On Monday, June 12^th, Maxi and her adventurers made it through Washington state.  To minimize traffic with the trailer holding Maxi, they skirted around Seattle, but Charlie caught this shot of the city:

They made it as far as Sumas, Washington, which is right on the Canadian border.  It looks like a cute town.  It was originally a railroad hub and briefly supported the Mount Baker Gold Rush, with some gold mining operations still ongoing in the area such as at Lone Jack Mine. It’s also known for a large rodeo in the early 20th Century, the “Sumas Roundup.”

Here are some pix from town:

Tim Murdoch met them for an early supper.  He’ll be joining them for part of the tour in a week or so.  Also had a nice visit with Bob and Marilynn Krause, Model A fans from Delta, British Columbia.

Tuesday, June 13^th, they crossed the border.  I would have loved to have a photo of the border guards checking out the trailer with Maxi, but photos are not allowed at border crossings.  I’m sure they were all smiles though!

They had breakfast in Hope, Canada. Sounds like a pleasant place to live!  And, clearly, there are artists there:

More shots along the way…  (This is what happens when two photographers get together on a trip!)

On the evening of the 13th, the adventurers ran into their first snag — their reservation in the town of 100 Mile House had been lost. Fortunately, the staff at the Days Inn were extremely helpful:

I’m sorry, but I’ve lost the young lady’s name. I might have been Charisse…

Wednesday, June 14^th was a trip highlight.  They arrived in Prince George, British Columbia.  Mike Morris and his assistant Brenda Federink arranged an amazing welcome for Maxi.  

Mike Morris is an  elected MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for Prince George-Mackenzie. Before being elected to the British Columbia Legislature, Mike had a 32-year career in the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).  Here’s a photo of him signing Maxi, and I believe the woman standing next to Jay and taking photos is Brenda.

Mike and Brenda  had even arranged to have the local TV news station on hand to witness Maxi’s unveiling from the covered trailer, and to interview Jay. Reporter/photographer Adam Beris did a great job!

Now that Maxi is on the ground, the heart of the Tuktoyaktuk Adventure has begun.  Jay will be driving Maxi most of the rest of the trip, and Charlie will follow in the tow vehicle, just in case.

This is what is in store for the adventurers:

Remember, as exciting as Maxi the mobile veterans memorial is, the trip has two purposes:  1) honoring Canadian veterans and 2) bringing attention to our Legion scholarship fund.  I just learned that while Jay and I were in Ireland, the scholarship committee awarded scholarships to two Leffingwell Continuation School Graduates.  If I’m not too late to connect with them, would you like to learn about them? (Shameless plug:  here’s the address for the scholarship donation page —  https://legionpost432.com/jay.htm )

I believe the adventurers are now entering weak cell signal territory.  Blog posts may be delayed depending upon weather and signal, but never fear – these guys are on a roll and nothing will stop them!