At long last we’re off to Alaska! We’ve driving the farthest we’ve every driven in a vehicle that uses more gas than any vehicle we’ve every owned, at a time when gas is the highest it’s ever been! Yikes! We may get to Alaska, but can we afford to get back?
We got out of the driveway by noon on Wednesday. We weren’t entirely ready, but you never really are. We delayed our departure by one day and came close to postponing it another day but decided to just go. It doesn’t feel like we’re going to Alaska yet, and also, it feels like we’ve never done this before, even though we’ve done two big trips already. But not as big as this one.
David said it felt like he’d never pulled a trailer before. Perhaps we just got too comfortable at home these past 6 weeks. Eventually, he became accustomed once again to pulling the trailer. It just takes a lot more concentration and focus than driving without one.
Neptune complained a bit but then settled down. Both boys behaved well. It was a long drive to Charleston, WV, but the weather was perfect, and we had no problems. We stayed at a WalMart overnight. We were very tired. It was so hot, the a/c ran all night, and the generator used four gallons of gas. (So, actually, staying at WalMart isn’t completely “free”.)
 |
| robin's nest next to campsite |
We got an early start in the morning and drove through steep hills in West Virginia, rolling hills in Kentucky and Ohio and finally flat farmland in Indiana. It rained some but overall was a beautiful day through scenic countryside. We spent the night at another WalMart with the added plus that a nearby restaurant had free wifi that we could access.
 |
| camping next to the freeway |
In the morning we planned to move to the State Fairgrounds campground in Indianapolis. While listening to the radio, we realized that not only was it Friday of Memorial Day weekend, it was the Indy 500. Nope, we’re not going there. Found another place to stay an hour down the road on the way to Chicago. We’re going there. We’ll just have to visit Indianapolis another time.
