Our Inauguration, driving the Truck Camper and Toad combo

 

Bye Grandma!

Sept 17

We pack up last minute items and Grandma gets her refrigerator and garage back.

Pups purged.

Truck loaded.

Cold blocks made by Arctic Ice in fridge and freezer, fridge on DC power, solar charging as we drive, a handful of clouds in the sky.

Off we go. Thankfully, I'm not driving as we get used to the feel of the truck's movements with both the camper AND the Jeep. 😜 It can be bouncy and jerky. And MAN, does that camper cause the truck to sway while leaving the driveway.

We take 14 out of Fort Collins headed for North Platte, Nebraska and the I-80 Lakeside Campground.

A horrid stink permeates the air. 😆 We both look back at the dogs and say, "What did you eat?!?" And then the sheep pens came in to view. Okay, no blaming the dogs.

I enjoy passengering past the Pawnee National Grasslands. 

While on the open road, all components play nicely with each other. 

I drive for an hour and a half or so, and the wind blowing from the south at 15 mph stresses my shoulders. Other than that, the camper, truck, and longer (thanks to the hitch extension) Jeep pivot drives much like the earlier truck and jeep combo.  We've measured: 46' 1" length.  Wikipedia lists the typical 18-wheeler as between 70 and 80'.  Okay, so we are 2/3s the length of an 18-wheeler.

We reach I-80 Lakeside Campground in North Platte, NE near 5 pm.

Campsite $24.62

Near I-80, but road noise drops considerably as the sun sets.

Nice campground, nice shade trees, lightly attended in mid-week September, easy reservation and check-in. Escort to our specific site, 9, and hookup locations.

I finally start looking through our set of manuals to change the temp from Celcius to Fahrenheit on the digital clock and more, and change the time on the Jensen entertainment system.  Although, several of the "manuals" are completely useless, they are just quick start guides.  To find the information you really need, you must download the real manual online.  😕

 

Yep, all the manuals are located in here.

The audiophile in the family starts checking out the TV, antenna, and speaker systems ... pronouncing them more than acceptable. I appreciate the control system that shuts down the dinette area speakers, so I have an easier time of concentrating. The TV picture looks amazing to me!

A bit of rain falls overnight, the camper handles the raindrops with no issues. We need to check the generator compartment to see if it leaks with a small rainstorm (no leaks).

First meal cooked in camper.  Noodles.  Stove top gets a thumbs up!

Sept 18

 

My morning view

We choose to stay another day to see the Golden Spike Tower, observatory of the UP Bailey yard, billed as the largest in the world.

Golden Spike is awesome! Great views and you are welcome to bring your dogs! It offers some great shade as well, always a boon for those of us who are deficient in the melanin department. The volunteers are lovely.

Our boy got a little vocal in the tower today, he likes his pack to stay close! So, when one alpha went to the rail for photo ops, he disapproved.

The volunteers were just fine with his outburst. One of the guys said, "It isn't a library, you don't have to be quiet." 🙂

The pups couldn't quite figure out the whole 7 stories up view of the rail yard. They were puzzled. Much more comfortable on the ground, or with a wall in front of them.

Hey, what is the green stuff down there?

No dogs allowed at Menard's!  - The local hardware store. ☹️

And man! Diesels are flipping noisy! A lady pulls up 4 spaces away in the Menards parking lot, the frequency make my head ache and my foot shake with the waves reverberating through my floorboard!

The North Platte Walmart charged us double for potato chips AND ziplock bags. We have to go back to fix the receipt! Arg!

What if we had already left town? They refuse to adjust over the phone.

Line waits in the North Platte Walmart runs in the 10s of minutes. 

The alphas share some snarky texts while waiting - I in the car with the pups, he is the box store.

First Visit

Mr. SMT: "Looooooong lines"

Me: 2 cashiers?

Mr. SMT: Per 26 people 

Return Visit

Mr. SMT: Still in service line 

Me: (Wasting) your time is their #1 priority. 

Would this be snexting?

 

Bathroom at I-80 Lakeside Campground

We flagged down a guy at I-80 Lakeside Campground to let him know that the soap dispensers were out, and had been for at least 24 hours.  Next time I went to the bathroom ...

 

Hm, maybe they don't use the dispensers?

Sept 19 and 20 

BlueOx in Pender, NE

Sept 21

We awaken to a little morning snark. 

Head east on I-80 through Iowa and Illinois, we are sick and tired of the wind and the heat. 91 was the high for today. Ugh.

Detour in Davenport, IA Natural Grocers for a food run. I am almost out of fresh produce! Horrors!!!

Stop in Princeton, IL for the night. Our first night in a truck stop. Thanks Pilot!

We were parked right by the trucker exit, and they move at all hours of the night. After reading for a bit, I settled to sleep around 10, and shut my bedroom window and screen. I was unconscious until about 6:40 this morning. 😄 

Some jerk parked two spaces in front of us. We had to maneuver around him to leave our lovely overnight stop. Truck turning radius to the rescue! Mr. SMT has decided the jerk is part of a Russian illegal drug smuggling/running ring, thanks to the car owner’s choice of license plate.  Hmmmmmm.

Odo 2796.4

Sept 22

Driving through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio

Expensive Indiana tollway, but nice roads and low traffic levels

The wind has finally backed off! Or maybe the trees are helping mitigate the irritation.

Still on I80.

3000.1 miles

We made Pennsylvania! We get to hang in this general area for a week! Yay!!!

Another evening in a Flying J in Brookville.