Friday, May 13, 2005
Thursday, May 12, 2005
9:06 AM Thursday May 12, 2005
We’re coming down to the wire. Our next trip has been scribbled into notebooks and mileage noted for the first leg. We’re almost finished unloading superfluous cargo and doing our best to lighten the load in the Pace. Almost everything but the basic necessities has been put into our little storage unit (a bargain at $20 a month) with just a couple more plastic tubs to fill and we’ll be ready. Counting days now instead of weeks ... ;-)!
Where are we going? Thought you’d never ask! East my friends … east! All the way to Maine and then after a few weeks in New England, we’ll move south. If our calculations are close regarding our time and travels, we’ll be there for the fall colors.
I usually don’t write about our plans because I’m just a wee bit superstitious but I know my readers have been wondering, “What’s up?’ so decided to bring you all into the loop. Our coach is tuned, tired and tested and we’re ready to trust her again. If we’re wrong about her reliability, we’ll find out soon enough. Stay tuned!
Where are we going? Thought you’d never ask! East my friends … east! All the way to Maine and then after a few weeks in New England, we’ll move south. If our calculations are close regarding our time and travels, we’ll be there for the fall colors.
I usually don’t write about our plans because I’m just a wee bit superstitious but I know my readers have been wondering, “What’s up?’ so decided to bring you all into the loop. Our coach is tuned, tired and tested and we’re ready to trust her again. If we’re wrong about her reliability, we’ll find out soon enough. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Saturday, May 07, 2005
12:56 PM Saturday May 7, 2005
After our motorhome was trailered to McKay's, because it was after hours, Phil and I spent that night in a motel in Albany. We drove over to the facility the next morning to wait while the competent crew assessed the damage and gave us a ball park idea how long the repairs would take. By noon, they told us about a week depending on the availability of parts so we decided to drive to Shelton in our Ranger pickup and stay with friends, Gloria and Lester to wait for the repairs to be finished. Our friends made us welcome and totally comfortable so I felt like I had a mini-vacation as we ended up taking advantage of their hospitality for 12 days before our home was ready to roll again. The extra time was added because we had them put new brakes all around which included two new rotors on the rear and turning the front ones as well as four new calipers. They also found some burnt wiring (they repaired and added a heat sheild to keep it from happening again) which accounted for our occasional starting problem AND they found and were given the go ahead to weld a cracked core support which has improved the steering tremendously. After they were finished repairing the broken suspension they examined the undercarriage and all other suspension parts and took her for the first of several test rides. With all the work that was done and the care they took to make sure we were safe to go, we felt the total bill of $3,200 was fair and much lower than we had anticipated. Thanks again to the crew at McKay!
Sunday, May 01, 2005
10:54 AM Sunday, May 1, 2005
First, I apologize to my faithful readers for the recent lack of posting.
“You pays your money and you takes your chances” is an old saying that’s been around a long time. I’ve always taken it to mean that there are no guarantees in this world … unless you want to consider our inevitable demise. Joy and Phil paid for their wonderful 1991 Pace Arrow motorhome proclaiming they found a great deal in June 2004 and in spite of some recent high dollar expenditures, they continue to feel the same way. They knew she wasn’t new; they knew she had more miles than they would have preferred but they believed them to be gentle miles; they knew she had been loved and well cared for and they were willing to take their chances. Consequently, for four and a half months, they have had an interesting ride. Their latest adventure follows …
Nearly three weeks ago, on our northbound trek back to Washington State, at 50 mph on Interstate 5 just north of Albany, OR … the rear suspension on the driver’s side of the Pace collapsed. Many reasons have been chewed over but no clear cut cause stood out from the others. It might have been caused by age and metal fatigue; or being overweight (a slide was added aftermarket about 5 years ago); or the beating her under-carriage, tires and shocks took on the terrible roads we’ve traveled that are masquerading as our nations super highways; or possibly a combination of all of the above. The mechanics couldn’t tell us so we’ll never know for sure. Phil had rehearsed this type of scenario many times in his mind so with incredible self-control, he kept us straight, slowed down enough to get all 50’ of us (that length includes our toad) off the road before gently applying the brakes. The noise was terrifying to me but within seconds we were stopped and safe. Our guardian angels were on duty because just when we needed it, a long, wide open shoulder opened up in the midst of miles of jersey barriers positioned right on the fog line. As bumper-to-bumper traffic roared by at top speed, he cautiously crawled underneath to take a look. When he came back out he was green around the gills … he truly believed our beloved home on wheels was irreversibly broken. But, because of incredibly good fortune, I'll tell you now, she wasn’t!
Thank goodness for AAA! To make a long story short, we were immediately in contact with them by cell phone and tow trucks arrived in less than an hour (the first driver determined we couldn’t be towed and we had to be trailered by a second truck). In our Ranger pickup, we followed the truck carrying our rig to McKay Truck and RV Service located about two miles away from where we broke down. According to AAA, they just happened to be one of the best RV repair facilities in the state of Oregon … more good fortune!
To be continued ………
“You pays your money and you takes your chances” is an old saying that’s been around a long time. I’ve always taken it to mean that there are no guarantees in this world … unless you want to consider our inevitable demise. Joy and Phil paid for their wonderful 1991 Pace Arrow motorhome proclaiming they found a great deal in June 2004 and in spite of some recent high dollar expenditures, they continue to feel the same way. They knew she wasn’t new; they knew she had more miles than they would have preferred but they believed them to be gentle miles; they knew she had been loved and well cared for and they were willing to take their chances. Consequently, for four and a half months, they have had an interesting ride. Their latest adventure follows …
Nearly three weeks ago, on our northbound trek back to Washington State, at 50 mph on Interstate 5 just north of Albany, OR … the rear suspension on the driver’s side of the Pace collapsed. Many reasons have been chewed over but no clear cut cause stood out from the others. It might have been caused by age and metal fatigue; or being overweight (a slide was added aftermarket about 5 years ago); or the beating her under-carriage, tires and shocks took on the terrible roads we’ve traveled that are masquerading as our nations super highways; or possibly a combination of all of the above. The mechanics couldn’t tell us so we’ll never know for sure. Phil had rehearsed this type of scenario many times in his mind so with incredible self-control, he kept us straight, slowed down enough to get all 50’ of us (that length includes our toad) off the road before gently applying the brakes. The noise was terrifying to me but within seconds we were stopped and safe. Our guardian angels were on duty because just when we needed it, a long, wide open shoulder opened up in the midst of miles of jersey barriers positioned right on the fog line. As bumper-to-bumper traffic roared by at top speed, he cautiously crawled underneath to take a look. When he came back out he was green around the gills … he truly believed our beloved home on wheels was irreversibly broken. But, because of incredibly good fortune, I'll tell you now, she wasn’t!
Thank goodness for AAA! To make a long story short, we were immediately in contact with them by cell phone and tow trucks arrived in less than an hour (the first driver determined we couldn’t be towed and we had to be trailered by a second truck). In our Ranger pickup, we followed the truck carrying our rig to McKay Truck and RV Service located about two miles away from where we broke down. According to AAA, they just happened to be one of the best RV repair facilities in the state of Oregon … more good fortune!
To be continued ………
Sunday, April 10, 2005
10:05 AM Sunday April 10, 2005
Hindsight:
Phil and I received a wonderful treat while visiting his nephew and family in Kansas. Rick and Tammy drove us north to see the new Cabela’s in Kansas City, Kansas. We’ve enjoyed their catalog for years but were blown away by this colossal retail store. After standing outside in wonder at the bronze sculpture named “Majestic Monarchs” our mouths dropped open and all we could say was, “Wow!” when we stepped through the doors. Immediately we were confronted with a mountain straight ahead of us. The room towers three stories high down the center of the building to accommodate this enormous alpine scene they call “Conservation Mountain”. It has a waterfall, stream and a variety of life-size North American animals on this 30-ft. man-made peak and was created as a tribute to sportsmen and women. In addition to all the regular merchandise you might expect, there is a full-service fly shop; a gift shop; a gun library where fine guns from around the world can be admired, purchased, and sold; a breathtaking display of the African Big Five – elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, Cape buffalo and lion – as well as other African plains game, including a 16-ft. crocodile; an archery shooting range; boat showroom and service area as well as a restaurant (serving many exotic foods) and a country store that sells the best fudge and black licorice we’ve ever tasted, I might add. Just one of the dozens of displays, the “Mule Deer County Museum” is a feast for the eyes of the world's largest collection of life-size trophy mule deer in their natural surroundings, including two world records and numerous state and provincial records. We strolled through the aquariums – in awe of the walk-through tanks containing 65,000 gallons of water and hundreds of incredible fish native to Kansas and the Midwest. Phil took dozens of pictures and I plan to share that album with some of you real soon. Even if you don’t spend a cent, you are welcome at Cabela’s and it is a pause well worth making in your travels.
Phil and I received a wonderful treat while visiting his nephew and family in Kansas. Rick and Tammy drove us north to see the new Cabela’s in Kansas City, Kansas. We’ve enjoyed their catalog for years but were blown away by this colossal retail store. After standing outside in wonder at the bronze sculpture named “Majestic Monarchs” our mouths dropped open and all we could say was, “Wow!” when we stepped through the doors. Immediately we were confronted with a mountain straight ahead of us. The room towers three stories high down the center of the building to accommodate this enormous alpine scene they call “Conservation Mountain”. It has a waterfall, stream and a variety of life-size North American animals on this 30-ft. man-made peak and was created as a tribute to sportsmen and women. In addition to all the regular merchandise you might expect, there is a full-service fly shop; a gift shop; a gun library where fine guns from around the world can be admired, purchased, and sold; a breathtaking display of the African Big Five – elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, Cape buffalo and lion – as well as other African plains game, including a 16-ft. crocodile; an archery shooting range; boat showroom and service area as well as a restaurant (serving many exotic foods) and a country store that sells the best fudge and black licorice we’ve ever tasted, I might add. Just one of the dozens of displays, the “Mule Deer County Museum” is a feast for the eyes of the world's largest collection of life-size trophy mule deer in their natural surroundings, including two world records and numerous state and provincial records. We strolled through the aquariums – in awe of the walk-through tanks containing 65,000 gallons of water and hundreds of incredible fish native to Kansas and the Midwest. Phil took dozens of pictures and I plan to share that album with some of you real soon. Even if you don’t spend a cent, you are welcome at Cabela’s and it is a pause well worth making in your travels.
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