I had to put Carolinimas on hold in order to effect my move. I had plenty of time to think, though, so here are some of the things I considered while driving a 16' truck.
If you are going to drive a truck as an amateur in California, do so on the weekends. California loves it some weigh stations, and it loves for everyone to go through them. No one has ever, ever stopped me in a weigh station, but they want me to drive through anyway. On the weekends, however, most of them are closed. At least they are on Sunday. I drove by four closed stations and only had to drive through one.
If you want to drive a truck fast, do so in Nevada. After California, with its 55mph speed limit for trucks and anything with a trailer, Nevada is a godsend. The speed limit is 75mph. That's it. 75. No exceptions. And let me tell you, the truckers hammer down in Nevada. I was doing 65mph (my personal limit), and I was passed by everyone but 3 people.
Nevada knew I was coming, and put up special "Slow Trucks" signs with blinking lights, just for me. (I swear, I was the only slow truck in Nevada, even when going up hill.)
Nevada is also a miracle of road-building. Not only is the speed limit practically non-existent, the roads are beautifully maintained. Beyond that, there is no construction! I don't know how they do it, but they do.
Utah's salt flats are evil. Do not lose your sunglasses before driving through Utah.
Western states have an absurd fondness for mileage signs, Idaho in particular. They will post a sign every 8-15 miles. And the distances are long. I do not need to count down the ridiculous distances I need to drive every 10 miles. Every 30 or 40 would be sufficient.
Using gears in an automatic truck is good, especially when descending 12 miles worth of 6% grades. If you can get yourself down to speed (35mph) and then shift into 3rd (or even 2nd), the truck does all the rest. It ceases to be scary, because the truck will not accelerate over 35mph. You just slowly cruise downhill, with all the four-wheelers screaming by you on your left. Whatever. You're cool, man. Suave.
Montana has pretty good roads, and the construction zones to prove it. However, the last 10 miles of Montana are bone-jarringly rough. I'm surprised I didn't bite my tongue or break a tooth.
The weight distribution of an empty truck and a fully-loaded car being towed behind said truck is not good. Acceleration, in particular, causes shaking. I do not advise the last 10 miles of Montana to anyone driving this particular set-up.
Penske rocks. Sadly, they do not have a dealer in Montana. I would like to suggest one in Butte, where I-15 and I-90 meet. You know, just in case anyone out there with any power at Penske is reading this.
Showing posts with label kar kulture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kar kulture. Show all posts
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Saturday, January 3, 2009
There and Back Again: A Christmas Holiday
The trip back south was rather bland. Actually, the good times were good, but the driving was dull.
I made it from Portland to Roseburg on Thursday, stopping off in Eugene along the way to pick up M. Actually, it was a little rainy, kinda heavy at times when leaving Portland, but I survived. No hydroplaning, no washed out bridges, nothing crazy.
Then, M and I spent the night in Roseburg with Cialis. I don't think I've laughed that hard since the Fun Group was trying to make me squeak a few Christmases back. Except this time, I was adding more to the conversation. I can't breathe around the Fun Group. We told old jokes, made up new jokes, was "that group" of women at the Freddies. I even pegged my jeans, a la 1986, just because I could. Boy, was that ever a stupid look.
We stayed up late watching "scary movies" and drinking wine. Of course, the power started to flicker just as we started getting ready for bed. Nothing says, "You'll have nightmares tonight" like a power outage after a zombie movie. We got to bed so late, we didn't get up until late. I hit the road (after some yummy blueberry pancakes) around 12:30.
It was raining in Oregon, and it changed to snow around 3500'. Fortunately, it wasn't sticking. So, I went a little slow over the Siskiyou pass, but it turned back to rain at about 3700' on the other side (I-5 hits about 4200' over the pass -- highest point on I-5!) and then pretty much stopped precipitating at all.
I managed to stop at the TJ's along the way and was still home by 9:15. Not bad time.
I already miss Portland. I bought a fancy Bodum single-serving presspot travel mug and made some Stumptown coffee. It was almost like being back.
I made it from Portland to Roseburg on Thursday, stopping off in Eugene along the way to pick up M. Actually, it was a little rainy, kinda heavy at times when leaving Portland, but I survived. No hydroplaning, no washed out bridges, nothing crazy.
Then, M and I spent the night in Roseburg with Cialis. I don't think I've laughed that hard since the Fun Group was trying to make me squeak a few Christmases back. Except this time, I was adding more to the conversation. I can't breathe around the Fun Group. We told old jokes, made up new jokes, was "that group" of women at the Freddies. I even pegged my jeans, a la 1986, just because I could. Boy, was that ever a stupid look.
We stayed up late watching "scary movies" and drinking wine. Of course, the power started to flicker just as we started getting ready for bed. Nothing says, "You'll have nightmares tonight" like a power outage after a zombie movie. We got to bed so late, we didn't get up until late. I hit the road (after some yummy blueberry pancakes) around 12:30.
It was raining in Oregon, and it changed to snow around 3500'. Fortunately, it wasn't sticking. So, I went a little slow over the Siskiyou pass, but it turned back to rain at about 3700' on the other side (I-5 hits about 4200' over the pass -- highest point on I-5!) and then pretty much stopped precipitating at all.
I managed to stop at the TJ's along the way and was still home by 9:15. Not bad time.
I already miss Portland. I bought a fancy Bodum single-serving presspot travel mug and made some Stumptown coffee. It was almost like being back.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Travel Update
So, for those of you who may not know, I had plans to drive to Portland on Monday to spend a week before flying out to see B&J. And then the weather hit. On Monday, I-5 was closed north of Yreka because Siskyou pass is at, oh, 4300 feet and it was a bit snowy. Up until I left on Tuesday morning (and so was unable to check CalTran info), chains were required on those last 10 miles of California. I hit the road anyway, prepared for the worst, but hoping I have a window of opportunity.
I make it though fine. No chains required. Roads clear. A little slush the last 10 miles, but soft, mostly-gone, and sand-filled slush. All fine. I think I've got smooth-sailing to Eugene. (Where I planned to spend the night, because even "clear" roads can develop black ice after sunset.) And then I hit the snow.
Ergh. Oregon did a bad job clearing sections of I-5. There was a good 10 miles worth of hardened ice about 30 miles south of Eugene (at Cottage Grove, if you're playing along on Google Maps). I was going a good 5mph. The last 30 miles, which should have been about 20-30 minutes worth of driving, turned into an hour and a half. And then Eugene roads weren't much better.
Now they're calling for more snow and rain today. I could probably make it through. Actually, I probably could have if I had left at 6am, but I was asleep at 6am. And the roads were crappy yesterday and it's been nothing but cold. The precip is due to start falling at any time, and I really don't want to get caught out in I-5 in nowhere-ville when it hits. Sure, I can drive in the stuff -- all those winters in Maine come in handy, but I also know enough to know that I don't have snow tires on my car, and that does make a difference. I also know that all the SUVers out there insist that they CAN drive in snow just because they have an SUV. I do have chains, and I do know how to use them, but they are a pain in the ass. And if I learned one thing from M&D (besides to watch out for the drunks and fools), it's that discretion is the better part of valor where snow is concerned; or, it doesn't take much to become a "fool" yourself.
So, I'm sitting in my friend's duplex in Eugene. (She is also a reader of this blog. Hey M! You're the best!) Gonna kick it here to today, see what tomorrow brings. NOAA is saying more snow, athough yesterday it was supposed to be clear tomorrow, so obviously the weather system is a bit fickle.
Well, at least I'm not sitting on my couch in Salinas. It's really boring there. And I am save and alive with no recent accidents to my credit. I'm just 100 miles from where I was planning on being.
I make it though fine. No chains required. Roads clear. A little slush the last 10 miles, but soft, mostly-gone, and sand-filled slush. All fine. I think I've got smooth-sailing to Eugene. (Where I planned to spend the night, because even "clear" roads can develop black ice after sunset.) And then I hit the snow.
Ergh. Oregon did a bad job clearing sections of I-5. There was a good 10 miles worth of hardened ice about 30 miles south of Eugene (at Cottage Grove, if you're playing along on Google Maps). I was going a good 5mph. The last 30 miles, which should have been about 20-30 minutes worth of driving, turned into an hour and a half. And then Eugene roads weren't much better.
Now they're calling for more snow and rain today. I could probably make it through. Actually, I probably could have if I had left at 6am, but I was asleep at 6am. And the roads were crappy yesterday and it's been nothing but cold. The precip is due to start falling at any time, and I really don't want to get caught out in I-5 in nowhere-ville when it hits. Sure, I can drive in the stuff -- all those winters in Maine come in handy, but I also know enough to know that I don't have snow tires on my car, and that does make a difference. I also know that all the SUVers out there insist that they CAN drive in snow just because they have an SUV. I do have chains, and I do know how to use them, but they are a pain in the ass. And if I learned one thing from M&D (besides to watch out for the drunks and fools), it's that discretion is the better part of valor where snow is concerned; or, it doesn't take much to become a "fool" yourself.
So, I'm sitting in my friend's duplex in Eugene. (She is also a reader of this blog. Hey M! You're the best!) Gonna kick it here to today, see what tomorrow brings. NOAA is saying more snow, athough yesterday it was supposed to be clear tomorrow, so obviously the weather system is a bit fickle.
Well, at least I'm not sitting on my couch in Salinas. It's really boring there. And I am save and alive with no recent accidents to my credit. I'm just 100 miles from where I was planning on being.
Monday, November 17, 2008
If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear to wear flowers in your hair
Finally made it up to SF yesterday. I only spent the day, so I certainly haven't done it up "right", but it was good to find my way there. The first time is always the hardest. Now I know how to get to downtown at least, even if I never knew where I was again after that.
I met up with an old friend from Chapel Hill. Reconnected on Facebook and he happened to be in town visiting friends, so we took a day. We had brunch at Luna Park on something and 18th (the old crack hood all gentrified) then drove around looking for his hotel then went down to the Ferry Building. We had an app at a wine bar and then ferried over to Sausolito. My, was that nice. It was late -- later than I had hoped seeing as I had to teach today -- but it was worth it. The sun was setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge as we chugged across the Bay. And the weather is unseasonably warm (to say the least) with clear blue skies. Just gorgeous. Had some clam chowder (still too much starch, not fully cooked potatoes, but not too salty and good clam heft to it) and a Crab Louis salad. Not too bad. Then back home.
It's a 2 hour drive, which is kinda annoying, but not impossible. I do need to go back and spend more time. But I need to plan it when I *have* the more time to spend. Maybe a long weekend or if Shells really comes to visit for spring break.
I'd make this a better-written post, but I'm too tired and cranky (meetings!) to do much more than a mind-dump. I've shared; I'm alive; I'm not just sitting on the couch every evening.
Done.
I met up with an old friend from Chapel Hill. Reconnected on Facebook and he happened to be in town visiting friends, so we took a day. We had brunch at Luna Park on something and 18th (the old crack hood all gentrified) then drove around looking for his hotel then went down to the Ferry Building. We had an app at a wine bar and then ferried over to Sausolito. My, was that nice. It was late -- later than I had hoped seeing as I had to teach today -- but it was worth it. The sun was setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge as we chugged across the Bay. And the weather is unseasonably warm (to say the least) with clear blue skies. Just gorgeous. Had some clam chowder (still too much starch, not fully cooked potatoes, but not too salty and good clam heft to it) and a Crab Louis salad. Not too bad. Then back home.
It's a 2 hour drive, which is kinda annoying, but not impossible. I do need to go back and spend more time. But I need to plan it when I *have* the more time to spend. Maybe a long weekend or if Shells really comes to visit for spring break.
I'd make this a better-written post, but I'm too tired and cranky (meetings!) to do much more than a mind-dump. I've shared; I'm alive; I'm not just sitting on the couch every evening.
Done.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Inky's New Klothes
Inky got some new clothes this week. I finally got my sh*t together and got her her Cali plates. Sadly, they are much less pretty than her Oregon ones. Oregon's plates are blue and purple and green, with mountains and trees and a beautiful sunset. Cali plates, on the other hand, are very functional. The plate is a shimmery white with blue letters and a red "California" scribbled across the top. It gets the job done, with just the "appropriate" amount of patriotic coloring. ho-hum.
But that's not the good part.
Most of you know about my abiding love for UNC (go Heels!). Before I left the state, I stocked up on all sorts of Carolina paraphernalia -- sweatshirts and pants and t-shirts and hats and window decals -- and a license plate holder. I was all set to put it on the car in Oregon, but while North Carolina's stickers go on the top corners of the plate, Oregon's stickers go on the bottom. Thus, the license plate holder would have covered the very important stickers and might result in a traffic stop. :-( So, I just put the thing in the trunk and there it stayed.
Until Thursday.
Upon the sticking of the stickers in the upper corners of my new license plate, I realized that Inky could finally wear her Carolina gear. Worried that I had misplaced the cover during those five years (me? lose something? nawwww), I went straight to the box of junk in my trunk. (No, that is not a reference to my butt, but the actual box of random items in my car's trunk.) And there, under a pile of old wedding negatives (don't ask), was the "platinum" plate holder.
I must say, I had a very exciting evening on Thursday installing my license plate with my Carolina Alumni license plate holder (thereby defining me as a Tar Heel born and bred, and not just some fly-by-night bandwagon follower). I have been looking forward to this day for five years.
Inky looks just darling in her new outfit. Now if Michael will just buy me a new window decal to replace the one that's falling off and almost totally gone. I mean, he's working there now, how hard is it to walk across the Pit or over to Shrunken Head?
P.S. Go to Hell, State!
But that's not the good part.
Most of you know about my abiding love for UNC (go Heels!). Before I left the state, I stocked up on all sorts of Carolina paraphernalia -- sweatshirts and pants and t-shirts and hats and window decals -- and a license plate holder. I was all set to put it on the car in Oregon, but while North Carolina's stickers go on the top corners of the plate, Oregon's stickers go on the bottom. Thus, the license plate holder would have covered the very important stickers and might result in a traffic stop. :-( So, I just put the thing in the trunk and there it stayed.
Until Thursday.
Upon the sticking of the stickers in the upper corners of my new license plate, I realized that Inky could finally wear her Carolina gear. Worried that I had misplaced the cover during those five years (me? lose something? nawwww), I went straight to the box of junk in my trunk. (No, that is not a reference to my butt, but the actual box of random items in my car's trunk.) And there, under a pile of old wedding negatives (don't ask), was the "platinum" plate holder.
I must say, I had a very exciting evening on Thursday installing my license plate with my Carolina Alumni license plate holder (thereby defining me as a Tar Heel born and bred, and not just some fly-by-night bandwagon follower). I have been looking forward to this day for five years.
Inky looks just darling in her new outfit. Now if Michael will just buy me a new window decal to replace the one that's falling off and almost totally gone. I mean, he's working there now, how hard is it to walk across the Pit or over to Shrunken Head?
P.S. Go to Hell, State!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Truckin'
I was driving back from visiting M this morning, and I realized I was once again feeling like my old car-driving self. Back when I was living on the East Coast, I used to drive everywhere. Of course, when you live on the I-95 corridor, major cities that involve drives are still within easy reach (even if "easy" means 15 hours). Cities stack up on top of cities, at least if you're heading along a north-south axis. And I had people to see in all those places: mostly friends from home and college, with the occasional family member tossed in for good luck.
Then I moved west and I started slowing on the driving. After I stopped heading up to Seattle monthly, my travels slowed tremendously. I could carpool on hikes and climbs, so besides a yearly trip to Northern Cali for Christmas, I didn't drive very far. And then my Cali connection dried up, too. It didn't help that I took very poor care of my car during my Portland years. I wasn't that comfortable taking my un-maintained car on long trips for fear of catastrophic car failure.
So what's changed? First, I finally took my Ink Spot (so named because the mechanic called her a Crayola, so she needed a name befitting a crayon -- I find cars can really only be named by mechanics) in for repairs. I was leaving my Last Known Good Mechanic, and there's no telling how long it would take me to find another one I could trust. So, I put LKGM to work and got her all fixed up. Now I can feel comfortable driving Inky around again.
And then things are further apart here. In Portland, I didn't have to go far to see anyone I knew. I could shun an entire half of a city and still have friends to see and places to go. And there were many days that I did shun half of the city. At all times I shunned a good quarter of it. (There's nothing so important in the SW that I ever needed to go there.)
But here? You have to drive to get anywhere. Ikea? More than an hour away. The "discount" teacher-store? An hour away. Trader Joe's? Half an hour away. Cool, hip coastal towns? Forty-five minutes away. And I now have friends that live some distance away. I can't shun my far-away friends for my near-by friends because I have no near-by friends. (I'm sure that will change, it's already starting to, but I'm sure you get my drift.)
I never had to leave Portland, so I didn't. But now I have to leave home again. And it's kind of nice. I hate driving around town; I wish I could just get there already. But I do miss that time alone in the car on longer trips. The drive is part of the experience. I can listen to the radio and catch up on my music, plan my week, think about life. I have no responsibilities (except to not hit anyone or cause them to hit me). I can't do the dishes or laundry, I can't read a book, I can't get sucked into the TV. I can only drive.
How fitting that I'm re-bonding with my car here in Cali. Maybe I'll post one of my car-themed song lists one of these days.
Then I moved west and I started slowing on the driving. After I stopped heading up to Seattle monthly, my travels slowed tremendously. I could carpool on hikes and climbs, so besides a yearly trip to Northern Cali for Christmas, I didn't drive very far. And then my Cali connection dried up, too. It didn't help that I took very poor care of my car during my Portland years. I wasn't that comfortable taking my un-maintained car on long trips for fear of catastrophic car failure.
So what's changed? First, I finally took my Ink Spot (so named because the mechanic called her a Crayola, so she needed a name befitting a crayon -- I find cars can really only be named by mechanics) in for repairs. I was leaving my Last Known Good Mechanic, and there's no telling how long it would take me to find another one I could trust. So, I put LKGM to work and got her all fixed up. Now I can feel comfortable driving Inky around again.
And then things are further apart here. In Portland, I didn't have to go far to see anyone I knew. I could shun an entire half of a city and still have friends to see and places to go. And there were many days that I did shun half of the city. At all times I shunned a good quarter of it. (There's nothing so important in the SW that I ever needed to go there.)
But here? You have to drive to get anywhere. Ikea? More than an hour away. The "discount" teacher-store? An hour away. Trader Joe's? Half an hour away. Cool, hip coastal towns? Forty-five minutes away. And I now have friends that live some distance away. I can't shun my far-away friends for my near-by friends because I have no near-by friends. (I'm sure that will change, it's already starting to, but I'm sure you get my drift.)
I never had to leave Portland, so I didn't. But now I have to leave home again. And it's kind of nice. I hate driving around town; I wish I could just get there already. But I do miss that time alone in the car on longer trips. The drive is part of the experience. I can listen to the radio and catch up on my music, plan my week, think about life. I have no responsibilities (except to not hit anyone or cause them to hit me). I can't do the dishes or laundry, I can't read a book, I can't get sucked into the TV. I can only drive.
How fitting that I'm re-bonding with my car here in Cali. Maybe I'll post one of my car-themed song lists one of these days.
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