A Trip to Pick Up Our Cargo Trailer (and visit Aven)
In May we got the word that our cargo trailer was ready to be picked up. We decided to save some money and make the drive to pick it up ourselves in Indiana (instead of having it delivered to the dealership in Idaho). Luckily for us it was easy to visit Aven in Colorado on our way there AND on our way back!
Greg found a couple ways for us to save money when purchasing diesel. For anyone who drives a diesel vehicle, you should check into Mudflap or Open Roads - or both like we have done. We put about 5,000 miles on our truck on this trip and saved $217.49 off of the price at the pump.
We left Anacortes, Washington on the morning of May 30th. After my great-niece Nellie’s birthday party, we continued on and made our way to Pendleton, Oregon for the first night of our long trip.
We filled up our truck with diesel and were amazed by the range expected - 1049 miles! It’s great to have 2 fuel tanks. We found later in the trip that the range was about cut in half when we are towing though!
There was a fire across the Columbia River, in Washington, in the Wishram Heights area (west of the Maryhill Museum).
There was a very pretty sunset that night in our mirrors.
On May 31st we made it as far as Rock Springs, Wyoming. There scenery was fabulous along the way.
There was a huge backup coming in to Evanston, Wyoming. These two videos were taken 4 minutes apart!
On June 1st we set out with our plan to reach Longmont, Colorado for the night. But first, a fill-up of fuel.
We had more nice scenery along the way.
We made it to Longmont and got to spend the evening with Aven!
And, a visit to Aven’s workplace for the summer. She is doing a construction management internship where she is assigned to a project where they are renovating and adding on to a technical school.
On June 2nd we travelled from Longmont to Urbandale, Iowa (near Des Moines). In Southwestern Nebraska we saw some more mountains in the distance.
While traveling further in Nebraska we saw this arch across the highway. We looked up what it was and learned that it’s a museum (called The Archway).
When we were going through Omaha, Nebraska we saw a dome and looked up to see what it was. It is their zoo - Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. I learned that it is known as the best zoo in the US. We will be back to visit some day! This is not our picture, but a picture I found when I researched to see what the dome was. It is the Desert Dome and features plant and animal life from three deserts around the world.
When we were coming into Des Moines, Iowa we were seeing a bunch of red flashing lights. We weren’t sure what they were and thought maybe it was an airport. When we came back through on the way back, it was light out and we could see that they are all wind turbines!
On June 3rd we crossed the Mississippi River, came close to Lake Michigan (although we never saw it - but we’ll be back), and made our way to South Bend, Indiana.
We settled into our hotel, then took a drive and walk through the University of Notre Dame. It is a very beautiful campus.
On June 4th we toured the ATC factory and picked up our trailer. When we get back, the hard work begins to outfit this trailer to our needs.
We arrived in Longmont, Colorado on June 5th to visit Aven for the weekend. We’re so happy we were able to spend more time here! One of the days we went up past Estes Park and into the Rocky Mountain National Park to do a loop drive and a few hikes. It is so beautiful up there!
We made the trek home on June 8th-10th (with plans to see Aven again in less than a month!).
We learned about Kettlehouse Brewing Company in Montana from our nephew, Brady, and stopped in for a beer. Their location is fabulous with a huge amphitheater that I’d love to visit sometime!
And, one final stop to pick up my new-to-me (very slightly used) Honda Trail 125. This will be a great motorcycle for me to learn gears and practice riding on dirt roads. The plan is to move to a faster, more capable one once I’m comfortable - unless I like this one too much and want to just keep it!
One final look at our empty trailer before the work begins!
