Across North America in Five Weeks! (1 Viewer)

[hecrod]

Cool. Let me know when you get here to Seattle and maybe we can get you together with some of the locals. Most of the Cascade trails won't be open until June 15 and you won't find much or any wheeling in the Olympics, but there is a lot scenic camping around Olympic National Park and down the coast. Highway 410 over Chinook Pass will be opened on Memorial Day and that's a great drive with tremendous views of Mt. Rainier and a great place to do some camping (and wheeling after June 15th). There are great views to be had into the crater of Mt. St. Helens from the visitor's center on Johnston Ridge, also, when you're in the area.

Hmmm... schedule challenges here... so my thought was to stay in Seattle on Day 1 (June 10th) (see some of the local attractions after stocking up), stay near Quinault Beach on Day 2 (between points 2 and 3 below), and camp at Elwha Campground in Olympic on Day 3 (point 4 below)... Hope BC by the end of Day 4 (point 8).

What would you change (keeping in mind that we've been to both St Helens and Mt. Rainier before)?

 

[70Cruza]

Subb'd!!!!!

Great trip. Been across country 4x but NEVER in a Cruiser!!! SOUNDS AWESOME!!!!

Good luck and happy & safe travels.

 

[hecrod]

Looks like you might be coming through St. Louis. If so and need some help or a place to crash, I'm @ 40 miles SW of St. Louis. Please be careful in the city, a lot of crime going on right now.

Thanks for the warning... duly noted. I don't think I'll spend much time in St Louis... Springfield the night before, Cape Girardeu the night after. Maybe I'll get to take a distant picture of the Gateway Arch...

I think I'd prolly never make it past 'the Bourbon Capital' of the world ... Bon Voyage!

That's my fear too! I'd love to buy a barrel myself, and get home with it strapped to the roof! Now that's a memory...

 

[spotcruiser]

Your schedule is OK. It's difficult to do too much in the time you have. I would just add "Drive up to Hurricane Ridge" on the way from the Elwha to the ferry at Port Townsend. It's fun to drive through Olympic Game Farm in Sequim along that route, also. Have fun. Maybe the local folks can meet you for a beer on June 10th if you have time.

Hmmm... schedule challenges here... so my thought was to stay in Seattle on Day 1 (June 10th) (see some of the local attractions after stocking up), stay near Quinault Beach on Day 2 (between points 2 and 3 below), and camp at Elwha Campground in Olympic on Day 3 (point 4 below)... Hope BC by the end of Day 4 (point 8).

What would you change (keeping in mind that we've been to both St Helens and Mt. Rainier before)?

View attachment 1265153

 

[bikersmurf]

Hmmm... schedule challenges here... so my thought was to stay in Seattle on Day 1 (June 10th) (see some of the local attractions after stocking up), stay near Quinault Beach on Day 2 (between points 2 and 3 below), and camp at Elwha Campground in Olympic on Day 3 (point 4 below)... Hope BC by the end of Day 4 (point 8).

What would you change (keeping in mind that we've been to both St Helens and Mt. Rainier before)?

View attachment 1265153

Are you headed up the Kokahala? The Hope - Princeton is way nicer... Small highway vs 'I5' if you know what I mean.

 

[honk]

At Port Angeles you could cross to Victoria ( a biggy for tourists) and then get onto Vancouver by the BC Ferries to replace a lot of driving with a couple of nice boat rides.

 

[ntsaint]

Subscribed!

 

[hecrod]

I would just add "Drive up to Hurricane Ridge" on the way from the Elwha to the ferry at Port Townsend.

Done... I'll remember you when posting those pictures in the near future!

Are you headed up the Kokahala? The Hope - Princeton is way nicer... Small highway vs 'I5' if you know what I mean.

Thanks... I'll keep that in mind as I get closer...

 

[hecrod]

It's on! Day 1 and 2...

Long flight... Our country is big indeed... ~6 hours in a plane... now I get to drive it back! It's just not going to be on a straight line!

Interesting first day. So we get to the 40, and it was there... and that felt good! Part of me had gone through nightmare scenarios of the 40 not being there... for some reason or another... it was there!

The ride to the 40? Not so good. Chris, from Bellevue, was an interesting driver to say the least. For some reason he kept pressing the accelerator every two seconds, creating a rocking motion, which a baby may have enjoyed it... not us. Can you imagine? Vroom... 2 seconds... Vroom... 2 seconds... Vroom again... for 40 minutes! Tough ride from SeaTac to Ballard (North of Seattle).

So we get there, and again, the 40 was there (what a great sight!), and Chris, from Bellevue, asks where he should drop me? And I say, right here, tat's my car right there, the blue one! He looks past mine and says, oh that one (to a newish car a little farther away) and I say "no this one right here!"... "oh" he says, "OK". And for whatever reason I decide to tell him that I was driving it back to Boston.

Chris: To Boston?!
Me: Yes...
Chris: To the East Coast???
Me: Yes, to Boston...
Chris: You're not going to make it... (in a very nonchalant tone)
Me: What?
Chris: You're not going to make it Buddy! Who are you, Magellan?

I had to smile at that... Magellan. What can you say? Maybe it is a crazy thing to do in a ~40 year old car.

Did I say my wife Millie threw up right after she got out of the taxi? Well she did. She told me afterwards... the rocking motion got to her!

So, I pay the $60 cab ride, pay the $35 storage fee, and we get to packing the 40... and man... this is going to be tough! In between tools, and parts spares, and camping gear and cooler... and clothes... This thing is packed!!! Just about zero open space. We have about a 2' x 2' space open, side-to-side and front-to-back. That's it. Not sure there's much we can do now. It's all needed! Or maybe not... we'll see. Oh well, things will be tight during the trip. After filling up the three jerry cans in the back, the 40 is sitting down a little, maybe an inch or two? Must be more careful in the twisties now...

By the way, see the REI bag in the floor? What an awesome store they have here in Seattle. Stunning... architecturally speaking truly awesome. An integrated waterfall as part of the Store!

So anyway, we get in the 40... cranks up right away. Oh that felt good! And then I look out the windshield... and what the hell is that! I figured cars would get dirty on car haulers... but this is not dirt, this is "dirty dirt!". It's a mix of dirt and exhaust fumes, making it sort of black / grayish dirt. I had to wash it last night (by hand of course... with all of the "peripherals" ... I can't take this thing through the car wash). This dirty dirt was not easy to wash off... it may take 3-4 washes before all of it comes off!

And we take off towards Bellevue, less than 10 miles East of Seattle, where we were going to stay the first night... to get supplies, fuel. Unpack and then tighten things again, and those 10 miles... jeez! We like to complain about traffic in Boston... and it is bad, but I think Seattle's may be worse! Maybe it's because it was Friday... I don't know. It took us almost an hour to get there!

Once we finally get going up in speed, my 40, which runs as nice and smooth as a 38 year-old car can run imho... which has never made any noises other than the normal creaks these cars have... starts rattling big time! This can't be! Not on hour one!!! NOOO!!! This noise comes from underneath... near the driveshaft... a u-joint going bad??? My wife and I look at each other, and I slow down and start pulling to the side. Noise goes away. I get back on the lane and accelerate (good power... that's good), and the noise comes back. We're just a few minutes away, seeing the temperature was good, and power was good, I pressed on.

Now, this was a bit loud, like the sound of fingers snapping against wood, so I am looking for something hanging off in the vicinity of the driveshaft. Or for something to be a bit loose. Everything looks tight... feels tight. Nothing hanging off. Except for ~3-inches of black tape hanging off the driveshaft. Could that be? No... that wouldn't make that noise. The tape was there to temporarily secure the cruise control magnets to the driveshaft... forgot to take it off. Anyway, I cut it off, just in case, and headed out again later that night... all fingers and toes crossed off. And guess what... it was the tape!!! The noise went away!



I guess the combination of just about zero insulation, with the tape hitting a metal hanger, and a heightened sense of awareness all combined to make this a bigger deal in my mind than it was. "Emergency #1" avoided...

The culprit...

So off to REI, and the car wash, and Seattle we go. And Seattle is, a truly spectacular city! Flowers and water everywhere, clean, cool ferries, character... I was impressed. I visited Seattle once, 8 years ago, but did not remember it looking this way. Bellevue itself would be a major city on its own in many other places... very, very nice.

Now, about those hills... I didn't get the memo about hills in Seattle! So here I'm driving a heavily loaded 40, in flat out bumper-to-bumper traffic in downtown Seattle and the darn GPS takes me up these hills... not sure they are any shallower than those in San Francisco! A bit stressful it was... it's been a while since I've had to recruit the help of the e-brake off the green light! Not fun! But Seattle itself? Quite nice...

Day 2 is today... still in the afternoon... and we find ourselves 150 miles away from Seattle. Southwest of Seattle! You're going the wrong way!!! Want to visit Olympic National Park... that comes tomorrow. Staying in Westport WA tonight. We got some beach access in Grayland and took the opportunity to drive it a little in the Pacific sand... don't worry, I did it slowly to avoid sand splahing up and did not get it in the water! That did not prevent Millie from getting all excited about getting stuck in the sand. Ha! The 40, loaded as it is, drove into and out of 10-inch ruts with ease...

Tech Question: Early today (at the start of the day) the amp gauge pegged up. I don't remember seeing it pegged up before... gradually coming down over 30 minutes or so to normal range. What could be going on here? Something to worry about and check into without delay? Electrical trouble-shooting is not my forte... any help would be appreciated.

Looping back in soon!!!

Hector & Millie

 

[Spike Strip]

Nice pix. Amp gauge could just be the battery was low and it was charging.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

If it started pegging when you first fired it up, maybe you left something on overnight... Anything plugged into the cigarette lighter socket? Sounds like something dragged the battery down overnight. Since it wasn't dead when you picked it up... If you have a battery cutoff, turn it off overnight... To be safe.

Living the dream... Vicariously, through your trip!!

We're gonna have a great trip!!

 

[JohnnyC]

were you using electric when truck wasn't running?

If so you drained the battery and then when started it charged back up

Normal

 

[kbahus]

What is your plan / time frame for coming through Michigan?

 

[tls3601]

Great adventure, really enjoying following along!! Drive slow and safe

 

[spotcruiser]

Hey Hector, I'm glad that you and Mille are having a good time. We're not having great weather this week, but rain is what keeps the state clean and green. And what the hell, if you're going to visit the rainforest, it might as well rain for you.

 

[FJ40|RUNNER]

Sounds like an exciting start to an epic trip! PNW is beautiful, I grew up in Portland and if it weren't for the gray weather I'd be back in a heartbeat, definitely my favorite part of the country otherwise.

Look forward to future installments, safe travels!

 

[bikersmurf]

I've seen the cabbies attitude before... A friend flew his dad & brother across the country to drive his 70s GM van home. It was in good shape, had ridiculously low miles, and they'd flew across the country knowing their mission. They flew home instead.

He flew out later, had it checked over by the local garage (it'd been sitting for almost a year once he got there) and they replaced a frozen calliper. He then drove it from the West coast to the east coast with ZERO problems!

Even got a similar attitude from the counter Guys at SOR... and they should know what 40s are capible of.

Best of luck on your Journey... Hate to say it, but Seatle is flat compared to what's coming. I've been there often, and I don't remember any hills...

EBI cruisers is on your path near Vancouver if you need an honest shop to address any new 'surprises'.

 

[hecrod]

Thanks all for the encouragement (tls3601, spotcruiser, FJ40|RUNNER) and advice (Spike Strip, pngunme, JohnnyC, bikersmurf) ... this site is really great for exactly this sort of a thing! I'll rely on all of you as I trek along

I made sure everything was off last night... and no issues this morning. Amp gauge reading as it should! I must have left something on the night before...

435 miles into it... running good... a little rich I noticed towards the end of the day. A tad of black smoke. I don't want to get into trying any adjustments yet... we'll see. What do you guys think? Comments welcomed!

Enjoy the picture below... taken at the end of the day last night... by the Pacific... isn't that something??? Will never forget it...

Today we drove from Westport to "Heart O' the Hills' Campground in the NE part of Olympic National Park. Drove into "Hoh Rain Forest" first... and it did not rain! The entire day! The vegetation though, that's something else. Clearly a rain forest!

Also drove through Forks... the town where they filmed? Twilight... and I don't know. But not much there? Unless I missed something. At least I got to fill up!

Eventually got to the northern part of the Park... where we got to see Mount Olympus... alongside some truly magnificent scenery. I'm also trying the back roads... as you can see, including some dirt roads!

Resting now... getting ready for another long day tomorrow. Crossing the border North... into Hope BC.

@kbahus... sorry but my plans no longer have me going through Michigan... I'm planning on turning SE after IL... we'll see!

 

[kbahus]

Nice pics! If you roll through the South Bend region or Kalamazoo let me know, I would be happy to meet up with a fellow mudder.

 

[hecrod]

A bit of a long day on the road. Only ~250 miles, but ~10 hours in the road. A lot of very slow back country roads in Whidney and Fidalgo Islands, a ferry and a border crossing made for a few hours longer than anticipated... but I'm not complaining... awesome scenery! And with the cruise control at 50mph, I'm avoiding all major expressways, adding to the initially calculated length... and I don't care!

The day started early... before 7... needed to pack everything early as rain was starting at 8. That and getting out of the tent at 2 AM, with the temperature under 50, needing to go??? Ahhh the joys of camping. Had a good night though.

First thing was to go up Hurricane Ridge Rd in Olympic National Park... thanks @spotcruiser for the heads up! No one on the road, easy drive up on third most of the time, between 25 and 30. What a drive... nice and comfortable... although I had to turn the heater on!

As you can see... not many people up there on a Monday morning. It was us... and a deer... no one else. Even the Visitor Center was closed...

38 degrees... windy... and just my wife and I. Perfect...

The picture above will go on a poster with the sunset picture from a few posts above. This... I know some of you have done it, if you haven't, get on it will you???

Wow.

So we get to Port Townsend to take the ferry up tp Whidbey Island. The idea with the ferry was to avoid circling south to Seattle again before heading North. A delay of probably 2 maybe 3 hours. So we get to the tollbooth, and the toll lady measures the car, front to back and top to bottom. She tells us we have one little problem... the three fuel cans in the back was one too many! You see you are allowed a max of 10 gallons of fuel in jerry cans, and I had 15. They wouldn't keep the extra jerry can themselves (I'm not sure I would have given it to them anyway, there's a reason why I have it)... and I wasn't about to just leave it in a corner in town. So it was either go back the long way around, or...

The tollbooth lady herself tells me that someone with a pickup truck could carry it with them... on a volunteer basis... and there happened to be one white pickup truck a few cars ahead of us! So the lady says... "pay here, and go talk to that person, if they agree to carry it you're free to go, otherwise you'll have to turn around... so sorry!"

So off I go to try to find the owner of the pick up truck and eventually I found him! Jim... from Idaho... himself on his 4th day of a long trip with his wife... and of course he said "sure we'll do it!" So into the ferry the three cans go... two with us, one with the Idahoans. That's Jim on the right, me on the left... and "the white pickup" ahead...

There are nice people all around...

After an uneventful border crossing (where of course I had to confirm I had no guns, mace, or other weapons ) we got to Hope, BC (driving through Route 7, not 1)... where Rambo was filmed! And the town looks just like it did in the movie, just about completely surrounded by foggy mountains... what a location. As I'm staying here tonight, I am half expecting to see Brian Dennehy walking around all pissed off!

Tomorrow? Another ~200 miles or so Northeast, into Clearwater BC, in the direction of Jasper National Park.

On the Tech Side: nothing negative to report... Although I continue to hear all sorts of noises that I had "never heard before..." but I suspect it's just a slight touch of the nerves. A major malfunction in some of these spots could be problematic, only because of the distances involved. The spaces are just mind-boggling... and we haven't even gotten to the really big spaces yet! Some of the noises are new "groans" due to the additional weight I'm sure. But the motor feels strong, the idling is smooth, the cooling is solid... my fingers are still crossed.

Read and ride along!

Hector & Millie