Monday going north

Clearwater, Florida - Sunday, May 26, 2019
Morning 72 Degrees, Wind E at 4 to 9 Mph, Humidity 78%, partly sunny.


We visited Alice’s today as tomorrow Buster is on the road north. After returning back to Buster we started the packing and preparing for travel.

Clearwater, Florida - Monday, May 27, 2019
Morning 75 Degrees, Wind SE at 4 to 6 Mph, Humidity 79%, sunny.
Afternoon 8 Degrees, Wind  at  to  Mph, Humidity %, .

We were on the road at nine o’clock headed east on SR 60 to Interstate two seventy-five north to Interstate seventy-five north. Moderate car traffic with only a few trucks, but plenty of cars on Interstate seventy-five north. We then switched over to CR 326 to US 301  the towns was a little slowing but a welcome change from the busy Interstate. We took that north to Interstate ten east. There is construction in Starke where there is a by-pass of the town being built. It was not open this year may next year. At the Interstate ten there is also construction, this was open but not complete. It is now a right turn onto the Interstate that used to be a left turn that was crossing the southbound traffic, big improvement. 

Buster took Interstate ten east to Interstate two ninety-five north to Interstate ninety-five north and into Georgia where we spent the night.

Walkabout Camp & RV Park

Thursday Television

Clearwater, Florida - Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Morning 77 Degrees, Wind SE at 5 to 9 Mph, Humidity 78%, partly cloudy.

Beach day, we were there (on San Key Park) before ten thirty soaking up the sun. easy parking there and it is open. Leaving there we stopped to eat lunch and noticed the crowds building, we think it is “off” season but they (large groups of people) are still coming to Florida. 

Clearwater, Florida - Thursday, May 23, 2019

Morning 73 Degrees, Wind NE at 5 to 6 Mph, Humidity 75%, partly sunny.

Get the television fixed that is today’s project. Finished packing Buster making ready to travel to Holiday CampingWorld we were on the move a little after eight. We were checking in and explaining what little I know about the problem. We were moved to the other side of the building and put up the antenna. “Their guy” came to Buster checking things out. Finally I said I need to test these coax wires if there is Continuity because there is no signal coming to the DVR box. These are the coax wires from the antenna. 

These are the two coax cables 

We need to go have breakfast as we had not eaten today and took off looking for a breakfast place. Took us four miles but we ended up in Tarpon Springs “George’s Breakfast Station” I was expecting a call fron the service people that never came. My wife wanted to go to Dollar Tree we did that and went back to CampingWorld. Checking Buster the television was on and no one was around Buster. I went looking for the service writer finding him with another customer he said “meet you there at Buster shortly”, works for me. Well it was the coax wires from the splitter to the DVR box and the second splitter for the bedroom television. I had worse fears of what was bad and needed replacing.  

The return trip was an adventure, my memory of road names and where the road goes is going has left the my mind. Besides there has been tremendous growth in this area and it does not look the same to me. Names of cross streets i am thinking I know that name but where does it come out to where do I go from there and I am passed the intersection to make the turn so I keep going.

I did not want to go south on US 19 as that would have needed a u-turn with Buster and Tan Jan on the back this is not easy to do. I decided to turn right go east to Pasco one south (another right turn) which should become CR 611 (49th street) back to Gulf to Bay (SR 60) and another right and into the RV Park (another right turn). Didn’t work out. I missed the connection from Pasco one to CR 611. My bad memory sunk that, after missing CR 611 we went down thru Hillsborough county finally meeting Hillsborough avenue (SR 580) we turned right and took that back to CR 611 made a left at the traffic light and now back on the original plan. The return trip was twice as long as the going trip but everyone was back at the RV Park safely but a longer trip, with a working television. 

Sunday I 75

Casey Jones RV Park Lake City, FL - Sunday, May 19, 2019
Morning 65 Degrees, Wind SW at 0 to 1 Mph, Humidity 97%, sunny.
Afternoon 88 Degrees, Wind NE at 6 to 8 Mph, Humidity 51%, sunny.

Down interstate seventy-five to interstate four west to SR 60 West and we were here. It was more traffic than I expected for a Sunday and it was more than I wanted. interstate seventy-five has two construction spots (south of Exit 329) where the Florida turnpike turns off and (Exit 301 area) SR 50 & US 98 in Brooksville two lanes each way, but the bridge is complete as last year there were working on that and it was tighter for Buster pulling Tan Jan. Buster pulled in to the truck stop on SR 52 to top off the diesel fuel, maybe that was a mistake today was very busy but maybe busier when we head north. We were set up in the RV site and went visiting my sister and her children

Florida I 10

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi - Friday, May 17, 2019
Morning 65 Degrees, Wind NE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 79%, sunny.

A better day today compared to yesterday’s three hundred thirteen miles only one hundred eighty-five miles. We made our planned truck stop diesel fuel fill and we saw a sign foe Bucee’s in Alabama. Yes it is new and the local’s are flocking there, traffic in and out, but with sixty pumps there was open for Buster, he did not take much but I topped off and we took a walk in side.

All interstate ten today thru Mobile, Alabama (tunnel) Buster had no problem and traffic was light to medium. We were in the RV park just after one this afternoon. The television is still not getting a signal. I will try tomorrow. The only site for Buster had only 30 amp electric power, so we will only use one air conditioner and only propane gas for hot water. Two hundred sixty-seven miles today mostly on interstate ten east bound.
 

Mississippi

Marthaville, Louisiana - Thursday, May 16, 2019
Morning 64 Degrees, Wind NNE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 87%, sunny.


Well another day not to plan. The first part went pretty much to plan a hiccup in the middle and a big change at the end. I found a diesel fuel I wanted along interstate forty-nine then after another twenty miles we changed to US 190 east. As we stared going east the road was rough enough that the television box came out of its box in Buster, I did have it strapped down. I had to pull over and see what I could do, not much. Getting back on the road I had to move into the left lane for a while as the right lane was too bumpy. Going east we then transitioned to interstate ten just before the Mississippi river bridge, traffic. Well that was a slow go for a while as the traffic merged together then separated latter down the road.

The campground planned for the night had the water level go down the day before we arrived and the ground was too soft. I had just taken Tan Jan off the tow bar. Well I would have take the car off anyway to turn around to leave. I am tired after driving all day and that is extra work. We then had to go another sixty-five miles further ending in Mississippi for the night.   

Long day, Texas

Aledo, Texas - Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind SE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 91%, sunny.

Marthaville, Louisiana
Afternoon 90 Degrees, Wind NNE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 40%, sunny.

That was a rough day’s travel. Started great, early we were on the road before nine and we made good travel time thru fort Worth and Dallas. That is all posted seventy miles per hour and in the country to the east of the cities it is posted seventy five miles per hour.

I am in the right lane

I was in my plan but there was a Bucee’s ahead so we stopped there. That sign was noticed a short time after the right sun shade came down. We were on a wash board type road where we were bouncing around the lane. We made the Bucee’s exit and got diesel fuel, I checked the sun shade but could not do anything until I am able to purchase some screws. 

Now we are in the left lane

As we neared the state line all the traffic east bound traffic came to a stop. We inched along for almost three hours. At first the left lane was moving better than the right lane then there was a gap so I took the left lane then after a gain of one truck we were parallel the rest of the way. Then all traffic had to exit the highway merge with the service road traffic and reenter the highway got Buster up to speed and then another slow down for an over turned truck. I then was going to stop and top off the diesel fuel at the planned fuel stop. After exiting and turning right I needed to turn left (for diesel fuel stop) the turn lane was coned off and police directing traffic. There was traffic coming from the right (US 80) vehicles that were trying to avoid the interstate slowdown and had gotten of at an earlier exit.  Buster is forty feet long and the car is behind there is no backing up only forward so I pulled into a parking lot to u-turn and now there is a line of traffic that lets me in. Now another left (where the police are directing traffic) and reenter the interstate. Traveled two hundred eighty-five miles mostly interstate twenty also interstate forty-nine south, tiring.

Aledo, TX

Big Spring, Texas - Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Morning 58 Degrees, Wind S at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 88%, sunny.
Afternoon 85 Degrees, Wind SE at 1 to 3 Mph, Humidity 49%, sunny.

We had rain yesterday after five in the evening just before arriving at Buster after going into Big Spring for some shopping and dinner.

Today just interstate highway twenty east bound. After one hundred miles a diesel fuel stop in Tye, Texas then onto Aledo, Texas for the night. After parking Buster we went further east into Fort Worth to eat dinner and some shopping.

First day traveling

The SKP Ranch Lakewood, NM - Monday, May 13, 2019
Morning 56 Degrees, Wind SW at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 72%, partly cloudy.


WE were leaving the Ranch a little after ten o’clock. Still had some things to put away in Buster and the shed, disconnect the water dump, put in the slide outs,, and electric cable. At the office I paid the electric and put air in the tires. Then it was connect Tan Jan to the towbar.

Today we went thru Hobs on US 180 to US 87 south to Big Spring as my mapping program suggested this way as it showed a half quicker than I normally take. The other way was shorter mileage but slower so I decided to take the fast route for the first day out on the road. We were at the RV park in Big Spring, Texas by two thirty and there was an hour gain in time. At the Texas state line we came back into central time for four nights. Two hundred five miles for the first day of travel this year.

There are a lot of crop fields with crude oil tank battery's that collect the oil from the wells. They just plow around them. 

Crude oil pump jack in a crop field

Getting Ready to Move Buster

The SKP Ranch Lakewood, NM - Sunday, May 12, 2019
Morning 47 Degrees, Wind w at 1 to 3 Mph, Humidity 96%, partly cloudy.


Busy day, getting ready to travel tomorrow. Putting stuff away in the shed making Buster ready to move by doing things that didnot need moving while Buster was sitting still. Overall a more active day than usual.