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NEW BUS TO CA
Same route as last
week, to a point.
This run was lined up Thursday or Friday of last
week, one of three to this location. The other two were to have left on Friday.
Shorter run, so I book a flight for Friday. $130 for the flight from BUR via
SFO. Same flight booked at the same time from just SFO was $570.
Monday - 4/11/11
I had picked up my paperwork Saturday when I picked
up my van, but this AM I need to drop last week's paperwork so I stop by the
office again. And I check again for some coolant and someone has re-stocked it
since Saturday … I'll have to ask how many hours dispatch is working.
And when I get to the lot, the gate is open, with a truck parked so I
can get in with a van but not out with my bus, so I need to move it. Not sure
why they couldn't have parked it where I did. They were obviously the last one
here.
Just me today, no waiting for anyone. I got a 6 AM start today.
I didn't forget to allow time for my trip to the bus today. : )
Being
earlier I beat the traffic, which saves me 15 minutes. And when I get to the
fueling station, someone is at the door when I ask to have the pump started
… things are looking up.
Rivers are raising but not effecting
trafic yet this trip.
Ahhh, it's nice to be in a 40 foot bus, bigger
fuel tanks, and today I was able to get 2,500# pressure instead of only 2,299#.
It all helps. I'm able to hold the speed at 60 all the way to Kansas City
without worrying about fuel.
I do my usual stop in Des Moines, plus
all my little 100 mile stops to check usage. (later in the trip I will change
the stops to match the even hours … 100 miles doesn't equal even hours
except at 50 mph.)
South of Des Moines I'm looking for the highway
patrol that got me two weeks ago. Last week he was busy with a tanker that had
rolled a couple of miles from there. It had hit a bridge (over a river) on the
right side, slid across the highway and landed in the median / left side, on
it's side.
Today one lane is closed because the bridge is being repaired,
it had taken quite a chunk out of it..
Saw a guy laying in the ditch
alongside the road, couldn't tell if he was in hand cuffs or not, but there
were four cop cars parked behind his and they had everything open that would
open. Hood, doors, back hatch and they were piling stuff on the ground. I do
see this on just about every trip, makes me wonder what tips the cops off?
Somewhere north of KC I see something I should have taken a picture of
… a tractor pulling something that looked like a big round baler / rock
picker that was being used for picking up trash on the shoulder of the road.
… somewhere later in the trip I will see what looks like an 'Airstream
motorhome.' Not the vans they are selling today, but a full length Airstream
under its own power.
Another sight just north of KC, a pickup with a
U-Haul trailer behind it, the U-Haul trailer was not only missing the tire, the
tire AND axel were laying on the road behind the trailer … always reminds
of the song "You picked a fine to leave me loose wheel … (or was it
Lucil?)"
Hit KC at the early part of rush hour so no real dely. No
problem with the pump, no line, just slow. I end up spending 45 minutes instead
of the 1/2 hour needed for a tire cooldown. I'm ready to cut it off because I
now know where fuel is, but it limits out it's self at 2,200#. Enough on a 40
footer to get me to OKC.
I want to get to Wichita or further tonight
so I can make Moriarty Tuesday and maybe Quartzsite Wednesday … just
because I've never done it before. Wichita I've done before with a bus, once ..
and I make it again today. Last time I stopped at the Motel 6, but there is not
any food there so I had to order delivery.
Today I have a coupon for a
Super 8 that says food nearby. Nope, the '8' is across the street from the '6'
and I do check the restaurant but it is still closed. So I head to the Econo
Lodge, miss it and have to go to the next exit and come back. Looks of food at
this exit, mall food and all the 'out' lots. But it's about six blocks and
getting dark so tonight it'll be a two block walk to Denny'
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Econo Lodge, Wichita KS
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"Good nights
sleep"
3 of 5 stars
Date of review: Apr 12, 2011
In the past
I've stayed at the Motel 6 a few blocks away but there is not any food in that
area, so based on price and Denny's a couple of blocks away I choose this
location.
There is also a whole lot more food about six blocks away, in
and around the area shopping mall (But I didn't want to walk that far after
dark)
Check in went well, room was clean and warm, water was hot ...
everything I need.
Not a lot of room for large vehicles but tonight was
quiet so not an issue. There were enough power outlets but I had to look.
Personal pet peeve, I don't like things plugged in within a foot, really a
couple of feet from the sink. This room had a power cord running from the left
hand side of the sink, under the sink and to the fridge to the right of the
sink.
Place seemed to be well kept up, doesn't look like a 'has been'
motel. Got a great nights sleep so either it was a good bed (or I was really
tired).
* Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
o 3 of 5 stars
Value
o 3 of 5 stars Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars
Cleanliness
o 3 of 5 stars Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
" Date of stay: April 2011
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tuesday - 4/12/11
Bus isn't leaning this AM, it was
yesterday after sitting over the weekend, must have a leak somewhere.
Back on the tollway, no cheating on the log books. Tollway ticket off, tollway
ticket on. And down the road I'll find that it cost me $.50 extra for stopping
½ way down the toll. $6.50 instead of $6.00.
No issues with
scales, today or any day this trip. Get to OKC with plenty of fuel. I try a new
stop that is supposed to be twice as good. Haven't stopped before because the
map made it look like a pain to get in and out of.
It is. The exit
dumps you on a side street, then you have to take a left onto a two way street
(road construction today adds to the fun) And it is not at a convenience store,
has their name on the pumps but no store. I pull in the wrong way and don't see
the 'bus only' pump until I'm on the lot. Don't feel like finding a place to
turn around so I wait for the other pumps.
And the pumps aren't that
good. I waited a few minutes and was there for 45 and didn't get a fill. Should
have been able to fill in 15 minutes. And it's a pain to get out of, I have to
take a right on a two lane street and have to wait for both directions to be
clear to make the turn. I don't need a fill, the Elk City pump will top me off,
I have enough to get there.
Elk City, I fuel, I let someone else go
ahead while the pressure builds, I fuel again and call it enough and let
someone else fuel. BEFORE I realize that the pump was stopping because of $$
not pressure …. Duh. But I have enough to make it to ABQ.
Rolling
again, I have 5 minutes to spare to make it to Moriarty, NM if I can hold it at
60 mph for the next …. 300 miles. And because I am going past Santa Rosa,
I will need to take an extra ½ shut down somewhere. I decide to combine
it with my NM scale visit.
Strange thing coming through Amarillo
today, it was like when I blinked that my eye lids re-opened in slow motion
… scary, and I was wide awake after that for a while.
I'm still
holding at 5 minutes to spare leaving the scale, passing Tucumcari and passing
Santa Rosa … and arriving in Moriarty.Never stayed in this town before,
don't remember being in it but I may have stopped at the truckstop once.
The first motel I see is a 'non-chain' one called the "Sunset Motel"
http://www.sunseton66.com/Home_Page.html
But it doesn't say a price
or anything about WiFi so I keep driving (I see by their website that they have
both WiFi and truck parking). They, or someone close, has also repainted one of
the two 'Whiting Brothers' signs for the next door. A quick check of Google
says
http://route66.atwebpages.com/wbros/gasoline.html
That the gas
station is still operating under the original name, the last Whiting Brothers
still open.
I also see one called the 'Ponderosa Motel,' again Google
shows a couple more that I don't remember or didn't see. I did notice a couple
of buildings that looked like old motels but are now office space.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Super 8, Moriarty NM
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"Covers all the
basics" 3 of 5 stars Date of review: Apr 21, 2011
A motel coupon says
that Super 8 is going to be my best deal in Moriarty. Plenty of separate big
rig parking.
Room was clean and warm and had hot water for a shower,
everything I need. (all my reviews are starting to sound the same. I haven't
had a bad room for a while)
Pictures show the rest of the story.
* Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3
of 5 stars Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 3 of 5 stars Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of
stay: April 2011
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - TA -
Country Fare, Moriarty NM <<<<<<<<<<<<<
"today's Pulled Pork that made it worth it"
3 of 5 stars Date
of review: Apr 21, 2011
Buffet
Per the motel I was staying
at, this was the only 'family restaurant' in town and right across the street.
After looking at the menu, the buffet sounded and looked like the best
deal. Lots of choices but it was today's Pulled Pork that made it worth it.
Lots of customers which can be key to fresh food at a buffet, good turn over.
Only one item, the macaroni salad at the salad bar looked like it may have been
there a while. The lettuce and fixings, the salad bar, are also included as
part of the menu options so that area has an even higher turnover of food.
Both the salad bar and hot food bar looked well taken care of and I saw the
person switching out items basically the whole time I was there. I didn't see
any 'bad food,' personally I didn't care of one of their spicy items, but that
is a 'taste' issue, not a 'quality issue.'
* Reviewer ratings for this
restaurant:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Service
*
Date of visit: April 2011
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wednesday - 4/13/11
I take an extra hour off and slept
last night, I'm way ahead of where I need to be.
But that still means
up and at 'em at 5 AM, 4 AM local … and the bus is leaning again. It lost
air pressure last night … and NOTHING. It won't start, no sound when I hit
the started. I check everything I can think of, can't find anything wrong so I
do what I know dispatch will tell me to do. Shut the main power off and wait a
few minutes. I do and it starts … NO idea, but I'm rolling.
Moriarty puts me only an hour out of Albuquerque so a short first leg this AM,
and yes, I'm earlier. Even with it being later in the season, I'm still heading
to the pump before sunrise. There is about two miles in ABQ where we have to
head east, too often right at sunrise. Makes it a hard drive.
Finally,
I walk. I stop at least twice a day and sometimes three times a day for at
least a half hour and here is the only place I remember to walk. I walk between
re-starts of the pump. Six restarts today over the course of an hour so the
walking should count for something. The pump is good, but it still takes an
hour. And I need all the fuel I can get, don't want to pull out after a half an
hour just because the time is up.
I'm at a different enough time that
I don't see the Amtrak today, usually see it around Grants and the Lava rocks.
No issues at the AZ scale today, it does take a while to get someone's
attention to sell me my permit. Today I need to take my break in Holbrook to
keep it to one break. And I'm early to Holbrook, McD's is still serving
breakfast. I hate to just use their WiFi so I have to order something. The only
thing that looks good at all is their bacon McGrittle. After two bites I pull
off the top bread, after a few more bites I pull off the bottom bread and just
eat the bacon, cheese and eggs … gives you an idea of how good I thought
it was.
… and I forgot my glasses so I couldn't see the screen. I
just checked my emails and went back to my bus, did a little of work and my
½ hour was up. Today it looked like I might have seen the Flagstaff Mt
from Holbrook, but it was too hazy to see the snow cap until I was past
Winslow.
The driver who was three days ahead of me had told me they
had nine inches of snow in Flagstaff, but I wasn't worried, figured it would be
gone when I got there. Local paper puts the snow fall at a foot and
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/article_d78ba642-cb04-5904-a093-e1681fcd3901.html
says it closed I-17 for eight hours. Timing is everything.
This
bus is great compared to the 'short buses,' I'm using the same or less % of
fuel at 60 mph than I was at 50 mph. I get into PHX with plenty of fuel and
plenty of hours … but short about 20 minutes to make it to Quartzsite. And
I'm not about to 'fake' it just for the sake of making it. So the only way to
make Quartzsite is make it past Wichita, then to ABQ the 2nd night.
So
PHX it is … oh, had a cop parked near the fuel stop for a while. Wasn't
sure if he was watching me or what, finally he left and then came back …
to fuel. Hadn't seen a CNG cop car before.
Did see plenty of cops in
AZ this trip, likely 20+ in the five hour trip, most had people pulled over.
Same motel, only takes 15 minutes from the fuel stop if it's not rush
hour, which it usually is but not tonight. Yep, same motel, but they are adding
a new cement brick wall that made my life more difficult. I had to back up
twice and still went over the curb to park where I like to park. Right next to
the street where the city buses take their breaks, less likely anyone is going
to mess with mine with them coming and going.
And someone took my
spot, someone from Sonic Transport. Another drivaway service out of FL. I'd
never heard of them before so I looked up their DOT # and then searched again
and found their website. The DOT site says they have a 'fatigued' rating that
is three times as good as ours … and a mechanical rating that is 30 times
worse. Guess they have good drivers but are stuck driving used 'junk?'
Back to the IHOP, loaded baked potato soup is always on the menu now …
mmm. Tonight I get a patty melt instead of their Philly.
I had planned
on sleeping in but I talked to the driver ahead of me and he had issues at the
scale and wash, plus one fuel pump was bad, another hard to get to pump and
traffic. I decide I'd better have all of my legal 14 hours available.
Thursday - 4/14/11
2:30 AM
2:30 AM … yes,
that's right. That's what time I have to get up to make use of my 14 hours
before the customer closes.
The nice part is there are no traffic at
that time of the morning. And I still can't find any motels between PHX and
Quartzsite so it will have to be something that throws me off schedule to get
me to that town for the night.
This trip our suggestion is to fuel,
scale and wash all in Thousand Palms. Fuel goes good but the prior driver said
it took three times for the station to get the scale ticket correct so I go in
prior to pulling on the scale to make sure they know how to do a 'certified'
DMV scale ticket. Without hesitation they say they do so I pull on. But when I
go to get my ticket they only ask three of the questions and have no room for
the info the DMV needs … "Sorry," I tell them, "that ticket is worthless
to me, that is why I came in prior to scaling to make sure you could do it."
Things go a little better at the Little Sisters wash next door, the
other driver had been held up here for a couple of hours. I only have one small
truck ahead of me so they pull us both in at the same time. I'm done long
before the other driver and even when he pulls out I have to wait for them to
towel dry him. And they charge $65 for a wash/rinse, I told them that was a
little much but they charged it anyway. Not sure what happened but as I'm
waiting for the truck ahead of me to leave, someone comes out and says it
should have only been $25 and I can go instead and get my credit back. I do,
but it takes a while … even with those issues I was in and out in 45
minutes.
Three, not two exits down the highway like I told another
driver, there is a Pilot with a scale and people that know how to do it right
the first time. In and out, I was down for 1-1/2 hours so my tires are well
cooled.
Next exit after getting back on the highway, there is a cop
sitting on the shoulder watching traffic, after I go past he pulls in behind me
but lets another truck pass and follows him for the next couple of miles. Truck
speed limit is 55, cars are 70, so yes he was following him. Then he speeds up
and passes me and pulls in behind another truck and follows him for a few more
miles before pulling off. Just trying to keep the speed down I suppose.
Traffic goes well until I hit I-210, I come over a hill and the
traffic is stopped, I lock them up and don't come near to hitting anyone but it
was a good scare. After traffic loosens up I lock them up again … then
when I'm just about to I-5 traffic stops again. This time there is a semi
stopped in lane 3 and the cop has lane 2 and 1 blocked for the repair crew.
This is where everyone was trying to get into those right lanes to get on I-5,
we now have to merge into the left three lanes. A real zoo, everyone almost
stopped and people still trying to cut in …
The Burbank fuel pump
was as bad as both the driver and the website said. Didn't help that I pulled
in on the wrong side and had to get back out on the street, back up and pull in
the correct way. Way to much backing and turning, plus the side street to get
to it is so narrow that one of the vehicles needs to stop if you meet someone.
Pump worked great for me but the person who pulled in as I was leaving
yelled at me after I was on the street … "Does this thing work?" …
'It did for me …'
Not the easiest place to get in and out of,
just the way the streets are laid out, back on I-5 to the CA-118. I've looked
at enough maps to know where my drop is, but I do miss the wash that was
supposed to be close to it.
Once on property I call my contact again
and again get voice mail, so I have to go inside. Wrong building, that was why
I was calling, all city offices seem to be in this one complex. I find the
right office and the right guy and he comes out and drives the bus up to the
shop. Most have worked his way up to the office position, he still knew how to
drive.
But he has a few other people come out and look at it, five of
them. Once they are done he comes back out, talks to all the inspectors and
gives the OK for one of them to sign.
Once we all have the right
paperwork I go ask someone about bus service to get out of here, I had seen a
bus stop about a block away.
The first guy I ask sends me back to the
office where they show me the schedule, I have 10 minutes to get to the stop
and that bus will take me to the train station. As I walk out of the office,
the first guy is asking me if I got my info … I said I did. Then he says
he's been told he can give me a ride if I want. "All depends on if you want to
work or drive me" I reply.
He wants to drive, so I get a ride to the
train and likely that got me on the early train, never checked the schedule to
see what time I'd get to the station. When buying my ticket I see there is also
an Amtrak that comes through about an hour after my train, so I had three
options. $7.25 is what it cost me to get to the airport, this trains stops
right across the street, and then about a two block walk on the airport
property to the front door. The driver ahead of me took the Super Shuttle for
about $50 … but me … cheep.
Last trip here I learned that I
should eat before going to the motel so I look to see what is close outdoors.
About another two blocks walk is the other entrance and fast food, Subway,
sushi … five places total but nothing I want. I had forgotten there was a
restaurant inside the airport before security. (I'll remember in the AM there
is NOTHING after security except a coffee shop.)
>>>>>>>> NO WRITE-UP, Lunch Box - Burbank Airport, CA
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
No one to seat me
right away when I got there, the person at the 'to go' counter had to go look
for someone … it likely was less than a couple of minutes wait.
Sandwich was great … Philly, with the meat and veggies finely chopped. The
salad was fresh but had a bunch of veggies I don't like so I had to pick them
off :
Quick service, waitress checked back, didn't have to wait for my
check, all stuff that is good, really good at an airport location where people
might be in a rush.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
After eating, I walk down to the 'ground transportation' area to call
for my motel shuttle. It's not listed, and they don't have any fliers in
tourist stuff, finally I find a city brochure next to the bus and train
schedules that has all the motels listed. They still have a shuttle and will be
there shortly.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Ramada,
Burbank CA <<<<<<<<<<<<<
"the
thing that puts this motel above the $50 ones is the staff" 3 of 5 stars Date
of review: Apr 21, 2011
Shuttle comes to get me as soon as I call from
the airport, no problems at check in … but I don't like it when I find out
that their first shuttle in the AM is now 6:30. My flight is at 7 so that won't
work.
Room is the basic, well kept, plenty of perks with a room
overlooking the well kept courtyard. See room pictures.
Last time I was
here I wasn't happy about their restaurant and having to pay for faxes, there
is no other food nearby. (Because I'm cheap and neither of those was). Today I
avoided both and had a really good stay.
The motel itself is likely old,
but the thing that puts this motel above the $50 ones is the staff. Both in the
amount of people on staff and the people. This is only the second motel out of
60 stays over the last six months where the front desk has called the room to
see if everything was OK, (the other was a Motel 6 in Wall, SD).
*
Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars
Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 4 of 5
stars Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
" Date of stay: April
2011
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Friday - 4/15/11
I'm up at 4:30 because without the
airport shuttle it's going to take a little longer to get to the airport. BUT,
I'm still holding out hope that something will happen so I don't set one up.
Maybe someone will want to split a taxi.
As I walk out of my room,
someone walks out of the room next to me, we share the elevator down, she says
something about the building showing its age and that's about all. At the desk
I ask if the shuttle driver has come in early :) , but no such luck.
Then the gal who I shared the elevator with asks what time I need to be to the
airport … 6AM, same as them and she offers me a ride. But when she checks
out she does comment to me and the desk clerk that she has no idea who I am, I
could be a nut. But the offer stands and I get a free ride to the airport.
They are not from the area and aren't sure where to go, I take them in
the way I know, the way the shuttle driver goes, not sure it was the shortest,
but likely was. They were going to stop for gas and I was going to offer to
pay, station was closed and then they dropped me off before dropping their
rental car so I missed a chance to offer them anything for their trouble.
There were two gals, both from Carrol, IA here on business, other than
that I don't know anything about them, or them about me. It was less than a 10
minute ride and most of that time was spent on how to get to the airport.
Being here last night helped refresh my memory so I get to and through
security OK. But I don't see my flight. Small airport, no monitors and no one
at the counters until 6 AM. I see 'my airline' but not the flight and there is
only 5 gates. Finally I hear someone else ask about my airline and find out I'm
at the wrong gate, I'm out of gate one and the sign is where you can hardly see
it. Should have known, same / only gate I've flown out of.
The gals
who gave me a ride are in the same area but a different airline so I buy a
cookie to split a $20 and offer the driver some money, she won't take it,
company pays for everything. I wasn't 'stalking' her, I saw her there at the
only store on that wing, never did see where she was sitting.
No
issues on flying, no option to get bumped. Short flight to SFO.
No
issues in SFO, but they did move the gate on me and I didn't notice until a few
minutes before they started to board. The gate I was at was boarding
muli-flights so I had to wait until the prior flight was gone to see that mine
didn't get posted next.
I had a two hour wait, too early for me to eat
but it was going to be a long day so I ate at Lori's.
>>>>>>>> NO WRITE-UP, Lori's - San Francisco Airport,
CA <<<<<<<<<<<<<
Lori's was the
only food that looked good this AM, still serving breakfast. For a place
serving traditional American food, I don't think English was the 1st language
of anyone behind the counter so it did take a little longer to order.
Food was good, eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. Juice would have been
another almost $4 but I had already gotten some from a vending machine before I
had decided on breakfast.
I've eaten at other 'Lori's' airport
locations and the food has always been good.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2nd leg was full too, but no bump. Sat between two 20 something girls.
The one at the window really didn't look like she had flown before, taking deep
breaths when we lifted off, etc.
Did talk to the gal on the isle a
little, I noticed that every time she moved she made a point of giving the seat
ahead of her a good pull. I finally said "You must have been seated behind me
two weeks ago."
She laughed, "We're family and we were talking about
the same thing before we got on." Turns out a few of her family are on this
flight heading to my town for their grandma's 90th birthday party.
"Now
you are making me feel guilty" I told her. "You are flying halfway across the
country and our family isn't even doing anything for my Dad's 90th the same
day."
Then after we started descending, the pilot came on with some
good news, and some bad news. The bad news was that it was too windy to land,
the good news was we had enough fuel to circle and didn't have to be re-routed
to Sioux Falls or Fargo. And circle we did, or did we? We landed within 15
minutes of our scheduled time.
I finally started talking to the gal on
the window side of me, oh she had flown before, all over the world. She just
doesn't like it. Been delayed, re-routed and about everything else that can
happen. Once in Europe she was delayed, missed her flight but her luggage made
it and she spend the next two days living out of her purse as she continued on
with her connecting flights.
I don't recognize the route we are coming
in, didn't know there was even a runway at this angle, I make some comment to
the gal I'd been talking to and she said "I don't care how we are coming in, I
just want to be ON THE GROUND."
She had been worried that she'd miss
here connecting flight to Chicago, we made it in time … but her Chicago
flight was canceled, leaving her boyfriend who was on a different flight with
nowhere to go, he had no keys to her place. Looks like this gals luck is
continuing. |
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