Taking Care of the Motorhome After several weeks’ of worry about mechanical issues with the motorhome, we overslept, but hurriedly got the motorhome ready to roll. We drove south to Don Aadsen Ford in Ronan, MT, a town of about 4,000 people, and one of only a few Ford dealers in the northwest that can work on motorhomes. We were astonished by the Flathead cherry, peach, and apple orchards present in the Flathead Lake valley. This area was very neat and clean, with several gated communities built on the hillsides. Back to the motorhome, the service department checked out the motorhome said the ball joints were a little loose, but only to the extent of normal wear and tear, that the motorhome was fine, and recommended an alignment. They refused to charge us for the check-up, despite our insistence of paying for at least an hour’s labor. We hooked up the Saturn, and headed to Les Schwab Tires in Missoula, MT. After a 2-hour wait, they finally pulled the motorhome into a bay, and aligned the front end; the front passenger tire was almost an inch out of tolerance for tow-in. We gladly paid the $60, and were on our way. (Note: Aleyeska Tires in Soldonota, AK, wanted $250 to align the motorhome, but said the ball joints were bad , and for $1,400 they could replace them.) Our intent had been to head towards Idaho and/or Yellowstone National Park for a few days, but we talked and agreed we were both desensitized to the beauty they offered. We traveled in some of the best fly fishing country the U.S. offers—Bozeman, Butte, Livingstone—but were singularly focused on getting home. Even though we had an early start, the “maintenance” stops took their toll accumulating mileage. Finally, at 8:30 PM, we had had enough and stopped at the Walmart in Laurel, MT, just west of Billings, to rest until morning.

Kay’s Take Driving toward Billings, MT we came upon Laurel just after dark. They have an oil refinery there, we think that’s what it was, and it was lit up like Christmas. We could see these structures for miles out but couldn’t figure out what it was. It reminded me of ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’. Spires, towers, columns, spheres, etc. All lit up like Christmas decorations. Very surreal. I want to go back and explore Missoula, Billings, Livingston and Bozeman. Our friend, Frank, wrote about all of these when he was a fishing guide in this area one summer. The landscape changes from the hills and mountains to high plains in these areas.
We were so relieved that there was nothing significantly wrong with our rig. Jayco builds an amazing RV! Alaska tested and came shining through!

Our Recommendations for Laurel, MT Laurel is a great place to fill with fuel, and the Wal Mart met our needs for an overnight rest.

Campground Dry Camping, Walmart, Laurel, MT

Driving Statistics
Beginning Mileage: 17,392.2
Beginning Time: 7:00 AM Mountain DST
Ending Mileage: 17,853.5
Ending Time: 8:30 PM Mountain DST
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR THE DAY: 461.3
CUMULATIVE MILEAGE: 8,461.4