We rented the 14' truck, but were presented with a 17' at the U-haul store (no extra cost). At first we weren't happy about the larger truck (didn't want the extra weight on the mountain roads), but it ended up being for the best, as you can see our full load!
Between the truck and a tow dolly for the car, our 45' ensemble was nearly as long as a semi. I thought it was interesting, Mom, that the fun fact on the side of our U-haul was about Prince Edward Island. :)
Our friend, Alicia, gave us 2 buckeyes for goodluck, and the metal token in the middle is a souvenir from the Vancouver Olympics (thanks, Derek & Erin!) that means "Safe Journeys."
Manning the giant truck was one of the most stressful driving experiences I've ever had. Note my serious expression and death grip on the wheel! Patrick did most of the driving, bless his heart!
There weren't any gas stations near the exits when we hit a quarter tank, so our plan was to hold out for the city about 30-40 miles away. With hills and wind and lots of weight, our 8.5 mpg vehicle lost gas fast though (a warning beep & digital countdown commenced at 50 miles to E), and we realized we needed to take an exit ramp and drive 7 miles out of the way otherwise we'd be stranded. (The screen was dropping 1 mile every 30-60 seconds.) This is what it said just before filling up.
Leaving Missouri, we saw some cowboys rounding up & herding cattle. Eastern and mid-Kansas was rather lovely, with rolling hills and pretty colors due to ripening crops. We also stumbled across miles of windmills- some not too far from the road. And after the scenery flattened, it was interesting to see the oil derricks pumping in the fields.
Kinda cruel to put a steak ad up in a cow pasture, huh? :) The last hour of travel was tough, and when we got to Hays around 7:30 PM, we had to mess around in the hotel parking lot a bit to drop off the truck. But after walking to the adjacent Carlos O'Kelly for a late dinner, and balancing checkbooks/paying utility bills from our hotel room (we didn't have time to tend to everything before we left Springfield), we crashed for the night. Should have gone to sleep a little earlier (ended up being 11:30ish), but 7.5 hours in a comfy bed sure helped us recharge for today... which you'll hear about soon! :)
2 comments:
You can feel better knowing the cows can't read...evidenced in their leisurely indifference to the sign as they fatten up on the grass. I liked the pictures. Keep them coming! Way cool about the fun fact....what are the chances?!
running out of gas would not be too fun.... however, you could drive doris instead of walking.... probably don't have anything to siphon gas from doris ( besides, that seems just wrong )
Post a Comment