The TravelHacker put us in the “Road Less Traveled”, a catagory covering travels to the far reaches of the globe or taking to the road for unusual reasons. Journals in the road less traveled catagory are for travelers like us who have taken some unusual trips all over the world. I like that!

It is nice to be picked for anything other than last for dodge ball so feel free to send the TravelHacker a comment about her choice of the 100 best travel journals.

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If you listen to morning radio you probably tune in for pithy, sharp tonged caller abuse, bitting humor and political sarcasm. And HEY, I’m right there with you on my daily commute. However if you have been paying attention lately you’ve notice some compassion sneaking into the air waves. Local radio guys Bob and Arik, from the Bob Rivers show on KZOK 102.5 FM are currently in Senegal working with World Vision. These guys are contributing their talents to connect listeners with the kids of Senegal who need our help. One way to get involved in Bob and Arik’s excelent adventure is by sponsoring a child through Wold Vision. While Bob and crew are working to make the world a better place in a very public way, each of us can make a private and just as big a difference to a child by contacting World Vision .

Adventures come in all shapes and sizes. What is important, is that you follow your own trail and do what you can to make a positive contribution to the world along the way. To follow the daily, updates listen to the morning show or visit the blog Bob’s World. You can even send an email to them in Senegal at radiotarzan@gmail.com I guess bob@gmail.com was taken.

Our answer… IT IS Great. The only thing we would fix… The windshield! The windshield picked up a number of star cracks which in the cold weather this winter turned to crack across the length of the windshield. And we finally decided to fix it.

Read the posts on the FJ Cruiser forums about windshields, lower right side, I’ll wait.

What you find is that you should buy stock in glass, your going to replace a few. This is our frst windshield replacement so we took it down to the local glass guys at The Autoglass Clinic to see what it takes.

Turns out, the easy part is putting the windshield in. The hard part is getting all the little bits of molding and covers pulled without leaving a mark. Once the bits are off, pulling the old glass and replacing it with the new windshield is quick and easy.

When it was all said and done the guys made it look easy and did a great job. They even offer a slice of pizza for being the first FJ these guys changed out. Another bonus that came for hanging around with these guys was understanding what comes apart and how. This new found knowledge will be come in handy as we take on installing the Soltek 8″ LaPaz HID lights that just arrived from Baja Designs. But that is another story.

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We don’t usually prepare for drug gangs, kidnapping or violent criminal activities. However, this is exactly the situation in north Mexico. Unfortunately the LA Times story Border drug violence sparks travel alert for Mexico reported “The U.S. State Department in Mexico issued a travel alert yesterday, prompted by drug violence in the north of Mexico.”

This drug war presents a danger beyond the usual off-road adventure risks and has us watching the Department of State Travel site for the latest information. So we sit and we worry if this will escalate into a situation that keeps us from traveling the Baja. It’s not like we’re going to Mexico for spring break!

When we went looking for auxiliary off road lights for the rig, we spent a great deal of time researching the various technologies, available products and the companies behind those products. What we found from painstakingly analysing our offroad lighting needs and asking for input from a number of experts is that Baja Designs has been developing top quality high-end aftermarket lighting systems for the off road industry for 14 years. Baja Designs also offers a 3 year warranty on their Soltek Fuego 4″ and LaPaz 8″ lights. These guys stand behind their products. Legendary quality lights, warranty protection, crystal clear optics, one-of-a-kind tool free aiming system and guys that know the Baja like the back of their hand, oh yeah these lights are for us.

When we contacted Chris Chapman at Baja Designs, asking for assistance and sponsorship support we were ecstatic to hear that they would help us out. These are the same guys who are the official sponsors for the American Honda’s off-road team; we are in good company.

Over the coming weeks look for install and how-to posts as we discuss the lighting basics and mount our two Fuego 4″ HID Lights on our Rig’s bull bar and four 8″ Soltek HID Lights on the roof.

That is good advise and especially important when you are stuck on the trail. This is not the time to unwrap your shinny equipment for the first time and try to figure out how to use it. More than likely when you get stuck it will be dark, rainy and muddy or sandy, glaringly hot and windy (isn’t that what you went out to find). Stuck in these conditions is exactly what recovery equipment was designed for and when used correctly, will make easy work of a tough situation.

One of the most versatile and low cost pieces of recovery equipment is the hi-lift jack by the Bloomfield Manufacturing Company. The hi-lift jack can be used to lift or pull a rig out of the mud. It can be used to break a tire bead or push a panel into place. The hi-lift jack can even be used to change a tire. However, it can also put the rig into an unstable and unsafe position if the directions and safety instructions are not followed.

If you understand and practice how to use the hi-lift jack properly it can be one of the best pieces of recovery equipment you have with you on the trail.

Before you even start to look at how you are going to get your rig to that big red dot, you should make sure that doing so is actually feasible. Every country is going to have its own vehicle standards and import regulations. A good starting point when researching these issues is the State Department’s list of Web Sites of Foreign Embassies in the U.S. These usually have links to the relevant regulatory entities in each country. Make sure that your vehicle will be street legal and that you will have the resources and parts to make repairs.

By Land
So now you’ve done a little homework, and it is time to figure our how you are actually going to get your trusty rig to the origin. Your adventurous instinct might tempt you to just pick up and drive all the way to Chile, but chances are that time, money, and your spouse may push you to look for other options. Travel can get expensive, and every border you cross could present you with any number of surprises. If you get delayed, you might not make it in time to complete your Chilean quest.

If you aren’t going to move your vehicle from behind the wheel, you are probably going to be looking at paying someone to do it for you with some combination of land and sea transport. This is where advance planning is going to be critical. The more flexible you can be with your timeframe, the more affordable shipping should be. If you are lucky enough to live on the coast, you should be able to save some time and money by getting your rig to the docks yourself. Otherwise, you are looking at some domestic shipping, which in itself could require about a month of advance planning. Some international shippers will be able to cover this domestic leg of the trip as well, and this consolidation of services can simplify the process considerably.

By Sea
Your vehicle will likely spend the maritime portion of its voyage in an enormous box shipping container with other vehicles. If you are extremely protective of your rig, you may want to shell out some extra cash for a private container. One other high-end option is a cruiseferry. This is essentially a combination of a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) freight ship and a luxury cruise liner. In addition to a steep price, this option also may leave you with little flexibility regarding timing and destinations. As an advantage, however, this option also moves something else you will need on your trip: you! If you can swing the cash, you’ll be able to ride in style.

There are any number of companies that provide international auto transport. When choosing a shipping carrier, make sure to do some research to ensure that they are a reputable company with the necessary registrations and licenses. Find out what parts of the customs process they can handle for you. Shipping brokerages and auction sites can be useful in finding the right shipper for your needs.

You can save yourself a lot of hassle by starting your trek from your incoming foreign port. If your origin is landlocked, however, you may need to secure shipping within a foreign country. The difficulty of this task depends a lot upon the level of development in that country and your comfort with the foreign language. In more developed areas, you may be able to arrange something online, but in a developing nation, you might have to make some arrangements in person.

By Any Means Necessary
If all this sounds a bit too daunting, don’t be afraid to get creative. Does it make more financial or logistical sense to purchase a new or used vehicle at the origin? Maybe you can find a fellow adventurer that already has a vehicle on location. Perhaps you could trek together or use the vehicle when they are done and split the cost of shipping. Find some adventure forums and see what other travelers have done.

Don’t let getting there be the whole battle. Plan ahead and work within your means. You’ll be chugging along towards that “FINISH” dot before you know it.

Written by Adam Greenspan of uShip.com, an auction-style marketplace for Auto Transport.

By teaming up with subject matter experts we hope to publish information on everything from earning gas money for your trip by carrying packages along the way to better understanding suspension components for your rig and style of wheeling adventure.

You will find these posts tagged as “Expert Guests Articles” along with credit to author and a link back in order for you to follow up with them for more information. Our first guest will discuss some of the points to consider when shipping your rig around the globe in order to start or end your adventure road trip in a remote location.

Our goal is to post articles that will help everyone plan their own great adventure, so please let us hear from you with thought about guest writers and topics you would like to read about. If you are a budding writer with a field of expertise don’t be shy. Let us know how you would like to contribute and help celebrate diversity in the world one blog at a time.

last [last, lahst]
adjective a superl. of late with later as compar.

1. occurring or coming after all others, as in time, order, or place: the last line on a page.
2. most recent; next before the present; latest: last week; last Friday.
3. being the only one remaining: my last dollar; the last outpost; a last chance. final: in his last hours.
4. ultimate or conclusive; definitive: the last word in the argument. That which is ultimate (literally, most remote) is the last that can be reached, as in progression or regression, experience, or a course of investigation: ultimate truths.

The idea of going on great overland adventures came to me while sitting in the ferry line one dark and stormy northwest night as Jimmy buffet played in my head

Just a semi-normal person
Thought he had the future planned…
…Now he’s somewhere over China
Lookin’ down on all the trails
On the mountains lookin’ back at him
It’s a real live fairy tale
Put a little distance
Between causes and effects
Like a day old fortune cookie
Askin’ who or what comes next

For the next several weeks I could not shake the idea of driving on the ultimate (definition #4) adventure. Of course if you are going to measure an expedition’s worthiness you need to have a yard stick to compare it against. A few historical adventurers immediately came to mind including:

• Marco Polo’s spice run set the standard for great road trips
• Sacagawea lead Lewis & Clark on a pretty good trip
• The Oregon trail was another good road oriented adventure
• Apollo 11 lead by Commander Neil Alden Armstrong was far out

That mental exercise set the bar pretty high and what came out was to drive to the ends of the earth. Deadhorse Alaska on the North End and the “Land of Fire”, Tierra del Fuego on the other.

Not having unlimited resources, power or any pull with small militant guerrilla groups the adventure had to be planned in manageable chucks. The first chuck let us concur the northern portion driving up to the Arctic Ocean. In 2009 we will complete the first southern leg through Baja Mexico following the most famous desert race course in the world the Baja 1000. In 2011 we will aim for Belize, officially putting us in Central America. After that, we will see how our militant gorilla connections look and continue to work our way down south.

I know we are not the first to make this pole to pole trek. But we are making this our own by going out of our way to explore and celebrate the diverse cultures along the way. Each leg of the journey offers us a chance to make new friends, involve more readers, and learn how the differences between people can pull us together as we share tales of our lives. Of course we’ll Blog the entire way, sharing the last great road trip with everyone and encouraging each person to start their own adventure and join in the celebration of diversity.

“What the hell did Marco Polo think
When he ran into the wall
Or the crazy Flying Tigers
Doin’ spins and loops and stalls
Just a taste for somethin’ different
Perking up a borin’ day
Now our man from Poulsbo
Feels exactly the same way…
…We’re all somewhere over China
Headin’ east or headin’ west
Takin’ time to live a little
Flyin’ so far from the nest
Just to put a little distance
Between causes and effects
Like an ancient fortune teller
Knowin’ who and what comes next “

For everyone who followed the Arctic Ocean adventure and still wants more. Here is your opportunity. As you know throughout the expedition we kept the Blog going, (not wind nor rain, nor sunshine, epic views and great company could keep us from our apointed rounds) with descriptions of our adventures, tales of people we met and pictures of what we saw.

Those who read everyone of the 19 days’ entries, and you know who you are, we salute you! The rest of you who have been waiting for the cliff note version of the adventure, here is your opportunity.

4WD Toyota Owner magazine is publishing in their March/April issue our story along with some of the pictures that we brought back. It is great that we have one more opportunity to share our adventure.

Today was a good day! Planning for a road trip adventure takes a lot of work… no matter what my wife says about my playing around on the Internet. One of the areas to plan for is rig maintenance, modifications and inevitable brakeage. A big part of this effort is having the original manufactures specifications for electrical and mechanical components. And out of shear dumb luck I came across these great resources:

• FJ Cruiser Repair Manual
• FJ Cruser Electrical Specifications
• FJ Cruiser Spec Sheet
• FJ Cruiser Roof Rack Assembly
• Roof Light Installation - Gobi
• FJ Cruiser Auxilary Lights
• Toyota Bulletin ST005-01 Vehicle Pulling to One Side
• Toyota Bulletin PD093-05 Compass Calibration
• SRS Airbag System
• Parking Assist
• Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) System
• VSC Parts Location
• A-TRAC Light Stays On - Trouble Shooting
• A-TRAC Light Dose Not Come On - Trouble Shooting
• 2007 FJ Cruiser Owner’s Manual

With these manuals, we should be able to better plan for some of our upcoming mods including auxilary lights and a low gear transfer case.

Than there is the just plain cool stuff. How do you sell a new car model? You put out a retro coffee table book, FJ Magazine, and send it to dealers along with a New Model Outline that provides a technical explanation of the construction and operation of new mechanism and technologies used in the new FJ Cruiser. And finally include a Product Reference Guide which shows off the best features of the vehicle against the competition. And WaLa you have product launch.

The other cool find is the Toyota Land Cruiser timeline. I’ve never had a rig that got under my skin like this one. Maybe it is the history, the vehicle quality or the rugged go anywhere ability… but this rig is still cool and is the reason we started our overland adventures.

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER TIMELINE
1935 – Toyoda initiates manufacturer of trucks with the G1
1937 – Toyota Motor Co. founded from its roots in Toyoda Automatic Loom Works
1939 – G1 becomes the GB, with 75-hp Type B engine
1950 – Development begins on 4×4 AK10 utility vehicle using the Type B engine
1951 – BJ sold to Japan’s National Police Agency
1953 – Large-scale BJ production begins
1954 – BJ named Land Cruiser
1955 – F-Series 3.8L Six adopted, FJ25 introduced
1955 – BJ discontinued
1958 – Land Cruiser introduced to the U.S. in September
1960 – 40 Series introduced, replaces 20 Series
1961-1965 – Land Cruiser 40 Series is the best-selling Toyota in the U.S.
1967 – 55 Series station wagon introduced
1968 – 100,000th Land Cruiser sold
1972 – 200,000th Land Cruiser sold
1973 – 300,000th Land Cruiser sold
1975 – 4.2L engine, four-speed transmission introduced
1979 – 55 Series production ends
1980 – 60 Series, second-generation wagon, introduced
1980 – Millionth Land Cruiser sold
1983 – Final year of 40 Series sales in the U.S.
1984 – 40 Series production ends
1984 – 70 Series introduced
1989 – 60 Series production ends
1990 – 2-millionth Land Cruiser sold
1990 – 80 Series, third-generation wagon, introduced
1991 – Full-time four-wheel drive introduced
1993 – 4.5L DOHC six-cylinder engine introduced
1993 – 90 Series introduced
1997 – 80 Series production ends
1998 – 100 Series, fourth-generation wagon, introduced
1998 – 4.7L i-Force V8 introduced
2002 – 120 Series (current Prado, Lexus GX 470) introduced
2003 – 4-millionth Land Cruiser sold
2007 – FJ Cruiser introduced

More and more the news is getting out that Last Great Road Trip is doing something that is up there on the cool factor. This time it is helping to spread the word on what exactly is this phenomenon we call an “Overland Adventure”.

We also thought we would throw in a little bit about our sponsors and that we are heading to the Baja next.

I have mentioned that my grandmother was born in Chihuahua Mexico and when we started our celebration of diversity on the road we had culture and race in mind. With humor and the backing of Pepsico/EnAble, the folks at National Association of the Deaf (NAD) pulled off this commercial during the 2008 Super Bowl reminding us that diversity has many voices. The commercial cost around 6 million dollars. Any company willing pay millions to promote a celibration of diversity deserves a little credit. The 60-second spot was developed by Pepsi employees who are deaf and features dialogue in American Sign Language as well as subtitles for the signing impaired.

This spot is based on a popular joke in the deaf community, demonstrating once again how important it is for us to laugh at ourselves and remember we are all in this together.

There is a whole series of “Bob’s House” videos out there… enjoy them all and share with others.

Last year the Last Great Road Trip put our sponsors in front thousands of eyeballs for several months. Our sponsors appeared on the official Toyota blog (blog.toyota.com), the last great road trip blog, press releases, print media and youtube video. In short we took every opportunity we could to thank our sponsor publicly for the support they gave us.

Now the team of adventurers are pointing their compass and 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser south, planning to follow the 2007 Baja 1000 course to Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Using the GPS coordinates of the official SCORE Baja 1000 the team will follow a tradition that dates back to 1967. This route, from the oldest and most well known of all desert races remains the single most appealing accomplishment to many drivers.

In February, 2009 our adventurers will leave Seattle, driving down to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico and finish in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. As before, the adventure is part road trip and part overland expedition. Throughout the adventure the team will explore hidden trails, back roads and diverse cultures that enrich this shared experience.

The sponsors of this southern adventure will receive even more visibility at the 2008 FJ Summit Series in Ouray, CO. The last great road trip will attend and support its sponsors at this 4 day event designed to bring hundreds of FJ Cruiser owners together for camaraderie and trail riding.

On the Internet, last years activities have elevated our on-line blog to the number one spot on Google for a number of key words searches including “road trip adventure blog”. Google analytics show that last month alone 1,224 visitors from around the world viewed our sponsors’ logo and read our story.

Now is your opportunity to take advantage of this growing exposure and become part of the team that is trying to create something worth while as we explore the diversity of the people and land that makes this adventure great.

The rig can go just about anywhere… but occasionally you want to go where the rig is not allowed, a bit north of the last trail marker. The boys and I put in a quick training run. And what are we training for? No, you need about 20 dogs for the Iditarod and I have 3 dogs because my wife said I could 3 dogs not 20!

We are training for Survivor Arctic Circle… Ok so Jeff Probst and CBS are not on board with this idea yet… and it is really hard to show half naked hotties in -30 degrees where anything sticking out is likely to fall off. But the Igloo cam has potential and of course there is the Ice Hotel if you looking to chill out in the ABSOLUT ICEBAR…

Stay tuned for more Survivor Arctic.

First lets thank our sponsors and all the folks who made this adventure possible:

• Toyota Open Road Blog for the video and tracking the adventure on their blog. See their epilogue of our trip
• Working Web Solutions: Portland Web Design and SEO for setting up the blog as well as all the cool features.
• Metal Tech LLC. who helped out with a custom fab for the larger tires and installed the bull bar, winch and Sway-A-Way suspension.
• Metagyre, Inc. for project management assistance and support with logistics, planning and execution expertise
• Taylor Made T-Shirts provided help with the Last Great Road Trip t-shirts
• Heartland Toyota of Bremerton ensured the FJ was lubed, aligned and ready to go

The odometer read 5,816 miles. Take into account the larger tire diameter and with the corrected calculation you find we traveled 6,105 miles. Add to that the 468 statute miles traveled on the ferry and we have a total adventure of 6,573.

Common wisdom says when you’re picking out a room mate don’t choose someone you know and like. You’re going to spend a lot of time with this person and eventually little personality flaws will start to cause you to grind your teeth. The same can be said for an extended expedition.

Dad and I were on this adventure morning noon and night, 24×7 for 19 days. And although I’m positive my character flaws stood out like a teenage pimple on prom night, Dad seemed to look the other way and didn’t let anything come between us. Knowing that you are loved and accepted no matter what, is a great feeling and one I grew up with. This unconditional acceptance has allowed me to take risks that would have been too scary without such a safety net.

We saw a lot of grizzlies and musk oxen and caribou and moose and sheep (daul & stone) and ground squirrels and ptarmigans and fish and… We saw magnificent landscapes… We met new friends… and found out a little about ourselves and each other.

Toyota Open Blog & Trama: The Drama told all their friends about us. Our friends told their friends and soon folks from all over the world tuned into our adventure. Many left comments, some sent private messages, but all supported the adventure and thanked us for sharing our thoughts. We appreciate everyone’s comments and knowing that we were connected to a larger community all sharing a love of the road and an understanding of diversity.

For those of you who want more watch for “4WD Toyota Owner” to run a story on our adventure in an upcoming issue.

The “Last” in last great road trip does not mean there wont be another. Last refers to the few exciting adventures left on the road. There are still a few left they are just much harder to find. The Arctic Ocean qualifies! We’re looking for the next last great one and want to hear your thoughts: Baja, Zihuatanejo, or even Tierra del Fuego! With any luck the next expedition will include a diverse group family and friends, a veritable cadre of diversification celebration.

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. They also have the coolest posters.

The last day of our adventure and we’re riding an emotional roller coaster. We’re ready to see our family and freinds again but we have been looking East to Edmonton, Alberta… Maybe next time… But since the sun is shining, the sky is a beautiful blue, the thermometer reads 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.

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 four Jerry Cans of 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 when 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. Thats 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 spelled 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 was 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 was 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.

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. Antigua 2008.

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.

Moose: 1
Mule Deer: 2

Yesterday was my Mom’s birthday. Today is Mom and Dad’s Anniversary. As the story goes… Mom did not want to be a teenage bride so she celebrated her 20th birthday and the next day they were married . That was 46 years ago. Although I did drag Dad north on Mom’s birthday and their anniversary… He called… They talked… All is well… I guess after 46 years you have these things worked out.

Ok we might not have the most healthy diet… Started with donuts and than stopped in at A&W for a big frosty one. Dad really likes A&W root beer and there are drive-ins all over Canada. They still serve their root beer in a big old frosty glass mug. The A&W we stopped at was in Chetwynd, BC. and it turns out Chetwynd is the chainsaw carving capital of the world… The carvings are everywhere throughout the town. Dad and I strolled around looking at all of them and comparing them to the carvings in Ocean Shores. We saw one on display that had won first prize and the artist was from Washington state.

You know the leashes they have for little kids so they won’t wonder off from their parent while shopping or walking in the park. I’m going to market one for adults. We have seen some pretty large, aggressive, and potentially dangerous animals including Grizzly Bear, Bison and Moose. Each time we see them I turn for the camera and than have to turn back for Dad. The other day with the bison, Dad had jumped out and was walking back to the rear of the rig for a better view while the bison were all around us only 20 feet away. I was in the driver’s seat staring down a big bison cow who was grunting and kicking the ground at me while snot was flying from her nose because Dad and the Rig were between her and her calf… During this I’m trying to calmly ask Dad to climb back in the rig and snap off an award winning photo.

Today I spotted a moose walking across the highway several hundred yards ahead of us. I pulled the rig off to the side where I thought I had seen it cross. As I am trying to maneuver off the highway so as not to be hit by the 18 wheeler bearing down on us and avoid the four foot drop-off on the side of the road’s shoulder. While I’m balancing the rig between this rock and hard place knowing there is a full grown moose within yards of were we are that could charge the rig… Dad starts opening the door to jump out…

Dad is an adult so why worry? You’ve seen the pictures… Dad’s mobility from zero to any speed is not what it once was and Mom made it pretty clear that she would hold me personally responsible for returning Dad to her in the same condition I found him in. That condition did not include any antler goring or claw marks. And since I did not opt for the extra damage insurance, I have to be careful with him.

Turns out we did get off to the side of the road. Dad looked out the window and spotted the moose stepping into the lake just below where we were. We did step out onto the highway’s shoulder and watched the moose cross the shallow lake and disappear into bush. Dad and I spent five minutes together watching the moose as she took a step looked back at us… took a step… looked back… We did not even get a picture since we were having such a good time watching the moose move so easily through the lake.

With the ALCAN ending in Dawson Creek we switched over to highway 97 today. 97 is the highway we came up on to reach Prince Rupert. We went through some of these cities only two weeks ago and we could hardly remember them. I guess the good part about getting old… is that you can hide your own Easter Eggs.

Mary: We have all the amateur naturalists and tourists pamphlets. Dad reads them and than gives me the highlights. We also have the Milepost, a big, thick travel guide full of all kinds of key information.

John: Go Big Red. Glad you like the pictures. Yes 5K so today we had to get an oil change… The oil was only three weeks old but looking a little tired… The guys at the oil change shop thought the rig was cool. They were slow, so all of them were hovering, poking around underneath and asking about how we liked our FJ. These guys even pointed out some trails for us to go play on if we had some time.

Joyce: Now you can see the price I’m having to pay for all those close-ups that keep you coming back. I’m glad I could risk my Mom’s wrath and Dad’s life for your entertainment.

Wow it is a small world. Let us know where you’re visiting from and what you think of the adventure. Tell us how you celebrate the differences that make us one big family. Tell us where your next adventure will take you.

Caribou: 22
Stone Sheep: 1

Today is the birthday of my children’s grandmother. For the genealogically challenged, that is my Mom and my Dad’s spouse. Mom, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And in celebration of my Mom’s birthday and her diversity, I spent some time on the Genographic project. This is The National Geographic and IBM’s project to trace lines of man’s Y chromosomes back to their origins. One of the cool things the Y chromosome test is showing is that the further back we look to our past the more we are all related. Celebrating our differences really becomes an acceptance of the commonality in our past.

Today’s music choice also celebrated Mom’s birthday. We set aside Jimmy and plugged in the music of my people… Los Lobos!

Last night put us in the Rockies… And as you would expect wild life and water abounds. On this adventure we drove to the ancient grounds of the caribou herds (Deadhorse and Inuvik) where tens of thousands of animals come together on their annual migration. Our time in the tundra did yield caribou spottings; One here two there but we saw many more hunters than caribou while in the Arctic Circle. 1,500 miles south in the northern Rocky Mountains we found our caribou herd, remember seven makes a herd, there were 14 and they acted as one, moving in unison.


On the big game count front, we saw a rare stone sheep. It was very cool. Seems like the caribou and stone sheep were grazing along the road edge for salts.



Did you see the Oklahoma score? Oklahoma 51, Miami 13. Although Dad and I are not big Duck fans, a number of the folks following our adventure are huge Duck fanatics and we were very excited to hear that Oregon bashed Michigan: Ducks 39, Wolverines 7. Go Ducks. That should make the trip to Michigan worth it for Carla, Ray, Pat, Brad, Chris and Joey! Have a safe trip home.

Day 16’s post went up this morning from a cafe in Toad while Dad and I had breakfast. The reason we were there is Dad read about their hat collection. The Toad River Restaurant, Gas and Hotel has 7,325 hats on display. If you figure $5 a hat, that means there is $36,625 worth of hats tacked up to the celling.

Mention the Alaskan Canadian Highway (ALCAN) and most people think frontier, gold rush, rouged landscapes and dangerous wild life. Most of the our time on this adventure we have lived and experienced some of Jack London’s northern adventures. Today we reached the end of the ALCAN. The ALCAN ends (or begins depending on your viewpoint) at Dawson Creek, British Columbia. We entered the city limits of Dawson Creek and the first thing we saw was a Wallmart! We have eased back into civilization. We still have close to 1,000 miles remaining and will continue to find new chapters for our adventure in the remaining concrete jungles between here and Poulsbo, WA.

Joyce: I liked “Where is Joe Merchant?” and “Tales From Margaritaville”. If you or anyone else wants to drop Diane a post card just send it to: Diane Jimmy, P.O. Box 134, Watson Lake, YT. Y0A 1C0. And who know the housing market was sluggish…

John: Thanks for the scores, you’re my life line. You’ll have to take up the laundry question with Dad… But I would be careful… He may write down the instructions, show you how it is done and than you’re on the hook for doing laundry from now on. Teach a man to fish.

Loretta: I see that you are taking the X chromosomers side here… We’ll see about the slide show… Get an adventure slide show with every t-shirt sale.

Maura: World meet Maura. Maura is the most beautiful, loving woman in the world who let me go off with my Dad on this adventure while she held the home front together. I could not have done this without you… and NO we are not getting more furniture… unless you want to discuss Antigua 2008.

Mary: what will you do with the new information in the chart?

Shelia: Do you think we should do posts on tape for Jim? maybe podcast them… or even set up a phone in hot line. We may need to put Jim on a twelve step program if he is needing a Last Great Road Trip fix while driving. Antigua 2008 or bust.

Buffalo: herd.

The day started out overcast but quickly burned off. Planning a long day we left early and quickly out ran the fog. We left the Family restaurant, barber shop, laundry and hotel behind us in Dawson City, YT.

The scenery is changing with each mile we drive south. The pallet used to paint our views today has many more greens and blues with an occasional stroke of gold. The features are changing as well with the trees and bridges becoming bigger; no more 50 year old five-foot spruce trees or one lane wooden bridges.

Old men make noises that can only be heard by everyone around them. The noises are creaks, groans, sighs, and heavy breathing. The problem is I’m the one making the noises. For the duration of this adventure I’ve been fighting a sore back while Dad has been toughing out a sore shoulder. Getting out of the bed each morning… I groan… I grab my back like the crooked old man in the crooked old house… hobble over to the bathroom… and through down a handful of aspirin. By the time I get an hour under my feet and the aspirin kick in my back starts to loosen up and I’m good to go.

Doctor… Doctor… It hurts when I do this… Than don’t do that. Dad’s shoulder only hurts when he moves it. So we have a system that keeps his shoulder still and seems to work most of the time. When Dad is in the rig he gets everything situated so he is not reaching all over the rig. Dad keeps his water and maps close in front of him easily within reach. Anything Dad needs in the back I reach over and grab. Of course were doing 100 km/hr when I reach into the back seat but all adventures have some risk. This system is letting us put on the mileage and is not a big deal… We’re just watching each other’s back.

When recalling road trips from my youth one thing about those trips comes to mind. We did not stop until we needed gas. When Mom or any of us asked to stop at the next rest area we heard… We don’t need gas yet… As the driver on this adventure I control when and where we stop. We stop at every rest area and view point… Not because we have too… but because we can. I also get to stretch my back a little and Dad can make sure his shoulder is good.

Throughout the world there are a number of forests. I have seen the northwest rain forests, and the petrified forests of the southwest. I have even seen the Tiger Forests of India. Today we went through the Sign Forest of the Yukon. Signs, Signs, Everywhere signs, Do this, Don’t do that… Can’t you read the signs.

After seeing all the signs, we looked at the rig and decided it was time to clean up its sign. The dust and clay from the Dempster is not corrosive like Haul Road, so this was a quick wash to knock off the muck and show off our colors.

Over lunch we had the good fortune to meet Diane Jimmy. Diane is a member of the Kaska Dena Nation. We ran into Diane over lunch when she saw our rig, noticed it was from Washington and asked if we would send her a postcard when we get back. Turns out Diane collects postcards sent to her from around the world. Diane was telling us how she has post cards from Singapore, Australia, and all over the world. We hope to add to her collection soon with a postcard from Poulsbo, Washington. We all travel the world in our own ways. Diane has seen most of the world through three by five cards, each one of them has a friend attached on the other end.

I did a lot of research prior to starting the adventure and don’t recall that we would be driving along the Continental Divide. We’ve been driving east for quit a ways and rolled onto the northern Rocky Mountains Range. As we headed south and climbed the mountains we started to see a little snow on the peaks. More change in the views which reminds us that each diverse landscape has its own beauty and value.

2,000 pound American Bison are surprisingly easy to see. For one thing they are huge. Pretty much all head and shoulders. Well there are those horns. We saw these as they browsed the grass on the road side. They may not have come down out of the hills to check out the rig… but they did not seem to mind us right in the middle of them either. We say 60+ since the bison refused to stop milling about making the count difficult. Besides, what is important is that we can say… we saw a herd. For a long time before we spotted this group, Dad and I debated the number of animals it takes to be called a herd. Two is a pair or couple… three or four are a few… five, six a bunch… we decided a group of seven animals become a herd… and 60ish that is a big herd.

Animal lovers everywhere unite.

This post is being put up over breakfast… We are in Toad population 4. Even Toad has an Internet cafe… More later… truckers are hovering for the table now that we are done with our eggs.

big game: zero, big goose egg, zip, zippo, no hay nada más

Growing up there were certain thing about my Dad that we all held true. My mother told us these “facts” and maintains their truthfulness to this day. After 15 days and 14 nights with my Dad I’m here to set the record straight.

The Internet is amazing. I am getting WiFi everywhere. On the other hand the AT&T cell coverage is non-existent out here. And out here is basically all Canada. I was about to get a Skype account for calling land lines… but I guess we could use a pay phone… I think they still have those around. Don’t they?

Today was an easy day. The first day in a long time that we were on asphalt! And surprisingly very little traffic. Seems like after school is back in the only traffic are locals and the Holland America tour buses. The colors are amazing. Yellow, gold, pale and deep greens along with carpets of red. I have to remember this is not the Dempster so I can’t use both halves of the road… they have lines on these roads and they get upset if you go outside of those lines. But with very little traffic no one seems to mind. That was the Klondike. Tomorrow we start our trip south on the ALCAN.

The rains came in today and it helped clean the bugs off the windshield. Hopefully, mother nature will clean off the sides so the Last Great Road Trip sticker is visible again. I may have to break down and clean it up again.

We are in Whitehorse, Yukon. The population is 13,000. Wow that seems like a lot after staying in so many cities and towns where the population could be counted without having to take off your shoes. Whitehorse has parking meters for down town. In places like Deadhorse you just pull off the road and call it a good. The choices we had in Whitehorse for hotels almost froze us in our tracks. Luckily, Dad was able to put that 30 years of IBM systems engineering to work and picked a hotel. It was the first one that said Internet on the sign.

Tomorrow is going to be a hard day’s night. We’re looking at about 500 miles. And it looks like it will be in the rain…

I know the pictures are thin… but do you really want a picture of Dad and I eating sandwiches in the rig at a rest-stop call the roadhouse? Or Images of us filling up the gas tank again with 39 liters of premium gas?

There are long times when neither of us say much…. but when the silence is broken by calling out a mile (kilometer) marker or other mundane road sign, we both know it is just our way of saying glad you’re here with me on this adventure.

WOW: Six, Seven, Eight new comments. Thank you! Do you know why 6 was afraid of 7? Because 7,ate 9! these math jokes crack me up.

Jim: You crack me up… But seriously, use the back alley for your next expedition to Home Depot and than you can tell everyone how you had to go off road to get to the mall. Start thinking Antigua 2008.

Shelia: We are on our way back but an exact arrival ETA is tough since it depends on how many miles we feel like driving. My guess 4 more days.

Mary: it is 46 years. And Dad knew the important dates… they are engraved in his wedding band.

John: Ok if you want to live this… I’m trying to write this post while Dad sucks the paint off the walls with his snoring… I’m sure though when he is up at five and I’m dead asleep, he thinks… Great Paul is snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Yeah… It is worth it.

Barbie: thanks for the note and checking in on the family while Dad and I are on this expedition. Top of the world this time… Next adventure Antigua.

Carla / Ray: Thank you for the words of encouragement. Have a safe trip to Michigan. Say hi to Maura’s brothers. Several of them will be there rooting on the Ducks with you.

Joyce: You show people this… If I knew anyone would see and read this I would have never started the blog. Thanks for keeping us alive and well at work.

Caribou: 8
Wild mustangs: 7
Porcupine: 1

I have finally achieved the Zen road trip adventure state I’ve been after. When the adventure started I was jumping up at 5:00 a.m. just like it was work. Now… 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. Dad wakes me… I’m in the relaxzone. I find myself logging on the Internet when ever I can to check if any new comments have been left for us. Every time I see a new comment my spirits get a nice lift. Thanks for letting us know you guys are following along.

After a day of rest, Laundry, and talking with folks we left Inuvik and are heading south for the rest of the adventure… We did stop at the North Mart to buy some food for the road so we could avoid those $10 cardboard sandwiches at Eagle Pass.

The morning started out the same as always… Dad gets in an early nap. I plug in the iPod and listen to some Jimmy Buffet. It is cool being able to plug in the iPod to the car stereo.

Coming back down the Dempster means 449 miles, two ferries and at least one gas stop. On the way north we had some traffic. On the way south, we drove 53 miles before we saw any other car on the road. Part of that is the ferry which does not begin service until 9:30 a.m. As we pulled up to the first ferry it was clear we were the first to be heading south. This ferry runs on a wire and is pulled across the river giving the boat staff time between docking and the crew thought our rig was cool… they asked if they could look inside and asked us about it on the short boat rid across the river. We asked, how do you make a dock out of dirt that does not wash away…

The Dempster is better than the Haul Road for truck traffic and getting by. However with the clear dry weather the gravel and dirt road is a bit dusty and trucks kick up dust. A lot of dust. There is no question when a truck is coming, you see the dust cloud coming from a mile away. This truck made the passing easy he slowed and moved to the side. The trucks on Haul Road did not slow down and did not give up any of the road. It was up to us to get small and move to the edge of the road and he did not swerve to much.

We hit a major milestone. We crossed the Arctic Circle’s line of demarcation for the last time. To commemorate the fourth and final crossing, Dad and I pulled out our sandwiches from North Mart and enjoyed a little picnic. Ok, not a champagne and caviar, and the entertainment was an iPod, but the sun was out and the company was good making this the best celebration so far.

On the way back we crossed a two mountain ranges. Mountain ranges tend to hold clouds up. At this pass we had just come through a hail storm and a brief down pour. You can see the clouds hanging over us. Even with the clouds you can see the veins of gold running down the mountain. I stuck the rig in there so you would have a little perspective on how vast the land here is.

Did I mention the road was dusty! 900 mile of the Dempster.

We ended the day where we started it two days ago, at Klondike Kate’s. It was 8:00 p.m. and sunny when we rolled in to the restaurant. They were packed for dinner. It is a great feeling when you sit down and from the back comes Josee (Owner and big Toyota fan) to welcome us. While we’re not rock stars, it is nice to feel special far from home. We’ll see Josee for breakfast before we leave for Whitehorse.

John: You have to be one of our biggest supporters. Thanks! No terry cloth robs, no room service and no day spa activities. Unfortunately I am not loosing weight we are just paying too much to continue to eat more than I should.

Joyce: I know you felt all cloths were created equal and deserving of equal respect. Filling up the gas tank today $86. Unfortunately the Canadian Paso is up against the dollar. One Canadian dollar equals 95 cents US.

Randy: Glad to hear from you and I’m all for hooking into a few Sea Runs when I get back.

Mary: Thank you for keeping up with us and publicizing the trip so much.

We came in late last night and decided we could use a day of rest. The day of rest felt good but it also gave us an opportunity to miss everyone not on the trip (home sick). All y’all’s notes help and we appreciate the thoughts and comments.

We did make a run to the gas station to fill up the rig. The price is $1.79 per liter. For the math challenged folks their are 3.79 liters in a gallon which means we paid $6.78 a gallon. Yesterday on the way in to Inuvik we stopped at Eagle Creek the half way point to fill up and buy two sandwiches along with two sodas. I know they were sandwiches because they had two pieces of bread, a sliver of ham, one piece of lettuce and a dab of mayonnaise. This stop $106.44! I can’t figure out weather a $7 gas price or $9 day-old sandwich wrapped in Saran Wrap is worse. The law of supply and demand is definitely at work in this part of the world.

I walked through town… yes walked… down to the Inuvik cultural and visitor center. The woman running the center is Naudia Lennie. She has lived in this area all her life. Naudia and I talked about growing up in the area, the bush, and how energy companies have changed the culture. While Naudia and I talked I heard a theme in her stories of tribal elders and her youth. That theme is that we continue to have to learn the lessons of respect for all over and over.

If you have never seen a musk ox up close here is an opportunity. These things are just a decade north of pre-historic and they don’t move unless they want too. This one doesn’t move at all since he is stuffed and standing in the visitor center.

While I walked around town Dad was able to catch up on a proper nap. That nap really paid off since after he awoke, he through together a load of our laundry so we are bright, clean and neat again. And yes one load with all the cloths thrown together. While Mom and Maura are cringing… We have clean cloths even if we mixed whites, colors and darks…. Remember we are celebrating diversity.

We are staying at the Eskimo Inn. The hotel is popular with the contractors working on the gas and oil rigs out in the ocean. Nothing exciting but clean and warm. Dad gets the double bed, I get the single bed in the corner. Did I mention Dad did the laundry… I’ll take the single bed every time.

Permafrost is ground that remains frozen for two or more years. We are on the permafrost so the buildings need to adapt to that. If you set a building on the ground, the heat will eventually melt the earth below and the house will sink. To get around this everything is set of the ground a couple of feet. Houses, sheds as well as water and sewer pipes.

Did i mention we drove 449 miles of gravel road yesterday… not to be a baby but that was a lot and we lost two hours… I know you’re asking your self how did they loose two hours? Well we crossed into the North West Territories and they are in a different time zone. And they don’t use daylight savings… when the day lasts six months the idea of daylight savings doesn’t make much sense.

Barbie: Thank you for the b-day thoughts and the Labour Day info. Dad says hi back.

John: This was no road… its half run off creek, half horse trail, half two track… a lot of halves make a hole. And yes it was about two miles when we reached the top of a mountain and decided to turn around. The trail continued and we were told that the trails around there lead to old mining claims.

Please keep those cards and letters coming, we really appreciate the thoughts and questions.