'Gas Challenge': Follow the Pletcher family

We've been doing Weight Watchers for 15 weeks and we were trying to keep the same kind of diet on the road and have been successful almost every step of the way. It has gotten harder the farther east we go. Mostly it's cost us time and planning to find the right kinds of food. We've had to stop at markets along the way even though the kids might be having fast food.

Once we hit the Midwest, our comfortable California-style dress (shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts) was very apparent, and it affects the way we are being treated in the big cities in the Midwest; bellhops look at us like we aren't going to tip and customer service people treat us like second-class citizens.

People in Kansas were the nicest, friendliest people you'd ever meet. We were very impressed with the beauty of the state and the nice people.

We only had to buy gas once all day and it was the cheapest we've seen yet — $1.91 a gallon in Howe, Ind. The grand total to fill up our tank was $18.99. We arrived in Cleveland at 8:30 p.m. —Brian Pletcher

Total amount spent on gas
Rileys (SUV): $410.20
Fowlers (Midsize): $251.98
Pletchers (Hybrid): $154.27

Gas Mileage
Riley Family (SUV): 17 mpg  (estimate was 15 mpg)
Fowler Family (Midsize):  26 mpg  (estimate was 25 mpg)
Pletcher Family (Hybrid): 39 mpg  (estimate was 40 mpg)

Family log: Kansas City to Chicago (Day 5)
The live shot from the Kansas Speedway was great. There was a beautiful sunrise, but it was a little chilly. It went very smooth with Matt and Katie.

We got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Speedway and got to follow a pace car around the track. We took a bunch of pictures and videos of the car on the winner's circle.

Sunday is Savannah's 13th birthday, so Andy arranged a surprise for Savannah to drive the Hybrid in the pit area as her first driving experience. Then the PR guy asked if we'd be interested in taking a couple of laps around the track in a pace car; Spencer and I went first and the driver took us around the track very fast. We stopped on one bank of the track and looked at a rail where a car had crashed in the last race, and he explained how the rails cushion the blows; he also showed us a lot about racing from a pit crew's perspective.

The kids swam at the hotel, then we packed up and headed to Chicago.

We paid $1.93 a gallon in Green Valley, Mo., which is a new low for us on this trip.

FREE VIDEO Who's winning the 'Gas Challenge'? May 18: Three families driving from Los Angeles to N.Y. in six days, using three different vehicles, report on their progress and gas mileage in Chicago, as part of the "Great American Gas Challenge." Today show

We went to the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Mo. It's very new, and just opened about four months ago. As we circled the parking lot, I noticed security was tightening. I recognized that people were watching me pretty closely. A bunch of people dressed in black attire were heading for the library and there were also lookouts and snipers on nearby roofs. We found out the Emir of Qatar was there and that's why there was so much security. I videotaped the motorcade. —Brian Pletcher

Days 1 - 5: Los Angeles to Chicago
Total amount spent on gas
Rileys (SUV): $388.80
Fowlers (Midsize): $211.98
Pletchers (Hybrid): $135.28

Gas Mileage
Riley Family (SUV): 17 mpg  (estimate was 15 mpg)
Fowler Family (Midsize):  26 mpg  (estimate was 25 mpg)
Pletcher Family (Hybrid): 39 mpg  (estimate was 40 mpg)

Family log: Denver to Kansas City

FREE VIDEO Refueling in Kansas City May 17: The three families driving from Los Angeles to N.Y. in six days, using three different vehicles, report on their progress and gas mileage in Kansas City, Kan., as part of the "Great American Gas Challenge." Today show

The live shot was fun. We were all really tired and thought it was really bad, but it looked better on TV than it felt. The folks at the Museum of Nature and Science let us wander around before and after the live shot — they were very nice. Normally I can handle multiple inputs at the same time and multitask, but I was not coping well because of all the lack of sleep.

We had breakfast and felt much better. I dropped the rest of the family off at the Denver Mint and there was intense security — men with guns and very serious attitudes.

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