1 bus to Denver CO (delivered)

... spending the night at Albuquerque NM

Slept so-so. We were both awake before the alarm.

Breakfast was bacon and western omelette. BB had the turkey sausage. I tried it but this one was too spicy for me.

The weather and all other factors still say we head back to CA. It has snowed here and is still snowing closer to Denver.

I'm ready and leaving at 7 AM. BB has a shuttle set up for 8:15 to take her to the airport to get the rental car. Getting out of here was easier that getting here. One main street past the hotel takes me to the freeway. Last night it was a dozen turns through residential area's.

1st stop is the Blue Beacon in Denver/Commerce City. ??? No one in line today. Last bus it was a three hour wait. As soon as someone opens the doors I pull in. While I am doing that I call BB to let her know I will not be late. She has just texted me that she is leaving the hotel but I hadn't read it.

Quick wash and I'm done. There was one other truck in the other bay that I hadn't seen at first. No one in either bay when I left. I pull out and stick my fuel tank. Last night it looked low and this AM I drove it another 70 miles. I can't see it well on the stick, not sure why, but I decide to add more fuel.

2nd stop is in the same parking lot at the TA. At first I was going to put in 10 gallons, then 12, ended up with 15 gallons. Way more than I needed when I stuck the tank after filling.

Here was my first delay. The person ahead of me at the pump pulls ahead and goes inside. It is about 30 minutes before he comes back. Same the the guy to my left. The person on my right is at the pump when I get there and when I leave, no idea what he is doing.

I've done this route before but on city streets I often write down the street names.

The overhead signs say that I-70 east is closed. That was our backup route if we were heading home. I am only on I-70 for a few miles and I meet five snow plows in formation in the east bound lane. Pavement is 100% dry here and they are holding up traffic.

My guess is they were ready to tackle I-70 where it was closed.

... lots of I-80 in WY is still closed and they keep pushing the re-open time out.

3rd stop is my drop in Denver. I call my contact but no answer. When I drove in, I saw three people looking at a bus so I walk over to them. It is an instructor and two new drivers. The instructor shows me where to walk to the office.

Part way to the office, I see one of the buses that left when I did from CA. And I see someone that had been looking at it. Lucky for me they wait until I am close ... pull my bus next to this one.

Someone had an opps this AM. The couple that was also delivering here had gotten into Denver last night, washed their buses and went to a hotel. This AM when they started them, one of the buses sprung a leak. Not something they could fix so they rode together to the drop.

This location does something I have never done before in six years of driving these buses or 15+ years of delivering buses. They had me stick the tank and they wrote down how much fuel was in it. Lucky I topped it off and then some.

Only issue they found was one of the brochure holders had fallen off. It was just laying on the floor when we picked the bus up, we didn't know it had ever been attached.

I might be back ... today we brought in the first two buses. There are a total of 30 of the 29 foot buses and 100 of the 40 foot buses on this order.

As soon as I am done and am in the car with BB, we agree one more time ... we are heading to CA. Dead heading 1,500 miles.

I call the bus dispatcher and let him know were are on our way.

4th stop is the closest McDonalds for the restroom ... and food. We notice some homeless before we walk in. We go to use the restroom and they are locked. Someone has to buzz us in. We weren't watching and as soon as they buzzed, one of the homeless went into the bathroom and I had to have them buzz me in again. :(

We are one hour later than the math I was doing in my head. Most of that time was lost this AM in traffic, not that traffic was bad, I just did bad math.

5th stop is the rest area in Colorado City.

6th stop is a few miles down the road for fuel at a Loves in Walsenburg. We didn't realize we were not going to make it to ABQ before fueling and here is the next cheaper fuel.

7th stop was at a rest area near Waterous. Trying to stay awake while driving. Not dozing off, but loosing focus.

It will be a few minutes after last light but we push on for ABQ. To our 'known' area.

8th and final stop is the Quality Inn in ABQ. before we get there, we notice homeless walking the streets. We used to walk for food and had planned on it tonight also. But, between the extra people hanging around and the cold we decide to drive for food.

Good thing. We used to cut through the parking lots. One hotel has put up a new fence all the way around their building ... right across the former street/access. And our restaurant has put up a six foot high steel wall all around their parking lot.

Things have changed here.

Load board

US - 176

IA - 8/4

Tomorrow will be an all drive day. We will leave at first light and drive until after last light.

Plan is to be back at the shipper mid-afternoon on Thursday. And hoping there is work then so we don't have to wait until 5 PM and dark to leave with a bus.