We Did’nt BUST, the Tour is Over. 2013

 

A big ‘Tip of the Hat’ to Richard Maier who unknowingly sent us the perfect picture to describe our condition after 7,000 miles of rough riding.

This far north west adventure has been both wonderful and exciting.  It was also expensive.

Tour Cost: $7,000 (Include all camping fees most group dinners)

Vehicle Expense:  $4,500 {Fuel + 2 months of extra insurance and maintenance}

Food and Meals Surcharge: $2,000 {A real out of pocket cost as everything up here is over the wall expensive!}

Gratuities to tour staff: $1,000

We were blessed with very good karma,  Despite a our frustration in the 4 days in the beginning with an electrical problem {Turned out to be an open fuse that was not documented}.  Of the 22 rigs starting, 19 made it back to the states: One had a holed Radiator, 2 lost their engine water pumps on route home.  Several units had damaged awnings (over their sliding rooms) which we repaired or deactivated on the spot.  Most common was about 6 cracked windshields which remained serviceable to the end.  I changed our landing gear in Fairbanks, they do not count as tour causalities as they were worn out prior to the trip.

Our last stop in Prince George included a banquet and breakfast where farewells & tears were shared.  We left Prince George and drove about 250 miles too Clinton, B.C. where I fueled the truck and we Boondocked in back of the gas station.

It being Anne-Maries birthday, we went for walk down Main Street to the Clinton Lodge & Pub.  I had wings and a local beer (it was great, I had 2).  Anne-Maries had her usual water and lemon.

 

 

 This is the route we took to get back into the lower 48.  It was primarily 40mph 2 lane winding thru the mountains, lots slow steep ups and downs.

The route we take is usually not the shortest, the choice is made with an open mind looking for interesting experience's.  The views on the right are of Frasier river which we followed about 20 miles into a canyon, crossed at Spences Bridge and than returned up the other side.  A long slow trip with great scenery.

We crossed the border {Anne-Marie got ‘busted’ for possession of an illegal lemon!}.  5 miles later we stopped at a small campground in Oroville, WA.

Fellow drove this ‘89 truck F-1000 about a million miles, when he retired his boss gave it to him.  He restored it, removed 1 axel and rebuilt the powertrain (6 Cyl Ford Industrial diesel w/10 speed)

 

 

 

Rant:  I’m having a major hassle with CVS and Wal-Mart concerning getting a renewal for one of my meds.  Some how I calculated wrong and ran out 2 days ago.  Seeing this, I paid CVS $28 to ship 2nd day air, they used UPS which never made it?  Wal-mart in Canada said they required a Canadian Doctor’s signature.  ‘Doc-in-a-box” said I’d need a physical, could cost several hundred dollars!

We ran to the border only to find the drugstore in this tiny town was closed for 3 day weekend.  Yesterday we drove 45 miles to ‘local’ Wal-Mart.  This will work, I’m back in the U.S.A., WRONG!  They will not transfer a CVS script without a new doctors prescription. 

Tomorrow, I will renew the fight.