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Old 07-25-2013, 08:27 PM   #1
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Home again

Made it home yesterday from a 2000 mile trip to Minn, N.D., WY, S.D. & NE. Everything working great the new Kenwood with Garmin GPS and the new sway bar paid for themselves on this trip even the DW agreed on the new options. We saw the light houses along Lake Superior, Ft. Abraham Lincoln SP, (where the 7th Cavalry left for the Little Big Horn), Devils tower, Mt. Rushmore and Custer SP, Ft. Laramie National Historic site, towed the car behind and still got about 13 MPG even with the added weight of the 2 grand daughters. It amazing how much a 9 and 13 Y/O can pack away.
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Old 07-25-2013, 10:00 PM   #2
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Made it home yesterday from a 2000 mile trip to Minn, N.D., WY, S.D. & NE. Everything working great the new Kenwood with Garmin GPS and the new sway bar paid for themselves on this trip even the DW agreed on the new options. We saw the light houses along Lake Superior, Ft. Abraham Lincoln SP, (where the 7th Cavalry left for the Little Big Horn), Devils tower, Mt. Rushmore and Custer SP, Ft. Laramie National Historic site, towed the car behind and still got about 13 MPG even with the added weight of the 2 grand daughters. It amazing how much a 9 and 13 Y/O can pack away.
Henry:
You're making me awfully restless. We'll be covering part of that territory in Sept... visiting friend in Spearfish, so will be checking out all the sites in that area, and we'll be taking in the Buffalo roundup at Custer SP. Sounds like great mileage towing. We won't be towing - friend is going to loan us his car, and we'll be parking MH in his driveway. That's gonna be our real shakedown cruise, in prep for Alaska next spring.

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Old 07-26-2013, 05:36 AM   #3
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Made it home yesterday from a 2000 mile trip to Minn, N.D., WY, S.D. & NE. Everything working great the new Kenwood with Garmin GPS and the new sway bar paid for themselves on this trip even the DW agreed on the new options. We saw the light houses along Lake Superior, Ft. Abraham Lincoln SP, (where the 7th Cavalry left for the Little Big Horn), Devils tower, Mt. Rushmore and Custer SP, Ft. Laramie National Historic site, towed the car behind and still got about 13 MPG even with the added weight of the 2 grand daughters. It amazing how much a 9 and 13 Y/O can pack away.
Funny, right before getting in bed last night, I wondered if you were back yet and how you liked the "mods"! Glad to hear :-)
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Old 07-26-2013, 01:20 PM   #4
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Have a good time Ed, I'm sure you will at least the bike rally in Sturgis will be over. I know it's good tourist but when you hear shop owner complaining about all the bikes in the area you have to wonder if it's worth it. Yes Debbie I love the new mods best thinks I ever did.
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Old 07-29-2013, 01:16 PM   #5
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Be sure to drive 16A from Custer State Park on your way to Mt. Rushmore. The stone tunnels (3) on that route are high enough to accomodate the Solera's ht. They purposely orientated the tunnels to frame the Presidents, as you drive to the memorial.
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Old 07-29-2013, 01:52 PM   #6
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Wouldn't be a trip to Custer SP without route 16A. Let's see 17 Miles, 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 tunnels, 4 Presidents, 3 pigtails & 2 splits. One of the shops in Keystone sells shirts, Pins and patches of Iron mountain road, 16A.
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Old 07-29-2013, 03:01 PM   #7
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DW and I will also be in the Mount Rushmore, Custer SP area for 4 -5 days right after the Sturgis Rally and I'm glad to hear that 16A will handle the Solera. So far, we've taken a couple of one night trips into the mountains near us if Ft. Collins and are adding memory foam to the beds for another two day trip into the mountains next week followed by the 4-5 night trip the week after. We're slowly getting into the grove and enjoying it very much. Again, I can't say how much improvement in handling the sway bar made. Thanks to all of you for discussing on the forum.
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Old 07-29-2013, 04:48 PM   #8
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Let's all caravan behind fort bud wherever he goes. Just checked his profile, he's retired from Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch). Free Samples... Yaaay
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Old 07-29-2013, 06:03 PM   #9
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I don't get the free stuff anymore, but I still find a way to pack some on board. It's nice to hear others are coming out this way. DW and I are discussing heading up to Alaska next year and it's good to hear others who've made that trip. Has anyone taken the ferry from northern Washington up to Alaska and drive back?
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Old 07-29-2013, 07:13 PM   #10
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Good luck on Iron Mountain rd. Bob watch those switchbacks.
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Old 07-29-2013, 08:21 PM   #11
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I don't get the free stuff anymore, but I still find a way to pack some on board. It's nice to hear others are coming out this way. DW and I are discussing heading up to Alaska next year and it's good to hear others who've made that trip. Has anyone taken the ferry from northern Washington up to Alaska and drive back?
Bob and Trish:
Becky and I are leaving Greensboro May 1 (give or take). And that's exactly what we plan on; the marine highway up, and drive back. We figure the marine highway will afford some spectacular views of it's own. Sounds like several others are planning on the trip, too. Maybe we can get together at some point.
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Old 07-29-2013, 08:28 PM   #12
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This June we took the ferry from Prince Rupert BC to Haines, then up to the Alcan at Haines Junction, down to the Kenai Peninsula, then Denali, followed the Alcan back to its beginning at Dawson Creek, then home via Prince George, Hope BC, Bellingham WA, Seattle, Portland, San Fran. Posted while traveling at http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...y-39732-3.html. Also, recommend the older thread http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...128-25575.html

Great trip. Highly recommend. We did not take the ferry from Bellingham because the dog had to stay in the RV on the car deck while underway - the Bellingham leg seemed a long time to leave him cooped up. I understand they do allow some visits (supervised) and allow taking dogs out of the vehicle (but must stay on the car deck) during those long legs - we chose to avoid.
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Old 07-29-2013, 08:35 PM   #13
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[QUOTE=JBellingham leg seemed a long time to leave him cooped up. I understand they do allow some visits (supervised) and allow taking dogs out of the vehicle (but must stay on the car deck) during those long legs - we chose to avoid.[/QUOTE]

Did they allow visits on the Prince Rupert to Haines leg? If so, how often and how long can you take them out on deck?

Ed
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Old 07-29-2013, 08:50 PM   #14
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Prince Rupert-to-Haines has several stops - all of which allow taking the dog out and ashore. Shortest was about 45 minutes, as I remember. Stopped at Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Juneau before disembarking at Haines. We, in fact, broke the trip roughly in half - disembarked at Petersburg for 18 hours, then caught the next ferry to Haines. We slept, did laundry, and had a picnic at a very pretty park overlooking the inland waterway during that stopover. The longest leg was Petersburg to Juneau - about 8 hours - no "dog calls" on that (or any of the other shorter) legs. Dog (120 pound Golden Retriever) did great - no problems at all.
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