Well, it's been far too long since this trip actually happened to me finally getting some writing done and publishing it somewhere :).
So, I've started this thread to reshare my tale for all of you on the forums :).
As I go along, I'll add new entries to this thread as each new chapter is written up.
So, here goes, starting with the Prologue to this Great Adventure :).
==================================================
Saturday, August 25, 2012
ProjectโReadying the Express for itโs return to the Road
For the past year, Iโve been planning what is to be my greatest cross country adventure with my RV Iโve ever done.
Part of that plan is readying my twenty year old pickup and camper for the rigors of close to 10,000 miles of travel, covering Interstates, US Highways, and in a couple cases, dirt and gravel roads.
One of the big things that needs readying for this trip is the replacement of the exhaust and the replacement of the truckโs engine and transmission cooling system, all of which are factory original, and worn beyond their expected lifespans.
Sadly, like a great many projects on a limited timeline, I didnโt photograph them, so Iโll narrate what I didnโt photograph and present what I did
.
Cooling System Upgrades
This really started presenting itself clear back in 2009 as being well worn, when the engine was having trouble staying cool during my Eastern Oregon Ramblinโ Journey (at the time of this post, I still havenโt gotten off my lazy butt and typed that adventure up yet).
We managed to limp through on that trip, shifting into 1st gear when not really necessary to boost the air flow through the worn radiator, but the radiator ended up hanging around for three more years, as travel during the warmer months of the year hadnโt presented itself again until the Great Northern Redneck Adventure.
So, after some shopping around, I finally located a local dealer who sold solid Aluminum radiators. At the same time, I also shopped around and decided to replace my tiny factory transmission cooler with a Tru-Cool MAX transmission cooler that is made by Long Industries and normally used in the newer Ford F550 pickup trucks.
The transmission cooler was rated for a vehicle with a 45,000lb GVWR, so I figured it would be more than enough to help keep the transmission temp down.
Once all my parts were obtained, I set about removing the old radiator and transmission cooler, the condition of which once removed confirmed my belief that Iโd have been a damned fool to have taken a long trip with the existing hardware.
The final nail in the coffin came when I unbolted the transmission cooler from the old radiator and it promptly fell apart, the cross bars for the transmission cooler the only thing holding the radiator together.
It took roughly a day to modify and assemble my new cooler and radiator. I had wanted to move the cooler up to the front of the grill stack under the hood, but the design of the truckโs front mount area prevented this from being feasible and the new transmission cooler sadly had to go back into the sandwich (A/C Evaporator, Transmission Cooler, then Radiator) where the old one had originally been.
After adding all the new transmission fluid hose and the below freezing bypass valve (allows the fluid to warm up to running temp before opening to allow fluid through the cooler when the fluidโs temp is at or below 32 degrees F), I reinstalled the new radiator under the hood.
Deep Transmission Pan
Next up was changing the transmission fluid. I decided that when I upgraded the cooling capacity, Iโd also upgrade the transmission fluid capacity as well. After posting a few threads on the subject earlier in the year, I researched a few different options and ended up with the DeRale Deep Transmission pan and pickup extension.
I decided to go with a steel pan vs aluminum mainly for the extra capacity and for the durability. The new pan also had a sensor bung for a transmission temperature sensor, so I also added a GlowShift transmission temp gauge.
The other big reason I went with a steel pan was that the factory pan magnet would adhere to it just like it had to the factory original pan, not to mention having a drain plug puts an end to the nightmare messes of doing a fluid change of the past.
The pan on the left above is the factory original transmission pan, the pan on the right is the new pan, just a hair deeper
.
I did have to cut a section of my truckโs exhaust off to get the new pan in place, but given the near rusted out condition of the majority of the exhaust, I wasnโt sad to see it go, the factory exhaust system was a joke.
When I added the temperature sensor assembly, there was a fairly decent debate on location of where one should measure the temperature. After a lot of back and forth between various peoples on various boards, I decided to go with the position that it was better to make sure the fluid was sufficiently cooled down before it went through the transmission.
Since my pickup is right above the sensor, Iโm fairly assured of the temperature of the fluid going into the transmission is the temperature being displayed by the gauge.
New Exhaust
Now, this I had a shop do. The overall diameter was upgraded on the pipes, all heavy duty stainless steel, high flow twin cats (Canโt get rid of them in Portland, sadly) and a massive high flow twin in and out muffler (about the size of a big beer keg, this thing is massive!).
I had the new twin out exhaust exit just ahead of the passenger side rear tires and the exhaust was rerouted from the driverโs side manifold so that it no longer crossed near the transmission pan.
A ball reservoir had to be relocated off a cross member and onto the inside of a frame rail, but that was the only modification needed to be done to the truck to fit the new custom welded exhaust.
Out of everything, the exhaust replacement made the most noticeable difference in the truckโs performance as the original single cat was pretty much plugged.
One thing also done during the exhaust repairs was to have the hinged flapper valve on the passenger side exhaust manifold welded into the open position as these have a bad habit of eventually rusting to the point where they get stuck closed.
Other things fixed
Other things that were done were replacing the driverโs side air bag, changing the oil, and fixing, hopefully for the last time, the lights on the forward cargo basket.
On the camper, the furnace vent was removed so that a new steel backing plate could be installed to prevent the new eye bolt from being pulled out of the camperโs wing like itโs predecessor had.
The propane compartment was removed and the floor jacked up into position it was supposed to be in and reattached to the camperโs walls, then the compartment was repaired and reinstalled so that it actually sealed the propane compartment air tight to the outside.
The two 20lb horizontal bottles were removed and taken to a local shop to have their valves replaced to solve fill issues and the floor anchors were reinstalled to fit the newer bottles so that they would remain secured in position.
The factory original rubber line for the regulator to the compartment wall was also replaced as the original was discovered to be badly dry rotted.
The driverโs side rear jack was removed and a hole drilled in the bottom to facilitate the application of gear oil to unbind the jackโs inner bearings that had rusted over the previous winter.
The water pump was adjusted to improve itโs cycling characteristics and more of the old polybutylene cold water line was removed and replaced with Pex and brass sharkbite fittings. The output line from the hot water heater to the hot water backbone pipe was also replaced from the under-sized flex line I had used to a true 1/2โ inner diameter pex line to give hot and cold water even water pump cycling characteristics.
Dedicated mount for Generator
In the past, my little champion generator was carried wrapped in a tarp on the front basket of the truck. While out of the way, it also was a pain to make use of the generator regularly, as it would need to be unpacked and unwrapped then set somewhere and chained in place and a cord run.
Since my plan for this great adventure was to make use of Walmarts and Truck Stops for a lot of my overnight sleep stops, having the generator setup in a permanent mount so I could start it as needed was necessary to save time on having to pack and unpack the generator and itโs security overnight.
So, I had a custom hinged basket made to mount the generator to. The basket is hinged so that when Iโm home, I can simply remove the generator and store it in the garage and fold the basket up so that the camper can back up to the deck.
Now, all I had to do to use the generator was loosen the cargo strap and start it up. An extension cord installed to the camper carried the power from the generator to the onboard systems. When I wanted to use shore power, all I had to do was unplug the cord coming from the generator at the camperโs main outlet and plug in my loose cord.
I did have to be careful of the wind when I parked as it needed to be such that it was calm or blowing away from the camper so that I didnโt end up with exhaust being blown back up into the camper when the generator was used, even though the exhaust was directed away from the vehicle.
In the future, I think an extended exhaust pipe will need to be made to help direct the exhaust.
Mounting the 30 gallon portable waste tank for travel
Back in 2009, I obtained a nice 30 gallon barker rolling portable waste tank when I was still doing my full timing at places where there wasnโt sewer hookups for the toilet waste.
Since I moved to the island, the tank hasnโt been used for trips as I didnโt have any place to carry it setup on the camper or truck. If I had had a ladder, this would have been easily solved, but my camper had no ladder and the location where one would have been was now occupied by my air conditioner.
The tank was too big to hang off the back wall without it being the way and too awkward to carry on the forward basket, so I had to come up with an alternative solution.
In the end, I simply mounted six heavy eye screws into the structural timbers along the underside of the camperโs rear overhang so that the waste tank could be strapped upside down against the underside of the camperโs onboard waste tank.
Why upside down? So that it could sit flush, if installed right side up, the connection point for the waste hose and the vent would have been in the way.
The tank was secured in place using three ratcheting cargo straps and stayed put by being wedged there by the hitch extension, the camperโs own overhanging surround and the truckโs bumper, keeping it from being able to shift in any direction.
The fit was fairly tight, very little wiggle room existed, but the tank was successfully mounted in place.
Between the blue rolling waste tank that could be towed behind the truck and the white fresh water tank on the front, it was possible to now stay an extended period of time where full hookups was not available, while using the camperโs faculties as if it was on full hookups.
Other added cargo changes
Again, another thing completed without pictures, eye hooks were added to the truck bed side walls so that other tools and supplies, like my oil changing pan, could be secured along side the camper in the truckโs bed.
In the end, I carried along spare soda, scrub brushes for cleaning the truck and camper, my big steel fire poker for camp fires, my oil changing pan and a spare folding camp chair were all stored in the spare spaces in the truckโs bed. This was all in addition to the three pairs of stackable jacks, 4 12x12x4โ cedar blocks and spare 4โ 2x6 that were already being stored in these spaces.
Things like the oil change pan and the scrub brushes were stored in the aft dead space behind the wheel well on the driverโs side as they wouldnโt be used while the camper was mounted.
The soda, chair and firepoker were all stored in the forward areas so they could easily be reached by the bed access doors in the camper.
Every square inch of extra storage space was utilized for this two month odyssey. Since the camper was planned to only be removed once during the trip for the extended stay near Kankakee, IL, there was no worry about the security of items stored in the truckโs bed.
So, I've started this thread to reshare my tale for all of you on the forums :).
As I go along, I'll add new entries to this thread as each new chapter is written up.
So, here goes, starting with the Prologue to this Great Adventure :).
==================================================
Saturday, August 25, 2012
ProjectโReadying the Express for itโs return to the Road
For the past year, Iโve been planning what is to be my greatest cross country adventure with my RV Iโve ever done.
Part of that plan is readying my twenty year old pickup and camper for the rigors of close to 10,000 miles of travel, covering Interstates, US Highways, and in a couple cases, dirt and gravel roads.
One of the big things that needs readying for this trip is the replacement of the exhaust and the replacement of the truckโs engine and transmission cooling system, all of which are factory original, and worn beyond their expected lifespans.
Sadly, like a great many projects on a limited timeline, I didnโt photograph them, so Iโll narrate what I didnโt photograph and present what I did
.Cooling System Upgrades
This really started presenting itself clear back in 2009 as being well worn, when the engine was having trouble staying cool during my Eastern Oregon Ramblinโ Journey (at the time of this post, I still havenโt gotten off my lazy butt and typed that adventure up yet).
We managed to limp through on that trip, shifting into 1st gear when not really necessary to boost the air flow through the worn radiator, but the radiator ended up hanging around for three more years, as travel during the warmer months of the year hadnโt presented itself again until the Great Northern Redneck Adventure.
So, after some shopping around, I finally located a local dealer who sold solid Aluminum radiators. At the same time, I also shopped around and decided to replace my tiny factory transmission cooler with a Tru-Cool MAX transmission cooler that is made by Long Industries and normally used in the newer Ford F550 pickup trucks.
The transmission cooler was rated for a vehicle with a 45,000lb GVWR, so I figured it would be more than enough to help keep the transmission temp down.
Once all my parts were obtained, I set about removing the old radiator and transmission cooler, the condition of which once removed confirmed my belief that Iโd have been a damned fool to have taken a long trip with the existing hardware.
The final nail in the coffin came when I unbolted the transmission cooler from the old radiator and it promptly fell apart, the cross bars for the transmission cooler the only thing holding the radiator together.
It took roughly a day to modify and assemble my new cooler and radiator. I had wanted to move the cooler up to the front of the grill stack under the hood, but the design of the truckโs front mount area prevented this from being feasible and the new transmission cooler sadly had to go back into the sandwich (A/C Evaporator, Transmission Cooler, then Radiator) where the old one had originally been.
After adding all the new transmission fluid hose and the below freezing bypass valve (allows the fluid to warm up to running temp before opening to allow fluid through the cooler when the fluidโs temp is at or below 32 degrees F), I reinstalled the new radiator under the hood.
Deep Transmission Pan
Next up was changing the transmission fluid. I decided that when I upgraded the cooling capacity, Iโd also upgrade the transmission fluid capacity as well. After posting a few threads on the subject earlier in the year, I researched a few different options and ended up with the DeRale Deep Transmission pan and pickup extension.
I decided to go with a steel pan vs aluminum mainly for the extra capacity and for the durability. The new pan also had a sensor bung for a transmission temperature sensor, so I also added a GlowShift transmission temp gauge.
The other big reason I went with a steel pan was that the factory pan magnet would adhere to it just like it had to the factory original pan, not to mention having a drain plug puts an end to the nightmare messes of doing a fluid change of the past.
The pan on the left above is the factory original transmission pan, the pan on the right is the new pan, just a hair deeper
. I did have to cut a section of my truckโs exhaust off to get the new pan in place, but given the near rusted out condition of the majority of the exhaust, I wasnโt sad to see it go, the factory exhaust system was a joke.
When I added the temperature sensor assembly, there was a fairly decent debate on location of where one should measure the temperature. After a lot of back and forth between various peoples on various boards, I decided to go with the position that it was better to make sure the fluid was sufficiently cooled down before it went through the transmission.
Since my pickup is right above the sensor, Iโm fairly assured of the temperature of the fluid going into the transmission is the temperature being displayed by the gauge.
New Exhaust
Now, this I had a shop do. The overall diameter was upgraded on the pipes, all heavy duty stainless steel, high flow twin cats (Canโt get rid of them in Portland, sadly) and a massive high flow twin in and out muffler (about the size of a big beer keg, this thing is massive!).
I had the new twin out exhaust exit just ahead of the passenger side rear tires and the exhaust was rerouted from the driverโs side manifold so that it no longer crossed near the transmission pan.
A ball reservoir had to be relocated off a cross member and onto the inside of a frame rail, but that was the only modification needed to be done to the truck to fit the new custom welded exhaust.
Out of everything, the exhaust replacement made the most noticeable difference in the truckโs performance as the original single cat was pretty much plugged.
One thing also done during the exhaust repairs was to have the hinged flapper valve on the passenger side exhaust manifold welded into the open position as these have a bad habit of eventually rusting to the point where they get stuck closed.
Other things fixed
Other things that were done were replacing the driverโs side air bag, changing the oil, and fixing, hopefully for the last time, the lights on the forward cargo basket.
On the camper, the furnace vent was removed so that a new steel backing plate could be installed to prevent the new eye bolt from being pulled out of the camperโs wing like itโs predecessor had.
The propane compartment was removed and the floor jacked up into position it was supposed to be in and reattached to the camperโs walls, then the compartment was repaired and reinstalled so that it actually sealed the propane compartment air tight to the outside.
The two 20lb horizontal bottles were removed and taken to a local shop to have their valves replaced to solve fill issues and the floor anchors were reinstalled to fit the newer bottles so that they would remain secured in position.
The factory original rubber line for the regulator to the compartment wall was also replaced as the original was discovered to be badly dry rotted.
The driverโs side rear jack was removed and a hole drilled in the bottom to facilitate the application of gear oil to unbind the jackโs inner bearings that had rusted over the previous winter.
The water pump was adjusted to improve itโs cycling characteristics and more of the old polybutylene cold water line was removed and replaced with Pex and brass sharkbite fittings. The output line from the hot water heater to the hot water backbone pipe was also replaced from the under-sized flex line I had used to a true 1/2โ inner diameter pex line to give hot and cold water even water pump cycling characteristics.
Dedicated mount for Generator
In the past, my little champion generator was carried wrapped in a tarp on the front basket of the truck. While out of the way, it also was a pain to make use of the generator regularly, as it would need to be unpacked and unwrapped then set somewhere and chained in place and a cord run.
Since my plan for this great adventure was to make use of Walmarts and Truck Stops for a lot of my overnight sleep stops, having the generator setup in a permanent mount so I could start it as needed was necessary to save time on having to pack and unpack the generator and itโs security overnight.
So, I had a custom hinged basket made to mount the generator to. The basket is hinged so that when Iโm home, I can simply remove the generator and store it in the garage and fold the basket up so that the camper can back up to the deck.
Now, all I had to do to use the generator was loosen the cargo strap and start it up. An extension cord installed to the camper carried the power from the generator to the onboard systems. When I wanted to use shore power, all I had to do was unplug the cord coming from the generator at the camperโs main outlet and plug in my loose cord.
I did have to be careful of the wind when I parked as it needed to be such that it was calm or blowing away from the camper so that I didnโt end up with exhaust being blown back up into the camper when the generator was used, even though the exhaust was directed away from the vehicle.
In the future, I think an extended exhaust pipe will need to be made to help direct the exhaust.
Mounting the 30 gallon portable waste tank for travel
Back in 2009, I obtained a nice 30 gallon barker rolling portable waste tank when I was still doing my full timing at places where there wasnโt sewer hookups for the toilet waste.
Since I moved to the island, the tank hasnโt been used for trips as I didnโt have any place to carry it setup on the camper or truck. If I had had a ladder, this would have been easily solved, but my camper had no ladder and the location where one would have been was now occupied by my air conditioner.
The tank was too big to hang off the back wall without it being the way and too awkward to carry on the forward basket, so I had to come up with an alternative solution.
In the end, I simply mounted six heavy eye screws into the structural timbers along the underside of the camperโs rear overhang so that the waste tank could be strapped upside down against the underside of the camperโs onboard waste tank.
Why upside down? So that it could sit flush, if installed right side up, the connection point for the waste hose and the vent would have been in the way.
The tank was secured in place using three ratcheting cargo straps and stayed put by being wedged there by the hitch extension, the camperโs own overhanging surround and the truckโs bumper, keeping it from being able to shift in any direction.
The fit was fairly tight, very little wiggle room existed, but the tank was successfully mounted in place.
Between the blue rolling waste tank that could be towed behind the truck and the white fresh water tank on the front, it was possible to now stay an extended period of time where full hookups was not available, while using the camperโs faculties as if it was on full hookups.
Other added cargo changes
Again, another thing completed without pictures, eye hooks were added to the truck bed side walls so that other tools and supplies, like my oil changing pan, could be secured along side the camper in the truckโs bed.
In the end, I carried along spare soda, scrub brushes for cleaning the truck and camper, my big steel fire poker for camp fires, my oil changing pan and a spare folding camp chair were all stored in the spare spaces in the truckโs bed. This was all in addition to the three pairs of stackable jacks, 4 12x12x4โ cedar blocks and spare 4โ 2x6 that were already being stored in these spaces.
Things like the oil change pan and the scrub brushes were stored in the aft dead space behind the wheel well on the driverโs side as they wouldnโt be used while the camper was mounted.
The soda, chair and firepoker were all stored in the forward areas so they could easily be reached by the bed access doors in the camper.
Every square inch of extra storage space was utilized for this two month odyssey. Since the camper was planned to only be removed once during the trip for the extended stay near Kankakee, IL, there was no worry about the security of items stored in the truckโs bed.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 7โ Riding the old Milwaukee Road
View GNRA - Chapter 7 - Riding the old Milwaukee Road Map
Bright and early the following morning, we dug ourselves out of bed, packed up our gear and started back down the old River Road back towards I-90, because today was the day we were going to make use of those bikes hanging off the back of the truck and ride the Route of the Hiawatha Trail!
Not wanting to waste an opportunity, we drove back along old River Road till it finally came to an end and a bridge further south along the road, closer to the Snakepit, giving us a chance to take a closer look at those other RV parks weโd seen on the way in the night before.
Before long, we were at last back on I-90 and saying our goodbyes to Idaho, well, at least until we rode back into it via the Taft tunnel at the beginning of the Hiawatha Trail
.
Eventually, we found our way from Exit 5, along the dirt and gravel roads till we reached the trail head for the trail.
Trail inspectors were out and about, making certain people had their helmets and headlights, after changing into our riding clothes and unloading the bikes, we made our way over to the little EZ Up Canopy to purchase our trail passes and tickets for the shuttle, a mystical vehicle that in my two times on this trail, have yet to actually manage to get a ride onโฆ.
Once the ticketing was done, toilets used, the only thing left was the mouth of Taft Tunnel, looming ahead of us.
Over a mile long, the tunnel is a frosty 45 degrees inside, lined with deep concrete culverts along each side to channel the ever seeping water dripping out of the mountainโs rock away from the road bed.
The tunnel has no lights of itโs own, one must provide lighting on their bicycle. When I had ridden this trail back in 2005, I still had batteries for my mountain bikeโs two big onboard headlights. Sadly, by 2012, the rechargeable 6 volts were long gone and I forgot to bring the bag that the batteries ride in with me on the trip!
So, our solution was two LED high power Head lamps that we jury-rigged to mount through the vent opening on our bike helmets. In hindsight, I should have forgone the elastic strap and just duct taped the damned thing in place, as it fell loose by the time I was a quarter of the way through the tunnel.
For the remainder of the tunnel, I ended up holding it in one hand to illuminate the way while using the other to actuate only one of the brake controls instead of both.
Did I mention that the trail is downhill itโs entire 15 mile length?
Eventually, we made it out to the other side, and took a few moments rest along side the stream running near the western entrance to the tunnel.
While we rested and recounted our adventures through the tunnel, at which time I learned Mason nearly ended up in one of the culverts, a little flying visitor came to join us.
Soon, we were once again blazing down the trail, passing through a continuing series of tunnels as we went.
Along the way, shortly after exiting one of the tunnels, we came across another couple stopped in the same area asking for someone to take their picture in front of the tunnelโs mouth. In exchange, they took our picture for us
.
Along the route of the trail there are signboards on which details of the construction of the grade and the history of the Milwaukee Road Railroad can be read.
As you ride the grade down, you skirt along the edges of the Bitterroot Mountains, with vistas of the mountains and valleys still far below. There are no guard rails along this ride, so be certain to keep your bike under control, going off the edge here is one hell of a drop.
When we stopped a little while later for a rest brake, Mason had a close call when he had difficulty actuating the brakes on the bike he was using and clipped one of the rocks lining the edge of a view point clearing and took a biff.
Not long after this incident, we crossed our first trestle on the grade.
This one was soon followed by several more, interspersed with more tunnels, providing ongoing entertainment as we fought with trying to use our little, rather unhelpful head lamps.
A number of people, when they think of a railroad tunnel, think of a smooth, concrete lined thing, much like a good number of highway tunnels.
For most tunnels on a railroad, especially old ones that havenโt since been enlarged to accommodate ever growing stack container trains and other freight, theyโre rough hewn rock, broken lose through the use of hand drills and black powder or nitroglycerin.
From a number of view points as you make your way down the grade you can even seen the grade ahead far below as it zigs and zags back and forth through the mountains, slowly descending in elevation.
The view far below one of the trestlesโฆ
One tunnel caught my attention in particular on the ride, as it was the only one that was closed to riding due to having been built across a fault line.
As the mountain shifted, the tunnelโs cracked and began to collapse in. I did my best to get a shot though the chain link fencing on the gates keeping riders safely outside the failing tunnel.
It was around this point that we ran into one of the Trail Rangers making his way down to the bottom of the trail at speed. He pulled off and spoke with us as we were stopped outside one of the tunnels, and informed us that we were only half way through and told us the time.
We thanked him and decided at this point that Mason and I would split up. Mason would start from where we were and ride back to the top of the trail and I was going to go on ahead, having ridden the trail from end to end before, and see if I could catch the bus, and if not, turn around if I hadnโt made it when our deadline for the bus hit.
Not too long after Mason and I parted ways, I came around a bend and found this grave marker.
The marker is from when the trains rescued a great many from the 1910 blaze that destroyed over three million acres of forest in the area, and of a man who was on one of those trains racing through the blaze who panicked and jumped from the moving train to his death.
The train and the remaining passengers continued on and survived. After the fires had died, they came back and found his body and buried him beside the track, figuring to him to be a railroad laborer, also known as a โGandy Dancerโ.
I continued along from here a good place before stopping once again at the remains of the old track side village of Adair. Only a few rotting old buildings stand testament to a settlement long gone.
Eventually, as I rode on, I too, ran out of time, several miles past where Mason I separated, but no where close to the bus or the end of the trail.
So, I started back and realized that perhaps I should have taken some time before the trip to actually ride my bike, especially up-hillโฆ..
I discovered that a 1.5% downgrade is great for coasting, but a royal pain in the butt if youโre out of shape and havenโt ridden your bike at all during the prior part of the year before going on this trip.
Fortunately, for me, there were still people coming down the trail behind me, and as I huffed and puffed my way back up the hill, I inquired of passersby if they were heading back towards the top of the trail and if they had room for one more man and a bike.
For a while, there, I didnโt think I was going to find one, figuring Iโd used up that last little nugget of luck back in 2007 when Peter and I had hiked the Ten Falls Trail at Silvercreek Falls in Oregon, but just as I thought I was stuck with hiking all the way back up on foot, I came across this wonderful group of people.
Sadly, I cannot remember anyoneโs names anymore, but I still thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Having procured a ride, I turned around and joined them to finish the ride to the bottom of the trail. Let me tell you, this was the first time that by the finish of a bike ride, I was exhausted from coasting!
I was ever so glad when the end of the line appeared just below us on the grade.
Sadly, I didnโt have means of communicating to Mason that I had procured a ride back, so he worried and waited by the mouth of Taft tunnel until I arrived in their pickup truck back at the parking lot.
A quick wipe down with wet naps and a change into warmer clothes and heartfelt goodbyes, I loaded my bike back onto the track and climbed into the cab of the truck--
--And discovered when I turned on the headlights that the running lights would no longer come on when you pulled the knobโฆโฆโฆโฆ
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 7โ Riding the old Milwaukee Road
View GNRA - Chapter 7 - Riding the old Milwaukee Road Map
Bright and early the following morning, we dug ourselves out of bed, packed up our gear and started back down the old River Road back towards I-90, because today was the day we were going to make use of those bikes hanging off the back of the truck and ride the Route of the Hiawatha Trail!
Not wanting to waste an opportunity, we drove back along old River Road till it finally came to an end and a bridge further south along the road, closer to the Snakepit, giving us a chance to take a closer look at those other RV parks weโd seen on the way in the night before.
Before long, we were at last back on I-90 and saying our goodbyes to Idaho, well, at least until we rode back into it via the Taft tunnel at the beginning of the Hiawatha Trail
.
Eventually, we found our way from Exit 5, along the dirt and gravel roads till we reached the trail head for the trail.
Trail inspectors were out and about, making certain people had their helmets and headlights, after changing into our riding clothes and unloading the bikes, we made our way over to the little EZ Up Canopy to purchase our trail passes and tickets for the shuttle, a mystical vehicle that in my two times on this trail, have yet to actually manage to get a ride onโฆ.
Once the ticketing was done, toilets used, the only thing left was the mouth of Taft Tunnel, looming ahead of us.
Over a mile long, the tunnel is a frosty 45 degrees inside, lined with deep concrete culverts along each side to channel the ever seeping water dripping out of the mountainโs rock away from the road bed.
The tunnel has no lights of itโs own, one must provide lighting on their bicycle. When I had ridden this trail back in 2005, I still had batteries for my mountain bikeโs two big onboard headlights. Sadly, by 2012, the rechargeable 6 volts were long gone and I forgot to bring the bag that the batteries ride in with me on the trip!
So, our solution was two LED high power Head lamps that we jury-rigged to mount through the vent opening on our bike helmets. In hindsight, I should have forgone the elastic strap and just duct taped the damned thing in place, as it fell loose by the time I was a quarter of the way through the tunnel.
For the remainder of the tunnel, I ended up holding it in one hand to illuminate the way while using the other to actuate only one of the brake controls instead of both.
Did I mention that the trail is downhill itโs entire 15 mile length?
Eventually, we made it out to the other side, and took a few moments rest along side the stream running near the western entrance to the tunnel.
While we rested and recounted our adventures through the tunnel, at which time I learned Mason nearly ended up in one of the culverts, a little flying visitor came to join us.
Soon, we were once again blazing down the trail, passing through a continuing series of tunnels as we went.
Along the way, shortly after exiting one of the tunnels, we came across another couple stopped in the same area asking for someone to take their picture in front of the tunnelโs mouth. In exchange, they took our picture for us
.
Along the route of the trail there are signboards on which details of the construction of the grade and the history of the Milwaukee Road Railroad can be read
.
As you ride the grade down, you skirt along the edges of the Bitterroot Mountains, with vistas of the mountains and valleys still far below. There are no guard rails along this ride, so be certain to keep your bike under control, going off the edge here is one hell of a drop
.
When we stopped a little while later for a rest brake, Mason had a close call when he had difficulty actuating the brakes on the bike he was using and clipped one of the rocks lining the edge of a view point clearing and took a biff.
Not long after this incident, we crossed our first trestle on the grade.
This one was soon followed by several more, interspersed with more tunnels
, providing ongoing entertainment as we fought with trying to use our little, rather unhelpful head lamps. 
A number of people, when they think of a railroad tunnel, think of a smooth, concrete lined thing, much like a good number of highway tunnels.
For most tunnels on a railroad, especially old ones that havenโt since been enlarged to accommodate ever growing stack container trains and other freight, theyโre rough hewn rock, broken lose through the use of hand drills and black powder or nitroglycerin.
From a number of view points as you make your way down the grade you can even seen the grade ahead far below as it zigs and zags back and forth through the mountains, slowly descending in elevation.
The view far below one of the trestlesโฆ
One tunnel caught my attention in particular on the ride, as it was the only one that was closed to riding due to having been built across a fault line.
As the mountain shifted, the tunnelโs cracked and began to collapse in. I did my best to get a shot though the chain link fencing on the gates keeping riders safely outside the failing tunnel.
It was around this point that we ran into one of the Trail Rangers making his way down to the bottom of the trail at speed. He pulled off and spoke with us as we were stopped outside one of the tunnels, and informed us that we were only half way through and told us the time.
We thanked him and decided at this point that Mason and I would split up. Mason would start from where we were and ride back to the top of the trail and I was going to go on ahead, having ridden the trail from end to end before, and see if I could catch the bus, and if not, turn around if I hadnโt made it when our deadline for the bus hit.
Not too long after Mason and I parted ways, I came around a bend and found this grave marker.
The marker is from when the trains rescued a great many from the 1910 blaze that destroyed over three million acres of forest in the area, and of a man who was on one of those trains racing through the blaze who panicked and jumped from the moving train to his death.
The train and the remaining passengers continued on and survived. After the fires had died, they came back and found his body and buried him beside the track, figuring to him to be a railroad laborer, also known as a โGandy Dancerโ.
I continued along from here a good place before stopping once again at the remains of the old track side village of Adair. Only a few rotting old buildings stand testament to a settlement long gone.
Eventually, as I rode on, I too, ran out of time, several miles past where Mason I separated, but no where close to the bus or the end of the trail.
So, I started back and realized that perhaps I should have taken some time before the trip to actually ride my bike, especially up-hillโฆ..
I discovered that a 1.5% downgrade is great for coasting, but a royal pain in the butt if youโre out of shape and havenโt ridden your bike at all during the prior part of the year before going on this trip.
Fortunately, for me, there were still people coming down the trail behind me, and as I huffed and puffed my way back up the hill, I inquired of passersby if they were heading back towards the top of the trail and if they had room for one more man and a bike.
For a while, there, I didnโt think I was going to find one, figuring Iโd used up that last little nugget of luck back in 2007 when Peter and I had hiked the Ten Falls Trail at Silvercreek Falls in Oregon, but just as I thought I was stuck with hiking all the way back up on foot, I came across this wonderful group of people
.
Sadly, I cannot remember anyoneโs names anymore, but I still thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Having procured a ride, I turned around and joined them to finish the ride to the bottom of the trail. Let me tell you, this was the first time that by the finish of a bike ride, I was exhausted from coasting!
I was ever so glad when the end of the line appeared just below us on the grade
.
Sadly, I didnโt have means of communicating to Mason that I had procured a ride back, so he worried and waited by the mouth of Taft tunnel until I arrived in their pickup truck back at the parking lot.
A quick wipe down with wet naps and a change into warmer clothes and heartfelt goodbyes, I loaded my bike back onto the track and climbed into the cab of the truck--
--And discovered when I turned on the headlights that the running lights would no longer come on when you pulled the knobโฆโฆโฆโฆ
Sunday, September 16, 2012
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 6โ Staying at the โBest little Redneck RV Parkโ
As the dayโs last light continued to fade, we continued northward along Coeur DโAlene River Road, going deeper into the forest and farther from a dependable cellular signal, hoping that the Google Maps GPS Navigator would lead us to the RV Park.
Along the way we saw at least two other RV Parks, nice affairs, mostly converted farms, the barns still standing as part of the whimsy of the properties and wondered if the one we were being taken to by the GPS would be as nice.
Would it be aside the river like the ones weโd passed? What were we going to find?
The Allstays App didnโt really have much in the way of photographs of the Park and RVParkReviews.com wasnโt much better, though it did give more positive reviews of this park than the other two weโd passed.
More than once, we thought weโd reached our destination when we started seeing TTs parked out along the riverโs shore, only to find that it was privately owned land where someone had setup a permanent fishing camp
.
Soon, we crossed over Coeur DโAlene River on a narrow one lane bridge and found ourselves plowing yet deeper into the forest along the old River Road, along the west shore, still having not found the RV Parkโฆ. Was it lost much like the city of Atlantis?
Finally, when we thought the GPS had taken us to yet another incorrectly placed marker on Googleโs Maps, we found the โCountry Lane RV Resort & BโnโB.
The Farm-based campgrounds weโd passed before gave us a false expectation of what weโd find when we finally located Country Lane. An RV Park with a Bar and Grill was definitely not something weโd expected, though there were subtle hints dropped in the reviews
.
After circling the main amalgamation of structures that made up the main building, which I think consisted of a pole barn, a mobile home, and several trailers that had been mated together in a permanent fashion to make a rather clean and tidy business, I finally found the main entrance in and parked the truck to inquire as to getting a space for the night.
After walking up to the bar, and chatting with the proprietor for a bit, I learned that there was actually two sections to the park.
The main full hook up loop, which needed some TLC, circled the main bar/office/bโnโb/grill/store/bathroom building. The second section was across the road from the Bar & Grill (which was serving Prime Rib that night, sadly, we were still full), was laid out along side the river, but only had water and electric hook ups.
We opted for the partial hookups and basically had our pick of the sites, aside from one that a regular had put a reservation on that was supposed to show up sometime that weekend.
Picking the one closest to the bridge across the pond that separated the tent camping area from the river-side RV sites, we settled in and borrowed one of the steel patio tables and chairs, along with a firepit to setup for the evening relaxations.
Given how close the sites were together in this section of the park, it wouldnโt have been as enjoyable had we arrived during the peak of fishing season or tourist season, but it was perfect for that time of September when the only folks there were a few seasonal residents and one couple that bought a hookup site to tent camp in a few sites down from us.
Not long after we finished getting settled in, night fell in a thick blanket upon us. As deep in the woods as we were, the only light came from the parkโs lighting and the camper itself. The woods were a dense and impenetrable black, the only hint of how close we were to the river coming from the gurgling of the water as it traveled over and through the rocks ten feet below the invisible sheer edge across from us.
Undaunted, mainly because our neighbors were still setting up camp with the common sounds of kids waiting for their parents, air mattress pumps, and the very faint melodies of country music drifting from their pickup, we through on our sweats and jackets and light up the evening blazed and a couple of Pinar Del Rio Cigars.
We were having such a good time, listening to the raucous camp outing going on across the pond from us and to the family with kids that I decided to make a little โFireside chatโ video to mark the evening.
Redneck Fireside Chat
Eventually, sleepiness began to set in on the both of us and soon it became time to douse the fire, hit the showers and call it a night.
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 6โ Staying at the โBest little Redneck RV Parkโ
As the dayโs last light continued to fade, we continued northward along Coeur DโAlene River Road, going deeper into the forest and farther from a dependable cellular signal, hoping that the Google Maps GPS Navigator would lead us to the RV Park.
Along the way we saw at least two other RV Parks, nice affairs, mostly converted farms, the barns still standing as part of the whimsy of the properties and wondered if the one we were being taken to by the GPS would be as nice.
Would it be aside the river like the ones weโd passed? What were we going to find?
The Allstays App didnโt really have much in the way of photographs of the Park and RVParkReviews.com wasnโt much better, though it did give more positive reviews of this park than the other two weโd passed.
More than once, we thought weโd reached our destination when we started seeing TTs parked out along the riverโs shore, only to find that it was privately owned land where someone had setup a permanent fishing camp
.Soon, we crossed over Coeur DโAlene River on a narrow one lane bridge and found ourselves plowing yet deeper into the forest along the old River Road, along the west shore, still having not found the RV Parkโฆ. Was it lost much like the city of Atlantis?
Finally, when we thought the GPS had taken us to yet another incorrectly placed marker on Googleโs Maps, we found the โCountry Lane RV Resort & BโnโB.
The Farm-based campgrounds weโd passed before gave us a false expectation of what weโd find when we finally located Country Lane. An RV Park with a Bar and Grill was definitely not something weโd expected, though there were subtle hints dropped in the reviews
.
After circling the main amalgamation of structures that made up the main building, which I think consisted of a pole barn, a mobile home, and several trailers that had been mated together in a permanent fashion to make a rather clean and tidy business, I finally found the main entrance in and parked the truck to inquire as to getting a space for the night.
After walking up to the bar, and chatting with the proprietor for a bit, I learned that there was actually two sections to the park.
The main full hook up loop, which needed some TLC, circled the main bar/office/bโnโb/grill/store/bathroom building. The second section was across the road from the Bar & Grill (which was serving Prime Rib that night, sadly, we were still full), was laid out along side the river, but only had water and electric hook ups.
We opted for the partial hookups and basically had our pick of the sites, aside from one that a regular had put a reservation on that was supposed to show up sometime that weekend.
Picking the one closest to the bridge across the pond that separated the tent camping area from the river-side RV sites, we settled in and borrowed one of the steel patio tables and chairs, along with a firepit to setup for the evening relaxations.
Given how close the sites were together in this section of the park, it wouldnโt have been as enjoyable had we arrived during the peak of fishing season or tourist season, but it was perfect for that time of September when the only folks there were a few seasonal residents and one couple that bought a hookup site to tent camp in a few sites down from us.
Not long after we finished getting settled in, night fell in a thick blanket upon us. As deep in the woods as we were, the only light came from the parkโs lighting and the camper itself. The woods were a dense and impenetrable black, the only hint of how close we were to the river coming from the gurgling of the water as it traveled over and through the rocks ten feet below the invisible sheer edge across from us.
Undaunted, mainly because our neighbors were still setting up camp with the common sounds of kids waiting for their parents, air mattress pumps, and the very faint melodies of country music drifting from their pickup, we through on our sweats and jackets and light up the evening blazed and a couple of Pinar Del Rio Cigars.
We were having such a good time, listening to the raucous camp outing going on across the pond from us and to the family with kids that I decided to make a little โFireside chatโ video to mark the evening.
Redneck Fireside Chat
Eventually, sleepiness began to set in on the both of us and soon it became time to douse the fire, hit the showers and call it a night.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 5โ Dining at the Snakepit and visiting the Mission
A fairly short drive back west along I-90 brought us back to Kingston, ID once more, this time, turn turn north towards our dinner destination
, the Enaville Resort / The Snakepit.
Opened originally in 1879, itโs real name being โThe Enaville Resortโ, it has served the area for roughly 130 years, as a train layover, brothel, loggers bar, and a great many other things.
The name โSnakepitโ comes from itโs time when it served as a bordello, before the days of indoor plumbing, sitting on the confluence of two local rivers, water snakes were a common visitor into the bar from the out buildings behind.
During our visit with TC Life the previous evening in Spokane, weโd learned that The Snakepitโs days were sadly numbered. The owner, Joe Peak, a man whom Iโd met several years prior in 2005 while bicycling the Trail of the Coeur DโAlenes, was dying of cancer and that for the first time in itโs history the Snakepit was looking at a possible long term or permanent closure.
I was rather saddened by this, as I had fond memories of Joe when he rescued me from a very soggy ride back to the Pinehurst KOA when a big storm broke out while I was visiting.
Fortunately, we got lucky when we came by on our visit and that one of the managers had taken over running things to wrap up the rest of the year.
For those that have never been here before, youโd find the interior filled with various historic photos and objects from over the course of the buildingโs history.
Aside from the cornucopia of historical objects that fill the interior of the Snakepit, the main attraction for me has always been their Buffalo burgers.
Even before the time of this trip, I personally thought them the best in the West, and this would be later be confirmed as we tried Buffalo burgers from various other restaurants as we journeyed east, never again finding one as juicy or as tasty as the ones at the Snakepit.
This visit was no different, but I decided that this was also a now or never experience, and added one more thing to my dinner menu, real Rocky Mountain Oysters, straight from the bull
.
This was actually my first experience with them, and had always been curious exactly what one would taste likeโฆ..
, it ends up they taste exactly as how a fellow RV.net member described them, like fried meat.
Theyโre no more chewy than eating a pork sandwich, and donโt leave any kind of a funny after taste in your mouth.
They were served with what the Snakepit serves as French Fries, a thin sliced potato thatโs similar to what some places used to call JoJo Potatoes, except here, they call them โBuffalo Chipsโ .
Happy Matt after Rocky Mountain Oysters photo!
My first attempt at taking my photo using the front camera on my cell phone. A reminder that touch screens work better when your fingers arenโt greasy .
We lounged around for a while, me attempting to make a Facebook post with the app from hell (The Android Facebook app needs to have the entire development team beaten repeatedly), and then we said what may have been our last goodbyes and made our way out into the parking lot.
As we exited to the parking lot, I noticed we still had a bit more daylight left than I thought we were going to have, so as an after dinner workout, I took us over to the oldest building in Idaho, โThe Old Mission of the Sacred Heartโ.
In the early 19th Century the local Coeur DโAlene Indians had begun to hear tale of โpowerful โmedicine menโ in black robes with a bookโ and wanted some of these men for their own tribe. So, they sent messengers to St. Louis to make a request for some of the Jesuit missionaries to come to their area.
In 1842, Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, who became a major player in the history of Idaho and Montana, responded to their request and came to the area to help the creation of the Mission.
The current Mission buildings themselves were built by the local Coeur DโAlene Indians under the direction of Antonio Ravalli in 1850, whoโd by then taken over the Sacred Heart Mission from De Smet.
Because of the remoteness of the area, the mission was constructed using large beam timbers harvested from the surrounding forests, and filled the walls in using what is known as the โwattle and daub methodโ.
The Mission was later moved to Desmet, Idaho in 1877, but Mass is still celebrated at the old Mission site.
The old wooden confessionals.
Displays from the Parish House.
Outside the Old Mission and the Parish House, there is a couple of trails that take you around to various view points and also talk about the history of Mining in the area.
By the time all the displays had been viewed and the trails walked, it became obvious that we had no choice but to find a place for the night and get settled in.
A quick search of the AllStays RV & Campground App revealed that there were several campgrounds just north of the Snakepit, so we made an about face and headed back towards the Snakepit and then on to the Country Lane RV Resort & BโnโB.
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 5โ Dining at the Snakepit and visiting the Mission
A fairly short drive back west along I-90 brought us back to Kingston, ID once more, this time, turn turn north towards our dinner destination
, the Enaville Resort / The Snakepit. Opened originally in 1879, itโs real name being โThe Enaville Resortโ, it has served the area for roughly 130 years, as a train layover, brothel, loggers bar, and a great many other things.
The name โSnakepitโ comes from itโs time when it served as a bordello, before the days of indoor plumbing, sitting on the confluence of two local rivers, water snakes were a common visitor into the bar from the out buildings behind.
During our visit with TC Life the previous evening in Spokane, weโd learned that The Snakepitโs days were sadly numbered. The owner, Joe Peak, a man whom Iโd met several years prior in 2005 while bicycling the Trail of the Coeur DโAlenes, was dying of cancer and that for the first time in itโs history the Snakepit was looking at a possible long term or permanent closure.
I was rather saddened by this, as I had fond memories of Joe when he rescued me from a very soggy ride back to the Pinehurst KOA when a big storm broke out while I was visiting.
Fortunately, we got lucky when we came by on our visit and that one of the managers had taken over running things to wrap up the rest of the year.
For those that have never been here before, youโd find the interior filled with various historic photos and objects from over the course of the buildingโs history.
Aside from the cornucopia of historical objects that fill the interior of the Snakepit, the main attraction for me has always been their Buffalo burgers
. Even before the time of this trip, I personally thought them the best in the West, and this would be later be confirmed as we tried Buffalo burgers from various other restaurants as we journeyed east, never again finding one as juicy or as tasty as the ones at the Snakepit.
This visit was no different, but I decided that this was also a now or never experience, and added one more thing to my dinner menu, real Rocky Mountain Oysters, straight from the bull
. 
This was actually my first experience with them, and had always been curious exactly what one would taste likeโฆ..
, it ends up they taste exactly as how a fellow RV.net member described them, like fried meat. Theyโre no more chewy than eating a pork sandwich, and donโt leave any kind of a funny after taste in your mouth
. They were served with what the Snakepit serves as French Fries, a thin sliced potato thatโs similar to what some places used to call JoJo Potatoes, except here, they call them โBuffalo Chipsโ .
Happy Matt
after Rocky Mountain Oysters photo! My first attempt at taking my photo using the front camera on my cell phone
. A reminder that touch screens work better when your fingers arenโt greasy .We lounged around for a while, me attempting to make a Facebook post with the app from hell (The Android Facebook app needs to have the entire development team beaten repeatedly), and then we said what may have been our last goodbyes and made our way out into the parking lot.
As we exited to the parking lot, I noticed we still had a bit more daylight left than I thought we were going to have, so as an after dinner workout, I took us over to the oldest building in Idaho, โThe Old Mission of the Sacred Heartโ.
In the early 19th Century the local Coeur DโAlene Indians had begun to hear tale of โpowerful โmedicine menโ in black robes with a bookโ and wanted some of these men for their own tribe. So, they sent messengers to St. Louis to make a request for some of the Jesuit missionaries to come to their area.
In 1842, Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, who became a major player in the history of Idaho and Montana, responded to their request and came to the area to help the creation of the Mission.
The current Mission buildings themselves were built by the local Coeur DโAlene Indians under the direction of Antonio Ravalli in 1850, whoโd by then taken over the Sacred Heart Mission from De Smet.
Because of the remoteness of the area, the mission was constructed using large beam timbers harvested from the surrounding forests, and filled the walls in using what is known as the โwattle and daub methodโ.
Wattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6000 years, and is still an important construction material in many parts of the world.
----- From Wikipedia
The Mission was later moved to Desmet, Idaho in 1877, but Mass is still celebrated at the old Mission site.
The old wooden confessionals.
Displays from the Parish House.
Outside the Old Mission and the Parish House, there is a couple of trails that take you around to various view points and also talk about the history of Mining in the area.
By the time all the displays had been viewed and the trails walked, it became obvious that we had no choice but to find a place for the night and get settled in.
A quick search of the AllStays RV & Campground App revealed that there were several campgrounds just north of the Snakepit, so we made an about face and headed back towards the Snakepit and then on to the Country Lane RV Resort & BโnโB.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 4โ The Historic Town of Wallace
After a short trip on I-90 (had I looked closer at my map, we could have instead taken Silver Valley Rd instead), we popped back off in the historic town of Wallace.
The town of Wallace is rather unique compared to itโs neighbors. For one, it actually has a population limit, two, it was used in the movie โDanteโs Peakโ as the town below the volcano, and three the whole downtown is on the national historic places register.
Other interesting little historical tidbits about the town is that until the viaduct was built, Wallace was the last stoplight on an major US Interstate in the country.
Also, on September 25, 2004, Mayor Ron Garitone proclaimed Wallace to be the center of the Universe
.
As seen here in this photo:
Downtown Wallace is chock-a-block full of historic buildings from the 1950s and earlier, a good number being Antique stores, intermixed with some other businesses (one did antique radios and components), and restaurants.
I visited more than a few of the antique stores myself, one of my favorite items I discovered was the old hotel calendars
.
One thing youโll find more than one of in the town of Wallace are museums. The one that caught my attention the most and made me laugh a bit was the Oasis Bordello Museum.
Sadly, while open daily, they werenโt open when we were visiting town.
Even with the smorgasbord of museums, neat shops, and various knickknacks, my favorite destination was the historic and beautiful old Wallace Railroad Depot
.
The station is a remnant of when the Union Pacific Railroad and itโs predecessors used to run rail service through town. The Train Station itself, is now a museum, and actually isnโt even in itโs original spot.
It was moved 200ft from itโs original location when the final portion of I-90 was built during the early 90s to prevent itโs demolition as the viaduct was constructed.
In itโs hayday, the station served as the hub of two railroads, the UP (then known as the Oregon-Washington Railway & Navigation Co) and the Northern Pacific. Rail service in the area ceased in 1992 and the tracks were torn up, ironically, roughly a year after I-90โs construction was finally completed.
Two dollars gets you inside the door if youโre an adult, and shy of the winter, theyโre open most of the year.
The building is crammed to the rafters full of railroad nostalgia, every room has another hunk of history of railroading in the area and railroading itself.
One of the first things you encounter when you enter the museum is an HO scale model of some of the town of Wallace and the railroad grades through the area.
As you continue to move, each room or area of a room will be a scene or artifact from the long bygone era of rail travel.
The history of the moving of the Depot is even on display here:
Sadly, before too long the day was beginning to grow short and the shops and the museums were all closing up and we found it was time to say our goodbyes to the little town of Wallace and turn back west to Enaville, to revisit my all-time favorite place to dine, the Snakepit.
The Great Northern Redneck AdventureโChapter 4โ The Historic Town of Wallace
After a short trip on I-90 (had I looked closer at my map, we could have instead taken Silver Valley Rd instead), we popped back off in the historic town of Wallace.
The town of Wallace is rather unique compared to itโs neighbors. For one, it actually has a population limit, two, it was used in the movie โDanteโs Peakโ as the town below the volcano, and three the whole downtown is on the national historic places register.
Other interesting little historical tidbits about the town is that until the viaduct was built, Wallace was the last stoplight on an major US Interstate in the country.
Also, on September 25, 2004, Mayor Ron Garitone proclaimed Wallace to be the center of the Universe
.As seen here in this photo:
Downtown Wallace is chock-a-block full of historic buildings from the 1950s and earlier, a good number being Antique stores, intermixed with some other businesses (one did antique radios and components), and restaurants.
I visited more than a few of the antique stores myself, one of my favorite items I discovered was the old hotel calendars
. 
One thing youโll find more than one of in the town of Wallace are museums. The one that caught my attention the most and made me laugh a bit was the Oasis Bordello Museum.
Sadly, while open daily, they werenโt open when we were visiting town.
Even with the smorgasbord of museums, neat shops, and various knickknacks, my favorite destination was the historic and beautiful old Wallace Railroad Depot
. 
The station is a remnant of when the Union Pacific Railroad and itโs predecessors used to run rail service through town. The Train Station itself, is now a museum, and actually isnโt even in itโs original spot.
It was moved 200ft from itโs original location when the final portion of I-90 was built during the early 90s to prevent itโs demolition as the viaduct was constructed.
In itโs hayday, the station served as the hub of two railroads, the UP (then known as the Oregon-Washington Railway & Navigation Co) and the Northern Pacific. Rail service in the area ceased in 1992 and the tracks were torn up, ironically, roughly a year after I-90โs construction was finally completed.
Two dollars gets you inside the door if youโre an adult, and shy of the winter, theyโre open most of the year.
The building is crammed to the rafters full of railroad nostalgia, every room has another hunk of history of railroading in the area and railroading itself.
One of the first things you encounter when you enter the museum is an HO scale model of some of the town of Wallace and the railroad grades through the area.
As you continue to move, each room or area of a room will be a scene or artifact from the long bygone era of rail travel.
The history of the moving of the Depot is even on display here:
Sadly, before too long the day was beginning to grow short and the shops and the museums were all closing up and we found it was time to say our goodbyes to the little town of Wallace and turn back west to Enaville, to revisit my all-time favorite place to dine, the Snakepit.
