Above 1200 Sq/FT Swanny's Garage Expansion Project

[Swanny1953]

Awesome pictures and looks like you are having a ton of fun! Most do not realize what it takes to prepare for these awards. Nicely done, Sir!

Now that’s a proper catch up Gary. Congrats on the triple crown too

Congrats on the awards. I like the new lights on the 34' definitely an improvement.

Great update Gary. The Vette looks great, they did a nice job.

Looks like the car show turned out great as well. All three cars looked amazing parked there.

Thanks, guys!! I’m very pleased with how the 427 turned out. I thrashed it at our monthly autocross 2 days after getting it back.
The shows are always fun with being able to meet like minded people and such. I took the Woodie to a show last week not expecting anything and won first in class in ‘50’s car. I guess the rarity of a Woodie in Texas must have had something to do with it.

 

[Xti04]

Nice car Gary! I am in loose talks with one of my docs about a c5 Z06 his dad owns. His dad has an E-ray en route as well as a 67 , 03 Z06 and a 17 C7. Would love to get ahold of the Z06 as its already tuned and has a bunch of suspension upgrades.

 

[Swanny1953]

Nice car Gary! I am in loose talks with one of my docs about a c5 Z06 his dad owns. His dad has an E-ray en route as well as a 67 , 03 Z06 and a 17 C7. Would love to get ahold of the Z06 as its already tuned and has a bunch of suspension upgrades.

Thanks much.
The C5 is the one generation I haven't owned. I started with a '94 C4 which I had for 8+ years before selling it to buy a '06 C6 Z51 convertible. I have buddies that have owned C5 Z06's and they were stout machines, especially in their day!!
Good luck with the acquisition!!!

 

[zmotorsports]

Beautiful car Gary. Congrats on the new ride. Will look right at home in that new addition.

 

[Swanny1953]

Beautiful car Gary. Congrats on the new ride. Will look right at home in that new addition.

Thanks, Mike! Yes, indeed, it does. My DD Ram 1500, which it sits beside, is also a pearlescent white.

I got this Ram to replace this one that saved me 6 years ago -

An F250 with a 3-axle trailer and a slant drilling rig ran a median stop sign and I hit him at around 70 mph. Initial impact sent me into a Tahoe waiting to cross the road and totaled her car as well. The impact was hard enough to turn the F250 completely around.

 

[Swanny1953]

The speedometer in the ‘34 has been off by a bunch. At GPS indicated 60 MPH, the speedo reads 75. It’s a Classic Instruments speedo, so off to the World Wide Web to do some searching as I’m sure there has to be a calibration routine. Luckily, I found an 8 Pulse Speedometer Calibration Chart on their website. Not knowing whether I had the matching speedo, but figuring they would make things similar across their offerings, I downloaded the chart.
There’s not a lot of room under the dash in this one. This pic from my iPhone shows the bottom of the speedo housing confirming my hope that I had the 8 dip switches. However, the switches are so small, I couldn’t differentiate them using my finger.

A couple of years ago I bought an endoscope that works with the iPhone. [Dual-Lens] Endoscope Camera with... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCHSCYCL?tag=atomicindus08-20

I was able to position the scope so I could observe my “awkward” movements with a small flat blade screwdriver.

The screwdriver worked for moving the switches from the open to closed position, but the dash support brace and recessed nature of the speedo housing wouldn’t let me move the switches from closed to open. Enter the trusty plastic pick

With the pick I was able to set the proper open switches. Now for a test drive to confirm.

 

[Swanny1953]

After first test drive, speedo was off by more that before changing dip switch settings. I guess I read my notes backward - at GPS of 60, the speedo was 50. So, back to massaging the dip switch settings. After another test drive session, I now have it within 1 MPH at 60 - close enough for me.
Now to put the interior kick panels back together.

 

[Bob Heine]

Gary, it warms my 80 YO heart to see you make your dreams, both old and new, come true. Pearl white is such a stunning finish on a car or truck. The sound of the flat plane crank V8 is a huge cherry on top.

An F250 with a 3-axle trailer and a slant drilling rig ran a median stop sign and I hit him at around 70 mph. Initial impact sent me into a Tahoe waiting to cross the road and totaled her car as well. The impact was hard enough to turn the F250 completely around.

Looks like someone besides me had a really lucky day.

 

[Blackbyrd]

Congrats on the Z!!!

 

[Swanny1953]

To recap, I installed the Direct Lift 8K model. The bridge jack weighs about 300 lbs and rests on the runways with nylon sliders. I lift fairly heavy weights at the YMCA every 3 days so I don't think I'm particularly weak, but I am 69 years old. It's damn near impossible for me to slide that thing.

Does anyone have any secrets on how to more easily slide the bridge jack ? Is there any lube that can safely be applied between the runway and the nylon sliders that won't negatively affect the nylon? TIA.

Gary, it warms my 80 YO heart to see you make your dreams, both old and new, come true. Pearl white is such a stunning finish on a car or truck. The sound of the flat plane crank V8 is a huge cherry on top.

Looks like someone besides me had a really lucky day.

Thanks, Bob! I’m really lucky on many fronts. Lori broke down and cried in the ER when she saw those wreck photos. To this day, we hold hands whenever we traverse that section of highway, which is often as it’s on the way to our lake place. I was also very lucky with the Corvette/deer incident as a millisecond earlier on either part and that deer would have been hit dead center and who knows what the outcome of that would have been been!! Blessed indeed!

Congrats on the Z!!!

Thank you, sir! Now to just enjoy it!

 

[Swanny1953]

Since I recently got the 427 Convertible back from the body shop after 6 months, I guess it was time for another mishap?
Since Lori and the girls went to Vegas for a Back Street Boys concert, I decided the dog and I needed to head up to the lake for a couple of minor projects. No sooner did we get on the road, but a big F-something decided he needed part of my lane! Fortunately, I saw him coming just in time to swerve to the right to avoid a major collision, but we did swap mirror impacts at a combined speed of around 90. By the time I would have been able to turn around and chase him down, I probably would have lost him at the light.
Here's the damage - destroyed mirror and cracked drivers door glass.

I've done some research on the cost of parts, and given the level of my deductible, this will be a self repair on the mirror and a visit to Safelite for the door glass replacement. But . . . . . . . **** - I didn't need this less than a week before we head out on our big trip!

 

[Xti04]

Gary I just replaced my tow mirror after smacking mirrors with another f series truck while towing my boat. I had the window down and had my younger son been in his seat he would have been cut to pieces by all the mirror glass that impaled his booster seat. I made it out with one small cut on my arm and the irritation of having to spend time to repair something because someone doesnt understand what a double yellow line means.

 

[Swanny1953]

Gary I just replaced my tow mirror after smacking mirrors with another f series truck while towing my boat. I had the window down and had my younger son been in his seat he would have been cut to pieces by all the mirror glass that impaled his booster seat. I made it out with one small cut on my arm and the irritation of having to spend time to repair something because someone doesn't understand what a double yellow line means.

Glad you were OK. It's infuriating, but could have been much worse had I not been paying attention!

 

[LXCam]

Damn Gary, with the luck you’ve been having might I suggest you adopt me to be you chauffeur


Btw, where’s this trip too? We’re heading to Yellowstone this week then off to Mount Rushmore.

 

[GRN96WS6]

Ugh I've had a mirror smack at speed twice, and it's an eye opening experience. I'm glad you are ok.

 

[zmotorsports]

Damn Gary, Lori's not gonna want to leave you alone if you keep this up.

Glad it was minor damage though and it wasn't more serious.

 

[HogDude]

Since I recently got the 427 Convertible back from the body shop after 6 months, I guess it was time for another mishap?
Since Lori and the girls went to Vegas for a Back Street Boys concert, I decided the dog and I needed to head up to the lake for a couple of minor projects. No sooner did we get on the road, but a big F-something decided he needed part of my lane! Fortunately, I saw him coming just in time to swerve to the right to avoid a major collision, but we did swap mirror impacts at a combined speed of around 90. By the time I would have been able to turn around and chase him down, I probably would have lost him at the light.
Here's the damage - destroyed mirror and cracked drivers door glass.

I've done some research on the cost of parts, and given the level of my deductible, this will be a self repair on the mirror and a visit to Safelite for the door glass replacement. But . . . . . . . **** - I didn't need this less than a week before we head out on our big trip!

Sorry to hear this Swanny. Glad you're okay.

 

[Swanny1953]

Damn Gary, with the luck you’ve been having might I suggest you adopt me to be you chauffeur


Btw, where’s this trip too? We’re heading to Yellowstone this week then off to Mount Rushmore.

Cam, if you were only closer. . . . . . . . . . . .
We're headed to SLC through Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. Our tour starts in SLC next Wednesday night with a group dinner. Then, Jackson Hole, Tetons, 2 nights in Yellowstone, Sheridan, WY, Gillette, WY and end up in Rapid City for Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands and Wall Drug. After Rapid City, we'll head to Grand Forks, ND to visit my niece whose husband just got command of a squadron at that base, then stop in Omaha to visit friends who have relocated there. Gonna hit Bill Smith's American Museum of Speed in Lincoln, NE on the way home! All in, 20 days! Hope Lori doesn't want to kill me by the end

Ugh I've had a mirror smack at speed twice, and it's an eye opening experience. I'm glad you are ok.

Thanks - me too It really rattled me at the time, especially since I had to take an evasive maneuver to avoid a more serious accident!

Damn Gary, Lori's not gonna want to leave you alone if you keep this up.

Glad it was minor damage though and it wasn't more serious.

Mike, you're probably not far from right. Was able to source a mirror and replace it, and the glass was replaced on Tuesday, so all back to normal. No other significant damage besides window and mirror - yes!! I'm lucky in that!!

Sorry to hear this Swanny. Glad you're okay.

Thanks, Bud!

 

[LXCam]

Cam, if you were only closer. . . . . . . . . . . .
We're headed to SLC through Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. Our tour starts in SLC next Wednesday night with a group dinner. Then, Jackson Hole, Tetons, 2 nights in Yellowstone, Sheridan, WY, Gillette, WY and end up in Rapid City for Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands and Wall Drug. After Rapid City, we'll head to Grand Forks, ND to visit my niece whose husband just got command of a squadron at that base, then stop in Omaha to visit friends who have relocated there. Gonna hit Bill Smith's American Museum of Speed in Lincoln, NE on the way home! All in, 20 days! Hope Lori doesn't want to kill me by the end

Thanks - me too It really rattled me at the time, especially since I had to take an evasive maneuver to avoid a more serious accident!

Mike, you're probably not far from right. Was able to source a mirror and replace it, and the glass was replaced on Tuesday, so all back to normal. No other significant damage besides window and mirror - yes!! I'm lucky in that!!

Thanks, Bud!

Too funny. We’re in Jackson hole right now and doing the Tetons tomorrow then off to Yellowstone for three days then over to Mount Rushmore then down thru the west side of CO into grand junction.

I know last year we played this same game of musical chairs just a bit further east and south.

Ya’ll have a great trip.

 

[Swanny1953]

Cam, what they say about great minds and all!!!!
You enjoy your trip as well. From where we are tonight, this is all virgin territory for Lori!

 

[Swanny1953]

Today was day one of our 20-day road trip. Nothing exciting today, just 5+ hours to Amarillo. But, before we left, breakfast at our favorite local diner. Their "ultimate omelet" is one of the best I've had.

We were a bit late hitting the road as we're taking advantage of our absence to get the water damage repaired. We (alright, Lori) had to make a couple of last minute decisions about color changes on a couple of accent walls before we got underway.
We decided to hit up the Big Texan steak house for dinner.


They didn't have any takers for the 72 oz challenge, but we enjoyed our dinner. I know it's not the best steakhouse, but our food was pretty good. The breaded mushrooms were huge!

Tomorrow we'll drive to Colorado Springs - Lori has never been. We have dinner reservations at the Broadmoor.

 

[zmotorsports]

Gary, when my wife and I attended an RV rally in Palo Duro back in 2015 some of our Texas friends insisted that we had to go to the Big Texan for dinner one night. I had seen it spotlighted on a TV, can't remember the program, so it was kind of cool to actually go there. When we got there up on the raised platform area there were three takers of the 72 oz. Challenge. I didn't realize the challenge was more than just the steak, they had to eat EVERYTHING that the meal came with, sides and all. I used to be quite a big eater, but I don't think I would have the stones to try that, I'd be sick for a week.

 

[Swanny1953]

Mike, while we were there last night, nobody had the "stones" to take on the challenge. Yeah, in addition to the steak, there's a shrimp cocktail, salad, loaded baked potato, bread & butter. Astoundingly, the record is under 5 minutes and a rather petite woman (based on her "champion" picture) holds it!!!
I know the place is targeted at tourists and probably doesn't have the best steak in town, but we found our meal to be quite good.

 

[Swanny1953]

Yesterday was more driving from Amarillo to Colorado Springs. We stopped in Raton and had lunch at a 100+ year old restaurant, Papa’s Sweet Shop.
We ventured up to the Broadmoor Hotel.
It’s probably been 15 years since I was here last for a board meeting - Lori has never been here. Their rooms were completely booked when I tried to make reservations more than 2 months ago!! No golf today, although this sure looked inviting!!

We had dinner at The Golden Bee, an authentic 19th century English pub that was transported panel by panel to the Broadmoor in 1961. Food was very tasty and the piano player was very good!!

 

[Swanny1953]

Saturday, we decided to take on Pikes Peak. I didn’t know we needed advance tickets to do the ascent, so while in traffic, Lori hits the website to buy tickets. Just before we got to the entrance, she lost cell service. ****. But, as we get closer, there are people working the cars, and we were able to buy a pass on site. Whew!
This is a very technical drive (more so even than the Tail is the Dragon), with 156 turns in 12.4 miles (that’s the International Hill Climb mileage - a race they began running in 1916!!).

The views are spectacular. The temps dropped from mid-80’s in Colorado Springs to 59 at the summit.

I ran pretty much the entire ascent and decline with the PDR running to get a video of the drive. Quite a few times we pulled over to let some very slow (read intimidated) drivers get ahead of us so my recording wouldn’t be filled with just their license plates!!
There is also a cog railroad that goes to the summit from Manitou Springs.

On the way back down, we stopped at the Colorado North Pole so Lori could visit the gift shop. She’s so proud to call me hers!!

She was able to mail postcards to the grandkids postmarked from the North Pole.

 

[Swanny1953]

We decided to hit up Manitou Springs for lunch. Lori found the Manitou Brewing Company on the web with good ratings and we decided to try it. We both tried their MBC brat, which is house made with onions and peppers. Very tasty!
Then we explored the Garden of the Gods. This plaque explains a lot!


The rock formations in this place are spectacular!!


After our day of exploring, I challenged Lori to find us a local place for dinner. She found a place called O’Malleys in the country that serves a very tasty prime dip and fish & chips.

 

[Swanny1953]

The next day we headed to Grand Junction. Through Denver, we took a little side trip to the Red Rocks Amphitheater. It’s a pretty arduous “walk” to the amphitheater itself, but what a glorious venue!



We stopped in Frisco, CO for a bio break, and being near lunchtime, I again challenged Lori to find us a place to eat. She came through again with the 5th Avenue Grille. She had the charred Caesar salad with shrimp and I had their pineapple mezcal chicken sandwich, both of which were excellent.


Then, on to Grand Junction and visiting and dinner at a local pub with friends.

 

[Dodge]

Which car are you driving? I apologize if you mentioned it already and i missed it.
Looks like a very nice road trip. Beautiful country. When you get home, could you mention the total miles driven?

 

[Swanny1953]

We're driving our '16 Cadillac CTS-V. Based on the mapping I did pre-trip, it should be right around 4,000 miles, but will update when we're home in a couple of weeks.

 

[Swanny1953]

On Monday, our friend was kind enough to show us around his “playground”. He is an avid mountain biker, hiker, etc. so the area is perfect for his activities in retirement.
We spent the morning exploring the Colorado National Monument, going from the eastern entrance to the western entrance. The scenery is breathtaking!!


This is Fallen Rock, where a large portion of the canyon wall slid down intact.

This is Independence Monument, where several hikers ascend each 4th of July to plant the American flag!

Independence Monument from a different angle further west.

We then traveled east to Palisade and had lunch at 13 Brix Cider Bistro where, you guessed it, they distill their own cider. I was not aware that the Grand Junction valley was so famous for their peaches. We had to try a flight of their peach and other ciders.

 

[Swanny1953]

We then went up to Grand Mesa, which is the largest flat top mountain in the world. Well, once you get to the ridge, it’s not so flat!! Again some beautiful scenery.

We then aired down and took a gravel trail to Lands End observatory, constructed by the CCC on the western lip of Grand Mesa. There were lots of friendly squirrels to take nuts out of your hands - they were well trained.

Being it’s called Lands End, the views go in for miles. This is the switchback trail we followed to descend.

All in all, a very enjoyable day, capped off with a great meal in downtown Grand Junction and teaching our friends a new board game!! Thanks again, Rick, for your marvelous hospitality!!

 

[Swanny1953]

Yesterday, we drove from Grand Junction to Salt Lake City. Our 2laneamerica.com tour of Jackson, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, etc. begins tonight with a group dinner at our hotel.
Several friends have suggested visiting the Family Search Library. Here you can use their computers to research your family history, create a free account, and be guided through the whole process by a very helpful docent. For any interested in embarking on this search on your own, the website is www.familysearch.org and the accounts are free!

After an hour or so of effort, I was able to print this fan chart of my family tree which shows country of origin going back 7 generations - pretty cool!

Well, we're off to dinner with our soon to be new friends!

 

[LXCam]

Sounds like you two are having a blast Gary. Ya better step on it though, we’re just a couple days behind you. We’ll be in grand junction tomorrow but unfortunately where you exited stage right, we’ll be going stage left to end our two week trip.

A couple suggestions. Absolutely do the grand Tetons loop, you’ll love it. Also if you’re passing thru alpine during a meal break the bull moose lodge and saloon food is awesome. Everything we got was perfect.

Safe travels bud.

 

[Swanny1953]

Thanks, Cam - hope you enjoyed your trip!
Today was SLC to Jackson, WY. We stopped at an overlook for Bear Lake and had a picnic lunch.

Our merry band of travelers -

On the way to Jackson, we passed through Afton, which has this phenomenal antler arch over the highway.

Following that, we had a beautiful drive along the Snake River leading to Jackson.
After settling into our hotel, we had dinner at the Silver Dollar Bar & Grill, where the bar is inlaid with hundreds of uncirculated silver dollars. I had Wort’s famous corn chowder and their meatloaf, while Lori had the Gyro made with marinated elk tips. Very tasty!
Jackson is also famous for its antler arches leading into the town square.

Tomorrow, Lori gets to discover the Teton’s and get her first glimpse of Yellowstone! Should be a fun day!

 

[Swanny1953]

I'm trying to keep up on this trip diary as we go, rather than needing to post several days activity after the fact and depend on aging recollections!
The last time I was in Wyoming was 43 years ago when visiting my sister who lived in Sheridan at the time, and her family and I spent a very full/quick day in Yellowstone, then drove south to Jackson Hole, only seeing the Tetons at a great distance at late dusk. So, I missed much of the grandeur of the Tetons.
So, while this was Lori's introduction to Wyoming, it was also my first significant visit to the Tetons, at least that I can remember (I'm sure we had family trips there as a youngster, but I don't have any specific recollections).
We left Jackson headed for Yellowstone. It's just amazing that the Tetons just "reveal" themselves to you while going around a corner. These mountains are unlike most others in the country, in that there are no foothills leading up to the mountain peaks. I don't know all the geological details about why this is, but the effect is really dramatic!

We first visited the National Park visitor's center, then went to the the Episcopal Chapel of the Transfiguration. What a view from this little chapel!!


We then went to Jackson Lodge - this is the view from the rear of the lodge -

Next up today, we went to the Old Faithful region of Yellowstone National Park. On the way, we crossed the Continental Divide 3 times, at 7,988 ft., 8,391 ft., and 8,262 ft. Once we got to there, we had a late lunch at the Old Faithful Lodge before Old Faithful was scheduled to "blow" at 1:54 PM, give or take 10 minutes. Once we finished lunch, we went along the boardwalk with everyone else to anxiously await the eruption. It was late, but spectacular (as it always is)!!

Out group wasn't scheduled to leave until after a second eruption later that afternoon, so we walked around the geyser area where there are several other geysers and hot springs. The hot spring were very colorful, depending on the chemical makeup of the ground around the springs.


After getting our steps in for the day, we retired to the Old Faithful Inn for some ice cream. There is a very unusual and impressive clock in the lobby of the Inn, along with some interesting architecture!

We then drove to our lodging for the night in West Yellowstone, MT that, while only less than 20 miles away, took more than an hour and a half to accomplish! We ended the day with a meal at a relatively new place in town, T.R. Burgers (named after Teddy Roosevelt). I had the San Juan burger and it was delicious.

Tomorrow is a guided tour of Yellowstone, which I'm sure will reveal more of the wonders contained in this first ever National Park!

 

[Swanny1953]

Saturday was our day for no driving as we had a 8 hour guided tour of the north end of Yellowstone. This was our transport for the day.

They also run this during the winter, but with different wheels and tires. I'm told they just remove a spacer to bring everything a little closer to the ground to run "only 37's" during the summer.

Our first stop was a set of waterfalls along the Gibbon River. Very scenic.

We also stopped at Roaring Springs. We were informed you could really hear the venting of these, but the wind was blowing pretty good, so we couldn't hear anything.

Next stop was Mammoth, WY to grab some lunch for a later picnic and to view the hot springs.
The best part of this day was the wildlife we got to see. There was a huge bison herd right along the road - this fella wanted a close-up!

A little further along, we stopped to view an osprey nest. There were 2 adults in the nest.

We were also lucky enough to see 3 bears running through the trees a few yards off the highway.

Once the tour was over, we ventured across the street from our hotel to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. The wolves were all resting while we were there, but the bears got pretty comical.

Later we went to the Buffalo Bar in West Yellowstone for dinner - would certainly recommend!

 

[LXCam]

Gary, we got skunked on the wild life at Yellowstone. Matter of fact the only thing we saw the entire time was this elk

We didn’t get any decent action until we hit Custer park in SD.

Keep the updates coming my friend.

 

[Swanny1953]

Sunday we drove from West Yellowstone to Cody, WY. We stopped at Yellowstone Falls and saw the beginning of the “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone”! What gorgeous scenery!

We then exited through the east entrance to the park and stopped at the historic Pahaska Teepee Resort which is also home to Buffalo Bill Cody’s hunting lodge.

Then on to Cody, WY, where we visited the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, which is a phenomenal complex of 5 museums - Plains Indians, Buffalo Bill Cody, Whitney Western Art, Draper Natural History and Cody Firearms museums. We didn’t get a chance to visit the firearms museum as I’m not a big enthusiast. But I’m told they are happy to assist with determining the provenance of most any firearm.

After leaving the museum, we ventured to the Irma Hotel for a late lunch. This was Buffalo Bill’s hotel named for his daughter and features a bar given to him by the queen of England.
We ended the day by attending the Cody Rodeo which is held nightly throughout June, July & August.

I convinced Lori to have her picture taken in Norman the bull -

She’s obviously a good sport!!
We really enjoyed the rodeo, especially the youngest contestants!!

 

[Swanny1953]

Well, today (Monday) was an adventure. We drove from Cody to Gillette, WY with a stop at the Crow Agency and Battlefield Trading Post and Cafe in Crow Agency, MT. I’ll post up some pics tomorrow, but the adventure involved our car. I got a warning of low tire pressure at our first stop in the Teton’s on Friday. I had packed a portable pump, one of those Airmoto ones, that pumped up the tire, although somewhat slowly. The tire held pressure the remainder of the day.
Since we had our guided tour on Saturday, the car wasn’t used and the slow leak continued. However, the pump wouldn’t recharge using the USB-C cable for Lori’s iPhone. Early Sunday morning, while semiconscious before waking up, I remembered I had encountered a couple of tools in the garage that would only charge with the USB-C cable they were supplied with. Once I retrieved that cable from the trunk, the pump recharged enough fill the tire and it held pressure for the remainder of the day.
This morning, the tire was only down 3 PSI, so I broke out the pump again thinking I would have another uneventful day and planning to get the slow leak repaired in Gillette where there was a Discount Tire store.
After lunch, we drove through the grounds of and “campgrounds” of the Crow nation gathering that was going on. Part of this was a gravel road.
Once we hit I90 to Gillette, I noticed the damn tire was losing air at about 1 PSI every few miles. We pulled over for gas, and I filled it again. We didn’t make it 20 miles down the road before it had lost half its pressure. Luckily, I was able to get it to a rest area before it got so low that it destroyed the sidewall.
The tour director pulled over with me and sent the rest of the group to our next stop. I had 1 bar of cell service, but was able to get through to AAA to request a rollback. While I was on hold, I sent the tour director and my wife on to join the group at our next scheduled stop. Of course, once they left, the call got dropped before all the arrangements had been finalized, and messaging didn’t seem to fully work. I was able to finally reconnect and they told me my tow would be there around 4:20. I was able to call Discount Tire to tell them I was coming and what the issue was, and finally got through after several attempts.
The tow truck showed up later than expected and it looked like we would get to Discount about closing time. On the way, I called again and finally got through (again after several attempts!!). They said we got there by closing, they would do their best to take a look at the issue.
We rolled in around 6:10 and they still took me in. Long story short, they were able to patch the tire, which was a great thing because they didn’t have a replacement in stock, which would have meant an extended stay in Gillette and missing the last 2 days of our tour! We definitely dodged a bullet on this one.

 

[zmotorsports]

Sounds and looks like a great trip Gary, other than the tire issue of course.

You have been to so many places that the wife and I blessed to be able to go to often being in our backyard. So sorry we missed you and Lori, we would have loved to have met you in person. Too bad our trips aligned during the same week and we weren't home.