2 RV's to Seffner FL

... spending the night at Gainsville FL

Lots to write about but it is late.

Was too close to a RV that lost the tow car it was pulling. Car was totaled but I don't think anyone was hurt. I didn't stop at the car, I chased the RV down, it took me four miles to get him stopped and send him back.

**** 2 days later ****

Breakfast - yogurt for me. Both BB and I had rough nights. It only happens once or twice a year that I wake up during the night and my system is telling me 'visit bathroom now.' Last night was one of those nights. Both BB and I had the same issues. Bad food last night or exposed to something.

Because of where they made us park, we had to walk done the road to our RV's. So we drove back to the hotel to check out. The desk clerk that checked us in last night, also checked us out. Said she had gotten three hours of sleep between shifts. Not at my age.

The same guy who told us last night that I had 'lost a pocket,' stopped me as we were driving and told me that he was 'sorry about damaging our RV last night with my wheel chair.' I just waved him off. He seemed to just be a lonely man with a strange sense of humor.

An hour or so down the road as we were crossing a bridge, a semi pulls out in front of me with only a few feet to spare. After they pull back in their lane, I can see him looking in his mirror thinking 'where did he come from?' I doubt he ever looked before he pulled out.

Last night there had been slow downs going into Chattanooga, that was part of the reason we didn't go further. Today the back ups were in the other direction. Clear sailing for us, slowdowns in the usual places.

1st stop was for fuel in Calhoun at Buc-ee's. I'd never been inside one before today. But today I had to go in ... quickly.

2nd stop was for fuel and food in Jackson at a Pilot. This would be our last fill of fuel. We go in to eat, but nothing at Wendy's. This place looked like an old ??? Now I don't remember which truckstop chain that Pilot took over that had both Wendy's and DQ at most locations. This must have been one of those.

We end up getting a chicken salad sandwich and a back of Cheez Its. Sandwich was from the fridge, but it was still frozen. Shouldn't have been bad food.

15 minutes down the road I notice an RV with a tow car. Partly because we are driving RV's and partly because something is not right. When the RV switches lanes, it looks like the car is trying to pass the RV. The car should follow closer than that.

It did that both moving to the right and to the left. Then I see sparks, something is dragging. I slow and put on my 4-way flashers. But only for a few seconds.

There are cars and a truck between me and the RV so I can't see everything ... the next thing I see is just the RV. No car. Then I see dust? on the other side of the semi. The semi is pulling to the side of the road ...

I don't see the car again until the semi passes it ... the car is bouncing back and stops just short of my lane. It hit something hard enough to spin 180 and bounce back. Something is leaking onto the pavement.

The RV doesn't stop or slow. The semi tractor in the 2nd lane pulls to the shoulder in front of me. Two trucks have stopped. I go after the RV. Way ... way over my speed limit. I catch up to them and try to wave them over. They won't slow. I pull in front of them and try to wave them over, the pull out to pass. As the pass, they are looking at me.

I give up and call 911. I should have done that as soon as I saw the RV coming loose. Then the RV pulls over so I hang up on 911 and stop and run up to the RV.

The driver comes back and walks back to look at his hitch. There is nothing there, no hitch, no pin, no chains, no wires. I suggest the driver head back to his car ...

BB has followed me but doesn't know what I saw. She is behind me so I get back in my RV and call her. But I can't. My phone is locked on 911. So I call them back to explain what happened. They want to know where I am ... I don't know ... until the RV pulls out, then I can see the mile post. They also want to know my name and number.

BB had also seen the car 'trying to pass' the RV that was towing it. But she never could see that it was being towed. Then she saw it veer to the right, she thought the truck then hit it. She also said there were still pieces rolling around when she passed it. That is how close to it both of us were.

I'm not sure if the drivers who stopped knew there was not anyone in the car. I knew there wasn't, that is why I chased the driver down instead of stopping to help. We looked later and I had chased the RV for four miles before they stopped. Them never knowing they had lost their car. How could you not know? How could you not see it in your mirror when it tried to pass you?

I'm guessing my BP was a little while after that for a while.

3rd stop ... I think was Ashburn at the rest area. The area was open but there was no water so the rest rooms were closed. BB is hurting. The accident had slowed us down by a half hour and she still is not feeling well. We don't get out of the RV's, we head out.

At some point I am behind a truck that isn't quite going 'our speed,' BB pulls out which is usually my signal to get moving. So I pull out and drive faster to the next truck stop.

4th stop is the Pilot in Tifton. BB runs to the restroom right away. After, she tells me that she was trying to pass me because she would have gone a whole lot fast than I did those last 15 miles.

5th stop is the rest area in Jennings FL. BB makes our hotel reservations from here. It will be late, but that will keep us on schedule. After that, both the scale and fruit inspection area are closed.

6th and final stop is the Comfort Inn in Gainesville. I hadn't looked at it. The lot is big enough but there are trees hanging over the lot in a few places.

Nope, still not feeling well. We walk a couple of blocks to a Publix food store and get bland food. Walking back in the dark we hear voices. One side of the street there is nothing built, just grass and trees. The next day we can see the homeless camps.

... this was written after the fact so no 'next day plans' list.

Load board

US - 354

IA - 160/160

FL - 1