Idaho...

No, YOU da hoe!

Today was the day: we finally get to try out double towing, with the Honda behind the motorhome, and the cargo trailer behind the Honda.  Shouldn't be a big deal, right?  The overall length is about a foot less than towing the cargo trailer behind the HitchHiker.  There are a LOT of connections that have to be done, to make sure it all works and stays together.  Yeah, no pressure.

We hooked it all up, tested the lights, and eased our way out of the small casino campground.  One thing we had in our favor: very little traffic on this highway in the middle of Nevada.  And, we were getting a much earlier start than yesterday in Vegas.

Some pretty silhouettes to start the day...

I stopped at the first rest area we came to, so we could check on everything...

All good.  Going down the road, you can keep an eye out behind you with the rear camera on the motorhome...

It's the "All Honda CR-V Channel"... more interesting that C-SPAN, but you hope that nothing exciting happens.  There is also the less technical way to check that you have your stuff behind you...

Look for the shadows on the road.  You cannot see the Honda in the mirrors, and can just see the fenders on the cargo trailer.

It was nice being able to ride together - our first time since we left Texas.  We can talk without ear-pieces in.  Joan can get snacks for us.  That said, I felt more stress with that length behind me.  I made it easy for the few vehicles that came up behind us to pass.  The first hour or so was "test pilot mode."  It got better after that.

To give you an idea of how remote this road is, there was a sign that read "Next Gas 124 Miles" as we left Ely.

The scenery was prettier today...

Yes, snow on them thar mountains.  (That's mountain man talk.)  We stopped in Wells, NV, at a Flying J truck stop...

Flying J usually has RV lanes - less chance of getting "trapped" by other vehicles.  The price was about the same as Vegas - I was surprised,  we did see some stations that were higher price.  The fuel burn was about the same as yesterday... less uphill climbs, but the added weight of the CR-V.  The V-10 in the Aspect handled it all fine.

Leaving Wells, it was more of Hwy 93, 2-lane.  More traffic on this stretch, but I was more comfortable with the length.  Not sure what this overhead bridge was all about, but it was plenty high... I got used to looking at the height signs from towing the boat and the 5th wheel - no signs on this one...

The increased traffic was no issue...

We thought we might stop for lunch at the next town, Jackpot.  Four casinos and an expensive gas station.  I'm sure there were restaurants in the casinos, but we were just looking to grab a bite and keep making miles.  We drove on another 48 miles to Twin Falls, Idaho.  Joan pulled out her phone and gave me several good options with big parking nearby - I decided on Chick-fil-A, by a Target - turned out to be an easy stop.  She fed Izzy while I got us a couple chicken sandwiches, and we were rolling again, now on I-84.

The Interstated turned out to be a rougher ride than the 2 lanes the past two days.  Oh, well, another 70 miles or so to our stop for the night: Mountain Home, Idaho.

More agriculture in this area...

Building clouds, and a couple sprinkles...

The wind had been reasonably light most of the day, but enough to turn those windmills on the top of the hills...

We lost an hour (Mountain Time in Idaho), so didn't roll into the RV park by 2:00.  We stayed at this place last fall - it is a very nice park: long paved sites, grassy area in between each site.  The plan: disconnect the car and trailer, and I will take the coach for propane.  When I got back to the site, Joan hadn't moved the car... "The battery is dead," she said.

"I'll get the jumper battery out of the back," I told her.

"You can't open the back of the Honda - the latch is electric."

The guy who escorted us to our site pulled out a portable battery jumper - just like the one we have in the back of the Honda.  That we can't access.  The car fired right up.

Why?  Thanks for asking.  The Honda is towed with the key in the accessory position... it is draining juice while you are towing.  The manual suggests that if you are towing a lot of miles, you should start the car at each fueling for the motorhome.  To me, this wasn't a "lot of miles," so I didn't.  I will in the future.  There is also a fuse you can pull to eliminate the battery drain; the guy who walked us through the tow bar set-up said, "It is in a panel under the dash, not particularly easy to get to - but, I marked it, just in case you want to.  If it was me, I wouldn't mess with it."

I hooked up the battery charger, after getting the utilities set-up.  Tonight, we will have all the utilities, 'cause I'll be ready for a nice long shower after soaking in the hot tub.

The site...

We will be back to driving separate tomorrow, since we aren't far from the Oregon border.

Settling in, little Izzy asked, "Are we home, yet?  I see grass!"

Soon, Izzy.  Soon.


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Still dealing with the heat... it was in the 90s today in Mountain Home.  At a quarter to 9 (pm), it is still 90º.  The pool was refreshing, the hot tub was a bit too hot.  Izzy got to go outside, and we took long luxurious showers.  One more hot day tomorrow, and then we should be into the cool.