More Problems, A Raging Storm, and Cool Weather We were up at daybreak, and neither of us slept well. As it became daylight, I crawled under the motorhome to inspect the freshwater tank and wiring to see if either was causing the pump to run without producing water. The wiring for the freshwater tank was loose, again, and I repaired it, and also noticed the tank was below the “1/3” level. We filled the tank to about one half its capacity, thinking it would resolve the pump problem. No such luck. It seems to be getting worse, and we need it fixed before Saturday when we camp at Custer State Park, (without water), having to use the freshwater tank for our needs. We departed shortly after 7 am, and Kay hurriedly made several calls to our emergency road service, our dealer, the motorhome manufacturer, and an RV dealership in Grand Island. We were able to get an impromptu appointment at the dealership to check out the water pump as it is still under warranty. The technician discovered the screen on one of the faucets had become stopped up with a calcium deposit after checking the pump and connections. Seems like all new motor homes come with “water saver” screens which are really a plastic washer with about a 1/8 inch hole to allow water to come out. Can you believe it? He removed these, and we gladly paid for the ½ hour of labor, and continued on our way. Shortly out of Grand Island, we were detoured onto a farm road around an entire section of land so the main highway (Husker Highway) could be repaved. We made it despite our length, mud, and tight turns. Alaska roads may not have anything on this road.
We drove the remainder of the way to Valentine, with cloudy skies and lower temperatures most of the way, arriving at Fishberry RV Park just north of Valentine, Nebraska, at 4:30 PM. After setting up, we showered, ate a salad, and headed to Rosebud Casino where Kay won a few dollars; the casino was really smoky so I opted to stay in the car.
On the way, we saw a group of storm chasers, awaiting a possible tornado.

Kay was at the casino only a few minutes, and we returned to the campground to find darkening skies. We watched the storm build and got hit with the brunt of it on the passenger side. With winds estimated at 70 miles per hour, we put the slides in to keep the awnings from tearing away, said prayers, and watched as the storm battered us for about 30 minutes. This was the most fearsome storm in which either of us has ever been. After the storm passed, sun broke through the clouds, and we went to bed with it still being daylight.
Kay’s Take Friday morning I woke up almost before the crack of dawn, made the cappuccino and coffee and went out to check out the world. There was an amazing, incredible sunrise – salmon colored sky, streaks of pink, purple, blue, and salmon. It was still pretty muggy, not having cooled down much over night, but the birds in the resort were cavorting like crazy – a dance for the dawn perhaps. We both kept noticing that the water pump came on before we ever turned on the water and it ran way too long after we turned any water off. This was not normal and as we traveled we discussed what to do. We didn’t want our water pump to ‘die’ but it was definitely stressing about something. Donald said it was maintaining pressure in the lines. We decided to call the mechanical concierge with Family Motorcoach Assoc. He couldn’t figure it out either, but recommended some RV centers in Grand Island, Neb. or in Rapid City, Neb. Since it was the weekend before July 4th doings, we decided to stop in Grand Island at Rich’s RV Center. It was a huge RV place right off of Hwy. 281, where we were turning to go to Valentine, Neb. They were super nice and got us in right away. Calcium build up in the screens behind the faucet heads. Donald had just decided to start using a water filter from the outside faucets into the RV.
Well, we were back and running heading west and north. We did have an intimate encounter with a corn field on a muddy dirt farm road due to a construction ‘detour’ on a county road. Garmina (our GPS system) sometimes takes us on some back roads in a mission to find the straightest, shortest route from point A to point B. Hehehehe! We drove a scenic road Hwy. 2 that is called the ‘Sandhills Scenic Route’. It was beautiful and there were quaint little towns and farms along it. We turned north and finally drove into those sandhills and I thought that was even more scenic. We climbed about 1500 ft. in elevation and the wind picked up too. We were both getting tired and were glad when we pulled in at Fishberry Campground in Valentine, Neb. We had discussed early about going into town and eating but we were too tired. I made a salad and we had chicken salad in the refrigerator. So we ate those. The veggies were just what we needed. We both showered and cleaned up. Donald drove the 5 miles north just across the border into S. Dakota to the Rosebud Casino. Unfortunately, it was all ‘smoking’. He stayed outside because he is so allergic to smoke while I gambled. Forgive me Lord! I was thru after 30 min. – I played with $25 and came out of there with $37.25. Donald in the meantime drove back to the RV to get his camera because we had seen a line of storm chasers on a dirt road as we were going to the casino. He got a picture of them. Yes, bad weather was brewing, and it began raining as we came back to Mellie (our RV). Yes, I have has pet names for many things! Enough said! Well, the wind picked up, the rain came down hard, and we sat in our motorhome as darkness from the storms increased. Here we were on a Nebraska plain with about 10 other RV travelers exposed to whatever elements mother nature could muster. Let me tell you, it was the worst storm either of us has sat out. I bet the winds were more than 70 miles per hour; we had hail, hard rain, and wall clouds all around us, plus lightening. We pulled in two of our slideouts to be more heavy and compact as we were rocking pretty good in the midst of the worst of the storm. Every one survived, don’t know if any tornadoes touched down near us, but we saw the radar after the storm went by and it was red and ugly! Unbelievably, as soon as the storm moved on, the sun came shining thru (it was 8:45) and there was a beautiful sunset.
I crawled into bed and passed out. Enough excitement! Boredom is underrated!
One plus Saturday morning is that the temperatures are in the low 70’s – Praise the Lord! We’re kinda being slugs this morning – well, at least I AM – and taking our time before we head out to Custer State Park just south of Rapid City, S. Dakota. We’ll be staying there 3 nights before we head into Montana. Lots of animals and hopefully some fishing. Cool weather to boot! Yahoo!
Campground Fishberry RV Park in Valentine, NE. We stayed here in 2007, and it’s still just as nice. It sits in the middle of a working ranch. The pull-thru sites are gravel, and above average, and restrooms and showers are very clean. We’d definitely stay here again.

Other Information Rosebud Casino, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, SD, is a short drive north from Fishberry RV Park.
This day was not without problems, either. The water pump was not working properly; we stopped at Rich’s RV Sales & Service, Grand Island, NE, for a quick fix. Seems the screen on one of the faucets had become stopped up with a calcium deposit, and removing the screen solved the problem.
Driving Statistics
Beginning Mileage: 9,834.5
Beginning Time: 7:15 am
Ending Mileage: 10,197.4
Ending Time: 4:30 PM
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR THE DAY: 362.9
CUMULATIVE MILEAGE: 805.9

On Our Way With a clean house, towels, and sheets, we opted to spend last night in the motorhome, awakening early with excitement for the impending trip. We departed at 6:20 am, and had an uneventful trip, except for having to use the auxiliary batteries (coach batteries) to start the motorhome each time we stopped, which was about every 2 to 3 hours. We had been concerned with our motorhome weight and weighed it about an hour north of Springfield, MO (front axle = 4,240 lbs; rear axle = 9,780 lbs; total MH = 14,020 lbs, capacity is 14,050; Saturn = 2,980 lbs). We were 30 pounds under maximum! After several more hours of driving, we checked the chassis battery, and discovered 5 of the 6 cells very low of water. We filled those with distilled water, drove another 3 hours, arriving at Victorian Acres RV Park and Campground at 3:30 PM.
We unhooked the battery and loaded it into the Saturn to have it checked at Walmart.
On the way back from Walmart, we made a detour to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. This was an unexpected surprise. Though the Center did not have a lot of original artifacts, the displays were well done, and informative. I have read a number of books on the Corps of Discovery Expedition, and really liked the replicas of two of the boats used by the Expedition.

Walmart found the battery to be DEAD, and we purchased a new one, quickly installed it—and surprise—it worked! I decided to fill the coach batteries with water, and it was a complete debacle, with battery acid going everywhere. We neutralized the acid as much as we could with our refrigerator baking soda, and will assess the damage in a couple of days. Also, our water pump is malfunctioning, and won’t quit running. We have very little pressure. Hopefully, filling the tank tomorrow morning will resolve this problem. Despite these setbacks, we realize how blessed we are to be able to take a trip to Alaska, and financially afford most misfortunes.
Kay’s Take Man, getting the house ready for guests was kind of like working in a lodge or hotel! Getting the RV ready for a 3-month trip was a snap! Doctor’s appointments., social security application process, filling three (3) months worth of prescriptions, dentist appointments., etc. Goodness, we sound like Old People! Hehehe! It’s incredible how our schedules manage us sometimes instead of the other way around.  Another plus was sleeping on the new mattress in the motorhome before we left the next morning. That way we could change the bed sheets in our master bedroom and also the towels. It will be a joy to come back home in the shape we left our house. Yes, we will have houseguests, but the rule of thumb is to leave the house as good as you found it! We definitely decided we need a new mattress set for our master bedroom. We love our new RV bed! Room darkening shades help also.
On Thursday, Donald had to start the RV with the auxiliary batteries. We have a ‘battery’ for the RV engine and also two batteries under the coach to power lights, etc. Luckily we can use the ‘house’ batteries to start the engine, if we need to. When we got to our destination at Nebraska City just across the border of Missouri, Nebraska & Iowa, Donald discovered that the engine battery was very low on water. They can apparently do that if not kept charged enough – driving it, etc. But he has had a battery minder/charger on it all the time we’re not rving. Anyway, good old ‘Wal-marte` checked the battery and it was not recoverable. We bought a new one, and a few other odds and ends and before we headed back to the campground we drove around the older historic area of the town. Really beautiful old buildings, courthouse, homes, and old, old trees. Three of the churches were the first of their denomination to be built in Nebraska. Lots of tradition and history there. We crashed and burned pretty quickly and settled down for the night.
Campground Victorian Acres RV Park & Campground in Nebraska City, NE. We stayed here in 2007, and there have been vast improvements. The pull-thru sites are slightly above average, but the restrooms and showers were immaculate—2nd best of all we have seen.

Other Information The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Nebraska City, NE, was small by most museum standards, but very well done. Of special interest were replicas of the boats used in their expedition. Nebraska City, NE – Quaint Missouri River frontier town with several historic houses, churches, courthouse, and brick streets—well worth a stop and short tour.
The day was not without problems. We replaced the chassis battery at Nebraska City, NE, and added water to coach batteries, spilling acid everywhere.
Driving Statistics
Beginning Mileage: 9391.5
Beginning Time: 6:20 am
Ending Mileage: 9834.5
Ending Time: 3:30 PM
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR THE DAY: 443.0 (this is to be our longest leg of the entire trip)
CUMULATIVE MILEAGE: 443.0

D-3, Monday, June 22, 2009 With the intense heat in north central Arkansas, any outside work must occur early, while it is still moderately cool. Kay finished a next-to-last appointment, giving us an extra day, Wednesday. We decided to check into leaving a day early, but the campgrounds at Custer State Park in South Dakota are booked solid, eliminating our adding a day on the front end of our already 3 days there, bouncing us back to our original departure day of Thursday. We’re doing “make do” work, killing time before departure, which included cleaning and organizing the 1^st floor garage—guess it needed it anyway.

D-2, Tuesday, June 23, 2009 We’re having sustained hot weather, with heat indices in the 100s. It’s miserable being outside in the heat and humidity for any length of time at all. The last of the toys (cameras, binoculars, etc.) went in the motor home this morning, and all the outside storage compartments were packed. We ran some errands in Mountain Home—buying groceries for the trip, changing our cell phone service, and buying some drain pipe to make a storage container each for a sewer hose and the 4 fly rods we’re taking! We also bought a new broadband modem, but after getting home, discovered it was not compatible with our router. To make things worse, Outlook on Donald’s computer had a corrupt file, and would not open. He spent all afternoon working on his computer while Kay returned the broadband modem. It seems like computer glitches arise immediately before each of our trips. Last time, Donald’s relatively new computer crashed. As bedtime nears, everything is back to normal.

D-1, Wednesday, June 24, 2009  We’re up early again because of the heat. We made final preparations on our property, i.e. Round Up and Insecticide, rolled the awning up, and moved the motor home to the front of the house. Kay finished loading last minute stuff, we put Battery Minders on the Expedition and Truck, and re-cleaned the house. Wow, our guests are going to have it nice! We hooked-up the Saturn, except for the Brake Buddy, and washed a final load of clothes. We opted to spend the night in the motor home so no more house cleaning. It’s bedtime, and the pre-trip portion of this trip journal is finished. Tomorrow morning, we’re off on another adventure of a lifetime!

D-10, Monday, June 15, 2009 After a morning of cleaning house, we spent late afternoon organizing and packing fly fishing apparel, waders, boots, rods, reels, leaders, tippet, and several boxes of flies for varying fishing conditions. We plan to fish for trout in South Dakota and Montana on the way up late next week, and Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, on the way back home in September; then fish for trout, grayling, salmon, and steelhead in Canada and Alaska, necessitating taking several different rods, reels, and flies.

D-9, Tuesday, June 16, 2009 For the umpteenth day in a row, it’s raining. We had some roof sagging between trusses on our house, so workers came this morning to make repairs. I thought de-lamination of the plywood had caused the sagging, but the framers said it was just some random bad sheets of plywood. I filled the feeder with corn for the deer and turkeys for while we’re gone, and finalized our trip book. We are waiting to depart until Kay completes her application for Social Security. She did the online application today, and will meet with Social Security Administration staff next week, finalizing and submitting the application. Half-price camping, here we come!

D-8, Wednesday, June 17, 2009 No pre-trip preparations occurred today. The rain has finally stopped and it’s very hot today—98 degrees. We traveled to North Little Rock for semi-annual medical appointments, hair cut for Kay, and dinner with Kay’s daughter and her husband.

D-7, Thursday, June 18, 2009 We depart one week from today. It was another hot day today with a high of 98 degrees. We stopped by my deceased parents’ house today on the way home from North Little Rock to pick up the remainder of personal belongings that had been stored there. It was a melancholy experience, as I helped build the house, working all of the summer, fall, and early winter of 1964 at the age of 14/15, and was the only child of the three that actually lived there. In fact I vividly recall writing the check for the lumber for the house. This will likely be the last time in the house, as it is on the market to be sold as part of the estate, and will be sold while we’re away. Saying goodbye is difficult after 46 years! Good news from the urologist; my PSA has dropped to half its previous 12+ to 6.7. Kay took info to our wonderful neighbors who will be watching the house and collecting the mail for monthly forwarding to Alaska.

D-6, Friday, June 19, 2009 Kay gave blood for her quarterly liver screening this morning. We made substantial progress today in pre-trip preparations. Valuables went in the safety deposit box, money was withdrawn for the trip, quarters obtained for laundry, meds were ordered for our projected 88-day trip, and papers signed and given to our financial advisor. Kay completed—yes, completed—her application for Social Security, a member of the local Social Security Administration office reviewed it, and it has begun processing. Half-time camping, here we come!

D-5, Saturday, June 20, 2009 No more messing around; today has got to be a work day. We were up before 6 AM sanitizing the fresh water tank by filling it with chlorinated water and running the water through the pipes and faucets. Air pressure in the tires was checked and all were at the desired 80 pounds per square inch (psi). The awning was deployed, covered with soapy water, and rolled back up. We washed the top of the motor home roof, cleaned the gutters, and deployed the awning again, this time scrubbing with concentrated detergent. We applied Aquapel glass treatment to the windshield and side door windows, and sorted through our food before packing it into the motorhome. It was really, really hot today, with highs in the 90s, so we escaped to the lake.

D-4, Sunday, June 21, 2009 Late Sunday afternoon found us packing non-refrigerated food and kitchen items with heavy items being packed on bottom at floor level, and lighter things packed in upper cabinets. Despite bag after bag of stuff, we still have some room! All we lack in packing are refrigerated goods, fishing equipment, and outside items like camp chairs, BBQ grill and charcoal, hoses, etc. Three more days and we depart.

D-17, Monday, June 8, 2009 Kay began packing clothes—and the closet is still full! Go figure.

D-16, Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Kay drove into Mountain Home and paid, in advance, for licenses for one of the cars and one of the boats due while we’re on the trip.  She is also still packing clothes. Donald printed calling cards to give out while on the trip, and printed maps of travel legs for first week, to Great Falls, MT, where we meet up with the caravan. We have stops in Nebraska City, NE; Valentine, NE; Custer State Park, SD; and Garryowen, MT, before reaching Great Falls. Also, Donald finished a spread sheet outlining each day of the trip, where we will be, and phone numbers to reach us.

D-15, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Kay made reservations at pre-Great Falls, MT, stops. A return call from 7^th Ranch RV Park was fortuitous in as much as our reservation date was incorrect by almost a month. We’ve stayed there before, and they made the change with no consequential problem. Kay also emailed several RV parks in Alaska to make arrangements for our mail to be forwarded there; consequently, we’ll get mail in North Pole (Fairbanks) and Skagway. We’ve pretty much gone paperless with email statements and use credit cards, bank drafts, or bill pay to pay bills. Kay also called our insurance company to lower the motor home deductible while we’re traveling; we’ll change it back when we return. We drafted an information paper for kids and friends using the house in our absence with info on security system, utilities, etc. Donald began getting fishing rods, reels, and other equipment ready for packing.

D-14, Thursday, June 11, 2009 Our good friend, John Simank, secretly left a part we needed to repair the downstairs commode; Donald did the repair, removing another item off his list. We rearranged items in the coach, removing things we would not use, or had not used the last year, including DVDs, miscellaneous papers, cooking utensils, and cookware. Kay has cut back so much, we have several cabinets and storage areas that are completely empty. Two new Ross fly reels arrived today, and Donald spent the evening winding backing and 8 and 9 weight fly lines onto the reels, respectively.

D-13, Friday, June 12, 2009 We drove to town today to take care of pre-trip financial matters. Upon returning home, Donald changed the oil and oil filter in the motorhome, switching to Mobil 1 Extended Performance oil and oil filter, supposedly good for up to 15,000 miles; wonder if 10,000 miles would be pushing it? He finished just in time as a huge thunderstorm struck, dropping almost 3 inches of rain. Kay called our credit card companies to alert them of our travel plans so they will be aware of when and where we’ll be making credit charges.

D-12, Saturday, June 13, 2009 We cleaned and waxed the motor home. Just after we began, Kay noticed a new-born fawn down the driveway. As I began to look, the fawn and its twin noticed us and ran with hind ends going everywhere towards us as fast as their spindly legs would carry them. The motor home was parked in a space surrounded by retaining walls on two sides and the basement garage in the other. We were at the back in a 4-foot space between the retaining wall and motor home when were heard them coming. First one, then the other, came beside the motor home in a 3-foot wide space, making the 90 degree turn with legs going ever which direction, almost knocking us down as they rounded the corner at the back of the motor home, rounding the other corner between the motor home and the basement garage, and heading off to where they started. They had no fear of us, but were running and jumping all over the place as only newborns can do. Donald yelled for Kay to take cover in case the doe was coming to protect them, so Kay ran for the garage while Donald was seeking refuge wherever he could find it. Fortunately for us, the doe was contented to watch her fawns frolic about (we believe she herself was a twin we “befriended” a couple of years ago, and has hung out around the house since). It was almost too much excitement for us.

Anyway, back to the wax job. The day started cool, but soon got really warm. A clean and wax job turned into several minor repairs and other odd, but much needed, jobs. However, after all was said and done, the motor home looked great. Now, all we lack in getting her ready is applying protectant to the decals (Aerospace 303), cleaning and preparing the windows and windshields, checking air in the tires, and hooking up the Saturn. In other pre-trip preparations, Donald packed most of his clothes today, with Kay’s help. We’re nearly ready. We could probably be ready to go in a couple of hours if we had to, but won’t leave until June 25.

D-11, Sunday, June 14, 2009 We are completing packing our clothes and personal belongings in the motor home, and Donald finished up the journal for this week. We attended Sunday school and church today for the first time in several weeks. We both have been sick several weeks leading up to the annual Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip, then missed two Sundays for the trip itself. The music was particularly good today, and Jerry Webb, our stand-in preacher, did a great job as usual in Sam’s absence. It was good to be back.

D-24 through D-20, Monday, Jun 1, 2009, through Friday June 5, 2009 No trip preparations. We are on our annual Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-19, Saturday, June 6, 2009 No trip preparations today; traveled from Ely, MN, to Kearney, MO, on our return trip from Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-18, Sunday, June 7, 2009 No trip preparations today; traveled from Kearney, MO, to home on our return trip from Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip. We unpacked, washed Expedition, and began washing clothes. We’re exhausted!

D-31, Monday, May 25, 2009 No trip preparations today. Tied flies for our annual Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-30, Tuesday, May 26, 2009 No trip preparations today. Tied flies for Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-29, Wednesday, May 27, 2009 No trip preparations today; packed for Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-28, Thursday, May 28, 2009 No trip preparations today; finalized packing for Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-27, Friday, May 29, 2009 No trip preparations today; traveled from home to Ottowana, MN, as first leg of Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-26, Saturday, May 30, 2009 No trip preparations today; traveled from Ottowana, MN, to Ely, MN, to begin water portion of Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-25, Sunday, May 31, 2009 No trip preparations today; Quetico Provincial Park, ON, canoeing, camping, and fishing trip.

D-38, Monday, May 18, 2009 No trip preparations today.

D-37, Tuesday, May 19, 2009 While not exactly pre-trip preparations, we spent the morning working on our property, getting it ready for an extended absence trimming low-hanging limbs that were chigger and tick havens. Donald finished adding the eye bolts to the Saturn for attaching the Protect-a-Tow; it’s ready to install now each time we need it. Enough for one day, time to rest as the tree trimming wore us out.

D-36, Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Once again, our great friend, Wayne, bailed us out by installing an inverter-on receptacle in the bedroom for Donald’s CPAP. Donald can now use his CPAP when we’re boon docking (dry camping without hook-ups) without having to run an extension cord from the only other outlet wired for inverter use, all the way in the front of the coach. The inverter converts 12 volt battery power to 110 volt power, what we have in our houses. Our motorhome has an inverter, but the only thing hooked up to it was the TV and surround sound in the living area of the coach. We’re limited to 400 watts, but that’s more than sufficient for what we’ll plug in while boon docking. This extra outlet will also let us use the crock pot while underway.

D-35, Thursday, May 21, 2009 No pre-trip work today.

D-34, Friday, May 22, 2009 We made our first trip reservations today, reserving a site at Custer State Park for July 27, 28, and 29. The campground we preferred had already filled, but we have a site in another campground adjacent to a blue ribbon trout stream—all the planning in the world can’t beat dumb luck. Kay is sick in bed today with the CRUD and a severe back ache—rare for her.

D-33, Saturday, May 23, 2009 Donald maneuvered his way under the motorhome this afternoon to inspect the wiring on the fresh water tank gage. Sure enough, one of the wires was severed. After attaching a wire connector, we are back to normal and can monitor the status (extent of fullness) of the fresh water tank. This was a dreaded chore that took no more than 30 minutes to do. We have accumulated a number of documents and email messages regarding the trip. This afternoon we collected and assembled those in a common folder on the computer. Kay is still sick in bed; back ache is worse.

D-32, Sunday, May 24, 2009 We spent the day getting our paperwork and computer files in order, along with making sure our bills will be paid. Kay is beginning to recover; back ache is slowly disappearing.

D-45, Monday, May 11, 2009  Trip preparations are beginning. Lane from street to house was cleared of low hanging limbs.

D-44, Tuesday, May 12, 2009  Pre-trip chores were in full swing today. We began the by making copies of important papers, licenses, credit cards, health cards, etc.; copying serial numbers of our "toys" such as cameras, binoculars, and computers, and VINs and licenses for the motorhome and Saturn; and cleaning out the "little" garage, and grouping RVing things for the great Alaska trip; we could actually walk thru the garage when we finished. Then, our great friend, mentor, and neighbor, Wayne, ran the break-away cable thru the Saturn firewall, and we attached it to the front bumper. When traveling a cable will connect between the Saturn and the motorhome, and an electrical cable connects from there to the auxiliary brake. After getting all the tools together, we decided to attach the eye bolts to the motorhome for connecting the Protect-a-Tow between the motorhome and the Saturn, hopefully preventing paint chipping and windshield breakage. Enough for one day, time to rest.

D-43, Wednesday, May 13, 2009  No pre-trip work today.

D-42, Thursday, May 14, 2009  No pre-trip work today.

D-41, Friday, May 15, 2009  We received our CB radio today, and, as expected, it has limited range. Except for some clothes, fly line, and food, this just about wraps up our purchases specifically for this trip.

D-40, Saturday, May 16, 2009  No pre-trip work today.

D-39, Sunday, May 17, 2009  We waxed the front of the motorhome, and finalized our pre-trip rally calendar. The pre-trip rally consists of meeting everyone traveling in our caravan in Great Falls, MT on July 1, 2009, and traveling together to Dawson Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada, aka the beginning of the Alaska Highway, arriving there on July 8, 2009, the official start of our trip to Alaska.

While the idea of traveling to the Yukon and Alaska by RV has been at the back of our minds for some time, we made a decision in 2005 not to buy an RV, obviously putting an end to such a trip. How things change with time. After much thought and deliberation, we bought our first RV, a 30-foot long travel trailer, in 2006, and immediately resurrected the idea again. Our plans were to take a fairly long shakedown trip to Glacier National Park in the summer of 2007, followed by travel to Alaska in the summer of 2008 with close friends who bought a travel trailer at the same time.

We did travel to Glacier National Park in 2007 via Buffalo, Wyoming. After 4 weeks and 4,000 miles, we were ready for Alaska. As fate would have it, the husband of the couple who were to accompany us to Alaska became ill, and doctors strongly advised him not to travel to Alaska by RV.

In the fall of 2007, we traded the travel trailer for a new 29-foot motor home with specific plans to drive it to Alaska solo. We continued to seriously plan, developing several itineraries, routes, and spreadsheets with pertinent data for the trip to be made in the summer of 2008. We purchased a slightly used 2007 Saturn Ion, with tow plate and lights already installed, to serve as our tow-behind vehicle (a.k.a. toad, short for towed vehicle). Once again fate intervened. Gasoline prices soared, and Dad fell early in the summer, breaking his leg. We postponed the trip, staying behind to assist with his care; regrettably, he passed away a few months later.

We got really serious about the trip in the ensuing months, planning a July 2009 start. A route was chosen, a detailed itinerary was developed, and information regarding RV parks and activities were meticulously identified on a spreadsheet; we were ready to go. While posting on an RV forum in March, we received a response inviting us to join a Gulf Stream sponsored caravan. Our response was basically that we had no plans to participate in a caravan because first, we had never heard of the Gulf Stream brand of RVs, and second, we had read unflattering stories regarding caravans. After a couple of personal emails, we decided to at least look at their itinerary and cost, and were surprised to find the itinerary practically matched ours, in terms of dates, locations, and activities. We communicated with Gulf Stream, and found their company representative to be both friendly and helpful, and the price was reasonable. After serious deliberations and prayer, we felt God was providing us direction to join the caravan; we paid the deposit, thereby making a substantial financial commitment. This jumps us from the planning phase to the trip preparation phase which we will begin in earnest tomorrow.