A long day punctuated by small gas stations, a monsoon, a brake issue and TV problems in Terre Haute

(Note: After you finish today's post feel free to scroll down and find lots of pictures from Little Rock. In addition to putting pictures with the two posts from Wednesday and Thursday I put a whole post of just pictures between those two. Enjoy, we did.)

We had been incredibly fortunate weather wise on our trip home. That all came apart about noon today when we reached north Arkansas and the skies opened up in the same way they did in Houston two days before we left.

Terre Haute KOA

It did just rain, but as homey Andy Griffith would say, "it was a real frog stangler." I mean it's bad enough driving in the rain in a car, but pulling a long trailer just makes it that much more exciting. And exciting is probably the wrong word.

The storm, at least the heaviest downpour parts, last a full 45 minutes, but we finally seemed to drive out of it somewhere in southern Illinois. There were times I considered pulling off and waiting the storm out, but that can sometimes be a mistake so we just kept plodding ahead.

Ahead that is until the trailer's emergency brake device suddenly activated for no apparent reason causing me to have to pull onto a narrow shoulder with my long rig with traffic whizzing by at 55-60 mph in the driving rain.

I suspected the way the car reacted that the trailer brakes had locked up and jumped out (risking life and limb and dryness) to plug the device back in which released the brakes and we quickly merged back into traffic and continued on.

Before the storm hit the outside temperature was 80 degrees. Within 15 minutes it dropped to 59 and we think at one point we were being pelted by small hail.

Then we pulled off to get gas in Marion, Illinois because our "Next Exit" book said there was an RV friendly BP station there. Well, our "Next Exit" book, which lists the services at every exit off every Interstate in the country, is a couple years old and apparently the BP has become another brand of gas and I accidentally pulled into a Pilot gas station that was a little too small for my rig.

Our campsite

After getting gas I had Joan stand behind and make sure I didn't hit anyone as I backed out of my pump area and then we hit the road again.

The weather improved as we went and except for the knuckle-whitening storm today the rest of our trip has been pretty good. I have found a number of trucks to draft behind and until the storm hit I was averaging 11-12 miles per gallon, which is exceptional with the trailer attached.

Somewhere along the route we passed the Remington firearms and ammunition plant so at least the Second Amendment is alive and well. We also crossed the Embarass River, which seemed an odd name for a river.

There was also a small convoy of cars with window paint saying: "Going to Fort Leonard Wood - Getting our Soldier" Judging from the eastward direction of the car we assumed that the soldier was already aboard and headed home. Glad he/she is home safe and sound. If I had seen the sign earlier I would have honked or waved.

At the KOA here in Terre Haute, Indiana, the cable television hook-up gave us fits, but suddenly clicked in so all is well. And the Internet connection was great as well. Joan fixed us a fine steak dinner, which I was ravenously hungry for after the hard day's driving and we settled in for our last night on the road.

This is our second time at this park and we really like it. Maybe someday we'll stay longer than an overnight. We overnighted here on our way to Tucson last fall. What is funny is that there are only about five campers in this big old park and they packed three of us right next to each other.

Hoping to get on the road early tomorrow and home in mid-afternoon.

Mileage out: 8961

Time out: 7:57 a.m. (CDT)

Mileage in: 9479

Time in: 5:53 p.m. (EDT)