16 US States and 4 Canadian Provinces. (Banff NP and Jasper NP), July 2022

[molanginaeda]

Lookback to the impromptu meetup in Jasper in 2017. @PetitFrereArmada , you still driving the QX56.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Lookback to the impromptu meetup in Jasper in 2017. @PetitFrereArmada , you still driving the QX56.

I will always remember our meeting in Jasper in 2017 and sharing icecream with your family at your camp site.

I have sold my beloved QX56. I loved that my suv since I have had some amazing 4x4 adventures with it. Sadly, after owning it for 5 years, I sold it with 170,000 miles on odometer.

I bought an extended warranty on that suv when I bought it. Throughout my 5 years of ownership, my extended warranty paid over $20,000 in warranty claims to fix and maintain my suv while I personally paid over $10,000 out of pocket for other repairs. The car was a gas guzzler and did not give me a break in repairs. So, in 5 years of owning the car, it cost over $30,000 to maintain it. I am not even kidding you. I do have a thread about it. I will find it and post it here. I was ready to let it go after my warranty expired and the automatic self leveling airbags stopped working and the dealership wanted $2,500 to fix it. Something that if I still had the extended warranty, it would have fixed it for me with only $100 deductible from me.

Here is the link...

Can my extended warranty company cancel my policy after paying out over $18000?

Well, that is when I put it up for sale and a couple who lives like 30 minutes from me bought it.

I sold my suv immediately after buying my brand new 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid for my daily driving. After selling my suv, I have been in the market for a brand new 4x4, but with car prices now, I am holding off. So, no 4x4 for now. But I definitely want a 4x4 when I feel this market may have come to its senses. Till then, I will keep on enjoying getting 55mpg to 65mpg when I hypermile with this Hybrid when I do city driving. I miss my Infiniti as it was the most comfortable vehicle I have ever owned, but I do not miss the 14mpg I was getting.

My Infiniti QX56 had a 26 gallons tank but could give me only 330 miles out of that tank.
My 2020 Accord Hybrid has a 12 gallons tank, but gives me 700 miles out of the tank in city driving only.

So, that helps me not miss my Infiniti.

Man, I have seen your Iceland trip pictures and blog with your family. That is so awesome! Keep it up. I love seeing your travels.

 

[AbleGuy]

The next day, which was yesterday was a day I was very worried about a lot because throughout my trip so far, I have loaded my 2020 Honda Accord with 15 Military Fuel Jerry Cans and was worried the US Border Patrol may not allow me to bring all 15 into the country. Well, this is how it went.

Well, I finally made it across the US/Canada border with my 15 Jerry Cans. I thought Border Patrol was going to give me a hard time, but I was lucky. Though I had prepared myself for any questions with prepared answers already. But I didn't have to use my prepared answers.

This is how it went with Border Patrol. We handed him our passport and he started questioning us.

BP: "Where are you guys coming from?"
Me: "Banff and Jasper NP in Canada."
BP: "How long were you guys there for?"
Me: "11 days"
BP: "What did you guys bring back from Canada?"
Me: "Jerry Cans"
BP: "Roll down the rear windows for me. Wow! That is a lot of Jerry Cans. You don't like the ones from the US?"
Me: "The US does not carry these ones."
BP: "These are the military kinds. I hope they are all empty"
Me: "Yes, they are all empty.", as I nodded my head about then being the military kinds.
BP: "Where do you guys live?"
Me: Told him
BP: "OK, you guys be safe driving back home."
Me: "Thank you VERY MUCH!"

And off we went back into the USA with 15 Jerry Cans.

To be honest, I was worried they were going to give me a hard time for having 15 Jerry Cans, but all the 15 were in plain sight. So, I had nothing to hide or worry about as I made sure to declare them and not try to hide anything.

Honestly, I don't think they would stop someone from bringing 15 Jerry Cans into the country. They are just 15 empty plastic containers.

I bought 15 Scepter Military Fuel/Gas Jerry Cans to sell most and maybe keep some. Here is the link to my For Sale thread.

Scepter 5 gallons Military Fuel/Gas Jerry Can For Sale

Geeze, your vehicle kinda looked like it belonged to a suicide bomber! ??
I’m surprised the border cops were so easy on you ?

But seriously, you’ve been having a once in a lifetime, epic adventure and clearly fully enjoying the whole touristy experience with your lake boat and ice field, beaver tails in Banff, etc. tours. Thanks for taking the effort to take and share these absolutely beautiful, inspirational scenic shots with us. I kinda feel like I’ve been riding along with you in your back seat the whole way…well, maybe not, no room there?

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

But seriously, you’ve been having a once in a lifetime, epic adventure and clearly fully enjoying the whole touristy experience with your lake boat and ice field, beaver tails in Banff, etc. tours. Thanks for taking the effort to take and share these absolutely beautiful, inspirational scenic shots with us. I kinda feel like I’ve been riding along with you in your back seat the whole way…well, maybe not, no room there?

Thanks for the compliment. It was truly an epic adventure in Canada. I will always remember this trip, espexially as I got to stay twice in a mixedhostel.That was an exoeriwnce. Plus Crossing the border with a car loaded with 15 Jerry Cans.

Well, luckily for me, some forum members have really come through and I have sold 5 of my Jerry Cans so far and delivered them in Portland, OR.

Right now, I have had requests from other forum member and if it all goes well, I will get home with zero Jerry cans. I would have sold all of them to members from this forum along my route back home.

Right now, I have 10 left. 2 will be delivered in Flagstafg, AZ. 4 will be delivered in San Antonio. 4 will be delivered in Houston. And I will get home with zero. All sold to forum members. So, that is the current plan right now. With one other forum member who contacted me from Houston and wants 2, but I told him I am sold out. But just in case someone backs out from the pending sales I have now, then I will sell 2 to the new buyer in Houston.

So, all my 15 Jerry Cans have been sold. Well, 5 already. 10 are pending sales and would likely be all sold before I pull up at home on the day I am supposed to be home.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

I spent the past 2 days in Lake Tahoe and the heat was unbearable so I did not get to enjoy sight seeing like I did in Canada where the weather was a lot cooler.

So, I flew my drone at Lake Tahoe and took some pics of the lake and the island. Then I saw this boat doing a tour and decided to take some pics of it using my 7x zoom where my drone is quite far away but still enough for me to zoom in and get a pretty close shot. I think they were having a great time on this boat tour.

Then it was time to bring back my drone and land it and go for dinner.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Today, we drove from Lake Tahoe to Death Valley NP. The heat in the park was just unbearable as temperatures hovered around 120F to 123F. I just couldn't do anything under this heat. So, I didn't do much at the park. But sure noticed the very high gas price in the park.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

On our way to Vegas a few days ago, we made a quick stop at Hoover Dam where it is noted that the water level has greatly receded and the lake there that feeds the dam may dry off someday in the future.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

And here are pictures from the Vegas night outings. The first night we went to Fremeont for the Freemont Experience. We went at 9pm and left at midnight, passing by the church that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck just got married at like less 30 minutes before we passed infront of it. I wish we had seen them taking pictures after their wedding.

Here are random pictures from all night adventures in Las Vegas.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

And some beautiful pictures from the inside of the Bellagio

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

For our last night in Vegas, we attended a Cirque Du Soleil show and it was very entertaining.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

A Little White Chapel
This is where Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck tied the knot at midnight, a few days ago. I missed this occasion by about 30 minutes since I drove by it that same night after leaving Fremont Street Experience. Well, I had no idea Jennifer and Ben were getting married that night. So, when I was leaving Vegas today, I said I should go and take pictures of the church.
Wikipedia says this church has married over 800,000 couples.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

If you go to Vegas and want some good tacos, you should visit one of these 2 places which are basically next to each other.

Tacos El Gordo and Tacos El Pastor.

The waiting line when it gets busy is very long and very discouraging as you will stand for way over an hour before you place your order. The food is very good though. I found that El Gordo is cheaper, has been there longer and has a way longer line than El Pastor which is more expensive for exactly the same things.

Quality of food is basically the same. It is good.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Yesterday, I drove from Las Vegas to Flagstaff. It was a nice and uneventful drive. I passed through Oatman, AZ and saw a lot of donkeys. I missed the gun fight that they do to entertain the tourists.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Yesterday, I drove from Flagstaff to Mexican Hat and made tons of stops along the way starting by stopping at the trading post in Cameron. This is a must stop.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

I continued to Page, AZ. Then to Mexican Hat.
Quick stop at Horseshoe Bend

Monument Valley Scenic Drive. 17 miles offroading.

Other pictures