Missoula, Montana: Pinball Wizard

Well, after over two months travelling in and around Alaska, Mary Lynn and I made a mad dash through the Yukon, Alberta, and British Columbia, crossing over the border back into the USA on Sunday night. We dropped down through Canada so quickly it reminded me of a pinball machine where the ball is fired from side to side, bouncing off of everything it touches even faster than before, until it zips between the flippers and is gone.

That's about what Canada looked like to us, especially the area around Banff and Jasper,

Turns out it was another long Canadian holiday and all of the RV parks wee completely full. We ended up at a rest stop one night, arriving about 4 am after searching for an open campsite and then finally driving through the night. At least Canada has large rest stops with plenty of parking for cars, trucks, and RV's.

Canada is a beautiful country, especially in Alberta and British Columbia. we did not spend nearly enough time there -- there is so much more to explore. Lots of small campgrounds along lakes and streams. Canadians flock to out of doors venues so be prepared for crowds on big weekend.

Oh yeah, we did stop for dinner in a small town where the "Deathfest" was being hosted. When we asked what the heck was Deathfest we were told it was a 24 hour marathon on a mountain course. The objective (in addition to surviving) is to run up and down the mountain as many times as you can in twenty four hours. We saw quite a few runners and many did indeed look like they were embracing the 'death' part of the festival.

We stayed in Missoula long enough to have the RV's oil and air filter changed. The conditions in Alaska and Canada were incredibly dusty and the roads were rough in spots so having the RV serviced seemed prudent. They also (supposedly) fixed the air conditioning. I should say they

charged me for fixing the AC. We later found out it was still not working correctly. (When I called the Missoula, Montana dealer from Minnesota they said if I came back they would take a look at it! -- gee, thanks).

See Ya!