Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Graceland to Hot Springs DETOUR

Friday May 6, 2011
From Graceland RV Park, Tennessee
to
Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas

We left Graceland RV Park expecting a 213 mile trip to Hot Springs.
That length is above my usual comfort zone
but we do have a June 2nd deadline
to be at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
so I'm trying to be a good sport.

We were concerned, considering all the flooding, 
about crossing the Mississippi River
to move from Tennessee to Arkansas

Or I should say, I was concerned.
David doesn't have a concerned button.
He relies on me to do it.
Nice for him to have a designated worrier.

And though the water was definitely coming up, up, up,
we made it just fine.



Or thought we did until we got into
eastern Arkansas and ran into this
sign on I-40.
DETOUR!!



I-40 is CLOSED.



Merge NOW!



End of the road.



So here we go down narrow two lane
roads with 18 wheelers on both sides.



We sat in traffic with the engine
off  while three guys let first one direction and then the
other go.  All were lined up for a mile down the road.
It took us over 15 minutes to get this far up in line.



With hands on hips, he only looks slightly
less frustrated than we were.


Once we turned the corner,
this was the line waiting to turn from
that direction.




These are some of the things I saw
out my window while driving along.
Eastern Arkansas has also been hit hard by this flooding.

Notice the house under water in the background
and the wires near the water in the foreground.
Click to enlarge the pictures.



These folks apparently backed their
boat trailer into their driveway to use
their boat to get to the house.
Sorry I took this through the passenger's side window screen.



Trees buried, water nearly up to the road.



The detour added an extra 52 miles bringing our total to
265 miles.  
With all the lines and back ups it added over an hour
to our already too long trip.
We were pushing it in the first place and
were frazzled and exhausted by the time we finally
arrived and got set up in another Site 18
This time at Lake Catherine State Park.




But we were dry.



And so was the park, at least where we were.



Looks like the further west we go, the less flooding.
We're certainly glad to have this day's drive over.

3 comments:

  1. I am so glad you two are safe! I have been very worried about you thinking you were still in the Memphis area. Sorry you had to go through that detour...it looked very stressful :(
    But sure am glad you're safe and sound. Be sure to stay that way :)

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  2. Glad you are high and dry!! We've been wondering if you had moved...glad you are out of the flood area. That is so sad and those folks lives are just turned upside down right now.

    Stay safe....please!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unbelievable pictures of the flooding! Glad you made it safe and sound, albeit later than you would have liked.

    ReplyDelete

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