UMR's Lunar Miners hit the road yesterday, with hopes of checking into a hotel in Amarillo, Texas, the halfway mark of their 2,000-mile journey to NASA's Centennial Challenge in Santa Maria, Calif. Here's what team co-leader Joel Logue has to say about the group's trip so far:
Currently, we are in El Reno, Okla. I officially dislike Oklahoma not for its rolling flat hills, or lustrous views, but for its fascination with toll ways. I knew some states have toll ways when you enter and leave. Not Oklahoma. Here they charge you to get on the turnpike, they charge you while you are on the turnpike, and they charge you to get off of the turnpike.
I even got pulled over outside the first tollbooth because I didn’t use my turn signal when switching to the cash pay lane. (I know this is hard to believe coming from the guy who failed drivers ed because he didn’t use the turn signal when he pulled away from the curb.) So there I am, waiting for the policeman to write up my warning, and he starts making small talk. He asks where we are heading and what we were doing. I told him all about the competition and about the robot in the back of the van. He asked “Is that what that is?” and we talked about welding for a while. There is so much more I need to learn about welding …Our goal for tonight is Amarillo, Texas. Once I get some sleep, I’ll pick up the driving again. Fumi has been driving for almost an hour and is already tired. I’ve been driving the rest of the time. If we don’t make the best of our drive time, we’ll never make it on time…
Goodnight,
Joel Logue (and the rest of the Lunar Miners)
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