Although we are certainly rookie truck camper owners, the trip has been great so far; full of scenic vistas in complete juxtaposition to what we see in Alaska. The traveling is much slower with a 4,000 pound camper on the back of the truck, and we spent a lot of time in the slow lane. That, however, is what the trip is all about.
Leaving Wenatchee we became a bit worried about the wurring sound the engine seemed to be making. After making several stops, and talking to a couple very nice mechanics, we ended up at Powerhouse Diesel in Pendleton, OR. The owner and mechanic, Mike, sure knows his diesel trucks. John took him for a ride and Mike plugged his computer into the dash. After a short time Mike assured John that, "Your truck is just being badass." Apparently, all turbo diesel Ford 350's make that sound when the temperatures are pushing 100 degrees. Hmmm. Good news. He checked everything else and assured us we were good to go.
With all the stops, we made it just northwest of Boise for the night at an RV park called Country Corner. Although the place was full, the owner was kind enough to let us pull into a spot without hookups and even cut a limb off a tree so we could fit our crazily tall camper under the tree. Being self contained is certainly nice. The next day we drove past through Salt Lake City, and finally pulled off for the night at Yuma Lake State Park. It was pretty dry and dusty, but beautiful just the same.
That takes us to today. We wound our way through incredibly beautiful country. We took hwy 50 out of Scipio, Ut, and hooked up with I-70. Although John was not fond of the cliff edges, it was truly magnificent country. What a world we are blessed to live in.
Now we are now sitting beside the Colorado River in a KOA campground where we can hook up to power and water. We are enjoying the fact that we chose a camper with AC and may even venture out when the temperatures drop just a bit.
Cheers.
Shannon
