Day One - Boomtown

Greetings from Boomtown,  Nevada.  We got off to a slow start.  Ed Rossovich and Alvis Legate kept us out late last night looking for a "Few Good Men."  If you haven't seen Legacy Production's latest play, "A Few Good Men," it is still running for several nights at the Nevada Theater.   Congratulations to Legacy for once again bringing great theater to our community.

We finally left Nevada City at 5:15 this afternoon.  Having driven 78 miles our first day, we have only 8,368 miles left on this trip. Driving over Donner summit in the late afternoon light was outstanding.  There is still a lot of snow on the ground.

We seem to have  bad luck at Boomtown.  Last year when we stayed here we broke a drain hose in the kitchen.  This year our problem is a little more serious. While opening the kitchen slide the bottom of the slide seized damaging part of the cabinet.  The good news is we were able to close the damaged slide.  We have a New Horizons fifth wheel trailer.  Next week we are attending a New Horizons rally in Idaho. This will give us a chance to consult with the New Horizons folks.   We need to decide to either head for the New Horizons factory in Kansas  to get it fixed, or continue to Alaska and schedule a visit to the factory in August or September, after we get back from Alaska.  We can function without opening the kitchen slide.  It's a minor inconvenience.   Stay tuned...and stay away from Boomtown!

Comments

[Russ]

Fred and Margie

Sorry to hear about the slide out problem. That is not a real good start to a long long trip. Is there a dealer along your route who can help do a repair?

Russ

[Fred]

My guess is this will be best dealt with by the factory. If we can figure out how to fix the slide, we can live with the cabinet damage until we can get back to Junction City, Ks. We may even be able to get the cabinet fixed along the way. I'll have a better feel for it after I talk to the factory Monday morning.

Fred

[Tony]

Fred and Margie,

Your New Horizons fifth wheel trailer is quite a move up from that little rig you used to initiate you cross country travels 7 or 8 years ago! You obviously enjoy traveling in style and comfort over crawling into the rear of that old rig....

Have a wonderful trip... may you be safe and enjoy the sights of this great country of ours... and take lots of photos!

We look forward to seeing you in August as you pass through Seattle.

Tony

[Geoff]

Exactly what types of weapons are those that you and Margie are brandishing in the photos at the top of your site? They look like something you might have picked up at the bazaar in Baghdad from one of your burkad contacts. One of you looks pretty threatening lurking in tall grass.
Keep safe! Remember you're traveling in a lot of red state territory

[Fred]

Hi Tony,

Believe it or not...we finally sold the pop up last week! I must admit we both had a twinge of sadness, but the fifth wheel is a lot more fun! See you soon.

Fred

[Fred]

Hey Geoff...

Wandering the dark alleys of the world you just ever know who you might run into!

Trust all is well.

[Ellen]

Hi Fred,
We have not stayed at Boomtown. Guess we will steer clear of that site. Hope you can find a solution for your slider. When Russ and I embarked on our long trip, the first 24 hours were eventful. We stayed overnight in Carson City. We overloaded the frig, not wanting to leave food behind- we forced the door shut, and popped the wood panel out at the bottom. Later, Russ was able to pry it back in with a screw driver. Then,the next day, still forcing the door to close, we "activated" a can of whipping cream. When we stopped for lunch, the entire frig was filled with whipped cream ! Not as major as your slide, but we wondered with what new wonder our trip would surprise us. Perhaps when you reach the Rally, some fellow Horizon owners will have some helpful suggestions, as well as the Reps. Russ and I did find out that we had to rearrange the weight load on our trailer enroute. It does make a difference.
A warm Bon Voyage, Ellen

[Fred]

Hi Ellen,

Our first trip in the pop-up, I plugged the battery in backwards. Instead of charging, it discharged. We arrived in Park City, Utah, without any power. The park owner mumbled something about a "rookie" then called several friends so they could lift the unit off the truck so we could reconnect the battery. And so it goes. Trust this problem is the only major problem for this trip. If we can get the slide fixed in Idaho, we can live with the damage to the cabinet until we can get to the factory in Kansas later in the year. Unless we can find a carpenter in NC who can fix it.

[Werner + Louise]

Hi Fred & Margie,
Great to hear from you and of your latest adventure.
Wishing you an enjoyable, exitingly eventful (but safe) trip!

Louise just started her first blog (professional) and you'll find the link through our names (or if that doesn't work: http://schubertl.wordpress.com )

All the very best!
¡Buen viaje y cuidados!

Werner + Louise

[Geoffrey]

Don't forget Coeur d'Alene

If, on your way back, one choice is to pass through Laramie, take the other option

[Werner + Louise]

Hi Fred & Margie,
haven't had a chance to follow your notes for a while and must say we are impressed (and a little jealous...) about your fabulous trip!!
Absolutely wonderful to read your commentary and see the great photos you keep 'catching'!

Looking forward to your next episodes.

Lots of love from the Barcelona gang!

Louise, Werner, Natasha, Christian

[Fred]

Hi Werner,

Good to hear from you. Now that we are up here, I wish we had made this tripo a long time ago. It's really an interesting and beautiful part of the world.

[Wayne Rush]

Wayne here.

I'm back from the Hulahula; had a terrific trip. More to follow when we see you. Where exactly are you two now?

I forgot to recommend Talkeetna to you. It's a small, quaint village about 100 miles south of Denali National Park. It's also the aerial gateway to Mt. McKinley. All the flights that take climbers up to the basecamp originate out of Talkeetna. Of course the air services provide flight seeing opportunities too. So, if you have an interest and if the weather is good, I recommend you stop in Talkeetna and book a flight seeing flight around Mt. McKinley. I recommend K2 Aviation.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.