San Antonio

Jan 5, 2011:  We got a call from the RV park at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station where we're scheduled to stay saying there is space available now so we're on our way again....


Jan 3, 2011:  We are still in San Antonio staying at Braunig Lake RV Resort for 3 more days when we plan to leave for Corpus Christi for a short few days before turning north again.  Since mom has been getting weaker we've decided that it makes more sense to move towards Oregon at a slow pace instead of heading to north Florida as we had originally planned.  We don't want to run the risk of staying in Texas or going to Florida now.  Moving more north will reduce the distance to Oregon in case mom worsens and we have to get there fast.

Christmas day - San Antonio:  Although its been in the 60s and 70s here all week yesterday the wind started gusting to about 35 or 40 and we got a couple of hours of heavy rain blowing sideways.  This morning the wind is still blowing, though not as strong, and its about 50 degrees.  This morning  came bright, cloudless, and warmer - apparently we got a free trailer and truck wash last night - Texas style.  Everything that had a coat of dust is now bright and clean!  No water leaks around the slides in spite of very heavy rain.

Our new Montana and some nice things for inside it is our Christmas present to each other this year.  We have a small Christmas tree and some lights for both inside and outside.  

Most of the folks in the RV park got together today at the clubhouse and had a pot luck Christmas dinner.  It panned out to be a pretty good dinner, both the food and the company.  Betty made her delicious corn bread stuffing and as usual it was a very popular dish among the travelers. As with most holiday dinners I overate and felt stuffed the rest of the day.  There are lots of folks here that are either 1/2 timers or full timers like us, spending the winter in their RV away from someplace cold.  I talked to a man from Anchorage during dinner.  They're full timers that spend their summers back in Alaska like us.  There's a wealth of knowledge among these folks about where and how to travel.  People really notice our Alaska license plates and excitedly grill us for information about traveling there, or tell us about their Alaska vacation from the past and how beautiful they found Alaska to be.

Nearly Christmas - San Antonio:  We learned recently that a couple of wind storms blew down some sections of Cedar fence on our deck at home (Wasilla).  We've been on the phone with our property manager off and on for the past few days trying to get someone to simply remove the remaining fence panels before they tear themselves apart in the wind.  When the temps are below zero you can't really find anyone to do this kind of work.  As much as I hated to do it I finally called Ed hoping to get some help.  As he always does he came through and will take Zane over soon to remove the fence and stack the panels near the workshop.  He says it has warmed up and its now a "balmy" 10 degrees.  Thanks, Ed, Roxy, and Zane, I owe you.  I can't tell you how much stress you removed by doing this.  I know what a pain in the @## it is to do this kind of work when its cold.  I'm really motivated to help build your deck this spring when we return.  Ed has given so much of himself to my building projects over the years and he does such good work....here's a couple of examples:

             Fish camp warehouse - Sterling, Alaska

Liar's Lodge - Sterling, Alaska

Mid December:  The weather here in San Antonio has been very nice.  Well, the locals think its a pretty hard winter because there have been some days with temps in the 50s.  The past few days has been in the middle 70s and feels almost too hot because its a little humid.

Our friends Pat and Patty who we met in Tucson are here in they're fifth wheeler also so we have dinners and play cards together.  Last week we went to the river walk near the Alamo with them.  Lots of fun...good food, great scenery, and since I was with Betty - excellent company.

I included some pictures of Arizona missions in an earlier post - adding to our mission experience we've now visited 2 of the 5 missions of San Antonio so here are some pictures:

                            Espada Mission

Espada Mission 

                            San Juan Mission

As we walked through these historic sites I was intrigued by the interesting woodwork, especially the doors.  Imagine the labor that went in to building these without De Walt power tools. Here are a some examples:

Now that we've seen the first two (Espada and San Juan) of the 5 missions of San Antonio, I'm looking forward to visiting the Jan Jose, Concepcion, and Alamo missions after Christmas.  

El Paso to San Antonio - December 6 to December 8, 2010

We left El Paso early this morning and drove steadily with three in our caravan to Fort Stockton, New Mexico for a quick overnight on the way to San Antonio.  Very beautiful country mixed with vast open plains with little scenery for long stretches.  Once in NM we saw a few pick-up trucks with big Muley bucks in the back (hunting season in NM is on).  Very good looking deer hunting country in this area.  I day dreamed as we drove along about how I 'd like to hunt the many low brush canyons and draws that looked like excellent deer habitat.

We finally arrived at Hilltop RV park in Fort Stockton.  Pat, Mark, and I went in to town and had dinner while Betty and Patty stayed behind saying they weren't hungry (I have that effect on Betty some times).

We got another early start in the morning cold (near freezing) with a plan to get to San Antonio before dinner. As usual, when we pulled onto I-10 for this leg of our trip our headwind greeted us.  Crossing over into West Texas brought really beautiful scenery with lots of hills, crappy mileage, and great views.  Betty drove for a couple of hours and did very well in spite of the hilly terrain  (I did OK too which surprises me).

We all arrived in San Antonio in the early evening and stayed for one night at a sleezy RV park near I-37 at Military Rd..  A nice place for a relaxing toddy after a long day on the road but not a place we wanted to spend a whole month. Pat found a much better park so we moved the next day (12/9). Thanks, Pat, for great research and some phone calls.  You also negotiated a good monthly rate!   ....DRW

To El Paso via Benson, AZ and Lordsburg, NM - December 3 to December 5, 2010

Drove from Davis-Monthan AFB to Benson (only 30 miles south) and visited Bruce and Celia.  It was really nice to see them again.  Celia fed us lunch which was excellent and I got a chance to shoot the breeze with Bruce.  I always learn a lot from him when we talk.  \

Sunny but cool weather.  It was only in the 60s today and a little breezy.

All good things have to come to an end so we left Bruce and Celia in mid-afternoon and lit out for Lordsburg, NM to spend one night in route to El Paso.  The new trailer tows very nicely with the Mor/Ryde suspension and pin box.  We arrived in Lordsburg without incident and overnighted at the KOA.  It was cold and windy - the temperatures dipped to the upper 20s at night.   In the morning we continued into a our usual headwind toward El Paso.  Very bad mileage with lots of uphill highway and headwinds.  I've determined that I can actually change the direction of the wind by changing our driving direction.  When we turn the wind also turns until it's blowing opposite to our travels.  It never follows us to help with mileage.  Well....life is good when this is the only complaint!

Arrived at Ft. Bliss RV park in El Paso around noon and met up Pat & Patty.  Mark was there with his 5th wheeler as well (another new friend from Agave Gulch RV park).  We all visited the PX, had lunch, and looked around the base before returning to the RV park to plan our trip to San Antonio where we all agreed to spend the rest of December and the first week of January.  I'm out voted...they want to hit the road early in the morning - I'm going to bed early again.   DRW

Davis-Monthan AFB - November 26 to December 3, 2010

Back at DM after a very good visit with Brad and Jo and a great Thanksgiving dinner.  Got our new tires from the old 5er put on the new one.  


We learned from Brad that there is a recall on our Norcold refrigerator so I've been trying to get it fixed.  Can’t get the refrigerator recall parts for a few weeks so we decided to move on to El Paso (Ft. Bliss) for a couple of days before going to San Antonio, TX for Xmas with friends we met at DM (Patrick and Pat and Mark).  Will stop and visit Bruce and Celia in Benson on the way.

It pans out that while we expected to meet a few people along the way it has become way bigger than that.  Our lives have become more social than ever before.  Betty and I have to plan in order to have some quiet time together.  We're off to Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas............DRW


Pictures of places we're enjoying while in the Tucson area.

         

  Mountain views over Tucson from Agave Gulch RV Park

Citrus trees in Agave Gulch RV Park @ DM AFB

  

                      San Xavier Mission

San Xavier Mission inside

Another area that got our attention is Old Tucson Park.  Here's a couple of shots that causes me to rethink my definition of "park."

Mesa, AZ November 23 - 25, 2010

Went to Mesa with the new 5^th wheeler and stayed at Mesa Spirit RV Park for two nights.  We went to Thanksgiving dinner as planned - it was so nice of Brad and Jo to invite us. Very good food and great folks.  I wish we had more time with Brad and Jo.  Some days are diamonds and some days are stone... It was a diamond day when we met these two (and Sophie) in Harrisburg, OR during our respective travels. 

Headed back to DM for tire changeover on new 5^th wheeler.  A good trial drive for the new 5er.  Betty drove most of the way both ways but didn’t want to tackle traffic in town yet.   DRW

Quartzsite to Tucson (Davis-Monthan AFB) - October 31 to November 23, 2010

A long and interesting drive today from Quartzsite.  Since I've never been here before I was intrigued by the geography and all the open spaces.  As usual, we drove into a headwind most of the day.  Entering Tucson on I-10 showed many miles of fairly new, nicely maintained city on the East.  

We finally arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB (DM) and got a pull thru site without any difficulty.  Agave Gulch is a really nice Military RV park and it may well become our winter home base over the next few years.  The weather is great - clear skies and middle 80s.  Also, it's not far from Scottsdale where our new friends Brad, Jo, and Sophie (Squatty's new friend) live in the winter (See a previous Harrisburg, OR post).

While at DM we stayed in contact with Brad and Jo who live in Scottsdale (we met in Harrisburg).  While looking in the Casa Grande area at homes for sale we met them for lunch at Mimi's (great BBQ chicken salad).  It was really good to see them again.  Earlier they invited us to join them for Thanksgiving dinner at their friends home in Mesa.  What a treat!


While touring around Tucson I discovered a problem with the truck and ultimately had to have new U joints/axles installed as well as a new hub on the right front.  Big bucks but good to get it done instead of breaking down on the highway out in the middle of nowhere.

We stayed at DM until November 23^rd (had to extend two days past the 21 day limit but space was available so it was OK).   Looked at more homes in the Casa Grande area - higher prices and tighter living than we really want.  We've kind of decided that having a home on wheels will work better for us than buying another home anchored to the ground.  So, on the 17^th we bought a new 5^th wheeler - 2011 Montana 3400RL.  We have so much more room than in our old one and we love it. Four slides with two of them opposing in the rear living room.  Squatty and Tiger Lilly have more room to play and I'm much more comfortable too.  Betty will now have an easier time with sewing projects with the extra space - I love seeing her pleased.

By the way...one of the features of this 5er that I really like is the Mor/Ryde suspension and pin box.  This unit came with independent suspension that includes the larger size spring shackles with grease fittings.  Hopefully there will be no repeat occurrences of the now infamous "torn shackle" incident with the old 5er.

While at DM we had a visit from Bruce and Celia Bowman who were staying in Benson at an SKP park. It was really nice to finally meet them.  We've been corresponding via email for nearly a year after initially making contact through Pete when researching mechanical problems with the old '02 Montana.  We'll always look forward to crossing paths with Bruce and Celia in our future travels.  It will be like meeting up with family again.

We've met some really nice folks who are staying at DM - Patrick & Patty (Sedro Woolley, WA) who we will travel to Texas with and Terry & Sam (Seattle area) who plan to spend most of the winter at DM.  Squatty made many new friends in the doggy playground but he can't type very well so you're spared his write up on this subject.  DRW

L.A. to Quartzsite, AZ - October 29 & 30, 2010

We left the RV Park around 9am and had a stressful drive on the L.A. freeway system for a couple of hours in order to get pointed East toward Arizona.  We finally broke out of the maze of freeways and across the Arizona boarder where casinos abound (thank Garmin for Ms. Nuvi).  We finally made Quartzsite, AZ right on I-10 where we planned to rest for a night on our way to Tucson.  


We stayed at 88 shades RV park in Quartzsite for two nights.  I love the spontaneity factor that this lifestyle invites - we only intended to stay one night but met some really nice folks who invited us to stay another night and join them for an informal buffet.  Some were camp employees for the winter from Canada and others were vendors who make a little money during the big winter festivities in Quartzsite.  Interesting folks...and an interesting town which, on the surface, has NOTHING to offer except they've been able to attract a winter RV following by the tens of thousands.  By all reports starting in December the population goes from something around 10,000 (a high estimate) to about 250,000 because of the influx of RVers who come for the winter.  Some because they can dry camp free in the desert.  Some to attend the winter activities that include rock displays and swaps, a classic car show,  etc..  DRW


Here are a couple of pictures of cactus in Quartzsite:

Fairfield to near L.A. - October 28, 2010

Miles and miles of open country with giant windmills and traffic driving at about 75MPH.  Mostly I was obstructing traffic driving 60 to 65MPH.  I always wanted to be in a leadership position and most of today, judging from the amount of traffic behind us, I guess I was a leader.  I was really thankful for the exhaust brake when coming down some of the 11% grades on this leg of our trip.  The longest if not steepest was descending into Castaic (North of L.A.).


We stayed one night at a freeway side RV park in Castaic before taking off for Quartzsite.  This was pretty much an "arrive/eat/sleep/depart" kind of stop.  DRW

Klamath Falls, OR to Fairfield, CA - October 25-28, 2010

It was a pretty drive from K.Falls to the San Francisco area.  Lots of beautiful country along with some miles of vast nothingness.  We drove Hwy 97 from K. Falls and intersected with I-5 at Weed, CA.  The Mt. Shasta area along Hwy 97 is very pretty country with old growth fir and some steep windy sections of highway as we passed through the mountains before dropping down into flatter browner country toward Weed.

The rest of the trip to Travis AFB at Fairfield was fairly unremarkable.  We stayed at Travis AFB fam camp and met the infamous Tony (complained about in customer reviews on the US Military campgrounds website). While there we took a couple of day trips without the trailer.  We took the ferry across the bay and visited the San Fransisco pier 49 area, which is always fun.  On another day we drove to Melpitis, south of San Francisco to visit Roger and Annelle, Betty's long time friends from Alaska.  DRW

Harrisburg to Klamath Falls, OR - October 15 - 25th

Left Harrisburg this morning for Klamath falls.  Another pretty day as we drove over the Willamette Pass and down Hwy 97 to K. Falls.  We, of course, had to stop by a casino on the way but came away fairly unscathed.  We won a couple  of hundred dollars. 


We visited Pete and Debbie in Klamath Falls for over a week.  Pete installed air bags on the truck.  Pete was good about giving Betty and I both day and night tour of the flightline and Eagle operations.  Pretty impressive.  It was good to spend time with them.  Debbie and Hunter are wonderful people who are able to accept us even though I know it's disruptive to their usual living.  I really appreciate how Debbie gets along with Betty and finds things to do with her.  


I also  really appreciate how Pete takes care of me with all his work on the truck and trailer.  I wish I could thank him better but I don't know how.  DRW

Harrisburg, OR - October 9-14, 2010

Pete, Debbie and Hunter came up from K Falls early this morning to see Ed and Dianna off at the airport with us.  They flew out to Alabama this morning.  Pete is pretty good about staying connected with his extended family....I'm proud of him for that reason and many others.

We spent the day with Pete, Debbie, and Hunter visiting mom and dad, having lunch, etc..  I received a text message from Judy/Wendy this evening saying that Jim passed away in his sleep around 5pm today.  I'm going to bed.  DRW

Junction City to Waldport - October 2-8, 2011

Left Junction City after getting new tires put on the 5er and visiting mom and dad.  We went to 3 rivers casino in Florence where they had free RV parking.  It only cost us about $100 plus dinner in the casino before we could get out of the free parking and continue on to Jim and Judy’s.  

Ed and Dianna’s flight was delayed and Jim and Judy picked them up at the Eugene airport at 6:30.  They should come in to Waldport anytime and we can visit briefly before going to bed.  They’ll be beat after flying for all night and all today.  Nice to be on the Oregon coast and be able to visit with family.  


We had a good week in Waldport visiting with Jim and all.  Jim’s last dialysis was on Saturday the 2^nd.  He held up pretty well but started deteriorating later in the week having sore muscles and looking puffy and red.  He was pretty tired and slept a lot as the week progressed.  It is time for Jim to have only wife, sister, and daughter at his side so we left Waldport on Friday the 8^th and returned to River Edge RV park in Harrisburg.   DRW

Junction City, OR - September 25 - October 1, 2010

Arrived at River Bend RV resort in Harrisburg (near Junction City) in the late afternoon and got a full hook-up pull through site.  We paid for one week knowing that we’d want to visit mom and dad for a few days before going to Waldport.  We took a day trip to Waldport on Wednesday and Jim told us of his decision to stop dialysis.  What courage.


We met Brad and Jo (and Sophie the wonder dog) who summer in Montana and winter in Arizona.  Their Country Coach was in a near-by space.  Sophie (or maybe it was Brad) had previously undergone neuro surgery to correct a pretty serious problem.  Anyway, Sophie was taking Brad for a walk and we got to talking.  Sophie is such a nice dog and Brad is OK too if you overlook the fact that he almost became a lawyer years ago.  I don't know how Jo puts up with him but maybe I will be able to learn her secret.  Somehow, we've become fast friends and we're invited to re-connect with them when we get to Arizona.


We've had pretty good visits with both mom and dad all week.  Dad continues to be stressed out about how mom is doing but mom generally seems to be doing pretty well although she is frail.  She tires easily but is in pretty good spirits and talks with Betty and I OK when we visit each day.

I discovered while here that the rough roads caused damaged the spring shackles on the trailer so I found a Dexter wet bolt kit replacement and made the repairs.  Here's what our stock shackles looked like after one round trip to Alaska.  Even though we drove slow over sections of rough road on the Alaska highway the holes in these shackles wore in an oval shape until they finally tore through.

I removed and inspected all the other shackles and several were worn until they would soon be the same as these.  The Dexter wet bolt kit contains shackles that are about three times the thickness of the stock version.  They should last much longer.

I found Toyo tires to match the new one purchased in Pr. George and bought 4 more to replace the aging Generals that were on this trailer.  Tomorrow morning (Saturday) we’ll leave the RV park, have the new tires put on and meet up with Ed & Dianna who will be arriving in Eugene mid-day from Alabama.  Jim and Judy plan to drive over from Waldport to pick them up. DRW

Blaine, WA to Ft. Lewis - September 24, 2010

We departed Blaine around 10 am for Ft. Lewis travel camp south of Tacoma.  Fairly smooth trip on I-5 all the way.  After getting the required visitor pass we entered the RV park and got into a nice quiet paved site with full hook-ups (50A) and a clean bath and laundry facility early in the afternoon.  


This Military fam camp has paved roads with enough room to move through it with a long trailer.  It is all old growth fir with natural vegetation and undergrowth.  Most sites are fairly private.  The office also has a small store and what looks like outdoor equipment rentals.


A nice break from driving the past few days.  It is fairly inexpensive at $20 whereas we had been paying around $30 elsewhere. We'll just stay one night and head out in the morning for Junction City, OR.  DRW

Hope, B.C. to Blaine, WA - September 22, 2010

We got a fairly early start this morning out of Hope, BC and reached the Sumas boarder crossing before noon. BACK IN AMERICA!!  We were selected for inspection by the US customs agents there.  They kept us in the building without a potty break until they completed a search of the 5er and were satisfied that we were on the up-and-up.   


We continued on the Blaine and found a nice RV park (Lighthouse RV park) a few blocks from the beach.  It was clean and had plenty of room to park even tho I had a bit of a problem backing in to the site.  This RV park is clean, big and roomy with 50A electric service, water, and sewer at each site (no trees but lots of grass).  Near our site is a clean laundry and bath facility.


While here we drove around scenic Blaine and then visited the cemetery where Betty’s folks are buried.  Nice quiet resting place with friendly owner and employees that we talked with for awhile. 


We stayed a couple of days in Blaine and took a day trip to visit Richard Renninger, a friend of Betty’s who lives in Langley, on the south end Whidbey Island from the north end over Deception Pass .  We enjoyed the scenic drive down the island and after visiting his home Richard gave us a tour of Langley and then went to dinner.  It was a 2 hour drive back to the Blaine.  Squatty and Tiger Lilly were glad that we came back.  DRW

Prince George to Hope, BC - September 21, 2010

Today is Michelle’s birthday but I didn't try to call or email again because I haven't been able to contact her for some time now.  I guess we'll catch up along the way at some point. 

We lit out for Hope B.C. this morning knowing it was to be a 10 hour drive or so but since we laid over in Pr. George an extra day thought it was prudent to have a long day on the road today.  It was a pretty uneventful day driving through a lot of pretty country.  I also had pretty good company on board (Betty, Squatty, and Tiger Lily).  We had good snacks that kept the boredom away as well as us on our low carb diet.  I'm relearning that its a better day when the destination is less important than the journey. 

We arrived in Hope about 6:30 pm and got a pull thru site at Holiday RV park on the Vancouver side of Hope. This is a cramped park in terms of navigating to a site.  Big trees and a sort of dark damp area.  It has a good 30A service, water, cable (we don’t have a coax aboard but will get one later), and sewer hookup.  The bathrooms and showers are a health hazard, old, and smell like mildew.  This is a good place to overnight and get going in the morning.  I wouldn't be taking a break from the road very long here.  


This park is in a good location for a morning run to the Sumas boarder crossing and back to America.  The wi-fi here is so weak it won’t really work for us and our MiFi couldn't get a signal either.  Another day out of touch with those we miss so much.  DRW

Pink Mountain to Prince George, BC - September 18-20, 2010

We happily left Pink Mountain RV park and started for Prince George.  The scenery was great and all was well in today’s trip until we got to about 80 miles north of Prince George when we had a blowout on the trailer left front driving about 60 MPH.  It was on a 3 lane uphill after a long hwy construction stretch where we must have damaged the tire on the rocks and sharp pavement breaks even though we drove slow through it for about an hour.  When the tire blew the trailer tracked straight but the tire was torn to shreds.  The flying shrapnel did wiped out the electric break wiring on the left side, damaged the plumbing near the outlet, and scarfed up the lower siding on the trailer.  No shoulder wide enough to change the tire but luckily there was a gravel road less than a half mile ahead that we could limp to at 5 mph.  

Once in there it took an hour and a half to change the tire and install the spare which has a chip out of the sidewall.  It took a little effort to back out onto the highway but Betty did a good job of watching traffic for me. We made it into Prince George and stayed at Hartland RV park.  Pretty nice RV park on the edge of town with good water and 30A service along with sewer connection.  Since it was Saturday night and nothing was really open in Pr. George until Monday we decided to lay over two nights.  Monday by noon I found a Toyo tire and had it mounted.  There were no General Grabbers (to match what is on the trailer now) to be had.  It was late enough Monday before I was able to get the tire put it on the L front and the spare back in its storage location that we decided to stay over a third night and get a good full day on the road Tuesday with the goal of making Hope, BC.  DRW

Toad River to Pink Mountain, BC - September 17, 2010

We didn’t leave Toad River until around noon because I was working on the wiring for the brakes.  We had mixed road conditions today with some gravel and construction but made it in to Ft. Nelson without problems so we continued from there. 

After Fort Nelson the hwy was perfect for maybe 50 miles and then back to pretty bumpy pavement again.  We made Pink Mountain around 8pm.  Pink Mountain is a small village on a hilltop and the RV Park is pretty crappy.  The only site we could fit into has 20A electric service with no water or sewer.  Our inside lights dimmed sharply a few times...probably because someone else turned on their micro-wave. The showers are clean but cost 2 loonies.  I bought a half pint of Bacardi at the office/store that cost nearly $14.  What price relaxation?


There are a lot of folks who seem to live in their campers/trailers, etc., here in this hilly park and there are a few crooked mobile homes parked in a row along one edge.  Mostly younger guys living here who are pretty untrustworthy looking.  The neighbor guys, driving some older Subaru pick up, skidded in on the gravel sometime after dark and couldn't get into their trailer until they cussed and hit their big dog a few times.  The dog had been tied up to the trailer door all day.  Both they and their dog seemed to be in the same mood - angry, but the dog hadn't been drinking.


Anyway...along the drive today we saw a variety of wild game including Moose, Bear, Caribou, Buffalo, and well as this Stone Sheep.

During this leg of our trip the brake wiring started acting up again.  I can’t find the problem which is intermittent.  I think we’ll head out in the morning and try to make Prince George by dinner time.  We may have to stop before then depending on road conditions.  DRW

Whitehorse to Toad River BC - September 16, 2010

Left Whitehorse about 8:30am and arrived at Toad River RV campground, Yukon around 7:30pm.  Had brake problems on the trailer today - I'll work on them in the morning after it warms up since it's getting frosty this evening.  I'm hungry and it is getting cold - screw it for tonight.  


This is a small RV park with lots of grass and trees near a small lake.  On the other side of the lake are green pastures that right know contain a herd of Elk, numbering about 35 or 40, with one big bull that has full antlers.  I didn't take pictures because it's too dim this evening.  Since it's cold now the campground shower room is not inviting - its not heated well.  Pull thru sites are gravel and have 30A service with water and sewer.


After parking and getting set up a couple in a motor home came in next door.  They're on their way back home to Snohomish, WA and were visiting a daughter in Anchorage all summer.  He is a VN vet and was a Navy pilot.  Note added later:  We'll cross paths with these folks down the road again.

Morning of the 17th.:  It frosted heavily in the night and we slept in until almost 9am.  Had a good breakfast while the sun was shining brightly and starting to warm us up.  After breakfast I started troubleshooting the brake problem.  I found a loose wire in a junction box in the pin box of the trailer.  Repaired it and the brakes seemed to work fine.  While I worked on the brake problem Betty did laundry at the camp facility -  the dryer didn’t do a good job but we have clean clothes again.

Time to hit the road again and see what today brings.  DRW

Tok, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon - September 15, 2010

We left Tok this morning about 8:30am with clear skies and the sun in our eyes as we headed for the Canadian border about 90 miles East.  Lots of beautiful country on the way…especially the Wrangell – St. Elias Mountains East of Glennallen.  We had a wait at Canadian customs as we entered Yukon because they were checking Moose hunters and others who had game meat or ammunition aboard.  We watched them take some old weathered Moose antlers from one vehicle.  What’s up with that? 

Although we were expecting to be boarded and searched, because that’s what they were doing to those in front of us, we were passed through quickly.  Apparently not having game meat, fish, firearms, or large quantities of alcohol served us well.  After leaving customs we realized that we have a case of red salmon that we canned but I said no when asked if we had any fish.  I didn’t consider the canned fish…all’s well that ends well.

The last 20 miles of Alaska's hwy was perfectly smooth and new asphalt but once we entered Canada all that changed!  There has been no hwy improvement all year and the roads are miserable.  In places we had to slow to 10 mph to avoid damage because of frost heaves and broken pavement.  Until we reached Lake Kluane the top speed was 45 mph or so with much of the road requiring slower speeds.  Lake Kluane was spectacular!  It was like glass and reflected the trees and mountains in the background.  This must be rare because it’s noted for dangerously high winds in that area.  Fortunately, the old '02 Montana held up very well through it all.  No damage inside or out.  I was worried about tires and springs but so far so good.

We arrived in Whitehorse, Yukon around 7pm (Alaska time) and stayed at Mountain Ridge RV park as before (last spring on the trip home after buying the 02 trailer).  It’s easy access right along the hwy just east of the first Whitehorse city center turn-off and familiar to us since we stayed here last spring.  They just installed a new WiFi system that works pretty well.  They have 30A service, water and sewer.  The water is turned on even in September and was on when we stopped here last spring on April 30th.  They have a pretty good laundry, and showers are fair in terms of cleanliness.  Since Whitehorse is a pretty modern city it makes for a nice layover if we're ready for a break from driving.


We had a good dinner and then a shower so we’re relaxed after a long day on bad road.  Well, a good day on the road except for the now infamous olive oil incident.  As  I write this Betty is doing laundry involving the table cloth and place mats that were in a cupboard with a quite large container of olive oil.  Seriously bad roads and a loose stopper on a jar of olive oil pans out to be a bad combination – enough said.

Squatty and Tiger Lily were good travelers again today.  Neither eat much in the truck so they’re should be hungry once we stop for the night.  Squatty isn’t feeling well tonight…probably too much truck time.

It took one full tank of fuel from Tok to Haines Jct. where I transferred fuel to the main tank.  Then, it took ¼ of the main tank to make Whitehorse.

The Beginning: Leaving Alaska - September 14, 2010

This is what we looked like as we began our trip.  

This is a shot of the beautiful fall scenery we drove through as we got out before serious winter set in.

              Tiger Lilly helping Dad drive.

We left Wasilla at 10 am and arrived in Tok just after 5pm.  

We finally cleared out of the Wasilla house and left it hoping Amy can find a renter.  We’re going on guts alone to cover the mortgage.  We’ll overnight tonight here in Tok at Tok RV Village near Fast Eddy’s restaurant (know for its good food) for $30 per night.  No water because they’ve had two hard freezes already and drained their water lines already.  They have showers so a water hook up isn’t really a necessity and we’re connected to 30A shore power so we can watch a movie or play the PS3.  This is not a bad RV park with gravel roads and pads that are close to level.  Each site has trees and a picnic table with water (in season), sewer, and either 30A or 50A service. The bath rooms/showers are clean and usable.

We had beautiful weather for the drive today.  It’s been dry and clear/balmy near 60F for the past several days.  The fall colors are out with vivid yellows and golds.  I don’t think there is any place more beautiful in the fall than Alaska.   Moose and Caribou hunters are out all over the Glenn hwy as well as the Richardson and Tok cut off hwys.  I wish I could join them as nothing beats a fresh Moose roast for dinner.  I miss hunting with Ed, and now Zane, but it’s not in the cards for me now that we've committed to being snowbirds and traveling in our 5th wheeler.

We arrived in Tok just after 5pm and fueled at $3.90/gal to avoid even higher prices in Canada.  We got about 11 mpg on this leg.  About average for us I suspect. We’ll have to buy more fuel eventually while passing through Canada but for awhile $3.90/gal is a good thing even though its more like $3.50 in Anchorage.  The 109 gal transfer tank for diesel really helps us with this kind of driving.

No problems with the 5er or the truck today in spite of some pretty crappy roads - they are fraught with frost heaves all the way from Wasilla to Dawson Creek and beyond.  The roads allowed speeds today from 35 mph to 65 mph.  I’m worried about the 5er handling the abuse but it seems to be holding up pretty well  as long as we take it slow in the bad sections.  Maybe an older one like this is already proven and more capable than a newer one that hasn’t been tested and tweaked yet.  


The slides are working perfectly after the new hydraulic pump and motor and new switch.  On the trip to Alaska from Oregon last spring (our first after buying it) we had some problems with the slides not retracting correctly.  Problem solved! 

I live with a certain amount of stress about equipment problems because it’s my responsibility and I’m sure Betty thinks I can always make things OK – but I’m not so confident.  Ed could manage these things things much better but I’m not as knowledgeable, or ballsy.  I'm pretty proud of the way Ed takes care of me and of how smart he is about so many things.  

Squatty and Tiger Lilly were pretty good travelers today except that Tiger Lilly freaked out when we put her in the 5er for lunch at a rest area at the same time the slides were extending.  She streaked to the bedroom and hid in the corner.  I had to use the broom handle to get her out.  They both are calmest when riding in the truck with us and neither complain until we stop and then they demand to get out.  I guess they think we’re arriving at fish camp.  Today, Squatty was allowed to get out at a rest stop to use the facilities but Tiger Lilly, under these circumstances, has to stay in the truck where her litter box is.  When Squatty got back in the truck Tiger Lilly slapped him on the head.  She’s so jealous of him because he’s allowed to get out of the truck like that.

This is a new adventure for us and there’s nobody I’d rather do this with than Betty.  She’s wonderful.  Even when I get stressed out and bitchy she is calm.  I love her so.  We’re working on a diet together…maybe I can lose some weight and not be such a slug of a husband for her.  I’ll probably just get bitchy about dieting…a relationship tester I suppose.

It took just one full tank of fuel from Wasilla to Tok.  Tomorrow morning we’ll head for White Horse, Yukon.  It should take us about 7 ½ hours if the roads allow it.  DRW