I decided to not set the alarm for 4 AM, but to get a good night sleep and wake up when ready. We can drive as late as needed, so I can make up the time on the back side. I wake up at 5; we hop into the shower and start the last trips stick a few odds and ends under the table. No, everything does not have a place; we will have to make some adjustments on the road. We get the kids up, and are in the RV at 6 AM. An hour after my planned departure time, but I am well rested and ready to go.
Wendy starts off the trip in the front seat with me, the kids are all sleeping and we head out to try to put 800 miles under our belt today. Driving goes well. The RV rides like a truck and I am wondering to myself if the extra $50 per day for the Class A RV would have been worth it. Anyway, we are knocking off the miles markets and need a stop for gas at 350 out. The Loves gas station has a McDonald’s. I fuel up the first of many $200 fill ups while Wendy picks up meals for us. When I get back in the RV, Jackson proclaims that he is going to give the Big Mac a try for the first time. One of many firsts that the kids will experience on the trip, but this one makes me PROUD. He loves it and lets Georgia know that she should try more things along the way. We should all be a bit adventurous on this trip, eh?
Back on the road and after a couple more hours, I am asking Wendy and the kids to try to find “The Big Ball of Twine” or some other fun thing to see. I have downloaded an app for the iPhone that lists all the strange things along the road, and Wendy is learning the app. Unfortunately, as she is getting the hang of it, we blow right by “The World’s Largest Gnome” and “The Statue to Honor The Little Mermaid”. The next item worth seeing is 100 miles out. Guess we just keep rolling.
A few minutes later, I see a road sign for the Strategic Air Command Museum. Hey, this might be fun. I pull off the road and into the lot to see 3 very large rockets in front. The girls say, “Do we have to go in?” and “Dad, are you really going to pay that much for this?” I remind them that I am doing all the driving and if I need a break, I’m going to take a break. Since they close in a couple hours, they give us a discount and we all get in for the kids rate of $6. As you walk in, there is a large SR-71 Blackbird hanging from the ceiling. Very cool to see up close. They have 30-40 jets and engines and some other exhibits. I talk to Jackson about mid air refueling and we look at some Gemini and Apollo capsules, some meteors. We read about ejector seats, look at some experimental jets and bombers from World War II. We watch a movie about a dog fight against a MIG in Korea and Charlotte crawls into a shell for a Thermonuclear Hydrogen Bomb. Wendy spends some time looking at the John Wayne movie exhibit (I breezed through with the kids). He was born just a few miles from here (another missed item from Roadside America).
As they announced they were closing, we head out and get back on the road. 200 miles left to knock off, and it is after 5. As we get another 110 miles in, I am out of gas again and the skies are not looking good ahead. I have Georgia check the weather map, and we see some nasty storms an hour ahead. The weather radio is listing hail the size of baseballs and a tornado watch. I figure it is not only a good time to stop for gas, but get some dinner. We talk about eating in the RV, but I would like to get out for a bit. Georgia checks the iExit app and lets me know what restaurants they have in Kearney, NE. Steakhouses? Ruth’s Chris? Outback? Texas Roadhouse? No, just a Grandpa’s Steakhouse, Red Lobster or Ruby Tuesdays. The last is the closest and I pull the RV in around back.
Dinner is OK, service is average. Although they have a fairly nice wine selection, Wendy gets a chuckle out of her question “Is the Clos Du Bois Chardonnay the white one”. They have run out of the Layer Cake, and I get a Coppola Cab instead (she pronounces it cup-oola – she must not be a fan of The Godfather or Apocalypse Now).
I have a small steak with lobster on the side. The steak is undercooked and she forgot to order the lobster. It comes as the kids are finishing. We order a second glass of wine which comes after we are finished. Apparently the bartender is overwhelmed with the Father’s Day crowd.
Charlotte spots a big hay bale in the field outside and she heads out with Jackson and the camera. Fun to watch as they try to climb up for the perfect shot.
We gas up and with the sky still black; I decide to call the Walmart up the road to double check their overnight policy. The manager gets on the line and says she would be pleased to have me as her guest for the evening. We pull in; find a level spot and Charlotte and Jackson head in to do a little shopping for some missed items.
I help Charlotte get some pictures uploaded, reload some memory cards on cameras and then head to bed around 11. A long day, but the driving was easy and we did see some fun things.
Day one is done, but at around 12:30, we feel the RV rocking and hear the storm rolling in. WOW, the lightning is right on top of us, thunder makes the walls shake and the wind is howling. Georgia crawls in with us, and we ride it out. After the initial deluge, the steady rain and wind rocking the RV puts me to sleep with dreams of the rest of the journey…