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Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. - - Rand Paul & Ted Cruz…your 2016 GOP nominees, because ‘Mericans deserve crazy! |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 9:48 AM, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote:
On 3/19/2014 8:22 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:16 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:54:55 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 7:45 PM, Poco Loco wrote: One thing I *really* don't like about motorhomes is that the generator must be run to get any decent cooling in the rig - even while going down the highway. We were passing one on I-95, just as we got next to it, something made a loud 'bang' in the generator compartment. I think he blew the engine in the thing. Scary. On the other hand, isn't it illegal in many states to be riding inside a towed RV? On what other hand? Your question makes no sense in the context given. Your comment was regarding a motorhome in which people are riding and have the generator on to run additional A/C unit(s). Harry responds with a question regarding the legality of riding inside a towed RV. Made no sense to me either because they are entirely different issues. Hary Is a trained abstractor. He can cloud any issue with his random thoughts. At the risk of being accused of addressing every post harry makes like others here.... I suggest you are about 180 off... the trained un-abstractor is loogie, harry is easy to pin down... you always know what he is gonna' say the history is solid:) |
Spring is coming ...
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 08:54:05 -0500, Boating All Out wrote:
In article , says... One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! 90 doesn't hit Nebraska. South Dakota. Whatever road you took, you're right about Nebraska. It has some of the least populated counties in the U.S. It's surreal driving through the sand hills. Makes you wonder. I forget about what. The last time I was in the Sand Hills was with a government Dodge truck pulling a very overloaded government office trailer. The distance between two gas stations was 126 miles. The truck did 120. Luckily we only had to wait a half hour for another car to come along and give us a six-mile ride. |
Spring is coming ...
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:57:19 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Good. You undoubtedly saw everything worth seeing. |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 8:52 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 08:21:58 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 8:16 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:54:55 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 7:45 PM, Poco Loco wrote: One thing I *really* don't like about motorhomes is that the generator must be run to get any decent cooling in the rig - even while going down the highway. We were passing one on I-95, just as we got next to it, something made a loud 'bang' in the generator compartment. I think he blew the engine in the thing. Scary. On the other hand, isn't it illegal in many states to be riding inside a towed RV? On what other hand? Your question makes no sense in the context given. Sure it does. In a motorhome, the passengers get to enjoy some of the conveniences of the motorhome while it is underway. In a towed RV, in most states, your conveniences while underway are limited to what's available in the truck, because it is illegal to be inside the RV. Got it? Abstract thinking, Johnny. Give it a try. If you are able. What was abstract? You're proud that you can ask a nonsensical question? The enjoyment of 'some of the conveniences of the motorhome' has never been an issue with us. Neither of us has ever said, "Wouldn't it be nice to go back and pee, cook, sleep, watch TV, etc." I suppose you'd get a charge out of it, but those 'conveniences' aren't, to me, worth the hassle and expense of a motorhome suitable for only one thing. I wouldn't want my wife back there cooking while going down the road, and I can't see anything else that would make the motorhome all that practical. Everybody is different... If we ever get our asses out of the situation we are in now we plan to get a pickup truck with a slide on camper for me, and tow a trailer with bikes and residence for Jess... In a pinch we can tuck into either, or dump both and ride it out in the pickup. One thing we have different that most of you (I suppose) is that when we are heading for a race with bad weather expected, we don't re-route or reschedule our trip so it happens we have found ourselves camping in tornado warnings more than once... nothing worse than sitting in a tent or a jeep on the top of a bald hill while tornadoes are touching down in the area... Someone said one touched at the other end of the parade field in one trip, it was nuts.. |
Spring is coming ...
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:17:46 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote:
On 3/19/2014 8:16 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:54:55 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 7:45 PM, Poco Loco wrote: One thing I *really* don't like about motorhomes is that the generator must be run to get any decent cooling in the rig - even while going down the highway. We were passing one on I-95, just as we got next to it, something made a loud 'bang' in the generator compartment. I think he blew the engine in the thing. Scary. On the other hand, isn't it illegal in many states to be riding inside a towed RV? On what other hand? Your question makes no sense in the context given. Where did you ever get that notion? I have never felt the need to run the generator underway. I don't know why the guy had his running, but I do know the friends who bought the Winnebago Journey use the generator to cool the rig. The little air conditioner in the 'cab' isn't sufficient when driving where it's hot. |
Spring is coming ...
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:28:22 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote:
On 3/19/2014 8:29 AM, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:44:42 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 7:35 PM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:25:13 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 6:04 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/18/2014 5:40 PM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:03:16 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote: On 3/18/2014 3:25 PM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:18:37 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/18/2014 1:36 PM, Wayne.B wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:15:14 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/18/2014 12:55 AM, wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 21:49:28 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:21:20 -0500, Boating All Out wrote: If I had the money to spend I'd design a light trawler capable of 15 mpg. === There's no such animal. Even small sailboats do not get that kind of fuel economy under most conditions. I get around 8-9 MPG at hull speed in my boat. I get around 8 or 9 mpg in my yacht. === How long do your tires last? Don't know. They look new. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and spend the bucks for some tires for the Silverado. About settled on Michelin LTX MS/2. WalMart's got 'em for $216, plus $12 mounting/balancing/etc. That's $28/tire less than Costco - which also charges $15/tire for mounting/balancing. You need tires already? How many miles do you have on that beast? My truck just turned 22,000 miles. Had it since 2008. Tires are still like new, pretty much. I think they'll rot before they wear. It's got 57,001 miles on it right now - most of those pulling that trailer. These tires are probably good for another 4-5K, but if we decide to take that trailer out to Yellowstone, which is in our thoughts, I wouldn't try it with this set. We tried the RV thing for a while. Just never got into it. The first TV and major trip was in a 36 or 37 foot Pace Arrow Class A motorhome. JiminFl should remember that one well. I bought it brand new and we were on our way to Florida, climbing some hills on Rt 84 in Virginia somewhere. All of a sudden I felt and heard an explosion but everything seemed fine. I stopped for gas and was checking to see what the noise came from. Discovered I must have caught a rock or something between the tires on one rear side. (It had duals on the back). Whatever I hit ripped a hole in the side wall of the inner tire and it was flat. It was in a pretty remote area with nothing but hills and farms around. Finally found a truck repair place and pulled in. Nice people but they had to special order a new tire so we camped in their parking lot for the night while they sent a guy to who knew where to pick up the tire. That was the first of several bad experiences with that piece of junk. Lost the brakes on it and had to be towed with a giant tow truck. I also discovered that the rubber fuel line for the generator was chaffing against a frame section that had been cut with a torch by the manufacturer of the RV and left rough and ragged. (They cut the frame to add an extension). Got rid of it fast. On our recent trip to south Florida, we flew for about $225 each round trip, got the Exit Row seats, and got there in two hours and twenty minutes. Rented a car for the week for $198. Stayed in a four/five star hotel right on the beach for about $200 a night. Airfare, car rental and hotel for under $1800. I spent $20 to fill the car with gas when turning it in. Big, comfy RV, towed by a diesel truck...hmmm...about 1200 miles each way, total of 2400 miles getting there and back. 10-12 mpg, let's say 12. 200 gallons of diesel @4.00 a gallon. And that doesn't include wear and tear on your tow vehicle and trailer... $800+ for fuel. And all the wonderful sights along I-95. Blech. :) It's a 15 to 20 hour drive in a car. Been there, done that. So, a full day each way, and then you have to sleep for half a day when you get there or back. Three days lost in travel and aftermath of travel. Food on the road, three meals a day, at least $50 a day per person. Say $125 for food on the road. Six nights in a first-class beachfront RV park. That I don't know...but there were no such RV parks where we were. $75 a night? $500? And you really truly have to enjoy driving and driving and driving. I *hate* that. Yellowstone is about 2200 miles from here. Twice as far as Hollywood-Ft. Lauderdale. Oi! Different strokes, of course. But... Oi! And you brag about your 'twin-dieseled, Volvo powered trawler. What a joke. I won't counter your silly argument. Not worth it. You like the view from 35,000 feet. I don't. Even a long, slow boat ride down the ICW is better than a long, slow drive down I-95. The beauty of the view from 35,000 feet is that within the United States, it doesn't last very long. It's a six hour flight to Jackson Hole. How long is the drive? 40-60 hours? :) Of course, if one is "retired," time has little meaning. Oh, and I hardly "brag" about boats, cars, motorcycles, et cetera. I barely mention them. Actually, FOAD, I'd probably not be going down I-95 to get to Yellowstone. But, to each his own. Abstract thinking, Johnny...give it a try. No one said or implied you'd be going "down" I-95 for your westward covered wagon trek to Yosemite. Oh, and wouldn't you get on the Beltway at Van Dorn to get to I-66 West, assuming you were going west on I-66 for at least some distance? The Beltway is the I-95/295/395/495 connector looparound the Washington metro area. Driving to Yosemite hauling a 35-foot land yacht. Sheesh. You really gotta love those endless drives on the Interstates. Actually Haree, we just got back from a month long tour of the deep south. We met some of the nicest, friendliest people along the way. It wouldn't have happened at 35000 feet. The best you could expect up there is to be seated next to a smelly old fat guy. But maybe that doesn't bother you. I avoid public transportation of any sort whenever I can. It's also been our experience that you meet very nice people along the way. We've made some good friends of folks we've met at campgrounds. We've even had great neighbors staying in a Flying J parking lot. |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/14, 10:17 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:57:19 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Good. You undoubtedly saw everything worth seeing. There you go again. I didn't say or imply I saw "everything worth seeing" in that part of the Midwest and West. I said I saw everything I *wanted* to see there. The night city editor at the KC Star warned young reporters not to screw up too badly because, he said, if we did, he'd post us to Great Bend, Kansas, for a month. Hell, there were worse places in Kansas back then than Great Bend. Wes Gallagher and Keith Fuller, my old bosses at The Associated Press, gave me a similar warning when I was promoted to Correspondent for a good chunk of West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. "Screw up there, and we'll send you out to the South Dakota bureau." I told him I'd already been to South Dakota. Fuller's last words to me: "Get your ass out of here (NY AP offices) and get down to West Virginia." Once we got to West Virginia, we stopped for gas at a really rural station. The attendant looked into our car and asked, "What kind of dog is that, mister?" His buddy, who was wiping the windshield, said, "That's no dog, you dummy...that's a Siamese cat. I saw one in a picture book once." He was right...it was a Siamese cat. Obviously, he was too sophisticated for his town. I had a great time in West Virginia. Met some terrific people. -- Rand Paul & Ted Cruz…your 2016 GOP nominees, because ‘Mericans deserve crazy! |
Spring is coming ...
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Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 9:57 AM, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Again, different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy driving and having the options to stop and see things they would otherwise just blow by. It took us 13 days to make make the trip south on the boat to Florida. I could have made it in 6 .. even 5 if we pushed it. We didn't want to push it. We stopped and explored many interesting ports and places along the way and had a hell of a good time doing so. That was enjoyable to me. |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 10:39 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/19/2014 9:57 AM, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Again, different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy driving and having the options to stop and see things they would otherwise just blow by. It took us 13 days to make make the trip south on the boat to Florida. I could have made it in 6 .. even 5 if we pushed it. We didn't want to push it. We stopped and explored many interesting ports and places along the way and had a hell of a good time doing so. That was enjoyable to me. Have you ever been up the yazoo? I didn't even know it existed before my last trip. |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 10:19 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:17:46 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:16 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:54:55 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 7:45 PM, Poco Loco wrote: One thing I *really* don't like about motorhomes is that the generator must be run to get any decent cooling in the rig - even while going down the highway. We were passing one on I-95, just as we got next to it, something made a loud 'bang' in the generator compartment. I think he blew the engine in the thing. Scary. On the other hand, isn't it illegal in many states to be riding inside a towed RV? On what other hand? Your question makes no sense in the context given. Where did you ever get that notion? I have never felt the need to run the generator underway. I don't know why the guy had his running, but I do know the friends who bought the Winnebago Journey use the generator to cool the rig. The little air conditioner in the 'cab' isn't sufficient when driving where it's hot. What year and size Journey? |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 11:07 AM, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote:
On 3/19/2014 10:39 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 9:57 AM, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Again, different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy driving and having the options to stop and see things they would otherwise just blow by. It took us 13 days to make make the trip south on the boat to Florida. I could have made it in 6 .. even 5 if we pushed it. We didn't want to push it. We stopped and explored many interesting ports and places along the way and had a hell of a good time doing so. That was enjoyable to me. Have you ever been up the yazoo? I didn't even know it existed before my last trip. Never heard of it until you just mentioned it. Didn't know it existed either. |
Spring is coming ...
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:30:16 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 3/19/14, 10:17 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:57:19 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and . On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Good. You undoubtedly saw everything worth seeing. There you go again. I didn't say or imply I saw "everything worth seeing" in that part of the Midwest and West. I said I saw everything I *wanted* to see there. I suppose I was just thinking a bit too 'abstractly'. |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/14, 11:19 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:30:16 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 10:17 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:57:19 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and . On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Good. You undoubtedly saw everything worth seeing. There you go again. I didn't say or imply I saw "everything worth seeing" in that part of the Midwest and West. I said I saw everything I *wanted* to see there. I suppose I was just thinking a bit too 'abstractly'. You were just being your usual obstreperous self here, thinking it makes you appear clever. It doesn't. My guess is your abstract reasoning abilities are obstructed, if they ever existed. -- Rand Paul & Ted Cruz…your 2016 GOP nominees, because ‘Mericans deserve crazy! |
Spring is coming ...
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:12:50 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote:
On 3/19/2014 10:19 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:17:46 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:16 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:54:55 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 7:45 PM, Poco Loco wrote: One thing I *really* don't like about motorhomes is that the generator must be run to get any decent cooling in the rig - even while going down the highway. We were passing one on I-95, just as we got next to it, something made a loud 'bang' in the generator compartment. I think he blew the engine in the thing. Scary. On the other hand, isn't it illegal in many states to be riding inside a towed RV? On what other hand? Your question makes no sense in the context given. Where did you ever get that notion? I have never felt the need to run the generator underway. I don't know why the guy had his running, but I do know the friends who bought the Winnebago Journey use the generator to cool the rig. The little air conditioner in the 'cab' isn't sufficient when driving where it's hot. What year and size Journey? It's a 2012, same as our trailer. I believe it's actually the Journey Express - 34', Diesel pusher. |
Spring is coming ...
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:37:33 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 3/19/14, 11:19 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:30:16 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 10:17 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:57:19 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and . On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Good. You undoubtedly saw everything worth seeing. There you go again. I didn't say or imply I saw "everything worth seeing" in that part of the Midwest and West. I said I saw everything I *wanted* to see there. I suppose I was just thinking a bit too 'abstractly'. You were just being your usual obstreperous self here, thinking it makes you appear clever. It doesn't. My guess is your abstract reasoning abilities are obstructed, if they ever existed. Harry, I don't need to appear anything here. That's why I don't embellish my obstreperous comments with long-winded explanations to get me off the hook. I honestly don't give a **** what you think or guess. |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 11:49 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:12:50 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/19/2014 10:19 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:17:46 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:16 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:54:55 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 7:45 PM, Poco Loco wrote: One thing I *really* don't like about motorhomes is that the generator must be run to get any decent cooling in the rig - even while going down the highway. We were passing one on I-95, just as we got next to it, something made a loud 'bang' in the generator compartment. I think he blew the engine in the thing. Scary. On the other hand, isn't it illegal in many states to be riding inside a towed RV? On what other hand? Your question makes no sense in the context given. Where did you ever get that notion? I have never felt the need to run the generator underway. I don't know why the guy had his running, but I do know the friends who bought the Winnebago Journey use the generator to cool the rig. The little air conditioner in the 'cab' isn't sufficient when driving where it's hot. What year and size Journey? It's a 2012, same as our trailer. I believe it's actually the Journey Express - 34', Diesel pusher. Thanks. I'll remember that for when we go RV hunting again. |
Spring is coming ...
|
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/14, 11:48 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:30:16 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: "Screw up there, and we'll send you out to the South Dakota bureau." If that was Rapid City, you could do a lot worse. The Black Hills country is beautiful. I don't remember where the AP bureau in South Dakota was back then, but, obviously, the boss didn't consider it a rewarding posting. :) For a reporter, West Virginia was great. I got to cover a couple of really huge disasters, some important air pollution hearings, bigtime politics, a national golf tournament (a giggle, because I knew and know nuttin' about golf...but I did get to interview Sam Snead and his TV weathergirl girlfriend) at the Greenbrier, and appear regularly on a local version of Meet the Press, have a minor role in an Underground Movie, and become close friends with an actual Hatfield and his wife, a former Republican governor, and a large number of really interesting characters. I had an employer-paid membership at a downtown dining and drinking establishment called the Elephant Walk. I recently learned a version of it reopened after being gone for decades... http://tinyurl.com/pdyfm4c -- Rand Paul & Ted Cruz…your 2016 GOP nominees, because ‘Mericans deserve crazy! |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/14, 12:32 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:08:14 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 11:32 AM, wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:44:42 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: Even a long, slow boat ride down the ICW is better than a long, slow drive down I-95. The beauty of the view from 35,000 feet is that within the United States, it doesn't last very long. It's a six hour flight to Jackson Hole. How long is the drive? 40-60 hours? :) Of course, if one is "retired," time has little meaning. I am retired and I still like to fly. The difference I we like to fly up front. If I'm paying and I can't get the exit row seats, I'll upgrade from steerage to first class on a long flight, as in...to the left coast or Europe or beyond. Being in a seat with no legroom only bothers me after about three hours. It's only the seat that I see as an advantage to first class. The first-class food is just a bit pokey to me. I'd rather buy a decent sandwich and snacks in the airport and carry it aboard. There are other advantages Baggage is a big one. When we are planning to live on the road for 2 or 3 weeks, we pack pretty heavy. It is usually 4-5 pieces. That gets pretty expensive in coach but in 1st class you get 3 each for free. Food and drinks is marginal to good depending on airline and flight. Northwest used to have pretty good food but it went down hill fast when Delta bought them. I do like the fact that they take better care of you. You get expedited boarding, you get off the plane first, an express line at TSA and a separate line at check in/baggage check and better service on the plane. When things go wrong, they treat you better. When we were "sleepless in Seattle" (broken plane on the way to Alaska), we got a suite at a nice hotel, the coach people did not do as well. I think they are also looser with compensation miles. I got 35,000 for all of the delays on our trip to Oregon last year and it was just weather, that they usually chalk up to out of their control. I doubt the coach people got anything. Those definitely are tangible benefits. I can pretty much handle any client assignments I get from just about anywhere, but my wife cannot, so two weeks is pretty much the upper limit on a trip for us, and I like to keep the luggage to one big wheeled suitcase for me, and one big wheeled suitcase for her, plus another suitcase that gets stowed, and carry on bags. The only positive change I have seen in airport security is that we didn't have to remove our shoes or belts, and I was able to leave my laptop in its bag. We try to start and end vacations on the weekends, when there is less business travel and the airport traffic seems a little lighter. National Airport up here seems well organized. I was not that impressed with "Ft. Lauderdale International," though it is more convenient to where we stayed than Miami International. I love the cultural mix of SE Florida. I was able to speak Spanish for parts of every day, and overheard a lot of other languages, including Portuguese, which I hadn't heard since leaving the northeast. Almost all the service personnel we encountered were Spanish-speaking, and they appreciated my wife's good skills in Spanish and my stumbling through it skills. It's always amazing to me how quickly Spanish is spoken by those for whom it is a first language. -- Rand Paul & Ted Cruz…your 2016 GOP nominees, because ‘Mericans deserve crazy! |
Spring is coming ...
On 3/19/2014 12:08 PM, F*O*A*D wrote:
The first time we flew to Hawaii was about a year before 9-11 and plane security was lax. I spent most of the flight in the back of the plane, standing up, *having a few drinks* and laughing it up with a bunch of guys and the crew. Alas, the fun days of flying are long gone, and never to return. A few drinks? Your yearly quota? |
Spring is coming ...
wrote:
On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:44:42 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: Even a long, slow boat ride down the ICW is better than a long, slow drive down I-95. The beauty of the view from 35,000 feet is that within the United States, it doesn't last very long. It's a six hour flight to Jackson Hole. How long is the drive? 40-60 hours? :) Of course, if one is "retired," time has little meaning. I am retired and I still like to fly. The difference I we like to fly up front. The strange thing is, going some places, it is not even that expensive. I just bought tickets for Montana (3 months out) and the difference between coach and 1st class was less than $300 if you booked a coach seat and then took the upgrade option. Our baggage fees would have eaten that up. I am not even sure why Delta does that. If you just booked 1st class to start out it was almost $700 more. Maybe it is just because we are booking early and those upgrades are limited. There also seems to be a heluva deal on renta cars at Hertz if you book and pay in advance. $555 for 2 weeks in a high end SUV. That was better than anyone else by at least $100 (Costco, AAA, IBM discount etc) Renting a house in Montana is another thing altogether. They are damned proud of those houses ($400 a day and up so far) We may end up burning some of my wife's credit card points at hotels. She has a ****load As you say depends where you fly. We looked at business class to Tahiti, NZ, and Australia. Was $7000-$10,000 more than the $4000 we paid, cattle car. When I traveled in the 1980's to Asia and Oz for business, was about 50% more for business on Pan Am, not the 400-500% now. |
Spring is coming ...
"Mr. Luddite" wrote:
On 3/19/2014 9:57 AM, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Again, different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy driving and having the options to stop and see things they would otherwise just blow by. It took us 13 days to make make the trip south on the boat to Florida. I could have made it in 6 .. even 5 if we pushed it. We didn't want to push it. We stopped and explored many interesting ports and places along the way and had a hell of a good time doing so. That was enjoyable to me. We have a slide in pop up camper for the truck. Makes it nice to go to remote lakes with the boat, and also for longer trips, not worry about lodging during the trip. We tow up to Vancouver Island every couple years. Stay in the camper part of the time and B&B part of the time. Long ways driving to Canada, about 1000 miles to the border, so a couple days, and we are there. Visit friends and relatives on the way. I do not mind driving. We just returned from a trip the Tahiti, NZ, and Oz. Drove from Queenstown to Auckand in 3.5 weeks. So lots of driving, but not much some days. Beat the hell out of a bus tour. |
Spring is coming ...
"Mr. Luddite" wrote:
On 3/19/2014 9:54 AM, Boating All Out wrote: In article , says... One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! 90 doesn't hit Nebraska. South Dakota. Whatever road you took, you're right about Nebraska. It has some of the least populated counties in the U.S. It's surreal driving through the sand hills. Makes you wonder. I forget about what. You're right. It was Rt.80 once I got to Illinois. (back a few years) Nebraska is flat until the sand hills. The wagon trains could see Scott's Bluff for weeks before they got there. Sparsely populated as the farming is not that good, until they brought in irrigation sprayers. My parents are from that area. Mom grew up 1.5 miles from the Wyoming border. Still not much there. Closest town was Henry, and is still only about 3 blocks big. |
Spring is coming ...
On Sun, 23 Mar 2014 14:28:48 -0500, Califbill wrote:
"Mr. Luddite" wrote: On 3/19/2014 9:57 AM, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote: One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale. Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado actually looked like at ground level. Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many, so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there. On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good food! I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment, I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best. I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh. :) I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train. Again, different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy driving and having the options to stop and see things they would otherwise just blow by. It took us 13 days to make make the trip south on the boat to Florida. I could have made it in 6 .. even 5 if we pushed it. We didn't want to push it. We stopped and explored many interesting ports and places along the way and had a hell of a good time doing so. That was enjoyable to me. We have a slide in pop up camper for the truck. Makes it nice to go to remote lakes with the boat, and also for longer trips, not worry about lodging during the trip. We tow up to Vancouver Island every couple years. Stay in the camper part of the time and B&B part of the time. Long ways driving to Canada, about 1000 miles to the border, so a couple days, and we are there. Visit friends and relatives on the way. I do not mind driving. We just returned from a trip the Tahiti, NZ, and Oz. Drove from Queenstown to Auckand in 3.5 weeks. So lots of driving, but not much some days. Beat the hell out of a bus tour. I enjoy driving. If I could drive to Holland, I'd do it. I hate flying. We're going to check into upgrading to whatever class has some leg room. If it's only a few hundred, I may go for it. I'm not putting out another $700 though. |
Spring is coming ...
Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/17/2014 9:25 AM, Poco Loco wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:17:33 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote: ... and my thoughts are increasingly becoming: http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/yy303/Eisboch/img005.jpg?t=1395062020 Nice of you to say so. I woke up to four more inches of snow on the ground. Now I'm wishing they made snow skis for my new RC airplane. I'll have to admit I wouldn't mind going fishing with those guys and catching whatever the fish was in the next picture. Tuna? Yup, that was the tuna we got on our first tuna fishing expedition on the Egg Harbor. I had been warned by others, including some of the local charter captains that it could take a couple of seasons of trying to even hook up with a tuna. We left the dock at about 6am that morning and hooked that one by 8am. Lucky fishing boat. Yellowfin? It's hard to tell. |
Spring is coming ...
F*O*A*D wrote:
On 3/18/14, 7:35 PM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:25:13 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 3/18/14, 6:04 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/18/2014 5:40 PM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:03:16 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote: On 3/18/2014 3:25 PM, Poco Loco wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:18:37 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/18/2014 1:36 PM, Wayne.B wrote: On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:15:14 -0400, H*a*r*r*o*l*d wrote: On 3/18/2014 12:55 AM, wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 21:49:28 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:21:20 -0500, Boating All Out wrote: If I had the money to spend I'd design a light trawler capable of 15 mpg. === There's no such animal. Even small sailboats do not get that kind of fuel economy under most conditions. I get around 8-9 MPG at hull speed in my boat. I get around 8 or 9 mpg in my yacht. === How long do your tires last? Don't know. They look new. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and spend the bucks for some tires for the Silverado. About settled on Michelin LTX MS/2. WalMart's got 'em for $216, plus $12 mounting/balancing/etc. That's $28/tire less than Costco - which also charges $15/tire for mounting/balancing. You need tires already? How many miles do you have on that beast? My truck just turned 22,000 miles. Had it since 2008. Tires are still like new, pretty much. I think they'll rot before they wear. It's got 57,001 miles on it right now - most of those pulling that trailer. These tires are probably good for another 4-5K, but if we decide to take that trailer out to Yellowstone, which is in our thoughts, I wouldn't try it with this set. We tried the RV thing for a while. Just never got into it. The first TV and major trip was in a 36 or 37 foot Pace Arrow Class A motorhome. JiminFl should remember that one well. I bought it brand new and we were on our way to Florida, climbing some hills on Rt 84 in Virginia somewhere. All of a sudden I felt and heard an explosion but everything seemed fine. I stopped for gas and was checking to see what the noise came from. Discovered I must have caught a rock or something between the tires on one rear side. (It had duals on the back). Whatever I hit ripped a hole in the side wall of the inner tire and it was flat. It was in a pretty remote area with nothing but hills and farms around. Finally found a truck repair place and pulled in. Nice people but they had to special order a new tire so we camped in their parking lot for the night while they sent a guy to who knew where to pick up the tire. That was the first of several bad experiences with that piece of junk. Lost the brakes on it and had to be towed with a giant tow truck. I also discovered that the rubber fuel line for the generator was chaffing against a frame section that had been cut with a torch by the manufacturer of the RV and left rough and ragged. (They cut the frame to add an extension). Got rid of it fast. On our recent trip to south Florida, we flew for about $225 each round trip, got the Exit Row seats, and got there in two hours and twenty minutes. Rented a car for the week for $198. Stayed in a four/five star hotel right on the beach for about $200 a night. Airfare, car rental and hotel for under $1800. I spent $20 to fill the car with gas when turning it in. Big, comfy RV, towed by a diesel truck...hmmm...about 1200 miles each way, total of 2400 miles getting there and back. 10-12 mpg, let's say 12. 200 gallons of diesel @4.00 a gallon. And that doesn't include wear and tear on your tow vehicle and trailer... $800+ for fuel. And all the wonderful sights along I-95. Blech. :) It's a 15 to 20 hour drive in a car. Been there, done that. So, a full day each way, and then you have to sleep for half a day when you get there or back. Three days lost in travel and aftermath of travel. Food on the road, three meals a day, at least $50 a day per person. Say $125 for food on the road. Six nights in a first-class beachfront RV park. That I don't know...but there were no such RV parks where we were. $75 a night? $500? And you really truly have to enjoy driving and driving and driving. I *hate* that. Yellowstone is about 2200 miles from here. Twice as far as Hollywood-Ft. Lauderdale. Oi! Different strokes, of course. But... Oi! And you brag about your 'twin-dieseled, Volvo powered trawler. What a joke. I won't counter your silly argument. Not worth it. You like the view from 35,000 feet. I don't. Even a long, slow boat ride down the ICW is better than a long, slow drive down I-95. The beauty of the view from 35,000 feet is that within the United States, it doesn't last very long. It's a six hour flight to Jackson Hole. How long is the drive? 40-60 hours? :) Of course, if one is "retired," time has little meaning. Oh, and I hardly "brag" about boats, cars, motorcycles, et cetera. I barely mention them. Sure. You can't keep track of your lies. |
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