(April 30, 2018) Just a Quick Status Update

We’re a little more than two weeks into our 2018 travel season and have completed the first leg of our trip to Alaska. We’re now just a few miles from the Canadian border and ready to cross over in the morning. We plan to take the month of May to leisurely cross British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, arriving in Alaska by the beginning of June.

Rough First Day on the Road

Travel Itinerary 2018 – Part 1

Our travels have gone smoothly, with two exceptions on our first day on the road. The first issue was minor – the morning we left Silent Valley, Kim’s GPS unit was non-functional and appeared corrupted. The second issue was more serious, as the compression fitting on the F-350 turbo boost hose blew out while pulling a steep grade near Tehachapi, California.

Fortunately, when the fitting blew, we were just a short distance from an exit and I was able to pull off to check out the engine, finding the ruptured hose and loose metal ring from the fitting.

We were just a few miles from our campground, the Bakersfield River Run RV Park, and the truck seemed in working order, minus the turbo boost, so we were able to move on to the RV park.

As soon as we dropped the trailer at the campsite, I called the local Ford dealership to book a service appointment. To their credit, I was able to drop off the truck at the service department that afternoon. The dealership fixed the truck by the afternoon of the following day and we were back on the road the next morning. (This was a very good thing as we only had reservations for two nights and the RV park was fully booked – we could not have extended our stay there. Kudos to Jim Burke Ford and their excellent service department for getting us back on the road so quickly!)

As for the GPS unit, after failing to get it working again, we replaced the unit – a Camping World was conveniently located just a few blocks from the Ford dealer. Problem solved!

Smooth Sailing to Lynden, Washington

We completed two-night stays at Bakersfield River Run RV Park at Bakersfield, California; River Reflections RV Park in Oroville, California; Salem Elks Lodge #336 at Salem, Oregon; and Kelso / Longview Elks Lodge #1482 at Kelso, Washington. We also stayed for four nights at the Emigrant Lake County Recreation Area in Ashland, Oregon, and seven nights at the Lynden / Bellingham Koa at Lynden, Washington.

The Elks lodges were new to us, having just joined that organization this winter. Many Elks lodges have RV parking, providing a safe and affordable place to park for a few days (or longer). The Salem lodge had 50 amp full hookups ($23 donation per night), while the Kelso / Longview lodge had 30 amp water and electric sites ($20 donation per night). Not bad – as a bonus we enjoyed a nice meal at the Salem lodge.

The most memorable parks we stopped at were the River Reflections RV Park and Emigrant Lake County Recreation Area. The scenery in the area was lovely and Jasmine and Pepper enjoyed swims in the Feather River and Emigrant Lake, respectively.

The Lynden / Bellingham Koa was also very nice – lovely landscaping set in a gorgeous area of the Pacific Northwest. We enjoyed visiting the old town section of Lynden, especially sampling the baked goods at the Dutch Bakery and having breakfast at the Dutch Mothers Family Restaurant (the Pannenkoeken, thin Dutch pancakes, were awesome!).

We also got together over lunch with long-time friends, Jeff and Kim, and their foster daughter, Jessica, and fiancé, Wynn. (Jeff, Kim, Jessica, Wynn, Alisha & Elliot, we miss you all & hope to see you the next time we are in the area!)

Photos

Here are photos from our trip, so far:

Next Stop, Canada!

Here is an overview of our itinerary for the next month. We’re taking our time and enjoying the sights of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory as we work northward towards Alaska.

Travel Itinerary 2018 – Part II

That’s all for now. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!