Coming Home

Brad positioning the trailer in the driveway for the rest of the winter after we've cleaned it out

This drive home is fairly uneventful until the very end.  We leave the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona in warmth and sunshine and spend the first night in Amarillo, Texas (almost freezing at night, but sunny and in the 70s F during the day), the second night in Springfield, Missouri (a bit warmer at night due to a warm front, and mostly sunny and in the 60s F during the day), and PLAN to spend the third night just north of Indianapolis, Indiana, but after an early dinner Brad checks the weather again and it has changed - for the worse.

A "slurry" of mixed snow, ice and rain is expected to start around 9am with severe thunderstorms expected by afternoon.  So, we decide to drive through the night and go all the way home - 500 miles or 800 kms!  However, overnight in Michigan and at home in Ontario, it's supposed to get very cold, so now we have to winterize the trailer.  We stop at a travel center and put the antifreeze in the water lines and get that done.  Then we have to stop in London, Ontario to dump our grey and black tanks because the RV dump at the travel center in Michigan is frozen.

By the time it gets dark (shortly after dinner in Indiana), Grady starts to get upset.  He's done for the day and wants out of the truck.  He lets us know by howling, and when we ignore him he grumbles to himself under the back seat like a sulky kid!  I try to tell him we're going home, but ...

The worst part of the drive is right after we cross the border into Sarnia, Ontario, where thick fog slows our drive.  But we do make it home safely at 4:30am - 20+ hours on the road.  Grady is very happy to see the inside of the house and the outside of the truck.  Dixie (our stay-at-home cat) is not happy to see Grady.  We are happy to see our son, and I hope he is happy to see us.

Total distance driven this trip between September 4, 2013 and February 20, 2014:	11,720 miles (18,860 Kms)
Average daily cost for trip expenses (excludes groceries and non-related expenses):	$40/day
Total amount spent on diesel:	$3,665
Total amount spent on camping fees:	$820 (thanks to all of our free camping spots.  In February $0!)