1 Bus to Colorado Springs CO

... spending the night at Laramie WY

Ring ... ring ... ring ...

At 11 PM, after we had been sleeping a couple of hours, the phone rings. I sit up to pick it up but didn't realize it was the room phone which was sitting on the floor until after it was done ringing. It's hard to get back to sleep after only sleeping for a short time.

While I was awake I looked out the window at my bus in case that was the issue. What is an issue is that someone parked in front of me where I didn't think there was a spot. So far, no one behind me ... I am parked crossways across a number of parking spots.

BB is up and showering before the alarm is set to go off.

This place does not have much for breakfast so I just eat the yogurt that was extra from yesterdays hotel. That saves us a little time.

As I am packing up, I realize that I did not take my meds last night. Opps. Longest day we had run for a while.

When I check out, they still have not gotten their printer/computer working so no receipt today. Then I ask the person at the desk about having a full hotel last night. It has been that way the last three weekends. ??? Two years ago it looked like there were maybe five people a night when we were there. If they are full that is about 75 rooms.

As soon as I get on the freeway I have to exit for the first scale. Today the sun is right at the overhead message sign. The message never changes so I am good to go.

1st stop is 100 miles down the road at the Flying J in Lake Point. As long as we are here and the place is mostly empty I put in DEF. Because I have to pull into the pumps backwards I want to get away from the pumps so someone else can pull in. There is a tanker filling the tanks so I ask if I can park in front of him.

OK with him. But by the time I get back from getting my receipt he is getting in his truck and he follows me out of the parking lot ...

2nd stop is the Port of Entry in WY. I pull on the scale and no one talks to me so I sit there. Finally someone flashes the lights red-yellow-red-yellow at me. I guess I am OK to move.

The person I get inside the scale is looking at their cell phone. First he wants my license and registration. "I'm a transporter." New or used? "New" To a dealer or ... "Customer" You are good to go. (No permit required)

It is lunch time so down the road a couple of miles to the Arby's. Double Stacked Reuben for me. Once was enough. It didn't taste right, the wrong ratio of foods.

3rd stop was the Loves in Green River for final fuel for me. I could only get as far as my truck number and it said 'See Cashier.' So I did. My guess is I was transposing my truck and driver ID numbers.

Today going past the 'big dig' the bucket was way up in the air and easy to see.

4th stop is the Flying J in Rawlins for a rest stop. Gross. Saw another one of these people that think they need to blow their nose into the bathroom sink ... Ugh

We are clear to go. BB has been following the weather since yesterday. Last night it showed that there would be high winds today between Rawlins and Laramie. Even this AM when we left the hotel that was still the forecast. But after the sun came up the expected wind speeds dropped and we should be good to go. Nothing is showing on the road report so we head out.

Just past Rawlins the overhead signs say expect gusts of 65+ mph. Then signs that said current gusts of 40+ mph. But there were not any times when I grabbed the steering wheel or when I saw others getting blown or even leaning. So we made it.

Food. There is not any food near our hotel so we go into town to get food first.

5th and final stop is Laramie

First we go to a place that is now (another) Sinclair . They have Papa John's and Chester's chicken. Nope, Papa John's has been out of dough for three days now. And all their Chester's area has is a few potato sticks, all the chicken baskets are empty. So we go across the street to the other Sinclair and the Blue Taco. No luck there either, the cook had gone home early.

So we go back to the Pilot and the Wendy's. They are out of salad ... ? I got chili, it was not too hot or spicy for once.

'Our spot' is still open at this hotel to park the bus, but I get out of routine and forget to shut the battery off on the bus. The 1st time, but we can't carry all of our stuff in in one trip so I get it shut off the battery shut off the second time.

Not sure what is going on with this bus, it has a temp control that I can set by degree and they usually work very well. This one has gotten up to 90 degrees a few times with the temp set at 70 and then when I shut it completely off it keeps blowing heat. BB has had the windows open part of the day.

We did see a variety of transporters today including one of our IN RV's heading east with some other company's transport plate on it.

We still had daylight left when we got to Laramie but after the long day yesterday we decided to shut down after getting past the problem area.

ONE problem area. Now the stretch we need to take in the AM is closed. Not sure why, wind was not forecast and the roads this far were all clear.

Tomorrow ... we have about four hours of highway left before the drop. Plus a wash and a fuel. I've looked at the maps and both are easy.

We have decided we are not going back to CA from the drop. We have not decided yet if we will be picking up one of the trash trucks coming back to MN. If we do, and we keep the car, the hours are tight to get the car back to the airport in two days. (I thought we were always going to get our cars for one more day than we needed) But if there is room inside the cab, we may drop the car after we pick up the trash truck and then not have to double back to get our personal car before heading home.