End of the Road - But with the Future Straight Ahead!

It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog.  Unfortunately I was forced by circumstances to put my efforts aside here.  My days as a bloggist came to an abrupt halt in October of 2007, with the story left unfinished, and my readers no doubt wondering, “what happened?”  My attentions were needed elsewhere and no allowances were given for writing.  For that abrupt end I apologize.  I remained on the road for another three months when my days as a long-haul trucker also came to an end.

I loved much of what I did in those days that began a little more than four years ago and especially of what I saw along the way.  To say the least it was an eye-opening experience and a blessing to be able to travel around the country and to see all there was to be seen.  From my vantage point, as I crisscrossed the continent from Seattle, Washington to Jacksonville, Florida; from Dexter Maine to Otay Mesa, California, and all-points between -- it is indeed America the Beautiful -- from sea to shining sea!

I certainly gained a new-found respect for truckers too.  They work hard and are highly skilled professionals.  It's a thankless job despite -- that without them -- our nation would grind to a halt in a matter of days.  The unsung heroes that keep our economy in motion.  Think about it.  What do you own that somewhere along the line didn't get to you by truck?

I hope to someday add a final entry about those last few months on the road to provide everyone an ending to this story that began in April of 2007.  Certainly a fit conclusion that you my readers all deserve.

Meanwhile you can turn to my newly created blog In My Own Write.  At least that's what it was called when I posted this entry.  A blog about whatever it is that comes to my mind at any given time.  Not as easy to write as it was when there were stories that could be told on nearly any given day as the people, places and circumstances changed just beyond my cab window.  But I hope you might find this new blog of interest as well.  And I promise -- no abrupt endings -- not at least until my sojourn here on earth has come to the end of it's road.  Hopefully, that'll be a while.

Until then, as they say, "life goes on" and the future is straight ahead!

P.S. Thanks for being a part of all this.

The Big Apple to The Deep South & Beyond

Hard to believe that September has come and gone and we’re now well into October. Where has all the time gone? And hey! What about summer? Where’d that go? There’s so many stories I could tell, from my experiences of the last three months since going solo -- and even a few before then, but so little time to write them all down and my access to the ‘net has been limited. I’ve gone through a month-long dry spell lately but hope to “catch up” ... just a bit anyway with this latest entry that’s beyond overdue.

I’m back in Sparks, Nevada after an all-night trip Friday night from Fontana, Ca. to Reno. It was a long drive across the Mohave Desert and northward between the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west with Death Valley to the east. Most of the 460 mile trip was along the two lanes of U.S. Highway 395. Only some phone calls, the occasional headlights of other cars, small-town lights in the distance, and a stop or two along the deserted road, to admire a very dark sky and it’s millions of stars, helped break up the monotony.

I arrived at 5:30 Saturday morning dropping my loaded trailer at the J.C. Penney Distribution Center with nearly 13,000 pounds of Penney’s catalogs on board. An hour later I was at the now familiar Petro Truck Stop adjoining Swift’s Sparks terminal. This is the third time I’ve been to Sparks and it’s starting to feel a little like “home.” So it is, the life of a long-haul trucker.

Just six days before I was in Grand Rapids, Michigan where I picked up a 24,600 pound load of Cherrios Oak Clusters. Then it was a five day, 2200 mile trip across nine states with delivery at a warehouse in Fontana, California for General Mills. My first night of the trip was a week ago today. After traveling 671 miles, I spent the evening along Interstate 80 in Council Bluffs, Iowa just across the Missouri River from Omaha. Monday night, some 559 miles later, I met my Swift Academy roommate Thomas at our Denver, Colorado terminal. A buffet dinner at a nearby truck stop and sharing “war stories” of our days on the road consumed our time well into the night. Another trucker friend Ken, that I met five nights earlier, also stopped in for a visit. We’d met while the both of us were in the midst of the same three interconnected trips. The company had the two of us on a wild-goose chase searching for empty container trailers somewhere in Indianapolis. We would end up traveling together on a return trip to Ohio, where we traded our empties for loaded containers. Then the two of us traveled in tandem most of the distance to a rail yard in Chicago for the drop. Eventually those same trailers and their goods would find themselves in Sacramento.

Early the next day on Tuesday, I left behind my friends for the next leg of the trip some 589 miles down Interstates 70 and 15. I stopped finally in Cedar City, Utah late that afternoon. There I visited my nephew Steve and his wife Katherine and their five children over the next day and a half. Early again on Thursday it was on to my final destination at Fontana, some 400 miles distant, just east of L-A and west of San Bernardino.

It’s been nice the last couple of days to have a little time to catch up on my sleep. I was available for another assignment late yesterday afternoon but despite two opportunities coming my way via the Qualcomm, the timing has been such that I couldn’t accept either. Since going “solo” on June 29th I’ve driven a little more than 44,000 miles and seen 41 states. I’ve come real close to a few others but there are opportunities yet to come.

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On Tuesday October 2nd I was at the Columbus, Ohio terminal and wrote the following at about 8:00 that evening ...

I just made my final of two stops since picking up a trailer load of Michelin tires destined for Swift trucks beginning with our Martinsburg, W. Va. terminal. After the Martinsburg shop took it’s 60 tires I left yesterday morning for our terminal in Jonesville, Pa. just east of Harrisburg. Arriving late in the afternoon, and not having enough shop personnel to unload their 57 tires, I was told I’d have to wait until morning for them to take their share of the load. So after sleeping in ‘til 8 a.m. eastern and after less than half an hour to unload I was finally on my way south to Columbus some 450 miles distant via I-81, I-76 and I-70. I arrived in Columbus at 5:15 in the afternoon and was empty two hours later with my minimum 10 hour break ahead of me before I can leave on my next assignment, to parts yet unknown.

The last few weeks have been busy to say the least. My girlfriend Mercedes and I met at the Martinsburg, West Virginia terminal on Friday evening September 14th. Mercedes drove the two hour trip from Virginia, ready to begin her little more than two-week vacation exploring unknown destinations with me amidst the confines of my Volvo. Now how lucky can one guy get!? Understanding that “enquiring minds” want to know ... she slept in the upper while I occupied the lower bunk. Maybe not so “lucky.”

But, before hitting the road in the 18-wheeler, with the weekend off as a trucker, we loaded up her Trail Blazer and early the next day blazed a trail the 400 miles or so north to Akron, Ohio. There we would visit with my Uncle Eli and Aunt Mary as well as their daughter, my cousin Judy. We had a fun visit of a few hours and then spent some time visiting with my Aunt Edith who lives at a nearby retirement home. I hadn’t seen her for many years and it was a pleasant visit to finally get to see her. Still the same Edith with that big smile and good nature I’ve always remembered.

The next day on Saturday the 15th it was on to New Jersey where we hooked up with one of my best friends Mark. As I’d written in earlier posts Mark was there from Seattle taking a two-week long class for his work. Mercedes and I had hoped to be there sooner but got a later-than-expected start and lost our bearings somewhere in Jersey. Not inclined to ask for directions I finally found my way through the maze of New Jersey freeways, across the various bridges (sometimes headed in the wrong direction) and along neighborhood streets. We finally arrived at the Doubletree Hotel in Somerset early that evening. We did get close enough to see the skyline of the Big Apple in the distance, first mistaking it for Newark. The next morning the three of us drove into Newark, parked Mercedes’ car and caught a train into the city arriving at Manhattan’s Penn Station at around 9:30 a.m. We had finally arrived!

As we ventured outside the huge Penn Station on that Sunday morning we found ourselves deep in the canyons of the tall skyscrapers of NYC! Next door to Penn Station we saw the building housing the ABC Radio and TV Networks along side “Peter Jennings Way.” Mark hailed a cab, with the style and flair of a real New Yorker (we have pictures to prove it!), and we arrived at 125 Columbus Avenue and the Manhattan First Ward of the LDS Church just in time for their 10 a.m. meeting. It was an interesting mix as the ward was made up of the rich and talented. Among the members were Wall Street attorneys and investment house employees. A host of Broadway actors and singers were also among the congregation as well as Juilliard students. Mark noted the singing was the best he’d ever heard at a ward meeting.

Church was held on the third floor of what was about a seven story building full, no doubt, of chapels and meeting rooms as well as offices. From the street the building was not unlike any other in Manhattan. Nor once inside was it much different from other LDS Church buildings I’d visited anywhere else in the country ... save the elevators. One thing that did set the building apart from other meeting houses I’ve seen was a large ground floor doorway marking the entrance of “The Manhattan New York Temple.” Once outside, if one looks high above, they’ll see the large gold statue of the Angel Moroni seen atop all the LDS Temples.

The rest of the day was spent seeing as much as we could in the limited time we had available. Certainly more visits are in our future. After Church we caught a cab and headed to the south end of the island. The trip of about 5-6 miles took us past Central Park, “The Donald’s” Trump Plaza and the Empire State Building. In the distance we could see the CNN building. The fare costing nearly $21.00 delivered us to Wall Street.

We visited the large bronze “Charging Bull” statue representing the “aggressive financial optimism and prosperity” all wall street investors hope for. A couple dozen tourists surrounded the statue as they took turns for a quick photo while standing to either side. It’s undoubtedly one of the most photographed objects in the city and it’s history is noteworthy. Being a stockbroker Mark couldn’t resist the opportunity to have his picture taken among them.

A few blocks away we stopped in front of the impressive flag-draped New York Stock Exchange (see picture at the top of this post) where it’s entrance was heavily barricaded and guarded by several check points along the street by police and their bomb-sniffing dogs. After strolling past and taking some pictures we walked several blocks to Battery Park. There near the southern tip of the island, and where the the Hudson and East Rivers meet, we could see in the distance the Statue of Liberty as well as Ellis Island. The weather was perfect! Warm and sunny, but not too humid. Several ferry boats were loaded with tourists headed for the statue and Ellis. Nearby too was the famous Staten Island Ferry. Walking yet several blocks further we finally arrived at the site where once stood the twin towers of the World Trade Center. It was memorable to say the least to see the familiar street signs, the neighboring buildings, as well as the long sloping access ramp leading from street level to the base where the towers once stood. It’s the same ramp where on television I watched flag draped stretchers being carried out of the debris, and the same one where family members walked just a few days earlier to commemorate the sixth anniversary since the attack.

We wrapped up our visit with a late afternoon trip to the top of the Empire State Building. Taking nearly 45 minutes, two elevator rides, as well as a climb of several flights of stairs we noted it was far from the easy trip depicted in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle” when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan rush to the top in search of “Jonah.” Once high above the streets the view was impressive! We’d have photos except the camera batteries decided to die on us just as we arrived. Above us we could see the same antenna mast that King Kong once grasped before losing his balance and falling to the street more than 80 stories below. By the end of the day we were all pretty much “spent.” After another train trip back to Newark we piled in the car and with Mark behind the wheel we (or should I say Mark) proceeded to get lost on our return to the hotel. By Monday the 17th Mercedes and I were back in Martinsburg and it was time for the two of us to become truckers.

Including New York and Ohio, during our travels together, Mercedes and I visited 14 states covering more than 5,300 miles. We started our 18-wheeled journey in Frederick, Maryland carrying 29,000 pounds of those tasty English Muffins to Pennsylvania. We ended up as far west as Houston, Texas on the next trip hauling various juices including Apple and Yahoo. On the way we crossed through West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana adding several new states to those I’d never seen before. We drove through Birmingham, Alabama, saw signs for Selma, and then on through Meridian, Mississippi. I was reminded of those tumultuous days in the 60’s when these cities of the deep south were the hotbed of the civil rights movement. I liked Houston but couldn’t say much of what passes as the Swift terminal there.

On our return to the east coast I carried a load of more than 200,000 empty aluminum soft drink cans from Texas to Georgia by way of Interstate 10. We traveled along the southern coast past Baton Rouge and nearby New Orleans. Later in the day we skimmed the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile, Alabama. Then it was on to Tallahassee, Florida where we eventually turned north and crossed into Georgia. The Florida “Welcome Center” near Pensacola was beautiful, just like the weather, and free Florida Orange juice was served inside. We picked up a K-Mart load just north of Savannah at the Port of Georgia in Garden City, along the Atlantic coast, where cargo ships were docked. It was a short 250 mile trip to the distribution center at Newnan in the suburbs of Atlanta. The return trips back to West Virginia included a 400 mile load from a Home Depot D.C. in Braselton, Georgia to their store in Roanoke, Virginia. From Roanoke we hauled Elizabeth Arden cosmetics to Reading, Pa. and then 45,000 pounds of bottled water back to our starting point in Martinsburg. The trailer of water would eventually be delivered to a Sam’s Club facility in Lexington, Kentucky but another truck and it’s driver would take it there.

After parking our truck in Martinsburg, for our last day together on the final day of September, Mercedes and I visited our third Civil War battlefield. This time it was Antietam, Maryland. The first major battle of the Civil War on northern soil, Antietam (or Sharpsburg as it’s sometimes referred to) was the site of the bloodiest battle in U.S. history with nearly 23-thousand casualties in a single day! Of those the National Park Service estimates that more than 7,000 were killed. What would people think if that many were lost in a single battle today?

We stood at what is known as “Bloody Lane” where 2000 Confederate and Union soldiers fell in the first hour. Along this 800 yard long sunken road there were a total 5600 casualties in the carnage that lasted 3 1/2 hours.

Later in the day we walked across Burnside’s Bridge that played a key role in the battle. The picturesque stone bridge crosses Antietam Creek and hundreds of Union soldiers were killed there in their assault against the Confederates to finally cross.

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I should be back to Lewiston the week after next. It will have been nearly four months since I was last there. I’ll have a short four days off from the 23rd through the 26th to move my car from the Lewiston terminal and then a quick trip to the Seattle area to move storage back to Yakima in a borrowed van. Then it’ll be back to Seattle to pick up my car and return to Yakima.

While at “home” in “the Yak” I’ll have a doctors appointment and hopefully time for a haircut before I have to return (via rental car) to Lewiston by Saturday the 27th. I’m hoping too to have a little time to visit family and friends. A little more than three weeks later, during Thanksgiving week, I should be back in the east again with Mercedes in Virginia where we’ll be married on November 24th. Wow! As I wrote earlier, how lucky can one guy be? Who would have thought!? And so it is, the life of a long-haul trucker.

During our times together over the last few months Mercedes and I have taken plenty of pictures. Soon we’ll have the best of them posted. Some will be seen here and others on a separate site. Until we see or hear from you again ... all our best to one and all!

Chicago Is! Not My Kinda Town

Who can't recall where they were and what they were doing six years ago today? It's hard to believe that it's been that long, and harder yet to believe that we've not experienced a similar attack since. Somebody must be doing something right! It's one of those days we will always remember and one certainly never to be forgotten, especially in these days of political debate. Life can and does go on, BUT NEVER, NEVER forget! Our very culture and our way of life depend on it.

"These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph." ~~ Thomas Paine, The Crisis, December 1776

Here I am at a Pilot Truck Stop where I spent last night. I’m near Lowell, Indiana, along southbound Interstate 65 with Chicago in my rearview mirror! My new destination is one I’ve been to twice before, Chambersburg, Pa. less than 45-minutes from historic Gettysburg. I’ve been “solo” now for more than 10 weeks. I’ve seen 28 states and have traveled nearly 21,000 miles since getting my own truck on June 28th. I’m pretty amazed to say the least.

The last four days I’ve crisscrossed through Minnesota and Wisconsin. I’ve been in towns named “Sheboygan,” “Oconomowoc,” “Manitowoc,” and “Winona.” Winona, Minnesota is a small town of 27,000 and where, just three weeks ago, six were killed in flooding of “historic proportions” according to one newspaper article. On Sunday I spent the day in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area.

Last Thursday morning I called in to the “Morning News” show at K.I.T. That’s the radio station where I used to work in Yakima. I had a pleasant conversation on-the-air with my friends Dave and Lance who host their little radio show there in the valley. Top rated and number one in the market of course! I had come out of Memphis the day before and spent the night at the “Trail of Tears” rest area in the “Land of Lincoln.” That morning I was heading into Chicago some 200 miles distant. I pulled over at a truck stop for a few minutes as we chewed the fat about my life as a trucker and explored the hot issue surrounding Mexican truckers driving into the U.S., under the N.A.F.T.A. agreement. Dave promises me lunch next time I’m in town, hopefully in October.

Later in the evening I cut through the downtown area of “Chitown” (that’s trucker-talk for Chicago). I drove northbound along I-90/94 passing the famous Sears Tower with it’s broadcast antennas, one bathed in bright red the other in bright yellow light, rising above it’s roof. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it as I passed beneath. From 1973 until 1996 it was the world’s tallest building and is currently the tallest in North America. As it was dark I was disappointed not to get a glimpse of Lake Michigan a very short distance to the east.

My destination was a Macy’s Department Store Distribution Center just north of downtown. To get there I drove several miles up narrow Diversey Avenue through block after block of traffic lights, row houses and businesses, acclimating myself to the smells and feel of the local neighborhoods and habitat. I couldn’t help but think, “How can people live this way?” Finally I arrived at the D.C. It was a nightmare for a trucker. The yard had little space and on top of that another Swift truck broke down just as it was leaving and I was entering through the same inadequate gate. It took nearly an hour to clear the way for my entry with several trucks waiting behind me and around the corner along the busy street.

Once inside there was little room to maneuver with several trucks from various carriers all in the same confined space. After dropping my empty trailer just slightly out of the way of others, I got my loaded trailer number (T51835) from the security guard and started walking the yard to find it. Along an outside wall trailers were stored three-deep and in order to see the numbers of some I’d have to stoop and crawl below one trailer to reach another. After 45 minutes of searching and revisiting areas, just to be sure, I went back to the guard shack and asked, “Are you sure this trailer is here in the yard.” His answer, “No it’s probably at our other yard.” Luckily it was just a block and a half away, but only a little bigger than the first, and surrounded by tall buildings on all sides. After checking in at yet another security gate in a few short minutes I was hooked up. But, with my 53 foot trailer behind, it was nearly impossible to turn around in order to exit the yard. After several attempts on my part a yard worker, whose job is moving trailers in and out, offered to take the controls and in about ten minutes of twisting and turning managed to get my rig turned in the right direction. He was a pleasant Hispanic man and after offering my hand in thanks, and saying he had more than earned his pay for that night, we went our separate ways as he said “God bless you.” My way was pointed up Diversey back to the freeway and headed, with stout determination, the hell out of Chicago!!

The Chicago stop was the beginning of my trip that took me further north for my visit to Wisconsin and Minnesota. While I enjoyed the native’s quirky accents I had seen enough of those two states and yesterday finally left the region. Of course as I headed further east I had to pass through Chicago once again. This time I avoided the downtown freeways but never-the-less the toll road bypasses were dreadful to say the least. It took me more than 2 1/2 hours, in mostly bumper-to-bumper traffic, to make my escape.

Along the way and to the west of I-294 I passed the sprawling O’Hare airport and from my vantage point could see planes parked along ramps and runways faintly stretching into the distance for a couple of miles. Dang that’s a big airport! No offense Chicagoans, not that’s it isn’t a nice place to “visit,” but as far as Chicago is concerned -- from an 18-wheel perspective -- I’m sure as heck going to avoid future assignments there.

As I mentioned earlier I spent Sunday in Green Bay. Not having an assignment I sat for a couple of hours south of the city at a quiet, and mostly unoccupied, rest area (imagining myself at Church) and listening to the Green Bay Packer home football game on the radio. Little did I know that the company would send me that afternoon on a short excursion to drop off a trailer. And where to? Right down Lombardi Avenue (named after coach Vince Lombardi) and past Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers. As I arrived the Packers had just defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 30 minutes earlier ... and the traffic!! I had no idea that my directions would take me right past the stadium until I saw it in the distance! Historic Lambeau Field was host to the storied “Ice Bowl,” when the temperature dropped to 13 degrees below zero on New Years Eve afternoon in 1967. It was the coldest temperature ever recorded for an NFL game and considered by many the greatest game in pro football history. Around the stadium streets were named after notable Packer celebrities. Among them “Holmgren Way,” named after Seattle Seahawk coach Mike Holmgren during his seventh and final year with the Packers in 1998. Gee name a street after him and then he leaves town! That’s gratitude for you!

Anyway Bret Favre and the Packers beat the Eagles 16-13 and the crowd leaving the stadium was festive. I’d never seen so much Green and Gold in any one area, (even later when I visited some suburban stores), but I guess that’s normal at any football venue (only the colors are different). But the one thing you don’t often see are the “Cheesehead” hats worn by some of the fans. It’s just what it implies, a large hat shaped like a wedge of cheese and yellow in color.


After-all Wisconsin is known for it’s large production of cheese ... how appropriate. But the hats are “cheesy” none-the-less!

In just a couple of days my truck will be parked at the Martinsburg, W. Va. terminal. This weekend with my girlfriend Mercedes I’ll be visiting New York City along with a best friend from the Seattle area. My next post should originate from the Big Apple! (Pictures to be posted soon!)


Sign of the Day: “State Prison Next Exit - Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers”

Memphis But No Time for Graceland

My thanks as always to all those that visit here and for your words of praise.

I’m in Memphis, Tennessee tonight at a truck stop along Interstate 40 after running a load of footwear from Dexter, Maine to Mabelvale, Arkansas, a little community just southwest of Little Rock. I dropped my trailer early last night at a Dillard’s Department Store Distribution Center and then spent the night in nearby Benton. While here in Memphis I’d love to visit Elvis’ Graceland but there’s no time this trip to venture the less than ten mile distance. Where would I park anyway?

As I drove into Little Rock yesterday, along southbound I-30, I crossed the Arkansas River and could see a short distance to the east the “Clinton Presidential Center.” Set along the banks of the river within a park setting the building is a bit unique with a large section elevated above the ground. As much as I tried I really didn’t find the architecture all that impressive. But the huge and even dramatic First Pentecostal Church nearby and pictured below, more than made up for it.



After picking up loads today at two different locations in “Clinton Country” I’ll be on my way tomorrow to Hammond, Indiana just south of Chicago. My cargo includes Black & Decker appliances, as well as baby walkers and high chairs made by a local Arkansas company, all bound for Sears and K-Mart.

I’ve certainly seen my share of the northeast and especially the New England states the last few weeks. Twice in twenty days I’ve been as far north as Maine. The only two states in New England I have yet to see are Vermont and Rhode Island. Sooner or later I suppose I’ll make it. It’s amazing how quickly one can travel across several states in so short a time in the east and you gotta love those New Englanders and their distinct accents! During those trips I’ve come within 50 miles of the Big Apple and slightly further from Boston. As for N.Y.C., I’m saving that adventure for a week from Saturday when Mercedes and I will be visiting one of my best friends from Seattle there. I don’t expect a lot of hospitality while in New York however, but at least I won’t be driving into town in a big rig. Hopefully I’ll have an opportunity soon to take in the sights in historic Boston as well.

Speaking of historic places ... in addition to my recent visit to our nation’s capital, I’ve also had the opportunity to visit two Civil War battlefields with Mercedes. For a long time, since first seeing Ken Burn’s 1990 outstanding documentary series on the war, I’ve been a bit of a Civil War buff and have read several books on the subject. I especially enjoy visiting these historic places with someone else whose interest, patience and curiosity are the same as my own.

On Sunday August 26, after my week-long furlough in Washington, while on our way from Falls Church to my truck parked at our Richmond terminal, Mercedes and I made a spur-of-the-moment stop along I-95 to the battlefield at Fredericksburg. Located halfway between the Union capital of Washington and the Confederate capital of Richmond, the town was of high strategic value during those dark days. We spent a couple of hours there roaming the historic markers of what remains of the battlefield, as well as the tranquil National Cemetery where many of that battle’s dead are buried. During one single day in December of 1862 there were 18,000 casualties at Fredericksburg, among them four Generals, two from each army. It was disappointing to learn that much of the original field of battle, where many soldiers fell, is now occupied by homes and other buildings built as the city prospered and grew.

Then, just last Saturday, I stopped along Pennsylvania’s I-81 and parked the truck at the state’s “Welcome Center” on the Maryland border. Mercedes made the 90 minute drive up from Virginia and we headed for Gettysburg about 40 miles away. Quite unique from any other historic area I’ve had the opportunity to visit, Gettysburg is big and the open battlefield is preserved with numerous markers, monuments and statues spread across a number of square miles. All however are easily accessible by car. Many original buildings, still with their battle scars, remain in the area and are used as residences by Park Rangers to prevent vandalism.

We arrived mid-afternoon but wanting to take in the sight on a tour bus, and really not having enough money to do so, we decided to put off spending much time on the battleground. Instead we took the shuttle to Dwight Eisenhower’s nearby farm which the President and former five-star General bought following his retirement from the military in 1950. Just 18 miles from the Presidential retreat “Camp David,” Maryland, and adjacent to the Gettysburg battlefield, the home and it’s surroundings are, to my way of thinking, ideally situated with an incredible and wide ranging view of the distant mountains. What a beautiful and peaceful location for retirement! I especially appreciated walking through the house where “Ike” and Mamie’s original furnishings and accessories were, just the same as when they lived there.

Later Mercedes and I visited one of the two Gettysburg visitor centers and walked some of it’s streets as we made plans for our next visit. A highlight was a walk through the National Cemetery and seeing where Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address, the spot marked by the Soldier’s National Monument pictured at the top of this posting. It’s a nice little town and worthy of a couple of days to see all that it offers. My goal while I’m “long-hauling” it is to visit every major battlefield of the Civil War and as many Presidential Libraries as I can.

Keep those emails coming. You’ll hear from me again soon, and thanks again for stopping by. May your travels be safe and as enjoyable as my own!

Maine to The Carolinas & Washington D.C.

I’m sitting along an off-ramp at Dandridge, Tennessee about 30 miles or so east of Knoxville. There are no open spaces at the nearby truck stop, so I make my home here tonight on I-81. This is my second pass through the state in just ten days and among that growing number of states I had never visited before ... until just recently. Tomorrow morning I pick up a load at Chestnut Hill and head to Chambersburg, Pa. just a short distance from Gettysburg.

Since I last wrote I’ve been as far north as Skowhagen, Maine and down to Greer, South Carolina. Then it was back to Front Royal, Virginia, about a 90 minute drive from Washington, D.C. After my drop of Sterilite products in Front Royal at a Family Dollar Warehouse on the 18th I spent the next 8 days in the Washington D.C. area visiting with Mercedes. She treated me to a great time and chauffered me around to visit the sights and a few of the old neighborhoods where I lived as a young boy in nearby Maryland.

One night we drove into the city from Virginia passing on our left the John F. Kennedy Center and the nearby Watergate complex. To our right we could see the Lincoln Memorial and Memorial Bridge connecting the city with the main entrance into Arlington Cemetery. In the distance ahead was the Washington Monument. All were brightly lit.

Within a couple of blocks of the White House we parked the car and walked the short distance to the front of the “Executive Mansion" on Pennsylvania Avenue. I thought how small the President’s home looks when seen in person. Not as big I’m sure as many people imagine, but impressive none-the-less. A few people gazed through the large iron fence while others took pictures. A single protestor stood vigil across the street, sitting in a make-shift tent covered in a large clear plastic sheeting for protection from the weather. His cause I failed to note. Watching us close by was a "Secret Service" police officer. I knew he was Secret Service as that's what it said on the back of his jacket. I was struck by the number of uniformed police seen at nearly every street corner along the route from the Capitol building to the White House.

A few days later we would return to the city and spend several hours visiting Arlington Cemetery. Among our stops was President Kennedy’s grave and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While there we watched the head of Russia’s Navy place a wreath at the tomb with an American Navy Admiral. Just before, a Navy band played the Russian Anthem and then our own Star Spangled Banner. After the wreath was placed a female Naval bugler played “Taps” while a large contingent of Navy Honor Guard and flag bearers stood by and then silently but precisely marched away. Within a few minutes we watched the popular “Changing of the Guard.” We also took a few moments to visit briefly the grave of Audie Murphy. In 27 months of combat, Murphy became the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II. Later he would become a successful Hollywood actor and played himself in the highly acclaimed autobiographical movie "To Hell and Back."

Later in the day it was on to the memorials of World War II, the Korean War as well as the long black Vietnam War Memorial. Frankly I wasn’t as impressed with the Vietnam "Wall" as I had expected. I can understand those who were critical of it's design. The new WW II Memorial (pictured above) however was quite impressive and spacious with a large fountain in it’s center. It’s in a beautiful setting -- midway between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. At the end of our visit we stood at the base of the large seated Abraham Lincoln in the beautiful “temple” that honors him. As we left we rehearsed the scene from the movie “Forrest Gump” when Forrest spoke from the same steps we stood on.

After having been gone for so long (the last time I was in D.C. was in 1980), and especially growing up there as a boy, I had forgotten how beautiful a city Washington really is. Many of the government buildings are simply magnificent in their design and architecture. I was pleasantly surprised that the weather there wasn’t as humid and hot as it normally is. In fact I was reminded of the unpredictable weather we often experienced in Seattle. Rainy and a bit cold it was, despite it being August. That’s certainly not the “norm” for Washington D.C, but you won't hear me complain.

A Week in Willard One Night

I sit this morning in Willard, Ohio, about an hour or so drive west of Akron. I arrived last night at 7 p.m. eastern time after driving with only one short fueling and bathroom break for a straight twelve hours. My driver Manager phoned me along the way indicating the “consignee” was “chomping at the bit” to receive this load of 12 large paper rolls weighing in at more than 42-thousand pounds. But, When I arrived I found out I had an appointment time of 5:30 the following afternoon. To say the least I’m not a happy camper, especially in light of the fact that I could have stopped at one of two truck stops some 40 miles east of here. Instead I’m stuck here in a dirt lot among other disgruntled and waiting truckers next to the delivery docks. On top of all this my Qualcomm communication keyboard hasn’t worked for several days and there is no cell phone service here in Willard. But I suppose things could be worse.

In an attempt on foot to find a pay phone to make some calls, and finding none of three that would work for me, I happened along a local ice cream store. In an effort to relieve my frustration I decided to buy a large chocolate cone. When I saw how tall they had stacked the ice cream (a good 6 or more inches) I had expected a charge of three to four dollars and was pleasantly surprised to pay only $1.75. With my frustration only mildly tempered that was the highlight of my evening as I feel asleep early and woke at about 6:30 a.m.

The drive here past Akron on highway 244 was interesting as I passed through several small towns and, among the Ohio Amish people. Along the way I passed a make-shift Amish outdoor market. There sat dozens of their wagons hitched to horses with the hatted and bonneted men and women and their similarly dressed children busily milling about. The wagons loaded with fruits and vegetables. On the opposite side of the lot were the cars and trucks of the non-believers there to buy their goods. A couple of times I had to slow for a horse-drawn buggy along the way and passed others going in the opposite direction.

Since my last entry I’ve been to Oklahoma City and then went on to New Milford, Connecticut. I spent one of my best days ever visiting with a gorgeous latin girl who drove up from the Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C. (350 miles) just to see me! (Who would have thought!). "Mercedes," who is unquestionably the new love of my life, or even more commonly referred to as my "girlfriend," and I spent most of our time visiting nearby Waterbury, Ct.

Waterbury is a beautiful and typical old New England town with it’s tree-shaded homes, narrow streets, a sprawling downtown park with a statue honoring it’s Civil War soldiers. An attached plaque contained the following inscription: “In honor of the patriotism and to perpetuate the memory of the 900 brave men who went forth from this town to fight the war for the Union. This monument has been erected by their townsmen that all who come after them may be mindful of their deeds and fail not in the day of trial to emulate their example. 1861-1865” Waterbury has become one of my all-time favorite towns and Mercedes and I hope to visit there again soon.

Eight days ago, as I passed through Akron on my first trip in many years to the northeast, I spent an evening with my cousin Judy and visited her mom and dad, my aunt Mary and Uncle Eli. It was a pleasant but brief reunion with those I hadn’t seen in about a dozen years. Then, just this past Tuesday, I spent a similar afternoon and evening visiting a number of my cousins who I hadn’t seen for 20 years or longer in Clearfield, Pa. Clearfield is where I was born and the source of many fond childhood memories with my large family of aunts, uncles and cousins. While there I visited the cemetery where my father, grandfather, great grandparents and many of my other relatives are buried.

I had hoped this job would allow me to see the country and to visit friends and relatives I hadn't seen in years. So far, so good!

Wal-Mart Country

I’m parked at a Pilot Truck Stop in Springdale, Arkansas, just down the road from Bentonville and the Wal-Mart Distribution Center where I make my next delivery tomorrow morning. My load is nearly 37,000 pounds of mens and ladies watches. A "high value load" as they're sometimes called. Bentonville also happens to be where Sam Walton opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 and where the world's largest retailer is headquartered. The original "five and dime" store pictured above now serves as a Wal-Mart "Visitor Center" in Bentonville.

I arrived here at 1:30 this afternoon. After an hour or so visiting the truck stop store, updating my log and a bit of tidying up my small surroundings I laid down for a nap and just woke. Matt Drudge talks on the radio.

The last several days have come pretty early for me with not as much sleep as I should have overnight. Last night I watched a DVD on my laptop. It’s the first time I’ve done that since my truck driving career began. I’ve either been too tired, didn’t have enough time, or just plain not interested to do so previously. I bought “The Legend of Bagger Vance” several weeks ago and had never seen it. It’s unlike me to buy a movie unseen but I’d always thought it to be my kind of movie and I wasn’t disappointed.

I drove across the Oklahoma/Arkansas state line early this afternoon. It’s the first time I’ve visited the state. No Clinton signs anywhere but I was greeted in the border town of Siloam Springs with American flags displayed on every light post along the south side of the street spaced about 30 feet apart. I’m guessing I drove for four or five miles along highway 412 through the entire town with not one light post missed. Businesses along the route also with their own flag poles, displayed state and other flags along with "Old Glory." It was quite an impressive sight. I’d like to write the city council a note of appreciation and thanks for their display of patriotism.

I loved the large billboard I saw as I crossed into Oklahoma from Texas, “Welcome to Tulsa Time” You’d have to be a country music fan to appreciate that.