4 Oct - Wed - KOA - Forsyth, GA

Almost to Florida! After leaving Nickajack Lake in Tennessee, we headed east on I-24. All the maps we looked at, said Chattanooga, TN, was the next major stop. But surprise, surprise, as we were casually driving along I-24 there was this great big road sign saying, “Welcome to Georgia”! So the trivia question, if you’re ever asked, is, If you’re driving east on I-24 in Tennessee, when do you hit Georgia?” The answer is not “never”, but west of Chattanooga. A little bit of trivia for late night ruminations.

Anyway, here we are in Forsyth, GA – just south of Atlanta. Today’s photo op was a chance encounter. We were in a truck stop north of Atlanta for a bite of lunch. After checking out what the truckers were eating inside (and experiencing a few minutes of the noise and confusion), we decided on take-out (thank you, Burger King). While dining in the relative quiet of the motor home, I was contemplating the huge number of trucks getting gas at the Travel America Truck Stop. The question that popped into mind was, “How does the fuel (gas/diesel) get here for all these trucks to refuel”?

No sooner than the question arose, a tanker truck drove in. It was heading the “wrong” direction from the other trucks and was obviously there on a mission as the driver walked around, putting on gloves and hooking up pipes and stuff – from truck to yellow-capped receptacles in the ground.

Not being particularly shy, I got out the camera and went snooping. Turns out the truck driver was a really nice guy, i.e., he spoke to me in English without condescension to a “lowly” RV driver.

It was his second run of the day to refuel this particular truck stop. His rig carries 9,000 gallons of diesel (the legal load). He expressed envy at our motor-home and said it was his ambition to have one – he misses his wife while driving an oil tanker truck. But he loved being on the road.

The other tid-bit of information is the change to the diesel fuel laws. I had noticed, refueling frequently, a notice to the effect that “… this diesel fuel is not usable in any motor vehicle manufactured on or after 2007.” What did that mean, I wondered? Will I not be able to buy diesel fuel next year? What will people do that buy diesel engines next year? Questions posed to confuse and confound.

The answer, (drum roll please), next year the government has mandated cleaner-burning diesel. Meaning, instead of 500 parts per million of sulfur in current diesel fuel, it must be 5 parts per million. Thus, cleaner emission. Of course this will cost everyone. But the “good” news is the new fuel can be burned in the older engines, thus I won’t have to retrofit my motor – home, nor will the thousands of semi-trailer trucks on the highway!

He (the driver) was impressed I was getting 11.5 mpg while he (driving his rig) got 5.5 mpg. Of course he’s hauling 9,000 gallons while I’m wimping along with 24,000 pounds of load.

Tonight we are less than a one-day’s drive from home. Our plan is to stay here two nights and catch up on various lists: what to leave in the motor home, what to take to the house, what needs to be serviced on the motor home, what will we do when we get home, etc. You get the idea.

The campground is close to I-75 and next to a small pond complete with geese, ducks, and one lonely swan. Suki has been out and about (unleashed). Margaret had to fetch him when he got too close to the interstate.

The weather is mild and moist; probably in the low 70’s. We’ll likely run the air conditioner(s) all night, both to control the heat and humidity and the freeway noise. More tomorrow before we start our last leg home.