West Coast Bound, Update and Map


92xj

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Let me first start out by saying thanks.....

Thanks to GWSmith for starting the Hot Seat thread this week. For the past 5 days I have been back in my college town visiting all my friends for the last time for a while and have just got back online. Thanks buddy, looks like its going great, I have a ton of reading/catching up to do.

Also, thanks to everyone on this forum that has kept me in their thoughts and prayers. I just received final word as of 11:40am that everything had cleared and they are setting up my office this week for my first day of work on the 18th.

So that means it final and I am driving out west.

My Journey:

May 10th- Leave Charlotte North Carolina around 7am traveling to Knoxville TN and then north to Shoals Indiana. Spending the night there.

May 11th- Leave Shoals Indiana and head to Kansas City. I have an uncle there who is letting me stay with him for the night.

May 12th- Head north on the border of Iowa and once reaching South Dakota turn left and head to Rapid City for the night. This stretch is going to be the longest and hardest to do, but I am up for it.

May 13th- Head out of Rapid City to Wapiti WY then towards Helena MT for the night.

May 14th- Going through Missoula MT to try and fish for a while during the day then heading to Spokane Washington. I have a free place to stay there for Thursday night and get a good night of sleep.

May 15th- I will be making the last 2.5 hours of my trip from Spokane to Richland Washington.

May 18th- First day of work!!!!

Once in Richland I have a place to stay for a couple of weeks til I get settled in. I will be looking for my own place as soon as possible.

The link attached is the trip on Mapquest. Yall can see my trip and see if I am passing by anybody. I will be looking for meal dates pretty much everyday, for lunch and dinner. Not really a breakfast eater unless its the only time for someone to meet up. Hopefully this week I will be able to put my hands on a Camera so I can take plenty of pics on the way and also keep this post updated on my travels each night. ( If I have a place with free internet)

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Charlotte&1s=NC&2c=Shoals+&2s=IN#a/maps/l:::Charlotte:NC::US:35.226898:-80.8433:city:Mecklenburg+County:1/l:::Shoals:IN::US:38.666401:-86.7911:city:Martin+County:1/l:::Kansas+City:KS::US:39.114201:-94.627197:city:Wyandotte+County:1/l:::Rapid+City:SD::US:44.080601:-103.230598:city:Pennington+County:1/l:::Wapiti:WY::US:44.468601:-109.436897:city:Park+County:1/l:::Helena:MT::US:46.5928:-112.035301:city:Lewis+and+Clark+County:1/l:::Missoula:MT::US:46.8722:-113.993103:city:Missoula+County:1/l:::Spokane:WA::US:47.658901:-117.425003:city:Spokane+County:1/l:::Richland:WA::US:46.285801:-119.283302:city:Benton+County:1/m::2:41.368158:-100.078123:0:::::/io:1:::::f:EN:M:/e

Anyhow, this is just a quick update of everything that is going on with me. I will try and keep this post updated as things come up that I feel are important to post. I am looking forward to this in a HUGE kind of way. Yes I am really nervous but I know I need a very big change in my life and I believe I cant get to much bigger than this.

-Ben

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Once you leave Missoula, MT take highway #12 to Lewiston, ID instead of going to Spokane. If you do that, you will come within 2 miles of my house. You can #12 right to Richland.

It sounds like you are going to be working at Hanford, right?

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Once you leave Missoula, MT take highway #12 to Lewiston, ID instead of going to Spokane. If you do that, you will come within 2 miles of my house. You can #12 right to Richland.

It sounds like you are going to be working at Hanford, right?

Yep, for Areva at the Hanford site.

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What a trip.....Hope you have a safe trip and good luck.

You will be a bit south from me as you come through the center of MO.....However I am not but an 1.5 from Columbia and 2 hours from STL so if you have problems let me know.....if you want my cell number shoot me a pm.;)

PM sent....Thanks for the offer, I hope I dont have to talk to you:D

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I just got down to my parents house in Charlotte. I will be spending my last days here with them. As I was unpacking everything I got to thinking about snacks on the trip, go figure fat guy thinking about snacks. Anyhow, I looked in the meat freezer and realized I had 6 back straps that I can not take with me and keep frozen. So tonight they are getting cut up and made into jerky!!! I bet more people will want to meet up now:D

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your route from rapid city, through cody, up the road to wapiti (and through yellowstone park) to helena will be a 14-15 hour day, if the weather is good. sounds like a great trip overall. have fun. wave as you slip through gillette...

Listen for the girlie horn from the old school toyota.

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Here are some pre trip pics....

This is what I will be driving out, I will take more pics once its packed. If anybody sees this thing going down the road please give me a push, 79 hp will not take me there fast....

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This is one of the biggest things I will miss:(

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Another thing I will miss will be my folks backyard, I am sure yall can guess why...

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This will be my snacks for the week, if they dont get gone by the time I leave....

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Guest TennesseeTurkey

Youre going about 30 mins from me Ben like I said before if Im out of church in time Sunday Ill try to meet you in Caryville, TN about 20-30 mins north of Knoxville.....

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I don't think your truck is going to be big enough!

I've seen smaller:D But, its my only option and I think I will be able to get everything I need in it. All I am taking is clothes, some fishing stuff and my fourwheeler and riding gear. Dad will ship out my hunting stuff if I am able to find a place to hunt next season. Once I get there and need furniture I will go to a goodwill and get all that stuff there. If you think my truck looks small now, just wait til I post the pic with the fourwheeler in the bed:D. I will post that pic on Saturday afternoon/night when I get it all packed up.

Youre going about 30 mins from me Ben like I said before if Im out of church in time Sunday Ill try to meet you in Caryville, TN about 20-30 mins north of Knoxville.....

No worries man, if it works it works if not they make planes. I will text/call you when I get to Kville. I am leaving Charlotte around 7 so I might be going through Kville a little earlier than church gets out, but I will let you know. I know how bad you want to meet me and all, if it doesnt work this time we will figure something out soon. Maybe when you come out west to hunt I will drive down for a day to see ya.

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