Day 15: Tonasket, Washington to Wenatchee, Washington

We head into Omak early where diesel is pricey at $3.22 per gallon. Downtown for breakfast at Magoo's - the main street is clinging on after the opening of a Wal-Mart. In Brewster we encounter shops with Spanish signs in the Mexican quarter. We are in apple country which employs Mexican workers. "Are they living on refried dreams?" enquires Annette. We stop at Trader John's on the highway to purchase fruit, including dried mango which we got hooked on earlier. Dried fruit has become a favoured car snack.
The scenery here is splendid and an unexpected delight. There are clearing up a mudslide near Chelan after overnight rain. We reach Wenatchee at midday and check in at the Best Western Chieftain Inn, which is a deal at $71 per night. Tomorrow we reach the Pacific Ocean at Seattle.

Day 13: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Tonasket, Washington

Another early start rolling into Spokane in search of the Patsy Clark house, which dates back to 1898. It is still in a smart neighbourhood, the house being opposite a park. We head into town to see the falls, avoiding fierce parking charges by taking a short walk. Spokane is pleasantly devoid of graffiti - we wonder how they have managed this. We take coffee at Atticus, a trendy coffee shop cum boutique, which is a study in retailing. We tour the thrift stores of which there are many. We track north west, taking lunch at Chewalah and visiting the excellent Mistequa International Car Museum, the project of Glen Hafer, 81, who shows us around. We reach Republic, but cannot stay as the bikers have got there before us. We continue on to Tonasket, where we stop at the Red Apple Inn, $58 a night plus tax. We have a fish and chip supper at Whistler's and are glad to have a bed for the night.
There is a groundswell of opinion in the US that big government has run amok. This has been expressed to us in many ways along the route. The mainstream media - Fox News versus CNN - are banging the drum ahead of the mid-term elections. The bias in the media, the bashing of BP for example, is sickening. America is completely reliant on oil yet loves to bash the (foreign) oil companies. If they put BP out of business who will pay the compensation? You can't have oil without spills now and again. Suck it up!

Day 12: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Rolling at 07:00 to avoid the crowds at breakfast and make the most of the cool part of the day, although it turns out to be nowhere near as hot as yesterday. We roll north 40 miles to Sandpoint, taking diesel at Westmond at $2.96 a gallon. We cross a large expanse of water on arrival with a freight train on a parallel bridge making a fine sight heading south. We arrive at Evans Brothers Neighbourhood Espresso Bar, where we park the smart car at this old mill site and chat to the gawkers. We check out the antique stores and thrift shops. I spot this Oldsmobile Toronado for sale, (everything is for sale in the US) , a GM curiosity with massive cubic inches and front-wheel-drive. Must chew through front tires like an alligator. What were they thinking?

We cruise out to the beach on Lake Pend Oreille and then turn west and across the stateline to lunch at Owen's Grocery, Deli and Soda Fountain, at Newport, Washington. This is an old time store not to be missed with large custom-built sandwiches at $3.50. We return to Coeur d'Alene via Rathdrum, Idaho with its large rail yard.

Day 11: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

We are spending three nights in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Today we are up early and taking the scenic byway round Coeur d'Alene lake, looping round to Mission Landing at Cataldo. We visit the Jesuit Mission, said to be the oldest building in Idaho. This picture reminded me of the old joke: "You know you are a redneck when you mow the lawn and find a car!"

On to Kellogg and Wardner, scene of the dynamiting of the mine concentrator in 1899. We take coffee at Josie's Full of Beans and visit the mining museum in Kellogg - wonderful old photographs. Back to town via Smelterville.

Day 10: Missoula, Montana to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Hot day on road from Missoula. We make an early stop at Alberton to check out a bookstore - the Montana Valley Book Store - where we chat to the lady owner about cats, cycling in Europe, the price of mops in Wal-Mart and the state of the universe. We stop on the highway and chat to a couple in a caravan who are fundraisng for Habitat for Humanity - they are intrigued by the smart car and also tell us how the "Silver Valley" is adapting to mine closures - "We are in the tourist business now." We proceed to St Regis and mooch in the antique stores where you can buy a vintage plow or a depression-era glass jug. Similar stores in Wallace, which has an intact old town centre but the effect is rather spoiled by an interstate flyover. I have read much about the labour wars in the Coeur d'Alene and look forward to exploring this old mining region.
More thrift store bargains on arrival at Coeur d'Alene - we are now on Pacific time and lose an hour while we wait for our motel room to be ready.

Day 9: Great Falls, Montana to Missoula, Montana

Up early at the Quality Inn, downtown Great Falls, and off in search of diesel. Take the highway for Helena, we stop for breakfast with the good ol' boys at Crystal, a hunting, shooting and fishing sort of place. A guy at the next table sounds just like John Wayne. Detouring off the road to see the pelicans on the upper Missouri in a canyon. We make Helena mid-morning. Thrift stores and yard sales - muffins and brownies 25 cents each. Annette finds a Bodum mug - an unexpected bonus. This jeep was parked at a yard sale in a parking lot. Shopping at Wal-Mart for shorts and a new washing bag. We find the grave of Archibald Spriggs in the suburbs after waiting at a crossing for two freight trains to pass.
We take the highway for Missoula, the road climbing for miles to the top of the MacDonald Pass, at over 6,000 feet, where we stop to take on water. There are plenty of recreational cyclists in Montana who must get the prize for masochism. We take the scenic route off the interstate to reach Missoula, stopping for diesel at Ovando off Highway 200 en route. Splurge on a suite at the Best Western after shopping in town - four mint Duralex glasses for $1. Pizza for supper while watching Kyle Busch winning the Nationwide race at ORP.

Day 8: Lewiston, Montana to Great Falls, Montana

Breakfast at the Calvert Hotel, quick car wash to remove the grasshopper swarm, and out to the site of the Spring Creek Coal Mine, where Sam Gebo once held sway. The creek is contaminated by PCBs and the fish are not good to eat, however this is now a rural wetland rather than a bustling mine and railyard. Photographed two old Datsun trucks by the side of the road.

Heading for Fort Benton we stop at the Shade Tree Cafe at Denton, very good second breakfast. We stop at Coffee Creek to photograph an old railcar parked in the middle of nowhere. At Geraldine we stop to see the railway station and grain elevators in the rain. At Fort Benton, the historic head of navigation on the Missouri river, we walk along the promenade past the Grand Union Hotel, built after the Civil War, and circle round to a thrift store. Annette is in Pyrex heaven - five lids.

On into Great Falls - the falls were dammed years ago - and I find myself in a Goodwill store listening to The Byrds' Mister Spaceman - after such an unpromising early life in suburban Surrey I felt like I'd finally arrived.
Quick shop at IGA, where Annette makes the dollars go farther, and supper in the hotel room at the Quality Inn downtown.
USAF planes frequently over fly Great Falls - Malmstrom base is nearby, - and mournful train whistles blow. You are in the west good and proper and Helena and Idaho are to follow.

Day 7: Minot, North Dakota to Lewiston, Montana

Got the hammer down 450 miles to the Judith Mountains and Lewistown, Montana. Two hours in the pouring rain across the ND oilpatch to Williston, which is full of roughnecks in pickups. We stop in the old downtown which has a fifties feel - like being transported into the past.
To Culbertson, Montana - a north-south stop two years ago. We take diesel at Oelkers which provides fifties style service - offering maps, brochures, check your oil, clean your windscreen etc. Out into empty country on Montana Highway 200. We start hypermiling to reach Winnett which has the most down home gas station on the planet - two pumps in the middle of a wide dirt road. We buy snacks at the local market which seems to operate on tick. Everywhere here there are signs warning against the evils of crystal meth - including on the Indian reservations we pass.

On arrival in Lewistown we head down to the library for some quick research on Sam Gebo, a former big deal in these parts. We photograph the Masonic Lodge. Supper at Bon Ton, an old soda fountain that has operated for more than a century. The service was out to lunch however as they take forever and get our order wrong.
Listening to The Doobie Brothers, Long train running. KISS play the North Dakota State Fair, Minot, on Saturday, 24 July. LeAnn Rimes plays Richland County Fair and Rodeo, Sidney, Montana, Saturday, August 7.

Day 6: Jamestown, North Dakota to Minot, North Dakota

Light day - 206 miles north-west to Minot. We visit a large concrete buffalo in a hokey western park on the edge of Jamestown. We spot this Dodge Polara on the way to Pingree - a much loved vehicle in the Chiasson family. We stop for coffee at Pingree at a cafe in the community hall. We cut west on the country roads looking for pelicans which inhabit the sloughs. We stay off the gravel roads and stick to the blacktop. We soon see the pelicans, ducks, geese, birds of prey etc. We reach Harvey and run alongside the CPR to Minot. We check into the Comfort Inn - we are reluctant to go further into the oilpatch - which we plan to leapfrog tomorrow. Motel rooms are hard to find in the west of ND. We take lunch at Bagels and Books and check out the thrift stores which are largely a bust. Diesel at Simonsen on South Broadway, $2.99.9 a gallon - glad to get under $3 in this neck of the woods. We stroll in the Scandinavian Heritage Park. Supper at Applebee's - our first night out at a restaurant - $28 incl tip.

Listening to Shania Twain, Any man of mine, and endless Keith Urban who is getting the full promo treatment for his new so so album.

Day 5: St Cloud, Minnesota to Jamestown, North Dakota

Roll out of St Cloud to Alexandria, Minnesota, home to Big Ole and a number of wonderful antique stores. The Conquest Racing Indycar truck passed us on the highway, presumably heading for Edmonton. We are dive-bombed by a cropduster plane. Back on I95 to Fargo for lunch at Subway and on to Valley City, an eastbound stop on the 2008 Wild West tour. Tonight at Jamestown, North Dakota - thrift stores and grocery after getting the last room at the Comfort Inn. Bought three Fire King coffee cups.

Distance covered in miles:
Day 1: 388
Day 2: 125
Day 3: 132
Day 4: 317
Day 5: 281

Day 4: Clintonville, Wisonsin to St Cloud, Minnesota

Late start in Clintonville as we are due at the FWD Museum at 10:00. We get there early and I can see the Butterball Special, formerly the AJB of Archie Butterworth, through the window. I can tell that the original Steyr engine is still in situ. Bill Hupke, a 46-year employee of the company, shows up. He is vastly knowledgeable on the history of the company - four generations of his family worked there. We photograph this historically significant racing car, two-time winner of the Brighton Speed Trials.
Legend has it that an owner of a 1906 Reo struggled on the dirt roads of Wisconsin and suggested four-wheel-drive as the answer. By 1908 they were making FWD vehicles, cars and later trucks.
We hit the highway heading west. A quick stop in Chippewa Falls yields a Pyrex lid at the Salvation Army store. There are crackheads smoking on the pavement so we move on to Menominee, for lunch in old train depot. Menard's, the hardware store, are running TV and radio ads featuring a sale on American made goods. High time the US woke up to spending their dollars at home. We take diesel in a BP station at Mahtomedi in the suburbs of St Paul. The manager says they have taken flak over the oil spill and I say we have called in to show solidarity, to the delight of the staff. Also cheapest diesel so far at $2.81.9 cents per US gallon.
We are running in the rush hour traffic and are diverted off the highway due to a wreck. We reach St Cloud at teatime. Quick stop at Goodwill, then Aldi for grocery. Spend the night at the Quality Inn, $83.93 incl tax. Watching the Tour de France on TV.

Day 3: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin to Clintonville, Wisconsin

Thunderstorm overnight in Fond du Lac. Good breakfast at Days Inn, including microwave omelet. Headed out to Elkhart Lake on the back roads, locating Road America by the noise. Wet on arrival. Walk through the tunnel to paddock where the cars of Mark Donohue are set up in a big tent. We particularly like the AMC Javelin cars, being made in Wisconsin. No sign of the Donohue Elva Courier but an enquiry elicits promises of pictures. We learn later that David Hobbs was here on the Saturday for a book signing. We meet Wayne Brown with his Cobra, who is a Bonneville fundamentalist working on a wheel-driven streamliner shooting for 450 mph. The weather cheers up and we watch Can-Am, F5000 and Trans-Am before setting off at 15:00 in a deluge.
Riding to Clintonville, via Lake Winnebago, we follow a Packard convertible - Annette takes a picture on the highway. Arrive at Cobblestone Inn, exceptional value at $66 plus tax. Shop locally for $10 supper for two. This morning to the FWD Museum, opened specially for us, to see the Butterball Special, formerly the AJB of Archie Butterworth.
Wisconsin looks in much better shape than Michigan with a pleasing lack of graffiti. I am happy to report that grits are on sale in local supermarkets - another indication of good taste on the part of the locals, known as "cheeseheads."
To St. Cloud, Minnesota later.

Day 2: Whitehall, Michigan to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Up early and head into Whitehall/Montague by Lake Michigan and take the highway north to Ludington. Join the queue for the S.S. Badger at 07:30 while taking free coffee and photographs, including this shot of sister ship Spartan. The Badger ia a fine old coal-powered steam ship used to carry railway wagons - the tracks are still in the hold - but has been repurposed as car ferry and tourist trip. We sail promptly at 09:00 for the four hour crossing as we settle in the Carabana saloon. There is a small museum below deck which shows the heyday of the railroad era - "not bad in the fifties" as Paul Watts would say. We arrive at Manitowoc, Wisconsin and there is a lengthy delay as the smart car is last off, unloaded by a company employee - you can neither drive your car on or drive it off - bikers excepted!
We head into Sheboygan where we meet fellow smart car owners Ed and Carol who stop by to say hello as we clean the car in a park by the lake. On to Fond du Lac where we shop at the Piggly Wiggly, more Pyrex at the Goodwill store, and an early night with the Tour de France.

Crazy Daisy Tour: Toronto to Whitehall, Michigan

The "Crazy Daisy" Tour departs 07:10 via 401. Breakfast at truckstop at junction 401/403 at Woodstock. Turn onto 402 for Sarnia - take gas at Goco at Strathroy while chatting to owner Mike re smart car. Reach the border at Bluewater Bridge 11:20. Lengthy delay for fingerprints and mugshot in hot weather. On to Capac off highway for Post Office and quick mooch in thrift store - small town America personified. To Flint, Michigan detouring to find country road - the town is a day late and a dollar short, hit hard by the troubles in the US car industry - we stop at the Salvation Army store which is a shambles but find a Pyrex lid. On to Owosso, via several yard sales, where the thrift store yields three Pyrex gems. Everything in America is for sale. Facing detours for road works and an accident we are running short of diesel so back to the main road where we fill up at Ionia. The satnav is a comfort when looking for gas. Back on the Interstate for nightstop at the Super 8 in Whitehall, Michigan. This is a biker haunt and the receptionist warns us to expect them to trash the place later - false alarm as all is peace and quiet. We shop for groceries opposite so supper is under $5 for two - watch the Tour de France on TV.

Lakeshore Cruise

To the Lakeshore Cruise in Toronto with John and Betty-Jean Lawrence in their '56 Chevrolet.

The Chevy hood ornament points to a '32 Ford at Humber Bay Park.

Corvette and Camaro on Lakeshore West.

Street rodding brings cheer to Toronto.