On the road...again!

[mustang6984]

So...in about 30 -45 minutes we hit the road...cats and all heading to Shell Knob MO. We will be heading back in about a week to load up more stuff and make the trip again. From Port Angeles WA to Shell Knob is about 2000 miles...and with cats on board...it will e a non-stop trip outside of fuel.

On my trip out here though...I was able to see Alvin again...the Retractable is looking much better that hen I saw it around Thanksgiving. As before...seeing him was great...hated to get back on the road...but when I did...I was able to stop and see Thomas. Another guy that was hard to leave...Thomas not only has a wealth of knowledge about our '57's...he has a huge collection of parts for them and many other parts for many other cars. His sweet ride is a beauty as well. I had picked up a front valance for Terry at Alvin's, and when I arrived it was a little late...okay...pretty late. Bed time was in order pretty quick. But when the sun rose, I was able to see Terry's project. It is coming along nicely and will be a beaut when finished. Again, like Thomas and Alvin...he was a great guy to spend time with...and hard to tear myself away from.

So...for those who can get out and run the roads...I highly recommend making trips to see forum members. It has been fun for me...starting with Richard...and ending...with who knows whom!

I'll be checking in around Wednesday at the latest...maybe Tuesday.      

[terry_208]

I enjoyed our visit immensely.  Thanks for bringing the valance.  It's still in it's shipping crate as I'm not ready for it, yet!

I too, have been on the road.  I made a quick trip to Norfolk to move a sister in law back home.  We left on Friday 28 August and returned home on Saturday, 5 September. Four days on the road each way and 1 day to pack and load.  We didn't have time for anything.  I wanted to stop and see John, KY Blue Oval, but was too rushed.  John had a part for me and shipped it USPS the day we left Norfolk and it was waiting for me the day before we made it back home. 

[mustang6984]

THAT is a run! Not sure which was more taxing...the drive time or the pack and load time! Bet you wanted to sleep for a full rotation of the clock once back home!   

[terry_208]

I did get my normal night's rest, 6 1/2 to 7  1/2 hours a night.  I've done this for quite some time. 

I don't envy your move.  I hate packing but don't mind the loading or the drive.  My regret about going cross country was that I didn't have time to meet forum members. 

[mustang6984]

Same here...packing is annoying...and very tedious!!! Loading and unloading,, and even unpacking...much quicker. The drive is okay as long as you aren't in a hurry.
Meeting forum members has been a blast. Want to get over to the eastern side once I get settled and see some of them...and their toys.    (Joe said he'd give me a ride in that sweet purchase of his! Oh Yea!!!)

[mustang6984]

Okay...leg one is complete. We got back home Wednesday night around 10:15 PDT. Next chapter...build the deck (picked up the wood today)...repair damages in the house from all the cats...paint exterior trim and rehang a couple of sections of gutter. While I am doing that, Cindy will finish the packing, cleaning and sorting of what she wants to take and what she wants to pass on to others via Goodwill. SHE says she wants to be out of here by a week from this coming Sunday. We shall see. At that point, the house will be listed for sale. Around here, (Port Angeles WA) houses are selling nearly as fast as one can place a sign in the front yard. Hope to be rid of it fast!
This will be her last part of the move, when I leave Shell Knob to return here, I will come alone, to pick up the shop stuff and take it out. Hopefully that doesn't take more than a week, then back out with that load. (Stopping to see Terry and pick up a rotisserie in Idaho.) After that trip I will leave the 24' box trailer.
Then back to grab the boat. WHEW!!! At that time I think I will also have Bob bring his Class A out with a trailer and a car. Need to get him and that motor-home out there before snow begins to fly in Montana.
After that, back here one more time to load remaining cars on to a car transporter, and take one myself on my last trailer, and then make (I hope) the last trip!
Strangely...this is all cheaper than having Bekins or someone else make the move. They want tons of folding paper for loading and unloading their trucks, not to mention the actual drive! THIS...is my final move! Stay tuned!

[RICH MUISE]

Wow, Hugh..you're making me tired just reading about it. At least you'll have the winter to rest. I assume you also checked the cost of those moving pods where you load and unload them. I checked out (google satelite) Shell Knob.....that's a beautiful area your moving to!

[mustang6984]

I did check out the pods. Would have maybe worked for the household stuff, but still was a chunk of change. One wasn't big enough, yet two would have been more than we needed. Kind of a damned if you do damned if you don't thing for us.

Yep...Shell Knob is a small little village, 10 miles north from the house, and Berryville AR is 10 miles south from the house. Berryville is the bigger of the two, has about 5-6k people, Shell Knob only having about 1100 I believe. Nice and quiet in our area. Lots of room to park '57's should we have a bunch of folks show up! 

There are 3 very large lakes in the area around us too...Table Rock being the one closest to the house. Fishing and cars...yea...that's the ticket!

[59meteor]

Wow, you have much more stamina than I do! In the next 2 or 3 weeks, we will be moving from the suburbs of Vancouver BC Canada, and moving to an 8 acre property we recently purchased about an hour south of Halifax Nova Scotia, about 6000 kilometers 1 way( approx. 4000 miles). But we are planning to do it all in one trip, I couldn`t imagine criss crossing the country TWICE in one year, let alone 3 or 4 times! We have 5 vehicles to move, I will be pulling my race car in the 24 foot enclosed trailer, with my F350 Dually, so that takes care of 2 vehicles, and my wife will be following (or leading) in her daily driver, so that leaves my Ford Ranger daily driver, and the 59 Meteor. Looking to ship the 59 in an enclosed transporter, and the Ranger either by train or transport trailer. At first we thought that we would ship her car, along with the Ranger and 59, but open transport for the Ranger and her Toyota would be about $2000. each, I doubt we would spend 1/2 that on gas, driving the Toyota, plus I thought it might be nice having a second vehicle in case something on the truck or trailer went awry, not to mention a Toyota Corolla is a bit easier to go thru the drive thrus in than over 50 feet of wide hipped truck and trailer. Plus we could each listen to our own musical tastes in our own vehicles. My sister in law offered to drive my Ranger out, if I flew her back to the West Coast afterwards, but that didn`t work out any cheaper. But the thought of doing this long of a trip back to back makes my skin crawl. Plus my F350 has a V10 gas engine, and averages 8 to 8 1/2 MPG towing, at 60 MPH on level ground, so I won`t be looking forward to getting THAT Visa bill! We are using a POD for shipping some of our furniture and my tools and tires, but for much of it, it made more sense to get rid of much of our old furniture, and buy new stuff once we get there, rather than pay a similar amount to move our old stuff. I did look into renting a U Haul box truck, and an open car trailer, but that was $9000.00 ONE WAY, pus fuel! Funny the cost to use the same U Haul truck and trailer the same distance, but from East to West instead, was about 1/3 the price. Plus after looking over the cars trailers on the U Haul lot, I had serious concerns of a trouble free moving experience. According the Google Maps, look like we can expect about  60 hours of driving enjoyment during the one way trip.My hats off to all those long haul truck drivers, I doubt that I would last very long at that job.

[terry_208]

I don't know the price of fuel in the cold north but I found fuel on my trip price from $1.96 to $2.70.  I never averaged what I paid but will say I tried to buy at $2.30 or less.  I nearly cried when having to pay for $40 of fuel at $2.70!

[mustang6984]

Yea...this is nuts. The cars (most of them) are going on a transporter. I finagled a deal for 600 for running, 650 for non-running cars. Plus I am taking up the entire truck. Two stops...my place here to pick them up...my place there to unload them. So that is an advantage.
U-Haul trailers certainly do take abuse...so you're right about that unlikely trouble free part. My truck is an F-350 diesel, we averaged around 12.5 mpg with the 24' box loaded with her Explorer and all the boxes we could get in it. Probably around 12,000 lbs. Next trip is with the '50 Dodge p/u and all the rest of the house plus the garage stuff and my riding mower. Then comes the shop and all the work benches, a Coats tire machine, and 2 roll-around tool boxes plus air compressors, sand blaster and other miscellaneous "stuff".

Like you we are not taking furniture other than my 90 year old desk and 140 year old leather couch that I have had for almost 45 years. We can buy furniture there at a place that buys out resort furniture every 3 years for literally nickles on the dollar. ($200 for a couch that brand new was $1200)
Nova Scotia...I thought about that move once years ago. Back before internet, read up on it. Sounded like a nice place. Might have to put that on the list of places to drive a certain Courier when finished!
After the shop stuff have to take the boat out, then one final trip with a car and the last trailer. Hopefully before the snow flies, if not, then I'll go down to San Diego, then Phoenix then over to Texas and up through San Antonio then over to AR and then up to the house. Free places to eat and sleep! LOL!!!

Terry...yea...I had to pay $2.67 fr diesel in Port Angeles! I 'bout cried! I was paying $1.94 at the station next to my new place in Shell Knob!

[CobraJoe]

.....Meeting forum members has been a blast. Want to get over to the eastern side once I get settled and see some of them...and their toys.    (Joe said he'd give me a ride in that sweet purchase of his! Oh Yea!!!)

Just make sure it's during the summer months.....

[Ford Blue blood]

Hugh I know you will be happy when it is all done.  My move from TN to AL was only 250 miles.  I was working for EWTN in AL, the wife was in TN getting the house packed up.  Every Friday afternoon I'd hit the road to TN.  Load the truck with garage stuff, drive back down and unload on Sunday.  This went on for two months!  But I only had four vehicles to move so on final move day I had the 24ft box truck with a car trailer and two friends and the wife following.  That was a couple of days ago (1995)....couldn't even think of trying to do it now!

[mustang6984]

Joe...oh heck yea! I have heard about east coast winters! LOL!!!

FBB...your move sounds like ours when we moved from Olympia to Port Angeles 15 years ago.

[mustang6984]

Okay...here we go...again!
It is Saturday evening about 7:20 here in WA state. Tomorrow we will hit the road headed towards Shell Knob MO (about 30 miles or so west of Branson MO and 10 miles from Berryville AR. (our place is 1/2 way between Shell Knob and Berryville...10 miles from each.)
We were going to leave this afternoon, but Alvin suggested we wait one more day due to up to a foot of angel's dandruff in some parts of Montana on I-90. Sections of the hiway even wound up being closed today because of it. Given the weight of the trailer now (probably well over it's "suggested" carrying weight  ) we decided to take his suggestion and hold off one more day as weather should begin to become more pleasant tomorrow.
Once we arrive, we will unload the trailer and then I will head back with it and begin loading my shop into it along with stuff still here at the house in the garage...along with my buddy Bob's small amount of stuff. After that trip the trailer will stay in Shell Knob, but I will be headed back to meet the car hauler guy and grab my flatbed and one car. The boat...will probably have to wait until spring.
House will be listed for sale Sunday evening...if any of ya know anyone moving to Port Angeles...

So...here we go! I'll be on the road by 8 Sunday morning West Coast time.