Wow! Who would've thought that a second travel day would be so dynamic and exciting? Our day can be best described by three theme songs: "The Gambler," "Proud Mary," and "Oklahoma!"
The Gambler
After a phenomenal weather brief this morning, the team decided that we had to know when to fold 'em, and that while there was a slight chance for tornado formation in the Texas panhandle, adding another 10 hours (on top of the 7) to our drive for the day wasn't in the cards for us.
For those following, a few tornadoes did form today (one almost exactly where the team predicted formation would be most likely)! Below is a radar image we captured while we were keeping tabs on convective activity further west.
Since we weren't actively chasing, we made the most of our day as we traveled towards Norman, OK for our brief with the SPC tomorrow morning. Our first stop of the morning was mission critical: we had to see the World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, IL (our hotel's proximity to this national landmark was a huge selling point foe yesterday's logistics team). After several attempts at using a self-timer, we finally landed this incredible shot with the national relic conveniently situated behind Black Friday Liquidators (whose legitimacy has not yet been confirmed):
Proud Mary
Our next stop was at St. Louis' Gateway Arch, a city we entered blasting none other than "Proud Mary" in our SWIFT van.
Our van which, thankfully. did not slide into the Mississippi river.
This picture is proof that LCDR Burich will do anything to get the shot.
After a thorough photo shoot, we went to a local Cajun restaurant in St. Louis and enjoyed Po Boys, jambalaya, gumbo, and shrimp and grits. Happy and with full stomachs, we headed to the Meramec Caverns to burn off some energy at a swing set and pet puppies (the actual cave tours didn't quite cut it for us).
After a long ride through the Ozarks, we arrived at Cunningham Park, Joplin's memorial for the victims of the 2011 EF-5 tornado. It was a sobering experience that reminded us that while we are excited to chase tornadoes, we have to keep in mind the devastating effects they have.
Reading a plaque listing all 116 victims of the 2011 Joplin tornado.
Oklahoma!
After Alex's first Waffle House dinner, we ended the night listening to LCDR Burich and Ben showcasing their Naval Academy Glee Club skills singing "Oklahoma!" as we crossed another state line. That marks 8 states so far!
Thanks for reading. Tomorrow looks like it's going to be an active chase day, so stay tuned for more excitement!
-SWIFT 2021
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