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"Lake of the woods, algonquin park, toronto"
WALLACE, ID - STARDUST MOTEL
"Time warp #1"
(Time warp #2 was
next door at the Red Light Garage).
My timing has never been right to
stop in Wallace before so this was my first time. The 'Wallace Inn' is why I
knew there were motels in this town, but the Stardust is a little less money
which is what I am all about. Check-in was 'small town friendly.' Actually it
was more like I stepped back into the 1950's. In fact this whole town likely
looks much like it did in the 1950's and I somewhere saw a sign that the
'entire town is listed as a Historic Landmark.' I'll let my pictures tell most
of the story … other than to say that everything in the motel is old but
kept very clean.
WALLACE, ID - RED LIGHT GARAGE
"Time warp #2"
(Time warp #1 was next door at the Stardust).
At this place you could almost say 'Come to view the collections, stay for the
food.' I had been warned that this town closes down at 8 PM, being only 7 I was
surprised to find that there was only one other customer in the place. (But
this is a small town) Not only was I greeted when I walked in, I was
introduced. The couple that runs this place would do great at a camping lodge,
they both were good at that kind of PR. I had already had a bowl of soup a few
hours ago so I was just looking for something light, so I ended up with
breakfast. Eggs scrambled, bacon and potatoes. Food was good, but looking at
their website I might have to try something else next time. They only have one
picture on their website of the interior and that does not do it justice.
www.redlightgarage.com
SEATTLE, WA - SEATAC INN
"Back again"
I had planned on trying somewhere, but the only other
location close in price was going to charge an '$6 airport fee' for their
'free' shuttle if I used their coupon. So today I was cheap again and I'm back.
There is a sign in the lobby that says you have 10 minutes to checkout your
room or no refunds. This is always a good idea … and a really good idea if
they have to post a sign reminding you. See my June 2011 review for pictures, I
did take more pictures this visit but nothing has changed in two years, just
re-read my review … and nothing has changed. It is still an old motel
where things are repaired rather than replaced. To compare it to any chain
motels, it 'might' meet the standards of Rodeway Inn (Choice) or Knights Inn
(Wyndham). Staff was friendly/helpful and room met my basics of clean, quiet
and warm … and the towels looked 'new.' But due to the number of items
that should be replaced instead of repaired, and keeping in mind you get what
you pay for, I'll give it a 3 again. HINTS: 1) If you are going to go this
cheap, use a coupon and go cheaper. 2) Walk to the airport, there is a great
view of Mt Rainier from the skyway
SEATTLE, WA - DENNY'S
Yep, it's a Denny's It had me scared that it was closed, I couldn't
see anyone inside … because there wasn't. 5 PM on a Wednesday night and
not a soul in the place, but within five minutes of when I walked in there were
another five groups and more came later. It was just a surprise to me. This
place is getting a five because of the staff. Everyone was greeted as soon as
they walked it, if it wasn't "How many," it was "I'll be with you in a minute."
I don't see the omelette I had listed on their website, mine had steak, bacon
(hold the sausage), onions, peppers and cheese. Service was fast, the omelette
was good, the toast was not, must be the bread they use, seems to be a common
issue with Denny's.
Monday - 4/22/13
Last week I was
almost late to the office, so this week I was going to make sure i was early,
but always things to do at the last minute… like buy someone a 92nd
birthday card.
So I only get to work 15 minutes early instead of a
half hour and the other two drivers are there waiting, but not honking like
last time. Our shuttle car is not at the office so I give both drivers a ride
to the lot, shuttle car is not there either so back to the office. So now
instead of being a few minutes early, we are running late … again. And we
have to stop and pick up one driver in route, better than picking up two. That
and a little snow about ½ way through the trip slowed us down about a
half hour. Lost, gone.
We get in and out of our pickup location fairly
quickly, I'll be running faster than the other two drivers so I don't wait for
them. We mentioned sharing a room the first night. The driver we picked up in
route will have the hours to catch up to me.
Just a few miles down the
road from pickup, I realize that I could have saved myself some time if I had
been planning ahead. I have spent so much time planning these trips that I
didn't think about THIS trip. I have my fuel stops down to 350 miles apart at
either Flying J or Love's to earn perks points.
BUT if I had fueled
next to the pickup, I could have made it to Stearling and had only two stops
today. Instead I'll be stopping in Fargo, a break in Bismarck and then again in
Beach for fuel. It would have saved 15-30 minutes and got me to Glendive
tonight.
But today it is Fargo, this time I got to Love's instead of
Flying J, To get those 'bonus' points even if it is just a few gallons. The
first fuel stop is as backup. The rigs don't have fuel gauges so we are just
trusting that the customer is sending them out full.
Clear sailing to
Bismarck, noting that Stearling is my better stop to maximize time. Need to
check on a motel in New Salem and Rickard ? in case I need them some trip.
Bismarck, Kroy's … I order breakfast … but it is not fast
and I realize that I can't eat fast enough to be rolling in my 30 minutes. I'm
trying to make this trip in three days instead of four so I don't want to kill
too much time but I opt to try and enjoy my food and take 45 minutes. Food
would have tasted better if I had planned that from the start.
So I
decide not to make Glendive, Oh, just a couple of miles before I stopped, one
of the other drivers called and said he was having issues and would not be
catching up to me … and that the other driver had made 70 miles, broke
down and was sent back to the pickup location, so it looks like I'm solo again.
Plenty of time to make Beach tonight, could have still made Glendive
without a fuel stop, but after a driver ran out last week I'm not pushing it
past 350 miles. Back at the Buckboard, no write-up as I did one two weeks ago.
When I was check-in in the gal thought for a long time before writing down a
price of $55, I should have said something but wasn't sure. Last time it was
$50 (I ask the next morning and the price is supposed to be $60 … so I'll
be checking elsewhere when my trips allow.)
Tuesday - 4/23/13
Today I'm rolling when my 10 hours are up, need to keep on that
schedule. As soon as my inspection is done, it is next door to fuel … and
pick up my permits that didn't make it to the customer before we left.
GOOD THING I didn't plan on going to Glendive last night. The permits aren't
good until today. Last night I would have been in a rush and likely wouldn't
have taken the time to look at them.
Scales are open today, four in MT
(and 2 more in WA tomorrow) but I am still getting the 'go' on all of them, not
sure how many more trips my luck will hold.
Another beautiful day in
MT, weather is good, soon things will be growing, in places they already are.
Four hours puts me in Billings for my 1st break and fuel stop. Only 250 miles
on this leg, but it ties in with a break so it all works out. I'm late enough
today so McD's is no longer serving breakfast, but no longer any $1 menu so I
opt for a chicken snack wrap instead. I did check out the 'shelf food' at the
truck stop first, lots of it. Four islands of sandwiches and meals and stuff
but nothing to my liking … not that McD's is either.
Four hours
more and I'll be at the 4B's in Deer Lodge … I like this, it ties into one
of my half hour breaks and without a fuel stop. I hadn't posed last trips
review yet so I added a couple of lines to cover this trip also. Mmmmmmmmmm and
the service was so fast that I still have a few minutes to make phone calls.
Another 100 miles and it's time for a fuel stop … Opps and Ouch.
82 gallons, last week someone ran out at 90. Now I'm going to have to make an
extra stop between here and Ellensburg. It's 20 more miles and a couple of big
passes and I don't want to risk it.
I'm making good time today, I had
hoped to make it to Haugan, MT for the night but I have the time to get to
Wallace. 50,000 Silver Dollars will have to wait until another trip. I debate
about stopping at the Stardust or Wallace Inn as the Stardust is 'on street
parking' only for big rigs. But decide to at least look for it.
Ahhh… it is nice when it is still light out at 7 PM. It is still light
when I get to Wallace and finally found it after going through town. It's to
the west of downtown and after the road turns. I double check the price and
where to park and then go around the block to get a better place to park. (I
should have stepped it off for a 60 footer)
I could spend some time in
this town … maybe when I follow the old rail trail/bike path up the
mountain as far as it goes. (I don't think it goes all the way up to Look out
Pass but I could check) Actually had time to get to Kellog tonight but this
motel was <> $10 cheaper.
Wednesday - 4/24/13
5 AM
… (7 my time) and it's time to roll. It's nice that it is almost / kind of
getting light already. 9 During my inspection I find that I am low on coolant,
I don't have a funnel so I decide to pour the coolant into my water bottle
(something I haven't tried before) and then from the water bottle into the rig
(there is no good way to do this) I think that I am doing a good job of not
spilling any coolant going into the bottle … then I realize that 'the
splash' is not running down the water bottle, it is running down the jug and
ONTO MY SHOE.
A half a gallon later and I can see the coolant and the
'low coolant' light has gone off. Rolling …
I've debated where
the best place to stop would be, and decide Post Falls and just put on 20
gallons. Eighty could be an issue so I don't like being full when I cross the
ID/WA line. Love's again instead of the Flying J.
With that fuel stop,
I call it 'close enough' to four hours to Ellensburg where I know it will take
me a half hour to fuel, put in DEF, eat, make phone calls. DEF was an issue
again. On one trip I gave up trying to put DEF in from the pump, then last trip
the pump worked, now this one it doesn't want to again. Acts like the tank is
full even when the nozel isn't in the tank. Finally after about 20 tries it
starts working and I get a good fill.
There is a line for Subway so a
gormet hot dog it is … 9
Coolant is running low, but I don't top
it off, as soon as I'm rolling I know I should have. Topped it off and then
re-filled the jug with water. Hate going into road construction and a mountain
pass with the fear of the rig shutting down.
'Just in case' I make
sure I keep the speed down, hate to have to pull the air break at 70 mph if the
rig shuts down.
But no problems … I make it to the truck wash.
… and then I have problems. I pull UP TO the wash but not in, and
the rig won't move. An issue with the door is locking out the computer. Finally
I stop the rig and re-start it, that clears the system and I'm rolling. While
the rig is getting washed I go next door and buy a funnel. The coolant I have
brings it back up so I can see it and I refill the jug with water but don't
have to use any of it.
I get talking to the guy at the wash and he
wonders why I didn't stop the first trip and he asks the price at the other
place … he gets all excited when I tell him, but then I pull up the
computer and I was wrong by twice the amount.
I'm rolling … did
talk to dispatch and they want me to stop once more in Kent and fuel so that
adds 10 mile and I have to take a different route, basically the same one as to
the Kent inspection site.
I don't have notes for coming in from this
direction but I'm on the right highway and get to the drop and get signed off.
I had planned on calling for bus information and I did call, but was going to
have to wait so I hung up, now it will cost me time.
It takes a couple
of tries to get a 'real person,' and then I get put on hold for a while to the
point I checked to see if they had hung up on me, but when they came back
online they had all the info. I would have to walk about a mile on city streets
to get to the closest bus stop, the bus runs once an hour and there are five
more runs today … so I am good.
THEN I decide I had better ask if
this is a safe area to be walking in, the customer says it is so I am on my
way. City streets … with no shoulders or sidewalks. Every time a car would
come I had to stop walking and stand in the ditch, ditch as with water in it,
steep bank so I couldn't walk on the bank. I had 30 minutes to walk to catch
the bus … in 30 minutes. After about 10 minutes the lower part of my legs
started to tighten up … I'm usually good for an hour, but not at this pace
and not with an extra 20-30# bag on my back.
For the final two blocks
I can see the cross street and haven't seen a bus, and then it is after time
and still no bus, I'm about a half a block away when I can see it …
parked. I'm ready to start waving when I see that someone just saved my day. A
handicapped person. The driver has to get out of the bus to run the wheel chair
controls and he hasn't started loading yet. Whew……
$2.25,
but for some reason I read $2.50 so they got an extra $.25 out of me. Beats the
$50 taxi ride we had last time. AND I get a transfer, so I get to go all the
way to the airport for $2.25. This is a 'short bus,' which feeds into a main
transit station. The driver asks if I know where to go and another passenger
offers to show me. Turns out the answer is now-where. We got dropped at the
same stop as we get picked up. The wait was about 10-15 minutes, I didn't write
it down. But the whole walk/ride from customer to airport was about 2 hours.
As always, an interesting group of people on the bus. It filled up
pretty good before we got to the next transit station, but then emptied on the
last leg to the airport. An overweight lady got on when it was full, and the
only person to offer her a seat was an old hippie. Can't judge people by their
looks … :
Everything looked familiar, even when it wasn't. But we
finally got on the road we take for the other Seattle delivery and then off of
it again. At one point I saw a man on a grassy hill with a camera and tripod,
at first I thought he was expecting someone/something and he would be taking
pictures of its arrival. Then I looked out the other window and saw he had the
perfect shot of Mt Rineir and the weather was beautiful, and the sun would be
setting in an hour or two … that (and a good camera) is how you get good
pictures
As soon as they say 'Airport,' I'm up and off the bus …
then I realize that I am still a few blocks from where I want to be, so I walk
again. At least this airport is on a main street and you will walk right into
it. Actually I may have walked further once I was in the airport than I did
when I was walking to the airport … but most of another 30 minutes, I'm
making up for all those days just sitting.
THEN I get the bad news
… bad, bad news. To get on an earlier flight will cost about $200, and if
I don't do it I can't work on Friday and that may been having to turn down a
four day trip and now work for the next three plus days. Ouch. I am bummed, I
just sit and stare at the screen showing the local motel ads. I am zapped,
first the walking and then this. I am going to have to make it a point to talk
to dispatch about how they are booking my flights. This is costing me too much
money and it is at least the 3rd time in the last three months that I would
have booked it differently.
I finally start writing down numbers from
the ads, then remember I have a coupon book and remember that the cheapest
motel listed on TripAdvisor was an America's Best motel (which I can't find the
number for … I forget I'm at the airport and have free WiFi) ??
I'd really like to stay somewhere other than the SeaTac Inn so I call a few
other places. The Travelodge has a coupon for the same price, but when I call
they say that I will have to pay $6.50 for their 'free' shuttle if I use the
coupon, which makes it more expensive than about a dozen other hotels in the
area. On the map it 'looks' like it is close so I start walking, that is when I
see the beautiful view of Mt Rienier and take a picture on my cell phone
because I don't want to unpack my backpack to find my camera.
As I am
walking I see the Rodeway Inn, they used to be cheap, so I walk the block out
of route to check … $49. Not a bad price but after hearing $200 to change
my flight I'm going as cheap as I can find. I walk past the SeaTac Inn a couple
of blocks and when I still can't see the Travelodge, I feel like I have hit my
'brick wall' and turn around and walk back. By the time I get back to the
SeaTac Inn I have been mostly walking the last 45 minutes, with a back pack.
They give me the $44 rate and a room, now for food, all I have had
today was a hotdog about eight hours ago. I'd like something different but I
can't find if the carousel on top the Holiday Inn is still open and then I see
the prices for the main level and decide to got to Denny's. I still don't know
if it is open,
Thursday - 4/25/13
I looked up online last
night and found that the price to go standby within six hours is NOT $200, it
is $75 … so I slept a whole lot better.
Jus in case the 8 AM
flight is late, I get there in time to board it, but I am assured that the
computer has the system locked up and there is no way they can get me on a
flight that is over six hours prior to mine, so I pay the $75 and will be home
by 8 PM.
And I pull up a chair, I am set, power, free WiFi and food if
I want it.
I call to see if I will be farming next week and they guy
is just out checking the fields as we speak, the frost is still not out in a
lot of places so he's guessing 10 days … two more trips if I can get them.
I call email dispatch, I am available. Seattle maybe ? :
I briefly
chat with a guy who wonders why I don't just take a motorcycle with, park it
inside, get the money for the flight and then claim the full amount of the
mileage deduction. I won't do it but I am surprised no one else does it (yet).
When I get to the next airport is when I realize that I don't have a
few hours to sit and eat, the person who changed my ticket never changed the
2nd leg. My flight is leaving in less than an hour and I don't have a ticket.
She just re-printed my existing ticket.
Lucky for me there is no line
at the counter and they are dual staffed. He starts on my ticket then has to
help an 'assisted passenger' than back to my ticket, took him at least 15-20
minutes and by now they are calling the zone I am seated in. But I need to eat
so I go next door and grab a sandwich and a drink. Yes a drink, I don't know
where the closest water fountain is to re-fill my water bottle. $13 and I'm
glad to pay it, where last night I would not pay the same amount to sit at the
Holiday Inn.
But I'm on and heading home.
Bird chick
. com
1000 things a birder should know
EDITED TO ADD: On one
leg of the flight I noticed the person next to me was editing some pictures.
Eventually we started talking and I found out that they were the 'bird chick.'
Lots of interesting stories. Some of her pictures are just taken the camera on
the phone. |
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