June 23, 2015 Time to GO TO ALASKA!
The final morning to pack everything I may have forgot to pack already. Being gone for the next few months and thinking what I might want to have with me was a tough decision especially since as we pack the XB II Camper, the temperatures here at home are pushing 100 degrees. It’s not going to be that hot way up north. It’s a daunting task to say the least. It has been everything we could do to finish the XB II Camper and finalize everything for the trip let alone actually pack gear that will be used daily over the next few months. The boys at the shop have been working late hours helping me put on the finishing touches, which are always some of the most time consuming.
In addition to the chaos I’m still route planning and downloading digital mapping for the GPS systems etc…and lastly, I’ve gotten the congestion-cough bug into my system in the days leading up to today and I’ve been sicker today than any other day in the past 10 years…this just plain sucks.
With only a few hours to spare this morning the mad dash had help from the girls who I think were happy I was leaving yet again for another long adventure. Smiles were the norm all the way around.
Of course I left the house several times. First was to top off with fuel and had to return for a camera left on the kitchen counter. I later returned a second time for a pair of shoes since I was wearing sandals (and have been for the last 45 days) so I was sure once I got close to Montana I’d be switching over since those Montana peeps don’t really know what flip-flops are.
Would I ever leave the house?
I reviewed pages of lists that I had accumulated and it sure seemed like I had everything and the kitchen sink packed.
Finally with Diezel, my loyal dog, loaded we drove away and beat the traffic out of Southern California. We made a quick visit to see my daughter Brittany and the grandsons on top of the hill and then we were off with 75 gallons of diesel fuel burning through the Cummins powered engine.
Interstate 15 on a Tuesday afternoon was wide open and by the time we go to Las Vegas I thought we would get into the crazy traffic but it was clear sailing and off we were towards Utah. The sun dropped behind the horizon and the lights of the Utah Highway Transportation department lit up every mile for miles on end. Construction for days/nights and the entire summer seems to be the way of life.
By late evening I was starting to feel the effects of the day-to-day over the past month and started looking for a place to park next to a stream under the trees. Lucky for me, Utah has been a place that I have explored for many years so I mighta’ already had that place in mind.
Diezel and I piled into the XB II Camper and went to sleep without any issue at all.
Xplore The Wild 