Author: Mary-Ann Knight

Goodbye Pincher, a slow hello to Taber… It’s a 90 minute drive when you are not stuck behind this contraction for 20 minutes, no way to pass.Next delay  a seemingly endless train!

Home till Monday We are here with 3 super fun couples and their kids

Names withheld to protect the (not so) innocent!

We learned a few things: use an egg to crack another egg, bocce ball, Orbeez water balls, that we can almost be off grid for 3 days, (almost cause we can’t break our Duolingo streak)  but most delicious was the introduction to new pie!  The selection was cherry, apple and can’t remember the 3rd,  made with a pie iron.  Base is white buttered bread, OMG delicious!  Here’s Shelly in buttery action!Loading up the pie iron

More pie action…

No fire ban 🙂

Such a beautiful night!

  Yummy nightcap 🎆

Walk up the mountain to get internet to do our Duolingo.  Nowhere as challenging as Telepath Mountain in Yuma but still not a fan of “UPs”

Not sure about this trail, we weren’t packing!The view from on top Duolingo done!  🙂

A great weekend with amazing folks!!

Bye to Elbas, Hi to Pincher Creek (notice the engraved items on the top of the sign?)

We are the first campers here this season!!  Sadly, no prizes for this.Whoops slight injure!   

All set up!

First time I’ve seen a deer pee! 

Finally, it’s fire time!!!

Not much going on, the weather flucuates between really nice to really not. We have been getting our daily walks & 10k steps May 7th – Had a rough night of not sleeping, coughing, sneezing, get up to a wicked cold.  I’m getting by with the essentials ….

May 8th – Yahoo!!! moving from the Lethbridge KOA to Elbas Farm.  KOA was the only option when we arrived in March.  They have monthly rates so thought we were good.  Didn’t know how hard the hard water really was, night tempseratures were below freezing so we couldn’t hook up our water filters.  Glasses came out of the dishwash cloudy, the counter had continual rings, didn’t do my OCD any good. Glad to be moving on.

The drive is 15 minutes, what can happen?  We are making 2 stops on the way over; one for diesel other for a Bailey wash.

This happened!  Waiting at the red light behind a Boots Transport tractor trailer, light turns to an advance green, the truck proceeds to the wrong side of the traffic light.  We’re both, “WTF” the trailer rips off the traffic light.  He backs up and is heading to us, all the vehicles from all directions back up to allow this “yahoo” space.  All but us, we can’t back up with Bob hooked up.  We were so dumbfounded I didn’t think to take a photo, wish we had one.

Hard to figure out but…. we were coming from the other direction, the tractor was suppose to end his left turn on the road, instead he went between the traffic light pole & the  yellow sign taking down the traffic light.  Took this photo a few days later.  Traffic light was replaced Fueling goes well, next up Bailey wash.  Went well except for all the cow poop in the bay.  We manuvered around it.  Bailey is clean again 🫧🫧🫧

Back at Elba’s                                                   What’s not opened?  Yep, the large slide, never a dull/cheap moment

The animals greet us.  Strange but we almost think “Whitey” remembers us

Changes here: no more cows,  When Ernst, the owner, was asked where they are, he responded with his classic “in the freezer”  He did say it was a tough winter and he lost an alpacas.  The 2 in the photo are new to keep Whitey company.  There are a lot less sheep but it’s still a working farm.

Tonight’s sunset 

May 9th –  Sunrise  B

Back Country to the rescue!

Slide opens again, fingers crossed it will close and open when we leave here.

Here’s our Allan keeping the locals fed 🙂

May 14th – Mother’s Day

Great day! A much needed, pedi!                                               A fun call from Kyle & Megan.  2 laps around Henderson Lake, to get us close to 10k steps

Then the IndyRace, but oh POOP Allan’s driver’s won.  Not nice on Mother’s Day!!

Then Allan made us delicious TikTok pasta with sausages.  A perfect day!!

Apr 11th – A much awaited day, Bailey bath day.  Think this is the dirties she has ever been!

As we’re doing our pre-launch routine the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) starts crying. The rear tag is at 43lbs, all our other tires are 100-ish lbs.  We call our trucker friend who says we’ll be fine, get Bailey fueled & washed, come back then call our road side assistance.

I trust Wilf but am still nervous!   At the Petro-Can they have air so Allan topped the tire up.  I’m feeling better.

Bath time!

Notice the dirt rolling off?

Done, not perfect but so much better.  Allan has a new respect for fire fighters and their handling of hoses.  Allan’s 💪, they are aching.

We put off calling our Road Side Assistance cause we have a few busy upcoming days

April 14th –  Moe’s Tire to the rescue. 

That’s Jerod under Bailey.   Trouble is our tool to remove the wheel hub is being held captive in the back compartment.  It’s jammed closed.  Not locked just jammed.  All the others open. We asked our Winnebago FB group, solution yank it open… hard and replace the plastic thingy that’s going to fly off to release the door.  That done Bing, bang, boom, the wheel is off.

There’s a little nail in the tire.  Bailey appears to love Lethbridge, last year while here we had to replace a tire.  Think she doesn’t want us to leave?Going for a walk Allan takes another look at the tire..The steer tire was put on backyards.  The steer should be going forward not back as it is now.  Another call and 25 more minutes of Allan’s life on the phone with Coachnet,  Moe’s Tire is back to flip it. Just happy this didn’t happen on a travel day.Jared left so bad!  He made no excuses, just felt bad.

Fun thought for the day 🍷🍺🍷

Wake up to a frosty windshield, but we were toasty.

You’d think the park would make some effort in plowing, but no

Are we brave enough to hook Bob up in the park?  Yes we are!This is the main in/out road

Happy to be on dry pavementThere are many oversize marked vehicles, this was one of the most oversized we’ve seen

Scenic country

Useless fact:  Our TPM (tire pressure monitor) tells us it’s 46F on the sun side of Bailey 39F on the non-sun side

From mountainous to flatness 

Our second back break stop in a rest area                            The road leaving Fast Forward:  Happy to report this tiny yucky section was the only one we encountered on our trip

Coutts here we are!!

Oh PooP!!  We were scheduled, in our mind, to cross back on the 20th.  A weather check looked like we’d better move that up.  Result is about 12 left over eggs.  This morning I scrambling eggs and packaged in serving size.   Why ?? Cause when we crossed to the States they seized our Costco unopened flat of eggs and bag of frozen chicken breasts same rule applies to crossing back to Canada.   Why Oh PooP??  Cause the Border Guard never asked anything about any food.  All he asked about was liquor, cannabis & firearms.  We declared our hooch and paid the duty.  Entire crossing & payment was just under an hour.  The line wasn’t that long, the over 40 minutes waiting surprised us.

First stop PetroCan that was more like a lake!   

Then on to 

Our street is in the Arizona area 🙂

Wish the weather was similar

All set up,site 101

Today we’ve leaving Twin Falls and travelling to Helena, Montana. Our trip begins at 845a,  a bit dreary but no snow, we’re happy!Snow on the mountains as it should be.  Not on the road.

Snow is getting too close, roads on dry so still not complainingMy super duper cute chauffeur

We’re higher than we think!

Twin Bridges, last “back” stop before the KOA Helena

We were going to stay at Chez Walmart, but there is a KOA In Helena with 50amp power and sewer, no on site water, we have KOA dollars to spend… should have done Walmart cause the road in,…Arrived at ‏‎4:53:06 PM     

Allan had to “discuss” the KOA points for much longer than expected, ready to leave NOPE Bailey is stuck.  We were’nt going to disconnect Bob but here goesBailey hates snow as much as we do!

    This is just BS!!

Bob’s not as upset 

How do we get out of here tomorrow?  Stay tuned!!

Even though today is a good, more Northern, weather day we made the correct decision to stay put.  The roads around Dillon we would pass through, in 4.22h are snow covered, limited visability and a section closed.

All our time in Arizona, I looked for tumbleweeds, none. Come outside this morning, after yesterday’s storm to find a tumbleweed.  Made me smile 🙂

Today is very nice, lots of sun blue skies.  Let’s explore Twin Falls!  The best potato chips are from Idaho. We were gifted a bag on the way down to Yuma from a BoomDockers Welcome place.  Should be easy enough to find them here.

Downtown here we are, our walk down Main St

Allan doing a lookyloo!                                                     What he saw

I don’t know what these guys are seeing

Muffler people   

  A “black belt” mailbox 🙂

We are searching for Idaho potato chips!  The best chips ever!  Idaho is famous for potatoes so it makes sense.  Walmart, Swensen Market, a Mexican market that google said carried them but no, none to be found,  Allan suggested the Visitors Centre.

We lucked out to see this view in the canyon

Look to our right, what’s going on, is this guy nuts???

My stomach was sick just watching him climb on the railing.  We decide this must be illegal only to learn…Get our chips, pricy at $5.99 but worth it

Our last stop, they say it’s more impressive than Niagara Falls, we don’t agree

Tonights delicious dinner: Egg on Steak & salad.  We have more eggs than days in the States so are trying to use them up.  We learnt coming into the States that eggs & chicken are a big no no to cross with.

Finally, after dinner snack

Plan:       Explore Twin Falls

Reality:  Not as planned

The wind, rain and Bailey rocking wake me up. Allan, the trooper he is, sleeps through it.  Do I wake him to pull in the slide cause the toppers are going nuts?  Hum, Allan needs his beauty sleep, I’ll wait a while.  I can’t believe, though I should by now, believe he can sleep through this. 

This photo taken at 10.12a the morning rain had stopped but those winds!

Not loving this!  How many are saying “ha ha” after the mild winter we had   Hail

1.13pNow more, clicking will just make you sad/happy!  Snow

1.53p

2.36p 3.00p                            Decide to extend our stay here by a day. Didn’t get to explore Twin Falls today and want the roads to settle down.  Call toffice to extend.

4.10p                           Weather has settled down, roads are cleared. Should we have waited to extend?  Nope cause we do want to explore  Twin Falls hopefully we made the right decision

Stay in Bailey day, beer, wine, cards, a park walk and a delicious dinner.

Loaded fries, second photo half in sunshine!

Found the best radio station yet here, Magic 95.1 downloadable @ https://onlineradiobox.com/us/magic951/     Give it a try!!

For those who know me best…

All good things must come to an end, on the other hand-more exciting times are ahead!

Our first real travel day taking the Northern weather into consideration, we chose well

The day was sunny, a bit windy, snow but very little on the road.

Quick roadside stop to make reservations at our next park and & a back break AKA potty!We are very relieved the roads are so good and lots of long straights, hope Allan doesn’t forget how to turn 😁😁😁

A back break stop, Bailey should never have to see snow!  We’ll plan better next Winter

Note the road signs….

…proof that Allan still knows how to turn, we made it back to straight roadsFortunately, this was the worse the road got, not even slush just wet

Arrive at Twin Falls 93 RV Park at 611p.  We’ve had Bailey for over 3 years and this is our longest travel day!

Leave:  7:45am

Stops:  2 to fuel (1st fuel; 242.53 savings 43.30, 2nd 199.81 savings 12.20, love our discount card); 2 back break stops

Arrive:  6:11pm

We hope Volocity does get the repairs done no later than 2.  We don’t like driving at night, thought if we were out by 2ish we’d be able to at least put a few hours under our belt.

We walk 14 minutes away from the strip to McDonald’s for breakfast. Away cause we knew it would be quieter. Wow it’s cold and very windy not a fun walk, the McD’s turned out to be a homeless hangout.  Oh well, can’t always pick the gems.

We walk back through the casinos (some have walkways between them cause most of them are now part of MGM), a more pleasant walk.   It’s now 9am.   Hang out a little longer, check out of the hotel just before the required 11am.  Off to Costco to get a few things, then back to Volocity. We knew seeing Bailey still in a bay was not a good sign

Turns out they broke the air compressor, fortunately they had this part in stock but would take time to install.  Also fortunate, they took ownership of breaking the part, cost w/installation $1,300, we would not have known if they didn’t fess up.  Repetable shop 🙂

They were going to be about 2 hours, we know that means more than 2h.  It’s no fun sitting around their driver’s lounge so off we go to Fremont Street.

Fishies, we spot fishies.  We did this years ago, let’s do it again..

It feels strange when they first “attack” but ends up being a relaxing experience.  If you get the opportunity I say it’s a must do.

20k+ steps = drink time.  Allan was happy they had Alaskan Amber on draft, sad he could only have one.

lt’s now 3 and still no call from John.  Back we go anyways as they close at 430.  John says another 45ish minutes.   We watch an old Criminal Minds that’s on the TV in the lounge.  Finally at 422 Johns says we’re good to go.

Allan’s taking forever dealing with the invoice, turns out they were charging us for the part they broke, John noticed it (that’s how we know it was $1300)  The delay was getting the credit.

Too late for us to head out, so another night at Chez Volocity it is!

Thought of the day!