Our first day on the road was an exciting experience for more reasons than one. We didn’t have a chance to give the car a good shakedown, and didn’t have a feel for it. We also learned an important lesson about booking hotels ahead of time as well. Read on…
We arose very early last Thursday morning, somewhere in the order of 5:30 or so. We stopped in at a McDonalds, for a McCoffee and McMuffin, and set out on our way. The night before, I had made reservations at the High Country Inn in Banff, so that was our target for the day. We had also visited Canadian Tire, picking up a socket set, and some odds and ends. In retrospect, one was a good idea, the other – not so good. I think you can guess which is which.
Leaving the Greater Vancouver Area
We set out towards Hope, where the Trans Canada and Coquihalla head roughly north, and the Crowsnest heads east. The travelling was very easy – divided highway with a 100 KM/H limit, in good condition. It appeared to be farming country, rich soil, fertile. After a bit, we arrived at Hope. There, we stopped to take in the scenery, and have a good breakfast for the day ahead. Hope is very beautiful – the mountains, the trees, it was hard for us to get our heads around it.
First few hours down, no sweat!
We had decided to head east on Highway 3, and travel up the Okanagan Valley. The Crowsnest was a good highway – lots of passing lanes, good asphalt, easy turns. We travelled eastbound, taking in the mountain vistas as we went. We descended into the Similkameen Valley, where there were many signs of mining operations long gone by. The change in scenery so far that day was astounding – fertile farmlands, forested mountain views, and arid vistas in the Similkameen.
We arrived at Keremeos – a neat little town that reminded us of towns in Westerns. There were lots of fruit orchards in the area. It would have been nice to been there when the fruit stands were in operation. It was getting late in the morning, so we decided to head up highway 3A towards Penticton. We headed up over the hills, when something caught my attention on the dash.
The orange one I don’t mind, but the red one, not so much…
Part way to Penticton, the charge light came on. The car seemed to be working OK, but just in case, we shut off all the extra things that were on – the A/C, radio, we even unplugged the GPS. We arrived in Penticton, and made a beeline for NAPA. The parts guy said he had an alternator. I went out and used the new socket set, pulled it off and took it in. It was different. His had a D-shaped plug on it, with an accessible regulator, mine had an oval plug with the regulator inside it. Luckily, it only takes less than 10 minutes to remove and install it – so I stuck it back on, and tried Canadian Tire. No luck there, either. Third time was the charm – Lordco had one. I installed it, and the light went out. All was well.
Along the Okanagan…
The Okanagan area was simply stunning – the highway along the lake, the mountains, water, everything. Driving for a while and coming through Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon – like nothing we ever saw before. It must be a wonderful place to live – beautiful, clean, and the people we met were nice.
We continued on to Sicamous and the Trans-Canada. We probably should have stopped at that point and found a room, but I had booked and paid for a night in Banff, so we continued on. We travelled through Rogers Pass and the snow sheds, which protect the highway from avalanches in likely areas. I’d never driven through a tunnel before. 
We ended stopping in Revelstoke for a bite to eat, then continuing on past Golden on some of the scariest 2-lane highway I have ever driven on. The road was very twisty, carved right out of the side of the mountain. There was a lot of truck traffic on this section of highway. By this time it was dark, and we were unable to get any pictures of it. We had made it to Banff in one piece, and had a good sleep.
The first day, we:
Travelled 949 KM (590 miles), and burned 102 L of fuel, giving 10.7 L/100KM, or 22 MPG. I burned Chevron Premium. The computer was slightly more optimistic, reporting 24 MPG. Excellent, given the size of the car and the conditions for travelling!
What car did you buy, model, year, Kms, $s. This is so important to know, I really envy you guys, Have a wonderful and safe trip, How many guys get to do something like this with their 2 Dads?
Its part 2 of a story published a couple of days ago. Look there for background on the car and the trip.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/road-trip/cc-roadtrip-finding-a-suitable-car-what-to-buy-and-the-final-decision-was-all-too-obvious/
What stunning scenery! And congrats on scoring the Crown Vic! Looks like a real gem!
Excellent start Marc! The scenery is stunning isn’t it?
I’m glad you made it through that Golden section of highway, it is extremely dangerous. On our cross Canada motorcycle trip we were riding along when the car in front of us attempted a pass. Around the corner came an oncoming truck and there were trucks, trailers, cars and motorcycles swerving all over, trying not to hit each other or go over the cliff. Luckily there was no contact but I was so furious I bawled the guy out when he stopped.
Almost all of this section has been 4 laned now.
Good choice on the car. Any other car in the price range would have been much less suitable.
The smooth ride of these makes them alot less tiresome to drive than any other car on the road, especially noticable when driving alot.
Agreed, ours served us very well from the years 2007-15 inclusive. We took it on an 1800 km round trip into Northern Saskatchewan, through logging roads and everything in between.
Another 3000 km roadtrip through Jasper, Rocky Mountain House, Drumheller etc. was another memorable and trouble-free drive. As I get older I start to worry about owning these older cars but the Vic sure didn’t let me down. I even got through some snowed-in grid roads during Snowmaggedon 2013.
A few years ago I decided to make a trip up the east coast without using any interstates, but it doesn’t compare to the trip outlined here. Until you get to the mountains of Virginia it’s all long, straight stretches through mostly small towns. But getting “off the beaten path” can be an interesting look back.
As the owner of an ’09 Crown Vic I had a similar experience not long after I got it. While heading out of town on a long trip I was surprised when a yellow/orange light came on.
I hope I don’t ever have a problem locating a part for a needed repair like you did, either. It must have been a bit unsettling to discover 2 out of 3 auto parts stores in a town didn’t have the part you needed.
Sounds like the car is in good shape and will serve you well. Of all the things to fail, good to know it was only an easy to replace and cheap to buy alternator.
The car should treat you well for the rest of the trip, if it had any major problem it likely would have shown up by now. Just keep a close watch on the fluids and an open ear for any sounds that don’t seem quite right.
Looking forward to a trouble free part 3.
A good start. Something new enough to have parts easily available should not be under-appreciated. For any other issues, you might want to check out grandmarq.net, which has a really great forum for Panther cars.
Wow, such a bargain price and working a/c too. You did indeed find a good car. I look forward to more.
Made that trip in 2004 iirc. Did not go all the way east and don’t remember my geography well enough. Dropped down into Montana to see Yellowstone and then headed home. Made two northern trips. One in 2002 and the second in 2004.
We were tailed by someone official who pulled in behind us at a rest stop on the Frazier river. He talked to us and then went on. The next day we awoke to the sound of helicopters and there were cops all over the highways.Turned out we were coming into Albertville (iirc)and there was a G__ meeting taking place. Heads of state for several nations were meeting in the old winter olympic site.
We followed the Frazier river for quite a spell. It was wild with spring melt and absolutely stunning. Between that trip, living in Newfoundland for a year, and the trip we made to the Maritimes last year I have become convinced that no place is more beautiful than Canada. Was teaching Industrial Technology at the time and the road thru the Rockies gave me a lot to teach about.
Looks like a great trip so far. Yes, some of BC’s highways can be challenging but if you take your time, all should be fine. We travel these routes at least twice a year as we have friends that live in Golden which is a about 8 hours from Vancouver via the Coquihalla. You were lucky you didn’t run into a spring snowstorm up in the passes…not for the nervous driver for sure. Here’s winter pic of the summit of Rogers Pass…
Ooof yes 2013 was a fun year for winter in western Canada.
Here’s one from an earlier year….lucked out with the weather that time!
Wonderful photos and good writing .
I missed what was the bad thing you got from ‘ crappy tire Co. ‘ .
-Nate
One thing I do like about the Crown Vic, it is easier to change the alternator than it is to change the spark plugs….Have a safe and fun trip, you could not have stolen a better car for it!
Must be adventurous to pick up a CC and drive it cross country (oops another CC). Closest I came was buying cars off-lease from eGads (one in Richmond and one from Cleveland, plus a boat from outside Atlanta) and driving them all back to NYC.
good times
So far so good. If you would have had a more esoteric car parts might have been more of a problem. Freeways can be fun too. Yesterday going through Oakland a big rig trying to exit encountered stopped traffic on the ramp and swerved back to the left, almost taking out a Ford Focus alongside him. The Focus and the rig locked up the brakes both still moving to the left. They were ahead of me a bit and once I determined that neither vehicle was going to spin out in front of me I punched it to get ahead of the mess. Luckily no contact no foul, though I could see the Focus driver cussing out the truck driver in my rear view. Have a safe trip.
Enjoying your trip and the scenery as well. Your trip may very well work a few bugs out of the car and you may find yourself at home in possession of a bargain gem that’s reasonably reliable for the next few years.
Water pumps seem to be the bane of older cars that are pressed into intense service. That’s happened to me twice with two different older cars. You may want to keep abreast on the availability of a pump.
Or, as my father did back in the 1970s, carry a spare one, along with the tools/gaskets/coolant to change it, in the trunk. We had a half-dozen spare parts stuffed around the spare tire when the 1971 LTD was ten years old (and once we had them, of course those parts didn’t fail).
These days, I am ashamed to say that I sometimes take road trips with nothing more than the mini-Leatherman on my keychain! That’s a testament to how reliable modern-day cars have become.
Stop at AMIGOS east of Saskatoon for some reasonable priced parts.
http://amigosauto.com
Got to love Rogers and Kicking Horse passes. They’re my favourite non-snowmobile aided ski touring locations. I actually prefer driving them in the winter (unless it’s storming), then the winter as rental RVs and tourist traffic really clog it up in the summer. Unfortunately, there’s always a lot of truck traffic that don’t always drive to conditions.
Roger’s pass is the only road that I’m aware of that has an army bomb the slopes with Howitzers to protect from avalanches! I’ve been stuck many times waiting for the army to finish. Pretty surreal to drive by army personnel on the side of the road soon after the hwy re-opens.
I didn’t know Kicking Horse was an actual location. Last week I bought an organic coffee from Canada branded “Kicking Horse”. I just assumed it was in connection with its caffeine rating. Learn something new every day…glad to know!
And yes, Wow are those views stunning. Thanks to the author for sharing.
More of a pass and a river than a town, but a location nonetheless. Kicking Horse Coffee is based in my town; Invermere, BC. Great coffee, I drink it every day.
Gives meaning to the phrase “I’m really kickin’ it this morning!”
We’re seriously looking at the Kermeos area as a place to retire to in a year or so. Beautiful area.
Glad you enjoyed your visit to our province, and safe travels on the rest of your journey. That’s a long haul for one day, and 97 through the Okanagan sometimes feels like a 100Km long traffic jam. Your next 900k will go a lot faster!
Enjoyed the pictures, I know all those locations well. Next year my wife and I are planning on touring the Maritimes, but I doubt she’ll let me fly us out, buy an old car and drive back. I’m envious….
I haven’t yet commented on your story, but I have read it since the beginning and I am enjoying it so far. As much as I would have liked you to have bought 30+ year old iron, I think this was probably the best choice considering your circumstances. Realistically, to make this trip with a 30+ year old car, it’d need more than a shake down cruise. It need a thorough going over, especially since so many of these old cars have sat for so many years, only embarking on short trips and minimal (if any) maintenance.
Your trip reminds me of my cross Canada trek I took several years back using a friend’s 1992 Caprice. Coincidentally, he also owned a Crown Vic almost identical to yours as well, same year and colour. I know he liked both cars and both served him well. Enjoy the trip and hopefully the Crown Vic will serve you well through the rest of your journey.
Great article. I am glad you made if to Banff. I have driven the trans Canada highway from Vancouver to Calgary many times. It is a great drive aside from the trucks and RV’s. The majority of my trips driving cars that most people wouldn’t trust to get across town have made for some adventures. Usually involving a broken alternator, fuel pump or engine. I am glad you were able to find your alternator that same day, advantage Ford. My old Subarus or vw usually involved a wait or trip to the wreckers. Once you hit the prairies the torturous part of the trip should be over, at least as far as the car is concerned. Best of luck and keep the stories coming.
I was under the impression that the trip was already over and he’s writing about it now. Are they actually still driving back home now and he’s giving us a day by day update?
I think the latter.
I’d hoped to do it nightly on the trip, but with 12-hour plus days of driving, having a cold, and these taking me 2-3 hours to write, I just didn’t have the time to do it. I hope it doesn’t lessen the entertainment value of it!
Not at all. Can’t wait to read more about it. Having a cold on a long drive is the worst! It’s just enough to sap the fun out of almost anything! Hope your feeling better now!
Looks like a fun trip. I love road trips.
Happy trails on the next leg.
The first part of your route is spectacular and it’s good to hear your alternator problem was easily solved.
As you now know, the Okanagan route is beautiful, but not quick. The Coquihalla is the route for fast travel, but that failed alternator might have left you REALLY stranded on the other routes. Shame you missed seeing the Rockies in daylight…you’ll just have to do it again!