We had one stop to make between Kentucky and Alaska and that was Des Moines, IA to visit Shadow’s cousin Angie and her husband Tom. Our travel there was full of events. The roads between Louisville and Indianapolis were terrible. Terrible! Shadow and I would go stiff and look above and behind us just waiting to see something fall off the walls. TV, cabinets, microwave, anything. Once we passed Indy and headed NorthWest things smoothed out as we drove through Illinois, but after a quick stop for gas in Iowa things took a turn. I was coming back from walking Judy while Shadow was getting gas when I noticed liquid dripping from Large Marge (our RV). After further inspection, we were leaking antifreeze from the radiator. Shadow and my Dad zip-tied screen to the radiator front because a couple we met in Florida suggested it to keep rocks from puncturing holes. It was 5:00pm and Shadow and I began to call local car shops before they closed. As nice as the MidWestern people are, no one could check out the problem and a radiator replacement was not on our schedule. We were 300 miles from Des Moines with two options. Either have Good Sams tow us or try this after market liquid aluminum that claimed to stop leaks. We nervously waited the 30 minutes for the product to work and bingo! It worked! We cautiously continued through Iowa and planned to take a better look once we got to Tom and Angie’s place. During the panic of our radiator, Shadow’s phone started ringing…and ringing…and ringing. All from previous co-workers. One of Shadow’s close friends had passed away. It’s amazing how one phone call can change everything. How one person’s life can have this unbelievable spider web effect on so many people. We were lucky to have had a great evening with Rick in Nashville at Eric’s retirement party. That evening was filled with emotions. We discussed our memories of Rick. From Shadow’s days fishing on Guntersville Lake in Alabama, to long training runs preparing for a Ragnar Relay race, to a week long mans trip in Canada, to sky diving in Chattanooga last year. Times like this makes every goodbye meaningful. I want to be conscious when I say, “Good to see you.”, “Take Care”, “See you soon”. I want to look deep into their eyes with a meaningful connection. I take for granted that I WILL see this person when we pass by through, but the reality is that I may not. Even though Shadow and I are alway on the go traveling from one place to another. We are always, with out question, here for each and every one of you. Never hesitate to call us just because, and we will do the same. Rick, you will be missed and never replaced. You were truly one of a kind. Shadow’s sadness is profound and he will carry his memories of you for the rest of his life.
As always, our time with Tom and Angie was a blast. It’s so easy to be around them both. It has been a joke between Shadow and Angie that we crisscross the country, but never seem to stop by Des Moines to see her. There are many different routes to Alaska and we chose the MidWestern route through North Dakota - Saskchewan - Alberta - BC - Yukon. To our surprise Des Moines is a pretty hip town. Very bike friendly, lots of greenways, and local places to eat including Zombie Burger, where Tom and I shared a Fruity Pebbles milkshake. Yes it was as good as it sounds. As for Large Marge, her leak was from a radiator hose that was easily fixed. We left Iowa and headed toward Fargo where we passed a SPAM Museum. Speaking of non-perishable foods, our goal was to hit the last Costco before the border. Our plan is to fill the freezer and cupboards with cheaper food and restock throughout the season at the Anchorage Costco. It was a cold and windy drive across North Dakota. The land was flat and the back roads to Minot, ND followed a lonely railroad track. We knew that the prairies of Canada were no better so we settled in for the long drive.
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| Rick and BJ |
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| Miller-Romines RV Service |
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| Our God-Dogs Ringo and Abby |
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| North Dakota |
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