The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer - The Final Chapter

Tuesday, Day 17.

Happy to be home smile :) 

A blonde wanderlust with the pack of amazing canines has returned to a cottage called Footprints in Homer, Alaska. Day 17, the final leg of the trip is short with only 220 miles added to Dora’s odometer. The dogs barely had enough time to settle in for their mid-morning nap when we pulled into our snow-crunchy, yet somewhat melted, driveway.

We were not expected home until 3:00 PM so we meandered around Anchorage for the better part of the morning having coffee at Kaladi Brothers on Brayton Drive and catching up on emails and writings. Gas is needed for Dora and it is nice to see the prices have decreased dramatically from what we have grown accustomed to in just four short days – from $7/gallon to $3.89!

View from the Couch

Lunch sounds like a good plan before hitting the road and one of my favorite burger joints is just up the road – the Arctic Roadrunner! They have been in business for 50+ years and offer Cheeseburgers beyond belief. Since it appears beef is once again okay with my system I order one for the road, fries and of course a Diet Coke. The aroma in Dora wakes the dogs and they assume the position of begging for a scrap, or at least a fry. The sun is shining and the open road is calling us home. One of the most scenic rides in the Universe is ahead.

I reflect on our time driving from Hendersonville, NC to Homer, Alaska and am grateful for the amazing adventure, albeit longer than anticipated. The Universe is telling me that this particular trip is probably best on the back burner for a few years, maybe even forever. I have counted these miles off at least nineteen times over the past 25 years, and feel like that is more than enough for one lifetime. An airplane ride to Seattle with a VW waiting for us sounds like a more relaxing, economical plan for the future.

the view

As we drop over Baycrest Hill I am once again in awe of the sheer beauty of the landscape that is so embedded in my soul. The blue/green waters of Kachemak Bay with the snow-capped mountains jutting out of the water, is breathtaking. I am blessed to live in this unique community. Although I complain about the long winters, the snow, and the darkness in this captivating place, I can’t stay away. Like the womb Homer has sucked me in and swallowed me up. I am safe here and leaving permanently is not possible. Homer is Home and no matter where I travel or how long I stay, she is always here waiting for me with open arms.

Footprints with VeVe in Foreground Snowpile

It’s perfect to be Home for a time. We are greeted by Gabby, a Belgium Terrier Puppy; Sugar, a French Bulldog Puppy; and Otis, a Boston Terrier that is happy to not be in Boston at the moment. The cottage is immaculate and fresh lilies adorn the table. We don’t have to do anything more today but soak it up and relax. Dora is snoozing in the driveway and the dogs and I are thinking about a nap by the woodstove where the sun is streaming in the windows.

Welcome Home Lilies!

The Journey North in Dora the Explorer has come to a peaceful end. We are here until the wanderlust once again takes over and leads us to another foreign place. I have accepted this life in motion. Whatever and whyever it is - this need to be moving, experiencing, and questioning, it’s okay. I am happy to go with the flow of my destiny as long as my four-legged friends are with me on the journey.

Namasté

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Saturday, Sunday & Monday, Day 14, 15 & 16

DoDog rests her head on BunBun's butt

For the next two days we are content to rest with the family and spend some time in a real house, outside the van. Dora is ready to be off the road as well. The sun is shining and the snow is melting. Saturday is a glorious, laid back day of doing anything that does not involve getting in a car, like watching movies and eating nachos with a Corona light, something that was not possible last night!

Sunday is another beautiful, sunny day and the dogs enjoy a long walk through the neighborhood. I meet my bunkmate from the Unbelizeable Sailing Excursion for martinis and lunch at the Trout House. Something didn’t set well with my tummy, and it wasn’t the gin!  So, I spent the rest of the afternoon napping in hopes of not throwing up. It didn’t work - after three hours of sleep it was inevitable so I made it happen. After that I felt so much better it was euphoric! Ever since I did the vegan diet for a few weeks, eating beef is difficult. I keep thinking the French Dip Sandwich is what did me in, and I’m suppose to have a filet tomorrow night. That’s a big maybe at the moment.

Monday, Monday is the day to take care of some Anchorage business and meet a friend for dinner at the Club Paris, for the best steak in Alaska along with their famous Bloody Mary’s. It feels so good to be back in the usual foodie routine of eating and drinking life.  I told her my stomach couldn’t handle the spicy Mary’s and probably not the steak either. I might opt for seafood instead. After a Glenlevit on the rocks the words automatically flowed out of my mouth: “I’ll have the petite filet injected with blue cheese, a baked potato, and a salad with blue cheese dressing, please.” I cannot imagine going to the Club Paris and NOT ordering their famous filet. I will eat it slowly, chewing it thoroughly and hope it does not upset my stomach and have another Glenlevit to wash it down. As usual the steak was so tender you could actually cut it with a fork. Scrumptious! I’ve never had a better steak anywhere. I only eat half of the 8 oz. petite portion deciding to save the rest for tomorrow. And my stomach is just fine.

a dogpile

We parked in our friend’s driveway to camp for the night, knowing that this will be our last night on the road for a time. Tomorrow we will travel to Homer town and resume responsibility of Tails-By-The-Bay Dog Camp where a Boston Terrier named Otis, his side-kick a French Bulldog puppy called Sugar and a Belgium Terrier puppy named Gabby will greet us. They all sleep in the bed so tomorrow night will obviously be a nine-dog night.

But for now I will once again sleep in the Dora Explorer bed with a down comforter along side six canines that continue to hog the bed and snore, providing music to my ears and peaceful sleep. Stay tuned for the final 220 miles south to Homer, Alaska and a cottage called Footprints with a VW named VeVe under a pile of snow in the driveway. Life is good in the Greatland!

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Friday, Day 13  

real mountains

And thus became the true Marathon Day. It didn’t start out that way but hey, shit happens. The goal was to reach Tok, Alaska – 90 miles after crossing the US border. In total about 450 miles from Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory. After doing 600-700 miles per day, that was too short a day so we continue on to Glennallen, another 130 miles, bringing the grand total to approximately 580 miles on this Friday afternoon, give or take a mile. I am back in US cell phone range and enjoy talking to friends while driving. Reaching Glennallen is a disappointment because well, there is nothing open. I want  a beer to celebrate reaching Alaska, plus I want dinner. Only one restaurant open in town, the Caribou Inn and they don’t sell alcohol. What? After all this way I can’t enjoy a beer? Guess not, but I do have to eat. I order a chicken salad and catch up on some emails.

Goodbye Canada, once again

The one option for sleeping here tonight is the parking lot of the restaurant. It is extremely cold with a chill factor of 8 below, and the wind is rocking Dora. This will never do, so we get back on the road hoping to make Wasilla tonight rather than tomorrow as originally planned – another 150 miles in search of warmer weather. We set out at 9 PM in what becomes a marathon with the mantra “are we there yet?” It is not only completely dark, but the road is dreadful. There are no lines indicating the center or the edge of the highway.  Because of the huge frost heaves, we are only able to go 35 MPH otherwise Dora will be airborne. After $2,600 for a transmission I definitely don’t want to damage the suspension going too fast. Did I mention how dark it is out here?

he always hogs the seat!

There are few cars and we are in the wild, cautious of any large animals that might cross our path. My body aches and my eyes are seeing double. But, there is no place to pull off. Finally the frost heaves ease up and we are able to speed up to 60 MPH safely, but then comes the construction! OMG, road equipment is parked everywhere, and  side barriers create an obstacle course on the highway. Another 20 miles at 30 MPH, are we there yet? Finally I reach Sutton, the town just north of Palmer and things are looking up. I must stop at the first place I see. I text the Wasilla connection to say we can’t make it after all, even though we are only 25 miles out. I need sleep. We see a gas station, I run in and ask if I can sleep in the parking lot and he said sure, have a nap. I told him I need a big sleep, not just a nap. And so we curl up for our long winter nap in temperatures that are definitely warmer than in Glennallen. And the good news? There is no wind.

Hello Alaska!

We were on the road approximately 18 hours today, entirely too long. But, we are in Alaska and will be back in Homer town in a few days after spending the weekend resting up with family. This enormous 5,000+ road trip is finally behind us and we are happy and sated to be back in the Greatland, albeit at a gas station somewhere near Palmer where six snoring dogs keep a blonde wanderlust warm and sane for yet another night. Being responsible for these adorable wigglebutts makes it impossible to wig out at any given time even when the urge is sometimes there.

Namasté

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Thursday, Day 12  

the open road

Another peaceful night, a full tank of gas, and six happy canines ready for their morning nap. We are once again on the road. This is getting repetitive; it’s the same drill for how many days? As few as possible is my motto. No need to sightsee, I have seen this road and terrain so many times; I could almost do it in my sleep. Speed and distance are the operative words here.

The sun is shining and the roads are still dry. I can’t believe it. I am actually warmer than I have been all winter in North Carolina. Something about the humid cold chills me to the bone! The first four hundred miles are easy, but then it gets a bit monotonousness. I begin to think of my reward for driving 650 miles today. Ah, the Airport Chalet in Whitehorse, a Glenlivet on the rocks and something yummy to eat. That’s it!

Sleeping dogs

We finally arrive after filling us with gas three times at the tune of (highest) $1.67/liter. So there is 4+ liters in a gallon so the price of gas here is? You do the math, I don’t want to know. We must get off this highway so the goal tomorrow is to get into Tok, Alaska another 500+ miles. But in the meantime I stop at the Airport Lounge and enter like the lounge lizard I really am.

“Do you have Internet?”

“ Yes.”

“ Do you have a table with a plug-in for my laptop?”

“Yes.”

“Can I get drinks and food in here?”

Another “YES.”

running with the Bisons

Sign me up. I have a blog to update! And so it was, for the next couple of hours I have Scotch on the Rocks, which incidentally is 2-for-1 because it is ladies night! Imagine that. Never mind how many, it’s not that important! I then order a glass of Cab with my dinner. A French Dip sandwich that isn’t all that great because well, it is microwaved beef. I can always tell by the temperature and the texture, UGH. But the drinks are obviously good, the blog is updated and I am happy because I can still walk.

morning nap

I return to the van for another night of comfortable (well sort of) sleep. The dogs prefer to hog the bed and it’s hard to stretch out unless I get aggressive about it and then I feel bad. After all they didn’t have the luxury of hanging out in the lounge and having cocktails (how many?) for a couple hours, so I will put up with them stretching across the bed while I curl up in my postage stamp spot. But don’t think about taking all the covers! What’s a dog lover to do, anyhow?

another herd

Tomorrow we will be out of Canada after only two nights on the Alaska Highway and three nights in total from Woodinville, WA. This has to be a record. As I muse about the driving it occurs to me that I am done with this long-ass trip. I want to fly out next time and buy a car wherever I go. I will miss the Adventures with Dora but hey, all things are subject to change. After all she just might enjoy her Golden Years in a more relaxed fashion in town with an occasional camping trip in the Greatland.

Dora, Dora! The Explorer

Or, she might enjoy being a Glamping alternative for a time. What does the new buzzword Glamping mean? It’s a combination of glamorous and camping, one-step up from tent camping but without the hassle and expense of an RV. It can really mean whatever you want it to mean. With her surround sound, comfy bed with a down comforter and lots of pillows, a VCR that plays old movies, a corkscrew and bottle of wine waiting – Dora is the perfect alternative to tent camping, and so much more comfortable. Plus she has the wheels to move you around. The girl just might be on the market this summer for anyone wanting a cozy place to sleep in Homer after a hard day halibut fishing on Kachemak Bay. Dora, Dora the Explorer will show you a truly fine time! After all, she now has a heart of Gold - I have the debit card slip to prove it!

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Wednesday, Day 11 

dry roads

Determined to reach the Alaska Highway today we are on the road at 7:30 AM after sleeping like babies along side a freeway. The traffic slowed down after 10 and we were out like lights and didn’t rally again until 6:15 this morning. We fill Dora with petrol and set out for Fort St. John via route 29, where we will once again enter the Alcan Highway. Déjà vu, haven’t we done this before – how many times? The first 250 miles passed in a flash. A full gas tank will get us 400 miles, but we stop every 200 for a potty break. Today the roads are dry, the sun is out and the temperature is a balmy 45 degrees.

sunbathing

We reach Fort St. John and turn left onto 97N, next stop Fort Nelson where it all began last fall. We know it well having been stranded in a snow blizzard for three days. Boston Pizza, a cold beer, and an Internet connection await us. I can’t believe the difference in weather since our fateful trip out only six short months ago. The Canadian Rockies are beautiful, the roads are dry and there is minimal brown snow on the roadside. Instead of the 25-35 MPH on this stretch between Ft. Nelson and Fort St. John, we are now cruising at 65-70 MPH and there is absolutely no traffic! Last time we saw a slew of cars that had lost control and rolled over the side of the cliff. Every time we saw one, our speed reduced another 5 MPH, making our traveling speed for this 200 mile trip as low as 20-25 MPH and it took forever! My neck was stiff from clenching the steering wheel so hard. What a contrast today! We arrive at our destination around 7 PM after a half-marathon run. Tomorrow will be the full Monty, a 650-mile run to Whitehorse. Yikes!

But for now, the dogs are walked and fed. It is my turn to sit down with a White Ale, a salad and my laptop. Things are simple in a van called Dora and I am content to enjoy the little things such as a beer and a writing exercise to relax. It is so warm here that we won’t need to turn Dora on tonight to stay warm. Again, we are looking forward to another night of good sleep. The dogs are troopers with their minimal exercise program but they have done this before and know the drill. There was some excitement in Dora today when we passed a herd of Bisons on the road. 

The Big Boy

the herd

Zippy giving her opinion

We will once again get up and hit the road first thing in the morning. Only 1200 more miles to reach Tok, Alaska – is this normal or am I insane? Although I am content knowing the wanderlust will never end, I wonder when will this road trippin' with six dogs in a van called Dora stop? I'm exhausted and my nails are a mess!

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Tuesday, Day 10

two cocker girls

A van called Dora, loaded with five cocker spaniels, a basset hound named DoDog and a blonde wanderlust rolls out of Woodinville around 10:30 AM in search of Alaska.  We say our goodbyes to our Woodinville connection and squeeze a box of specialty foods into the back of Dora, destined for L’aroma’s Bakery in Anchorage. Determined to make record time and get on with it, we cruise along country road 542 looking for the border. Near Abbottsford, Washington we slide through Canadian customs without even a hiccup, and there definitely could have been one regarding the illegal canines onboard. I always get health certificates for the dogs – they are only good for 30 days and cost lots of money. When I arrive at the border I have them ready to show customs but they just ignore me and wave us on through. Grrrr! I have taken this trip at least nineteen times and have only been asked for their papers once, and then I don’t think they knew what they were looking for. They barely glanced at them, just wanted to be sure I had them. Last fall the health certs were $264 for six dogs. This time I decided to just hope for the best and wing it. Well you guessed it, they didn’t ask. Yippee! We are in Canada!

border crossing in Abbottsford

We make it all the way to Prince George and I am reminded of a childhood prank that goes something like this: Call the drugstore and ask: “Do you have Prince Albert in a can?” When she says yes then the reply is: “Well, you better let him out!” Of course I never did this, only heard about it. Memory is interesting. You never know when some thing is going to jolt you back to another time. Getting back to the Prince at hand.

Canadian flag

The billboard about thirty miles back said: Super 8, Truck Parking in Prince George. So, we stop at Super 8 to park along side the eighteen wheelers like always, but there are no trucks anywhere. I go inside to ask the attendant and he said truck parking is only for his customers. “Where do the truckers park around here?” I want to know.  “I have no idea but my lot is only for my customers,” he replied.  Okay, but truckers don’t usually rent hotel rooms. Never mind, this is going nowhere so we leave, in search of a place to sleep since it is now after 9 and very dark on the road. 

It’s a busy highway and there is absolutely no place to pull over and park Dora. I finally pull into a gas station right on the freeway with a teeny spot off to the left. We are tired and desperate, and determined to make this work. We pull forward and back in as close to the railing as we dare and as far away from the highway as we can get. Two girls are working, this is the part of Canada that still pumps gas for the customer and I love it. I ask if we could stay over and they both said sure. They explain the station is closing at 10 PM but will be open again at 6 AM. No worries I will be asleep by 10 and won’t need the potty again until past 6 AM tomorrow morning. “Is it safe here,” I wondered? “Oh yes,” she said. “No one locks their doors around here.” Enough said . . .

So as it were, a van called Dora is parked near the freeway where 6 happy dogs are walking out back on the grass, and will have dinner under the stars, and next to the cars. We will soon be tucked in under the down comforter for a much needed rest so we can wake up and do it all over again! Tomorrow, we will reach the Alaska Highway, only 1,500 miles to go!

Goodnight!

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Saturday, Sunday and Monday - Day 7, 8 and 9. 

  My Sidekick

Dora, Dora the Explorer, you ROCK! Somewhere off I-90 at a truck stop near Missoula, MT. Dora waits for her passengers to get ready for the Marathon Run to Seattle. She is so ready and is determined to get us there. 6:30 AM and we are off.

In hindsight I must admit, I suspected a transmission problem way back in October. I even put fluid in once because I thought it was slipping. But now she is fixed and ready to continue our trek north. I point her nose northwest and we are off! Seattle is in our horizons but first we pass through Idaho. The mountains are beautiful and I am so home. I can feel it. The Pacific Northwest, there is no place more perfect.

We cruise into Washington and the fields are so green that it hurts my eyes. Spring is here with wildflowers galore and green grass, the first I have seen since leaving North Carolina. We slide into familiar Woodinville around 3:30 PM and head straight for the pipeline trail along the horse corrals. The dogs love it and remember, all except Bunny & Anne, this is their first trip. Back to the house of the Woodinville connection – a couple of free spirits much like myself. It’s been too long, having wine and remembering when my last visit was in 2009. They have a birthday party to go to and so do I. After feeding the dogs and a quick shower I am off to Daniel’s Broiler on Lake Union, downtown Seattle. Yahooo! Back with my girlfriends for a truly fine dinner and drinks out – a night of “girls gone wild.” Something that is so lacking where I have been. The only experience I had this winter was with an Alaskan that came to visit me in Hendersonville. We ate and drank because well, we are foodies. After she left I was lucky to find someone to have a cup of soup and water with. It’s just not a priority to eat and drink out as much as I am used to. Of course I did it on my own because I got tired of the Thai special for $5.95 – it’s all about the bargain in North Carolina and I am so accustomed to living Large.

Welcome to Idaho

Daniel’s was a wonderful time. I was able to sneak up on my friend from behind who never in a million years expected to see this face on her 50th! So much fun, and the tab? Well it was $400+. But we had a generous boyfriend that supplied us with four one hundred dollar bills so all we had to leave was the tip. OMG life is good and I have missed it! My buddies are staying at a hotel in downtown Seattle and have a taxi. Am I okay to drive? Oh sure, no worries. I head out and get onto I5 North and exit 522 east and then, well: Where am I became the question?

Nothing is familiar. I told myself if I continue to head north and/or east I will eventually find something that I recognize or if not? Well, I can always park and sleep in Dora. The dogs are absolutely no help, they are sound to sleep and no one rallies as I continue to ask them what they think? Finally, I realize where I am and make it home without incident. I should have been on 520, not 522 so there lies the confusion. I manage to drive through the many towns leading north, and of course eventually find something I recognize. I can be so blonde after a couple glasses of red wine. . .

Bunny rests on Anne

For the next three days we rest, hike the pipeline trail, have lunch at the Maltby Café in well, Maltby, the dogs play with kids (did I mention how much Anne LUVS kids), we have a family dinner, eat more, drink more, and have another lunch at Wild Fin’s in Issaquah. In just a couple days I have so much fun! I am sorry to say goodbye and hit the road but I will return next fall. The dogs and I just had too much fun to stop here.

Tomorrow, we are off to Alaska in Dora the true Explorer!

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Friday, Day 6

At 7 AM on a Friday morning somewhere in Billings, Montana a van called Dora with a damaged heart, arrives at Brown’s Transmission for a transplant. If everything goes according to plan she will be ready to go early afternoon. I get a ride back to the motel to wait, where six anxious dogs await my return so they can eat breakfast. When I go to the lobby for coffee I hear another customer complaining about a dog barking (only 1?) in Room #114 – Woody of course. The customer said he went to the door and knocked but no one answered. Duh, I’m sure that just made it worse, but my lips are sealed. The desk clerk apologized to him but never contacted our room.

Waiting for Godot

I call the garage around 11:30 to get an update since check out time is 12:00 and I don’t want to pay for another night if Dora is ready. I’m told it will be about 2 PM. I call the front desk, first mistake. Can I possibly pay a late checkout fee to stay a couple more hours? Oh, No. That is not possible. “But my van is almost ready.” After debating back and forth the clerk finally agrees to extend our check out one hour until 1 PM, and if I need more time we will talk about it at 1.

1 o’clock comes and goes as I continue to wait for the call from Brown’s. In the meantime at 1:03 the desk clerk rings my room and I explain again that they are not quite finished with Dora. Her reply?  I must vacate immediately. Now I really am remembering Mexico and our two evictions in 3 days that we talked our way out of. I again said I would gladly pay a late charge. Nada, it’s all or nothing. Another night in full which is more because it is the weekend, or you must leave. But, I have nowhere to go with six dogs and our belongings; can we stay in the lobby? Okay, you have until 1:30 and not a minute longer. Geeze, I should have never called. Had I spoke to the housecleaning crew, they would have been okay to work around me, but hindsight is always great. By this time it is 1:25. Another call to Brown’s and I am told Brian is out test-driving Dora as we speak. Can he possibly swing by and pick us up before returning to the garage? No worries he will be there. At 1:30 sharp the housekeeper knocks on our door. Good Grief! I told him I was waiting on my ride and he relayed that to the front desk clerk. At 1:40 PM a van called Dora arrives in front of Room #114 completely healed! With Brian’s help we load up and head back to the garage. Goodbye Motel 6, you weren’t all that nice about the situation!

I wait in the lobby while the dogs stay in Dora during the inspection to be sure all is working, as it should. Brian made the final adjustments and at approximately 2:15 PM on a Friday afternoon Dora was ready to hit the road. I gave the cashier my debit card thinking $2,600 would surely be over my limit, but the charge went through without a problem. We are now free to be on our way. 

Brian came out, shook my hand and said: “I’ve worked on many vehicles that are passing through but this one is definitely one I will not forget.” At this point, he is even calling Dora and the dogs by name. J

Happy to be Mobile again

I’ve had mucho time to reflect on the situation and am thankful beyond words. Brown’s got Dora in right away when normally it would have been sometime early next week, And, what if her second gear had gone out too? Towing would have been $3/mile for over 100 miles. What if we had broken down on the Alaska Highway? It would have been twice as much money and time because of the remoteness. OMG, we are so grateful. The universe always aligns things to happen in the correct order. This event caused me to slow down and be grateful for the good life, and forget the monetary stuff. All I need to do is trust this to be true.

We pull into a gas station and the debit card is immediately denied for $65. Oh yes, it was the $2,500 limit that I just exceeded. I told the attendant this as I went to the ATM to get cash out of the magic machine. His comment was: “Brown’s Transmission? They are the best in this state.” I knew it. Thank you Shane for the time and effort you put into this referral. And than you Brian and crew for getting us back on the road to Seattle on a Friday afternoon. We might just make that Birthday Dinner after all.

 “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” -Helen Keller

The Adventure North in Dora the Explorer

Thursday, Day 5

After the dogs are fed and walked it’s not long before they were snoring in unison in Room #114. Must be nice, I mused. Sleep was the farthest thing from my mind as I fret about the situation. It is time to talk to my spirit guides and ask them to spare Dora’s transmission. That may sound strange but when I was stranded in Mexico that’s exactly what I did and fifteen minutes later after waiting three long days, VeVe was repaired and ready to go. But this time I knew that was not going to be the case. My intuition told me that this was part of a process that was necessary at this particularly time. Perhaps I was preparing myself for what I already knew to be true? But, I could still hope.

At 7 AM we pull Dora into the bay at Brown’s Transmission in downtown Billings where I met Brian, my mechanic. He is a soft-spoken, handsome young man with a quiet confidence that allows me trust him immediately. I knew he was good at his job and would tell me the truth. He was okay with the dogs staying in the van while he hooked up Dora to the sensors. As he sat in the driver’s seat Zippy came up from behind and licked him on the neck, OMG!  When he turned around she jumped into his lap in a way only a DoDog can do. Girly you are such a flirt - I think she was hoping for a discount. . .

Brian pulled the dipstick and put it under his nose. . .burnt, just as I thought. The sensors said something like “stuck clutch” and when I asked what that meant he said it was the transmission. He explained to me how it worked and if something goes wrong it generally needs to be replaced, not repaired. Everything he said made perfect sense. The fluid and filter were fine. He wanted to test-drive her with me in the passenger’s seat so we drove Dora for about fifteen minutes before he made his diagnosis. Yes, the transmission definitely needs to be replaced. There it is, the dreaded statement that I had hoped would not be the case. I immediately see dollar signs - $1,000? $2,000? More? YIKES!

My first question was how long will it take, followed by how much will it cost, and can we get one at a junkyard? The answers would come once we returned to the shop. After making a few phone calls and calculating some costs, it was determined that:

a)            The 1997 transmission in Dora was exclusive to that year. That particular tranny was never built again. We called three junkyards and of course had no luck in finding a used one.

b)             Brown’s only have transmissions for 4-wheel drives in stock because well, this is snow country.

c)            A transmission will have to be built from the ground up.

d)            It will cost just under $2,600 to do so. The good news? It is guaranteed for three years or 36,000 miles, anywhere.

We discuss the logistics of getting the work done – after all it is Thursday and the shop is closed on weekends. If they start this morning, it may be possible to get the job finished before quitting time tomorrow, and we can continue on our way to Seattle. It will take at least a day to build it and several more hours to install and test it. I just have to give the okay for them to start the process.

I wonder if a 1997 van is worth this much money to repair. Brian said the engine sounds really strong, and I agree. Dora runs great! He put her up on the rack to have a look for any other obvious problems. While the dogs are rising up to new heights of at least 10 feet, we go underneath to look around. I can’t believe they let me in the garage because of insurance liability, but they did. I prefer learning about my cars when something goes wrong because I often drive older models and it’s important to recognize problems before they occur. I know quite a bit about vehicles from prior maintenance experiences, I even have friends that call me for advice when they have a problem but this is my first experience with a transmission. Brian shows me where probable leaks would be for the radiator, oil pan, and transmission fluid. There were none, Dora is clean.

Okay, the decision is made. Let’s do it, she’s worth it! Brian said if I could wait an hour he could open her up and get the appropriate measurements inside and then he would put Dora back together so we could drive to the motel until tomorrow when the new one was ready for installation. If we could be here at 7AM again (no sleeping in for us) they would begin the teardown while the new one is being finished. That way they can drop it in, test it out and we should be on the road by 2 PM Friday afternoon if everything goes according to plan. I am thrilled at the possibility of still making Seattle this weekend, and celebrating the big 50 with my special friend.

We continue to camp out at Motel 6 in Room #114 until the new transmission can be built, hopefully today and if we are lucky, installed tomorrow. If that doesn't happen we are stuck until Monday because the garage is closed for the weekend. We have two beds in the room - one for me and five dogs and the other one for ZipDog. She's such a bed hog!

If we do get on the road tomorrow (it's 900 miles to Seattle from here) we might make it by Saturday night. I can tip a few glasses with my friends before we will once again have to hit the road in order to be home by the 17th. I'm exhausted thinking about it. Maybe my trips will be confined to the west coast from now on.

Everything is definitely for a reason and we are still smiling even as our bank account shrinks down to almost nothing! Oh well, such is life. . .