OOIDA tour trailer tour stops in Tonopah, Ariz.

Marty Ellis has left the state of California. He has taken the OOIDA tour trailer to Tonopah, Ariz.

The Tonopah TA, where Ellis has set up, is at I-10 and 339th Street, which is Exit 103 from the interstate.

Ellis and the Spirit of the American Trucker tour trailer are scheduled to be there through Nov. 11. Then he heads to Grain Valley, Mo., to take part in the fall OOIDA Board of Directors meeting.

The Tonopah TA Travel Center boasts parking for 407 tractor-trailers. There’s a Country Pride full-service restaurant there as well as Broaster Chicken, Pizza Hut, Subway and Taco Bell.

Another thing the Tonopah TA has is cheaper fuel prices than at the last stop in Barstow, Calif., Ellis reported. He said this morning the price for diesel was $1.06 cheaper at the Tonopah TA compared to the one in Barstow. He said by his calculations the Tonopah price is 91 cents cheaper than the tax disparity between the states.

Tonopah is an unincorporated community in western Maricopa County, Ariz. It is about 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix on I-10. Tonopah is in the Tonopah Desert, which is part of the Sonoran Desert.

Here are some photos of the gorgeous desert landscape by a motorcyclist touring the area.

‘Go out and help somebody’

Ellis regularly discusses what he sees and hears from drivers on the road during Friday Land Line Now broadcasts. Last Friday he talked about the fascination with posting videos of awkward or dangerous mishaps on the road. In part of the discussion, he recounted meeting a new driver who was struggling with backing his trailer into a parking spot.

Instead of stopping to video the driver’s problems, Ellis suggested offering to help instead.

“Go out and ask that person if they need some help. Maybe go out and help somebody before they actually do make that mistake, like running into somebody” Ellis said.

Listen to the conversation here.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see the OOIDA tour trailer, stop by and say hello. Ellis looks forward to visiting about the Association’s activities and current issues. There are copies of Land Line Magazine to pick up there. You can join or renew your membership for $10 off the regular price at The Spirit.

After Tonopah and then the OOIDA Board of Directors meeting, Ellis plans to stop Nov. 19-20 in Stratford, Mo.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL