Movin' On to Cape Girardeau, MO

Wednesday, April 28, I'm up at 7:30. It is sunny and chilly at 49 degrees. We pack up quickly and leave at 10:08. It is warmer already today as winds are calm out of the south. We head north on I-55 for 30 minutes before we have to take the roller coaster ride around the west side of Memphis through some wild road construction. We got the thrill of a loop de loop curly-cue ramp on I-55, crossed the Mississippi River and found the correct lane to go north on I-55. But not before our hearts jumped in our throats a few time. Whew!

The map lied about a rest area in Arkansas on I-55. We pass our campground in Arkansas across the River from Memphis where we stayed in The Beauty-it's now a KOA. The Welcome Center at the Missouri border is closed too. They promise a new one in 20 miles that turns out to be 45 more miles. So we go 140 miles of our 202-mile trip before we have a break and we need one. We eat our PBJs and grapes at the rest area and head north for 60 more miles to exit 99 and Cape Camping & RV Park, 1900 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, Cape Girardeau County (573) 332-8888, N37* 2.022, W89* 34.656.

A workcamper guy out front admires our RV. We were here in the Lakota five or six years ago. I'll have to look up the year. The RV Park was only a few months old at that time. It is much nicer now with grass instead of mud. All of the sites and facilities are completed and we have Wi-Fi at all of the sites. We pay $204.07/week ($15.07 tax!) We are in Site A-9, 2 or 3 sites down from our first time here in the same row.

We jockey the RV so the steps are on gravel (someone left us a nice door mat!) and the utilities all reach (we think.) Last time we had to re-hitch as the electric cord missed by two inches (we were rookies then.) This time we didn't realize we have cable TV at this park and the box is way on the end. Bob got rid of his faulty 50-foot cable so we only have 10 feet and missed by 4 inches. We'll get a new longer cable at Wal-Mart later.

By 2:45 we are set up. We head south to exit 96 and enjoy the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday's. Then we stop at Wal-Mart for essentials and a 12-foot cable. Good old Wal-Mart. Back home Bob hooks it up. We put the bikes in the garage, I hang up my decor and we crash. It's 6:02 p.m. and 68 degrees with 25% humidity. The high was 77 and the low was 49. Let the wedding festivities begin!