Day 3 – Sunday the 16th

Luna and I covered a lot of road today…819 miles…left Joelton, Tennessee at 7:15 am CTL and pulled into a Hampton Inn in Sioux City, South Dakota at 10:30 pm CTL. St. Louis was our big stop of the day.

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We crossed quickly through Kentucky and into Illinois this morning, stopping in Lake Egypt, Illinois for gas and early stretch of our legs. It was the only time on the trip that Luna was able to run off leash, as it was off the interstate in a very small town. We filled up at King Tut’s at $2.019 per gallon (what a rip!). We seemed to be in Missouri forever today, entering the state at 8:50 am CTL, crossing the Mississippi into St. Louis at noon. We took an hour and a half break there…visited the Arch and downtown, which reminded me a lot of New Orleans, where I’ll be headed to after South Dakota. I was really looking for some famous St. Louis barbecue, but every downtown eatery was closed except the “St. Louis Bread Company” which turned out to be a Panera’s. Good food but not what I had in mind.
We continued our trek across Missouri, from St. Louis and its western sibling, St. Charles to Kansas City. We stopped at 4:30 CTL just to the east of Kansas City in a little town called Odessa, where we filled the tank at $1.699 a gallon (best price yet) and I filled my belly with three tacos at Taco John’s, a made to order “fresher west Tex” alternative to Taco Hell, I mean Bell.

I don’t know if it was the large Mountain Dew or the coffee I got at the Odessa gas station or both, but I drove non-stop until we crossed the South Dakota line into Sioux City, where we checked into a Hampton Inn. As you can see from the picture, Luna took no time in getting comfortably warm!Along the drive I decided to postpone my visit to Mount Rushmore for another trip. The additional 4 hours west of where we’re hunting for a 30 minute look and another 4 plus hours back is just too much road and I’ve had my fill, with 27 hours behind the wheel since 10 am Friday. From where we’ve decided to stop tonight, I only have a 2 hour morning drive to link up with David Dempsey and Richard Miller who are in Mitchell, home to a huge Cabela’s where I am sure to whip out my trusty AMEX card. I need Under Armor glove liners and steel shot for hunting public lands. I’m sure I’ll find something else I just have got to have once in the store! Luna and I are trading off more driving for more hunting, which is why we made this drive and I know the pup is itch’n to do.

I’d write more if I had anymore steam in me, but it’s low and I need to crash. More tomorrow!
Road Warrior Sal & His Beautiful Vizsla Luna (told so by strangers twice today)