Home Again!

Post date: Jul 25, 2016 5:15:11 AM

3:18

Today I am writing you from almost literally the middle of nowhere. Not a cell tower to be seen and each town is only about six buildings long. (Apparently I should switch to Verizon! My iPad on a data-only plan is picking up more service than my AT&T iPhone 6S.) My dad and I are currently driving through Idaho searching out a Dairy Queen or other source of ice cream. So far, no luck. From my view in the shotgun seat I can see clusters of people up and down the river floating on tubes here and there.

We've already been to Dairy Queen once today in Hamilton – we waited for them to open and ordered one strawberry-banana smoothie each before taking off four the mountains.

I drove Lola for a while today in Lolo Pass. She ran well and took the sharp and wide curves easily. Most of my drive was downhill though so mostly I was just trying not to speed and praying that whoever was behind me kept their distance so if I had to hit the breaks (without working break lights) they wouldn't slam into Lola's rear end.

Lola's gas mileage has sky rocketed since we figured out what was wrong with her engine. While going at about 60 mph on a flat road she managed to make it up to 27 miles to the gallon which is the best she's ever done. I really am going to have to keep an eye on her sticky choke if it makes that much of a difference.

We spotted another classic car! While in Lolo Pass for a bathroom break, we saw that there was a Chevy Bel-Air station wagon parked in the same vicinity as us. It was a pretty red car that looked like from what I'd guess would be the 50's and it was clearly the owner's driver. The back of the car was packed with supplies for outdoor activity and all I could think was how nice it is that another old car out there is getting some good use.

6:23

Dad's Post Script

Got up this AM in Salmon, Idaho. Very beautiful spot - seemed like everyone else that was in town was interested in getting out on the Salmon river i some way - fisherman and water sports folks of all kinds.

Filled up Lola at a local gas station that had ethanol free gas (something we want to start using in Lola more consistently) and headed out on the road up the Bitter Root Valley.

Up through Hamilton to Lolo. Then west over Lolo Pass. Stopped at the Summit, then started the long descent on the west side. Stopped at various spots for me to take some 360 pictures for Street View.

Stopped for a milkshake in Colfax, and bang .... about 30 miles from home we had a front left blowout in Lola. Backed down into a side road (Klaveano Road - view in Google Maps) to make out first tire change ever on Lola.

For the trip I had switched out the original bumper jack in Lola for a piston/screw type because we had the bumpers rechromed, and now learned that the front end was too low to get the jack in the proper position for a full lift to get the tire up. Started looking for something to rest the car on after the first lift (so I could reset the jack) and could not find anything right away. So I told Shaelyn to call AAA just in case. That's when we found out we had no cell coverage. Shaelyn went over to the local farmer's place whose driveway we were in to see if she could use the phone or get some blocks of wood. I kept puttering away with changing the tire, finally figuring out I could lift the car enough to get the tire off and use it to set the car on while I repositioned the jack, Was in the process of doing that when Shaelyn rolled up with the local farmer (Steve) and some wood blocks. He lent us his truck jack for the final lift. Took about 10 minutes more and we thanked him (his wife had sent out some water for me) and got back on the road.

Decided to hop off main road in Rosalia for one more picture stop with Lola. Then rolled up the back road all the way home.