Routes
STE2 wrapup
Our arrival in Brownsville TX concluded the second segment of the Second Trip East (STE2). The segment by the numbers: 9 hops 19 nights 1912 tow miles 2390 truck miles $719.07 in campground fees ($37.85 per night) The actual route differed from the planned route only in minor ways, mostly due to missed turns or, … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 9: Rockport TX to Brownsville TX
247 miles via TX 35, US 181, I-37, US 77, I-2, US 83, FM 511 and local roads at each end and to find a gas station in San Jose TX. Cumulative tow miles: 1912. Truck miles: 460. Cumulative truck miles: 2390. This was the worst hop of the trip. Why? Let me count the … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 8: Austin TX to Rockport TX
212 miles via TX 620, TX 71, TX 210, US 183, TX 188 and some local roads, with a refueling stop. Cumulative tow miles: 1665. Truck miles: 367. Cumulative truck miles: 1930. The refueling stop was unplanned and was due to remembering, too late – I was already hitched up – that I hadn’t taken … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 7: Corsicana TX to Austin TX
156 miles via TX 31, I-35 and TX 620. Cumulative tow miles: 1453. Truck miles: 165. Cumulative truck miles: 1563. Texas is boring. There is no notable scenery. It really is a matter of putting in the time to get where you are going. Fortunately, this hop required only 3 hours of driving and they … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 6: Durant OK to Corsicana TX
157 miles via US 75, I-635, I-45 and TX 31 with a brief stop to figure out how we screwed up. Cumulative tow miles: 1297. Truck miles: 173. Cumulative truck miles: 1398. This was another hop that didn’t exactly go as planned. I intended to take a route that used US 69 instead of US … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 5: Bartlesville OK to Durant OK
222 miles via US 75, with a refueling stop and an unexpected detour in Tulsa. Cumulative tow miles: 1140. Truck miles: 285. Cumulative truck miles: 1225. This was probably the longest hop we have ever traveled on a single US route. US 75 travels basically due south all the way, so it was a logical … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 4: Junction City KS to Bartlesville OK
209 miles via US 77, US 400, KS 99, US 166, US 75 and US 60 with a refueling stop in El Dorado KS. Cumulative tow miles: 918. Truck miles: 209. Cumulative truck miles: 940. The truck miles equaled the tow miles in the case because we did something we almost never do: we stayed … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 3: Kearney NE to Junction City KS
242 miles via I-80, NE 10, KS 8, US 36, US 81 and I-70. Cumulative tow miles: 709. Truck miles: 258. Cumulative truck miles: 731. This was another boring trip in terms of the scenery, but this time we had some navigation issues to keep us busy. I originally planned this to be a 230-mile … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 2: Chappell NE to Kearney NE
190 miles, almost exclusively on I-80. Cumulative tow miles: 467. Truck miles: 204. Cumulative truck miles: 473. This route was Boring, with a capital B. Straight, flat, a few trees among the fields, but everything brown. Dull, uninteresting. All of which didn’t help Jett’s headache. We were supposed to stay in Chappell for 2 nights … Continue reading
STE2 Hop 1: Rawlins WY to Chappell NE
269 miles almost entirely via I-80, with a refueling stop. Cumulative tow miles: 269. Truck miles: 269. Cumulative truck miles: 269. This was a very easy navigation hop, but it was a true test of the truck repairs. We passed over the Rockies at 8500 feet. The engine got pretty warm, but didn’t overheat. Once … Continue reading