Vacation 2010 - Day 11

Woke up an it was raining. I had to shuffle cars around and first put my truck in the garage to pack the tent and then move the truck to the carport and figure out how to put the item I didn't want to get wet into the front seat and such. So much for it never rains in Dunlay.

Uncle Eddie was nice enough to make me breakfast of an egg sandwich but it was one of them things that just helped him confirm that I was strange, I didn't want mayo on it. Got some last minute visiting done and then it stopped so I decided to not prolong the inedible. I left. My goodbyes were said and the cat and I headed out eastward on the long trek home.

Past Castroville it started to lightly rain again and then I had to start watchin' the "E O dits" that all fifty states in this great union of ours seems compelled to issue licence to operate a motorize vehicles too. Medina and Bexar Co have their fair share of them. After playing dodge cars for the 50 or so miles it took to get across the Guadalupe Co line, I notice that it had stopped raining. In fact, Guadalupe Co was bone dry, overcast but bone dry. And it stayed bone dry until Houston.

It seems that all that work they been doing forever on the I10 from Katy to Houston was finally finished. That give me hope for I-85 between exit 47 and exit 61 in GA.

It wasn't until I got near the I-45 / I-10 interchange that traffic started to back up. They had Schneider babies blocking off the left hand lane and it was causing a bottle neck. But once I got through that it was smooth sailing. Saw no reason why that one lane was blocked.

From Houston to Beaumont it was clear but right as I got to the US 69 interchange I-10 was shut down. I made a quick turn and headed down US 69 south and got out the GPS to help me find my way around. The route took me down to Port Arthur and then northeast to Bridge City I then connected back to I-10 near Bancroft. nice little detour.

The trip through La was going smooth until I crossed the Mississippi River and came into Baton Rouge. As I was coming off the bridge and going down that steep incline there was traffic at a stand still again right before the I-110 exit. This tanker that was along beside me didn't realize until the last minute that traffic was stopped and then he had to stand on his breaks to stop. I heard breaks lock and lines pop and I was slamming on my breaks too to get out of his way incase he had to come into my lane to escape. But he stopped it and then he jumped out with the fire extinguisher to make sure that none of his breaks were on fire. I got off on I-110 and then just used the GPS to find me another route back.

That seemed easier said then done because there were five interstate wrecks between I-10 and I-12 so I had to pick my way through Baton Rouge and into Denham Springs, to get back onto I-12. That put me about two hours behind. But the rest of the way into Mobile was smooth.

Stopped in at Dreamland for my customary rib sandwich, ( I made it about an hour before they closed), and got to talking to my waitress for a bit about my annual trips and how I was already familiar with a rib "sandwich". Seems they have trouble with folks coming in and thinking an actual sandwich is made.

Left and headed towards Moreland.