1 bus to Loveland CO
... spending the night at Walsenburg CO
Spent last night in the Comfort Inn in Gallup NM.
Last night when the desk clerk wanted to know more details about my bus, I thought he was just being picky. But this AM there were two more buses in the lot. Full of kids. Well behaved kids, we never heard anything last night and this AM at breakfast all was good. I was surprised the hotel had the good stuff out for that many people. Cheese omelettes, bacon, fruit cups, etc.
Last night, not a good one for me. BB had the only good pillow and I didn't think I had slept much until I remembered all the dreams. But never remember waking up or drifting off.
We pull out close to 7:30, just as it is getting light. Not nearly as much red as yesterday. But the hills to our north looked interesting, the lighter colored layers of dirt were lighting up with the first light in the morning and the darker dirt was still dark.
I've had issues with the CNG pump at the Flying J so we try the one at Loves first. I come in the wrong way and as I am turning around, someone pulls into my pump as I am blocking the rest of the lot. One of them notices and moves to another pump. There is only one CNG pump and 20+ other pumps for them.
I hook up and the pump will not respond to my credit card on either side of the pump. So I go in and have them start the pump. I come out and start fueling ... then I notice that the pump is fueling, but the meter is not running. Finally after 500# pressure, the pump shuts off so I go in to say I/we have a problem.
They are not interested in what I have to say ... I just need to pay for the one gallon (that was the amount from the prior persons fill) and re-start the pump.
The second time the pump meter does work ... and puts in one gallon. I go in again to tell them I/we have an issue but they don't want to hear it. 'It pumped, do you want your receipt?'
I wasn't getting anywhere with these two, I could have asked for a manager but did not. Instead we drove to the next exit to fuel at the Flying J. I used my personal card so it limited me to $100. That was more than enough to get to the next station.
There was already a transporter at the Flying J so I asked if it was OK to start pumping. Sometimes the pumps loose pressure and shut off short. He wasn't worried about it. He was heading east and could stop at Moriarty if needed. Nice enough, but he didn't seem to want to talk so we did not.
Beautiful today north of ABQ. They have gotten snow recently and some places on the hills we could likely see for 20-30 miles in all directions. BB tried to take pictures for me but they just are not the same.
Here it is mostly pasture land I am guessing, with trees on the higher lands and then the snow covered mountains in the distance.
2nd stop is in Las Vegas at the Loves for lunch at Subway. Las Vegas NM. Busy on the car side, busy at both Subway and Chester's.
We have to cross a weigh scale coming into CO, first 'scale' we have crossed. Earlier today there was a sign that said all trucks must exit so I did. No one was there so I drove out the other end.
3rd stop is at a place called Spark's ... not a good name for a CNG station IMO. The town was Trinidad. I was going to fill, but BB has no patience at times. And we are going to fill again in less than 100 miles. We would not have had to stop here today other than before I knew what range I would get, I had all the stops planned and have stuck to it.
Here I watched the meter. 500# was about 12 gallons and 1,000# was about 25 gallons so I have gotten about 37 gallons of free fuel on this trip. Or the bus company has.
Dispatch told me where my last stop should be and about how much fuel they wanted left in the bus. I will stop where they want, but I will likely leave about 2-3 times as much fuel as they wanted left.
I did message one of the drivers heading to Disney in FL and those buses are at 55 mph also.
Final stop was less than an hour down the road. BB had wanted to stop before the last fuel, but then read the reviews. So she then wanted to stay somewhere $$ in the same town. That would have shut us down before 3 PM.
Getting to the next large town and next fuel we make it after dark. Then she found a little exit with two gas stations, three places to eat and one hotel. No houses or other businesses. The hotel is a Best Western and about the same price as the better hotel where we fueled.
The hotel has a the main building which is 2-3 stories. And then on three sides it has the old style, park at the door rooms.
Once we are checked in, we walk first to the truckstop which has an A&W. We decide what we want before we see the 'cash only' sign. BB has not brought money and I no longer have enough. I used to always leave home with $100+ in cash and maybe I did, three plus weeks ago.
So BB decides she would rather have a salad from the truckstop. Then I order REAL rootbeer and an apple pie shake :) But I need something so we stop a third place, KFC, for two chicken legs.
BB's salad was good, but her chicken was not so she had one piece of mine so I <> had a liquid lunch. Kind of thirsty after my garlic sandwich at noon.
Load board (weekend)
US - 94
IA -0-
MN - 8
WI - 6
About four hours drive time to go in the AM, plus one fuel stop and one wash. We have waited in line for 3+ hours at the wash but this will be on a Sunday morning. Their website says that it is the slowest day hours of the week. Middle of the night would be slower.
And then we are done?