ANOTHER SIDE TRIP BEFORE HEADING HOME

[John]

Tom,

I think that thw WAY AROUND the I-24 grade at Mount Eagle is on
US41, which was the way you took before the Interstae was built. I
have taken oversized loads down the mountain that way from the town
itself and it is as steep as the Interstate and only two lanes and
not a good option for me. I'm still going to see what Monday loo0ks
like and it is good to hear that the Atlanta area has settled down
some. I'm sure I'll spend more for fuel on my way home than what I
spent on the way here two months ago, as I have seen the price
continue to rise ever since I had left South Carolina. I have a 150
gallon tank, but with no fuel gauge working and getting anywhere
from 5.00 to 8.64 mpg depending on the road terain, conditions and
if there is a headwind, I'll just fill up around 500 miles or so,
just in case I can't find fuel then I'll leave myself a cusion, but
it doesn't seem to be that bad anymore except in spotty areas on my
way home.

I guess I'm just being paranoid, but I remember when I had my own
big truck back in the early 70's, I ran out of fuel in Arizona
during the first fuel crisis, but luckily I was just pulling up to
the pump to get my 50 gallon limit, that they were restricting us to
and then I still had to deliver the load and get back to that
particular truck stop to get more fuel, it bacame a roal pain in the
a** for a while.

John Finn
"FINN'S INN EXPRESS"
'82 Bluebird Wanderlodge 35FCRB
Hopkins, SC
"ON THE ROAD IN MOUNT VERNON, ILLINOIS"
To Visit the Finn's Inn Express Remodeling Adventure go to;
http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/image/24977457


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Seitz"
wrote:
> John, What size fuel tank you got?? I have been told there is a
> way around the bottom of Mt eagle but I have not looked in to
it.
> I have a 200 gal tank and have driven from my place to North of
> the quad cities up and over Mt.Eagle.With 1/4 tank left. From
where
> you are you should make it to Atlanta easy and there is fuel here
> now. It was crazy for a couple of days but it has setteled down a
> bit now. Let me know if I can help. Tom 90 SP36 Alpharetta GA
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "John"
> wrote:
> > Thanks George,
> >
> > What routes did you take to Ft. Valley? Where did you get your
> fuel
> > in route, or did you even have to get fuel? I'm going by what
has
> > been posted on the Flying J web site and actual reports to
> trucking
> > company dispatchers by their drivers, as I know the ones that I
> have
> > talked to personally, I was in that business for over thirty
> years.
> > The situation will most likely be better by the first of the
week,
> > when I leave here.
> >
> > he fuel gauge on my 'Bird is not working, so I'm figuring my
fuel
> > mileage in the worst senario of 5mpg to determine how far I can
go
> > between fillups, so this will mean that I have to make at least
> one
> > fuel stop on my way home. I am not going to go by any route that
> has
> > long steep grades, as I don't want to put such a strain on my
> > 3208NA, so that is why I'm going a little further in my route
> home.
> > I don't think that I couldn't make it on the steep grades, I
just
> > don't like putting unecesary strain on the drive train, nor do I
> > want to become a rolling road block to the traffic that would be
> > coming up behind me on the roads, I consider that to be an
unsafe
> > condition that I can avoid by going around the long steep grades.
> >
> > I'm just going to enjoy my stay here and the friends that I have
> > here too, the terminal manager is a close friend of mine and I
> will
> > unload my motorcycle from the trailer and go for a cruise on
> Sunday
> > with him and his father, around the area.
> >
> > There are no complaints here, as both Buddy and I are safe and
> > sound, with no threats to our lives, I thank God for that and my
> > prayers go out to those that are suffering along the Gulf Coast.
> >
> > John Finn
> > "FINN'S INN EXPRESS"
> > '82 Bluebird Wanderlodge 35FCRB
> > Hopkins, SC
> > "ON THE ROAD IN MOUNT VERNON, ILLINOIS"
> > To Visit the Finn's Inn Express Remodeling Adventure go to;
> > http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/image/24977457
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, George Lowry

> > wrote:
> > > John,
> > >
> > > We left Alamo, TN yesterday morning and took the most direct
> route
> > to
> > > Ft. Valley, GA. We ran into none of the problems you thought
> > might
> > > exist. Worst part was the high gas prices in GA and the large
> > lines of
> > > people waiting to fill up. The refugees did not appear to be
> > anyplace
> > > around, only the price gougers.
> > >
> > > George Lowry
> > > '95 WBDA 4203
> > > Spearfish, SD currently in the Birds Nest
> > >
> > > John wrote:
> > > > I have decided after watching the weather channel for the
past
> > two
> > > > days, to wait a while longer before going back home by my
> normal
> > > > route through Tupelo, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama and
> > Atlanta,
> > > > Georgia. There may be flooding in that area, due to heavy
> > amounts of
> > > > rainfall after Katrina turned into a tropical storm and also
> > some
> > > > congestion from people that had gone that far north to
escape
> > the
> > > > hurricane, I remeber what it was like the week following
Hugo
> > when
> > > > it hit South Carolina. I had my doctors appointment
> rescheduled
> > to
> > > > next month, so there is no rush to get back home by this
> Friday.
> > > >
> > > > I took a slight detour back over to the Quad Cities to see
my
> > sister
> > > > again, before going back home and I will travel a little
south
> > of
> > > > here to Mount Pleasant, Iowa to attend the Old Threshers
> > Reunion,
> > > > which is held there every year
> > http://www.oldthreshers.org/index.cfm?
> > > > fuseaction=home.frameset, Mike and Chris Hohnstein will also
> be
> > > > attending the event, so I will also have some familiar faces
> > there.
> > > > I will leave Mount Pleasant to head back home after the
event
> is
> > > > over.
> > > >
> > > > John Finn
> > > > "FINN'S INN EXPRESS"
> > > > '82 BLUEBIRD WANDERLODGE 35FCRB
> > > > Hopkins, SC "ON THE ROAD IN MOLINE, ILLINOIS"
> > > > To Visit the Finn's Inn Express Remodeling Adventure go to;
> > > > http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/image/24977457
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >