Monday, June 9, 2008

Road trip!

Spent a quick weekend in Dallas for a wedding. We didn't get a chance to see much of the town, but the folks we came across all seemed quite nice. Anyway, here are a few observations made along the way...
  1. We decided to drive, so the 9 hours down and 9 hours back kind of cut in to our free time. I was surprised to see the difference in gas prices between Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Anywhere from $3.60 per gallon to $3.98. Maybe our 2006 Pathfinder wasn't the best car for a round trip of almost 1,100 miles... but still ended up being cheaper than flying (by about $9...).
  2. The Pathfinder holds up quite nicely with the cruise control set at 85 MPH.
  3. You think Kansas City is a fine example of urban sprawl? Check out Dallas. Even the side streets are 3 lanes wide. From the folks we talked to, a 1 hour drive to and from work is the norm. Makes the drive from the surrounding suburbs in KC seem like a leisurely stroll.
  4. Seemed like about every 8 blocks, there was a stretch of strip malls and shopping districts. Think of Leawood Town Center, and then repeat every 2 miles.
  5. Seeing what some of the folks in Dallas have to navigate just to get to the grocery store, makes me appreciate the Village even more. Sure, we are landlocked and don't have room to expand... but I can also get to the grocery store, gas station and liquor store in 4 minutes, 6 if there is traffic.
  6. Only recall seeing one person in a cowboy hat... and that was in Oklahoma.
  7. Garmin GPS systems are pretty cool. Ours got us to and from as well as around Dallas w/o issue. Also on the way home, it lead us directly to a small, rural Missouri town where my dad's parents used to live. It even found the street named after my grandfather. Of course, it was a dead end that lead to a nursing home...

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