Pan Am Experience Part 5

["Bo Parrish" <lindap@lcc.net>]

Back in the USA

Part 5

Our Vacation

There was no way we could be home in time for Bo to be at work the following morning, so we looked our options over and decided if we took one extra day, we could see Devils Tower on our way home. Bo called his employer and they agreed on this.

I’m not sure if every highway in North Dakota is being worked on this summer, but I do know that every one we needed to travel had miles of one-lane road construction underway. By the way, this is also the time of year the Harley-Davidson Bike Rally takes place. All the smaller towns had lots of bikers out and about. We didn’t make Devils Tower until after dark. Determined that something should go right this trip, we pulled off the road to wait for morning.

Bo and I have traveled many miles across the US and habitually stop at little pullovers that only one truck with trailer, or maybe two cars, can occupy. We parked where we could see Devils Tower as the morning sun hit it. We climbed into bed in the trailer. Animal Tacker trailer is a cargo trailer and doesn’t have a camper door, so we "bungied" it shut as usual.

At 2:00 a.m. Bo woke me and told me there were at least four young people across the road. As cars came along the road, the guys would jump out of sight, leaving the girl in sight of the motorists. They sounded drunk as they discussed getting into the locked trailer. Apparently they had examined one side of the trailer since they knew it was locked and they would "have to knock to try to get them to open up". We discussed all options that came to mind. When they started walking down hill toward the small town, we chose to hurry out, jump into the truck and try to get away. We managed to get the squeaky door shut as a motorcycle came by, so we don’t think they heard that. We got Earl into the back seat, me into the front and as Bo started around the back of the truck, he heard them running and yelling, "Hurry up! They’re leaving!" What he didn’t tell me was that they were almost to the back of the trailer when he jumped into the truck. We were well down the road when he imparted that tidbit of information. That made me wish I had scooted over and started the truck!

However, the truck started and we pulled out. Time sure seemed to stand still as the truck lumbered up that hill! Thankfully we will never know what they had in mind. We stopped 2-3 miles further down the road where lots of people had pulled over. We did manage to see Devils Tower as the sun came up. It is really an awesome sight. Someday we will go back when we have time to further explore the area.

Unbelievable - as Bo started to leave the parking area, the truck wouldn’t release out of ‘park’. After more troubleshooting, we found the ABS fuse had blown. After more work on the truck/trailer connection, we were on our way again.

We drove from Devils Tower, Wyoming to Dalhart, Texas before we stopped again. From there it was only another day’s drive to our home in Kennard. Thankfully we did not experience any more troubles.

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Hope you enjoyed our experience! It is definitely one we won't soon forget.  :))

Linda & Bo Parrish

Kennard, Texas