March 24 – 2018 Aledo, Texas

Yesterday, Friday. We went from Broken Bow, Oklahoma to Aledo, Texas (250 miles/400 km)

Driving from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Fort Worth, Texas via Arkansas and Oklahoma isn’t the fastest or shortest way to travel, but we wanted to see some of the local country side and go through some small towns. That is easier on the smaller roads. It also gave JJ a chance to stock up on cigarettes as Oklahoma is one of the cheap states ($4.50).

Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma are a poor part of the country, so some of the towns we saw were very run down (as much as Detroit – though you don’t hear about them as much on the news). Oklahoma is also “Native American” country (as the name of the town “Broken Bow” suggests).

Texas - The Lone Star State

But when we crossed the boarder to Texas, it became “cowboy” country. (The campground we are staying at is called “Cowtown RV park”) We saw lots of big ranches, and although it is still very rural, there seems to be more wealth here.

 

As the flags suggest it was very windy. The first time we have driven with the camper in a strong wind. Not a problem now at all, but had this happened back in September when we first started I (JJ) would have had to change underwear for sure 😊

Also, when we crossed the Texas border we hit the town of Denison.
All of a sudden there was a lot of Eisenhower stuff (Eisenhower Parkway, a bust etc. etc.).
Turned out that this is the birthplace of President Eisenhower.
One of Eisenhower’s achievements as president was the Interstate Highway System (motorvejssystemet).
Officially the “Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways”.

When Eisenhower was Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II (responsible for the D-Day invasion that eventually ended the war), he observed how efficient the German Autobahn system was, when it came to moving troops and supplies. When he became president, he introduced a program for a similar system in the US (for peacetime as well as wartime).

Toady the system has 48.000 miles / 77000 km! running across the country.
I35 runs through Minnesota and we have often driven on 35E or 35W.
Well, coming up on Fort Worth, Texas we went on 35W! I35 runs 1500 miles/2500 km from Laredo, Texas on the Mexican border almost to the Canadian border, ending in Duluth, Minnesota.

I35 is just one of many in this impressive system. A system that makes our trip so much easier (although some of them are ready for some maintenance (vedligehold). Thanks Ike 😊

After the many miles we have done the last few days, we are now going to stay 3 nights in the same spot. We need that.

Written by Mary and JJ