Truck Drivers

[RaymondG]

I don't do much in the way of visiting cities at all...

Vegas was a commitment I had on our first trip and I was stuck there for four days. We both hated it, even though it was instructive to see some of the casino layouts and the extravagance of their decor. But I definitely came away of the opinion that someone had found a piece of useless desert, poured in water, concrete, steel, turned on the electricity and called out to the world, "This is fantastic, come and see it!" And so the world was duped.

I saw vast tracts of countryside, we drove through 28 states on the first trip and determined that we'd drive through all the others the second time around. At the conclusion of that trip I had gone through 38 states and into eight provinces in Canada.

I love driving in Montana, while upstate New York is fantastic as well. I saw the Mississippi in flood...

...in Iowa, where I came to understand why the 'BN' is so strong in 'BNSF' and in railways in general in America. It helped me, also, to understand why America has so many advantages that has led to its great prosperity. So many states have direct access to sea transport, there is so much water around!

In Louisiana I came to know about the Louisiana Purchase, what it was, what it meant to the USA and how it discredited Napoleon. While driving through upstate New York I learned about the War of 1812, which is not something seen in our history books here.

During that first trip I was continually fascinated by how many people live out in the desert. But there are 13 people in the US for every one in Australia so they have to go somewhere!

The sight I had really looked forward to seeing didn't disappoint me...

Of course, visiting the Bethels was a highlight, especially when I saw a picture of my aunt on a display there. Visiting congregations was a treat, while the bewilderment of our first trip when it came to your electoral system was heightened by this sight:

I also noted a lot of things that are just left to fall down there:

But the sheer beauty is to be found if you look for it, one of the best sunsets of my life, for instance, as I drove through Idaho (looking out from the I15 as it silhouetted the Lemhi Range):

Maybe you need to look at my blog?

[Musky]

Maybe you need to look at my blog?

I thought we were!   

[CHecker]

How wonderful for you to share your 'trucking' experiences and YES I will visit your blog. You've definitely seen more of this country than me and I live here!! Good for you. The sunset is spectacular but the bridge is incredible. You are a real adventurer Ray. 

 

I go to the desert and love Vegas and Tucson because that's who I am, but I'm married to a logger, so we stay in a tree infested rich environment. I long for the day when I can get away from most of them. My health also is better in the desert, I can breathe. We've driven to Vegas and to Palm Springs before, long stretches of desert involved there! Loved every moment.   

[RaymondG]

Originally posted by Musky

I thought we were!

No, you need to click on this link to do that!

http://www.travelpod.com/z/ustrip2014/1/1419520557

That's up to Lancaster PA, with four weeks still to go! You can go to the bottom of the page and go back through all the entries while you're there, and you click on the photos to get full size and full descriptions. You can also leave comments on both the pics and also the individual blog entries.

Enjoy yourself...

Cheryl, people were telling us we'd seen more than them when we'd been through just 28 states, but now I've seen all the contiguous states (the most minimal visits being to Rhode Island and Delaware) as well as eight provinces of Canada.

[CHecker]

Awesome Ray, just awesome! Travel.....such fun, even if I have to live through someone else right now to do it!

 

Thank-you so much for your posts. Love them.

[TruckerTim]

Im lovin all the stories and pics! Its really awesome material.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

[campanula]

Awwww, salvage. 

I have a'94 Astro sitting in the driveway, been there since about March. Something to do with where the heater hose comes into the top of the manifold. The connecting part of the manifold is cracked. I'll be sad if I have to salvage her, once I take her in to be checked out. She's not worth much to anyone but me. I've had her since 1997. Love driving her. Love having an older auto, they have character. As long as they don't become a maintenance hound.

That's an interesting moment that you call your car as SHE - as it is a female..

I never had a car myself, but I admitted that my sister sometimes calls her car as a female but another car - as a male ...

And she also says they have different characters.... some are "girls" others are "boys"...

[RaymondG]

Most people here refer to their car as 'she' in conversation...

I don't think I've ever heard of a car referred to as a 'he' in my life.

[CHecker]

Do we Ray? I guess I never thought of it! HA! You're probably right.

I think of 'her' like that because she's been faithful, loyal, trustworthy, doesn't complain much, grunts and groans when I expect too much from her but is always ready to go to work! She's like a good friend who's good to go for anything! I miss driving her. Next week I have to look for  a used manifold, and I was referred to a local mechanic who does good work for a reasonable price. So I'll go talk to him first and see. I'm pretty mechanic savvy, have worked on trucks as well as loaders, delimbers and small equipment with MH so I'll know if he's giving me the run around. 

[ava]

Most people here refer to their car as 'she' in conversation...

I don't think I've ever heard of a car referred to as a 'he' in my life.

 

I refer to my car as "he".

 

 

 

Thanks for all the pics, they brought back many memories.  When I was a kid, every summer we would take a 3 week road trip driving across the country.  I have visited 43 states out of 50.  Seen some amazing scenery.

[RaymondG]

Maybe we need a whole thread on road trips?

All around the world, there must be people here who've snapped pics of all sorts of places as they've travelled.

But please, let's not make it a 'this is me at *******,' let's see the scenery and only put ourselves in it if really necessary.

[Qapla]

There is a long history of calling/naming ships as "she" .... this is in part because the "heads" on old sailing ships her female (for goddesses or other prominent females) and the thought that the original word for ship was in the "feminine" form.

 

That "tradition" was carried over to cars when they replaced ships as the everyday means of travel.

[CHecker]

Maybe we need a whole thread on road trips?

All around the world, there must be people here who've snapped pics of all sorts of places as they've travelled.

But please, let's not make it a 'this is me at *******,' let's see the scenery and only put ourselves in it if really necessary.

I'm game, and people very seldom get into my pics, I do scenery.