Best of...Worst of...

I left Denver and headed east--crossing some of the most god-forsaken county in the US!

Apologies to anyone who lives in Eastern CO, Kansas and Oklahoma, but I will never take the I-70 to I-35 route again--ever!  Admittedly, it was a shock to my previous extended diet of scenic "eye candy" but I think, by any standard, it would be considered at least monotonous.    (Ever notice that even the word "monotonous" is boring...like all those consonants followed by an "o"...?)

At a one point, I realized my mind was not "present" on the road and actually drifted out of my lane one time and got honked at!  Somewhat shaken, I realized I had fallen sleepy for a moment.  So I put the windows down, scooched way up to the steering wheel, turned the stereo up and started singing along to the music!   

It worked to keep me alert for the remainder of the day's drive and scared the little road critters out of their wits!  

Thankfully, I am enroute to my favorite casino at the Paragon Casino in Marksville, LA!  This is an incredible RV park and one of the few I would rate a "10".  And, for under $10/night, whatta bargain!  

The road was amazingly barren from Shreveport to Alexandria--about 100 miles of nuthin'.  Not a single Rest Area.  There was one Tourism/Info center but a sign said "No Trucks".  Since I often use the edge of the car parking areas, I slid down for a peek and...the signs were right!  No room for anything larger than a Lincoln!

So I ended up just pulling off an exit.  When the girls have got to go, they gotta go!

Since I am no longer in true "play" mode and heading directly to my RV warranty service appointment in Hammond LA, I thought I would do a "best of/worst of" blog.  

Best Scenic Drive:  SR12 loop in Utah (near Bryce Canyon)

Best Casino:  Cher ae Heights in Trinidad CA (with my sister)

Best Entertainment:  Mary Jane:  The Musical in Blue Lake CA

Best Experience:  Whitewater rafting with my "guys" on the Snake River, Jackson WY

Best "New" Discovery:  The fascinating geography of the Columbia Basin in Washington state

Best New Aquaintance:  Ryan at Big Lagoon, CA

Best Fuel Price:  $3.32 at Walmart in Lindale, OK

Best Fast Food:  McD's New Mango Smoothie

Best Urban Experience:  Red Canyon in Denver

Best Campground:   East Bay RV, Springville, UT (I rate it 10+)

Best New City Spot:  Soaking Pool, Portland OR

Best Moment:  My birthday wake-up coffee in the Grand Tetons on the lake

Best Purchase:  My new Silver Anniversary edition of Scrabble 

Best Gadget purchased for Trip:  Magellan GPS with 7" screen

Best Idea:  Installing locking thermostats on my water inlets to protect my water supply from pranksters

Worst Parking:  my sister's driveway backing downhill on a long, skinny lane with no shoulder on either side.  (Before I could even attempt to park, we had to whack an opening with machete through the overgrowth and cut low-hanging limbs off trees, bundle up the cuttings and carry them away.)

Worst Moment:  Leaving Yellowstone NP

Most of My "Worst" are so adrenaline-charged and short-lived that taking pictures is just not a practical thing to do.   Thankfully, my bad times are few:

Worst WakeUp call:  Getting on the scale before leaving Eureka CA.  (Wow!  I'm haulin' an extra 10 and my fake hip hurts!)

Worst Weather:  116 degrees in Gainesville, TX  (Wow!  With 18% humidity, call me "MummySue" rather than "MovinSue")

Worst Moment:  Entering a Texas interstate from an on-ramp that had no yield lane and seeing a 16-wheeler in my mirror "on top" of me.   (TEXAS has already distinguished itself in prior years as having the most insane road system ever!)

Worst Mistake:  Proceeding into the bush on a one-lane gravel road somewhere in the Shasta-Trinity Mountains.  (Wow, what was I thinking?!)

Ok I feel better.  I am currently at Dixie RV in Hammond LA where I am trying to get my rig fixed under warranty.  More on that later.  I could be here for two weeks...