June 5 Whirlwind cruising at high speeds on I-10, I-20 and I-85 instead of those nice easy going but slower country roads gets us back home quickly.
June 3 travel from Tuscon AZ to Pecos TX. Desert and mountain travel. Running alongside the Mexico border again for awhile. Wind is blowing. Car is attacked several times during the day. Dirt devil shoots across the highway bringing several tumble weeds with it hitting the front and side of the car. Next up was an area of intense bugs that decided to commit suicide all over the windshield. Then a pickup in front of us ran over a big piece of plastic something and kicked it back at us. Came at us airborne hitting the passenger side windshield at the top corner. We thought it was just a scuff mark on the windshield. However, upon inspection when refueling there was a small indent on the roof above the windshield. Oh well, car passed 100K so it's due a few bumps and bruises. Next we got caught in a minor sandstorm in Texas - makes you nervous entering an area with multiple big yellow hiway signs telling you what to do in a serious sandstorm with limited visibility. And finally we had the Border Patrol doing a stop and inspect before reaching Pecos. Fun day but covered about 500 miles. Hotel actually has their full breakfast in the AM. First time the entire trip.
June 4 we hope to make Shreveport but give up short after hitting miserable traffic going through Dallas/Ft. Worth. Not a very picturesque drive today - mostly going through oil fields. We make reservations at a Hampton Inn in Canton. Get a confirmation number as we know it will be a late arrival because we stop for a steak dinner. Been wanting one of those big Texas steaks and find it at Four Winds Steakhouse in Wills Point. 26 oz. bone-in ribeye. Pricey but delicious. We head down the hiway to the hotel. Arrive and find out while the national reservation system is good at TAKING reservations they are not good at making sure the local hotel requested actually HAS rooms available. Seems I remember a Seinfeld episode like this dealing with a rental car. There is a festival in town, a wedding party, and a sports tournament. They are booked solid and can do nothing but apologize. We wind up going another 30 miles east to Kilgore TX. Finally fall into bed.
June 5 we start the day with another full breakfast at a hotel - pretty limited Covid restrictions in this part of Texas. We learn that Kilgore is the sight of the East Texas oil field discovery in 1930. Like right downtown! They actually have a park called "The World's Richest Acre". At one time 24 oil drilling derricks were situated on the one acre that was main street. They actually tore down all the buildings to put up more derricks and moved main street over a few blocks. It was a boom town that grew so fast and got so rowdy the National Guard had to be called in numerous times to settle things down. At one time there were 1,100 wells just within the city limits. They now have a display of derricks on the property. All the wells in town have been plugged although there are still plenty still going in the surrounding area. We drive by for a photo op and hit the road. As we head further into east Texas it becomes more rolling wooded countryside. Starting to look more like home. Original plan is to bed down in Birmingham. We stop there for some SAW's BBQ and then decide to push on. It's only 4 more hours and we can sleep in our own bed. Lots of traffic going through Atlanta but everyone is driving crazy fast so we make good time. Pull into the driveway at 10:30, unpack the car and fall into our own bed after 5 weeks of fun but exhausting travel.
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