Sliding Fifth Wheel Hitch

Several people have asked what kind of fifth wheel hitch we use. In my opinion, the ONLY hitch I would ever recommend is the Pullrite SuperGlide. Our truck is a GMC Sierra 3/4-ton with a King Cab (for the dogs) -- consequently the truck bed is short. The distance from the rear axle to the cab is just three feet; our Cougar fifth wheel is 8 feet wide, half that being 48 inches, which obviously wouldn't fit into a 36-inch space in the event of a 90-degree turn.

According to Pullrite.com, "SuperGlide is the only true solution for safe fifth wheel towing with short bed trucks. SuperGlide automatically moves the trailer away from the cab while making turns - allowing up to 90° turning without stopping, slowing down or even thinking about the space between the truck & trailer - and then automatically returns the hitch and trailer to the safe towing position over the truck axle when the turn is completed."

Well, it works! Exceptionally well. Yes, it was expensive, but definitely worth the cost. Initially I had considered one of the manually-operated sliding hitches, primarily because of the lower price. On-line research, however, soon convinced me that the "automatic" feature of the SuperGlide, and the peace of mind, was clearly worth the money

One posting on an RV forum from an experienced, "almost" full-timer gave a perfect illustration... He wrote that he had been using a manual sliding hitch for YEARS without problem. It was routine, he wrote, to pull into a campground, get out, pull the pin on the hitch, get back in, make a short, sharp acceleration to move the hitch back, and then continue... The problem arose on a trip with the grandchildren: he was driving in to a gas station when someone came from the other direction and abruptly parked at the pump he was heading for. More than a little annoyed, the RVer quickly backed up, turning almost 90 degrees, and suddenly there was a horrible grinding, crashing noise, and breaking glass!!! The trailer had smashed into the back of the cab, crushing it and showering his grandchildren with shards of glass (fortunately, neither was hurt, although everyone was badly shaken...).

That incident alone, especially from an experienced RVer, convinced me that "automatic" is the ONLY way to go. So, I went to Camping World and bought the SuperGlide and had them install it. Now, we have no worries about damaging the truck or our trailer when making turns, even sharp ones. As the RVer said, "it takes only one time..."

Ain't teknologee great...???

Music is important. I love it -- all kinds: jazz, classical, blues, country, ballads, gospel, and more. We have three Sirius/XM radio subscriptions, one for each vehicle. Plus, I listen to it streaming on my MacBook Pro laptop. We've been XM subscribers for many years. I listen to both classical and jazz, along with other programming, including CNN in Spanish (I need the practice...)

Recently, however, I was a bit perturbed by Sirius/XM. I downloaded the "app" to play their music on my Droid phone, but then was informed that I must pay an additional three dollars a month for a "premium" subscription...(so much for "loyalty" to long-standing customers). That got me to exploring other options, and boy, did I find some winners!

One is jazzradio.com -- they have some of the BEST jazz selections available, streaming right through my computer: cool jazz, piano jazz, Latin jazz, hard bop, blues, Sinatra style, etc. You name it, they have it. Superb programming. Music to fit whatever mood you might have.

Another highly-recommended source is PANDORA.com It's like having an all-genre, personal choice radio station that "intuits" your preferences in music and adapts to your likes. It's FREE, although I chose to buy an annual subscription, because I get unlimited access, plus the sound quality is superb.

And, with my new "Audioengine AW1" wireless sender/receiver, I can play music wirelessly from my MacBook Pro to either my Bose portable SoundDock in the RV, or at home directly to my excellent Sony DA90ESG stereo system, with Jamo 7.6 speakers, in the living room. The sound quality is amazing, especially since it's transmitted via such small wireless devices. Makes life so much more enjoyable...

Plus, I also discovered that through iTunes that I have access to not only the 600-plus CDs I've copied into iTunes (and on my iPod), but also a plethora (real word...) of radio stations from across the country. Again, one of my favorites is jazz radio KCSM (I'm a supporter) out of San Francisco. And it's not just jazz -- through iTunes radio you can listen to almost any kind of music, sports, comedy, and international. Again, with the fantastic "Audioengine" wireless device, it puts that music anywhere in the RV or the house. I love it!

Who would have thought that a "geezer" like me would get so enthused about modern technology... My next research project and purchase is going to be a WiFi signal amplifier system for use in the RV....

Scenic AND Patriotic

We've left Glacier National Park, working our way home. It was a splendid vacation. We chose a "green dot" (on the maps) road coming south, Highway 93 along the Salmon River. Somehow "scenic" doesn't quite describe it..."breath-taking" comes closer. There was quite a bit of wildlife and wildflowers along the way. Also, we saw two eagles: a Golden Eagle in flight just above the river, and a little farther down the road, a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree.

To the East is the Lost River Range of mountains, still showing a lot of snow. To the West are the Bitterroot Mountains, also snow-covered. The weather is superb, clear and sunny and warm. The scenery changed as we got in to Idaho, becoming less lush and verdant, but enjoyable nonetheless. They call this road the "Peaks to Craters Highway," because at Arco, Idaho you enter the Craters of the Moon national monument, thousands of acres of lava flows. It's stark yet beautiful. Through much of southern Montana and northern Idaho we saw remnants of old log cabins and homesteads--obviously the owners chose to leave them standing when they built their contemporary houses. Makes for a fascinating counterpoint.

Montana and Idaho are demonstrative in their patriotism. American flags are everywhere along the way -- many houses have two or more flags flying. These people are obviously proud to be Americans (sadly, it's easy to forget that in California....). There are also a number of signs about God and Jesus, including several large signs with the Ten Commandments (definitely won't see that in California...). One of our favorite small billboards said "Is this the sign you're waiting for? -- God"

Dinner at Lonesome Dove Ranch

A memorable evening was spent at the Lonesome Dove Ranch, south of Kalispell. Dawn, my brother Ron, and his wife Kathleen went there in the early afternoon for a horseback trail ride. The rest of us drove over later to join them for dinner at the ranch.

The owners & hosts, Hal and Sharron Butler, couldn't have been more welcoming and gracious. Hal and I shared a common bond: we both were in submarines. Hal and Mike shared a common bond: they both were Marines. As it turns out, Hal had been in the Navy as a Torpedoman in diesel submarines, then joined the Marine Corps as a sharpshooter and sniper, and then was a police sergeant with Los Angeles PD. Fascinating guy.

Dinner was delicious: roast beef flavored with Hal's special "Deep Pit Seasoning" (I bought two bottles...), mashed potatoes, corn, with rhubarb/apple pie for dessert (Sharron gave us a whole pie to take home...) Yum!

Entertainment was provided by an engaging and charming couple, Terry and Judy Fosbery. Judy is a talented fiddle player, and plays the Mandolin, as well. Terry is both an excellent guitar player and an American History teacher who uses stories in his lessons. Judy and Terry are genuine Montana natives: their families have been in Montana since the 1800s. Throughout the dinner, the ten of us were regaled with fascinating and fun tales of Montana's history, interspersed with toe-tapping country/western/bluegrass songs & music. All around the table, we were beaming with joy -- the music, the singing, the stories, the company, the dinner, and our delightful hosts.

Such a festive evening, set in a genuine ranch house in Montana's beautiful Flathead Valley. We are so blessed.

Whitewater Rafting on Independence Day

Today featured an exciting (and wet) whitewater rafting trip. Nine of us chose to make what the Glacier Raft Company calls "rafting through the John Stevens Canyon of the middle fork of the flathead river along the southern border of Glacier National Park. Trip includes 9 named rapids, mostly Class II and III whitewater (medium whitewater with numerous waves, narrow passages, eddies and bends), including Tunnel and Jaws."

They didn't lie. It was great fun! The day promised a bit of sunshine, although it was cool (56 degrees) when we started at 10 AM. The rafting company provided wet suits and windbreakers, plus flotation vests, and then bussed us eight miles upstream to the "put-in point." Our excellent guide, Dustin, gave us a safety briefing and off we went...Dawn and I were in the bow of the raft. We started slowly, but once in the current, things picked up. The nine rapids were breathtaking! We took a lot of water over the bow-and us...it wasn't bad at first, but by the third rapid, we were all soaking wet (the water had an uncanny ability to find its way inside our jackets...). Wet and cold, but laughing and enjoying life.

There's a saying about weather - especially Montana weather: if you don't like it, wait a few minutes and it will change. We've gone from blue skies and fluffy white clouds, to black skies and rain, back to patches of blue sky. As I was writing this, a sudden gust of wind came up and blew our RV awning off its brackets, breaking one of them and bending a support post. And then it was calm. Welcome to wonderful Montana...

LATE NOTE: to celebrate the Fourth of July, the RV park (Mountain Meadow, Hungry Horse, MT) provided Huckleberry ice cream AND a dazzling fireworks display--it would rival that of most cities... Against the mountains and dark clouds, it was spectacular!

Going to the Sun -- Glacier National Park

After spending the morning relaxing, we drove into Kalispell for lunch & a bit of sight-seeing. It's a pleasant town, but the traffic was horrible! Don't know if it's because it was lunchtime or the Fourth of July weekend, but it took almost fifteen minutes to travel just five blocks.

We then drove into Glacier National Park, to the Lake McDonald Lodge. Dawn had reserved an historic (1937) Red Bus for the eight of us for the Going-to-the-Sun Road tour. What a superb trip that proved to be! Even though it was overcast and drizzling, we all opted to have the roof open so we could enjoy the vista. The driver kept up a running commentary (much of it funny) as we wended our way up one of the narrowest, steepest, most spectacular roads I've ever experienced. Hard to believe it was constructed by hand at the beginning of the 1900s (it was completed in 1930).

The scenery is breath-taking. There was still a lot of snow alongside the road, and the clouds provided a fascinating backdrop as they alternated with blue sky and sunshine. At the top, Logan Pass, the wind was howling and it was cold... Needless to say, we put the canvas top back on the bus for the trip home. Unquestionably, one of the most scenic and exciting four-hour trips I've ever taken!

Back at McDonald Lake Lodge, we celebrated with Huckleberry margaritas or martinis as we warmed ourselves in front of the roaring fire in the lodge's massive stone fireplace. We wanted to stay and have dinner there, but the five dogs awaiting us in our rigs needed walking...

Hungry Horse, Montana

It was supposed to be a short drive from Polson to Hungry Horse...we even took the "road less-traveled" along the east side of Flathead Lake...but we didn't arrive at our destination (Meadow Mountain RV Park) until 12:15, the exact time my brother's plane was due to arrive in Kalispell. I got the rig set up and unhooked the truck and made a fast drive to the Kalispell airport, about 20 minutes away. Turns out their plane had arrived early (go figure...) but they were waiting patiently. It was great to see them -- it's been over two years.

This RV park is beautiful, set in the trees (just like a national forest campground) but with full hookups, including WiFi...! Plenty of room for the dogs to walk and run off-leash. We enjoyed cocktails outside and then Maryann's excellent Beef Stroganoff for dinner. It was a bit overcast when we arrived, but cleared up in the evening. What's hard to get used to is that it stays light until around 10:30...

Looking forward to our adventure in Glacier National Park tomorrow.