The Last Road Run (Day 4 & 5 & 6)

Somewhat of a blur. I do remember forgetting that I had forgotten an entire state that I had to travel through to get into Chicago. How that happened, I've no idea. How does someone forget about an entire travel day when the whole trip was planned so succinctly prior to? I have to say, that maybe it was because I was so anxious to see my one and only son again, that I conveniently chose to forget the state of Missouri as a whole day to travel because I wanted to be in Chicago already. I forgot about it even as I was traveling through it and I even got lost and couldn't find my Motel. It was unbelievable. I was near panic stricken.

Once you get past the Texas panhandle and start traveling east, up through Missouri and Oklahoma, or Oklahoma and Missouri, the country, the people, the places start to appear torn around the edges. What am I saying, the edges?? It's a really hard to find a sublime view anywhere there. I guess this is reality at it's finest.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=map+of+Missouri&hnear=Missouri&gl=us&t=h&z=6 ********************** As a disabled person, it was not to my pleasure to have a hard time finding a room that catered to my needs without suddenly realizing that all those things would be an extra charge. The large metal doors that were hard to open with a dog strapped to my arm and a walker I had to hold onto. Entrances blocked off by a painter's scaffold. The room was for the dog, not for me it would seem. They say the dog was a welcome party but the room for the dog would have to be way in the back in the unsightly area. There is no place to take your dog for a short walk, it is almost in another neighborhood and when you look out there, in the dark, you think, "Do I risk getting mugged if I go out there?" Whatever. Now I remember, In Oklahoma, which came first, I did not stay at a Motel 6 on one of the nights, because I couldn't find it. I asked the toll booth person if they could recommend a motel that would take my dog and I did find a nice corner room in that motel that was OK. It was clean, had a fridge and a microwave, lots of cozy furniture, a working heater and a bathroom with a tub. The window in the bathroom wasn't fully insulated and probably has seen it's days of burglaries, but also a construction crew showed up early in the morning and could clearly be heard just outside that CLOSED window. But, later, I would think of returning there to maybe stay for an extended period, although I would not. I think I had to stay two nights in Oklahoma, one on both ends of the state, because I had lost my travel plan and things were starting to get rough. I grazed my leg in the dark of the room one night, on an extruded post from the bed frame. This room was not well kept to meet the standards of a national chain. I didn't have time to make a fuss about it. I just took these pictures.