Playing Catch Up

OK, so I got lazy again about my daily updates. Time to catch up.

After Omaha, NE, I went back to the Tractor Supply DC in Waverly, NE and picked up another load going to a store in Independence, MO on Monday January 19th.

Tuesday morning at 0700 I unloaded and then waited most of the day for my next load assignment. It finally came around 3PM. I picked up in Kansas City, MO and had to haul it 428 miles all the way across Kansas to Hugoton, KS. What a drive! It was a heavy fog after sunset and going down through the back roads and small towns was difficult at times. But I did arrive there at 2 AM and was VERY tired to say the least. I unloaded that morning at 0700.

After unloading that morning, I reversed course and headed back across Kansas to the K-Mart DC in Lawrence. There I picked up a load which delivered to 2 K-Mart stores around Wichita on Thursday morning the 21st.

By noon the 21st I left the last K-Mart store and drove a few miles away to SFB Plastics there in Wichita, KS. I then picked up a load of empty plastic jugs and hauled them 743 miles down to El Paso, TX. They were going across the border to be filled with something and probably brought back over here. But that's for somebody else.

On the way down o El Paso on Friday morning of the 22nd, I encountered some snow along US 54 south of Santa Rosa, NM. Here's a few pics:

After dropping the trailer there in El Paso, I only had to wait a few hours before getting my next load. I left Friday night driving 1379 miles to LaGrange, GA hauling a load of vacuum cleaners to a WalMart DC.

I arrived in LaGrange on Sunday evening of the 24th and delivered at 6:30 AM on the 25th. Yesterday was Monday the 25th and I sat around all day in the truck waiting for my next load assignment. Which by the way never came.

Finally at 10 AM this morning I received my next load. I left LaGrange and drove north on I-85 into Atlanta where I pick up my load this evening headed to Jacksonville, FL.

That's what I've been up to. Sorry for the long gap. I'll try not to let that happen too often.

See ya tomorrow.

Las Cruces, NM to Oklahoma City - 646 Miles

What a long day today! I woke up around 5 AM in Las Cruces, NM at the T/A truck stop. After reading another chapter in my book, I got out of bed and went inside for breakfast. French toast was the meal for the morning and it was good.

After topping off the truck with fuel, I hit the road at 7 AM. I had a lot of stops planned for the beginning of my run today due to some Geocaches along the route. Starting out on US70 east and then onto US54 north. Passing through the White Sands Missile Range and the White Sands National Monument, lots of mountains and beautiful scenery.

During that stretch between Las Cruces and Santa Rosa, I found 6 Geocaches and took plenty of pictures. However the battery on the camera died and I can't upload them just yet. Gotta find the charger.

In Santa Rosa, NM I merged onto I-40 eastbound. By the time I got to Amarillo, TX I was getting hungry. I wanted to stop at The Big Texan again and try one of their steaks. However, since I had been playing most of the morning I needed to keep moving. So I pulled into a McDonald's for a quick burger.

After eating quickly, I continued on down to Calumet, OK which is about 20 miles west of Oklahoma City. Tomorrow's going to be a long day with no playing around. Gotta drive 720 miles tomorrow for a Friday morning delivery. Come back to see how I do.

That's it for now. See ya on the highways.

Tucson, AZ to Las Cruces, NM - 289 Miles

Another early morning today, waking up around 4 AM local time here in Tucson, AZ. Temperature wasn't bad at 49 degrees. Today actually got up into the 70's here.

But I started out at the TTT Truck Stop and drove the 8 miles over to where I was delivering. I got there around 6:30 and they started unloading soon there after. It was only about a 1/3 of the trailer left if that, so it didn't take long. By 7:40 they were done.

I already had my next load assignment to pick up there in Tucson later in the afternoon. I looked up Geocaches and there was one about 3 tenths of a mile away, so I walked down and made the find.

I drove back over to the TTT Truck Stop for breakfast and then over to the shipper to see about picking up the load. You never know, sometimes they can get you done early. Sure enough I had a 3 PM appointment time and they had me loaded and ready by 1PM.

Afterwards I walked across the street into an open field for about a 1/2 mile. There was a regular sized Geocache there and I made the find. I also dropped off a Jeep TB which I had been carrying for a while. I've been waiting to drop it off out west here to go 4wheeling with some real Jeeps.

At 2:45 PM, I jump onto I-10 eastbound and go non-stop all the way to Las Cruces, NM. It had just gotten dark when I arrived there, so I stopped for the night. If I didn't, I'm not sure of anyplace I could stop for the next several hundred miles. You'll see tomorrow why so.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by again. Here's just a few pics from today in Arizona.

Albuquerque to Tucson - 551 Miles

Woke up this morning around 2:30 AM local time. Of course, my body is still on Eastern Time and I went to bed about 10:30 (8:30 here). Anyway, couldn't get back to sleep. So I read another chapter in my "The Exemplary Husband" book. I recommend it to all the husbands out there. (And for you wives: The Excellent Wife book to go along with it.)

Around 5 AM, I decide to go inside and get something to eat at the T/A. Then at 6 AM, I drive the few miles down the road to Rio Rancho, NM and find the consignee. It was kinda strange pulling up to them because it was a residential street. Their work shop was in their backyard and a school across the street. By the time they arrived so I could back down the side of the house, the school was getting under way. Needless to say I caused a big traffic jamb by blocking the street! Oh well...

From the top of the hill there I got a nice view of the sunrise over Rio Rancho.

 

At the end of the street was a Geocache, so of course I found it before leaving too!

By 8:45 AM, I'm back on I-25 headed south. I stop at a rest area in La Joya, NM for another Geocaching break. Then at 1:30 PM, I stop in Las Cruces, NM for fuel, lunch, and a shower.

Now at 3:15 PM, it's non-stop all the way westbound on I-10 until I reach Tucson, AZ where I park at the TTT Truck Stop for the night.

That's it for today. Here's a few more photos through NM for you to enjoy.

Amarillo to Albuquerque - 299 Miles

Today was a short drive to a warmer climate. Started out in Amarillo, TX at about 19 degrees out. It took a while to venture out into the cold, but I eventually did.

I was at the Flying J on the north side of I-40 and drove across the highway to the Tourist Center on the south side to look for a Geocache. Spent about an hour and could not find it. I just don't like it when I come up empty.

Then I drive a mile down the frontage road on the north side again heading west to an abandoned gas station where there was supposed to be another Geocache hidden. I didn't find that one either. ARGHH!! Strike 2!

OK, one more to go after. Another mile down the frontage road was The Big Texan Steak House. One of the roadside attractions from the Route 66 days. I did find the Texas sized Geocache there. It was the size of your typical plastic storage bin you keep all your Christmas decorations in. After finding the cache, I decided to go inside and eat. It was still a little early, so I had breakfast instead of BBQ.

Finally about 11AM, I'm out on I-40 westbound headed to NM. Just over an hour later I stop at the New Mexico welcome center in Glenrio to grab another cache. This one I found also.

Then continue west all the way to Albuquerque where I am parked for the night. A short drive today, only 299 miles. I did get to temperatures as high as 57 degrees across NM, but as I climbed higher towards Albuquerque they dropped back down into the upper 40's.

Tomorrow I deliver at 7am about 20 miles north of here. But there's no place to park there. So I'm staying put here at the T/A.

That's it for now. Here's a few pics for you to enjoy. See ya later.

I also passed by Cadillac Ranch along I-40 on the west side of town.