Day 19: Airplane Engines in Kamloops

We woke up and savored our last glimpse of the wonderful lake view before hitting the road. The kids know Rob’s weakness all too well, so once again, we kickstarted our travel day with a round of Tim Hortons donuts and a much-needed coffee for the driver.

Rob took the wheel for the entire 1.5-hour drive, his longest leg of the trip so far. The route was scenic, winding past farmland right alongside the river. Sometime earlier in the trip, Kelly tweaked her back. It’s been a mix of good and bad days since, but today was a particularly rough one, so we were incredibly thankful Rob was able to handle all the driving.

With some excellent foresight, Rob remembered that the engine for our RV-10 airplane was actually assembled right here in Kamloops 16 years ago. He emailed the company to ask about a tour, and they graciously said yes! We were treated to a fantastic, hour-long tour of their facilities. It exceeded all our expectations; seeing their meticulous attention to detail and immense pride in their work reaffirmed that we absolutely chose the right place to build our engine. On the flip side, we also learned that a full engine overhaul is staggeringly expensive, even more than what the brand-new engine originally cost. Suffice it to say, we are highly motivated to stay on top of those regular inspections and oil changes.

Nicholas was absolutely in his element during the engine tour, especially since the facility was right next to an airport where we got to watch several planes take off. Cooper, on the other hand, was most pumped about being back in a bigger town because it meant one thing: Costco! After fueling up the RV, we popped in to restock on staples and grab a few final Canadian favorites. Pro tip for anyone traveling to a Costco in Canada: they only accept Mastercard. Their ATM happened to be broken, but thankfully, they were kind enough to convert our US cash at a decent exchange rate so we didn’t have to leave our treats behind.

By the time we left Costco, we noticed the wildfire smoke was starting to thicken. A quick check confirmed that our next campsite was even closer to the active fires. Upon arriving, we realized just how smoky it actually was. We’re going to play it by ear, but there is a good chance we might skip our second night here to escape the haze and find clearer air.