1 bus to Santa Clarita

... spending the night at Santa Nella CA

Breakfast. Last time we were here, we had to point and they would bag it. Today we walked into the same area and picked our own. I had a egg and bacon biscuit and yogurt. No juice, they said they could set the machine up, but I said I'd pass. BB had a bowl of dry cereal.

We got a lake checkout and headed 1st to the PO to drop off last weeks paperwork. Then on the way to food, we drive past the buses, still not much.

We are in CA so we are still eating In-n-Out Burgers, so far not more than once a day. We park across the street at Home Depot and watch the traffic. Not as interesting as last time.

Then we head out to take a walk at the Sycamore Grove Park. We have been here before, but last time we parked at a different entrance. Pay to park. $3.

We walk for about an hour on flat ground. We start out on a black top trail but the horse trail running next to it had less traffic so we followed that instead. After a mile plus we crossed over a dry river and headed back.

Almost right away there was a sign to beware of the cougars. But we didn't see any. First we saw vultures feeding on something ... as long as they didn't start circling us :) Then we saw four deer right next to the trail were people were walking past. They looked at the people but didn't run. The trail we were on was further away so my picture didn't turn out very well. Once we saw the deer we figured the cougar was not very close.

We also some some other birds and squirrels. And dry trees, dry vineyards and dry hills.

Somewhere on our walk we remembered what we had forgotten. Our freezer bag we are carrying. So I called the hotel and we headed back when we were done with our walk. Driving back we went past the place I picked up the tree truck. They had a couple lined up to go again.

As long as we were back at the motel, we sat there in the parking lot and used their WiFi for a while until it was ready to call dispatch.

At first he said nothing for me. Then asked 'unless I want to go to Santa Clarita.' It is a lot shorter than anything I have done for him before. I decided to do it. We should be back in time to pick up again tomorrow night if he has anything.

We sit in the parking lot a while longer and then head to Jimmy Johns to get BB something to eat.

And then to the bus company to wait to be able to get through the gate. We didn't sit there long and I remembered that I can walk around past the gate. BB will wait with the car until someone lets her in.

The seven buses for VA are still there. I see two drivers and say Hi and keep walking. I don't remember where those two buses were going. When I get to my bus there is someone checking out the bus next to mine. So we talk a little bit. More than a little because BB calls and wonders if I am done checking my bus yet. I'm not, so she drives back to where I am parked.

This driver started during Covid and seems to run mostly buses, but not just from CA. His 1st trip was to Portland ... Maine. Right now he just got back from Denver and now is heading to Decatur IL. Hmmm. I wonder what the dispatcher has in mind that I didn't get the IL, that is my usual length of run.

The dispatcher is done with the paperwork before I am done inspecting. Looks like only five buses are leaving tonight. Dispatcher asked that I call again tomorrow night. I guess we aren't ready to head home yet.

Tonight we are in and out by 5:15 local. BB is going to follow in the rental car. It is not quite dark, traffic will be heavy but we have done this route many, many times. About 70 miles to the motel.

Once we are checked in at the Quality Inn in Santa Nella, I walk across the street to a food truck and get a Chicken Quesadillas. Good but even that was too much food.

No wash, no fuel on this bus. This is the 1st time I have gotten a map of the drop on where to drive in and where to park. And it will be one of the smallest lots I have delivered too. It would be nice if the locations that have 100's of buses would do that.

I guess AL is working on an order of 100's of buses for FL. Short run for them, but all below the snow line.

We should deliver by noon tomorrow and be back to Livermore before 5 PM. We will likely leave about 6:30 to make that happen. The car BB is now driving still doesn't have a working cruise.

Load board

US - 278

IA - 143

MN - 2

WI - 6

We've talked about staying either south or west in the winter, now we will have some idea how much it pays. Hopefully it pays more than sitting does.