Helena Again

 































9/18/25:  Short commute to our next stop after all of our long drive days.  We made it to Helena and checked back in at the KOA.  They had a stack of packages for us and KOA labeled IPA’s in the cooler.  

After check in, we got settled into our spot and I changed out our converter.  It’s great to be able to charge the batteries again while on shore power.  We also got our new Timbren SES rear suspension bump stops.  Hopefully this helps with the front tires when we are towing and improves handling.  Our new Blackstone regulator came in along with my Wolf 21 order.  


I then went to run errands before donating blood.  The local RV dealer ordered a part for me and it wasn’t even close to the part number I gave them…oh well, better luck next time.  We will continue to use packing tape to keep the fridge door shut.  Walmart had the air filters for the truck so I grabbed those after driving the Dempster.  I also snagged a bag of dog food and then headed for the Capitol.  


I have to say the Montana State Capitol is the most unique place I’ve donated blood.  It was good to get an oil change after 5 months.  I also really enjoy giving back by providing a pint.  This was my 45th Red Cross donation. After donating, I took the self guided tour with my new t-shirt, Red Cross fruit punch and cookies.  The building is beautiful inside and out.  The murals, art, stained glass and mosaic tile floors are very unique.  This Capitol is right up there with Texas and New Mexico.  


When I got back, I changed out the air filters and we played some games in the shade.  We had the pasties from Florence and they were really good.  We watched a movie and hung out for the rest of the night.  Oil change, tire rotation and Costco tomorrow.  


9/19-20/25:  These past two days have really been regroup days.  Tire rotation and balance, oil change and chassis lube.  Costco, Super One, Albertsons, etc.  We also had lunch at Missouri River Brewing Co.  The beers were good and the food portions were gigantic.  We got a beer cheese Philly and cheese curds, not knowing the sandwich came with fries.  Way too much food for us.  We ended up finishing it Saturday.  When we got back our AC wasn’t working and was blowing hot.  It was 85* in the rig.  After literally disconnecting and reconnecting all power and controls to it, it’s working fine.  Dempster did it…


Saturday morning I installed our new Timbren SES  rear suspension enhancements.  There was a marked difference in handling without towing, I’m excited to see how it goes with the trailer on.  Installation was a breeze and only took 20 minutes, even with jacking the frame up from the hitch for better clearance.  More thoughts on them after towing.  


We went to the Helena Farmers Market which went on for blocks.  It was pretty impressive and a good mix of food (baked goods, produce, meats, honey), crafts and already prepared food.  Our next stop was an olive oil and vinegar store where we snagged a few items followed by a return to Super One.  On the way home, we topped off our fuel and then headed back for the camper.  


We filled our propane, did 5 loads of laundry and cleaned everything in the rig again.  The cushions really needed it.  Duncan got a few laps in and the weather got up to the low 80’s.  Not bad for 9/20.  Back on the road tomorrow.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The End of 24’

Image
 As 2024 comes to a close, we are in a cabin near Show Low AZ.  This area is beautiful at first glance and we will be here for a week.  It reminds us of Bend/Sisters, but it’s way smaller.  This is the first time Katy has been out of the RV since 12/1/20.  We are looking forward to exploring this area.  We hope everyone had a great Christmas and that you all have a happy New Year!   We took a trip up to Tucson and stayed at Catalina State Park.  It was a great trip and we enjoyed the lights at the botanical gardens.  The state park is great and really spread out.  We also had a seRV event with Full Time Families, where we made cards for the kids and families at Ronald McDonald House.  It was an amazing event and we enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones.  The kids who participated were awesome, they helped us set up and tear down.   The next day we co-hosted another event in Sierra Vista.  We partnered with Wr...
Read more

North Again?

Image
Well, a lot has happened in the past month.     2025 is starting off pretty big.     We had a great time in the Show Low, Pine Top and Lakeside area.     Katy and I stayed in a one room cabin with the pups and it was fun, but after a few days we missed having our own stuff and our bed.     The area is cool and we had fun exploring Greer which was like driving down to the Metolius.    We went up to the ski hill the same day.    There were 1 or 2 runs open of man made snow and about 400 cars worth of people sharing the hill.    Not our jam.    The Pinetop Brewing Co was a fun stop, they have great beers and good food.    Beer brewed at 7,000’.   We took a tour of Petrified Forest NP and really like it.    It is a mixture of Blue Basin, The Painted Hills and the Badlands with a spattering of Fossilized Trees.    It’s worth getting out and taking the short loops in the par...
Read more

Want to go to Skagway?

Image
Friday we drove from Teslin Lake to Whitehorse Yukon.    We got on the road pretty early and were surprised to not see any wildlife along the way.    First stop was the laundromat.    Two XL washers and three dryers later and we were in business.    We met another full time couple doing laundry, who are traveling to Juneau for the summer.   Barry said they had a 5 hour ferry ride from Skagway to Juneau.    We then got to chatting about Skagway and the fact it was only two hours away.    I had been looking at it on maps but didn’t realize we were that close.    We parted ways and headed to Woodcutter’s Blanket Bar and Brewery for lunch.    Good beer…pass on the food.    While at the bar, I suggested we head to Skagway for a night or two as we will not have full hookups in Fairbanks until 5/4 ish.    I then talked myself out of it and Katy said let’s go for it.   We book...
Read more