A TFP first ever!!
 

Welcome to the first ever TFP Online Road Trip!!
As most of you who visits the chat room, when I returned from deployment, I decided I was going rent an RV and travel around the States to show Nunu what exactly how great and beautiful this country is.

Since my return to active duty, she has become a contractor to the Army and they offered her a higher postion at work, but her not being a citizen hurt her. So to make up for it, they naturalized her and since she doesn't want to be a "paper" citizen, she wants to see and exerience it firsthand. We decided to drive through, state to state, as many as we can. I will update this as I go.

The next major city we are heading for is somewhere near Rock Island, Illinois to drop 2 buddies of mine off.

Hey, if we are coming along your way, post it up and lets meet up and take pictures to add to this adventure.
THIS will be totally INTERACTIVE, I will post here and also be on our chat...

Fast forward..>

Fort Drum, N.Y.

As of 10:30 a.m., we started, and one hour later, we were knee-deep in N.Y.'s
snow belt and guess who decided to join our party?

60-80 mile an hour winds and 4 feet of snow. (I'll upload the video once we get to stable place to do it.) I-81 was shut down for 2 hours so we crept along at 5 mph. The funny thing is the snowbelt is about 4 or 5 exits long, (39 to 34) and once we got over that hump, the skies were clear again and the frigging birds were singing. (We named it the Pulaski Triangle.) It is truly freakish nature acting there.

Syracuse, N.Y.

I-90 has been reduced to a crawl due to too many cars off the road coupled with these 60 mph winds tearing up the place. I am not in a hurry so I been driving along, puttering.

Buffalo / Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Bad snow dump going on.
Made a stop and had some McD's. Traffic report says from exit 91 on is closed and all the rest area is totally packed with truckers and rigs. Gonna putter along and see if the road have opened up.
Going west, toward Erie, Pa.

Fredonia / Dunkirk, N.Y. / Exit 91 10:30 p.m.

Yup, roads closed. Was given directions to an alternate road (Route 20) but I dont think its a good idea. If you cant take the interstate, them small roads has to be a mess. So with that said, I am sitting in a Walmart parking lot near the interstate, waiting for the road to be opened up.
I think I will start time-stamping my updates..

This is awesome buddah!!

If you stay on the 90, let us know when you're in Town.

when are you going to maine?

What a great trip! I hope it's a delightful journey!

when you're in dubai. give us a visit :D

like you said..next deployment!

You have to come by NC, there are so many TFPers here that it isn't funny.

How far west are you coming? You should go into Google Wave and look for clusters of flags!

Update: Mentor, Ohio
Time 1:32 p.m.

I had pulled over and took an 5 hour nap. The trip between Erie and here was a mess, roads iced over so I stopped all forward movement until safer conditions. We went to my first Waffle House since Fort Lee, Va. 2 years ago.
A shout-out to all our TFP Ohio family!
Gonna start rolling again, sat here bullshitting at Starbuck's that most of the snow has melted, leaving primo driving conditions.

Check in later...

If you pass through SW Ohio, let us know!

It's a little funny.

Sounds like Buddah is enroute to chicago... if he doesn't make it here I'll know it was one of you who Kidnapped him!!

Update: Rest stop outside Toledo, Ohio
Time 4:35 p.m.
Making a stop to take a shower / freshen up, all is good. Still a little wind kicking up now and then. Gonna see how we hold up, if its clear and good, might push near Chi-town..

BuDDaH's on tour?



Oh, schnap!

Have fun. We expect lots of pictures.

I expect there to be a stop in Indiana at some point...

Update: 41.588697,-87.216157 - Google Maps
Time: I have no idea due to the time-line we crossed or havent crossed..

1143 p.m. on my watch..

Sitting in Indy as we speak but no one spoke up, so I have no one to drop in on. But I will go to Rock Island to drop off my buddy, then possibly come back to Chicago to spend a few hours there with Amonkie and other TFPer's.

I'd make it my way to you RJ to say hello. Let me know whats up, my travel plans are very fluid right now.

Indiana can be a very confusing place, time-wise. Good luck in your travels!

Update: 41.443676,-90.583152 (801-1099 10th St W, Milan, IL 61264, USA) - Google Maps

Time: 1:29 p.m.

Dropped my buddies off to their home, resting for a sec, then making the turn-around to Chicago. Makes no sense to drive by people I know and not say hello, eh?
Besides, I have a promise to keep, right Amonkie?

Dinner is ON! TONIGHT!

For those in the Chicagoland area... we're meeting for dinner at Laredo's - Buddah's estimated arrival time is about 5-5:30pm, so meet for dinner between 5:30-6pm?

Laredo's
9797 West Higgins Road
Rosemont, IL 60018-4744
(847) 685-0673‎

This is an awesome tex mex place in a strip mall, so there is plenty of free parking.

If you need to get ahold of me for an update, I'm gonna grab my laptop and get going, PM me for my number if you don't already have it.

Well, I have to work tomorrow night but if you're driving on 65 through Indy tomorrow around lunch, we should meet up for a cup of coffee or something. I'm right off of the interstate.

Touchdown in Chicago...
Amonkie representing and holding it down for Chi-town..
We ate some Mexican while I kept piling the magaritas on Amonkie for waiting on us..
After that, we went and hung out in the RV before taking or tour of the city..

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http://img269.imagevenue.com/loc529/..._122_529lo.JPGhttp://img246.imagevenue.com/loc359/..._122_359lo.JPG
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Picture order:
Nunu.
A margarita'ed Amonkie.
Buddah and Amonkie in a group TFP hug.
Us chatting in realtime with the TFP.
Just before the power went out again..

Next stop: Indiana before 4 p.m.

WOO INDIANA!!

Lovely pictures. I'm bringing my camera and they will be big pictures!

Just so you have an idea... 4 of these (I put in the pepper shaker for scale)

Great to see my big brudder Buddah again :)

That looks really good, monkie...

Wish I had been able to make it... how dare my niece celebrate her birthday at such an inconvenient time! :p :(

So, here are my pictures from the visit. Buddah has a couple more when he gets to uploading them.


Nunu and Buddah in the RV
Attachment 20855

Buddah
Attachment 20856

Buddah and I

Attachment 20857
Attachment 20858

If you can meet up with Buddah and Nunu while they are driving around, you definitely should. I had a great time, even if work cut it short. :( And I apologize to Buddah and Nunu... I'm very awkward with people and a horrible conversationalist. But, I couldn't miss out on meeting you two!

Ok big man...when are you hitting Ga? (please please please dont say anywhere from the 31st-3rd or Dec 23-24)

Are you still coming to Denver?

I know where all the delicious hamburgers live.
Find me and we will eat them.

Let me know if you pass thru houston... theres a few of us down here.

dammit, dammit, dammit!
Why y'all wait until AFTER I've passed you to let me know? :mad::confused:

Already in Albuquerque, having a day away from driving, about to start the second leg through Flagstaff, California, then Denver.. :thumbsup:

King's in Denver.

And if you make it out to Oregon and see snowy, you have to give her a hug from me. I'll know if you don't.

when you get back to drum, hang loose; i'll be back upstate by the end of may...

ahhh bummer! I didnt see this thread till today! sounds like your taking I40... thats a drive I made many times in college have fun!

i should get online more when i travel. i just came back from an indiana/florida road trip. i could have been in that RV too.

Bad news, WK.
Just got hit with an alert status and our unit is getting spun up on something, so they are calling a recall formation for accountability, and once I reported in by phone, the company commander doesn't like the storm system heading your way, so under HIS advisement, I SHOULD travel the southern states on the way back. I am in Las Vegas now and still havent hit Los Angeles yet, so I'll decide how I will go about it in the morning..

Made it to see WK! A storm blowing in the north so we are going
south, gonna take I-70 so that means you Ohio people might get
a second chance to meet up. Put it up here if you want to!

Hey was great to see the 3 of you last night in the vid chat.... :)

If I wasn't so insanely busy from today until Sunday, I'd totally be up for a meetup. As it is, though, my days are quite full. :(

I don't get a second Buddah Visit? BOOO :(


stay safe guys.... I wouldn't want to be out there driving in that mess.

Booo! I hit Springfield and now in Columbus, not a TFPer reply in sight.

Heading home..
Hey WK, you gonna post those pictures up?
When I get back to stable internet back at home, I'll put up the rest of the trip pictures..