2 RVs to 1,000 Oaks CA (delivered)

... spending the night at North Platte NE

Up at 5:30, breakfast and then rolling by 7:30 local.

I had noticed that a sign on the front door said that the gravel lot is closed for truck parking. So I asked about it when I checked out. I was told the city had shut the lot down because it was no paved (?) The hotel hopes to have it paved within a month or two.

Reviews on this place were not great but we didn't have any issues. Close to the main route, a little cheaper than Tooele. And this place has a shuttle. They also have times listed when the shuttle runs to the local truck repair dealers :)

By the time we are pulling out, our central dispatch has put a trip from CA to FL on the load board. They always look good, and we might have done it if we were still in CA. But the one truck trips never pay that well and we would just have ended up in FL a few days later, still almost 2,000 miles from home and no richer.

Sun was just coming up when we headed out so lots of time where the sun was right in my eyes. Be alert.

First stop was the Shell in Evanston for fuel. Pumps wouldn't work so I had to pay inside. When they asked how much I wanted the pump turned on for I said "20." So they turned it on for $20 not 20 gallons. $20 did not fill the tank and this was (almost) the cheapest fuel we will find this trip. I did not go back in.

When we have a car and don't need fuel, we stop at the rest area across the the freeway. Today the buffalo, including the two while buffalo, were right up against the fence against the parking lot. I would have had to travel 10 miles to make a u-turn to go see them. I didn't want to see them that bad.

Sometime early this AM, the mileage dropped from 48.6 to 48.5. Still not bad for running through the mountains and other times at 80 mph.

Next stop is in Green River because that is also cheap fuel. I top the tank off at Loves.

I didn't see the 'big dig' anywhere today. BB and I were busy talking and she was not looking for it and I was driving 80 mph so not taking my eyes off the road for very long.

Talking about money. We are both getting close to retirement and life happens. Looking at all the 'what if's.' But most likely we did not talk about the one that will actually happen.

No chance to fall asleep during that conversation.

Not sure if I'm getting sick or lifted the wrong way but I am really feeling the pain of being old the last two days. Harder to get out of the car, moving much slower, zapped.

Somehow I need to pass my DOT in a few days which includes being able to move ...

Wamsutter is getting a new truckstop. It is a One9. All of the other One9 stations I know of were the low end Pilot/Flying J's that didn't draw enough customers or where the rest of the station is under a different name. (not Pilot/Flying J) This is the first location that I have seen as a new One9. Interesting to me.

We were going to eat at Laramie at a Deli but BB was hungry by the time we got to Rawlins. Lots of options but we stopped at Flying J as they have the best shelf food ... sometimes. After looking at everything a few times, BB got a burrito and I got fried chicken. To go.

Next stop was the two pump, one person town of Buford. Gas was $3.49. THIS is the cheapest we will pay. We topped the tank off and got an ice cream sandwich.

Loves ... Sidney ... rest room break.

We should have looked at hotels sooner. As we are pulling out of the Loves, BB is telling me that the hotel here is half the price of the ones down the road. Sounds like last night. And again it is only early afternoon ... and staying here may add another nights hotel ... so ...

Once we hit NE, the speed limit is 75 max. Once we get to IA and MN it will be 70 max. Less than 100 miles into NE and my mpg is already going up. Maybe we'll be getting over 50 mph once we drop to 70 mph.

Today we saw a half dozen UPS vans in transit. A few RV's, a few other things. We looked but did not see the Duluth bus as we drove through Cheyenne. Not sure which dealer it was at.

Getting in and out of the car was better today but still feeling old ...

Nothing to report road wise. No crashes, no slow downs. no crazy drivers. Lots of sun and a few clouds.

We end up staying at a newer Comfort Inn in North Platte, partly because it was <> the same price as the Quality Inn in Ogallala that we usually stay at. The Quality Inn is usually about $75 which is about the right price for that hotel. The back wing of the hotel is abandon and falling into ruin. The attached restaurant hasn't been open for years. But tonight price was double. The Comfort Inn is a much nicer, and newer, maybe five years old, hotel.

Once we check in we drive across the street to Capones for to go food. When the food was ready, they handed it to us and I had to remind them that we had not paid for it yet. I got a French Dip. It was just meat, no onions or cheese. BB got a salad that was more than she could eat.

Load board

US - 76

IA -0-

MN - 3

WI - 1