Start: Williams Lake, BC
Finish: Poulsbo, WA. USA

We spent the night in Williams Lake where they hold the annual stampede. This looks like a very cool rodeo and maybe we’ll be able to go back for the stampede some day.

The last day of our adventure and we’re riding an emotional roller coaster. We’re ready to see our family and friends again but we have been looking East to Edmonton, Alberta… Maybe next time… with the sun shining, the sky is a beautiful blue, the thermometer reads a perfect temperature of 72 and the wind is at our back it looks like even mother nature wants us to end this adventure on a great note.

Turns out we own a River, an RV Park, and a Provincial Rest Stop. We drove down from Williams lake following the Thompson river to where it meets up with the Fraser river.

And while at our rest stop we thought we would take care of a little work. Before we left the asphalt in Fairbanks, AK. we gassed up with the four Jerry Cans with premium. The cans were just in case one the stations on the map was closed along the way or we were off on a trail longer than expected… Surprisingly many gas stations and hotels were closed for the season, but with a little fuel management we never had to dig into the reserves.

That was the good news… The bad news is that we had 20 gallons of fuel on the roof and the Washington State Ferry system has a maximum of 12 gallons of extra fuel allowed. This is why we decided to pull into our rest stop and put the gas into the rig. A gallon of gas weighs 6.152 lbs. and each of the four Jerry Cans holds five gallons. That’s 123.04 lbs. on the roof that needed to be put into the rig. But with Dad’s help manning the camera I was able to wrangle down the cans and empty them into the rig… I only smelled like gas for a few miles… we drove with the windows down.

The day was beautiful until we approached Hells Gate. This is where the the temperature started rising from 72 to 87. The sun that was shining is now glaring in our eyes and the straight road has turned into a snake winding back on itself filled with trucks and campers. Thanks to Dad’s clean living, we managed to escape Satan’s grip.

After Hells Gate we were making good time… that is until we hit the US Boarder. Remember Dad’s little problem with Homeland Security? Well it caught up with him again at the US Boarder in Sumas WA. We spent another fun filled hour at a boarder crossing while Dad and the Boarder patrol played 20 questions. Dad was allowed back into the country and we were able to avoid a full search of the rig.

The last ferry on our adventure is to bring us across the sound from Edmonds to Kingston. When we rolled up to the house there was Mom waiting… and wanting to make sure the I gave Dad back in tact… I made her sign off that she received him back in good shape.

After 5816 miles, 8 ferry rides, 19 days and countless gallons of gas we completed our adventure. The next post will be a look back over the trip and pull it all together… or maybe we should create a second website and call it the director’s cut addition… we can repackage this blog and sell it a dozen times over… It has worked for Disney… or we can start work on the squeal. Baja, Rubicon, Utah backcountry discovery route…

Joyce: I wanted to stretch out the adventure… Soon there will be an epilogue with a special bonus video. That way you don’t have to go cold turkey. And how could you think this is not all for you. The whole blog is just for you and all the Joyce in each of us.

Mary: Yes the Dad loved the A&W and they are all over the place.

Barbie: Thanks for the note and the nice words. Although I’m not sure about that advice on Maura’s retail therapy… I’ll look into a second opinion.

John: After 46 years you earn a little more slack than after only 10.