2 RV's heading to AR (Wednesday)

... spending the night at Albert Lea MN

We have been trying to stay ahead of the weather since we dropped yesterday. Actually we rushed this whole trip because we knew the snow was coming in behind us. That storm is dumping inches/feet of snow in MT, ND and northern MN.

Because we were watching that storm today we also saw the storms growing in IA was we drove.

When we got into Forest City it started to hail. I did a quick un-planned turn into Kwik Star/Trip to get under their canopy. We do not want hail damage on our rental car. While we were there we decided to fuel. Hail and rain were dumping down, even under the canopy because of the winds. I had to shield the receipt printer and the receipt still got wet and I got soaked.

Only one other person came into the station while we were there. They parked under the canopy to remove one windshield wiper and leave the arm sticking in the air.

As soon as the downpour past we headed to pick up our car. The rain had stopped so I went into the office to drop paperwork and talk to the manager about more pay. I had to wait in line and then he was NA.

So we go and load our things from the rental into our car. By then the manger was out in the lot, so I waited for him again and this time did talk to him.

That is all important because later we find out that we missed being where the semi's rolled over, roughly by the amount of extra unplanned time we spent in Forest City.

Shortly after we get to the MN line we see a sign that says I-35 closed ahead. Later we see a 2nd sign giving the exit number it is closed at.

BB stops and looks at her GPS and follows that route off the freeway. I do not stop and just follow my nose. I want to be off the freeway before everyone else gets off and I want to stay far enough away not to run into that traffic.

I had mis-guessed where the crash was, I thought it was north of Faribault and it was actually south of Faribault. So when I got to a road that I knew went into Faribault, I kept off that road and went straight.

First I see tin strewn across a field. Then I realize it must have just happened, as I have to drive across wires on the road. The tin was the roof of a shed, the owners are just out looking at it as I drive by. Then I see a truck in the road ahead and another pulling up. As I slow I realize they are parked so it will be hard to get around them ... then I see it ... there is a highline post lying across the road. I would either have to drive over the post or through the steep ditch. This is one of the cross country high voltage lines. And it was a corner post so the wires are lying on the ground with just one post gone.

Before I get back to the freeway I see lots of downed trees, more downed wires across the road, etc.

On the route BB took she noticed a power pole that was broke off at the base and wondered why it had not been fixed. Then she realized there was a whole row of broken posts and videoed some of it.

We did not know right away that the crashes on I-35 were actually trucks blown over because of the high winds.

Two hours later when we came through that area again the last truck was just being cleared.

I had gotten way off route on the back roads. We should have been to the airport about 3:30. BB got there at 4:00 and I got there at 4:15 (not too bad for following my nose instead of a map)

7th stop - Burnsville Smash Burger. Honey Baked is closed for sandwiches because of Easter. We did drive past Honey Baked, because of habit, and there was no line. Smash Burger was good but not as drippy as usual. But they did know how to make what I wanted.

It had been north bound I-35 that was closed because of eight rolled semi's. I-35 south bound and been limited to one lane because only one semi had rolled going that direction. So we knew there would be a back up.

I decided to stay in the left lane for as long as I could until we got near the crash. Even had one trucker yelling out the window to me and the other drivers that were passing. As luck would have it, it looked like my merge would be in front of him. There were only about three cars between me and the highway truck that was blocking our lane ...

And then people started moving from the right lane to our lane, the truck blocking the lane was gone. Both lanes started to move. We followed the rolled truck on the hook until they exited at the next exit. They had gotten the road cleared in a half hour less than estimated.

8th stop - Owatonna - Culvers - BB needed a treat. I was already stuffed but ordered anyways. I ordered a blueberry mixer and after I took a scoop I realized it was a raspberry. Oh well, we were already gone and I did not need two.

9th and final stop is the Comfort Inn in Albert Lea. :) BB had made a reservation for here ... but for Friday night, not tonight. Opps. No issue, they are not full.

As we sit in the hotel we are watching the Weather Channel as they are covering the tornado warnings for Mason City, Clear Lake, Garner and Forest City. (Right where we had hoped to be tonight, to get a jump on our trip tomorrow)

Load board

US - 557

IA - 317/316 (342 by 8 AM)

Tomorrow we plan on getting to the lot about 8 AM when they open. We SHOULD be able to get close to BB's drop by tomorrow night. Her drop is 550 miles so because having to do our inspections we may not make it all the way.

BB had thought she had found a different rental car for this trip earlier today, and then she realized it was the right city but wrong state ...

BACK TO THIS AM

Breakfast - we grabbed 'to go' food. I have an empty juice bottle so I grab juice from the hotel and transfer it before we start moving. We are checked out by 7 AM today trying to stay ahead of the weather.

1st stop is a Shell station for fuel in Mitchell. I had hoped for Worthington MN, then Sioux Falls but we are bucking a head wind today and our MPG is dropping fast. We have head winds going both ways this trip and it has not helped our mileage.

Our pay statements come in the email. BB has been shorted so she needs to take care of it so she starts by emailing. It goes quickly and she has to email a couple of people but has it all taken care of within the hour.

2nd stop is at the Burger King in Worthington. We/BB had wanted Jimmy Johns but they would not open for another 15 minutes and we want to keep moving. Worthington has the last fast food of any choice before we get off the freeway.

On some trips in the past we have come home from MT via ND. The storm we are trying to avoid is forecast to dump 12-24 inches of snow in Minot ... in the middle of April. Glad we are avoiding it.

Most of the rest is covered above ...

Lots of RV's pulling out today, but we want to get our rental car dropped so we do not talk to any of them.