Into Oklahoma.

Days 4,5,6 and 7.

____ Day 4: Out of the Love's at McPherson and down to the only bit of toll-road on the trip; $2.50 for the Kansas Turnpike from Wichita to the Oklahoma state border. Good Wi-Fi connection at the Belle Plaine Service Area helps soften the blow. Bright sunshine all day as we  make our way to the Flying'J at Oklahoma City for the overnight stop and a shower. Fifty gallons of fuel gets you a free shower but with just a 48 gallon fuel tank on the Mack; we have to do two fills of over 25 gallons to qualify.

____ Day 5: Flying'J and Pilot are very accommodating to motor homes and it is never a problem to tuck the Mack into a parking spot on the car park. I don't want to take a spot in among the big-rigs as I know how some places get full and the last thing that an over-worked and over-tired trucker needs is to find that a motor-home has taken the last empty stall when their hours are about to run out. We are the only motor-home staying over-night but there are at least twenty people sleeping in their cars and pick-up trucks. In the morning we take the bikes off the rack and ride the nearby river trail. Seven miles of paved cycle track between the Oklahoma River and Interstate 40 terminating at the state-of-the-art rowing facility of the US Olympic team. On the road again in early afternoon; the day's drive is just a short hop down to the Winstar Casino at the OK/TX state line.

____ Day 6: A rest-day in the finely manicured grounds of Winstar's own RV park. Very posh with very posh clientele but very good value. The first night is free for first-timers, $20 a night for casino club members; this includes electrical, water and sewer hook-ups. All very nice and with sunshine all day; some quiet country roads to ride the bikes and hot showers afterwards. The only disappointment was the end of the free breakfast buffets for over 55's on Wednesday and Thursdays; it now takes far too much gambling on your members club card to qualify. It seems far too many local seniors had been rocking-up just for the free grub and never playing the machines.

____ Day 7: Interstate 35 West is now virtually road-works free through Fort Worth after I had continually been held-up for the past twelve years. The tolled express lanes are finally up and running! After Waco we take the US Highway 77 for a night at the Pilot at Schulenburg; temperatures of 29 degrees C make the truck too hot and uncomfortable when we stop but the fact that I had left the heater running in the living quarters might have had something to do with it.

Self-catering is the key to economic road-trips.

Out of Kansas into Oklahoma.

The Mack, parked among high-end RVs at the Winstar.

Cycle track beside the river in Oklahoma City.

Wind turbines. I wonder if a small one would help power the house-batteries in the Mack.

Cycling the back roads in Southern Oklahoma.