Jun 22, 2012 - Limped into Missoula

We stopped for fuel about 80 miles West of Missoula and when I started up again the motor made a loud banging noise. After a few minutes it calmed down and we continued on our way. By the time we got to Missoula it was just not running right. We checked into Jim and Mary's RV Park and then drove to the Cat repair place. They ran some computer tests, took the valve cover and made sure there we no loose parts in there and decided the #5 injector has developed a problem. We limped back to Jim and Mary's and will spend a few extra dys here. The...

Jun 11, 2012 - Dry camped at Crossroads Travel Center

Dry camped at Crossroads Travel Center for one night (46°56'58.21"N 114° 7'46.41"W). We enjoyed a nice dinner in the 24 Hour Cafe; Deb had a patty melt with onion rings and I had a Rainbow Trout with baked potato. This was a decent place for a free night of camping.

May 28, 2012 - Missoula, the First Two Weeks

Our time in Missoula was spent with catching up at the coach (washing it) a little consulting work for Ed and visiting Tom in the afternoons/evenings. We made several day trips including Lolo Hot Springs, Darby and a couple of trips to the Lee Metcalf NWR. We had dinner with Tom almost every night and we enjoyed the dinners he cooked for us as well as entertaining him at the coach. Tom had tickets for the community chorale semi-annual performance. We enjoyed an evening with Tom and Nancy (Doug’s mother) with an early dinner and then the 2...

May 25, 2012 - Day Four-Billings to Missoula Montana

Billings to Missoula, low temperature 37 degrees, high temperature 51. We logged 373 miles today. We went over 3 passes and it was snowing heavily over all three! We met Sally Engwell at the Big Sky brewery when we arrived in Missoula. She is Fred Ennis' cousin. My sister Beth had me call to see if they would mind us parking the motorhome in their driveway for the night. We met her husband Mark at the golf course and proceeded to their home. They had Kenny and Elizabeth Caldwell staying with them for the weekend. We had a great time! We...

May 13, 2012 - Missoula, MT 2012

Missoula is a stopover for us getting from A to B. The weather is gorgeous. Low 80's with a little breeze. We are staying at the Square Dance Center and Campground in Lolo, MT, a small town just south of Missoula. This campground is ok. Too many trees though. We could not get a satellite signal....no Sunday political shows! Free WiFi though. The rates are a $25 per night for water/electric 30amp. There is a dump station. There are 50 amps and some sites with sewer. This park is serious square dancing country. The dance hall is as big as a...

Jan 6, 2012 - December in Missoula, MT

We had decided to spend a month in Montana at the start of the trip for a variety of reasons. Ben and Ashlyn being an important one and also the possibility of spending Christmas with Sue's sister and brother-in-law, Dawn and Ric. I wanted to get some skiing in and both Missoula and Whitefish offered that. Highlights of Month: * Ashlyn time with many days of the mall "choo choo" train, tossing coins in the wishing well, stops at the pet store, seeing Santa (always scarey), trips to the park, books, dancing, playing with the doll house,...

Nov 28, 2011 - Planning

11/28 We started our travel investigations in earnest a week ago altho Bon has been researching visas etc over the summer on & off. We have both spent $$ on tech stuff which will hopefully save weight & travel internet time, an Acer tablet being one such item! 12/28 Bon is still researching airlines for the various legs of the journey. We have had to forgo our tour/visit to Turkmenistan due to an increase in cost, now almost $200/day! This is twice what it was when we visited there last time. We mailed our passports to the India...

Nov 9, 2011 - To Missoula

We left around 9:30 from Suquamish. Ray drove the first leg to Moses Lake. We stopped there at Perkins for a bite to eat around 2:00 p.m. Even though the country side is mostly flat harvested land, it is different, and not a cramped cubicle space. I took a nap after playing with my BlackBerry and answering a few work e-mails. I woke up when we stopped at Perkins, and I drove from there. I got a walnut brownie for the road. Yum! I drove through the mountain passes in Idaho and to Montana. Most of the time it was 75 mph. Right on! Curvy...

Nov 5, 2011 - Day 2, Nov. 3, 2011

Thursday, November 3, 2011 We left the rest stop and continued on to Missoula, winding our way through town on Highway 12, and then followed it to the Lolo Summit. Highway 12 is a beautiful drive and even prettier than the Highway 50 drive to South Lake Tahoe. It follows the Lochsa River, which is a wide, fast running, fairly shallow waterway. The trees are wearing their fall coats of color and the Tamarack trees are all orange. The tamarack pine (larch) is the only pine that is deciduous and the needles turn colors and then fall off each...

Oct 26, 2011 - Reno - Missoula (Ashlyn's 3rd B-Day) - Reno

Rented a car and Traveled from Reno to Missoula, for Ashlyn's 3rd BDay and Back to Reno Highlights: * Left Chinook in Reno at Nevada Auto Diagnostics for oil change and were told we could leave it safely in lot for week we would be in Missoula - "What a Deal"! * We blasted through Nevada, Oregon, Idaho to Missoula - 765 miles averaging 32-35 MPG - we more then make up for the cost of the rental in gas savings! * Crazy time zones through Idaho - about every 15 minutes our GPS signaled a time zone change between Mountain and Pacific time. *...

Oct 4, 2011 - Day 23 Missoula MT

same as last entry... with no internet monday, i have to give up two days in one em to everyone, sorry!!! man what sights we have seen on the "movin' on over" part of our trip so far in the past two days...and more to come. however again, i must tell you, the weather of fog/mist/light rain and cloudy days doesn't make for good sharp pixs (the way i shot them) and that is what you will see in these pixs but you can see what we are seeing even though they are not picture frame quality... we tried to touch bases with paul ritenour but was...

Sep 30, 2011 - Onward through Montana

It's Friday! 874.4 miles since we pulled out of the yard at home. We're leaving Drummond MT - slept in a bit to take the edge of losing an hour going from Pacific to Mountain time. Back onto I90 east - the next big town is Butte Mt. We bypass Helena which is the capital of Montana. We are traveling through scenic wooded slopes and valleys with mountain views. Crossed the Continental Divide at 6353 feet. Down onto the vast beef cattle country now and nothing but blue skies and warm temperatures. Got to Billings by 230pm, still on...