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