I have a bad case of truck itch. I haven't had it this bad since 1991. That is the year I bought my last truck. This was my fourth truck and my first four-wheel drive.
In 1991, after Candy died, I needed a reliable vehicle for hauling around my three sons and a few of their friends. I didn't want something girly, so I bought the Explorer. Sue, Ken and I turned 100,000 miles on this truck on the north shore of the Columbia River in Washington. We had some great adventures in this truck. I made many trips into and out of "camp" in it. We did a lot of train chasing trips in it. We went to Canada and made a cross-country trip with the boys in it. One wonderful memory is when we stopped at four corners and laid the camera down on the exact spot where four states come together and made the photo of four Sloans in four states.
Susie and I dated in this truck. We fell in love on a trip to Mendocino in this truck. A family bought this truck when we bought the Integra in 1999. I have only made it to camp one time since then, in Jeff's Suburban. I loved the ability to go where no car could go, where no two-wheel vehicle could go. I never had to be pulled out of anyplace in my Explorer, it climbed great. With a manual transmission and a low-four gear it had a granny tranny that could walk up a wall.
My crazy dream now? I want to drive to Alaska. I want to drive to the Artic circle, to where the road ends. I want to drive to the top of the world, perhaps with Susie and a grandchild or two!
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