We are now in Elk City, OK. (by the way, the Holiday Inn here is nice and has some great ammenities — pool, hot tub, miniature golf, sauna, shuffleboard, etc and kids stay and eat free). The drive was interesting crossing the continental divide in New Mexico, dropping down from the mountains onto the mesas and then to the flat plains.
While driving across that great expanse, I learned that I could draft behind my wife’s Suburban and simultaneously watch the kids’ movie on the DVD entertainment system. If I tuned my radio to the same frequency as the FM modulator, I could even hear it all. I was getting entertained AND getting better mileage to boot!
Somewhere in Texas we crossed the halfway point. We are now closer to our new home in
Kentucky than our old one in California. Weather has been cooperative but very cold. We will have to acclimate.
I have been tracking mileage on both the Suburbans. Kinda interesting. Hers is a new 2003. Mine an old 1990 towing a fully loaded 4×8 Uhaul trailer. She is getting double the mileage although my trip average isn’t much lower than my normal mileage. I guess when the truck is
that large and inefficient there isn’t that much more you can do to hurt mileage. And gas prices have greatly varied. Highest is, of course, California where I paid $2.49 just before leaving. Of course, just across the border in Arizona it was $1.84. The lowest I have seen is $1.55 in Texas. Another benefit of leaving California.
Tomorrow it is my hope to stop and see the Oklahoma City Memorial (www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org) . It is a good educational opportunity for the kids as well as a time to offer respects and pay tribute. I expect it to be a touching experience.
Thanks again for all who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers. Our trip has been uneventful in a good way.
…..Dan at aslowerpace
