49 STATES AND THEN THERE IS CALIFORNIA

WE DEPARTED THE KOA IN KINGMAN AZ. AFTER A REALY NICE STAY AT A GREAT SPOT THAT PROVIDED US A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE.

I DON'T KNOW IF I HAD MENTIONED THAT THIS BIG DIESEL RIG HAS A 100 GALLON FUEL TANK AND IF YOU GO TO A REGULAR GAS STATION THAT SELLS DIESEL FUEL IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 1+ HOUR TO FILL THE TANK.

I PULL INTO THE TRUCK STOPS WITH THE BIG SEMIS AND USE THOSE PUMPS BECAUSE THEY CAN FILL THE TANK IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THEY PUMP AT THE RATE OF 10 GALLONS A MINUTE!!!!

INTERSTATE 40 WAS THE ROAD TO USE IN THE MORNING AND WE MOVED ON TO RT 95.

THIS WAS A NEWLY PAVED WIDE 2 LANE ROAD THAT TOOK US FROM I40 TO I10.

WE CROSSED MANY STATES FROM ILLINOIS TO ARIZONA WITH NO ISSUES BUT CROSSING FROM ARIZONA INTO CALIFORNIA THERE IS AN INSPECTION POINT THAT ALL VEHICLES HAVE TO STOP FOR.

AFTER A SHORT WAIT IN LINE WE PULLED UP TO THE "BORDER GUARD", HE ASKED IF WE HAD ANY FRUITS, VEGETABLES, FIRE ARMS OR ILEGLE ALIENS ON BOARD.

THEN THE GUARD WANTED TO KNOW HOW LONG WE WERE IN ARIZONA.

AFTER A FEW MORE QUESTIONS WE WERE WAVED FORWARD INTO CALIFORNIA.

A FEW OBSERVATIONS: USE TURN SIGNALS? NOT SO MUCH HERE.

SPEED UP TO MAKE A YELLOW LIGHT, YES JUST LIKE AT HOME.

LOT'S OF NICE OLDER CARS WITHOUT RUST.

ROAD WORTHY AND LEAGLE GOLF CARTS THAT WILL GO 30 MPH WITH WIPERS, LIGHTS AND ALL THE OTHER LEGAL ACCESSORIES. THESE THINGS ARE REALLY COOL AND CAN LOOK LIKE A ROLLS OR A 34 FORD BUT I ALREADY HAVE MENTIONED THAT.

DID I SAY THESE "GOLF CARTS" ARE REALLY COOL.

TODAY I MADE A ROTARY CYBER MAKE UP! FIGURED OUT THE POOL HEATER AND LIGHT TIMERS. THERE ARE 4 LIGHTS THAT DON'T WORK - BULBS MOST LIKLEY -

THE MAINTENANCE PEOPLE WILL CHECK IT TOMORROW.

THE COACH WILL GET THE ROAD GRIME REMOVED TOMORROW AS WELL.

LUNCH AT TOMMY BAHAMAS TODAY. AN AFTERNOON SWIM AND BLTS IN THE COACH THIS EVENING.

LIFE IS GOOD!

TILL NEXT TIME

ART

NEARING THE GOAL

JAN 28,2012 SATURDAY

AS A FOLLOW UP TO YESTERDAY AND ONE OF THOSE "UH OH" MOMENTS, THE CAMPGROUND IN AMARILLO IS SO FAR AWAY FROM TOWN THEY DONT HAVE "AIR TV", SO I PURCHASED A CABLE TO CONNECT TO THERE CABLE TV SYSTEM.

IT WAS EASILY CONNECTED HOWEVER THE PICTURE WAS VERY GRAINY, THE SOUND WAS GOOD. I CHANGED ALL 3 TVS FROM AIR TO CABLE, STILL A GRAINY PICTURE, I KNEW THERE WAS STILL AN ANTENNA PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT FIND IT.

IT WAS BED TIME SO I PUT IT OFF UNTIL THE MORNING.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!

THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT THERE IS A SWITCH IN THE BEDROOM TV CABINET = BUT I COULD FIND NO SUCH SWITCH IN THAT LOCATION. I DID FINALLY FIND IT IN THE ELECTRONICS CABINET OVER THE ENTRANCE DOOR, I PUSHED THE BUTTON AND WE HAD A CLEAR PICTURE AND GOOD SOUND = LESSON LEARNED =

MAYBE?

THE ROAD TO THE WEST COAST IS AN INTERESTING ONE.

SOME TIME AGO THE FEDS DECLASSIFIED ROUTE 66 AS A US HIGHWAY, SO THE INDIVIDUAL STATES TOOK THE REMAINING SEGMENTS AND HAVE CALLED THEM HISTORIC ROUTE 66.

THERE ARE SOME VERY COOL PARTS LEFT. AS WE MOVE ALONG THE REPLACEMENT OF THE "MOTHER ROAD" [I55 AND I40] WE SEE OLD BUILDINGS WITH CLOSED BUSINESSES AND WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. THE INTERSTATE HYWAY SYSTEM BEGAN IN THE EARLY 50s DURING THE EISENHOWER ADMINISTRATION.

I THINK THAT MANY OF THOSE SHUTTERED BUSINESSES WERE A VIBRANT EMPLOYERS AND A SUPPORTER OF THERE COMMUNITIES, BUT AS THE NEW HYWAY AND THE FUTURE PASSED THEM BY THEY BECAME A THING OF THE PAST.

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DRIVE FROM AMARILLO TX. TO KINGMAN AZ. PRETTY MUCH NO WIND AND LIGHT TRAFFIC.

I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW IMPRESSED I AM WITH THE ENGINE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS NEW NAVISTAR ENGINE, COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAINS FROM 7300 FEET I DID NOT HAVE TO USE THE FOOT BRAKE AT ALL.

IT IS AN AMAZING USE OF THE ENGINE POWER TO SLOW THE COACH DOWN, I CAN USE TWO CYLINDERS FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF BRAKING OR 4 CYLINDERS FOR MORE OR ALL 6 CYLINDERS FOR MAXIMUM BRAKING.

THINK ABOUT THIS, I AM TRAVELING AT 65 MPH IN A 33,000 POUND MOTORCOACH TOWING A 4,000 POUND CAR AND I CAN SLOW THIS 37.000 POUND MONSTER TO

10 MPH WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE FOOT BRAKE. WOW!!!!

WE ARRIVED AT THE KINGMAN AZ KOA AT ABOUT 4:30, IT IS VERY NICE, A GUIDE IN A GOLF CART SHOWED US THE WAY TO OUR PAD AND ASSISTED WITH THE HOOKUPS.

WYFI WORKS WELL, CABLE TV IS GOOD AS WELL.

LAST LEG TO INDIO TOMORROW

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

FRIDAY JANUARY 27

THIS MORNING WE LEFT AMARILLO TX EARLIER THAN OUR NORMAL DEPARTURE TIME AS THE WEATHER REPORTS WERE FOR HIGH WINDS IN THE LATE MORNING SO WE LEFT EARLY AND IT WORKED WELL.

THE DRIVE WAS GREAT, WE DID RUN INTO SOME GUSTY WIND UP AT ABOUT 7200 FEET.

TEXAS ROADS WERE PRETTY GOOD, NEW MEXICO NOT SO MUCH.

AS WE MOVED ACROSS THE COUNTRY IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THE MANY AUTOMOTIVE GRAVE YARDS. SOME ARE SPECIALIZED IN ONLY ONE BRAND OF CAR, I SAW A YARD WITH ABOUT 150 TO 200 PONTIACS FROM ABOUT 1952 TO 1977, BONNEVILLES, CATALINAS, LEMANS, EXECUTIVES, GTOS, VENTURAS, GRAN PRIXS AND OTHERS. HOW MANY NAMES DO YOU RECALL?

THE NEXT ONE WAS NOT ONLY A GRAVE YARD BUT A RESTORATION SHOP AS WELL.

THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF COOL OLD RUSTY HULKS JUST SITTING ALONG THE ROAD IN YARDS AND FIELDS. REMEMBER IT IS WAY CHEAPER TO BY A NICE OLD CAR THAN TO FIX UP AND OLD CAR TO MAKE IT A NICE OLD CAR.

GOT INTO TO THE BAR S RV PARK IN GRANTS NEW MEXICO ABOUT 3 PM AND JUST RELAXED FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ENJOY!!

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

JANUARY 10th TUESDAY

THERE WAS NOT MUCH TO REPORT ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND SO THAT WAS THAT.

TODAY WE TOOK THE KNIGHT TO WAKARUSA INDIANA FOR A VISIT WITH THE FACTORY.

WE LEFT MONDAY RIGHT AFTER I FINISHED WITH THE DENTIST

WE STAYED OVERNIGHT IN SOUTH BEND AND ARRIVED A THE FACTORY ABOUT 8:30.

THERE WERE A FEW MINOR THINGS THAT NEEDED ATTENTION SUCH AS A RATTLE IN THE SCREEN DOOR, INSTALL A REMOTE EYE FOR THE DIRECTV, ADJUST THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS AND INSTALLED AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET FOR MY WINE CELLAR.

AS YOU MAY RECALL, I FELT THAT THE STEERING WANDERED TOO MUCH, THE ALIGNMENT WAS CHECKED AT THE NAVISTAR DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON WAS PRONOUNCED AOK.

I ASKED AT THE FACTORY TECHS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY IN FACT FOUND THAT THE FRONT RIDE HEIGHT WAS OVER AN INCH TOO HIGH.

YOU MIGHT THINK "SO WHAT" AN INCH IS NOT THAT MUCH, BUT WHEN THE FRONT OF A VEHICLE IS TO HIGH IT SHIFTS WEIGHT TO THE REAR AND IN SO DOING SO IT TAKES WEIGHT OFF OF THE FRONT STEERING WHEELS SO NOW THE WEIGHT THAT KEEPS THE TIRES ON THE GROUND IS LESS, CAUSING A WANDER IN THE STEERING.

THEY ADJUSTED THE RIDE HEIGHT AND IT SEEMED BETTER ON THE WAY HOME.

WE SHALL SEE AS WE TAKE IT TO CALIFORNIA.

OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WE FINISHED UP WITH THE NECESSARY ITEMS AND CREATURE COMFORTS AND INSTALLED THEM.

BY THE WAY THE LICENSE PLATE IS [WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT] "KNIGHT".

JANUARY 24 th TUESDAY

THE PLAN WAS TO LEAVE ON MONDAY BUT WE NEEDED AN EXTRA DAY.

THE PLAN WAS TO LEAVE ON TUESDAY AT 9 am.

AND THE PLAN TURNED OUT TO BE LEAVING AT ABOUT 11:30 am,

THE WEATHER FOR THE NEXT WEEK FROM NAPERVILLE TO INDIO CA. LOOKED PRETTY GOOD.

WE WERE SET TO ARRIVE AT THE PIN OAK RV PARK IN VILLA RIDGE MO IN THE LATE AFTERNOON BUT WITH SUCH A LATE START WE GOT THERE AFTER THE CAMP GROUND CLOSED. WE GOT THERE AT 6:05 AND THEY CLOSED AT 6 PM. OH WELL.

IT WAS PITCH BLACK OUTSIDE, AND THERE WERE MOSTLY NO LIGHTS ANYWHERE SO WE CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY MOVED THROUGH THE PARK UNTIL WE FOUND A DRIVE THRU PAD. THE COACH AND CAR TOTAL ABOUT 60 FEET LONG.

IN THE MORNING IT STARTED TO RAIN AND IT RAINED MOSTLY ALL DAY. OUR START TIME WAS ABOUT 10 am.

WE MADE PRETTY GOOD TIME ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25th

ABOUT 3pm THE RAIN STOPPED AND THAT CERTAINLY MADE THE DRIVING EASIER.

WE ARRIVED AT OAK GLEN RV PARK IN CHANDLER OK. AT ABOUT 5pm AND WERE DIRECTED TO OUR PAD. RED DIRT AND MORE RED DIRT.

FOR THE FIRST TIME I NEEDED TO EMPTY THE HOLDING TANKS. I WAS EXPECTING AN AWFUL PROJECT FROM WHAT EVERYONE SAYS.

WEAR SAFETY GLASSES, PROPER CLOTHES, BOOTS AND RUBBER GLOVES. I AM HAPPY TO SAY WITH THE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT I CHOSE FOR THE COACH, THE "JOB" WAS VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD, RUBER GLOVES WERE USED FOR SURE. GREY AND BLACK TANKS DRAINED AND FLUSHED, FRESH WATER FILLED AND PROPANE WILL BE ADDED TOMORROW.

THE SKY WAS AMAZINGLY CLEAR AS I GAZED OUT OF THE BEDROOM WINDOW AND AT LAST COUNT THERE WERE JUST OVER A BIZILLION STARS OUT AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

THURSDAY JAN26th,

THE NEXT LEG OF OUR JOURNEY BEGAN AT ABOUT 10am.

OVERCAST WAS THE LOOK OF THE MORNING BUT IT WAS ABOUT 60 DEGREES. WE TRAVELED ABOUT 100 MILES FOLLOWING THE "MOTHER ROAD" OLD ROUTE 66. WHAT FUN IT WAS TO SEE SOME OF THE ORIGINAL BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOW MUSEUMS OR TRINKET SHOPS. SOME OF THE OLDER ONES ARE EMPTY AND JUST FALLING APART.

THE CLOUDS CLEARED AND THE SKY WAS A BEAUTIFUL BLUE AND IS STILL 60 DEGREES.

WHEN WE STOPPED FOR FUEL AND OPENED THE DOOR WE KNEW SPRING WAS HERE.

I NOSED THE COACH INTO THE DRIVEWAY TO THE FORT AMARILLO RV RESORT, WE LIKE DRIVE THRU LOCATION SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE TOWED CAR EACH TIME. REMEMBER WE ARE ABOUT 60 FEET LONG.

WHAT A NICE PLACE, SANDY LOVED THE "GENERAL STORE". BOUGHT SOME NICE WINE THEMED COASTERS.

PROPANE GAS IN THE MORNING AND WE WILL BE OFF TO THE NEXT LAY OVER.

BY THE WAY I WAS REALLY BUMMED OUT TO HAVE MISSED THE ROTARY PARTY AT THE ROCK BOTTOM BREWING COMPANY TONIGHT.