Vol 21 No 2 - 30 April, 2017

After loading and tarping in the rain and cold in Buffalo, NY on Friday, 31 March, we headed south.  Stopped at a truckstop near Rock Hill, South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.  Weather was warm and sunny, Sunday was a clean up the truck day.

Loading scaffolding in Buffalo, New York,

Buffalo, New York to Jenkinsville, South Carolina.

Monday morning April 3, we headed down to near Jenkinsville to deliver the scaffolding to a construction company at the V C Summer Nuclear Generating Station.  A large expansion going on.  The scaffolding was delivered to a construction company. High security in that place.

Then south to Columbia, South Carolina and loaded a crusher machine in the afternoon at Metso Minerals, Inc.  Delivered it to the Ocean Terminal at Georgia Port Authority in Savannah, Georgia the next morning.  Its destination is the Port of Santos, Brazil.

Columbia, South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia.

Ocean Terminal, Savannah website:  A dedicated break bulk and RoRo (Roll on Roll off) facility owned and operated by Georgia Ports Authority, Ocean Terminal processes a wide variety of cargo.  The 200 acre (81 ha) facility handles forest and solid wood products, steel, automobiles, farm equipment and heavy-lift cargoes.

Its facilities for ocean going vessels line both sides of the Savannah River approximately 18 miles (29 km) from the Atlantic Ocean.

The nearby Savannah Garden City Terminal is a dedicated container port. In 2014, the container traffic for Savannah was over 3 million!  (20-foot equivalent units (TEU))

Delivered to Ocean Terminal, Georgia Ports Authority in Savannah, Georgia - a container ship heading out to the Atlantic Ocean along the Savannah River..

Crossing the bridge over the Savannah River, headed north to South Carolina.

160 kms (100 miles) north to North Charleston, South Carolina to the Ports and waited there to load at 3pm – we had a crane appointment. Five pieces of a Metso Minerals Impact Crusher for Palm Beach Aggregates in Loxahatchee, Florida.  Metso Minerals equipment are made in Finland.

Emptied in Loxahatchee, Florida (west of Palm Beach) about lunch time on Thursday, 5 April.  Palm Beach Aggregates is a huge sand and gravel operation.  Another load of the same crushing plant had been delivered the day before, so they were ready to continue assembling the new crushing plant.

Delivering a crusher to a gravel pit in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Palm Beach Aggregates at Loxahatchee, Florida.

Back to Daytona Beach that afternoon – there was business to take care of.  Also, Jim had a few things to do to the Moto Guzzi Le Mans before it goes on the truck.

Caught up with Jimmy, several times, he is recovering from a broken ankle.

Had a appointment in Sanford, on the way back we stopped at Osteen Diner for a brunch.  A down-home American eatery, serving comfort food in a casual, homey space.

It has chickens, and other animals in the yard. 

Osteen Diner, in Osteen, Florida.

Jim did some work to the Moto Guzzi le mans - new fork seals and other maintenance, and we loaded it on the truck.  Hoping we would not experience any snow in the next month.
For a Saturday evening outing, we took the 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado for a cruise down to DJ’s Deck.  This bike always gets attention.

This bird joined the diners at DJ's Deck.

Lis came over on Sunday evening, and we attended the Broadway Musical Rain! at Peabody Auditorium.

Peabody Auditorium website:  RAIN! A live multi-media spectacular that takes you on a musical journey through the life and times of the world's most celebrated band.  Featuring new songs and high definition imagery, this expanded RAIN adds even more hits that you know and love from the vast anthology of Beatles classics.
Wikipedia:  The show takes the form of a roughly chronological history of The Beatles via their music. About 30 songs are performed during the show.  Other than some onstage banter, there is very little dialogue during the production which consists mostly of re-enactments of The Beatles music.  High definition backdrops feature psychedelic effects, vintage television commercials, and video footage of Rain cast members recreating iconic Beatles moments. 

"June will mark half a century since The Beatles released 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' album."
Lis and I thoroughly enjoyed the show - the audience was encouraged to stand up, dance and sing along.  Not too many Beatles songs not known the whole way through.  It was fun.

Thursday, 13 April we left Daytona Beach early and loaded at Keen Transportation near Savannah, Georgia; a new JCB LoadAll.  It only took up half the trailer.  There is a JCB factory near Savannah, but machines are made overseas as well (India).  This one had a Wallenius Wilhelmsen ship sticker on it, and was made in the United Kingdom.  While we waited to load, trucks with overseas containers were unloading one after the other.

The shipment was going a 'less than truckload', so only paid for a partial load.  Found another LTL 120 miles south at Millwood, Georgia.  Loaded at Huey’s Welding.

Website: Huey’s Welding Inc. provides a broad line of quality, cost effective ballast regulator components.  We loaded two ‘wings’.

Two LTL's on the trailer in Georgia.

Ballast 'wings', LTL Georgia to Utah.

Second night across country, parked the night at a truckstop in Kingdom City, Missouri.

Kingdom City, Missouri.

Easter weekend, so we kept rolling until Grand Island, Nebraska.  We parked at the Bosselman Truckstop on Interstate 80 late on Saturday afternoon.

In researching my family history, a new group of cousins were discovered via DNA results.  Willa, my 5^th cousin (Booth family), met us at the truckstop in Grand Island, Nebraska on Saturday. It definitely felt like greeting family - no matter the distance!

Spent that night at Big Spring, Nebraska.  Saw this tyre 'sculpture' at the truckstop.

Temperature dropped to around 0 degrees C (31F), still a nice trip across Wyoming into Utah.  Beautiful scenery through Wyoming – I take a lot of photos!

Wyoming.

Parked Sunday night at Grassy Mountain Rest Area beside the Great Salt Desert.

Next morning there were great views of the Great Salt Desert.

The Tree of Utah.

Delivered the two wings to Union Pacific Railroad at Wendover, Utah on Monday 17 April.  The wings attach to a railroad maintenance vehicle to spread ballast.

Internet:  The town of Wendover was established in 1908 as a station stop on the Western Pacific Railroad, then under construction.  The Western Pacific became part of the larger Union Pacific Railroad in 1983.

The shipment was delivered to the Wendover Air Force Base.  During World War II it was a training base for bomber crews.  It was the training site of the B-29 unit.  (The unit that carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.)  There is a Bomber Museum.  The airfield is now used as a public airport, a portion of the original bombing range is now a testing range used by the US Air Force for live fire targets.  Most of the WWII era buildings and barracks are falling down.  Very eerie.

The town of Wendover straddles the border between Utah and Nevada, in Nevada it is called West Wendover.  It is the support town for the Bonneville Flats Speedway and race events.

The truckstop at Wendover, Utah.

After delivering the two wings, we had space on the trailer, so spent a little time at the truckstop searching internet load boards and found two LTL’s in Salt Lake City, they would fill the space.  We headed east bound back to Salt Lake City. 

A plane preparing to land a Salt Lake City airport.

Salt Mining on the Great Salt Desert.

Early afternoon we loaded at Jumping Jack Trailers, three trailers stacked on top of each other.  They loaded on the rear of the trailer, the tongues hung over the end of the trailer a bit.

Jumping Jack are heavy duty trailers with a compact tent inside.  Dirt bikes, four wheelers, jet skiis can be loaded on top.  Interesting.

Website: The Jumping Jack Trailer carries all your gear and provides a large, comfortable living space while enjoying the great outdoors.

Salt Lake City, Utah to Prineville, Oregon LTL. 

To North Salt Lake to load two reels at Dura-Line.  Dura-Line Corporation is a telephone and telegraph apparatus manufacturer.  I am pretty sure the orange is fibre-optic cable.
Cut-off for loading was 2 pm and we arrived there at 1.30pm, 8 trucks ahead of us!  After five hours wait, we were loaded with three LTL shipments for Oregon.

Three LTL's for Oregon.

Travelled via a lot of two-lane roads - I 84 through Idaho, spectacular scenery on US highway 20 Central Oregon Highway, following the Malheur River.

Eastern Oregon.

Driving into Prineville, Oregon.

Prineville, Oregon.

In Prineville Tuesday afternoon to deliver the three trailers, they were taken off the trailer at a heavy haul trucking company.  Big forklift there.  Talking to the consignee, they are a big seller, popular in the area for their versatility and ruggedness.  We had a better look at them, after they were on the ground.

It was a picturesque drive west over the Cascadia Mountains.  Still a snow pack up there! We had the heater on.

Continued on Hwy 20 past Hoodoo ski area, in the central Cascade Range over Santiam Pass.

Once over the Pass, it is pine forest.  The warm sun on the cold road made mists.

Cold road, warm sunshine,

This is a great example of a covered bridge.

Delivered the two reels of cable in Philometh, Oregon on Wednesday morning, 19th to Alyrica Networks (provide internet, phone and webhosting services to the heart of Oregon.) North to Portland and delivered the JCB Loadall late morning to United Rentals.  That JCB Loadall had been on the trailer for a week!

There is a truckstop near Aurora, south of Portland and we have moto guzzi friends that live near Canby, about 10 miles away.  Gary and Gerri picked us up at the truckstop and showed us around the area and we stayed the night with them.

Internet: Entering Canby from the north brings visitors past the Willamette River, and from the south through the historic community of Aurora. The Molalla River passes by the southern and western border of the city.

Stopped at an old pub, the Colony Inn in the colony of Aurora.  Had local beers and snacks there - a lot of atmosphere there.

Weather was cold and light rain falling, the north west part of Oregon receives a lot of rain and everything grows!  Flowers, nursery stock, grass, grapes for wine, etc.  Just about everything.  And it is springtime, lots of blossoms, colour everywhere.

At Gary and Gerri’s home, we enjoyed checking out their collection of moto guzzi’s in the garage, and moto guzzi memorabilia and other collectibles.

Gary and Gerri's guzzi collection.

Gary and Gerri recently relinquished the role of Oregon Representatives of the Moto Guzzi National Owners Club, they have been active in promoting moto guzzi’s, and the Moto Guzzi Club for a couple of decades.  We first met them at Nevada’s Rallies in early 2000’s and seen since them all over the country at rallies.  They have both recently retired and looking forward to travelling the USA more leisurely with a motor home, towing their moto guzzi’s in a trailer.  They have a fabulous set up.  We will likely see them again during the summer at a rally.

With copious amounts of rainfall – moss, lichen and other growths cover just about everything.
These photos taken in Gary and Gerri's garden.

Spring blooms.

Moss grows on everything.

Wednesday evening, dinner was at The Wild Hare Saloon in Canby – a unique place.

Here is the Wild Hare!

Gary and Gerri.

Lovely to spend time with Gary and Gerri, usually they are busy with rally organising or there are lots of other people around.  It was a fun visit, and a beautiful area they live in.  We want to come back and go exploring with them when it is warmer!

Back to the truck before lunch on Thursday, we had to get some maintenance done to the truck and oil changed. Head south to Eugene, ready to load on Friday and head back east.

It was around the freezing mark that night, and thick fog the next morning.
Loaded at Bulk Handling Systems in Eugene, part of a recycling system.  A much lighter load than coming out. 

Foggy!

Eugene, Oregon to Dallas, Texas.

We headed east on the same route we came out on – it was sunny, still cold at the snow level, but the sun was out, so much nicer.

Back the same route to Salt Lake City, Utah.  After that, there were a few options for going to Dallas, Texas.  We chose a route we had not taken for about ten years.  South out of Salt Lake City on Interstate 15 to Provo, then US Hwy 6 to Interstate 70, and US Hwy 191 through Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park.

South out of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Internet: Arches National Park lies north of Moab, bordered by the Colorado River in the southeast, it has more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches.  Moab is the main tourist town, it was extremely congested on a Saturday afternoon.

Canyonlands National Park is known for its dramatic desert landscape carved by the Colorado Rover.  Pinnacles, mesas, buttes, canyons, etc. 

Stayed the night at a small truckstop in Monticello, Utah, walked to a pizza joint for dinner.

Internet:  Monticello was one of the many cities established by Mormon pioneers in the Utah Territory.  Farming, ranching, and uranium mining have all played an important role in the economy and history of the town.

Monticello, Utah - murals on the hardware store.

Early up to continue south through more canyons, through the Navajo Indian Reservation into north east Arizona, then east into northern New Mexico.  This area is known as the “Four Corners”, where the borders of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado meet.

Shiprock, New Mexico.

Stopped that night in Amarillo, Texas.  The old Route 66, and a few attractions are near Amarillo. There is a favourite place we like to stop at, that now has a Brewery in it - The Big Texan Steak Ranch. We had their flight sample beers and Jim chose their Pecan Porter, and I a Raspberry Wheat to go with our meals.  It is a fun place, and a tourist attraction.  The big thing is the 72oz steak challenge.

 The sunrise as we left Amarillo on 24 April, headed to Dallas, Texas.

Delivered the recycling system sections to a new construction in Dallas on Tuesday morning, then a little south to Lancaster to load four PODS for two stops in Florida.

Lancaster, Texas to Ocala and Orlando, Florida.

Stopped at the Florida Welcome Centre at the Alabama and Florida state line on Interstate 10.  It is also the Tourist Information Centre.  Interesting things there for visitors.

Thursday morning, delivered one PODS container to the depot in Ocala, then the three to the depot in Orlando.  On the way to Daytona Beach, we loaded 6 old air conditioners in Snford, Florida.  The Target there getting new ones. They go to a company in Alabama for recycling.

Loaded in Sanford, Florida for Tallassee, Alabama.

 It worked out great for us, there was no urgency for delivery, so after loading, we went to the house in Daytona Beach and spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday there.
Jeep Beach 2017 was on in Daytona Beach - 25 to 30 April, Thursday was the display on Main Street.

Internet: Jeep Beach has become one of the largest Jeep only events in the US.  Attracting Jeepers and Jeep industry vendors from all over the USA< Canada and overseas.  Jeep Beach brings you over five days of fun in the sun with thousands of your closest Jeep friends.

The first time we have been in Daytona Beach for this event.

Heading back to the house through the Convention Centre parking lot.

Caught up with Ron and Regina at Lost Lagoon restaurant near New Smyrna Beach on Friday evening.

Sunday morning, 30 April was a SpaceX rocket launch scheduled for 7am from Cape Canaveral.  
Space X Falcon 9 NROL-76 is a two-state rocket manufactured to transport satellites and Dragon spacecraft into orbit.
Jim and I walked to the Boardwalk.  Took a few photos of the beautiful sunrise.

Looking towards Cape Canaveral ready for lift off.

The launch time was moved to 7.15am, but as that time passed - it was obvious there would be no launch then.  It had been postponed.  Found out on the news that night that there was a fault with a sensor.
We walked to Rooster's Restaurant on Main Street for breakfast.