Subj : Go West was: Real Deal [1]
To : Dave Drum
From : Ruth Haffly
Date : Tue Apr 30 2024 12:02:47
Hi Dave,
DD> How did we get along before the GPS driving coach?
RH> Road maps and atlas books. The GPS is much easier to use--we got our
DD> Back in the day Triple A (American Automoblie Association) had a trip
DD> planning service witk maps that had the route highlighted and a
DD> printed accompaniment listing "recommended fuel, food, and
DD> hotel/motel" stops.
We tried something like that--don't recall if it was AAA or something
else--once or twice but decided it wasn't for us. Cost, as much as
anything was why we didn't stick with it. Also used the Rand McNally map
book to sort of pre plan the route, still keep a map book in the vehicle
for those "just in case" (and have had them a few times) situations.
Helps to know where an unknown exit will take you if you're caught on a
rolling parking lot.
DD> Canuckistan you can jump on the 401, one of Canada's nice East-West
DD> Shawn messaged me that "zooming" on the 401 will be clogged with
DD> traffic. But I thik that just in the urban sprawl of Toronto.
RH> Which, depending on the time of day, day of the week, may/may not be
RH> too bad. Coming thru Atlanta on I-85 is usually no picnic but several
RH> years ago we went thru it around 8pm on a week night. All the back ups,
RH> traffic jams, etc were gone so going thru, even towing, was not a
RH> problem.
DD> Atlanta has a law disallowing semi tractor/tarialer rigs from going
DD> thru the middle of Hot Lanta. I had a set of phony bills of lading
DD> once (in
DD> case I got pulled over) and went right through. I figured it saved my
DD> more than an hour of travel time. OTOH in Chicago, Cincinatti and Imdy
DD> it's easier and quicker to use the ring roads and go around.
We generally try to use the "go arounds". Even tho I don't drive, I keep
looking for indicators of what we need to be aware of coming up,
especially when we're towing, to help Steve.
RH> we're usually gone about a month with them. Interesting, along the way,
RH> shopping in different supermarkets--found a Lowe's out in New Mexico
RH> that claimed no affiliation with the NC chain but did carry the same
RH> house brands. Harmon's, just down the road from our daughter in UT, has
RH> a good sized store that is very similar to Wegman's, maybe closer to
RH> Publix or a big Harris Teeter but a fun store to shop in.
DD> Never shopped in a Lowe's grocery store. Just their hardware/lumber/
DD> plumbing stores. And I find that I prefer Menard's (who carry
DD> groceries at really good price points) overall.
RH> We've got both the supermarket and the hardware/lumber chain here in
RH> WF. Used to, when we first moved here, we shopped the supermarket quite
RH> a bit as it was convenient to where we lived.
DD> They (hardware and groceries) originated in North Wilkesboro - home of
DD> NASCAR racing. Lowe's Hoe Improvement is currently head-quartered a
DD> bit further south in Mooresville, another city with a rich NASCAR
DD> history .
The grocery store is pretty nice, I'd rate it a few steps above Food
Lion. The one we used to shop at regularly has a small clearance
section; when we first moved to WF, they were clearing out a lot of
their Indian foods. We got quite a few over time, once as we were
checking out, had a young lady from India as our cashier. She commented
that her father really liked the brand Lowe's was getting rid of and we
were buying. Good reccommendation. (G)
DD> Hy-Vee is our Midwest Wegman's equivalent. I only get staple items
DD> from their "snatch & grabbit" service. Fresh produce, meat and deli
DD> still
DD> reuire me to go iside and select personally what I'm buying. The other
DD> major stupormarkups here offer similar deals - but I have yet to try
DD> them out.
Maybe one of these days, but not yet for us.
RH> ... Books are better than TV; they exercise your imagination.
DD> True dat. If youm watch the tube or the mvies you get the director's
DD> vision of what the author meant. Reading a book your mind builds your
DD> own vision ....
RH> Exactly! Fun part of our first echo picnic was putting faces with
RH> names. We'd met a few folks in the first 13 years or so we were on the
RH> echo but got to meet a lot more "in real life" at the event the Shipps
RH> hosted in 2007.
DD> IIRC you were also at the last picnic they held. That was before Nancy
DD> fell off of her twig.
Yes, we were there. Visited some friends in the Baltimore area
afterward; we'd been stationed in Frankfurt am/Main together. We hosted
the last picnic, in 2019--doubt there will be any more but would be
nice........
---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28
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