i am in austin, texas... [19 Oct 2005|09:34pm] 16 october, 10:55 a.m. chicago, il odometer: 998 tripmeter: 0   16 october, 1:28 p.m. normal, il odometer: 1120 tripmeter: 122   16 october, 3:17 p.m. springfield, il odometer: 1187 tripmeter: 67   17 october, 11:17 a.m. st. louis, mo odometer: 1306 tripmeter: 118   17 october, 12:52 p.m. fredericktown, mo odometer: 1380 tripmeter: 74   17 october, 6:05 p.m. newport, ar odometer: 1549 tripmeter: 169   18 october, 1:00 p.m. benton, ar odometer: 1678 tripmeter: 128   18 october, 5:56 p.m. queen city, tx odometer: 1839 tripmeter: 161   19 october, 5:50 a.m. palestine, tx odometer: 1984 tripmeter: 145   19 october, 9:47 a.m. thorndale, tx odometer: 2115 tripmeter: 130   19 october, 11:00 a.m. austin, tx odometer: 2159 tripmeter: 43   total time: 72 hours total distance: 1161 miles total fuel used: 21.8 gallons total fuel cost: 62.33 u.s.d. average mpg: 53.26 little rock: i lose time canvasing the city, looking for pics. the temperature climbs - averaging 20 degrees above normal. moving southwest, towards arkadelphia, i experience the first signs of exhaustion. i pull off the road, and under a bridge - where it is 20 degrees cooler. i packed 3 liters of water for the trip; that was the best thing that i did. face, hair and mouth, i make a mad effort to hydrate, and reduce my body temperature. i'm tired of wasting money on hotels - and the locals warn me that hurricane refugees have driven demand sky high. near fainting, again, i decide to sleep at a rest area - on a picnic table. i leave the suit, helmet, gloves and boots on; that's my tent. i crash: 7pm to 2am. it's the best night on the road, so far. the air is filled with pine and cedar; the sky is clear; the moon is full - and all the stars are out. entering northeastern texas at 3am, i encounter much cooler temperatures - so cold, in fact, that i am now battling hypothermia. i've gone from sweating to freezing in a matter of hours. that shift, combined with the humid air, produces a horrible fog. 17 comments|post comment

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