Casinos

by

Spa Night in Missoula

I awoke in St Regis to a very heavy sky and a voltage in the low elevens. It was time to either go for a long enough drive to recharge the batteries via the truck alternator or to plug in at a park. My solar had reached its limit in a cold, soggy climate! I think it has done very well; I haven’t plugged in since about 8AM on March 18th! My goal was to be able to boondock or dry camp for fourteen days in a climate warm enough to not require the furnace. I made it to thirteen days in a climate requiring furnace use. So, my system exceeded its expectations!

Plugging in was more appealing than doing a long slog since I also needed water, was ready for a non-navy shower, and due to put on a load of laundry. So I researched RV parks along I-90, looking for one with as close to FHU as possible that would be open at this time of year. Jim and Mary’s RV Park just outside of Missoula was perfect: 30A FHU pull-thrus with wifi at the sites (weak but acceptable), a laundromat, barely a detour from I-90, and scenic to boot. The price is a reasonable $35 a night.

The drive there from St Regis was short, barely more than an hour, and on a stretch of rough highway that cut a swath through great mountains. It’ll be a four hour slog to Great Falls tomorrow, but after two short days I’ll be ready to get some mileage under me.

I’m taking full advantage of my 30 amps to run the dehumidifier and electric heater and to make a pass with the vacuum cleaner to get the rig ready for a possible inspection at the border.

My original itinerary would have had me pushing north from here to Kalispell, then around Glacier National Park. But I’ve been monitoring the road conditions on US 2 and there is always a black ice warning around the Marias Pass at the southern tip of the park. It’s just too early in the season to go that way. So, I will continue on I-90, spend tomorrow night at the Flying J (which may no longer be a Flying J) in Great Falls at the junction of I-15, cross into Alberta Friday, boondock on the Alberta side Friday night, and then enjoy a leisurely drive to Lethbridge on Saturday.

by

Casino Parking

I’ve been making extensive use of casinocamper.com to find overnight locations since I left Eugene. Casinos are great overnight spots! Here are some reasons I prefer them over Walmarts or similar store lots:

1) Casinos are usually on native reserves and thus not subject to local parking ordinances, so they are havens in areas where cities have banned overnight RV parking;

2) Casinos will usually allow parking for several nights, making them a good home base to explore the area with a tow vehicles;

3) Casinos usually have 24 hour security;

4) Casinos have a variety of amenities besides gambling, from restaurants to spas to shopping, so it’s easy to repay hospitality even if you don’t gamble;

5) $5 in a penny slot machine can provide hours of entertainment, making your parking spot much cheaper than coming out of Walmart with a shopping cart of stuff!

by

Into Montana

I awoke to a leaden sky and what could only be called slush falling from the sky. I headed over to the casino to see if I could get internet (no), but the fellow at the front desk gave me a number to call to get road conditions. The information wasn’t very descriptive (basically “All is good on I-90 eastbound”) and did not describe what was going on at the 4th of July Summit or Lookout Pass. But I’d left the day before in comparable conditions and would have been comfortable running the passes, so I decided to pull out.

There’s an easy-access Conoco station right near the casino with prices at $3.59 a gallon (compare to $3,90 in Oregon!), so I headed there first since I only had a quarter tank left. I pulled in and was quickly boxed in by a trio of cars, the drivers of which were not content to fill up and go. No, they had to fill up, go into the store to shop, come back to their cars, scratch their lottery tickets, and finish their coffees. I was there almost a half hour! I decided to be unusually patient and not give anyone a dirty look. 🙂

Driving north to Coeur d’Alene was the first of today’s three tricky sections: a two mile long 6% grade followed by a flat stretch, and then a sharp drop with a change to 25MPH in the middle and a stop for construction at the bottom. No problem.

When I hit Coeur d’Alene I had the option of just going with my gut and knowledge and turning onto I-90, or parking Miranda at a mall and schlepping to the nearby McDonald’s for internet. It was nasty out so I decided to go with the first option.

The climb to 4th of July Summit sneaks up on you. One minute you’re zipping along at 65MPH and the next you start to lose power. I settled Miranda at about 45, took off the overdrive, slipped into D2, and smoothly crested the summit. I started down in the same conditions and the rig drove itself, with me gently guiding its slalom down to the bottom, no brakes needed. Miranda doesn’t have an RPM gauge (stupid, stupid, stupid automatic transmission dashboard design!), so I was going by sound and the engine wasn’t straining at all.

There’s a long stretch of flat between 4th of July and the climb to Lookout. That climb is a bit steeper, but I did it in the same conditions as 4th of July. Signs recommend going down at 25MPH MAX, so I started down at 20MPH in D1, but that was way too slow! I moved up to 40MPH and D2 and just coasted down, tapping the brakes twice when the engine got too loud.

As planned, I pulled into the rest area just below Lookout Pass for lunch. Unexpectedly, I was still in full possession of my nerves. I have my mojo back! 🙂

After lunch, it was a quick drive to the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar/Casino/Gift Shop/Restaurant. There’s parking out back with dead power outlets. I wouldn’t trust them if they were live! The RV parking area isn’t maintained and it’s very snowy, but I found a flat dry spot behind the motel to spend a night or two.

Speaking of power, I’m still holding it together, but I haven’t had a full charge in days (I’ve hit 12.6 volts at best and 12.2 at worst) and I can only use one thing at a time. My inverter is driving me nuts: I can have 12.2 volts registering at the batteries and 2 amps coming in from the array, but the inverter insists my battery is completely depleted and refuses to charge my computer unless it’s off. Otherwise, all is good. My LED lights are awesome power sippers and I can keep the rig at a comfortable temperature.

The only downer is that I’m out of water and every single dump station I have passed in the last few days still had the water shut off for the winter! I have plenty of drinking water left and a gallon of clean water from a tap for washing up so I’m fine, but I sure wouldn’t mind a shower. I’m only a couple of days out of Lethbridge and aim to arrive there Saturday, so if I can find an open RV park I just may splurge on one night on FHU.

Now, if I could only get used to the time change!

by

Wandering Around Idaho (and Montana, Sort Of)

Coeur d’Alene is a small town whose main attraction are outdoor sports. There isn’t really anything touristy to do, like museums. I decided to spend my day in the area scouting ahead with the toad and then coming back by way of the scenic route around the lake.

The drive into Montana reminded me of just why I love driving stick. It’s very technical and the toad had fun zipping me up and down the mountains. I turned around in Saltese then came back to Kellog, Idaho, for lunch at the McDonalds so I could check my emails.

Kellog is an amusing-looking town. Some of the buildings seem to have been plucked straight out of Bavaria and others out of 1950’s America! I was most impressed by the aerial gondola ferrying people up the mountain since it starts right downtown.

Shortly after Kellog there was a road sign flashing “Boat inspection ahead! All vehicles hauling boats pull in!” I had the kayak on the roof, so I pulled in. Two kids (I swear they were of high school age; or I’m getting older!) asked me a few questions, the most pertinent of which was when and where was the last time the boat was in the water (August, Dawson City, YT). The purpose of the stop is to keep invasive species like zebra mussels from entering Idaho waters. I was given an inspection report and told to hang on to it ‘because cops like to hang out after the inspection station.’

Approaching Coeur d’Alene, there is a turnoff for a scenic by-way. I decide to go home that way, not having any idea of what this road would be like or how long. It wound up being VERY twisty; even though there are RV parks and campgrounds along it I would not want to do it in an RV! It also took me about an hour out of my way. I really enjoyed the climb up above the lake and into farmland. I eventually emerged about twenty minutes south of the casino just as the sun was setting.

Idaho, at least the northern part of the state, is very scenic!

approaching Lookout Pass, exit 0, and the Montana border: MAX truck speed recommended 25MPH

approaching Lookout Pass, exit 0, and the Montana border: MAX truck speed recommended 25MPH

first glimpses of Montana; looks like Quebec! :-)

first glimpses of Montana; looks like Quebec! 🙂

lots o' snow on the Montana side!

lots o’ snow on the Montana side!

welcome to Montana

welcome to Montana

welcome to Idaho

welcome to Idaho

Kellog, Idaho, is stuck in time!

Kellog, Idaho, is stuck in time!

gondala taking skiers up the mountain (I'd never seen one go right through a town!)

gondala taking skiers up the mountain (I’d never seen one go right through a town!)

Coeur d'Alene lake

Coeur d’Alene lake

IMGP1633

IMGP1634

Coeur d'Alene lake

Coeur d’Alene lake

first blue sky I'd seen in days!

first blue sky I’d seen in days!

Idaho's green-rimmed yellow fields and bright blue skies

Idaho’s green-rimmed yellow fields and bright blue skies

driving into an Idaho sunset

driving into an Idaho sunset

driving into an Idaho sunset

driving into an Idaho sunset

driving into an Idaho sunset

driving into an Idaho sunset

by

4th of July Lookout

I’m heading into some serious mountain driving, including two passes out of Idaho on I-90, the 4th of July and the Lookout. Based on my research and the weather forecast, I did not feel comfortable doing this stretch with the rig.

So, today being a very icky overcast day not conducive to doing much but sitting at home reading or driving around, I decided to take the toad into Montana!

It felt a bit silly to do so since I-90 is an interstate, but whatever mojo I refound after the Sea to Sky incident was lost after the Icefields Parkway mess. Better for everyone that I face these passes knowing what lies ahead than to have me whiteknuckling my way around every turn!

The end result is that I now feel confident about taking Miranda through these passes with the current forecast. I may wait till Wednesday, however, when the temperature will be a little warmer.

The plan will be to pull out of Worley around 11AM to reach the first summit at mid-day and to reach the rest area mid-way down the second when I’ll be glad to break for an hour or so for lunch. It’ll then be a short drive to my overnight spot at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Casino.

Tonight’s project is to see if the Coeur d’Alene Casino has internet that I could check with my iPod Touch. I’m not driving 70km round trip tomorrow just to check the weather forecast on the passes!

I have some photographs of Coeur d’Alene and my first glimpse of Montana (LOTS of snow!), but I forgot to bring the camera transfer cord, so pictures will have to wait. 🙂