| Amarillo |
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| Saturday, 09 April 2005 16:00 | |||
 Today we moved from "tree-growing-in-pool" RV park to one not promising anything it couldn't deliver, a little further south of Amarillo.
The weather all around us is not good, thunderstorms, high winds and hail, so staying here is pretty much our only option. Amarillo has a population of about 175,000 and is a truck driver's haven. There are several huge truck stops on both sides of I-40 here as well as several trucking related businesses offering everything from mechanical services to truck washes. Because of Rick's trucking background, he knows which stops have the good restaurants, the best food for the best value and so we went to the Petro for dinner last night. It was close to the park, easy to get to and had a great buffet BUT we had to walk through the smoking section to get to the non-smoking section.
Being married to an ex-trucker has given me a true appreciation for these people who are responsible for transporting just about everything you can think of to our favourite retailers. I have learned that most truckers are intelligent, courteous, excellent drivers, and they are trying to provide a decent home life for their loved ones. I am grateful that there are these truck stops with lots of amenities available to give these men and women some sense of comfort when they are on the road. Besides restaurants and fuel, the truck stops offer movie-viewing rooms and stores selling everything from tools to groceries and clothing to greeting cards. There are services such as shoeshines and haircuts, an audio book rental, Internet access (in some places it's free) and hot showers and games rooms. For many truckers, a truck stop is a home away from home and the only opportunity for them to relax for a short time while they are on the road. Our new RV site is in a rugged, wilderness area beside a state park, which we will explore tomorrow. Today we concentrated on getting set up and despite the fact that neither our satellite for the television or the one for the Internet are working, Rick was able to watch a NASCAR race, his first in three weeks. Our day was mostly sunny, though cooler, (around 15C) and windy but at least we avoided the turbulent stuff the areas around us were experiencing.
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