On the Road: Fulton, Mo to Moline, IL

First I want to admit that I am stealing the first part of the title of these blog entries from Charles Kuralt. If you are un-familiar with him, he did a traveling TV segment called "On the Road" for years. He also ended up writing several books about the TV series, highlighting some of the things he covered along the way. I don't remember who turned me on to these books but I think it was my Dad. Reading the books had a big impact on me, showing me that there is more out there in the country than just the stuff off the interstates. The books have to be one of the causes of my wanderlust and love of just driving to new places. My love of just grabbing my road map and heading off to somewhere I have never been. It has been one of the greatest things about this new job, being able to drive places that I would never have thought to go and see different parts of the country (I've been to 34 states + DC, ones I have not been too: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Mass., Vermont, New Mexico, N & S Dakota, Oregon, Arizona, Delaware, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Washington and Wyoming. Driving new roads in new places is what makes a 4 1/2 hour drive (like the one from Omaha to Moline) seem short because everything is new (it is also this that makes a 3 1/2 hour drive from Atlanta to Savannah seem to take forever because I have only driven it about 100 times?). Anyway, on to my trip journal for the last two days

I took the looooong scenic route from Fulton, MO to Wolf Creek Nuclear in Kansas. Drove across Lake of the Ozarks and Lake Truman. You wouldn't think that there would be many twisty roads in southern Missouri but I can tell you I found some. Not much to say about Kansas other than "Look, Corn....". Stayed in downtown Kansas City and went to a Royals game. Kauffman Stadium is a great place to see a ballgame. The Yankees where in town and the game was sold out. Apparently it was the 24th anniversary of the George Brett "Pine Tar game. Yankees won the game but it is a great stadium and a cheap ticket is you are ever in town.

In the past 2 days I have driven through Mexico, Mexico City, Nevada, Nashville, Savannah, Oregon (This is in western Missouri and I am guessing some lazy wagon train folks on the way to Oregon state quit early and said, "Heck, I'm not sitting in this thing for 3 more months. Let's stop here and build a town names Oregon"), plus a few other interestingly named cities.

I drove from Kansas City to Omaha, making one stop between and one north of Omaha. If you ever find your self in Blair, NE I suggest getting a Malt or Shake at Goodrich's in downtown. Nice deli with a great old ice cream counter. Apparently, they have been open in Blair since the '30s. I then drove clear across the great state of Iowa. If I thought Kansas had a lot of corn, boy was I wrong. Corn as far as the eye could see. I also passed the largest truck stop in the world, Iowa 80. Not much else exciting about the drive, it did have some neat views and not much traffic.

No more long drives for the rest of the trip. I am going to take customer out to the Swing of Quad City Minor League Baseball game tomorrow. Should be a good time, as most single A games are. I am really digging the Eclipse, only a few complaints. It is a car I could own. Best thing are the seats, they are fabulous. I wonder if I could mount a pair in my MINI? Anyway, a full review of the Spyder and the Merc will be coming when I get to it, maybe tomorrow afternoon.