Deja Vu All Over Again

Well, a change in plans came unexpectedly as we left Wednesday morning on the way to Chena Hot Springs. We only got a few miles from our Chena Lakes campground when Joe noticed the monitor was showing overheating. Within minutes it was so high that we got the stop engine message We pulled over and waited a few minutes, tried again and only got under another mile and the same thing. Oh joy. We have had overheating problems since last year and have had a number of suppose solutions and here we go again. This is the worse though as before it was only when we were going up hill and we could go very slow and it stayed under the 200 degrees. This time we were stopped dead at the side of the highway. Joe found the phone number of the one and only Detroit Diesel repair shop in Fairbanks and they said they would be out After several hours and another phone call they showed up. They thought it was probably a sensor. We were about 10 miles from their shop and so we slowly followed them to the shop with several stops along the way. It was after their closing time and so we spent the night there so they could fix it the first thing in the morning. Next morning came and they checked it out still thinking it was the sensor and not really an overheating problem. Once installed we did a test run and no go. We should have known the fact that it was in stock was too easy. With further testing and getting more people involved,including Freightliner,  it was determined to be the fan that was not working. Of course that was NOT in stock and had to be overnighted. Another night at the lovely repair shop. Well at least we can stay in the motorhome and not have to find a place to stay which we have had to do a number of times over the last year. The part came in the next afternoon and installed and hurrah, this seem to do the trick. Our extended warranty agreed to cover part of the cost. However, we just had the fan replaced last September and don't feel it should have stopped working after this short of time. Joe will be following up on this next week. Anyway, late Friday afternoon we went in search of a place to stay We decided to try River's Edge Resort. We were ready for a full hook up site after being without for awhile. They only had one site left and didn't think it would work as it long enough but narrow. We decided to check it out anyway and it was fine. Not a lot of room but no problems getting out slides out and there are bushes on both sides and so we are not looking right into our neighbors windows on either side.

          

We are going to stay for the weekend and tomorrow we'll go to the Riverboat Discovery, which we hadn't gotten around to seeing yet. We had stopped at Safeway when at the repair shop and purchased the Alaska tourbook It is a great deal You pay $99 and there are a bunch of coupons for boat trips, rafting and kayaking tours, air fleights, fishing trips, and other smaller items. It will only take a trip or two to more than pay for the book. Riverboat Discovery is one of the buy one get one free and so we will be using it right away.
This resort, besides the rv park also has a number of cabins for rent, They also have a restaurant named Chena's Alaskan Grill, and we walked over for dinner. After all the rain and cloudy weather the afternoon had turned nice with some sunshine. We were able to sit outside on their large deck. They also have a large wraparound porch as well as inside seating. It is right on the Chena River. So great weather, great ambiance and the food was great as well. Our best meal so far in Alaska. I had wild salmon with a blackberry salsa and Joe had a seafood pasta with wild salmon, wild cod, and shrimp in a cream sauce. Even Joe's salad with a maple vinagrette and mine,  chicken and mushroom with wild rice soup, were good. And we finished up with a yummy blueberry cobbler which we both thought was the best cobbler we ever had. That and a few drinks and we were feeling much better. A couple of stressful days but the weekend is certainly off to a good start..  I didn't have my camera at the restaurant but here are a few shots from the web site. the whole resort is nicely landscaped with flowers everywhere.