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JAMESTOWN, ND - DAYS INN
"Ain't much
to look at"
I've been here at least once before but it was so long that I
had forgotten what this place was like … or it has had a major overhaul
since then.
I had hoped to make it to Bismarck tonight but got a late
start and don't like driving past midnight. Hadn't planned on staying in
Jamestown so I didn't have a place picked out ahead of time, I pulled up motels
online and found the Days Inn would be the cheapest for me with room for a big
rig.
I was there the night of the heavy rain and had to walk through ankle
deep water in the street to get from the big rig parking lot to the office
… in constant lightning. Not blaming any of this on the Days Inn :
Check in went fine, and I was surprised at how nice the room was. It had the
look and feel of a motel much nicer than the average Days Inn. Not sure if my
pictures do it justice as to how nice this place was.
I'd give the rooms
five stars, but the building and parking are that of a 1950's Ma and Pa place.
Breakfast was the standard 'Daybreak' <> Super Start, nothing lacking,
but nothing that says 'wow.' So I'll have to give it a four.
BUTTE, MT - ROCKER INN-AMERICA'S BEST VALUE
'IMO, they could have done
better'
The Rocker Inn is now an America's Best Value Inn … IMO, they
could have gone with a chain that has higher standards. (I don't have a high
opinion of 'America's Best,' they are not a chain I look for when I travel.)
I've stayed at the Motel 6 when traveling with others, but traveling alone
I come back to the Rocker … or now the America's Best Value Inn. And as
long as they can hold on to their 'Rocker' standards I will keep coming back.
I don't remember the rooms being this nice in the past, but the room I had
tonight seemed to have the 'new' feeling to it.
No problems at check in,
no problems of any kind. Last time I was through here I found out that the
Flying J next door has been rebuilt without a restaurant. The lounge does have
a couple of 'bar' items. Across the freeway are three fast food places, but it
is miles to 'real food.'
Big rig parking both at the motel and next door
at the Flying J.
MISSOULA, MT - WHEATLAND
'Now I have
to choose'
4B's across the freeway has been my 'go to place' in Missoula
but today I didn't want a sit down meal, just wanted a quick sandwich … so
after actually driving through the 4B's parking lot I headed to McD's across
the freeway. But before I pulled in I saw this 'deli' at Muralt's truckstop and
ended up here.
Now I have to choose … this food was good. It was
fresh and it was quick.
This place would fit nicely in most 'yuppie
neighborhoods' (but I still like it)
I had just a basic ham sandwich
… mmmm. Lots of oversized cookies and treats :
This location does
have breakfast, but I was not looking for a sit down meal.
BELLINGHAM, WA - ECONOLODGE
'Stopped in because of the price'
I
didn't realize they were an award winning location. They have a few awards from
the Econo Lodge chain over the last couple of years. Based on everything I saw,
they deserve it.
No issues at check in, no issues with the room, no issues
with the other guests, no issues at check out. The room is basic, but every
well kept up. Didn't find any little house keeping issues to let them know
about.
Their website and other info says "Ample free parking is available
and can accommodate most cars, trucks or buses." Ample parking for cars, yes,
they do have a large lot. But IMO, not really any designated place for trucks
and buses. They just have to find a place where the cars aren't parked.
The Slo Pitch Sports Grill & Casino is next door … good food, good
service.
BELLINGHAM, WA - SLO PITCH
Had the French
Dip and a salad … salad was fresh, had all the things I like in a salad
and none of the things I don't (And I didn't even have to tell them) :
My
measure of a French Dip is how much Au Jus I use … on this one the meat
was so tender and the bun so fresh I wouldn't have had to use any, but I still
used about ½ of it.
Service was quick and friendly but not pushy.
I'm not from Washington and this is only the 2nd bar I have been in here,
so I'm not sure why the wall behind the bar is all pull tabs, maybe it is just
SOP here.
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Saturday May 18, 2013
I wasn't expecting a trip as I
could only be out a couple of days at a time and then off, then work a day and
then off, etc. But must have checked in right at the right time and got a truck
they thought they would have to put off for a week. Vancouver, BC.
A
lot of drivers can't go to Canada and a few others won't so that puts me on the
short list. I've done this trip many times in three days but this time I had to
be back for sure for a funeral so I decided to get a jump on it and leave
Saturday after an afternoon event. There ended up being a whole lot of people I
hadn't seen for years so I didn't leave as early as I had planned. At the time
I didn't think it was any big deal … but.
My goal was 4pm and
ended up leaving sometime after 5, it's only an hour and I'm leaving a day
early so no worries … ? ? ?
About dark I hit bugs, the wipers
can't keep up. Then a couple hours later I hit rain which takes care of that
problem. Later I get to watch a nice light show in the ND skies. First I was
watching it light up the thunderheads in the night sky, then once I am under
the clouds I can see the lighting light up around the perimeter of the cloud
cover.
Then the rains come … and I realize I am not going to try
and make it to Bismarck tonight. I still have the hours, but I don't want to be
driving after midnight, my choice. So I end up in Jamestown with no idea where
to stay. I pull in behind a McD's and borrow their WiFi and find that the Days
Inn is my best bet tonight. I call ahead to find out where to park as the rain
is coming down in buckets and I don't want to walk in and ask.
Tonight
is the $600 million Power Ball drawing, but I felt lucky to just make it the
half block from the parking lot to the office (in ankle deep water) without
being hit by the constant lighting. It was the water in the street that was
ankle deep, up over the curb.
Sunday May 19, 2013
The
rains have stopped, the city is out unplugging the drains, the rains have left
debris all over the streets.
Less than 10 miles down the road I see
flashing lights, we are being re-routed off the interstate because the road is
under water under the overpass. The Eastbound lanes just have to drive through
it, as the exit ramp is also under water. The Grand Forks paper had pictures of
two semis that drove into the ditch in the flooding because they couldn't tell
where the road was. Westbound just had to drive through a few inches of water
flowing over the ramp.
No other traffic issues. Fueled last night at a
non-chain truckstop and do so again today. No perks points but it is saving me
time, which I still don't realize is an issue. This is a Peterbilt with almost
no weight, less than 8,000# on each axel. Getting about 10 mpg with an eighty
gallon tank.
Fueled in Bismarck this AM and just west of Billings in
the PM, that will get me to Post Falls tomorrow.
It's been over a
couple of weeks since I've been this route and spring has sprung.
Major delay at the Wibaux scale, the scale master is talking to another
transporter when I walk in and because I need help he then starts talking to
me. 45 minutes here. Then I get flagged in again in Billings for a couple of
questions.
Also, because I am not in a hurry, I stop for a meal, just
a half hour but it is a half hour. Also stopped and took pictures for
TripAdvisor of outsides of buildings, in Bismarck, Miles City, Deer Lodge,
Missoula and tomorrow in North Bend.
For a while I thought I was going
to come up way short and then ended up in Butte, a long but legal day. Did stop
at the 4B's there but I am running way too late for small towns, so tonight it
is McD's.
Monday May 20, 2013
All this stopping yesterday
didn't gain me any hours so another late morning. Scales don't bother me today
so I make better time. Still stop for a half hour lunch at someplace new.
Mileage keeps getting better so I'll likely have too much fuel when I
get to delivery, but I can only fill based on past fills. I was worried before
I got the truck that speed may be an issue, it is not. 75 mph in ND, and it
holds the cruise speed both up AND down the mountains. Still have to slow down
for the curves but not for lack of power.
Had thought I might be
spending the night with another driver on a different route, but he has had
breakdowns and other delays so today's phone call says he won't even be on my
route by the time he has to shut down. That is a good thing in a way. I was
afraid he would make it onto my route and I would have to decide if I wanted to
shut down early to save $20, but not an issue.
End up getting into
Seattle right at the end of afternoon rush hour but no major delays. End up
back on schedule as far as my stopping locations, but I don't realize until I
am shut down that I need to be up and rolling as soon as my 10 hours are up.
All that 'free time' is gone.
Tuesday May 21, 2013
Up at
6 AM Pacific time, to the border before 7. Last night the overhead signs said
wait time at the border 110 minutes so I checked the truck wait times this AM
before leaving the motel … 60 minutes. Monday was a Canadian holiday.
Been here before so I know the routine. What I didn't know was that
the people I need to see on the US side do not open until 8 (I thought it was
just the Canadian side that opened at 8)
Interesting wait. When I get
there, there is a 20-something girl talking to the agents. She has nothing
other than the keys to a rental car, no ID, nothing. They finally turn her
back. Then comes a young couple with a six week old baby, they are eventually
told "there is no way you will enter the US with a birth certificate." Then is
a German boy, early 20's, is here on vacation, bought a car, is now heading
from Canada to California to stay with someone he only has a phone number for.
Turns out the phone number is no good. But finally after he makes a few phone
calls this guy does make it across.
Finally 8 AM comes and I'm first
in line. As I'm walking back to my truck someone is motioning for me to come
over, then I see his transporter plate. He is in the wrong lane for doing what
I just did and doesn't, didn't know the routine here so he thought he'd ask.
Lucky he did. He ends up pulling into the waiting area backwards, but a few
minutes later and he'd have been sent to the back of the line.
As I'm
walking up I see someone in the FastTrack lane take a quick left into the
parking area … pretty sure he only sat there a few seconds before pulling
back into the main line. Could explain why one trucker would not let him in
line.
I had planned on taking my daily picture at the border but
forgot … I did have plenty of time … close to three hours. No issues
at the border, just a few basic questions. But the customer wanted a 'Form 1'
so I had to have the agent send me to the broker. And the broker didn't know
how to get me one … finally after an hour …
I had picked up
the truck on Saturday, and Monday was a holiday for them so the first chance I
had to call the customer was this AM while I was still waiting on the US side.
It was 'assumed' that I would be getting a ride to the airport. No issues
finding the customer but they had no offer of a ride, but they did call me a
taxi. So an unexpected $65 later I am at the airport with a full ½ hour
to spare. Good thing I left on Saturday.
Dispatch had told me the ride
to the airport was part of the deal, so I hadn't checked my options, the
customer had said 'no' to the bus (and I was running out of time) but AFTER the
fact, I have checked out that three blocks from my drop I could have caught the
train, it runs every 6 minutes, it would have gotten me there in about an hour
(same as the taxi) and cost $4.
I had never flown out of Vancouver
before but no issues, had enough time to buy food to take on the plane …
and then home.
EDITED TO ADD: The following is written 6 years later.
Two days after I crossed this bridge, it collapsed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-5_Skagit_River_Bridge_collapse
The person I
had planned on staying with on this trip was delayed and was only a couple of
miles from the bridge when it collapsed. He called me as he was sitting in
traffic, and understandably was a little shook up. He woke me out of a dead
sleep but it didn't take long for me to wake up. |
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