2 RV's heading to Davis CA

... spending the night at Gretna/Omaha NE

Up before the alarm at 6 AM, in the car and leaving on time at 7:30 AM.

No real slow downs for 'rush hour.' When we drove past our repair shop, our van was sitting in the 'done' row, but they hadn't called. We did not stop.

1st stop is for the rest area south of Owatonna.

Somewhere along here we get a text that there are problems on the farm. Not something I can deal with today, and somehow it never happens when I am home?

2nd stop is at the Kwik Star/Kwik Trip in Forest City. Now that is is winter, I would rather leave the car on full overnights.

Then we head to our lot to pick up our RV's. One flat bed picking up when we get there, and one driver comes and goes before we leave. Not much action for 100+ on the load board.

No issues with either RV, but it takes us our usual one hour to do our inspection. My only issue is I have to use cable ties for my plate and when I try to tighten them they slide loose. Glad I noticed that right then. Rather than try more ties I just taped over it so it could not slide.

There are about half as many RV's in there employee lot as there had been on Tuesday. Other than that things looked the same.

Casey's, south end of town. Not sure what is going on. It has been closed two out of the last three times we have gone past it. When we got home Tuesday I was going to mention it in my write-up but forgot. When I looked on line it showed it was closed Mon, Tues and Weds. Now today their website says open 24 hours again.

3rd stop was Kum n Go in Clear Lake for fuel. Except for Pilot, all diesel was $2.29, we use Kum n Go because it is a large lot and on the correct side of the street.

From there we go across the lot into Pilot for Subway. All of Pilot's auto diesel pumps are bagged off. Again we eat outside standing by our RV's. 40 degrees and sunny with minor wind.

4th stop is the Ankeny rest area. It is not quite 2 PM so we are heading to Omaha for the night.

Leaving Des Moines one of our RV's passes us, then a truck that was likely a transporter but I didn't see either placards or any plate.

5th stop is at the Adair rest area. Right at the top of the ramp was a skid steer and a pile of burnt rubble. Looks like it might have been a semi trailer but not in big enough pieces now to tell. The highway is burnt from shoulder to shoulder.

As we head past the Councit Bluffs Mall, I see that it is now fenced off with two back hoes sitting next to it. Only a few months ago it still had a Dillards. Looking online it looks like it used to have four anchors. Over the last 15 years I have seen it go from a thriving mall to now being taken down. I don't think I was ever in it, but I likely heard about it when it was being built. Wiki says it opened in 1986, expanded in 1988 and then started loosing stores in 2013. Menards now owns it and is the one planning on knocking it down. So at least it won't sit empty like some malls and be an eye sore.

Then in Omaha (BB saw the guy, I didn't. That is rare) There is a guy standing next to the concrete median with a tire. Then a ways down the road there is a one of those tree chippers I move on the side of the road without a tire. You can see where it left a groove in the highway as it was dragged to the shoulder. Because of how small it is, the driver can not see it back there. But I'm sure he felt and heard something that was not right.

6th and final stop was at the BP in Omaha, real near Gretna for fuel. Cheaper than Clear Lake.

From there we drive to the other end of McD's and we are at the Quality Inn. We park in the biggest open spot. I'm guessing a few minutes later we could have parked better, but not right then.

Once checked in we call the Mexican place next door and then walk over 15 minutes later. Big place with four tables of customers. Not sure what the limits are in NE.

Sun had set by the time we were parked at the motel, so we have been driving in the dark to make it to Lincoln. This is 100+ miles further than last trip. So each night we should be 100 miles further than last week including Sunday. So Sunday night we should be in Rocklin CA. Less than 30 miles from our drop. If all goes well.

We both started out with about a half a tank of fuel, I had over BB had just under. When I fueled the 1st time it said I had a range of 400 miles. That would be 16.6 mpg. I was making closer to 12 mpg. Later in the trip i was watching my range against the miles to the border. It stayed pretty close to 100 mile range beyond the border from when I started watching When I crossed the border I had a range of 98 miles. Ten miles later my low fuel light came on, it had dropped to a 52 mile range ??? Yikes, but good to know. After I fueld the 2nd time I had a range of 350. That is 10 miles short of our next usual fuel stop, Ogallala.

Load board

US - 265

IA - 133

MN - 3

WI - 2

Of the IA orders, 5 to OR, 2 more to Davis CA, 2 to Rancho Cucamonga CA, 10 to WA, 2 to NV, 6 to FL, 6 to MT. But this is it for us for the year.

When we were home I had gotten a letter from our local company, their newsletter. This time it mentioned the CSA (commercial driving violations.) So I looked on line at the details. Driver didn't have their last seven days logs with them, another driver was over their hours, another driver didn't have his plate/placards on, or on correctly. All very basic stuff. Everything is listed by plate not name so hard to know who done it.

500 miles a day will but us in Laramie, Wendover and Rocklin. Fuel and rest stops should be the same as usual.