Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 20:34:10 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@ROADRUNNER.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@ROADRUNNER.COM>
Subject: Back Online - The rest of the story
-- [ From: John Rodgers * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --
After all the hassles getting my Vanagon ready to go, the journey itself to
NM was relatively uneventful. My H2O VW (license plate number) ran
flawlessly the entire trip.
Left Pelham, AL (Just south of Birminham) at 6 am sharp on Saturday morning
Traveling Highway 78 to Memphis, and arrived at the Travel Lodge on the
western edge of Oklahoma City at 9 pm. Two events stood out on that leg of
the journey. One was the endurance contest of my kidneys vs Interstate 40
while crossing Arkansas. Worst roads I ever saw. The highway is made of
concrete slabs..poured in sections. Imagine hundreds of miles of ceramic
tiles laid end to end, each with a bow or warp in the middle causing the
edges to turn up. That is I-40 through Arkansas. Alaska Highway was silk by
comparison. Would suggest avoiding I-40 thru Arkansas when traveling if at
all possible.
Departed OKC at 5:30 AM Sunday morning. Arrived at my little Casita in
Espanola at 3 PM Mountain Time ( 4 PM Alabama time)(CST).
The exciting events were(1) on the west side of Ammarillo, TX on I-40 I
passed a HUGE stock yard/cattle feed lot. The cattle were so jammed in there
and there were so many, that the HUGE quantities of urine and dung decaying
produced a cloud of ammonia over the highway that was both blinding and
choking. Closing windows and air vents did not help. Being somewhat
asthmatic my lungs inmmediated closed up and I went into spasms of coughing
and spitting up fluid. And my eyes burned. It took me over a hundred miles
before I began to feel the tightness in my chest begin to relax and I could
breath freely again. Some experience.
Also about TX and OK ...the country stinks!!! There may not be a cow in site
, but it smells like a cattle lot.!! Had similar experience coming across
Montana and Wyoming when I drove down from Alaska. You could smell-um but
you couldn't see'um. Darndest thing!
In eastern NM I encountered a a herd of approx. 35 Antelope. That was a
sight to see. And I saw one roadrunner.
Except for the above --- and the incredible truck traffic all the way - it
was a nice trip. I did do a lot of left lane driving because the trucks
would overtake me and have to pull out to the left lane so I just stayed in
the left lane, thus allowing them to carry on without having to go around me
.
One zinger has occurred. I suspect that from all the pounding on I-40 that
it was inevitable, but I now have a "thunk" in the front end when I start,
stop, or drive over a rough spot in the road. Sounds like a card board box
flopping around. Don't think it's heater or blower related.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
John Rodgers
"88 GL driver
