Day 26

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Rolled across the rest of Missouri, a little of Illinois, Kentucky, and part of Tennessee.

Had some mild excitement this morning.   Stowed everything.   Went through the normal full walk-around with checklist.   All OK.   Put truck into gear.   Would not move!   Hmmm.  Walked around trailer and made sure nothing was under it or in front of the wheels.   Nothing.   Put truck back into gear and applied more gas.   Trailer slid 3 inches in the gravel.  Wheels would not turn.   Looked down at electronic brake control.   It was on but I was not pressing the brake.   Bad stuff!  Why?   Linda said, "Maybe something is unplugged..."   Double-checked electric pigtail.   Fully engaged and locked in.   Rats and &^^^$@!    Her comment made me think, though.   Breakaway cable!   Laid on my back and looked at the rear end of the breakaway cable that initiates the electric trailer brakes in case it breaks away from the truck.    It was pulled out!    How?   Dunno.   Maybe I did it when I removed the safety chains the night before.    Plugged the little gizmo back in and everything was "Happy, Happy".   Good for the blood pressure and prayer life....

Left the Missouri behind today, as we left the plains behind yesterday.     Will miss the big old river!   It was the "highway" for the Corps of Expedition for 2/3 of their trip.  Today, there is almost zero commercial use of the Missouri river and very little recreational use in the lower regions.    It is too treacherous for most recreational boaters and railroads replaced the old steamboats for hauling bulk cargo well over 150 years ago.    The Ohio and Mississippi have a lot of barge traffic but the Missouri just isn't suited for it.

The Interstate highways have changed driving East of Mississippi.   Much more traffic, but the roadways are usually smoother in the East.   The West uses a lot of concrete (probably for durability).   Seams in the concrete create slight bumps and vertical oscillations for heavier vehicles like us.    Of course, the foliage is now right by the road, not 50 miles away on a hillside or mountainside.

Spending the night in Nashville.    There are some incredible RV setups in this RV Park!   About 15 sites have major size truck/tractors pulling 5th wheels.   Kenworth/Peterbilt/Freightliner.     2 of them mounted SmartCars behind the cab on the tractor and one has a large ATV.    These things have to cost over 10 times what we have in our little setup!

 Nashville is uniquely American.    Country music is one of the few kinds of music that truly has a home in one city.     I've always liked most country music and appreciate that the stars feel they owe much to their fans.

Linda Adds:  As we are on our last leg home, I am thinking about those brave men, woman and dog that made the long trip west by boat, horse and foot.  A short list of their names and life can be found at this web site:  http://www.elizabethboro.com/html/LC_roster_list.htm.  Capt. Lewis also kept track of the participants in his recommendations for compensation.  Most received land.  Sacajawea and York were not recommended for compensation as she was not hired as an interpreter...her husband was, and York was a slave.  Capt. Lewis did not care for her husband and recommended no additional payment.  Capt. Clark cared a great deal for Jean Baptiste Charbonneau or Pompy, the baby, and adopted him.  He went on to live in Europe for six years before returning to the west.

Off tomorrow to reconnect with grandchildren and then home to Fletcher.  Like the Corp of Discovery, the trip East is quicker than the one West.