May 1st, Sunday:
The Oklahoma Food Co-op opened for orders and I
sat in Ohio in a nice room, in the rain, to start my order; rain during the
night and off and on all day. I guess
all that running away had gained me a few dry and clear days, but they were
gone now. I loved my visit to
Woodsfield, but it was time to move on.
While doing research, I found on Google Books this, from a Monroe Co article in Historical Collections of Ohio by Henry Howe, p 268
Travelling Notes
"My original visit to Woodsfield was in March, 1846.
I came in the character of a pedestrian,
with my knapsack on my back, loaded with some 14 pounds.
A steamboat had landed me on the Ohio some 16 miles away,
and I came up the hills meeting scarcely a soul
or seeing much else than hills and trees.
Woodsfield was then much out of the
world.
Indeed the entire county was
quite primitive;
its people largely dwelt in cabins.
This seemed to me a good thing,
saving many
the worry of having so much to look after.
Great possessions, great cares.”
Today Woodsfield is a pleasant place to stay, both in its location and in its people.
I checked out of the Olive Tree Inn - reluctantly - and girded myself
for another wet trip. I drove north on
Highway 800 until I connected with Interstate 70 west. I thought I might be able to stay “above” all
the rain and flooding.
I crossed two states that day, windshield
wipers going all the way. I stopped and
rested often, arriving at Terre Haute after a very wet journey. I stayed at a Hampton again and paid the most
for any room on the trip. But the hot
tub worked and I soaked my legs for a long time before I retired for the night
and rested well.
May 2nd, Monday:
I left Terre Haute early, it was raining again
- surprise, surprise - and drove all day, resting often. Stayed at Hampton on Interstate 70 in
Springfield, Missouri. I thought I might
get to Joplin, but it was raining more heavily again. Stayed at yet another Hampton; nice place.
May 3rd, Tuesday:
Sunshine!
Good road from Springfield to Oklahoma line; horrible road for a
while. I later read in the newspaper
that they’re planning to re-do the road soon.
I stopped in Tulsa at Gardner’s Book
Store. It’s just not the same as it used
to be when we first started going there 20 years-or-so ago. They’ve made it more orderly and much nicer
and cleaner, but there don’t seem to be as many treasures to be found. Maybe they are just unable to find books that
matter, since publishers now tend to print 10 jillion copies of garbage and
very little good stuff. I did find two
books when I used to find an armful.
I tried to locate two other shops but the roads
are such a mess. I travelled 51st
street for 3 miles through construction.
It was also too warm! I headed
for Mom’s to spend the night, before going home.
All in all, I drove 2658 miles. All by Myself. 28.7 miles per
gallon average on the gasoline, even facing strong wind the first two days and
mountains in the middle of the trip. I
used 91.68 gallons, or $327 worth of gas.
The highest price I paid was $4.12; it was usually $3.85 or $3.95.
I nearly ran out of gas once again. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson during
my Missouri trip. I was on the Will
Rogers Turnpike - you know turnpikes don’t generally have gas stations except in the middle? - and
an angel tapped me on my shoulder and said, “Have you looked at your gas gauge
lately?” Yikes! I immediately got off at Big Cabin and paid
$52 for a tank of gas. I had a gallon
and a half left. Thank you, Lord, for
watching out for me.
This was my final itinerary (where I laid to
rest each night).
April 21
Little Rock, Arkansas
April 22
Columbia, Tennessee
April 23
Columbia, Tennessee
April 24
Columbia, Tennessee
April 25
Gordonsville, Tennessee
April 26
Huntington, West Virginia
April 27
Huntington, West Virginia
April 28
Marietta, Ohio
April 29
Woodsfield, Ohio
April 30
Woodsfield, Ohio
May 1 Terre Haute, Indiana
May 2 Springfield, Missouri
May 3 Midwest City, Oklahoma
A week of days and many miles short of my
goal - but safe and sound all the way.
