Trucking To Texas

Started the trucking trip from the Shandex yard in Pickering Sunday (28th) afternoon. We were loaded with beer cases going to a brewery in Shiner, TX. We made it as far as Fort Wayne Indianna before stopping in a rest stop for the night at 1:15am. Monday started the day at 9am. The first big city, Indianapolis Indianna.

Through Illinois we went over the Mississippi River at sunset. We also saw fields of cotton that were harvested and the left over crops were being burned. Stopped for the night at 12am in a rest area just outside Little Rock Arkansas.

9am Tuesday, on the road again. We passed over the Arkansas River and hit the Texas border about 11am. After the border, we came across 2 cows grazing 10 ft from the highway with no concern at all.

5pm, we passed right through downtown Dallas. Amazing with the overpasses. At one point there were 8 overpasses on top of one another criss crossing. Missed getting that pic, I was navigating! We also passed through Waco and Austin before getting off the interstate system to make our way to Shiner.

11:30pm we arrive in Shiner Texas and Eddie was in heaven. We were sent to the Spoelz Brewery. We stayed the night in the parking because we had to be unloaded at 6:45am.

Too bad I don't like beer....but we went to the corner store and got some Shiner beer for Eddie and a couple of coolers for me. Amazing how you can buy alcohol in the corner gas station. 6am Wednesday morning, woke up by a very persistent rooster. We were unloaded by 8am and down the road to wait for further direction to pick up the next load.

We ended up staying the day and night in Gonzales Texas. Wow...what a cute amazing town(?). We did the tourist thing, found a huge antique store and wandered the streets in the 35 degree hot dry sun.

We found the Gonzales Jail. How interesting to be inside where they had gallows and cells. Took turns being in the cells. Pics just didn't do it justice.

From there we found the LongBranch Saloon. This building was built in 1837 and has been the saloon since 1969. We spent a few hours here having some drinks, eating some food and watching the comings and goings of the locals. There was also the "come and get it" festival where there was a carnival happening on the weekend, so the carnies were there for entertainment.

7:15am Thursday morning we were headed to Baytown Texas on the Galveston Bay. Passed through Houston. (pic).We picked up a load of Polymer Plastic Pellets and stayed the night at a truck stop in Baytown waiting for the next instructions for pick up. By 5pm, hadn't heard yet where we were to go, so Eddie called dispatch and we were told to stay there the night. So we thought we'd experience a good ole Texas steak. We called a cab and asked to be taken to a steak house for a good meal. Our cab driver took us on a tour of the slums of Baytown and brought us to a place called The Rooster. He said not to be discouraged by the outside that the food was great. Yah...uh huh....fine dining in Baytown. We entered the place and were served our meals on plastic plates and bowls. Fine dining for sure. One of those places that the chairs are ripped and the checkered table cloths are covered in plexiglass. But, the steak was good. After our 30 minute dinner out, we took another cab back to the truckstop. Cab fare $50.00. Dinner $50.00. Small town, redneck hospitality....priceless.

9am Friday morning left Baytown with intruction from dispatch to head home and they would continue to look for a small load to fill the trailer. We passed through Lake Charles, Louisanna.








Also passed through the Henderson Swamp where Eddie saw an alligator on his side of the road. I was busy taking pictures and didn't see it...







Also passed through Baton Rouge and crossed the Mississippi River again. (pic). We crossed from Louisianna into Mississippi and still had no dispatch. So we stopped for the night in Wesson Mississippi in a cute little truck stop. We ate there and were sleeping by 8:30am. Had a long trip to get home yet.






8:30am after a delicious breakfast, back on the road into Tennessee where we crossed the Cumberland River in Nashville.

Made it into Kentucky with a spectacular sunset and made it as far as Bardstown by 10pm. We spent the night in the Walmart parking lot. Every girls dream to spend the night in a shopping place. I shopped before bed and would have shopped again in the morning if I'd had time.

7am Sunday morning back on the road again through the Bardstown countryside. It was beautiful as the sun was rising. There were horse ranches on both sides of the road. Loved it!!

Through Cincinatti and heading home without a full trailer. We were back in the yard in Pickering at 10pm Sunday night. I was too tired to drive home, so spent the night in the truck while Eddie went home to shower and get fresh clothes because he had be in Montreal for 8am Monday morning. I got a few hours sleep in the parking lot and headed home early Monday morning. It was another great trip. Lots of great scenery, lots of laughs, lots of map reading. (I was the official navigator and I must say we only had to turn around 2 times...) We put on 5,830 km in 8 days. I loved Texas and was happy to be layed over there for 3 nights and 2 days. It was great to experience the southern hospitality. I was able to breath so well there too. (thinking I may have to take my horses to Texas and find a ranch????!!!!) I loved being in the truck and think its a great way to experience the country. Thanks again to a great friend who put up with me and my stuff in his small space again....