sinclair Trails YouTube channel, please do so. It doesn’t cost anything, but will help me build my channel, which will let me do more with it.)

Travel from Spearfish to Badlands, South Dakota

We drove our coach 127 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Spearfish, South Dakota to Badlands, South Dakota.

Here’s the map route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map:

Leaving our site, in a cloud of dust from the gravel:

Leaving our site

Leaving the campground:

Leaving the campground

Heading east on I-90:

I-90

Rapid City exit:

Rapid City exit

A fuel stop at Flying J; we don’t get a discount there, and have to go in to pay, but it was more convenient to our route:

Fuel stop

Almost 82 gallons of diesel, a bit over half a tank:

81 gallons of diesel

We parked our coach, with the generator running so the ACs would keep it cool, and went in to have lunch:

Parked

At the Country Market restaurant in the Flying J:

Restaurant

Menu:

Menu

Breakfast for lunch; a little underdone:, but tasty enough:

Breakfast for lunch

We had a choice between continuing on I-90, or going on SD-44; we opted for the highway, since we generally prefer them to freeways:

SD-44

A sea of sad sunflowers, done blooming and going to seed:

Sad sunflowers

Entering Badlands National Park:

Entering Badlands National Park

Badland National Park

Badland National Park

Roadworks; driving on gravel isn’t particularly enjoyable in our coach, so we kinda regretted our choice to come this way (we knew that there was roadworks, but didn’t expect a lack of paving):

Roadworks

Roadworks

A prairie dog town (one visible by the fence):

Prairie dog town

An old cabin and pond:

Old cabin and pond

Badland National Park

Badland National Park

Interior, SD, population 94:

Interior, SD

Badland National Park

Badland National Park

White River:

White River

Our destination:

Our destination

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

On his recommendation, we untoaded (unhooked our truck from our coach) before reaching the site, then followed separately:

Following coach

Parking in our site:

Parking in our site