Day 12- Leaving Chesterfield, on the way to Kansas City

We made yet another change of plans today, but that's the advantage to bringing along your bed and potty as you travel the road...

It was fairly cold this morning so we got up early, got ourselves together and futzed around until 930 or so, and headed off for our first stop, a baseball venue at O'Fallon Missouri, to see the River City Rascals.  Then, we headed back downtown to the Bookstore for a previously arranged lunch with the Herringtons, then decided to go ahead and start over to Kansas City.

We got about 125 miles down I-70 to our spot for the night, Camp Wal Mart at Boonville, Missouri, just off MM 103 on I-70. 

As far as the day went, our first stop was at O'Fallon Missouri.  We went to visit the home of the River City Rascals, which is a member of the Independent Frontier League.  They play in a newer stadium, part of the Ozzie Smith sports Complex, he of the St Louis Cardinals.  The team had not yet started their season, not until May 10, but I was able to go ahead and get a baseball.  They didn't have a pin, but I substituted a keychain.  I had a very pleasant conversation with a member of the team's staff, and was invited to have Brandon throw out the first ball on a return visit which we may do in the last of July or first of August..  Have to check with Brandon and see if he would want to do that, it would be a first for us. 

After that, we headed downtown, and had another of our big adventures, thankfully we were in the car and not the motor home... first, we pulled to a dead stop on I-70- turns out there was an overturned 18 wheeler laying on its side blocking three lanes...  Didn't see anyone injured, but there were several police folks noodling out how to get the thing uprighted and out of the road...

Then, once again, we were bamboozled by the GPS... the exits didn't match the instructions, and we wound up in a very confusing big downtown park, then Grand Boulevard was closed for a section we were directed too, so we had to make a five block detour, then the street was blocked where we were trying to get into the parking lot...  Lots of co-driver comments...  We managed to get to the bookstore right at noon, and had a wonderful lunch with the Herringtons, at an old timey diner just down the street.   Bette and I split a patty melt.

We said our hugs and kisses, and then back to the coach, hooked up, and headed down the Interstate.  The goal was to perhaps get to exit 98, which is our target stop for Arrow Rock State Park, so I can get a Santa Fe Trail Stamp.

We made a pit stop at a Pilot Travel Center, and bit the bullet to do our latest keeping up with the Kingstons..  we now have our own 7 inch GPS, which is also a truck gps, with lots of features that are way beyond what we have now, and some features we don't need.  But, we got it, and are glad to have it. 

It is a Rand McNally TND 710  

So now, Bette has piece of mind that we won't drive the coach into a low clearance bridge or something.  Happy wife is a happy life. 

We're at Camp Wal Mart in Boonville, Missouri, MM 103 on I-70.  This is a big store, big parking lot, mile off the Interstate, so it should be a very quiet nite.  Should also be a little warmer.  Just in case, Bette got an additional quilt for the bed this morning, and I had to get a quilted warm shirt, which was on clearance.  So were all snug. 

Tomorrow, I'm going to take the car and run a couple of exits down the road to the Arrow Rock State Historical Site, so I can get a stamp for the Santa Fe Trail, which will be my first from that Trail.  Then, we're heading on over to the Blue Springs, Missouri area to boondock for the night, then we have a 4 day reservation at a real campground for a change...  Bette will probably stay in while I do my running around the Metro KC area doing my stamp runs, and other things to see. 

Here's our spot at Boonville: