2018 October Pacific Northwest

 Pacific North West 2018

 

 

Craters of the Moon National Monument is a winding drive-through you can stop for volcanic rocks to see several places where a cone where lava with the wrought from the Earth but not in a dramatic fashion so the shapes in and texture of the rocks are different than what you normally see from a volcanic eruption. It's pretty interesting taking walk up and seeing a small side of a tiny crater which a tiny Volcano was pretty cool there was some caves there too with some bats, but it was late windy and cold, so we chose not to go in them. On down the road we stopped at a lodge to camp for the night - cheap camping at $15 they were having line dancing going on, so Tom had a good time out there just checking it out and then we had dinner at the elks club bar before we hit the hay just exhausted.

 

Stopping to seize Shoshone falls in Twin City Idaho was magnificent sight of steep cliffs. My 1st thought was just like the Grand Canyon! it wasn't as a magnificent as the Grand Canyon, but it had the steep cliffs and rocky outcrops to view, imagine the grandeur when spring thaw and the water is flowing over the top of the falls and just cascading down the cliffs, I could imagine in which you see sprays of water so beautiful.

  

 

Breakfast at Idaho Joe's was extremely good they had a buffet brunch and breakfast brunch buffet, and the cook was a very entertaining and explain to me how he learned to flips his eggs or his crepes and practiced 1st with a piece of bread flipping it and then toasting it and then as he got a little better than he would be put beans in the pan and practice his flipping. So, yes as Mary said I know you're going to be to practicing that Tom

 Touring the Fort at Twin Citys with a great docent.

 

 

For 400 miles we had been hearing a whining noise coming out of the engine so I self-diagnose and thought it was the alternator. while near town and picked up of alternator found one and went on down to Mountain Home Air Force base there, we put the RV on a lift and crank it up there then take the belt off and while the alternator seems fine I didn't feel anything wrong. But the idler pulley was very rough.  The problem while the RV was on the lift Tom did not check very clear and as I lower the lift it came down right on top of the toolbox and crushed it.  The shop was pretty nice to me and said they were only a year old and will only charge you a $100 for the for the crushed toolbox. All fixed engine sounds great got new tires from a when we are in West Yellowstone so we're ready to roll late in the day 5 o'clock and we got 200 more miles to make for today to be on time for the airport airplane flight Tom gets Monday afternoon.

 

Arriving at brother Bob's home in Oregon City, OR Tom flew out for a meeting and Mary spent more time with Bob and his family. After Tom returned Bob and Tom set up a new generator for the RV, cool, much quieter and less vibration.

 

Deciding to go north and see the Olympic National Park Mary and I head out with the first stop at Astoria, OR.

 

WHOOPS the transmission quits! Saturday and only one shop open and they do not work on VW's. Checking availability in a small town for services when things do open on Monday, I decide to call Brother Bob and see if he had access to a trailer to tow the RV back to Portland. Yes, he did and came and got us returning to his house we wait for Monday to see what can be done.

 

Mary and Larry (husband) and Larry sends such a cool message:

It’s day 29 if the social experiment!

My wife left me a month ago to go on a once in lifetime RV road trip with her brother Tom. They’ve been to Vegas, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Washington. I’ve never been to a city park much less the all the big national parks in those states. I’ve managed to microwave one or two of the year's supply of homemade single serve pot roast, teriyaki or barbecue chicken and lasagnas she made before she left me ALL ALONE!

With the cat. I’ve managed to feed the cat, change the litter box, take the trash out, water the plants and flowers, do laundry, vacuum, clean the toilet, sweep and mop the bathroom and kitchen floor thanks to the post stickers she left me throughout the house including one reminding me to go to work.

I knew things were LOOKING GRIM when I awoke this morning to a foul smell, and the cat was sleeping on my chest with its ASS on my chin. And to add to my despair Maryellen “the wife” finally called to tell me they have extended the trip for a couple weeks to backtrack from Portland to Washington to add Olympic National Park, before taking the coastline back to her brother Bobs and then to Yosemite and her sister Jeans house. I should be fine there’s 6 months' worth of food in the house and she’s been managing all the finances from the road. Tv, computer, electric, insurance etc. I should be fine; I’ll just walk around the house following the cat looking for “the wife.

I love and miss you, Maryellen!! have fun stay safe and remember, I forgive you.

❤️??????