It was a quick turnaround at home this spring, being there only 12 days. We have always wanted to go back to the 49th state ever since our first visit 5 years ago. This has been in the works for the past 3 years, but due to circumstances beyond our control only came together just this spring. Everything at the house is prepped and planned for during our absence. In fact a week after our departure we were informed by Amerigas that during their yearly inspection our propane pig needed replaced so we coordinated that with our neighbor. Funny, never had a yearly inspection before. We departed Kalkaska April 29th, a day early as Barb's doctor appointment was 8 a.m. and we knew we could make a half day journey instead of staying overnight and leaving all 450 miles for Day #2. We arrived the first night at the Kewadin Casino in Christmas, MI. A quick 210 miles on a half day. This reduces our next day to just 220 miles. It also allowed us to sleep in a bit on the 2nd day. We have never stayed here before, but during our gas stop I realized no one was occupying the RV spots on the edge of the parking lot. Five sites on the edge of the parking lot w/30 or 50 amp hookups (no water) for FREE.
The remaining 4 days put us in Ironwood, MI...….Fargo, ND...…..Beach ND...….and finally Great Falls, MT. Here we will bivouac for 7 days to relax, catch up on groceries, supplies, and even some sleep. With boondocking our stays at Christmas, Ironwood, and Beach saved us $90, while the stay at Fargo cost us $30. Due to previous lessons learned we weighed the RV at a CAT Scale in Superior, WI; 900 lbs under GVWR.
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Christmas, MI FREE 30 amp hookups
Beach, ND Truck Stop Boondocking
Rolling into Great Falls we were met with a surprise. The RV undercarriage seal and cover had come undone and was hanging down and flapping on the road. It was a terribly windy day and I can only surmise that the fasteners either worked loose or broke free. On our arrival, the Camp Host gave me the # of a local Mobile RV Repairman. He scheduled our service onsite within 3 days. He not only fixed the issue, but installed 3X the screws needed to ensure bonding and hopefully eliminating further problems...…...all for $40. Yeah, I'm not skilled. I also ended up replacing a tire that had serious scalloping on the inside tread in just one spot (balancing?). The rest were fine.
RV undercarriage cover (dangling to the left) needed repair
We stayed, as we always do, at the Malmstrom AFB Fam Camp. This is another of those veteran perks. Located at the edge of the base it offers full hookups, laundry, WiFi, and easy access to the base for just $ 25/day. Great Falls is a beautiful city located just an hour from the Rockies and offers any and all the conveniences and services one might need. For us this would include an oil change and full checkup for the truck and pick up needed long distance supplies for the trip north. Unfortunately the local Chevrolet dealership policy is that we use their oil and not bring our own As long as it is diesel and synthetic I can accept that. Of course the price reflects this. We normally use Shell Rotella. When we travel such as this we carry two of everything: spare tires, DEF, oil, propane bottles, gas cans both unleaded and diesel, etc.
Malmstrom AFB Fam Camp
We also take the time each trip to visit with an old USAF buddy, Buddy Helton who lives in Great Falls. We were stationed together 43 years ago, but I swear he hasn't aged a day. Me, on the other hand...…yeah, well. We also make it a point to visit our favorite 'hangout' while here; Howards Pizza. Probably nothing that special, but we LOVE it as a reminder of days gone by. We have a beer or two at the Stein Haus which is right next door and order a pizza which comes from a window between the two businesses, just as it always has. The pizza is still great, the pool table and fire pit are still there, and now there is even an large supply of micro brews from which to choose. The most amazing thing is that we still order the large ground beef/sausage pizza just like we did all those years ago as it was all we could afford at the time, but it still tastes just as good. I'm sure they have other flavors just as tasty, but this is our 'Retro Rodeo'.
Stein Haus n Howard's Pizza
Additionally, I prepared several meals while here, including Bangers n Mash, Pineapple Baked Salmon, and Fried Quail to name a few. Whittling down those freezers for Alaska.
Bangers n Mash
Crispy Fried Quail
Blue n Gold Hash.....just add eggs
We enjoyed our brief stay here as we always do. Barb's allergies did play hell with her and required a day or two to reacclimate. Even the RV work was at a fair price. Nearly 1600 miles since we left Kalkaska, MI with many more left to do. We paid a minimum of $2.94 in Fargo, ND and a maximum of $3.14 in Christmas, MI for diesel on this leg. We averaged 12.5 mpg, mostly due to incredibly windy conditions that last two days. It will get more expensive after we cross the border. From here we head straight north on I-15 to the border and further beyond.....Calgary.
One last note: for those interested in this trip we highly recommend 'The Milepost', a yearly publication of the Alaskan Highway. It is updated yearly and provides any and all information a traveler might need such as maps, mileages, reports, dining, campgrounds, site seeing, and services just to name a few. It is a must read on this trip. You can order these online for find them at any reputable bookstore.
"The mountains are calling and I must go"
John Muir
WiFi courtesy of Malmstrom AFB Fam Camp
Hope we cross paths with you somewhere along the line
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