D minus zero

 

Today is the day……. departure day.  My internal clock wakes me around 5 AM…..

After making the coffee I spend an hour surfing the Weather Channel and getting forecasts for the cities on our path.  Due to promising the family that we will be careful, I assess today’s risk of traveling northwest. Tornadoes are vicious creatures, landing on our intended route last evening.  After getting the forecast for our area, it appears that today is the best travel day; we just need to get past the approaching front shown on the radar with scary looking yellows and reds.

Feeling a little numb, no excitement nor dread.  Just left brain, this chore, next chore and we are pulling out of the driveway at 9:30 AM.  The excitement is beginning to sink in!  Are we really going to Alaska?

It’s beautiful, the sun is shining in an almost cloudless sky.  I look at our city from the perspective of a tourist.  Beautiful mountains, gorgeous river, and lovely shades of green everywhere.  No hint of the impending bad weather that’s rolling southeast.

It’s hot!  We decide against the air conditioning, too early in the day.  Clouds started pouring in and it’s no longer too warm.  I am wishing that we are on the other side of the storms.  The Nashville skyline greets us, the batwings so familiar from the TV show.  It’s terribly muggy and my clothes are damp.  We must be getting closer to the front.

The rain pelts us as we cross the Kentucky line.  David is driving, orange construction cones everywhere.  Immediately a truck stop sign appears and we gratefully exit. 

Nestled between a line of 18-wheelers, we decide to nap.  The wind is not fierce, there’s no hail nor circulating clouds.  Just buckets of rain.  David opts for sleeping in the front seat; I brave the rain and run back to the Casita.  While listening to the pounding rain, I doze off.

The temperature drops, the sun returns and beautiful clouds appear to the east.

We decide that Mexican sounds good for dinner and a sign for Tequilas Restaurant shows on the road.  Fajitas and Mexican coffee make me smile. 

Time for gas and bed, and my new android app, Big Truck Stops, indicate a Pilot just ahead.  We are about 50 miles east of St Louis on I-64. 

Skipping the pictures…..everyone has seen truck stops anyway. Good night!