Out and Back

10:30 AM. The car is loaded, 3 suit cases, 1 back pack, 2 small carry-on bags, a cooler, a case of water and a bag of snacks. We are headed to Kansas City from Denver.

It should take us about 10 hours of driving. We are leaving a day early, as the weather is expected to change and I don't want to drive in the snow and rain.

Ten years ago, we were making the same journey. We waited to late and the snow started. The weather turned this trip into 15 hour drive. About 90 miles east of Denver I was passing an 18 wheeler when by back tires lost traction. I was even with the front bumper of the truck. The trucker let off his throttle as the back end of the car swung to the left, then swung to the right, just missing the front end of the truck.

Once again, the back end of the car swung to the left and as it swung to the right, the front wheels came free and I was spinning down the middle of the highway at 60 miles per hour. I am sliding to the right side of the highway. The car does a complete 360 degree turn and comes to a stop on the right shoulder of the highway. Just as we stop the 18 wheeler passes us.

I look around, and ask if everyone is alright. The kids are OK, my wife is OK and the car is OK.

We slowly pull back on to the Highway and continue with our journey. Only now we are driving at 40 miles per hour and not 60 MPH. Our weather is better on the 2007 drive and we are glad to have a sunny day to drive.

3:30 PM MT (4:30 PM CT) we stop at Hays Kansas for a break and a stretch. We have been listening to an Audio book to make the time o by faster.

8:30 PM MT (9:30 PM MT) we pull into the driveway of our destination in KC. The only problem we had was a burnt out headlight.

On the fifth day, 5:30 AM MT we leave our relatives and start the drive back to Denver.

We make a few more stops on the way back. We seem to be a little more tired and need to stretch a little more.

4:30 PM MT, we arrive back home. A sunny day with no snow or rain. The round trip was 1,280 miles.