We’re two days in to a trip that is scheduled to last for about six weeks and already it’s been a ton of fun. Really.

The first stop was Memaloose State Park near The Dalles, Oregon. It’s not far from home, a few hours, but that’s the way the trip was planned. Short driving days so Jerrie won’t get all tuckered out so quickly. He’s nudging 80 and is the only one on the trip who knows how to start the motor home so his well being is critical to a successful trip. During our two days here we met up with Cliff, Susie, Les, and Sophia who were tethered to power at The Dalles Eagle Lodge. We spent the day together and then they came to the park where we had dessert on the shores of the Columbia River. Well, it was almost on “the shores”. All that kept us from dipping our toes into the river where the salmon play was a very busy railroad track and a couple of steep gullies. The view was still magnificent and enjoyable as we visited on a fairly level spot behind the RV.

On this trip we’re pulling a 1/2 ton pickup instead of the little Equinox we previously had so doing that was an experiment of sorts. The RV is 35 feet long and the truck is 20 so we’re pretty long on the road.

The first time we hooked the truck to the RV was in the Fred Meyer parking lot in Scappoose. That’s where we rendezvoused after Diane went to the post office then to the gas station, and I visited the fuel station near home for a few gallons of diesel.

Not having ever hooked the rigs together turned out to be quite an education involving shifting the truck transfer case to neutral and disconnecting the battery. It only took three attempts to get the sequence right so it would tow properly. The first try revealed that the emergency brake was engaged on the truck. The RV could still pull it but it would have rubbed off the bottom halves of the rear tires. So, round two was better but the steering wheel on the truck was locked with the front wheels turned a bit to the right.

The third effort was successful because Jerrie read all the instructions and discovered how important it is to perform all the steps in the sequence provided. Doing so makes things a lot easier.

Then, we were off. Getting on to Highway 30 was not a problem. Things went very smoothly all the way to Pendleton where we stopped to top off the RV tank at the Wildhorse Casino east of town. That’s just before I-84 heads uphill into the Blue Mountains, a trip I knew was going to be slow.

Not only was it slow, but the added weight of the truck caused the diesel to run hot and the “Check Engine” light to shine brightly. We were over halfway to the top when that happened so Jerrie made the decision to push on to the finish line. Stopping, he felt, would just prolong the agony of wondering if the rig would catch on fire.

It didn’t, and as the Highway leveled out, the “Check Engine” light went out and the engine temp went down quickly. Things were looking up. There was hope for a successful trip after all. We smiled at each other and did a couple of high fives while sitting at a turnout, waiting to see if anything would happen. Nothing did.

At this point we were only a few miles away from Emigrant Springs State Park, our destination where we will spend the next two nights as we wait for the remainder of our convoy to arrive. While waiting we’ll visit the village of Meacham, Oregon. We need some glue to fix a couple of things.

Next entry will be from somewhere in Idaho.

Cheers.