Saturday, August 2, 2014

 Not sure what happened, but today's post got deleted so I'll try it again.

I rented a car for the weekend.  Went over to Meteor Crater today.  It is huge!!   I took a panoramic photo of it but it really does not do it justice.  Much better photo on the web site.  Meteor Crater web site

Panoramic Photo Shot From The Visitor's Center

Here is a view from the satellite so you can get an idea how big it is.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Left real early this morning and drove to the GE Wind Energy plant in Tehhachapi, CA.

Loaded a wind energy hub that is going to Groom, Texas.

 Got out of there in great time.

Passed Edwards Air Force Base on CA-58.

Passed a solar energy farm on I-40 on California.

Everything was going smoothly until I got to Arizona.  At the Port of Entry they found that my permit said that I was 11 feet wide.  They measured and found me to be 11 feet, 6 inches wide.  Had to get a whole new permit.  ALSO there is an 11 foot width restriction on I-40 east of Flagstaff because of a lot of road construction.  I will have a nice long detour around it.  BUT I can only use the detour on Saturday IF I have an escort. Can't go anywhere on Sunday.  Monday through Friday I can use the detour without an escort.  MORE STUPID, STUPID REGULATIONS!!!!  Now what purpose does that serve?  Makes no sense whatsoever!!  So I drove to the Little America truck stop in Flagstaff for the weekend.  I'll have more posts on Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Left the truck stop very early this morning and drove in to Anaheim, CA and delivered the boiler a day ahead of schedule.  Next load is up in Tehachapi, California tomorrow.  Got started up that way.  Took almost two hours just to get through Los Angeles.  Don't know why anyone would want to live like that!!  Anyway, had to stop for the night at a crappy little truck stop in Action, California because I ran our of hours.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Left Fort Stockton this morning.  Nice day on the road. The city you are looking at is Juarez, Mexico.  It is just on the other side of El Paso, Texas.  That city has one of the highest murder rates (if not the highest) in Mexico.

Here is the US / Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas.  Juarez, Mexico on the other side of the fence.

 Here is a Border Patrol check point on I-10 west of Las Cruces, New Mexico.  This is the truck side.

See all the stuff looking at my truck as I go through?

It is not just for trucks.  Everybody gets it.  This is the car side.

Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Eloy, Arizona. That is about 40 miles south of Phoenix.   Got the truck washed.  It is HOT here!!  Weather on the TV news said it is 110 degrees!!!   

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Left this morning at the perfect time.  Arrived in Beaumont, Texas right at 9 am when curfew was over.  I stopped at the Petro truck stop in Beaumont and had 4 tires replaced.  While they were working on the truck I went to the restaurant and ate.  While I was eating there was a huge explosion outside someplace.  It startled everyone in there.  After I finished eating I went back to the shop.  On the way I walked past the fuel island.  Found out what caused the explosion.  I really don't know how someone can flatten a fuel pump like this.  He must have REALLY not been paying attention.  

The explosion was when he bent the rim on the tire and it exploded. The driver is the guy on the cell phone.

I zoomed in on the tire for you.

After my truck was ready I hit the road again.  I love Texas!!

Stopped for the night, when I ran out of hours, at the Flying J truck stop in Fort Stockton, Texas.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Got up early and drove the hour drive over to Thomasville.  Of course it wasn't ready when I got there.  Had to wait two hours.  Finally got loaded with a boiler and some parts that are going to Annaheim, California.  Just as I was finishing they had a fire drill.  See everyone standing outside?  Glad they waited until I was out of the building.

Got out of there and on the road.  Going through Mississippi I saw a funnel cloud in a thunderstorm just to the south of I-10.  It was so cool!!  It didn't make it all the way down to the ground.  Only about half way.

I got cut off four times today and saw a car on the other side of the interstate get run off the road into the median.  Fortunately he kept control and there was no crash.

Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Egan, Louisiana. Won't start real early tomorrow.  Curfew in Beaumont, Texas so I can't get there before 9 am.