7-8-2000 Saturday (day 1)
Elaine and I had originally planned to go to
Nova Scotia to see the Tall Sailing Ships but then while surfing on the web,
Elaine finds a cabin for sale on the internet that sounds just perfect to me
so we both decide we'd rather go to Colorado instead. This way she can visit
her brother and family and I can go see this ideal cabin. I have talked with
the owners of the cabin and it sounds almost too good to not go look at.
They even emailed some photos of the cabin that look really great! We
have planned to leave today but the camper tie downs that I have ordered for
our new truck have not yet arrived. They were due in on Friday but got
delayed in shipping. The UPS people tell me that the parts will be in on
Monday morning, so I have no choice but to wait.
7-9-2000 Sunday (day 2)
While waiting for the tie downs to
arrive, I have installed the dually extension brackets onto the front legs
of the camper, washed the camper and truck and loaded the camper onto the
truck. Loading the camper is a real adventure as the dual tires on the new
truck are the exact same width as the feet on the front camper legs and just
2 inches narrower then the legs themselves. There is no margin for error
when backing under the camper, but we got it loaded without a problem. Dang,
I'm good! Finish loading the food into the fridge and make sure everything
is ready to go so that we can take off as soon as I get the new tie downs
installed. 7-10-2000 Monday (day 3)
First thing this morning I call
the UPS office and tell them to pull the package and I will be there at 8:30
AM when they open to pick it up. This they do and I am able to get the tie
downs and head for home to install them. I open the box to find the parts
are for a Ford truck not a Dodge as I had ordered. I am getting just a
little upset by now as these parts are already a week late. The factory that
I ordered from is in Washington state and opens at 8:30 AM out there, which
is 11:30 AM east coast time so I'll have to wait until then to call. I
explain the problem and the factory says that there is only four parts
different between the Ford and the Dodge systems and that they will
send them out overnight air delivery and I should receive them at 8:30 AM on
Tuesday. We're getting pretty good at waiting on parts so we adjust our
departure date one more time and wait some more. We are definitely getting
out of Delaware by tomorrow if I have to take the camper off the truck and
drive it out empty and stay in motels.
7-11-2000 Tuesday (day 4)
Get up early and install the parts
that I already have and am waiting at 8:30 for the other four parts to
arrive. By 8:45 AM, we're getting a little concerned and call UPS to see
where the package is. They inform us that it has already been delivered at
7:20 AM and was left on the front porch. I inform them that it is not here
and ask to have it tracked down. Just on the chance that they may have
delivered it to the wrong house, I go to all the neighbors and check. I find
the package lying on a lawn chair in the back yard of one of our neighbors .
Bring it home and call UPS to give them a piece of my mind about how they
handle their deliveries. Open the box to find not four but only two parts.
I'm now just about ready to drive out to Washington state to grab
someone at the Tork Lift Co. by the neck and choke them! Decide to install
the two parts and just maybe the other two parts will be the same as the
ones I already have. Luckily for the people at Tork Lift, they do fit and
everything is installed and ready to go by 1:30 PM. The cloud cover that had
been hanging around all morning has finally broken and the sun is coming
out. The temperature is 82 degrees as we head out of the lane. Feels really
great to finally be going somewhere! Take I-95 south to Baltimore then pick
up I-895, which I thought would take us around the east side of Baltimore
and over a bridge. Instead we end up going right through the Harbor Tunnel
which I did not want to do with the camper and the propane bottles. We make
it through just fine but do let out a sigh of relief as we come out the
other side. Continue on I-95 south to DC where we take the I-495 beltway
around the west side of DC to route #66. By 3:32 PM we enter Virginia and am
relieved to be through DC before the rush hour traffic starts. Route #66 is
fairly smooth 4 lane blacktop road and becomes scenic as it heads west. This
route takes us across to I-81 which heads south down through Virginia. I-81
is a good smooth 4 lane divided highway that makes for pleasant driving.
This is the first trip for our new truck with the camper on it and it is
handling beautifully. The longer wheelbase and heavier weight of the one ton
truck makes for a smoother and more comfortable ride. The diesel seems to be
taking all the hills so far in 6th gear with no problem. By 7:25 PM we have
395 miles on this tank of fuel so we pull into a Citgo truck stop for 25.4
gallons at $1.37 in Cloverdale, VA. At 8:30 PM we stop at another rest stop
to fix a sandwich and drink for a late evening dinner. Other than a small
half hour rain shower around 7:30 PM, the rest of the drive has been dry and
rather scenic for an interstate. Cross over the Tennessee border at 10:15 PM
and continue on I-81 south till it runs into I-40 about 60 miles east of
Knoxville, then follow that south through Knoxville where we pull into a
Flying "J" travel plaza at mile post #369. Find us a parking spot among the
20 or so RVs already parked there and climb into the camper to get some
sleep, or so we thought. The gas flame on the fridge has gotten blown out as
it often does while on the road ... no problem, just turn it off and restart
it, right? Not to be... nothing happened, so I hit it again but still
nothing. It has just started raining as I slip outside to see what is ailing
this dang fridge. Open the outside panel and can see nothing wrong so decide
to light it manually with a match. It fires right up and seems to burn
steady so I close it up and head back inside out of the rain. It runs fine
while we're getting ready for bed so we goon to bed at 1:30 AM. We
have driven 608 miles our first day on the road which is great since we
didn't get started till 1:30 PM. |
7-12-2000 Wednesday (day 5)
Awake
at 5:30 AM to 73 degrees outside and decide to get back on the road. The
fridge has run fine all night long. Fill up on fuel here with 19.56 gallons
at $1.32 and head out by 6:15 AM. It appears as though we're
getting 14.5 MPG from the last two tanks of fuel with this new diesel which
beats the 9 or 10 MPG that I had been getting with the V-10 in my last
truck. Route I-40 through Tennessee is smooth blacktop with many sections
newly paved. At mile post #330 we pass an overturned tractor trailer
on the side of the road. It looks as though they may have tried to take
a curve too fast. The sky is overcast with a few light sprinkles coming
down this morning. Pull into a Mickey "D" at 7:30 AM for a couple of
egg McMuffins to eat on the run and jump back on I-40 west. Starting this
trip 3 days late, we need to make up some time and get some miles behind
us. Around 8:30 AM, the clouds clear out and the sun comes shinning through,
so maybe we'll have a nice day after all. Come up on Nashville at what
we think to be 8:50 AM and am hoping to miss most of the morning rush hour
traffic, but hear on the radio that it is only 7:50 AM. We suddenly realize
that we forgot about the time zones and check to find that there was one
back in Knoxville. We are just outside of Nashville at a crawl with rush
hour traffic when Elaine checks the map and finds a #440 Parkway that runs
south of town. This Parkway has lighter traffic and thankfully takes us
to the other side of town where we pick up I-40 again. Thank you Elaine!
Have one 12 mile stretch of road where there is only one lane each way
but other than that I-40 through Tennessee is great. At 10:30 AM, we
pull in for a pit stop and find that the fridge has gone out again.
Not
expecting it to restart, I turn it off and restart it and to my surprise it
starts up okay, but then it isn't 1:30 in the morning and raining outside! Cross the Arkansas border in the middle of the Mississippi River at 12:02 PM.
Stop at a Flying "J" travel plaza for some lunch and fuel. Take on 26 gallons
at $1.34 and head out across Arkansas on the much talked about I-40. Everyone
says that this road is very bumpy concrete. We'll see! The lunch buffet at the
Flying "J" was not really all that great as the only meat they had were some
skinny little fried chicken legs. The temperature is 96 degrees and the sun is
shinning brightly. Stop at a rest stop / information center and pick up a
new Arkansas map, not that we need it for this trip as I don't think we can get
lost driving across the state on I-40. We had really gotten spoiled on the
Virginia and Tennessee roads as they were smooth driving. This road through
"Arkanthaw" on the other hand is very, very b...b...b...bumpy for the first 15
miles then it does smooth out a little for about 30 miles before it turns bumpy
again for the rest of the ride across the state! By 3:30 PM we're just
outside of Little Rock and the temperature has climbed to a very warm 99
degrees. For the first 180 miles across "Arkanthaw" we suffer the
bumps in the right lane then discover that the left lane is much smoother so we drive
in the left lane whenever possible for the remaining 102 miles. At 6:13 PM we
reach the Oklahoma state line and I am never so glad to get out of a state in
my life. The road turns to fairly new blacktop... YAY!!! This smooth ride is
short lived as after 5 miles the road is back to concrete but no where near as
bumpy as "Arkanthaw". At 6:45 PM we make our first rest stop in Oklahoma
and I take the first photo of this trip... a
picture of the camper on our new truck. I
hadn't even thought about photos coming across Arkansas as all I could think of
was getting out of the state and off the bumpy road. Get off at exit 264B for a
Flying "J" to take on 26.9 gallons of fuel at $1.32. I call Shelly who runs
the "FOTR" (families on the road) online RV group which I belong to and inquire
about a quick visit as we pass through Oklahoma City. She says she would like to
meet us and gives me directions to the RV park where they are staying. It is only
8 miles off of route I-40 but due to major construction around the city we get
detoured and have to go an extra 10 miles. Good thing it is around 10:00 PM as
traffic through the city is fairly light. Find the RV park and have a very
enjoyable visit with Shelly. It is nice to be able to put faces to the people
that I talk with on the internet. Sorry we did not get to meet her husband but
he was sleeping as he had to get up at 4:00 AM for work. Next thing we know, it
is after midnight so we call it a night and get ready for bed. Spend the
night parked next to their trailer as the lot next to them is empty. We drove
858 miles today. |
7-13-2000 Thursday (day 6)
I
wake up about 6:00 AM and Elaine had been up a half hour and
is already showered and dressed so I quickly get a shower and dress. We
stop at the corner store to pick up a couple of cold drinks and are
on the road by 6:35 AM. I don't take time to top off the fuel tank as
I'm hoping to get out of Oklahoma City before the rush hour traffic starts.
Both gasoline and Diesel fuel are $1.31 at the local Flying "J" which is
considerably cheaper than back east. The morning temperature is a cool
80 degrees compared to the 95 degrees that it was last night when we went
to bed. We were really tired after our long drive yesterday and slept fairly
well even though it was a little warm in the trailer. Most people in this
part of the country use air conditioning but our small camper has no such
luxury. Route #35 south through the city is a bumpy concrete road and
traffic is already on the increase. It seems as though all the major roads
in Oklahoma City are under construction and we have to take detours to get
out of town. Finally get on I-40 west and the road gets a little smoother
but does alternate from blacktop to concrete. The sky is overcast this morning.
We get off at the Elk City exit to fill up with 17.9 gallons of fuel at
$1.39 then go across the street and get us a good breakfast at a Denny's
restaurant. Back on the road at 9:30 AM, the clouds are breaking up and
the sun is starting to peek through. Looks like it's going to be another
nice day. Cross the Texas state line at 10:18 AM. This is my first time
in the state of Texas which now leaves North Dakota as the only state I've
never been to. I-40 through Texas alternates from blacktop to concrete
but is not bad driving at all. Stop just outside of Amarillo at a Flying
"J" and take on 10.4 gallons of fuel at $1.35 as we're leaving the interstates
now and don't know what the availability of diesel fuel will be like on
the back roads. Make a phone call home to let people know that we're fine and
doing well then head north on route #287 towards the town of Dumas.
This road is a 4 lane divided highway with smooth blacktop, better than
some of the interstates we've been on lately. Real nice driving!
Go through Dumas (population 12,000) at 12:20 PM and it appears to be
a fairly good sized town with numerous RV dealers, auto and truck dealerships
and some interesting looking little shops that have a western look about
them. Looks like the sort of town that would be fun to check out had we
had more time and not been on a mission to get to Colorado. Take a left
onto route #87 in Dumas, which is a 2 lane fairly smooth road. Speed limits
here in Texas are 70 MPH by day and 65 MPH at night, even on 2 lane
roads such as this. The sky is party cloudy today and the afternoon temperature
is 88 degrees here in Texas. Pull into a roadside picnic area at 12:45
PM to fix a sandwich and grab an apple and a cold drink for lunch that we eat while driving. Drive through Dalhart and continue west
on route #87. The majority of the RVs going the other direction seem to
be rather short fifth wheel trailers, in the 25 to 30 foot range. That
must be the RV of choice in this area. We pass by a lot of ranch
land and corn fields as route #87 goes up and down the rolling hills. At
1:30 PM, we realize that it has been 48 hours since we left home and we've
covered about 1800 miles already. We're now about 210 miles out of Alamosa,
Colorado, our destination for this evening. We're making really good time
considering our late start to this trip! The radio stations have been fading
out and we have to keep finding new ones, but we just scanned the whole
dial and there are none to be found. You are really out in the wide open
spaces when you can't get radio! Pass through the "has been" town of Perico which consists of a deserted train station, a couple of dilapidated
old buildings and an old trailer. At 2:50 PM we cross the New Mexico border
and another time zone and we set the clock back to 1:50 PM. This makes
2 hours that we've picked up on our way across country, but we'll loose
them again when we head back east. The road in New Mexico becomes fairly
new blacktop and continues to be good driving. Speed limit in New Mexico
is 65 MPH. We pass through the little town of Clayton which appears to
be a nice south western style town with a KOA campground, a texaco service
station and a Dairy Queen. A place to camp, a fuel stop and a ice cream store...
all the essentials... what else could a person ask for? A sign says
Clayton Lake is 12 miles out of town and I believe I also saw a sign for
a state park down near the lake. Looks like it would be an interesting
place to spend some time if you were fulltiming. By 2:15 PM we are still
on route #87 west but starting to see some
good sized hills off in the distance, our first sign that we are getting
close to Colorado. Pass through Des Moines and Capulin where we see a sign
for Capulin Volcano National Monument which we'll have to see some other
time... no time to stop now! Gotta get to Colorado to see a cabin!
Capulin is very small with a cafe, an RV park and a couple dozen other
buildings. Doesn't take long to drive through at all! We drive the 27 miles
to Raton by 3:24 PM and pick up I-25 north over Raton Pass (elevation 7800
feet). This is our first major climb with the new diesel truck and it starts
out fine in sixth gear at 60 MPH and does well till we get near the summit
where we slow down to 55 MPH and finally have to down shift to fifth gear.
Cross over the Colorado border at the top of the pass at 3:45 PM. The view
from the top is not as spectacular as I had remembered it being the last
time I came through here, but that time it had been December and the
mountain peaks were all snow covered. The outside temperature up here is a
cool 77 degrees. Now we start down the 6% grade and will find out how this
diesel does on down grades. Fifth gear at 2100 RPM holds us back to about 55
MPH and as we get into some turns we slow down and downshift to fourth gear
which seems to hold us to 45 MPH at 2500 RPM. Not bad at all! But then we
are only hauling about a 3,000 pound load. Someone with a much heavier fifth
wheel would probably want to have an exhaust brake for mountain driving.
Stop in Trinidad at the Colorado welcome center to get a new Colorado map
and some local information on south central Colorado. |