10/21/07: Day 12: Hays to Home
This was a day of simple driving. I was up at dawn.
Sunrise over the Best Western in Hays, Kansas
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This hotel was still more of a Vagabond Inn than a Best Western. We shoulda remembered the nice stay we had last year at the Hays Days Inn.
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After I had a blah breakfast at the nominally attached restaurant, we got packed up and on the road.
Everyone has seen a scene of road mirages out in the hot desert. Here's one in the middle of Kansas, looking more like Missouri in its woodsy lushness.
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Karen had been fascinated by a glowing smoke stack. So I stopped and went to take a picture of.Um.Oh, there it is.
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Actually, this is where I lost track in the previous picture.
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Here's one shot of the sun-struck smoke against the darker sky, with a truck coming toward me.
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Here's another shot that gives an impression of how bright the smoke seemed.
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What we see on the road is often a matter of what we are prepared to see. Karen picked out the radiant smoke, and took many pictures. But mine mostly came out better.
But we crossed the rest of Kansas and back into Missouri.
Welcome to Missouri. The leaves are turning. Pretty impressionistic, but note that the moon is relatively sharp. We're just moving that fast.
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Okay, the moon is not so sharp in this one, but I enjoy the impressionistic Missouri autumnal foliage. Perhaps my eyes are just going.
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And finally got home just after dark.
Almost Home. Sweet home.
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Sunset lingers, and a mile yet to go.
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Stats:
Over 1,100 snapshots taken (yeah, I took it easy on yez)
3,140 miles driven
81.8 gallons bought (for between $2.74 and 3.08 per)
=> 38.4 avg mpg (our '98 Mazda likes the mountains)