Being our primary vendor is based in Austin, Texas, I find myself on the HTX to ATX route more than any other. Today I'll be bringing back four pallets to RPC Global in Houston.
If the trip goes without a hitch, I should be back by 4:00 pm (8:00 am start-time.) The plan is straightforward, make one stop in each direction. The first is for coffee and maybe some gas. On the return trip, I'll fill up. If I'm hungry, I'll grab lunch.
PV Truck Rental - Houston
At 7:00 am, the day starts at the PV Truck Rental, where I'll be picking up a 16' box truck with liftgate. This truck and I are going to be buddies for the day.
I-10 West - Houston to Columbus in Texas
For the first leg of the trip, I've decided to stop at Hruska's in Ellinger, Texas.
To get there, I'll take I-10 West to Columbus (74miles) then connect to US 71 North for 14 miles. The idea is to get out of Houston, and hit the open road. Unless the bathroom comes calling, I won't stop until Ellinger.
US 71 North - Columbus to Ellinger in Texas
After exiting I-10, I get on US 71 North for 14 miles. This road brings us to Hruskas's, where I stop for a coffee and restroom break. Although there is no truck parking on the premises, there is some across the street at the Jarmon and Grover intersection.
Does anyone know why the GPS suggests I take this route to Austin, and on the return trip, it recommends taking 290 East to Houston? Do let me know. I've been curious about this for the longest time.
One reason for stopping at Hruska's is because they have the best kolaches and klobasnikys (akin to pigs in the blanket) you will ever taste.
On this trip, I had the following klobasnikys:
(1) ham/cheese/jalapeño
And to wash it down, a small coffee.
I didn't "need" gas, but since the needle was just above a quarter of a tank, I decided to fill up anyway.
US 71 North - Ellinger to Austin in Texas
The trip from Ellinger to Austin (83 miles) is mostly uneventful.
Austin, Texas
In Austin, I stop at the customer's location where they load me up. Within 30 minutes, I'm on 290 East headed back to Houston.
290 East - Austin to Elgin in Texas
This leg of the trip (25 miles) used to be open-road, but ever since Austin started behaving like its bigger brothers in Texas, there is development. It's 1:00 pm when I arrive, so I decided to stop at Meyer's Elgin Smokehouse for lunch.
There are two things I like about this joint. One the parking is enormous and two, they have absolutely some of the best BBQ you will ever taste. Having tried almost everything on their menu, today, I go with the 2-meat plate, brisket, and pulled pork.
For the sides, I ask for the Mexican street corn and potato salad.
I forgo eating in the dining room and prefer eating at my steering wheel. Partially because of Covid-19, but mostly because I don't want to get too comfortable.
290 East - Elgin to Hempstead in Texas
The penultimate leg of the trip (87.2 miles) is where I plan to fill up on gas.
As the Houston and Austin metro areas grow more massive, the distance between them appears shorter. It's only an illusion, of course, as the sprawls masks the open land. A person feels as if they are leaving one and arriving into the other. In truth, the distance is the same.
Between Elgin and Hempstead, that small-town Texas feeling is alive and well. I'm not sure how much longer, it seems like this never-ending development grows bigger and bigger each year. But it is a good stretch of road on which to take a trip over the weekend.
290 East - Hempstead to Houston in Texas
With Houston's geography as "flat as a pancake," there are no "scenic views" coming into the city. The only reason a person can tell they are entering town is that 290 jumps from a 2-lane to a 3-lane highway right around Waller then to 5-lanes around Hockley. This leg is the final one of the trip (52.8 miles.) Dropped the four pallets off at RPC Global and returned the truck to PV Truck Rental.
Trip Results
Total Distance: 336 miles
Total trip time: 8 hours
Total stoppage time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Net travel time: 6 hours and 45 minutes
Average MPH: 49.78