8-18-2006 Junction City, KS to Jacksonville, FL - Miami, FL to Abilene, KS
Off for FL late afternoon out of Galva. Beautiful thunderheads visible in the north and northwest. Really dark and blue; that almost indescribable shade of blue that only appears when a storm is nearby. Hope I can get my stuff into the truck, grab an empty trailer and scram before the deluge hits. Not much room to hang up wet laundry in a Freightliner...
Stopping in at the Flying J in Salina for a cash advance, ice for my big water mug and the biggest cup of to-go coffee they have in the place. Oh, blessed caffeine... Dan M. called as soon as I got rolling, filled him in on the proposed blog (this one you are reading now...) and he thought it a good idea. He was trapped at the local pool in Grand Rapids; his kids were swimming and he had to stay close by, so he was passing the time by relaxing under the shade trees and calling me.
Drop the empty and grab the loaded trailer and freight bills in JC and back on the road.
Crossing over the Topeka Ave. bridge on I-70, I see that they are well underway demolishing it to make way for a new, updated replacement. It dates from I believe 1937, when US 75 passed through town, by the state capitol building, before the later realignment bypassing the cities and the inevitable sterile interstate highways. Don't get me wrong...I love the convenience and high-speed travel of the superhighways, I just enjoy the sights and sounds one can only see along the old highways and backroads. But driving for a living and making money by miles driven , one obviously chooses the hi-speed route.
Driving through Kansas City I see Royals Stadium lit up and a better than usual crow to cheer the Royals. Nice to see they still have the support of the locals. More of a light show at Columbia, MO and the storms have intensified and are producing the most intense lightning I've seen in a long time. A cell tower was hit just as I passed; now I have the afterimage burned into my retinas....that'll take some time to go away. What better soundtrack for this type of drive than Carmine Coppola's ethereal "Apocalypse Now" score on the XM radio.
Mixes well with the abstract and surreal worldview created by the lightning and rain.
Stopped for the night at Kingdom City, MO.
8-19-06 Breakfast at Denny's and off on my way. Across IL on I-64 to Mt. Vernon and south on I-57 to the I-24 junction. Onwards to Kentucky. Stopping to stretch my legs at the state scales and Truck Safe Haven (a quite eloquent name for a parking area, eh?) I see I have a flat on the trailer. Luckily, there is a tire repair shop that will do a service call at the truckstop down the road a few miles. Arriving at Huck's Travel Center outside Kuttawa, KY, I grab a space that can accommodate the truck and give the service guy room to work.
One hour and about $300 later, I'm back on my way. Fuel at Oak Grove, KY, cross Tennessee through Nashville into Knoxville and take I-75 south into Georgia.
Stop for the night south of Atlanta after pulverizing a bat with the truck windshield.
8-20-06 Off bright and early toward Jax. Weather held. When I arrive, there is one truck being unloaded, one waiting, then me. So much for my appointment time. Apparently they are severely behind. I remember that Jacksonville is always a goat-screw and I also now remember why I don't take this run very often. Oh, well...it'll be a good check with this week's mileage. (Think Happy Thoughts!!!)
It only takes another 7 hours to get out of here. I'm about ready to have blood come out of my eyeballs from thinking about this: now I have to run extra hard to get to Miami to reload in the morning at 9 AM.
Time for some creative logging...
8-21-06 I make it Miami after fueling in St. Augustine, FL and sleeping at a rest area 100 miles north of Miami. That 100 miles was ALL city. Such sprawl...
Good thing I called them for directions, it was a two-block street, really not more than an alleyway, and it was 7 miles from where I thought it might be.
A small load on, and I'm heading back north. My second pickup in Miami cancelled because the Friday truck fit it all on, so I'm free to head for Adairsville, GA before routing for home.
Leaving my first stop, I can't help but laugh at the posted signs: "$1000 Reward for reporting illegal dumping" on the fences and signposts. Everywhere around them are old mattresses, tires, appliances, household junk, etc. piled up to five feet deep.
Apparently they need to increase the reward amount.
Driving north on I-95 I see a nice black Peterbilt 379 pulling a reefer with a perfectly life-like corned beef sandwich on the side at least 6 feet tall with the words: "Driver Of This Truck Carries No Mustard." Too funny.
Around Daytona I encounter another beautiful storm with chain lightning boiling around inside it. Florida seems endless, so it provides a little something to look at.
8-22-06 Thank goodness I don't get stopped at any scales between Miami and Adairsville. My logbook is a complete fabrication. Once I get loaded I can take a half day off or so and let it get caught up with reality.
I hear an interesting interview of the author of "How To Survive The Robot Uprising" on Air America Radio (It's not as geeky as it sounds...might have to put that on my list.)
Long nap at Monteagle, TN and a bite at the truckstop restaurant. Real country ham, two eggs and homefries. That helped; sandwiches out of my fridge were getting a little old.
On up through KY into Illinois. Past the watertower at Metropolis, IL with the big likeness of Superman.
Stop at Nashville, IL for the night.
8-23-06 I'm about an hour east of St. Louis. It's one hard, high-speed burn to Abilene from here. I should be home before dinnertime tonight.
5:40PM - In the Cavalier headed for the house. Another run come to a close.
Good to be home.
Off for FL late afternoon out of Galva. Beautiful thunderheads visible in the north and northwest. Really dark and blue; that almost indescribable shade of blue that only appears when a storm is nearby. Hope I can get my stuff into the truck, grab an empty trailer and scram before the deluge hits. Not much room to hang up wet laundry in a Freightliner...
Stopping in at the Flying J in Salina for a cash advance, ice for my big water mug and the biggest cup of to-go coffee they have in the place. Oh, blessed caffeine... Dan M. called as soon as I got rolling, filled him in on the proposed blog (this one you are reading now...) and he thought it a good idea. He was trapped at the local pool in Grand Rapids; his kids were swimming and he had to stay close by, so he was passing the time by relaxing under the shade trees and calling me.
Drop the empty and grab the loaded trailer and freight bills in JC and back on the road.
Crossing over the Topeka Ave. bridge on I-70, I see that they are well underway demolishing it to make way for a new, updated replacement. It dates from I believe 1937, when US 75 passed through town, by the state capitol building, before the later realignment bypassing the cities and the inevitable sterile interstate highways. Don't get me wrong...I love the convenience and high-speed travel of the superhighways, I just enjoy the sights and sounds one can only see along the old highways and backroads. But driving for a living and making money by miles driven , one obviously chooses the hi-speed route.
Driving through Kansas City I see Royals Stadium lit up and a better than usual crow to cheer the Royals. Nice to see they still have the support of the locals. More of a light show at Columbia, MO and the storms have intensified and are producing the most intense lightning I've seen in a long time. A cell tower was hit just as I passed; now I have the afterimage burned into my retinas....that'll take some time to go away. What better soundtrack for this type of drive than Carmine Coppola's ethereal "Apocalypse Now" score on the XM radio.
Mixes well with the abstract and surreal worldview created by the lightning and rain.
Stopped for the night at Kingdom City, MO.
8-19-06 Breakfast at Denny's and off on my way. Across IL on I-64 to Mt. Vernon and south on I-57 to the I-24 junction. Onwards to Kentucky. Stopping to stretch my legs at the state scales and Truck Safe Haven (a quite eloquent name for a parking area, eh?) I see I have a flat on the trailer. Luckily, there is a tire repair shop that will do a service call at the truckstop down the road a few miles. Arriving at Huck's Travel Center outside Kuttawa, KY, I grab a space that can accommodate the truck and give the service guy room to work.
One hour and about $300 later, I'm back on my way. Fuel at Oak Grove, KY, cross Tennessee through Nashville into Knoxville and take I-75 south into Georgia.
Stop for the night south of Atlanta after pulverizing a bat with the truck windshield.
8-20-06 Off bright and early toward Jax. Weather held. When I arrive, there is one truck being unloaded, one waiting, then me. So much for my appointment time. Apparently they are severely behind. I remember that Jacksonville is always a goat-screw and I also now remember why I don't take this run very often. Oh, well...it'll be a good check with this week's mileage. (Think Happy Thoughts!!!)
It only takes another 7 hours to get out of here. I'm about ready to have blood come out of my eyeballs from thinking about this: now I have to run extra hard to get to Miami to reload in the morning at 9 AM.
Time for some creative logging...
8-21-06 I make it Miami after fueling in St. Augustine, FL and sleeping at a rest area 100 miles north of Miami. That 100 miles was ALL city. Such sprawl...
Good thing I called them for directions, it was a two-block street, really not more than an alleyway, and it was 7 miles from where I thought it might be.
A small load on, and I'm heading back north. My second pickup in Miami cancelled because the Friday truck fit it all on, so I'm free to head for Adairsville, GA before routing for home.
Leaving my first stop, I can't help but laugh at the posted signs: "$1000 Reward for reporting illegal dumping" on the fences and signposts. Everywhere around them are old mattresses, tires, appliances, household junk, etc. piled up to five feet deep.
Apparently they need to increase the reward amount.
Driving north on I-95 I see a nice black Peterbilt 379 pulling a reefer with a perfectly life-like corned beef sandwich on the side at least 6 feet tall with the words: "Driver Of This Truck Carries No Mustard." Too funny.
Around Daytona I encounter another beautiful storm with chain lightning boiling around inside it. Florida seems endless, so it provides a little something to look at.
8-22-06 Thank goodness I don't get stopped at any scales between Miami and Adairsville. My logbook is a complete fabrication. Once I get loaded I can take a half day off or so and let it get caught up with reality.
I hear an interesting interview of the author of "How To Survive The Robot Uprising" on Air America Radio (It's not as geeky as it sounds...might have to put that on my list.)
Long nap at Monteagle, TN and a bite at the truckstop restaurant. Real country ham, two eggs and homefries. That helped; sandwiches out of my fridge were getting a little old.
On up through KY into Illinois. Past the watertower at Metropolis, IL with the big likeness of Superman.
Stop at Nashville, IL for the night.
8-23-06 I'm about an hour east of St. Louis. It's one hard, high-speed burn to Abilene from here. I should be home before dinnertime tonight.
5:40PM - In the Cavalier headed for the house. Another run come to a close.
Good to be home.
posted by Barry P. at 12:45 AM
0 comments
