Bathrooms on Drive Days

Enjoying a long drive really does depend on which front seat you are sitting in. Especially while towing your home behind you.

The drive from L.A. to Vegas was quite non-descript.  Once you get out of the hilly L.A. area and through the mountain passes – all via a 10 lane interstate – its a basic flat desert road.  A road that winds you around small towns – past California’s largest gas station – which was nothing more than a building the size of a large grocery store with a few gas pumps.  Observed only at 70 mph, we were glad we didn’t exit, especially after enjoying a visit to Bucees, that would’ve been a huge disappointment.  Besides, we can wait 100 miles for gas fill-up.  The road took us through the Mojave desert, complete with an active Air Force base, and what one can only suspect, an airplane graveyard.  Hundreds of planes just congregated in a mess on the desert dirt.  Planes from lots of different airlines, all pointing their noses in different directions as if to say “I’m not looking at you”.

After 3 hours of driving and 1 hour remaining, it was time to stretch our legs and walk the dogs.  Timing on this is critical.  Once we get to the RV park, it could take 30 minutes to get checked in and another 30 minutes to get our rig set up before the dogs can be let out again.  What seems like a short time away, could end up being a long wait for the dogs.  As a result, we always stop about an hour out to walk them.  Most rest stops are the same.  These days, alot of them are getting fancy with their facilities – giving travelers a nice quiet retreat – a better substitute to gas stations.  Bucees excepted, of course.

This particular stop had all the modern amenities and even a nice business lounge for people to get some work done.  One thing I haven’t mentioned yet was the sheer number of homeless people and camps on most public lands.  Especially along the interstates in the towns.  It’s a sad sight – for both the homeless and the people who have to pass by everyday.  This rest stop seemed no different, as we were approached by a man begging for assistance.  Steve shared part of our packed lunch with him.

I was actually in the RV at the time with Puddin.  We were using the bathroom in the rig (a huge plus versus using public bathrooms on the road).  Every few hours, when we stop, I hop into the Rig and do a quick tidy up.  Even though we pack things up for travel, things always move, or a cabinet flies open.  I mean, the house is moving!  In most cases, it’s just the refrigerator that needs attention.  For some reason, the lock seems to jimmy loose every few hours.  We think it’s the vibration while driving.  We stopped taking chances, and the items in it are always secured for road days.  Except today, apparently.  No leftover pizza for dinner tonight.

Our next stop, just before town, was to fill up.  When on the road, we prefer trucker stops.  As a big rig, we have the choice and can use the semi-truck lands.  Which is a nice treat because the diesel nozzles are much larger.  It takes no time to fill up the tank.  It’s like putting a firehose into your gas tank versus a puny garden hose.   Since we’ve hit the road, regular gas stations are painful for Steve to use.  There’s so much waiting!

Today is our down day for the week.  I’m going to check in to work as soon as I leave you.  Then we are going to rest up.  We are on a spring with family and friends for the next couple days, and then two drive days to our next destination – Lake Tahoe.

4/19/22 update: We didn’t make it to Lake Tahoe due to road weather conditions.