It was most disappointing to learn the weather forecast for the following two days… snow and blizzard conditions in the Rockies. Oh no! We had to change our planned route and retrace our steps south of the Rockies through Flagstaff, spending the night in Albuquerque, NewMexico. We continued the next day through a small portion of Texas and Oklahoma, arriving in Liberal, Kansas for the night. This was an unplanned stop, but provided a couple of great memories. We had dinner in Liberal, Kansas right next door to our hotel. The Cattleman’s Café II was a very busy place. We both had a meat loaf dinner with iced tea and pie and all it cost was $25.00, tax and tip! After many expensive days on the road, this was exceptional. While in the restaurant, we read about how the town was named. Apparently, history recalls an early landowner who kindly offered water to any traveller who passed through. The traveller often remarked, that’s mighty “liberal” of you! And so the name stuck! At the hotel, we learned of a local citizen’s effort to benefit from the Wizard of Oz fame of Kansas. He opened “Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz” museum and it was only two blocks from our hotel. The next morning, we visited and I posed with our dog Toto − often referred to as theWizard of Oz dog − next to an outdoor statue of Dorothy and her Toto. Priceless! Really strong winds, like one would imagine sent Dorothy on her flight to Oz, gave our arms a good workout the next day, holding the steering wheel tight, driving through rural Kansas. It seemed that our GPS felt “across country” was the best way to get us north to Iowa. There were cattle stockyards at many intersections. Some of the stockyards boasted that they were fattening up the beef to send to market. It was quite an unexpected site to see the flat, wide-open countryside and then large stockyards. Many fields were burned black to promote new, healthy grass growth. The last few days of our trip were spent driving northward through Iowa and Missouri to spend a day with family in Maple Grove, Minnesota and in Chicago, Illinois. Our border crossing to Canada would be the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron, Michigan. Arriving home in Camlachie, Ontario on April 9, we had spent 20 days on the road. Our road trip 2022 had travelled 5,825 miles (9,320 km) through 15 states. As a significant part of celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary year, this trip was a wonderful success… full of memories. I would encourage you to take your road trip! Plan your route and travel stops based on your daily drive limit. Look at YouTube videos to see what is best to do at your major stops. Consult tour guide websites to learn about local touring opportunities. Book hotel and pet accommodations to maximize both your exercise after a long day’s drive and the convenience of local attractions. If you plan ahead, you will have a wonderful experience and come in under budget like we did. Finally, don’t be concerned with a disappointing route change, as you might get a oncein-a-lifetime chance to get your photo taken with “Dorothy and her Toto!” Our dog Toto, Dorothy and the Land of Oz, Liberal, Kansas New York-New York buildings, Las Vegas strip Bellagio fountain, Las Vegas strip CSANews | SUMMER 2022 | 27 Travel
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