I going to rant & rave in just a minute – first I need to cool off a little.
We left Amarillo, TX this am knowing we had a seven hour drive ahead of us before we would arrive in Tulsa. Down the road from our campground in Amarillo was a place that I had seen on TV and in pictures but had never seen in person. I’m just not sure what to call it. Some guy ‘planted’ ten Cadillac's in a field just off of I-40. People come and bring cans of spray paint with them and they ‘decorate’ the Cadillac's. Some people cal it interactive art; I just call it fun and weird all at the same time. Definitely worth seeing though… even the President thinks its cool…
Google maps said it would take about six hours and I usually add 30 minutes if we need diesel and another 30 minutes for lunch/pit stops.
We can only buy diesel at truck stops. Not because you can’t buy diesel at normal gas stations (you can at many of them) and not because it’s better diesel (although with all of their volume for trucks they do a better job at keeping water out of the storage tanks). Nor is it because you get a better price at truck stops (although usually you do get it for a few cents cheaper.
Nope, the reason we MUST get our diesel at truck stops is because we don’t fit in normal gas stations. Our motor home is 38 feet long plus the motorcycle carrier plus the tow bar plus the CR-V. All in all it brings us in around 62 feet in length. But the real kicker is the opening for adding fuel is located on the very back of the RV. I have to pull all they way thru the pumping area until the back of the RV is even with the fuel hose.
Most stations do not have enough room for me to pull through and then still be able to make a turn back to the roadway. Poor design if you ask me (or even if you don’t ask I’ll still tell you it’s a poor design).
That said we try to be careful not to hold up any truckers. After all, they are working and usually get paid by the mile. So today, some trucker pumps his diesel and then goes inside and doesn’t return for over 20 minutes. Usually, after you pump, most people pull their rig up far enough to let the next person pump their fuel while the first party goes inside and pays, etc.
Not this guy. I try not to buy into stereotypes (especially the obvious ones) however I couldn’t help notice this rude and inconsiderate guy’s truck had NJ plates. I’m just saying….
I guess you thought I had started my ranting and raving however that was just a pet peeve.
My real rant is about toll roads and the state of Oklahoma. Just before you get to Oklahoma City we had to get on a toll way that would take us the last 70 miles to Tulsa. And how much do you pay for the privilege of driving on this road? How about just under $15! And at the first of three toll booths we had to come up with $2.30 in exact change since the booth is unattended.
Of course my fee with an RV towing a car was 2X what a car would pay. But still, even $7.50 is outrageous, especially is you are one of the poor citizens of OK who are forced to pay this on a regular basis. To be fair, the road is in much better shape than the other highways/interstates that I’ve driven on in OK.
Oh well, I’m done. I’m sure the elected officials here in OK have only the best interest of their citizens at heart. In fact, I’ll bet as soon as the road is paid for they will lower the tolls….
See Ya!
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