June 8 - Tulsa, OK to Pacific, Missouri

June 8 - 357 miles - Yesterday, I failed to mention that I-44 was a toll road - $16.50 worth (cars are $4)!  Today, on the other side of Tulsa I had another toll road - I-44, also known as Will Rodgers Turnpike, also $16.50!  As so as I got to the Missouri border, I-44 was free again!  Anyway, one thing I forgot to tell you yesterday (and I forgot to take a picture of) was the license plates that weren't issued by a state, but by the Cherokee Nation!  As I traveled through Oklahoma I saw different Indian Nation license plates.  Oklahoma is home to many, many Indian Nations.

My trip from Tulsa to Missouri lasted about an hour (with lots of flat fields and cows) and then bam!  I was in Joplin, Missouri.  Yes, the famous Joplin that what hit by a serious tornado a few years ago.  Fortunately, I could not see any damage, but I did pass the brand new hospital with small newly planted trees!  The previous hospital was destroyed in the tornado.

Crossing into Missouri was like stepping into a new world - where the previous states were wide open spaces, where I would travel large distances without civilization, now I'm in a smaller state, with civilization pretty much none stop.  Also, I-44 is now an awful, chopped up road!  There are some times when I see cows, but more often I see towns and I have a lot more traffic on the roads.  Speaking of the roads!  If I saw one dead armadillo, I saw 50 or more!  They were along side the road, kind of like back home when we have dead raccoons and rabbits!

Today I stopped about 20 miles from St Louis so that I get to cross the town early tomorrow.  Unfortunately, I picked the Yogi Bear Jellystone campground which is close to the Six Flags Park.
I should have known I was in for it when I climbed their steep, twisting driveway!  Of course they had a site for my big motorhome!  As the escort took me down the narrow road to my site, I knew the site wasn't going to be big enough and it wasn't!  Eventually they got me into a site that will be very challenging to get out of, and then I get to climb a hill, make a tight left turn and then down the steep, twisting driveway to head back to the interstate!  Should be fun, not!  Pray for me.

Highlight of my day?  I stopped at the Pilot Truck Stop and paid $2.41 for diesel fuel!!  Woohoo!

Fun fact for the day?  I'm still on the Purple Heart Trail!  It followed me all along I-40 and now up I-44!

Here I am on my very unlevel site!

I go up this slope (doesn't look too bad in this photo) and continue up the campground road to the top!

I had to come down this slope to get into my site!

And of course a two foot drop from my step to the other step!!!