Burgaw, NC

As I mentioned in my previous post, I may have had a little trouble finding my way through North Carolina after delivering the load of Chevy 1500s.

I have been driving a truck since the late 90s and I am one of those who is holding on to the old ways with every fiber of my being. I am the last to embrace technology, and with that being said... I finally put the old laminated Atlas in a cubby hole and acquired myself a GPS.

But before I get off the beaten path with this tale, I should probably mention that I have the absolute worst luck when it comes to technology and gadgets. Brand new items that will go haywire with in weeks of coming into my possession. With that being said, I shall now continue off the beaten path.

While hanging around Corry, PA, I was convinced to purchase a newer model of Rand McNally GPS. The main attraction to this particular unit was the POI listings which included damn near every car dealership in the the contiguous United States. How sweet is that?  After loading the pick-ups, I decided that I did not particularly care for the new routing on my trip so I decided to work my way back over to I-79 ( with a little help from Ol' Rand). Good thing for me that I am still attentive because my route included a bridge that may have been a little too low for me to creep underneath. But I still managed to find my way back along a very scenic route.

Getting from Pittsburgh, PA, to Burgaw, NC, was a no brainer and I employed Rand to help me find a local motel chain close to my delivery. Once again, very sweet!

After my Saturday morning delivery, I was scheduled to bounce back to Greer, SC and load up some BMWs to take to Long Island. Feeling adventurous, I decided to give Rand free rein. After all, it was such a beautiful day and who doesn't love a good back road journey?

You will notice, there are 3 suggested routes according to Google Maps that would guide me back to I-95. Mr McNally did not choose any of these options. Instead, I was directed onto a much smaller road, but having a little familiarity with North Carolina, I was not concerned (at first).  It was not until I was directed to make a left turn on what appeared to be a very rural county road bearing the name of Anytown, USA's many common wooded pathways such as Hog Hollow, or Burnt Hickory Road. The name itself suggested that I should hesitate, which I did (for a moment). But, once again, deciding to let the adventure unfold, I slowly made the left turn. I made it about 50 feet when I noticed the "No Outlet" sign. Just beyond this little foreboding rectangular message, there was an even larger sign which stopped me in my tracks.

Oh, now I remember why I hesitated before making the turn.. Elwell Ferry Road!  FERRY!!!!  What the hell are you thinking Rand? Seriously!!

Soooooo, given the fact that I was not going to get my 20 ton hauler onto a 4 ton ferry, I backed up to try again. Eventually I entered a small town and once again Rand pleads with me to ignore the restricted truck routes. Oh no, not this time! But I still would not grab the Atlas. This is supposed to be an adventure and there were really only 3 options. I would eventually back track towards I-40, hit the Outer Banks, or actually find I-95.  Which I eventually did... find 95, that is! After the 2 previous bad judgement calls on the GPS, I decided to stick to routes that I knew. It was Saturday afternoon, and Long Island is more than a day's drive. I can't tell you how many times I checked the route settings  to make sure that everything was accurate. Ferry (not allowed)...  Not really sure what happened, other than my incredible luck with gadgets and technology. But I am once again, a little gun shy when it comes to trusting the GPS. As a little pay back, I love to watch Mr McNally go absolutely crazy whilst I drive around New York City. I know better than to follow his suggestions in that concrete jungle. I have 10 years of NYC deliveries under my belt and I have often been overheard giggling when the local traffic report mentions a "misplaced truck". Yes, I am kind of an ass that way, but how do you miss those 7'10" clearance signs anyway? Silly freighthaulers! Hopefully, after updating the system, it will no longer lead me directly into the no man's land of truck routes.

I did make it back to Greer and get loaded with my Ultimate Driving Machines. Thankfully, no one was around to witness my departure...  Jiminy Effing Crickets!!!