Jasper

During my many road trips with my dogs, I wandered through many towns and villages along the way, and stayed in many parks. The town of Jasper in Alberta, Canada, was perhaps one of my favorite towns. I have many fond memories from that beautiful setting. The national park, just down the highway, also gave me fond memories, especially from my stay there in 2014 with Erde, just after Leben died. my hope was to revisit those wonderful places either this year or next, to try to reignite the memories.  Unfortunately, both the town of Jasper  and the national park were just ravaged by huge wildfires, that are still raging as I write this. Since I do not anticipate too many more road trips, I may have to forgo any future visit there. But whatever damage those fires caused to those idyllic places, they cannot erase the memories from my mind. My hope now is that both the town and the park regain their former beauty.
>

This is the first posting for OTR2024, with Annie

The Grenadier has arrived.  Almost six years after I first heard about the Grenadier, five years after I reserved one, and seven months since they started delivery to the USA, my Grenadier arrived on Tuesday. Annie and I, accompanied by my friend, Mike, Ubered to Philadelphia in 106 degree temperature to drive it back to DC.  Because I cannot park the Grenadier on the streets in DC,  and because of its height, one year ago, I started negotiating with the owner of the only parking spot in my garage where it would fit to exchange parking spaces with him.  We finished the negotiations at 11:00 p.m. Monday, just eight hours before we had to leave for Philly, where the closest dealer is located.  But I decided that there is no way that I can let my Defender 90, which has served me well for 31 years and 260,000 miles, go.  So, I will search for another parking space for it to enjoy its retirement after so many, many adventures across this magnificent land of ours. Wow, what joy those trips with my dogs gave me.

 

Now that the Grenadier is here, my first task will be to learn how to drive it. Remember, my 1994 Defender 90 is outfitted with 1983 technology, when Land Rover first created the Defender.  I have to admit that Sir Jim Ratcliffe did a good job at just upgrading the technology of the Defender for the Grenadier to that which is useful, but not luxurious.  I will miss the abject ruggedness of the Defender, but appreciate that it was time to indulgle in some modern conveniences, like automatic windows (versus roll forward in the Defender).

 

My second task, of course, will be to start laying out some plans for OTR-2024 (I now number the OTRs by year, and not serial number). Whatever destination we pick, this will certainly be a new experience for me with a new vehicle and a new dog,  Annie, not a German shepherd.   But not only will the Defender be with us in spirt, but Montag, Sonntag, Kessie, Leben, Erde and Donner will all be on the trip with us more than in spirt.

 

More on all of this later.

 

 

 

Defender at rest