Taking the Pennsylvania Shunpike; Changes in Latitude; Small Town San Diego; Upgrade
Jun 5, 2014, 3:09 am
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Taking the Pennsylvania Shunpike; Changes in Latitude; Small Town San Diego; Upgrade
Tour of Duty 1st April 2014 to 6th May 2014
Part IV: 26th April to 6th May
It was raining when I woke up in Ottawa on Saturday 26th May 2014. I was taken to YOW and dropped off. I checked in and checked bags and cleared security. When I went through the Metal Detector I was surprised to hear a beep. I was told I was randomly selected to go through the scanner or receive a pat down. I opted for the pat down. My carry on items were swabbed. Then I quickly precleared US Customs and arrived at gate in time for the flight.
United Express #3274 YOW-IAD E-145 Group 3
Seat 21A Cruising altitude not announced Estimated flying time 1:24, actual 1:08
Depart: Gate 3 Scheduled 10h00, actual 10h03 Taxi: 9 minutes
Arrive: Gate D8 Scheduled 11h32, actual 11h25 Taxi: 5 minutes
We boarded via jetway and it was still raining. All 50 seats were taken. Pushback was 3 minutes late and takeoff was to the east. I saw the Rideau-Carleton Raceway then we went into clouds at 1min24sec and over the first cloud layer at 2min34sec then above all clouds by 0:05. At 0:05 I got cup of soda. Clouds started to break. At 0:46 I thought I saw the Susquehanna River. At 0:51 I thought I felt descent begin over Carlisle, PA. At 0:53 descent was announced and it was clear and 59F at IAD. We landed north to south and arrived at gate 7 minutes early. We deplaned via jetway.
I took a shuttle that resembled a moonbuggy to Concourse A. I remember those moonbuggy shuttles used to be used to take passengers from the main terminal to planes which were parked on remote stands. I remember that in 1976, 1979 and 1980. I remember a similar system being used at ATL in 1974. I learned my connecting flight was delayed so I had lunch at Five Guys before heading to the gate.
United Express #3333 IAD-PHL E-145 Group 3
Seat 3A Cruising altitude 13,000 feet Estimated flying time 0:23, actual 0:35
Depart: Gate A2B Scheduled 12h36, actual 13h13 Taxi/hold: 15 minutes
Arrive: Gate D9 Scheduled 13h45, actual 14h07 Taxi: 3 minutes
Reclaim checked bags 17-18 minutes after arrival
We boarded via stairs. The plane was full or nearly full. The plane arrived late so pushback was 37 minutes late and takeoff was to the west then we turned north. At 0:04 I saw Interstate 66 then we went into clouds. We crossed the Potomac at 0:06. It was announced there was no service due to the short flight and we crossed Interstate 270 at 0:07 and I saw Frederick, MD to the near distance.
At 0:10 we crossed Interstate 70 and at 0:11 it was announced we would be starting descent into the PHL area soon. I saw the junction of Interstate 695 and 83 and part of the Baltimore area including Pimlico Downs. At 0:12 I saw clouds increase. I felt descent at 0:16 over Chesapeake Bay. I saw the mouth of the Susquehanna River at 0:17 and crossed the mouth of the Delaware River into New Jersey airspace at 0:21. At 0:27 I saw PHL and downtown Philadelphia and the Delaware River to the west. There were some bumps during descent and we turned and landed north to south and arrived at gate 22 minutes late. We deplaned via jetway.
After I claimed my bags I got information about where I was to go and information about the truck. I made query about ground transportation and took a shuttle van to Thorofare, NJ where I got the truck.
Trip: Thorofare, NJ to New Berlin, WI 875 paid miles
Make: 2015 Freightliner
Model: Vacuum Truck
Transmission: Automatic
Route: New Jersey 44 to Interstate 295 to Interstate 95 to New Jersey 31 to Interstate 78 to US22 to Pennsylvania 33 to Interstate 80 to Interstate 90 to Interstate 65 to Interstate 94 to Interstate 294 Tri State Tollway to Interstate 94 to Interstate 894 to Interstate 43
Maximum elevation: 2,250 feet on Interstate 80 about 10 miles west of Clearfield, PA
Diesel price USA highest: $4.239/gallon at Flying J Lamar, PA
Diesel price USA lowest: $3.859/gallon at Petro Gary, IN
Permits required: none
I consulted my Road Atlas and determined that the most direct route would be to get to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and take that across Pennsylvania to the Ohio Turnpike then continue west. However I opted to take the Pennsylvania "Shunpike" instead. Shunpike is a term for a viable alternate route that avoids the turnpike or toll road.
The tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are quite high especially for those paying cash. The cash toll going from New Jersey to Ohio for a passenger car is 38$ For a full size semi with gross weight between 62,001 and 80,000lbs the toll is 205.55$. If I had a concrete pumper weighing almost 105,000lbs like I had once some years ago the toll would have been an astronomical 1,524.10$. I was not sure what the gross weight of the vehicle I had was because I knew it was legal but the toll would have been either 80.85$ or 113.35$.
I headed north on Interstate 295 and got off at Bordentown and took on fuel at the Petro. I was unhappy to find the restaurant was closed for renovation but I went to the fuel bar and got a burger at the deli for my evening rations. While I ate there was a brief thundershower. There was a little light rain for a short time as I continued north on Interstate 295 which became Interstate 95 in the Trenton area. I took New Jersey 31 north and connected to westbound Interstate 78. By that time the rain quit. I stopped at motel and when I got into the room I found the toilet seat was on the sink. This was unacceptable so I took a couple of pictures with my digital camera and showed the front desk and was switched to another room which was acceptable and I spent the night in Phillipsburg, NJ.
Sunday morning I found parking in residential area and attended Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Phillipsburg, NJ. The sermon was "God's Directions to Families" based on Colossians 3:20-21. After the service I stopped at WaWa to get some food then WalMart to get some supplies. It dawned on me I forgot my jacket and left it at the motel so I phoned up the motel and proceeded there and I retrieved the jacket. Then I crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and had to pay a toll for that privilege. If you leave New Jersey by road, there are few ways that do not involve a toll.
I headed west on US22 then took Pennsylvania 33 to westbound Interstate 80 and thus I shunned the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I continued west, took on fuel in Lamar and shut down and spent the night in Harrisville, PA.
Monday I continued west into Ohio and stopped to take on fuel in Girard (Youngstown) and had a chip chopped ham sandwich for lunch. The first drops of rain fell in Girard and it rained through the Cleveland area. The rain stopped before Toledo and it was pretty dry until near Elkhart, IN where there was a thunderstorm. I spent the night in South Bend, IN.
Tuesday it was clear when I started. The temperatures got up to the low 70'sF in Indiana. It clouded up and there was rain and wind near the bottom of the Chicago area. I stopped at the O'Hare Oasis for lunch then continued into Wisconsin where the temperatures were no better than the high 40'sF. I made it to New Berlin where I did an after hours delivery. Actually I did a delivery and pickup as the next truck was at the same place so it was a matter of switching my gear from one truck to the next, doing inspection on the new truck, parking the truck I delivered and heading out.
Trip: New Berlin, WI to San Diego, TX 1,415 paid miles
Make: 2015 Peterbilt
Model: Vacuum Truck Mud Dog
Transmission: Standard 18 speed
Route: Interstate 43 to Interstate 894 to Interstate 94 to Wisconsin 11 to Interstate 43 to Interstate 90 to Interstate 39 to Interstate 59 to Illinois 159 to Interstate 64 to Interstate 255 to Interstate 270 to Interstate 44 to US69 to US75 to Interstate 45 to Interstate 20 to Interstate 35E to Interstate 35 to US281 to Texas 44 and 359
Maximum elevation: unknown but about 1,300 feet along Interstate 44 in Springfield, MO
Diesel price USA highest: $3.999/gallon at Pilot Oak Creek, WI
Diesel price USA lowest: $3.759/gallon at Flying J Sullivan, MO and Checotah, OK
Permits required: none
By the time I finished the delivery and pickup I knew I was low on legal hours to drive. As a result I diverted to Oak Creek, WI where I spent the night.
Wednesday it was cloudy and cool and there was off and on light rain from Atlanta, IL to south of Springfield, IL. There were multiple construction zones around Lincoln, IL. I spent the night in Troy, IL.
Thursday I routed myself to avoid a weigh scale in Illinois and in so doing I went through Collinsville, IL where I saw and photographed the world's largest ketchup bottle. I crossed the Mississippi into Missouri and stopped at Mr. Fuel in Villa Ridge, MO where I had a delicious deli sandwich made to order. I took on fuel in Sullivan, MO and continued west on Interstate 44. I saw and photographed a little of old route 66 in Lebanon, MO. I stopped for dinner in Mt. Vernon, MO and had a brief visit with a friend of mine who used to live in California 15 years ago. I made it into Oklahoma and stopped and spent the night in Miami, OK.
Friday I continued south on the Oklahoma Turnpike and exited to take US69 south at Big Cabin. I had lunch at truckstop in Big Cabin. I stopped at an Amish store in Choteau, OK and took on fuel in Checotah, OK hometown of Carrie Underwood. There were five work zones that day: one on the Oklahoma Turnpike, two on US69 in Oklahoma and two on US75 in Texas, the last one being a real doozy north of Dallas. Had I been one day later that section would have been closed. The weather warmed up as I headed south. I spent the night in Dallas, TX.
Saturday it was warmer. I continued south on the 35E and exited at Carl's Corner and was dismayed that Willie's Place was no more. In its place was a Petro Truckstop. I saw a billboard saying that Up In Smoke BBQ moved to downtown Hillsboro from its location next to Interstate 35 so I phoned up and got directions. I had my lunch at Up In Smoke and as an added bonus I saw and took some photographs of downtown Hillsboro, TX.
I continued south and Interstate 35 seemed to be one big construction zone for at least 70 miles. I guess they do things bigger in Texas. The construction went from south of Hillsboro to Salado. I made a pit stop in Jarrell then another stop in New Braunfels to take on some fuel. I made it to San Antonio, TX where I spent the night.
Sunday morning I got directions and proceeded to Community Baptist Church in Elmendorf, TX (southeast part of San Antonio off the 37 and Anderson Loop 1604). The sermon was on John 3:31-36 "None Like Jesus". After church I had lunch at Bill Millers BBQ then continued south.
I exited Interstate 37 in Three Rivers and headed south on US281 to Alice. I checked into motel which turned out to be not that great and offloaded almost all my stuff. Then I phoned up the customer and headed to San Diego where I was met by someone who worked for the customer and I made a rare Sunday delivery.
San Diego, Texas is the county seat of Duval County and a sign says the population is 4,753, much less than another San Diego which is a lot more famous. San Diego is about 10 miles west of Alice, TX where Texas 44 and 359 run concurrently. San Diego is also about 55 miles from Corpus Christi and 85 miles from Laredo. I was able to take some pictures of San Diego before I was taken back to my motel in Alice. Just a couple of blocks from my hotel the person who gave me the ride was stopped by a state trooper for doing about 3mph over the posted speed limit. He was given a written warning and then I was dropped off at the motel. I spent the night in Alice, TX.
Monday morning I phoned the company. I wanted to go home and the plan was to fly me out of Corpus Christi. The company booked me a one way rental car to Corpus Christi Airport but a cheap fare from San Antonio popped up so the destination was changed to SAT. I had to wait for ride to the car rental place but finally I got the car. I headed over to Corpus Christi and took some pictures as this was my first time in that city. Then I rocketed up Interstate 37 toward San Antonio. My speed crept up to 80 and 85mph a couple of times before I backed it down to the posted limit of 75mph. However many other vehicles went even faster and some may have exceeded 100mph as there were no police around.
I stopped at Choke Canyon and had BBQ sandwiches. I asked if they had tri-tip but they did not know what I was talking about so I settled for sliced beef brisket which was good. I made it to San Antonio and found a car park and paid 10$ to park. I walked over to the Alamo and took pictures from the outside. Then I walked toward the Tower of the Americas and took the Riverwalk part of the way. I paid admission and went up the Tower of the Americas to the Observation Deck and saw and photographed the views and I saw and photographed the sunset. Then I headed back to the car and headed to hotel and spent the night in San Antonio, TX.
Tuesday I got up bright and early and turned in the rental car. The signage to the rental car return was quite poor in my opinion. Then I got shuttle to the terminal. I checked in and before I checked bags I found out an upgrade to First Class for the SAT-DFW segment would be 45$. Checked bag fees for economy were 60$ for the two bags I check. By paying the 45$ to upgrade the first segment I was excused from paying the baggage fees, resulting in a net savings of 15$ so I upgraded. With the upgrade I got through security quicker. I opted out and was patted down.
American #1274 SAT-DFW MD-80
Seat 4F First Class Cruising altitude 29,000 feet Estimated flying time 0:44, actual 0:47
Depart: Gate B6 Scheduled 08h05, actual 07h59 Taxi: 11 minutes
Arrive: Gate C26 Scheduled 09h15, actual 09h09 Taxi: 11 minutes
We boarded via jetway. I was offered PDB and opted for ice water. Pushback was 6 minutes early. It was announced it was partly cloudy and 66F at DFW. Takeoff was to the north. I saw the terminal then the junction of Interstate 410 and US281. We were in the clouds within 23sec after takeoff and over the clouds by 1min4sec.
Seatbelt sign went off at 0:13 and the clouds broke. I got Biscoff at 0:16 and glass of Dr. Pepper at 0:17. I thought I felt descent at 0:19. Seatbelt sign went on at 0:27 and descent was announced. I got a mint at 0:32. We crossed Interstate 20 at 0:35 and made turns and landed north to south and arrived at gate 6 minutes early. We deplaned via jetway.
I had to change concourses for the next flight. En route, I had a chat with the person who turned out to be the gate agent for my connecting flight. I told her my father was a pilot for AA. We had a little chat and I mentioned the computer gave me an aisle seat but I desired a window seat and she said she would do what she can.
American #2423 DFW-LAX B-767-300 Group 3
Seat 17J Cruising altitude 34,000 feet Estimated flying time 2:53, actual 2:56
Depart: Gate A24 Scheduled 10h30, actual 10h26 Taxi: 15 minutes
Arrive: Gate 49A Scheduled 11h50, actual 11h44 Taxi: 5 minutes
Reclaim checked bags 21-22 minutes after arrival
I was paged and given boarding pass with the window seat as I requested. I was thrilled when I saw my seat was 17J as I recalled that some posters on Flyertalk mentioned good things about that specific row. We boarded via jetway. All 214 seats on the 767 were taken and there was a crew of 8 on this flight for a total of 222 people on board. I noticed there were new style overhead bins for Business Class as well as Main Cabin Extra but regular economy had the old style bins. My briefcase had to be stowed in a closet as there was not enough room in the overhead bin and there was no floor storage at my row. My boot bag did fit in the overhead bin.
Pushback was 4 minutes early and it was announced it was cloudy and 57F at LAX. Takeoff was to the south. At 0:02 I saw downtown Ft. Worth to the distance. Then we turned to the west and west northwest. At 0:16 it was announced we reached cruise altitude and at 0:19 seatbelt sign went off. At 0:38 I got can of Dr. Pepper.
Seatbelt sign went on at 0:58 and off at 1:08. I purchased a Chicken Caeser Salad at 1:10. At 1:14 seatbelt sign went on and we crossed the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque, NM at 1:16. Clouds increased and the view was mostly blocked by clouds and there were bumps for a time.
I found out this seat had a footrest that could be extended and the recline went way back so with the full recline and footrest out I was in a position that was almost but not quite lie-flat. I believe my row was used for crew rest on some of the longer intercontinental flights some of which could exceed 10 hours.
At 1:48 I saw Interstate 40 and the San Francisco Peaks to the distance. At 1:53 we passed to the south of Flagstaff, AZ and I got view of the Mogollon Rim at 1:54 then there more clouds. At 2:25 clouds broke over the Mojave Desert in eastern California. At 2:27 it was announced we would be descending shortly and it was 64F at LAX. Seatbelt sign went on at 2:29 and I saw California 62 and the Joshua Tree area.
I felt descent begin at 2:33 and we were over the San Bernardino Mountains at 2:35. I saw San Bernardino through a break in the clouds at 2:41. At 2:42 I saw the junction of California 60, California 91 and Interstate 215 in Riverside. There were some bumps and I saw ONT at 2:45.
We went into clouds at 2:48 and there were some bumps. At 2:51 I saw the Puente Hills and we crossed Interstate 605 at the same time. We passed downtown Los Angeles at 2:53 and landed east to west and arrived at gate 6 minutes early. After I reclaimed my checked bags I got a shuttle and arrived home after being away for 36 days.
Part IV: 26th April to 6th May
It was raining when I woke up in Ottawa on Saturday 26th May 2014. I was taken to YOW and dropped off. I checked in and checked bags and cleared security. When I went through the Metal Detector I was surprised to hear a beep. I was told I was randomly selected to go through the scanner or receive a pat down. I opted for the pat down. My carry on items were swabbed. Then I quickly precleared US Customs and arrived at gate in time for the flight.
United Express #3274 YOW-IAD E-145 Group 3
Seat 21A Cruising altitude not announced Estimated flying time 1:24, actual 1:08
Depart: Gate 3 Scheduled 10h00, actual 10h03 Taxi: 9 minutes
Arrive: Gate D8 Scheduled 11h32, actual 11h25 Taxi: 5 minutes
We boarded via jetway and it was still raining. All 50 seats were taken. Pushback was 3 minutes late and takeoff was to the east. I saw the Rideau-Carleton Raceway then we went into clouds at 1min24sec and over the first cloud layer at 2min34sec then above all clouds by 0:05. At 0:05 I got cup of soda. Clouds started to break. At 0:46 I thought I saw the Susquehanna River. At 0:51 I thought I felt descent begin over Carlisle, PA. At 0:53 descent was announced and it was clear and 59F at IAD. We landed north to south and arrived at gate 7 minutes early. We deplaned via jetway.
I took a shuttle that resembled a moonbuggy to Concourse A. I remember those moonbuggy shuttles used to be used to take passengers from the main terminal to planes which were parked on remote stands. I remember that in 1976, 1979 and 1980. I remember a similar system being used at ATL in 1974. I learned my connecting flight was delayed so I had lunch at Five Guys before heading to the gate.
United Express #3333 IAD-PHL E-145 Group 3
Seat 3A Cruising altitude 13,000 feet Estimated flying time 0:23, actual 0:35
Depart: Gate A2B Scheduled 12h36, actual 13h13 Taxi/hold: 15 minutes
Arrive: Gate D9 Scheduled 13h45, actual 14h07 Taxi: 3 minutes
Reclaim checked bags 17-18 minutes after arrival
We boarded via stairs. The plane was full or nearly full. The plane arrived late so pushback was 37 minutes late and takeoff was to the west then we turned north. At 0:04 I saw Interstate 66 then we went into clouds. We crossed the Potomac at 0:06. It was announced there was no service due to the short flight and we crossed Interstate 270 at 0:07 and I saw Frederick, MD to the near distance.
At 0:10 we crossed Interstate 70 and at 0:11 it was announced we would be starting descent into the PHL area soon. I saw the junction of Interstate 695 and 83 and part of the Baltimore area including Pimlico Downs. At 0:12 I saw clouds increase. I felt descent at 0:16 over Chesapeake Bay. I saw the mouth of the Susquehanna River at 0:17 and crossed the mouth of the Delaware River into New Jersey airspace at 0:21. At 0:27 I saw PHL and downtown Philadelphia and the Delaware River to the west. There were some bumps during descent and we turned and landed north to south and arrived at gate 22 minutes late. We deplaned via jetway.
After I claimed my bags I got information about where I was to go and information about the truck. I made query about ground transportation and took a shuttle van to Thorofare, NJ where I got the truck.
Trip: Thorofare, NJ to New Berlin, WI 875 paid miles
Make: 2015 Freightliner
Model: Vacuum Truck
Transmission: Automatic
Route: New Jersey 44 to Interstate 295 to Interstate 95 to New Jersey 31 to Interstate 78 to US22 to Pennsylvania 33 to Interstate 80 to Interstate 90 to Interstate 65 to Interstate 94 to Interstate 294 Tri State Tollway to Interstate 94 to Interstate 894 to Interstate 43
Maximum elevation: 2,250 feet on Interstate 80 about 10 miles west of Clearfield, PA
Diesel price USA highest: $4.239/gallon at Flying J Lamar, PA
Diesel price USA lowest: $3.859/gallon at Petro Gary, IN
Permits required: none
I consulted my Road Atlas and determined that the most direct route would be to get to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and take that across Pennsylvania to the Ohio Turnpike then continue west. However I opted to take the Pennsylvania "Shunpike" instead. Shunpike is a term for a viable alternate route that avoids the turnpike or toll road.
The tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are quite high especially for those paying cash. The cash toll going from New Jersey to Ohio for a passenger car is 38$ For a full size semi with gross weight between 62,001 and 80,000lbs the toll is 205.55$. If I had a concrete pumper weighing almost 105,000lbs like I had once some years ago the toll would have been an astronomical 1,524.10$. I was not sure what the gross weight of the vehicle I had was because I knew it was legal but the toll would have been either 80.85$ or 113.35$.
I headed north on Interstate 295 and got off at Bordentown and took on fuel at the Petro. I was unhappy to find the restaurant was closed for renovation but I went to the fuel bar and got a burger at the deli for my evening rations. While I ate there was a brief thundershower. There was a little light rain for a short time as I continued north on Interstate 295 which became Interstate 95 in the Trenton area. I took New Jersey 31 north and connected to westbound Interstate 78. By that time the rain quit. I stopped at motel and when I got into the room I found the toilet seat was on the sink. This was unacceptable so I took a couple of pictures with my digital camera and showed the front desk and was switched to another room which was acceptable and I spent the night in Phillipsburg, NJ.
Sunday morning I found parking in residential area and attended Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Phillipsburg, NJ. The sermon was "God's Directions to Families" based on Colossians 3:20-21. After the service I stopped at WaWa to get some food then WalMart to get some supplies. It dawned on me I forgot my jacket and left it at the motel so I phoned up the motel and proceeded there and I retrieved the jacket. Then I crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and had to pay a toll for that privilege. If you leave New Jersey by road, there are few ways that do not involve a toll.
I headed west on US22 then took Pennsylvania 33 to westbound Interstate 80 and thus I shunned the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I continued west, took on fuel in Lamar and shut down and spent the night in Harrisville, PA.
Monday I continued west into Ohio and stopped to take on fuel in Girard (Youngstown) and had a chip chopped ham sandwich for lunch. The first drops of rain fell in Girard and it rained through the Cleveland area. The rain stopped before Toledo and it was pretty dry until near Elkhart, IN where there was a thunderstorm. I spent the night in South Bend, IN.
Tuesday it was clear when I started. The temperatures got up to the low 70'sF in Indiana. It clouded up and there was rain and wind near the bottom of the Chicago area. I stopped at the O'Hare Oasis for lunch then continued into Wisconsin where the temperatures were no better than the high 40'sF. I made it to New Berlin where I did an after hours delivery. Actually I did a delivery and pickup as the next truck was at the same place so it was a matter of switching my gear from one truck to the next, doing inspection on the new truck, parking the truck I delivered and heading out.
Trip: New Berlin, WI to San Diego, TX 1,415 paid miles
Make: 2015 Peterbilt
Model: Vacuum Truck Mud Dog
Transmission: Standard 18 speed
Route: Interstate 43 to Interstate 894 to Interstate 94 to Wisconsin 11 to Interstate 43 to Interstate 90 to Interstate 39 to Interstate 59 to Illinois 159 to Interstate 64 to Interstate 255 to Interstate 270 to Interstate 44 to US69 to US75 to Interstate 45 to Interstate 20 to Interstate 35E to Interstate 35 to US281 to Texas 44 and 359
Maximum elevation: unknown but about 1,300 feet along Interstate 44 in Springfield, MO
Diesel price USA highest: $3.999/gallon at Pilot Oak Creek, WI
Diesel price USA lowest: $3.759/gallon at Flying J Sullivan, MO and Checotah, OK
Permits required: none
By the time I finished the delivery and pickup I knew I was low on legal hours to drive. As a result I diverted to Oak Creek, WI where I spent the night.
Wednesday it was cloudy and cool and there was off and on light rain from Atlanta, IL to south of Springfield, IL. There were multiple construction zones around Lincoln, IL. I spent the night in Troy, IL.
Thursday I routed myself to avoid a weigh scale in Illinois and in so doing I went through Collinsville, IL where I saw and photographed the world's largest ketchup bottle. I crossed the Mississippi into Missouri and stopped at Mr. Fuel in Villa Ridge, MO where I had a delicious deli sandwich made to order. I took on fuel in Sullivan, MO and continued west on Interstate 44. I saw and photographed a little of old route 66 in Lebanon, MO. I stopped for dinner in Mt. Vernon, MO and had a brief visit with a friend of mine who used to live in California 15 years ago. I made it into Oklahoma and stopped and spent the night in Miami, OK.
Friday I continued south on the Oklahoma Turnpike and exited to take US69 south at Big Cabin. I had lunch at truckstop in Big Cabin. I stopped at an Amish store in Choteau, OK and took on fuel in Checotah, OK hometown of Carrie Underwood. There were five work zones that day: one on the Oklahoma Turnpike, two on US69 in Oklahoma and two on US75 in Texas, the last one being a real doozy north of Dallas. Had I been one day later that section would have been closed. The weather warmed up as I headed south. I spent the night in Dallas, TX.
Saturday it was warmer. I continued south on the 35E and exited at Carl's Corner and was dismayed that Willie's Place was no more. In its place was a Petro Truckstop. I saw a billboard saying that Up In Smoke BBQ moved to downtown Hillsboro from its location next to Interstate 35 so I phoned up and got directions. I had my lunch at Up In Smoke and as an added bonus I saw and took some photographs of downtown Hillsboro, TX.
I continued south and Interstate 35 seemed to be one big construction zone for at least 70 miles. I guess they do things bigger in Texas. The construction went from south of Hillsboro to Salado. I made a pit stop in Jarrell then another stop in New Braunfels to take on some fuel. I made it to San Antonio, TX where I spent the night.
Sunday morning I got directions and proceeded to Community Baptist Church in Elmendorf, TX (southeast part of San Antonio off the 37 and Anderson Loop 1604). The sermon was on John 3:31-36 "None Like Jesus". After church I had lunch at Bill Millers BBQ then continued south.
I exited Interstate 37 in Three Rivers and headed south on US281 to Alice. I checked into motel which turned out to be not that great and offloaded almost all my stuff. Then I phoned up the customer and headed to San Diego where I was met by someone who worked for the customer and I made a rare Sunday delivery.
San Diego, Texas is the county seat of Duval County and a sign says the population is 4,753, much less than another San Diego which is a lot more famous. San Diego is about 10 miles west of Alice, TX where Texas 44 and 359 run concurrently. San Diego is also about 55 miles from Corpus Christi and 85 miles from Laredo. I was able to take some pictures of San Diego before I was taken back to my motel in Alice. Just a couple of blocks from my hotel the person who gave me the ride was stopped by a state trooper for doing about 3mph over the posted speed limit. He was given a written warning and then I was dropped off at the motel. I spent the night in Alice, TX.
Monday morning I phoned the company. I wanted to go home and the plan was to fly me out of Corpus Christi. The company booked me a one way rental car to Corpus Christi Airport but a cheap fare from San Antonio popped up so the destination was changed to SAT. I had to wait for ride to the car rental place but finally I got the car. I headed over to Corpus Christi and took some pictures as this was my first time in that city. Then I rocketed up Interstate 37 toward San Antonio. My speed crept up to 80 and 85mph a couple of times before I backed it down to the posted limit of 75mph. However many other vehicles went even faster and some may have exceeded 100mph as there were no police around.
I stopped at Choke Canyon and had BBQ sandwiches. I asked if they had tri-tip but they did not know what I was talking about so I settled for sliced beef brisket which was good. I made it to San Antonio and found a car park and paid 10$ to park. I walked over to the Alamo and took pictures from the outside. Then I walked toward the Tower of the Americas and took the Riverwalk part of the way. I paid admission and went up the Tower of the Americas to the Observation Deck and saw and photographed the views and I saw and photographed the sunset. Then I headed back to the car and headed to hotel and spent the night in San Antonio, TX.
Tuesday I got up bright and early and turned in the rental car. The signage to the rental car return was quite poor in my opinion. Then I got shuttle to the terminal. I checked in and before I checked bags I found out an upgrade to First Class for the SAT-DFW segment would be 45$. Checked bag fees for economy were 60$ for the two bags I check. By paying the 45$ to upgrade the first segment I was excused from paying the baggage fees, resulting in a net savings of 15$ so I upgraded. With the upgrade I got through security quicker. I opted out and was patted down.
American #1274 SAT-DFW MD-80
Seat 4F First Class Cruising altitude 29,000 feet Estimated flying time 0:44, actual 0:47
Depart: Gate B6 Scheduled 08h05, actual 07h59 Taxi: 11 minutes
Arrive: Gate C26 Scheduled 09h15, actual 09h09 Taxi: 11 minutes
We boarded via jetway. I was offered PDB and opted for ice water. Pushback was 6 minutes early. It was announced it was partly cloudy and 66F at DFW. Takeoff was to the north. I saw the terminal then the junction of Interstate 410 and US281. We were in the clouds within 23sec after takeoff and over the clouds by 1min4sec.
Seatbelt sign went off at 0:13 and the clouds broke. I got Biscoff at 0:16 and glass of Dr. Pepper at 0:17. I thought I felt descent at 0:19. Seatbelt sign went on at 0:27 and descent was announced. I got a mint at 0:32. We crossed Interstate 20 at 0:35 and made turns and landed north to south and arrived at gate 6 minutes early. We deplaned via jetway.
I had to change concourses for the next flight. En route, I had a chat with the person who turned out to be the gate agent for my connecting flight. I told her my father was a pilot for AA. We had a little chat and I mentioned the computer gave me an aisle seat but I desired a window seat and she said she would do what she can.
American #2423 DFW-LAX B-767-300 Group 3
Seat 17J Cruising altitude 34,000 feet Estimated flying time 2:53, actual 2:56
Depart: Gate A24 Scheduled 10h30, actual 10h26 Taxi: 15 minutes
Arrive: Gate 49A Scheduled 11h50, actual 11h44 Taxi: 5 minutes
Reclaim checked bags 21-22 minutes after arrival
I was paged and given boarding pass with the window seat as I requested. I was thrilled when I saw my seat was 17J as I recalled that some posters on Flyertalk mentioned good things about that specific row. We boarded via jetway. All 214 seats on the 767 were taken and there was a crew of 8 on this flight for a total of 222 people on board. I noticed there were new style overhead bins for Business Class as well as Main Cabin Extra but regular economy had the old style bins. My briefcase had to be stowed in a closet as there was not enough room in the overhead bin and there was no floor storage at my row. My boot bag did fit in the overhead bin.
Pushback was 4 minutes early and it was announced it was cloudy and 57F at LAX. Takeoff was to the south. At 0:02 I saw downtown Ft. Worth to the distance. Then we turned to the west and west northwest. At 0:16 it was announced we reached cruise altitude and at 0:19 seatbelt sign went off. At 0:38 I got can of Dr. Pepper.
Seatbelt sign went on at 0:58 and off at 1:08. I purchased a Chicken Caeser Salad at 1:10. At 1:14 seatbelt sign went on and we crossed the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque, NM at 1:16. Clouds increased and the view was mostly blocked by clouds and there were bumps for a time.
I found out this seat had a footrest that could be extended and the recline went way back so with the full recline and footrest out I was in a position that was almost but not quite lie-flat. I believe my row was used for crew rest on some of the longer intercontinental flights some of which could exceed 10 hours.
At 1:48 I saw Interstate 40 and the San Francisco Peaks to the distance. At 1:53 we passed to the south of Flagstaff, AZ and I got view of the Mogollon Rim at 1:54 then there more clouds. At 2:25 clouds broke over the Mojave Desert in eastern California. At 2:27 it was announced we would be descending shortly and it was 64F at LAX. Seatbelt sign went on at 2:29 and I saw California 62 and the Joshua Tree area.
I felt descent begin at 2:33 and we were over the San Bernardino Mountains at 2:35. I saw San Bernardino through a break in the clouds at 2:41. At 2:42 I saw the junction of California 60, California 91 and Interstate 215 in Riverside. There were some bumps and I saw ONT at 2:45.
We went into clouds at 2:48 and there were some bumps. At 2:51 I saw the Puente Hills and we crossed Interstate 605 at the same time. We passed downtown Los Angeles at 2:53 and landed east to west and arrived at gate 6 minutes early. After I reclaimed my checked bags I got a shuttle and arrived home after being away for 36 days.
Last edited by Loose Cannon; Jun 5, 2014 at 5:09 am
Jun 6, 2014, 2:50 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Let me check my Logbook
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards; AAdvantage; Alaska Mileage Plan; Wyndham Rewards; Choice Hotels
Posts: 2,350
Here are some links to some pictures
Collinsville, Illinois
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Diego, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
Corpus Christi, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Antonio, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Diego, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
Corpus Christi, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Antonio, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
Jun 6, 2014, 5:34 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,517
Collinsville, Illinois
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Diego, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
Corpus Christi, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Antonio, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Diego, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
Corpus Christi, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
San Antonio, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/dale.parkes...4008435&type=3
)
Jun 15, 2014, 7:50 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: marriot
Posts: 14
Pennsylvania shunpike
I prefer to shun all turnpikes. I live less than a mile from the Ohio turnpike. I haven't been on it since 1997 when they started raising the tolls. I use the money I save by not taking the pike into a vacation account. Its funded many vacations. The way I drive to Cleveland takes me twenty minutes longer but saves me over ten dollars.