Aug. 2 - Day 1

We started late, but that's normal for the Dodds.

Having not experienced rain for what seems like months, we awoke on our departure day to the sound of little raindrops. What a novelty! Everything in Kansas City has died -- our grass, our neighbor's grass, all the corn for miles around. Temps haven't dropped out of the high 90s -- even 100s -- for weeks. Unbearable -- and with our usual high humidity, too.

Packed up the new truck (new TRUCK!), picked up the Airstream and an extra battery at Perry Lake and got on the road at about 1:30 p.m. Pretty good start, for us.

Fortunately, it was mild -- only in the 90s -- with a bit of cloud cover most of the way. The truck, a lovely new Toyota Tundra with a "truck cap," is very big and comfortable and pulls the Airstream well. We tortured our poor 4Runner for years pulling the trailer -- burned out a clutch or two -- so this is a great relief all around.
Out near the western Kansas border and entering Coloroado we saw big rain clouds and...rain...all around. Very nice.

We are reading to each other Gore Vidal's "Lincoln," in honor of that writer's recent demise. Makes the miles pass quickly.

Reached the KOA "kampground" at about 9:30 p.m. Planted the trailer and went in search of martini olives -- one of the several things we forgot. The only convenience open in little Strasburg carried pickles but not olves so we returned and drank our celebratory martinis straight. It didn't matter. We're at a higher altitude already, packed in like sardines at this KOA and on our way to the new land. All is well, so far.