Fueling Around

One of the jokes from the Baldknobber crew goes like this:
- What separates Illinois from Missouri?
- About 40 cents per gallon!
When we left NJ, we'd heard that Missouri had the cheapest gas in the nation on average. And it's true. Of course, as we've traveled, gas prices have been coming down anyway. My fill-up pre- leaving NJ was $3.93 per gallon, off-brand. In Virginia and the Carolinas, it hovered in the same area - only once going over the $4 mark and that was near Baltimore-DC. Alabama's prices were around $3.85; Arkansas a little less - we were able to fill up at a highway stop for $3.79. But Missouri has them all beat. The most expensive is here in Branson (get them tourists!) and it is $3.65 at name-brand stations. But while we traveled to Carthage, we actually got gas for $3.36! Now, I'm not sure if oil is just cheaper here or, like NJ, they have a low gas tax. But whatever, I'm filling up again before I hit Illinois...