Tom and I left Pinehaven on May 16 bound for Driggs, Idaho, Google Maps put the distance over 1650 miles one way. We opted to go via a "southern route" and return via a northern one, mostly to see new territory each time. The two routes closely paralleled each other.
I can say up front that on the trip - which ended on Memorial Day (May 29) - we travelled 3290 miles. My 2017 Chevrolet Cruze averaged 42.0 mpg for the entire trip. What's not to like about a car that gets hybrid-like mileage and didn't let out a whimper for the entire trip?
Though I'm calling this trip a "vacation" it also had a serious purpose: a memorial for Tom's brother, John, who died unexpectedly in early November 2022.
So on that Tuesday morning we got an early start and headed west. I used Android Auto for the entire trip and though it got us there and back, I can't say I'm entirely happy with it. At times I was downright angry. Not that it ever left us astray - it didn't - but because at times it didn't lead us at all. Disconnecting when we stopped to rest or get gas, it often refused to do anything. It'd take my voice prompt and then go silent. Was that due to a poor Internet connection? And there needs to be a way to tell it we're stopping for gas, or to rest, and to stop the voice prompts to get back on track!
I have wanted to see the Gateway Arch in St. Louis since it was built. Tom remembered it when he took a bus west and figured we'd go right by it. We didn't. Nevertheless this was the glimpse I got as Tom navigated I-70.
And I believe these are views of the bridge as we crossed the Mississippi ...
We had lunch at a Cracker Barrel near Effingham, IL, always a good idea. Great veggie plates!
We stopped that night at a Quality Inn near St. Joseph, MO ...
The room was very nice and not overpriced compared to much of the competition. This is a chain we'll keep an eye out for.
So day one netted over 600 miles.
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