September 2, 2009
Sutherlin, OR
We stopped for the night at the Escapees Park in Sutherlin, Oregon, as we headed south. Since we're going to be in the Bay Area for our "Wines, Mines, and More" caravan, it made the most sense to try to have the Range Rover repaired here. Since the central point for the caravan is Sacramento, that's our destination. We cut across OR-22 from Hebo (forever known as "the dreaded Hebo") toward Salem, then south on OR-99W to Corvallis, then east to I-5. After a quick stop in Coburg for fuel, we continued south to Sutherlin. It's nice to boondock off the highway in a quiet park for a change.
We settled in and had some leftovers (Hi, Marlene) and took the pups out for their evening walk. We saw several jack-a-lopes (actually just long-eared rabbits), and then came upon a small herd of white-tailed deer grazing right in the park. There were six of them altogether, and they were hanging out right in the center of the park, grazing on the plants in various RV sites. One of them started to walk toward us as we approached (Maya Lynn didn't quite know what to do, since her low growl didn't have the desired effect), and I was concerned because that's a sign of familiarity or aggression. Have you ever seen people flogged by deer on America's Funniest Videos? Not me, thanks.
Anyway, since the animals didn't seem to care we were there, we finished our walk and headed back to call it an early night. It was a rough day...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Headline: "At Least Nobody Was Hurt"
September 2, 2009
Sutherlin, OR
Note: Click on any image to enlarge...
Wow, what a day. We had a serious failure on the tow apparatus today, and all we can say is "thank goodness nobody was hurt". We were in a small burg called Hebo, Oregon, on US-101 heading south. The road made a 90 degree turn with one of those yellow diamond signs recommending 20 mph. I slowed to 15 mph for margin and made the turn nicely, but immediately found a cat crossing the road so we came to a complete stop. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car on the driver's side and thought "what kind of idiot is passing me here?" to myself. As I turned to look, it was US! The Range Rover had come loose from the back of the coach and was gliding toward a house on the other side of the road! Everything went slow-motion on me at that point. This can't be. The safety cables keep the car with us. The breakaway system applies the brakes. But, there it is. How can I stop it? I can't, of course. It narrowly missed a pole and a parked car, and comes to rest in a hedge about 8 feet from the front of somebody's house. Holy crap!
So, we pull over and go figure out what happened and more importantly, what to do. I call the police and they send a deputy sheriff. The owner of the house (runs a body shop out back) and I trade info. The tenant of the house shows up in a tow truck, ready to do some business. I call the insurance people. Everyone asks "Are you alright?" over and over. Well, yes (nobody was hurt) and no (I can't believe this happened).
Once we calm down, several guys stood on the hedge to keep the branches down and I backed out. We realize that the car has a lot of cosmetic damage but runs fine (well, fine after I take a few broken pieces of trim off and bungee up the rest). We sit down for a minute and realize that our best move is to make a beeline for the Sacramento area, about 600 miles away, since we'll be in Truckee (60 miles east) and Napa (60 miles west) during our upcoming caravan, so any body shop will have 3+ weeks to fix things. We hope that'll work out, and set course for I-5. We stopped for the night at an Escapees Park about 2 hours north of the California/Oregon border, and we'll make the rest of the trek to Sacramento tomorrow. We hope to get with an adjuster and body shop on Friday. Not much will happen given the holiday weekend, but at least the process will be started.
What a day! We're OK and only the hedge and car suffered damage, so we have that to be thankful for. If you've ever been on US-101, you can imagine what might have happened if it had let loose anywhere else: windy roads could have sent it right into oncoming traffic or over a cliff into the Pacific. Wow!
Sutherlin, OR
Note: Click on any image to enlarge...
Wow, what a day. We had a serious failure on the tow apparatus today, and all we can say is "thank goodness nobody was hurt". We were in a small burg called Hebo, Oregon, on US-101 heading south. The road made a 90 degree turn with one of those yellow diamond signs recommending 20 mph. I slowed to 15 mph for margin and made the turn nicely, but immediately found a cat crossing the road so we came to a complete stop. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car on the driver's side and thought "what kind of idiot is passing me here?" to myself. As I turned to look, it was US! The Range Rover had come loose from the back of the coach and was gliding toward a house on the other side of the road! Everything went slow-motion on me at that point. This can't be. The safety cables keep the car with us. The breakaway system applies the brakes. But, there it is. How can I stop it? I can't, of course. It narrowly missed a pole and a parked car, and comes to rest in a hedge about 8 feet from the front of somebody's house. Holy crap!
What a day! We're OK and only the hedge and car suffered damage, so we have that to be thankful for. If you've ever been on US-101, you can imagine what might have happened if it had let loose anywhere else: windy roads could have sent it right into oncoming traffic or over a cliff into the Pacific. Wow!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Welcome to Oregon
August 31, 2009
Cannon Beach, OR
OK, to start, here are a couple of pictures from Sunday that got stuck in the camera.
(Trying different formatting on the pictures...)
Today, we did a bit of sightseeing. First, we were quite taken aback by one of the neighbors. What a coach! What a mess. Oh, well, one person's mess is another's livelihood, I suppose.
Later, we took a trip to the beach. We definitely remember being here on our 1993 trip. Today was cool and breezy, so we didn't stay long. We made a quick trip to Seaside (~8 miles north) for some tax-free outlet shopping (didn't buy much) and headed home for Geri's world-famous Chicken Alfredo. Mmmm.
Cannon Beach, OR
Don't forget: you can click on any thumbnail picture to see it full size.
OK, to start, here are a couple of pictures from Sunday that got stuck in the camera.
(Trying different formatting on the pictures...)
Today, we did a bit of sightseeing. First, we were quite taken aback by one of the neighbors. What a coach! What a mess. Oh, well, one person's mess is another's livelihood, I suppose.
Later, we took a trip to the beach. We definitely remember being here on our 1993 trip. Today was cool and breezy, so we didn't stay long. We made a quick trip to Seaside (~8 miles north) for some tax-free outlet shopping (didn't buy much) and headed home for Geri's world-famous Chicken Alfredo. Mmmm.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I love the smell of chip-seal in the morning
August 30, 2009
Cannon Beach, OR
We made the easy drive from Forks to Cannon Beach today and were rewarded with - more road construction. We had 14 miles of chip sealing south of Forks and 44 miles of it south of Queets on US-101 in Washington. Chip sealing is a process where they spread a layer of asphalt covered by loose stone chips to put a new surface on a road. It's way easier (and cheaper, of course) than new blacktop, but it's a stop-gap treatment at best. They do nothing to eliminate frost heaves (yes, US-101 is full of them which surprised me since I though the climate was too moderate here for that) and create a rough surface that increases road noise and throws small rocks everywhere. With the cover on the car, we're relatively safe from damage.
All in all, it was a reasonably nice drive. The weather was cool and cloudy but it didn't rain. The scenery was mostly forested, with a lot of logging having been done over the years. Whole swaths of the trees are of "different vintages" as they've been harvested and replanted at different times. There was even an area where hurricane-force winds took out a lot of trees in 2007; those were harvested as well.
The sun came out for a few minutes as we came to the mouth of the Columbia River. We had a nice view as we crossed the tall bridge into Astoria, Oregon, and enjoyed pointing out a few sites we saw when we did this drive in the fall of 1993 (surprised that memory still works!).
We arrived in Cannon Beach on schedule, except that I turned right instead of left getting off the 101, so we had a slight detour through part of town before we got settled. I apparently didn't ask enough questions when I made the reservation since we got a 30-amp site instead of 50-amp, but we'll survive. With temperatures in the upper-60s, we certainly don't need the air conditioning!
Cannon Beach, OR
We made the easy drive from Forks to Cannon Beach today and were rewarded with - more road construction. We had 14 miles of chip sealing south of Forks and 44 miles of it south of Queets on US-101 in Washington. Chip sealing is a process where they spread a layer of asphalt covered by loose stone chips to put a new surface on a road. It's way easier (and cheaper, of course) than new blacktop, but it's a stop-gap treatment at best. They do nothing to eliminate frost heaves (yes, US-101 is full of them which surprised me since I though the climate was too moderate here for that) and create a rough surface that increases road noise and throws small rocks everywhere. With the cover on the car, we're relatively safe from damage.
All in all, it was a reasonably nice drive. The weather was cool and cloudy but it didn't rain. The scenery was mostly forested, with a lot of logging having been done over the years. Whole swaths of the trees are of "different vintages" as they've been harvested and replanted at different times. There was even an area where hurricane-force winds took out a lot of trees in 2007; those were harvested as well.
The sun came out for a few minutes as we came to the mouth of the Columbia River. We had a nice view as we crossed the tall bridge into Astoria, Oregon, and enjoyed pointing out a few sites we saw when we did this drive in the fall of 1993 (surprised that memory still works!).
We arrived in Cannon Beach on schedule, except that I turned right instead of left getting off the 101, so we had a slight detour through part of town before we got settled. I apparently didn't ask enough questions when I made the reservation since we got a 30-amp site instead of 50-amp, but we'll survive. With temperatures in the upper-60s, we certainly don't need the air conditioning!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Check: Northwestern Point
August 29, 2009
Cape Flattery, Makah Indian Nation, Washington
Note: don't forget to click on pictures to enlarge, and to click on the link below to view all the posted pictures.
One of our "projects" (some call them "bucket list" items) is to visit interesting places, especially geographic extremes. We've been to West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, Maine (easternmost point in the US), Key West's "most southerly point" marker (close the actual point), and Anchor Point, Alaska (most westerly point in the US connected by roads - OK, a stretch). Now, we've been to the most northwestern point in the continental US, Cape Flattery.
Surrounded by the Olympic National Forest and National Park, the Makah Indian Nation Reservation sits on the end of the peninsula along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Technically a channel, the Strait separates the US (Washington) from Vancouver Island in Canada. Interestingly enough, the border is still subject to dispute and interpretation between the US and Canada, with the US advocating the border be based on equal distances between shorelines and Canada claiming that the border should be the deepest part of the channel. Who knew that there was still an ongoing dispute?
Anyway, we packed a lunch and the pups and headed out mid-morning. North on US-101 and WA-113, then west on WA-112, we had clouds and some fog on the drive. We picked up our tribal permit in Neah Bay and made the drive out to the Cape from there, parking at the trailhead and making the short 20-minute walk out to the point. Well, we might have taken more than 20 minutes, but who cares? we're retired. I give Geri a lot of credit for making the trek, as there was a bit of verticality involved. We got quite a few photos (click here for pictures) and saw some wildlife (mostly birds and the odd sea otter). All in all, a great day trip.
Cape Flattery, Makah Indian Nation, Washington
Note: don't forget to click on pictures to enlarge, and to click on the link below to view all the posted pictures.
One of our "projects" (some call them "bucket list" items) is to visit interesting places, especially geographic extremes. We've been to West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, Maine (easternmost point in the US), Key West's "most southerly point" marker (close the actual point), and Anchor Point, Alaska (most westerly point in the US connected by roads - OK, a stretch). Now, we've been to the most northwestern point in the continental US, Cape Flattery.Surrounded by the Olympic National Forest and National Park, the Makah Indian Nation Reservation sits on the end of the peninsula along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Technically a channel, the Strait separates the US (Washington) from Vancouver Island in Canada. Interestingly enough, the border is still subject to dispute and interpretation between the US and Canada, with the US advocating the border be based on equal distances between shorelines and Canada claiming that the border should be the deepest part of the channel. Who knew that there was still an ongoing dispute?
Anyway, we packed a lunch and the pups and headed out mid-morning. North on US-101 and WA-113, then west on WA-112, we had clouds and some fog on the drive. We picked up our tribal permit in Neah Bay and made the drive out to the Cape from there, parking at the trailhead and making the short 20-minute walk out to the point. Well, we might have taken more than 20 minutes, but who cares? we're retired. I give Geri a lot of credit for making the trek, as there was a bit of verticality involved. We got quite a few photos (click here for pictures) and saw some wildlife (mostly birds and the odd sea otter). All in all, a great day trip.
Friday, August 28, 2009
No Vamps Yet
August 28, 2009
Forks, WA
As always, click on any picture to enlarge...
OK, so you have to be up on the latest trends to know why Forks, WA is famous. It's the central location of a series of novels that were encapsulated in the movie Twilight. Similar to the phenomenon after the movie Sideways turned people on to Pinot Noir, the Santa Maria/Santa Ynez valleys in California, or (hopefully for them) both, a cottage industry has grown up in this area around themes drawn from the movie. There are maps and tours, none of which really intrigued us as DIY folks. It's fun, though, to see the various manifestations, most kitschy.
After we arrived, we took a ride out to Rialto Beach because it was a sunny, cloudless day. As we're staying about 10 miles from the Pacific, we headed west on WA-110. As we were driving, I noticed a headwind growing in strength and we soon realized that we were in for some sea air. As we got closer to the coast, we could see the low clouds billowing up and, sure enough, it was cloudy and breezy on the beach. We walked a bit and took a few photos before heading to the small town of La Push, where the weather was pretty much the same. No worries; we still got some interesting shots even though the rock formation just offshore weren't completely in view.
Even though yesterday was nice, this is the Washington coast so today dawned cloudy with showers. No worries; let's just chill out today! We made reservations for the remainder of our trip, that portion from Napa (end of the caravan) back to AZ. We'll stay a week each in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Buellton (all on the California central coast) and Las Vegas. I booked our tickets for Cirque du Soleil's Kà show (dinner at Craftsteak in advance), and may book another if we have time (OK, if we have time and money).
Forks, WA
As always, click on any picture to enlarge...
OK, so you have to be up on the latest trends to know why Forks, WA is famous. It's the central location of a series of novels that were encapsulated in the movie Twilight. Similar to the phenomenon after the movie Sideways turned people on to Pinot Noir, the Santa Maria/Santa Ynez valleys in California, or (hopefully for them) both, a cottage industry has grown up in this area around themes drawn from the movie. There are maps and tours, none of which really intrigued us as DIY folks. It's fun, though, to see the various manifestations, most kitschy.
After we arrived, we took a ride out to Rialto Beach because it was a sunny, cloudless day. As we're staying about 10 miles from the Pacific, we headed west on WA-110. As we were driving, I noticed a headwind growing in strength and we soon realized that we were in for some sea air. As we got closer to the coast, we could see the low clouds billowing up and, sure enough, it was cloudy and breezy on the beach. We walked a bit and took a few photos before heading to the small town of La Push, where the weather was pretty much the same. No worries; we still got some interesting shots even though the rock formation just offshore weren't completely in view.
Even though yesterday was nice, this is the Washington coast so today dawned cloudy with showers. No worries; let's just chill out today! We made reservations for the remainder of our trip, that portion from Napa (end of the caravan) back to AZ. We'll stay a week each in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Buellton (all on the California central coast) and Las Vegas. I booked our tickets for Cirque du Soleil's Kà show (dinner at Craftsteak in advance), and may book another if we have time (OK, if we have time and money).
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A Wonderful Rest
August 26, 2009
Chimacum, WA
Wow, how quickly two weeks can go by! We decided to "drop anchor" for a bit to recharge after our trip north through western Canada to Alaska and back, and we certainly picked a good spot for that. The Escapees park in Chimacum was quiet and relaxing. Other than some minor issues with the 30 amp power, we enjoyed the full hook-ups. We'll have 50 amp power or be dry camping for the rest of the trip.
The weather has been great, with mostly sunny days and cool nights. We relaxed, read some, and finally got the energy to run through all the laundry and tackle a few minor maintenance projects around the coach. I replaced a switch for the water pump with one I got at Napa Auto Parts, and fixed a loose spot in the rubber gasket that protects the bottom on the radiator. I cleaned the drain in the lavatory sink. You get the idea.
We did dodge three bullets during the visit, though. The first was a week ago Wednesday. I dropped Geri off so she could get her hair done and explored the area a bit in the nearby town of Poulsbo. I found the Home Depot and the WalMart Supercenter (the essentials of life, in that order), and picked her up on schedule. As we left the hair place, she spotted a Central Market and we knew we had to stop. Central Market is a grocery chain that's not quite as foo-foo as Whole Foods but way more interesting than Safeway. It's most like Stew Leonard's or Wegman's, which are mostly in the northeast.
Anyway, we picked up a few things, made some notes on things to get on a return trip with menu ideas mapped out, and headed for WalMart to grab the remaining things on "the list". As I was walking into the store, I took of my sunglasses and reached to my collar to get my "regular" pair - uh oh - where are my glasses? Instantly, I vaguely remembered hearing a clicking sound as I was loading bags into the car at Central Market. Just as quickly, I started to rue the decision I made to not have my spare pair (yes, I got spares before we headed off to the wilds of Alaska) made with the bifocals I so desperately need). Leaving Geri to do the shopping, I high-tailed it back to Central Market, found our parking spot and dropped to my knees to see if the glasses were there (crushed or not). Nope. Let's look all around the area. Nada. OK, let's pull everything out of the cooler and the bags to see if I got lucky. Ha. OK, into the store to see if anyone found them. "Sorry, fella; give us your name and number and we'll call you if they're found". Dejected, I head back to WalMart to pick Geri up. As I park, the phone rings; I figure it's Geri asking me where I am. But, no! It's Central Market - someone found the glasses in their cart. Whew! Back to Central Market and back in business on the sight thing. Bullet #1 dodged.
The other two dodged bullets involve the Range Rover. As we've been traveling, we've found that there's a tolerance for towing with respect to the battery life. It seems that the internal "alarm" on the dash display that tells you the transferbox is in neutral (basically allowing all four wheels to roll free and that you should apply the handbrake) stays on all the time. Towing for a long day will pretty much guarantee that the battery is brought down to the level where it may not start the engine. Well, over the last several weeks, that tow time has gradually been shrinking, and we finally got to the point where towing wasn't needed to drop the voltage too low. Oh, how I'm so glad I bought that portable "jump start in a box" device that we carry with us! Anyway, not wanting to pay dealer prices for a replacement, I start calling around for a Group 95 battery. Costco: no. WalMart: no. Sam's: no. Napa: sure. Well, this sounds promising. Do you have one? No, but we can get it. How long? Well, there's one in Portland we can have in a week. Hmmm, not optimum but how much? $320 plus shipping. Whoa; it's a battery, not gold. Finally, I call the nearest dealer, in Tacoma. $150, plus $50 to install. Sold. Turns out it was only $136, which is a standard price for an Interstate starting battery (I was quoted roughly the same for Interstates for the coach starting batteries) - at the dealer, no less. I decided to let them put it in, since I'd given it the eyeball and couldn't see how it could be done without removing the hood. Turns out, I was partially right; they had to release the struts and flip the bonnet back to the windscreen (it's British, after all) to get access - good to know for the future. While I was there, I had then change the brake sensors which had worn out and thrown a "check brake pads" alarm. Yes, the thing tells you when it's time to change the brakes and, yes, I should have changed the sensors when I changed the pads and rotors back in April. Hmmm, maybe the brake alarm contributed to the battery drain? No matter, all fixed. Bullet #2.
When the service writer brought back the paperwork and keys, he asked if I knew I needed new tires. Well, yes, I've been tracking the wear, especially on the rears, and was hoping I could get back to AZ, or at least no-tax Oregon before changing them. With a warning that I was on borrowed time, off I went. As I drove back home (Tacoma is about 90 minutes away), I started thinking I'd better check the tires, so I made a quick stop. Yes, they're pretty worn but what's the crisis. Let's crawl under and check the inside. Wow, they're worn all the way down to the cords, with the steel belts biting my fingers as I passed over them. Ouch! This really is critical. I diverted to the nearest Discount Tire (yes, the web browser on the BlackBerry actually is useful for some things) and found that they could get replacements the next day, Friday. OK, they lied and didn't get them until Monday (I called on Friday before driving there), but we're good for another 60,000 miles (towed plus driven) there. When I checked on the old tires as they were pulled off, I was amazed that we made it as far as we did (and ticked at myself that I didn't check them more thoroughly - lesson learned). I think they had an abnormal wear pattern due to the towing, so I'll try an adjustment in air bag height in the future. And that's Bullet # 3 avoided.
So, we wrapped up our time in Chimacum with a few nice meals. Steaks with parmesan-truffle fries and a wonderful aged Rioja from Spain. Bowties with chicken and brie with a wonderful creamy cheese from Central Market and a young Chianti. Geri's famous Lo Mein with chicken and shrimp and a nice fruity Zinfandel. MMMM!
Tonight, we wrapped up everything, packed the grill away, dumped the tanks and prepared to "set sail". Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Chimacum, WA
Wow, how quickly two weeks can go by! We decided to "drop anchor" for a bit to recharge after our trip north through western Canada to Alaska and back, and we certainly picked a good spot for that. The Escapees park in Chimacum was quiet and relaxing. Other than some minor issues with the 30 amp power, we enjoyed the full hook-ups. We'll have 50 amp power or be dry camping for the rest of the trip.
The weather has been great, with mostly sunny days and cool nights. We relaxed, read some, and finally got the energy to run through all the laundry and tackle a few minor maintenance projects around the coach. I replaced a switch for the water pump with one I got at Napa Auto Parts, and fixed a loose spot in the rubber gasket that protects the bottom on the radiator. I cleaned the drain in the lavatory sink. You get the idea.
We did dodge three bullets during the visit, though. The first was a week ago Wednesday. I dropped Geri off so she could get her hair done and explored the area a bit in the nearby town of Poulsbo. I found the Home Depot and the WalMart Supercenter (the essentials of life, in that order), and picked her up on schedule. As we left the hair place, she spotted a Central Market and we knew we had to stop. Central Market is a grocery chain that's not quite as foo-foo as Whole Foods but way more interesting than Safeway. It's most like Stew Leonard's or Wegman's, which are mostly in the northeast.
Anyway, we picked up a few things, made some notes on things to get on a return trip with menu ideas mapped out, and headed for WalMart to grab the remaining things on "the list". As I was walking into the store, I took of my sunglasses and reached to my collar to get my "regular" pair - uh oh - where are my glasses? Instantly, I vaguely remembered hearing a clicking sound as I was loading bags into the car at Central Market. Just as quickly, I started to rue the decision I made to not have my spare pair (yes, I got spares before we headed off to the wilds of Alaska) made with the bifocals I so desperately need). Leaving Geri to do the shopping, I high-tailed it back to Central Market, found our parking spot and dropped to my knees to see if the glasses were there (crushed or not). Nope. Let's look all around the area. Nada. OK, let's pull everything out of the cooler and the bags to see if I got lucky. Ha. OK, into the store to see if anyone found them. "Sorry, fella; give us your name and number and we'll call you if they're found". Dejected, I head back to WalMart to pick Geri up. As I park, the phone rings; I figure it's Geri asking me where I am. But, no! It's Central Market - someone found the glasses in their cart. Whew! Back to Central Market and back in business on the sight thing. Bullet #1 dodged.
The other two dodged bullets involve the Range Rover. As we've been traveling, we've found that there's a tolerance for towing with respect to the battery life. It seems that the internal "alarm" on the dash display that tells you the transferbox is in neutral (basically allowing all four wheels to roll free and that you should apply the handbrake) stays on all the time. Towing for a long day will pretty much guarantee that the battery is brought down to the level where it may not start the engine. Well, over the last several weeks, that tow time has gradually been shrinking, and we finally got to the point where towing wasn't needed to drop the voltage too low. Oh, how I'm so glad I bought that portable "jump start in a box" device that we carry with us! Anyway, not wanting to pay dealer prices for a replacement, I start calling around for a Group 95 battery. Costco: no. WalMart: no. Sam's: no. Napa: sure. Well, this sounds promising. Do you have one? No, but we can get it. How long? Well, there's one in Portland we can have in a week. Hmmm, not optimum but how much? $320 plus shipping. Whoa; it's a battery, not gold. Finally, I call the nearest dealer, in Tacoma. $150, plus $50 to install. Sold. Turns out it was only $136, which is a standard price for an Interstate starting battery (I was quoted roughly the same for Interstates for the coach starting batteries) - at the dealer, no less. I decided to let them put it in, since I'd given it the eyeball and couldn't see how it could be done without removing the hood. Turns out, I was partially right; they had to release the struts and flip the bonnet back to the windscreen (it's British, after all) to get access - good to know for the future. While I was there, I had then change the brake sensors which had worn out and thrown a "check brake pads" alarm. Yes, the thing tells you when it's time to change the brakes and, yes, I should have changed the sensors when I changed the pads and rotors back in April. Hmmm, maybe the brake alarm contributed to the battery drain? No matter, all fixed. Bullet #2.
When the service writer brought back the paperwork and keys, he asked if I knew I needed new tires. Well, yes, I've been tracking the wear, especially on the rears, and was hoping I could get back to AZ, or at least no-tax Oregon before changing them. With a warning that I was on borrowed time, off I went. As I drove back home (Tacoma is about 90 minutes away), I started thinking I'd better check the tires, so I made a quick stop. Yes, they're pretty worn but what's the crisis. Let's crawl under and check the inside. Wow, they're worn all the way down to the cords, with the steel belts biting my fingers as I passed over them. Ouch! This really is critical. I diverted to the nearest Discount Tire (yes, the web browser on the BlackBerry actually is useful for some things) and found that they could get replacements the next day, Friday. OK, they lied and didn't get them until Monday (I called on Friday before driving there), but we're good for another 60,000 miles (towed plus driven) there. When I checked on the old tires as they were pulled off, I was amazed that we made it as far as we did (and ticked at myself that I didn't check them more thoroughly - lesson learned). I think they had an abnormal wear pattern due to the towing, so I'll try an adjustment in air bag height in the future. And that's Bullet # 3 avoided.
So, we wrapped up our time in Chimacum with a few nice meals. Steaks with parmesan-truffle fries and a wonderful aged Rioja from Spain. Bowties with chicken and brie with a wonderful creamy cheese from Central Market and a young Chianti. Geri's famous Lo Mein with chicken and shrimp and a nice fruity Zinfandel. MMMM!
Tonight, we wrapped up everything, packed the grill away, dumped the tanks and prepared to "set sail". Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
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