1 RV to Brainerd MN

... spending the night at Brainerd MN

Alarm went off at 6 AM, we finally got going about 8 AM. It had started raining sometime overnight and was really dumping 7-7:30 so we were not in a rush to get going.

1st stop was the rest area, welcome center in Northwood IA.

2nd stop was at the shipper to pick up. No other drivers picking up. One driver stopped briefly, likely to drop off paperwork and someone else just got to the office as we were leaving.

BB had over a 1/4 tank of fuel so we'll go the first 100 before we fuel.

3rd stop was the Loves at Wendys in Albert Lea for food. There was a line for food when we got to the counter, then they messed up our order. We could have had big sandwiches with fries if I had just grabbed the bags they said were ours. Once I got someone's attention they just set those bags to the side and re-filled our order. Not sure who's food it was ... maybe someone at the drive thru?

As we sat in our car in the parking lot, the next three people who came to fuel all stopped at the first pump they came to instead of pulling all the way ahead? Is that something new?

We could have done todays trip with one stop but instead we are doing three.

3rd stop is for fuel at the Pilot in Northfield. Fuel is cheaper here and BB will have a better idea how much more fuel she needs ... and her low fuel light come on before we got to the station. We've been bucking a headwind and more rain so we haven't been even going our usual 65 mph. We hear later that this area got over 2 inches of rain in the last day or so.

Rain. Forecast I heard said they had gotten 8/10ths so far with a chance of rain within the next couple of hours. AND a chance of up to a half inch on Thursday and 2-4 inches Thursday night. Too late for most crops.

Traffic around the Twin Cites wasn't bad. NW of the cities is road construction, not fun but it kept moving.

BB's working so she is in the lead, I'm driving the 'chase car.' We had talked about the best way to get to Brainerd on the way to the pickup. I had my way. Then BB looked up Google Maps and said she would turn on the routing software.

... so when we got off somewhere other than where I expected, I figured she was following the directions.

... until I saw we were following the river the wrong direction instead of crossing it. I tried flashing my headlights at her but that is hard to see in the daylight. Within a couple of miles she pulled onto a side road and stopped.

She had NOT turned on the mapping software and only remembered she wanted to turn in Monticello. She didn't know the town had two exits, and I don't know the town so I didn't know it only had one bridge ... I just knew we were heading the wrong direction.

NOW she turned on the maps.

4th stop was the rest area before St Cloud. Earlier today I had called the local dispatcher and said I would be available tomorrow ... from Brainerd. Not much chance of work but more than if they don't know.

IA now has an RV to Duluth ...

Dodge Center had two to WI

South St Paul still has two to FL so close work and long work close.

5th stop is the Comfort Suites in Brainerd. We check in and then try to order food on line but they all go through a 'service' so we call the order in instead. There is a place next door, sit down type. Plus a couple Arby's and Subway all in adjacent parking lots. A 2nd sit down place within a block but depending on what we looked at they were either open or not open.

So we decided on the Black Bear. I called, food would be ready in 10 minutes. When I got there I went to the dining side and they asked if I had ordered soup ... I had. They said the food was at the bar. When I got to the bar someone was carrying the food to the bar so I was in and out in a couple of minutes.

In a rare agreement on food, BB and I split a rueben sandwich and she got a side salad and I got wild rice soup.

Then went for a walk on the sidewalk/bike path.

Load board

US - 280

IA - 138/136

MN - 6

WI - 7

We will deliver about 9 AM and then ???