We left a little late but not too bad. Georgies party was great and she loved her butterfly cake.

Good time was made and we managed to make friends with the Oklahoma toll road system. It may not have been a lot of money each time but it all adds up. Made me feel like I was back in Sydney. While the 75 mph limit was nice I think a lower limit with fewer stops would be faster.

Before we could escape Oklahoma, the effects of hurricane Ike rolled in and we had to find shelter to put the top up on the jeep. Just ad the heavens opened we spotted an abandoned service station. A few minutes later we were back on the road and heading for Amarillo. Ok, so I’ m lying. We’ve owned 7 jeeps between us and this is the longest it’s ever taken either of us to get the top up.

We arrived in Amarillo, TX, to the news of the LA commuter train disaster and the impending landfall of Ike.

Dinner was a snappy taco bell affair and the hotel was OK. The front deal clerk was clueless and apparently spending 300 nights a year under the roof of a Marriott doesn’t entitle you to a free breakfast, even if the details of the Marriott platinum membership distinctly challenge her thought process.

Day 1 complete and already ahead of schedule.