The two of us left Oklahoma the next morning and headed toward the Missouri state line.
Missouri’s state motto is, “The Welfare of the People Shall Be the Supreme Law”. According to the Visit Missouri website, “Missouri’s parks and natural areas are open for adventure year-round. From one of the country’s largest city parks to dozens of state parks, conservation areas, national forests and wildlife refuges, there’s plenty of room to explore in the Show-Me State.” Gateway Arch National Park is located on the eastern border of Missouri.
While Brian and I traveled through Missouri, we could feel the peaceful, beneficial energy of the forests. The scenery resembled what we were used to, trees. This was a beautiful state, it felt like we were back in the Appalachian Mountains. The two of us continued traveling east on Interstate 44 and made it through Joplin and Springfield without any issues.
Later that afternoon, we arrived at the RV Express 66 RV Park in Marshfield. Interstate 44 follows the general path of Historic U.S. Route 66, so we enjoyed one more Route 66 stop. The park was easily accessible, the sites were level, and they had clean laundry facilities. We had water, sewer, power, and free WiFi for $38 a night. After checking out the area, we decided to stay for two nights. We had work to do and needed to prepare for the next few travel days.
The next morning, we took a walk to McDonald’s. Brian and I had been craving their Sausage Gravy Biscuits for a while now and they are not sold everywhere in the U.S. Once we had a good breakfast, we headed back to the motorhome to get some work done. Technology has made it much easier for individuals to make money from home, no matter where “home” is. Between WiFi, mobile data, and the U.S. Postal Service, we’re making sure the clients are taken care of.
We pulled out around 10 o’clock the following morning and headed to Eureka. The billboards in Missouri kept us laughing. There is a fudge factory called, Uranus Fudge Factory off exit 163 on Historic Route 66. Did you know the best fudge is found in Uranus! Comedy really is the best medicine.
Later that day, we arrived at our destination, the Walmart in Eureka. We just needed a place to park for the night without all of the amenities. It was right off of the Interstate and it saved us money. Gas prices were rising and we still had a long way to go before next spring. We called the store manager, parked where we were told, and made ourselves dinner.
Early the next morning, Brian and I went into Walmart and grabbed some essentials for the road and got back on the Interstate. It wasn’t long before we were bypassing St. Louis and crossing the Missouri/Illinois state line on Interstate 70. The two of us left Montana exactly one month ago with our cat, Sailor. Illinois is the 9th state the Big Tan Turtle has been in on this trip and we’ve gone 2700 miles so far.
Illinois is nicknamed the “Prairie State” and the “Land of Lincoln”. Their official state motto is “State Sovereignty, National Union”. The Enjoy Illinois website wants everyone to, “Explore the Outdoors. With magnificent state parks, lush forests, miles of trails for hiking and biking, and mighty rivers, Illinois is your playground.”
We arrived at our destination for the night, Okaw Valley Kampground in Brownstown, stopping a little earlier than usual. After a night at Walmart, we all needed to relax and get out for a bit, especially Sailor. Brian pulled up to the front office and I jumped out to check us in. The full-service campground looked clean and they had a stocked pond that you can fish with no fishing license (catch and release only).
After paying the $36 nightly fee, plus $10 for checking in two hours early, we parked the Big Tan Turtle in our spot. The location was perfect, the campground was quiet, and they even had a little store. Sailor was happy to get out, even just sitting and grounding to the earth in his crate. Brian was excited to go fishing and get a fishing pole in my hand. It had been a long time since I fished, so I was excited to see if I could catch one.
Later, the two of us took a walk and explored the area. The pond was beautiful and stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegill. The next morning, Brian and I went fishing. The two of us had a blast catching and releasing the fish. We took Sailor and his crate down later that afternoon to the pond so he could watch us fish. He got to smell a fresh one before we threw it back in the water.
We really enjoyed the scenery and our nature time in Missouri and Illinois.