US 95 from Olympia, WA to Glendale, AZ

This was a GREAT route to hit on the way home. I ended up driving past this Casino, as I didn't have my GPS up at the time, and it was like - BAM!!! Here I am!

I *REALLY* wish the weather would have been better in order to check out the scenery. The smoke and haze from the fires all along the West Coast and Canada made the trip extremely hard to see the sights, until I got to Reno. Even then, when I left Susanville towards Reno Wednesday morning, that stuff started rolling in until I got to US-11.

I left Olympia, WA and drove through to Susanville, CA. As I was going up Hwy 58, with the river on the North Side, probably about an hour up the Hwy, all the way going through the Willamette Mountains / Pass, until I went through the CA Fruit Check Point, I honestly really didn't see that many big trucks. It was pretty much 80 mph for me the whole way.

After I left Klammath Falls, OR., all the way until I got passed the Switch Backs and dropped in to Susanville via CA-139, that seemed like a tight road for 18's. Do big trucks normally hit that road? Someone in Kingman, AZ mentioned that route used to be banned for big trucks?

I was going to push it to Reno instead, but I took a couple things in to consideration.

1) YOU FOLKS!!! You guys do it for a living, and I've heard y'all say "Don't push it when you think you can".

2) Where Hwy 139 becomes Hwy 395 in Susanville by the McDonalds and whatnot, they have it closed over night (shifting lanes) due to repaving the Hwy. Therefore, Answer #1 came back in to mind.

After that, it was a great drive. Y'all were right. Great roads the whole way (except for the pavement control down the switch backs on 139 just coming in to Susanville). Where I was the only one on the road for a while, I definitely made sure "The Wick Was Turned Up".

US-11 out of Henderson to Kingman, AZ up and over the Hoover #### is now open. That was a nice, smooth route as well.

Didn't hit any weather related issues until Hwy 93 between Wickieup, AZ and Wickenburg, AZ. The Monsoon rain was so bad, there were big trucks using the pull-off 1/2 way between the two. The one that says "Outside Benches Available For Use". One thing I have learned, if it's too bad for y'all, it's too bad for a 4-wheel oversized roller skate like myself.

I do appreciate the recommendations, and allowing someone like me who drives an oversized roller skate, instead of being one of y'all to ask questions, and get great and honest suggestions.

You guys are the support and backbone of the road.

Please allow me to be one of the few who apologize for all the ____________ (<-- insert favorite expletive here) of the road who don't do what you do, and don't appreciate it by cutting you off, brake checking you, and everything else you experience every day that I could never experience. I had NO PROBLEM doing 25-30mph up some of the passes, knowing I would get to my destination safe and sound by sharing the road with y'all.

Blue_Orgre, if you are ever in the Glendale, AZ area and have time for a beer - yes, that's AFTER you are off the books for the night, I owe ya a beer!

And on that, everyone reading this, keep the pedal to the metal, Eastbound and Down, and don't let the ID10T roller skaters piss you off too much!

Sincerely,
Charles Waters
Glendale, AZ