RFTW 2009 Day 3 Emporia KS to Weatherford TX

Another 500 miles today. Woke up Friday morning 7:30am and looked out hotel window to see that it had rained over night. The sky was still dark and it was very windy. I thought I would let things dry off before packing up and hitting the road. At 9am it was already 70 degrees and weatherman said sunny, windy and and temps in the 80's and wet on Saturday so my plan is to go all the way to TX and get there a day earlier, but dry. Yee ha. . .t-shirt weather! I-35 is the road I've been traveling and the next section is the Kansas Turnpike and that means you pay. The road was a beautiful and smooth section with no bumps nor cracks. It also cost $5.25 for a motorcycle to ride that 100 miles...kinda high I thought. It was like night and day when I left the KS Turnpike to regular old I-35. Right at the boundary there was a big bump and pothole. The wind was working against me all day. It was a steady 30mph with gusts to 40mph and kept you working the whole time. By 10am it had hit 80 degrees. Had not seen a roadkill deer all through Kansas, but many a skunk. And then near KS-OK border I saw a roadkill armadillo. They soon became quite common. I next crossed into Oklahoma for the first time in my life. One of the reasons I picked this route was so I could check OK off my 50 state list. I have now been to all states west of the Mississippi River including Alaska and Hawaii. Still working on east coast have Florida and New England states left.

Gas prices have been very consistent the whole way, $2.05 to $2.29 for regular and diesel has been lower than gas all along I-35. Last year everything was doubled and diesel was more expensive than gas...no wonder the truckers are smiling.

Stopped in Ardmore, OK to see a friend from high school. She had moved to OK in 1972 to ranch with her family. She now works with an agency that helps children with dyslexia. They diagnose and help these children overcome their dyslexia. Thanks B & D for a great time. After 3 hours of catching up it was back on the road to TX.

Glad I stopped in Ardmore because I avoided rush hour in Dallas-Ft Worth area. Gorgeous drive through Ft. Worth and they have an awesome Interstate system there with overpass over overpass over overpass, higher than most amusement park rides. The temp was in the mid 80's and way hot for me...70 is optimum.

Got to Weatherford about 9pm and headed for RFTW HQ motel to get a room and luck was with me. I got a single smoking room for Friday and Saturday night. Thank you Lord. The desk clerk was Ray, same guy that checked me in last year. Shower and an adult beverage and a couple of phone calls and it's off to bed.

So far no crazed squirrels