Day 101

We are home, now to unload the trailer, clean everything, rest and reflect. Thanks for joining us on this wonderful adventure.

Day 100

Well we have been sitting in Elkhart for five days waiting on insurance and parts. I spoke with the State Farm yesterday and it could be another 48 hours before they approve the work so I went ahead and gave the OK to do part of the work so we could possibility get home on Wed the 27^th. Yesterday we had high winds rocking the trailer and a lot of rain so we pulled the slide outs in and watched the weather radar on the computer. There was a small amount of thunder and lightning this morning but almost gone now at 6:30.

Today is our 49^th anniversary and will celebrate when we get home. 

Day 95, Thursday August 21

Not much going on except waiting on parts and Insurance for the damage I did to the trailer at Mt, McKinley. We will be here at least until Monday maybe longer? We have to be away while they work on the trailer so we have walked stores several stores, paid a visit with friends at a campground about  15 miles away, walked and sat in a mall. The repair shop is closed on weekends so at least we can stay here.

We will know more Monday about when we will be home.

Day 93 & 94

Yesterday we spent the night at our Cardinal friend’s home in Illinois; they have a large property and had a total of four campers set up with electric and water. We had a cookout and potluck with 10 of us for dinner.

This morning Dennis moved the pin box up on our trailer so the whole unit would ride more level. We said our goodbyes and headed for Elkhart, IN to the shop that will do some repairs. They have their own campground on site with water, electric and WI-FI. Tomorrow they will give me an estimate for the repairs.

Day 92

We left Tea, SD this morning and shortly ran into dense fog for about an hour then it cleared and we had another great travel day. We are near Des Moines, IA and all setup and drinking coffee at 3:00. Later we went for a walk, had dinner, watched TV and played Scrabble.

Day 91

Good 300 mile travel day, that’s it and only about 950 miles to home.

Day 91

Good 300 mile travel day, that’s it and only about 950 miles to home.

Day 91

Good 300 mile travel day, that’s it and only about 950 miles to home.

Day 90

After breakfast we drove to the Badlands National Park, clear sunny skies and not yet hot. We stopped, walked, drove and took a few photos. This is an amazing place that also includes the National Grasslands. The only wild life we saw were prairie dogs, in the past was stone sheep and buffalo. It was a very relaxing day then back to Wall Drug for another homemade donut and 5 cent cup of coffee. We cooked out a pork tender loin and readied things for travel.

Day 89

We only had 130 miles to travel today, it was sunny and about 70 in the AM so we took our time did some things around the trailer then headed for Wall Drug and got here about 12:30. After we set up and got the air conditioning running we walked into town to get a 5 cent cup of coffee and a donut. We walked through all the different shops and Karen bought a new coffee mug and I picked up a bottle cozy for my non-alcoholic beer. This was about our 4^th stop to Wall Drug and after each visit we wonder why we stopped? I guess because it is close to the Badlands National Park which we love!

Day 88

We have a tire pressure monitoring system TPMS. It measures air pressure and tire temperature and sends info to a monitor on the dash. Yesterday the alarm went off and one tire was low. I added air and kept going. This morning it was low again but we were planning on going on a drive to visit Devils Tower which we did and took a wonderful loop road. We took a 1.5 mile trail around the tower then finished our drive. Since we were back to the campground at lunch we ate then went out to check the tire. When I pulled it off Karen saw a nail. I checked with the office and there was a guy “down the hill” that could repair it. He repaired the tire in a short time and charged me only $15. We put things back together, had our afternoon coffee and are ready to head for Wall Drug tomorrow.

Notice the Longhorn Steer to the left of the Buffalo.

I love the texture

Day 87

We arrived in Sundance, WY after a good travel day. I am feeling much better and it is a bit cooler at 90. Karen was camera happy today and we both enjoyed the drive. Both Montana and Wyoming have a lot of wide open spaces with rolling hills a few trees it was indeed enjoyable. After setting up and resting a while had a good dinner at the Longhorn Saloon & Grill in Sundance.  

Here are a few catch up photos.

These photos were taken after we left Kamloops, BC

Greenwood, BC

Entering the Lower 48

Our Lady of the Rockies (Mother Mary) in Butte, MO is the 2nd tallest statue in the USA next to the Statue Of Liberty

Crossing Montana

Into Wyoming 

Sundance, WY

Next to our campground

Day 86

I have been fighting an allergy with drainage and sneezing. I tried to get the oil in the truck changed yesterday but was too late and had to get it done this morning before we left. It was a nice warm day as we continued crossing Montana and about noon I had to lay down and take a nap due to the allergy and poor sleep. We arrived at the campground about 3:00 and the temp was 105 and about 94 inside. It is now 5:00 and outside is 103 and inside 92 with the air and fans running. It was much easier to deal with the colder temps in Alaska where we could just add clothes! Oh Well it is that time of year.

Day 85

Travel day, we have logged over 10.000 miles to date and are in Butte, Montana with about 2,000 miles to home.

Day 84

This was our last day with Jim and Norma so she fixed her famous biscuits and gravy for breakfast. After breakfast we sat and chatted for a while then Karen did laundry and I took a walk around the campground with my water, checked on Karen then went inside.

As I was setting in my recliner I felt tired and started to perspire then checked my pulse and it was at 130. That meant an AFIB incident. I drank some more water and after a half an hour Karen came in and I told her. We put some ice on my forehead and kept drinking water, checking BP and pulse then all of a sudden it stopped and everything was back to normal. The doctor said this could happen. So I stayed inactive in this 99 degree heat, rested and drank water.

We visited with Jim and Norma for the last time on this trip but will see them again in September at the Cardinal Rally in Tennessee. 

Day 83

It was another grocery day, only at the Air Base commissary which was low cost and no tax so we stocked up for the trip home. Took a couple of walks and planned our stops for the next few days. The weather is warm and comfortable. Not much here to do so Karen read and I started sorting pictures from our travels. 

Day 82

This morning we took Jim’s wheel into a shop to get new wheel bearings then back to camp to install the wheel and tire which took until noon. We headed for the US border about 15 miles and it felt good to be back in the lower 48. It was another beautiful drive on a two lane rural road to get to the Fairchild Air Force Base, FamCamp in Spokane, WA. Norma is retired military so our stay on base was only $20 per night with long sites and full hookups. We will stay with them until Monday August 11 when we depart from our travel companions since May 27. We have traveled 9,600 miles from home to the US border in Washington.

Day 81

We left Kamloops this morning and the valley was filled with a thin layer of smoke from a fire somewhere east of there. We left a little before Jim and Norma as they had to wait for someone to move a car so they could get out.  We got off at the exit to go south and I happened to look and saw them fly by trying to catch up with us and they missed the exit. We kept going and figured they would realize it and make a u-turn which is what happened.  The drive was beautiful we were now past the smoke and on a good winding and hilly road so we took our time and enjoyed it. The desert is gone and we are traveling through a nice valley with lakes, rivers and green mountains. We got to the campground and hadn’t heard from our friends yet, cell service was poor to nonexistent.  I did get through to their voice mail then in a while got a call. They had a wheel bearing start smoking on the trailer about 25 miles from the campground and had to remove a tire then limp to the CG. I helped Jim remove the drums and bearings and will see about getting replacements in the morning. Then we got something to eat and drink and talked until dusk.  If all goes well we should cross the border tomorrow late morning.

Day 80

We went for a drive this morning on the other side of the river, this side was a four lane divided highway and two lane rural on the other side. Took a few photos of the landscape, river and community then as I was looking around there was a big horn sheep out on a ledge then three and more so we followed them for a while then they caught up with a larger group: COOL!.

Jim and Norma got their truck patched and road worthy to get them back to the states for permanent repairs.

A small area of Kamloops, BC