Visit our Popular Forums

Aviator · 10-26-2011, 07:14 AM

Please be careful. Fatigue is very insidious. Decisions made while one is tired a very similar to ones made while intoxicated. It may look good through the fog of sleep deprivation, but be a very poor decision.

ND10CentCan · 10-26-2011, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasagachris

Im typing this from the cab of the truck. I was in Bismack North Dakota today visiting another forum member. When I tried to get a motel room I was told that none were available in town due to an oil find bringing in workers. I went online and was able to make a reservation in Miles City Montana. I drove another 4 1/2 hours tonight to get here only to be told that my room will not be available until 2:00PM. It's now 3:30AM. I guess I'm sleeping in the truck as I have been told here that there are no rooms available in either state. If I wasn't so exhausted I'd get the hell out of this state and head straight to Idaho.

We have three empty bedrooms here!! I wished you would have stayed the night at the house. I hope you are driving safely.....Sorry to hear about the hassles.
Sandy

wasagachris · 10-26-2011, 09:19 AM

Hi Sandy I didn't want to put you out and thedogs wouldn't get along anyway. I should have booked a room as soon as I arrived in Bismarck. I did manage to get a reservation in Billings. I tried to drive there last night but gave up after about 20 miles and slept in the truck for three hours at an off ramp. Very quiet and peaceful. Had a wonderful view of the stars. I just arrived in Billings and am now deciding if I will take the room or push on to Yellowstine. I may do that as the motel has no parking for me here.

ND10CentCan · 10-26-2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasagachris

Hi Sandy I didn't want to put you out and thedogs wouldn't get along anyway. I should have booked a room as soon as I arrived in Bismarck. I did manage to get a reservation in Billings. I tried to drive there last night but gave up after about 20 miles and slept in the truck for three hours at an off ramp. Very quiet and peaceful. Had a wonderful view of the stars. I just arrived in Billings and am now deciding if I will take the room or push on to Yellowstine. I may do that as the motel has no parking for me here.

Next trip through stay with us!!
Sandy

**DKB_SATX** · 10-26-2011, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasagachris

~~
A few weeks ago I grabbed a 1979 Lincoln Continental Cartier Edition really cheap.
~~

Does this mean that now you have to find a '79 Airstream the Lincoln can tow?

David

wasagachris · 10-26-2011, 10:10 AM

Thanks so much for the offer Sandy. I really enjoyed the visit with you and your family yesterday. If I do get this way again I won't hesitate to take you up on the offer. I've decided to stay i Billings today and head out early in the AM for Yellowstone and then on th Idaho.

wasagachris · 10-26-2011, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

Does this mean that now you have to find a '79 Airstream the Lincoln can tow?

David

David no this car is just a project for a flip. I may hang on to it for a while as it is a cool car to drive.

wasagachris · 10-27-2011, 02:54 PM

So here I sit in Burley Idaho waiting for the husband of the seller to get home.
I bypassed a visit to Yellowstone National Park. I woild have had only an hour or two to spend anyway so I just drove straight here hoping that the trailer would be ready to load as promised. Well that's not to be. He is out on other matters and I have to wait 3 hrs for him to come home.
The drive down here from Billings Montana took 9 1/2 hrs. I left at 4:00 AM hoping to arrive in time to get the trailer loaded before nightfall.
I did get some nice pics this morning of the sunrise over the mountains. Actually sunrises because as I drove south it kept rising over different peaks so I got to watch it break over the peaks four times.
It was quite cold in the valley as I was headed south towards I-15. The lowest temp was 21F and it kept rising and dropping as I went through different parts of the route. Amazingly the temp would drop by 10+ degrees in a 5 min span.
I'll be posting lots of pics once I get back home to a regular computer.

Frank's Trailer Works · 10-27-2011, 06:11 PM

All work and no play gets you there faster, but man is it boring. Smell the roses Chris, you are in the US of A now!!!!

wasagachris · 10-27-2011, 08:44 PM

Wow I finally have the trailer on the flat deck. It got dark before we could get it loaded so it is temporarily strapped down until morning when I can see to secure it properly.
The seller's husband was 1/2 late arriving and the trailer was still in the barn and the coupler was removed from the tongue. So a lot of time was spent putting it back on,dragging it out of the barn and out to the road.

The weirdest thing also happened. While I was waiting for the seller another man showed up claiming to be the rightful owner of the trailer and said he was only storing it there and had come to pick it up.
It turns out that they both had salvaged it from a farmer's field together.
After a few tense moments where I was contemplating calling the sherriff,the seller showed up and straightened things out. It had been salvaged 3yrs ago and the seller had legal salvage and storage rights to it.
He will be compensating the other man and as long as I was leaving with the trailer I am happy.
I took lots of pics of the removal from the barn and the loading. They will be posted later once I'm home.

Frank: Why stop and smell the roses when I can take them with me and smell them as I go.

desertair27 · 10-27-2011, 09:26 PM

Sounds like a great adventure do far!

wasagachris · 10-28-2011, 07:06 PM

So this morning after securing the 47 properly to the fllat deck trailer I finally started heading back east. I drove from Idaho through Utah and into Colorado today. I checked the load several times and it never moved an inch, all straps are tight after 8 hrs driving. I mostly stayed to 60-65 MPH but in a few spots where the road was good and clear I actually hit 75 MPH.
I saw some beautiful scenery today while travelling through Utah and into Colorado. I snapped some pics while driving and will have to wait and see how they came out. Like I said earlier I will post them all once I get home to a real computer.
I'm headed 60 miles off route in the am to p/u some car parts and then will be headed east again. I hope to get 4 to 6 hrs east tomorrow. I'm still undecided which route to take east. I'd like to avoid going through Denver as they have had a lot of snow already and the desk clerk here said the trip can take 4 hrs if the passes are good but up to 8 hrs or more if they are bad. I don't really like the sound of that.
Right now I'm in Grand Junction Colorado which is off I-70 just in side the western border of Colorado. Any suggestions that ya'll might have would be great.

ND10CentCan · 10-28-2011, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasagachris

Wow I finally have the trailer on the flat deck. It got dark before we could get it loaded so it is temporarily strapped down until morning when I can see to secure it properly.
The seller's husband was 1/2 late arriving and the trailer was still in the barn and the coupler was removed from the tongue. So a lot of time was spent putting it back on,dragging it out of the barn and out to the road.

The weirdest thing also happened. While I was waiting for the seller another man showed up claiming to be the rightful owner of the trailer and said he was only storing it there and had come to pick it up.
It turns out that they both had salvaged it from a farmer's field together.
After a few tense moments where I was contemplating calling the sherriff,the seller showed up and straightened things out. It had been salvaged 3yrs ago and the seller had legal salvage and storage rights to it.
He will be compensating the other man and as long as I was leaving with the trailer I am happy.
I took lots of pics of the removal from the barn and the loading. They will be posted later once I'm home.

Frank: Why stop and smell the roses when I can take them with me and smell them as I go.

This is really turning into a strange trip. Sounds like people don't have their possessions straight or what belongs to which person. Stay safe and be careful out there.
Sandy

wasagachris · 10-28-2011, 07:22 PM

Thanks Sandy for the well wishes. I'm just glad I have the trailer and am headed east now.
Anybody have any experience with hwy 50 from Grand Junction to Pueblo in Colorado. It's in the direction I'm headed for the car parts and was wondering if I should keep going east and then head back north to I-70 in Kansas or should I turn back around and pick up I-70 again in Grand Junction and then head east towards Denver?

Lance M · 10-28-2011, 07:35 PM

Wow Chris, sounds like a great trip! If time is the big factor, stay on I-70. If you want to see some of the most beautiful parts of America, stay on US 50 then head NE from Pueblo. I was stationed in Colorado Springs back in the day. Gunnison is one of my favorite places in America. You might even be able to see Crawford Gene!

wasagachris · 10-28-2011, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top

Wow Chris, sounds like a great trip! If time is the big factor, stay on I-70. If you want to see some of the most beautiful parts of America, stay on US 50 then head NE from Pueblo. I was stationed in Colorado Springs back in the day. Gunnison is one of my favorite places in America. You might even be able to see Crawford Gene!

Thanks Lance mapquest says hwy 50 is 5 hrs from Grand Junction to Pueblo. I'm already heading 1 hr that way to Delta and was wondering should I just keep going east another 4 hrs or turn around and come back 1 hour to Grand Junction and then drive 4 hrs to Denver? The motel clerk has said the passes on I-70 could be bad and I was wondering if anybody knows what hwy 50 is like for a drive. If it's an OK route I'd save at least 1 hr and end up as far east. I can go north again in Kansas and p/u I-70.
Maybe I should keep going south and drive through Texas. LOL

Lance M · 10-28-2011, 07:50 PM

Well, in that case, I'd go with US 50. You would avoid Denver also. When you get to Canyon City, take CO 115 to Colorado Springs then take US 24 to Limon and get back in I-70.
If you want to come to Texas, you are more than welcome! Let me know when you hit the Texas border at Texline so I'll have 9-10 hours to properly BBQ a brisket!

TG Twinkie · 10-28-2011, 08:06 PM

It's probably too late now but you can get on the Internet for Colorado roads. There is a web site where you can look at web cams of the mountain passes as well as main road conditions. If you haven't already reached it you will be going over Monarch Pass. Chances are good that it will have snow but the road may be clear.
Unless there is some specific reason to take I-70, I would recommend I-80. The last time I drove it, I-70 it was rough!!!! You can still take the route recommended to Limon, CO then take Hwy 71 north to I-80 at Kimball, NE
Good Luck and Travel Safe

wasagachris · 10-28-2011, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top

Well, in that case, I'd go with US 50. You would avoid Denver also. When you get to Canyon City, take CO 115 to Colorado Springs then take US 24 to Limon and get back in I-70.
If you want to come to Texas, you are more than welcome! Let me know when you hit the Texas border at Texline so I'll have 9-10 hours to properly BBQ a brisket!

Thanks ever so much Lance. That's a great route.
Did the mapquest thing and the stops are Colorado Springs on Sat. Salina Kansas on Sun., Fenton Missouri on Mon., and then Jackson Center on Tues night. I need to pick up some parts there for Frank and will take the tour at the same time on Wed. then keep heading east on Thurs to Baltimore. Each stop is about 400 miles apart and I can do that each day standing on my head.

wasagachris · 10-28-2011, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

It's probably too late now but you can get on the Internet for Colorado roads. There is a web site where you can look at web cams of the mountain passes as well as main road conditions. If you haven't already reached it you will be going over Monarch Pass. Chances are good that it will have snow but the road may be clear.
Unless there is some specific reason to take I-70, I would recommend I-80. The last time I drove it, I-70 it was rough!!!! You can still take the route recommended to Limon, CO then take Hwy 71 north to I-80 at Kimball, NE
Good Luck and Travel Safe

Thanks for the heads up on I-70. Now I need to plan another route on I-80. I'm using motel 6's as they are cheap and pet friendly. Some what like me.