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Got GPS?....or, our Winter vacation!

Bubba_Bill
Explorer
Explorer
Wintered in LA....that's Lower Alabama, near Pensacola. Nice time but Cold and rainy more often than not. Headed back toward Tennessee on a late Friday morning. Hit the Interstate and making good time with my 36'er and Toady. Wife started saying she didn't feel good and had back pain around Lunch time. Getting toward Dusk and my wife's on the sofa and is now groaning in severe pain and vomiting! I'm getting rattled and trying to figure out what's happening and where the H....I'm at. Turned off the next exit...no place to pull over, a closed down gas station with chain across the drive. Kept going, thank God, an 'H' sign! Drove about 1 mile and saw the Emergency entrance. Again, thank the Lord and big parking lot virtually empty where I can get my rig in. Great care in the Hospital, my wife's got a kidney stone! Released later that night, we pulled in the next exit where there was a Walmart, a twisting road in, with several turns and squeezed thru the gas station to fill up. Next morning we pulled out and tried remembering how I came in! Yep, I was dead sure I turned left coming in so I made a right turn. We wound up on a road like I have never seen! I'm sure it was paved the last time in 1918! And, it just got worse. Absolutely no place to even unhook and turn around. After maybe an hour, we saw a fellow on a 4 wheeler on the side of the 'road'...or said: 'Are Ya' Lost?' Yep! Just keep going straight and make 2 right turns and you'll eventually hit the Highway......Are Ya' in a hurry, said he?, Nope, said I. The road was so rough, I couldn't go over 15mph. Got a Rand 7710 enroute, you never know when you will have an emergency! Happy Travels!
6 REPLIES 6

Turbo_Diesel_Du
Explorer
Explorer
Thank goodness for our old outdated Garmin Nuvi 850 last summer. It got us out of Canada when all the flooding was going on. Never knew there was so many gravel back roads headed back to Montana. I was suffering from A-fib and congestive heart failure. Try that combination. Only had dial up where we lived last and wouldn't live long enough to download an update. Now have Good Sam medical road service.
charles weidman

wildtoad
Explorer II
Explorer II
Johno02 wrote:
Get a good R-M Atlas with large pages. Especially nice, but more expensive are the Truckers version with laminated pages. Does'nt need power or satellites, and lets you see the full route. Many have Walmart location pages. Remember, GPS units lie. Even better, keep a number of local state maps, usually free from state DOTs, and replace them with new ones often.


Totally agree. At least have one for a backup for those time you don't know where you are but are sure you don't want to follow the directions from the "Lady" in the box. The lady doesn't always know a road has been closed, and she sure doesn't know they are having a mardi gras parade and wants you to drive through it.
Tom Wilds
Blythewood, SC
2016 Newmar Baystar Sport 3004
2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr HT

TucsonJim
Explorer
Explorer
Kidney stones are horrid. Glad she's okay. My two sons are very prone to them with my older son having over 30 in his lifetime. If you haven't studied up on them yet, there are a couple of things you can do to help prevent them in the future:

Avoid caffeine
Stay hydrated

If you're like me, you might not drink as much on a road trip to cut down on nature calls. But if you suffer from kidney stones, that can come back to bite you.
2016 Ford F350 Turbo Diesel SRW 4x4
2017 Grand Design Reflection 297RSTS
2013 Ford F350 Turbo Diesel SRW 4x4 (Destroyed by fire - 8/29/16)
2014 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS (Destroyed by fire - 8/29/16)

Johno02
Explorer
Explorer
Get a good R-M Atlas with large pages. Especially nice, but more expensive are the Truckers version with laminated pages. Does'nt need power or satellites, and lets you see the full route. Many have Walmart location pages. Remember, GPS units lie. Even better, keep a number of local state maps, usually free from state DOTs, and replace them with new ones often.
Noel and Betty Johnson (and Harry)

2005 GulfStream Ultra Supreme, 1 Old grouch, 1 wonderful wife, and two silly poodles.

sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Explorer
WOW! Glad your DW is ok. Since I'm our navigator we could be in that same position. Gotta show DH how to work the GPS!!
Lonny & Diane
2004 Country Coach Allure 33' "Big Blue"
Towing 2008 Chev Colorado 4x4
Semper Fi

Okie_in_Wyoming
Explorer
Explorer
I hope your DW is now feeling better. That is a scary adventure, for sure! I am glad you found her help and that the hospital was so good to her!
May your next adventure be restful, peaceful and healthy!
Okie
Smiles across the Miles
Darling Husband
2 Wonderful Dogs
And Me
2007 Dodge 2500 Quad Cab(Diesel)
2010 Cougar 276RLS