State Lines

Well, we're here.  After yesterday's drive through the howling wind and rain, we made it to Missouri.  I haven't needed to drive in that kind of weather for almost a decade.  Fortunately, it wasn't bad enough to blow us off the road, but it did blow us around on the road.  So we had to slow down quite a bit.  It's strange to think that in a decade and a half of living in California, I haven't seen a single storm like that.  There have been a couple of storms, granted - but they've been pretty brief and small.  Never anything on the scale that you get in the middle of the country.  We hit it almost as soon as we crossed the Oklahoma line. 
Welcome to Oklahoma

We drove into Oklahoma City with it roaring all around us and stopped to have coffee with Allyssa's cousin Matt and his family.  Good coffee and company while the storm passed by and headed off to the east.  And then we headed east toward Fort Smith. 

For the most part, that drive was uneventful - mostly just light rain until just about the Arkansas line.  Then we must have caught up to the storm.  Fortunately, instead of continuing on, we veered north and drove through the line.  We didn't get completely through the system until about Fayetteville.  Things were quiet after that. 

Next up, Arkansas!
I'm always amazed by how much change happens when I'm gone, and this time was no exception.  Northwest Arkansas continues its transformation into a metropolis.  It's changed from two lanes in one direction to four in some places.  It's kind of nice - I like the roominess.  But the multi-lanes don't really go on long enough to make much of a difference. 

I missed my usual exit.  It's changed so much in a year's time that I didn't recognize it anymore.  I used to live here?  I drove 49/540 every day to go to work.  Not anymore. 

Detour made, I had to skip the town I was going to stop in to get gas, and we coasted to my parents' place with the gas light flashing. 

Today we went to Edgewood Creamery in Purdy.  It's a typical place for us to visit when we're out here.  Great cheese, milk, and people.  We try to stop by when we're in the area and grab some cheese curds, cheddar, etc.  Then we spent some time with my cousin Jacey's family (including her husband and newest edition, Gabriel!) before heading home and continuing our recovery from the many miles we've logged over the past few days. 

Tomorrow we're headed to Branson to log some more miles on the rental.  Sidenote: I'm still annoyed that Missouri doesn't have a welcome sign off 265 in Pea Ridge.  I guess you can't have it all. 
This is what welcomes you to Missouri off AR-265

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