On The Road in the Little Mack Truck – Canada-USA-Mexico

November 1, 2018

Winnipeg Manitoba to Fargo North Dakota

The day has finally come, the day we leave on our southern journey.  This day also has two other significant events in my life.  October 31, 1998, the day I found my breast cancer tumor and just a year later on November 1, 1999, the day my father passed away.  I had memories of being afraid, apprehensive to sadness, sorrow and grief.  The years have lessened the pain from those two years and today I go forward with a bright, eager outlook of what’s to come.  I even found a white feather by my pillow the night before, they say they are from angels or loves one’s letting you know they are they.  With both my mother and father gone, I believe it is good tidings they send for my journey.  I have brought them along in the locket I had made of their ashes.

My partner Chris converted an old 1989 Mack personal fire carrier into a motorhome, which took two years to convert as he was still driving long haul. It comes equipped with solar panels and a generator so we can experience life off the grid.

We had a late start around 10:15 am by the time we were all packed.  The temperature in Winnipeg was 0 Celsius with cloud cover, unusual for Winnipeg as we do get lots of sun.  We had a stop to make in Steinbach for Chris to put his mustang on layaway, get his American currency and have the wheels torqued before we were off.  It was a good three hours later when we were finally taking the backroads to the US Border.

At the border Chris being British needed to get an I94, almost like a visa, I being Canadian, my passport was sufficient.

We left the border at 3:45 pm making our way to Grand Forks to fuel up with diesel.  It is raining by the time we made it, delaying for a tea break and then carried onto Fargo, North Dakota.  A memory of a previous trucking trip with him starting late, darkness, arriving at the Petro and dinner at Popeye’s running through my mind.  So we did just that and spent the night.

November 2, 2018

Fargo North Dakota to Norfolk Nebraska

Today starts off with much of the same grey skies as the day before and rain.  Leaving Fargo we do get one peek from the sun before it disappears behind the clouds.  Travelling down the Interstate 29 is not very interesting in the fall, same fall stubble in the fields like an unshaven truck driver.

Our first destination is the Watertown Walmart to stock up on some food supplies.  When finished Chris decides to change it up and takes the Interstate 81, a good call with its rolling hills dotted with cattle munching on the brown grass and bales of hay not yet picked up off the fields.  The farmers are still getting their fields cleared and every now and then you see a barn or house that time forgot.  The sky is still grey with light rain at times.  We stop in Freeman South Dakota for some diesel.  For some reason, it back flows and splatters a little on Chris’s clothing.  I’m trying to decide if I should throw him on the roof and continue the drive because of the smell, but I settle to let him drive alas with my window open a crack for air.

It’s around 5:45 pm when we make it to the Love’s Truck stop in Norfolk only to find there is no laundry to do his clothes.  We make dinner, play some crib and settle down for another cool night.  Hopefully tomorrow will be more interesting and warmer.

November 3, 2018

Norfolk Nebraska to McPherson Kansas

We left Norfolk at our usual time of 9:00 am, with the usual grey skies and rain.  Just outside of Shelby a semi decides to pass us much to the chagrin of the small car coming in the opposite direction I’m sure.  Chris slows down so the semi with seconds to spare, doesn’t splatter the care all over the interstate 81.

Our next stop is York so Chris can wash his diesel clothes and some free Wi-Fi.  I send an email off to my daughter letting her know of our progress.  After a two hour layover, we are on our way again and the rain has finally stopped.

It’s another stop at the Walmart in Concordia for the evening’s meal, as we leave Chris spy’s an RV dumping across the highway, odd place for a sanitation dumping station, but we head over to dump the contents of our portable toilet.

While we are there I see a Red EMT vehicle turn in and stop behind us and out gets two men who walk towards us.  Captain Jim states he just had to stop to check out our rig.  After a tour inside, idle chat outside, he takes a picture of truck.  I’m assuming to tell his story back at the station, we shake hands and both units are on their way again.

After our stop in Salinas Kansas for diesel, Chris decides to continue on for another hour to the Love’s in McPherson Kansas with no rain in site, but still dull grey skies.

November 4, 2018

McPherson Kansas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Up at the crack of dawn, we get away and hour earlier than usual, and yes grey skies and no rain.  We take the Interstate 35 from Wichita, which is part of a toll road, stopping at Belle Plaine Kansas, a travel rest area with a McDonalds and more free Wi-Fi.  Chris starts his blog, I still have to convert my daily diary to word and then upload to my blog but that will be for another day.  I answer my daughters email and post belated happy birthdays to those I missed on Facebook.

Coming into Oklahoma we finally have sun and warmer weather, just a light sweater or t-shirt needed.  I type Walmart into the Garmin looking for the next one and it lists one at Perry Oklahoma, we divert off the Interstate only to find it’s closed up, guess the city didn’t warrant enough business for it to stay open.  Onward to Emonds Oklahoma for Diesel, some water to fill the RV for dishes and then to the Flying J in Oklahoma City to spend the night.  Tomorrow we will pull the bikes off and cycle the river trail.