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Day 1 – Sun. Apr. 12th: On the Road Again, Finally

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Trip Overview | Day 2 – Mon. Apr. 13th: Rocks, Tracks & Dusty Roads –>

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Shoshone Falls Park near Twin Falls, Idaho. When the falls are gushing the water thunders over the areas to the right and left of Ann.

It took most of the morning, but I finally wrangled Ann into the jeep so we could get the heck out of Pasco. Our goal was to make it to Twin Falls, Idaho. It’s not much of a stretch (only 6+ hours), but we did have a specific place to visit: Shoshone Falls, a place I’ve been promising we’d see.

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Yesterday we drove from Pasco, Washington, to Twin Falls, Idaho.

Since we’ve covered much of the Pasco to Idaho trip in past photos, we won’t bore you with them here — in fact, we didn’t take any of the drive. However, we did have some excitement, which happens whenever my wife drives. Once she is behind the wheel she just goes …. she doesn’t really pay too much attention to signs (though she does follow the speed limit). On more than one occasion she’s driven happily past an exit. This time, we came close to missing the exit, but fortunately I looked up from my eWillys updates just in time to avoid an unplanned detour. She add’s endless unpredictability to our adventures 🙂

We reached the city of Twin Falls just in time to get to Shoshone Falls State Park with some sun left. We’d never visited the park and found it a literal oasis in the desert. We snapped a few photos before quickly realizing our selfie tactics were rusty. We shall work to improve those, so don’t pan us too loudly for our narcissistic desire to self-photograph . . . we are just practicing! Here are a few practice shots at the falls:

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The park was surprisingly beautiful kept with clean grassy landscapes.

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This cool platform rests on a rock peninsula that provides wonderful views of the upstream falls and downstream Snake River.

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Me practicing the art of the selfie. I’d forgotten to move my hand slightly to increase the number of potential views. This is hard work I’m telling’ ya! Now if you look down the river about a half mile you can seen (you really can’t see, you have to imagine) where Evel Knievel tried to jump the river (see video below … not sure why it is age-restricted).

As the sunset, we retired to our motel in Twin Falls.

Tomorrow we will veer off the interstate for our first foray to the City of Rocks, a little known gem in a remote part of southwest Idaho.

<– Trip Overview | Day 2 – Mon. Apr. 13th: Rocks, Tracks & Dusty Roads –>

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June 1944 Photo of Jeep From France

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This photo is part of an archive of letters from a Doctor named Greg Alexander to a woman named Wilma he met on a blind date during the war and (spoiler alert) married after he returned. Titled Letter’s to Wilma, the blog tracks Greg’s life as he enters the service, through D-Day, France and Germany. One of the interesting aspects is that jeep he was assigned when he reached France (see below). Anyone know what’s on the bumper? I assume the bar on the front was to carry stretchers? Note the jeep is named Wilma.

Here’s the blog: http://wwii-letters-to-wilma.blogspot.com

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Sears CJ-2A Windshield Extension

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Doug shared with me the windshield extension included by Sears when he purchased a soft top in 1971. So, if you see something similar, it was actually a third party modification!

He wrote, “Here are some pics of the windshield extension that came with the Sears full soft top that I purchased in approx. late 1979.I ordered the top for an MB/GPW, so it came with the extension. They sold the same top to fit a cj2a without using the extension. I remember going to a canvas/upholstery shop to have some help with  the doors. For some reason I could not install the doors without some professional help. Can’t recall why.I got home late that night! I was 17 at the time.”

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1944 Photo of the 200,000th MB on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

And who has this MB?

“1944- Ward Canaday, President of Willys-Overland, drives the 200,000 Jeep built in Toledo off the line on April 4, 1944. Mr. Canaday helped the company get a contract to make Jeeps during WWII, producing 363,000 of the total of 648,000 wartime Jeeps.”

View all the information on eBay

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1957 Photo of Ben Carlin’s Half Safe in Ditch on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, GPA (SEEP), Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I don’t remember this photo in any of the Half Safe books.

“1957 Press Photo Tiburon Calif, Australian Ben Carlin drove amphibious jeep
This is an original press photo. Tiburon Calif, Australian Ben Carlin drove amphibious jeep around the worldPhoto measures 9.25 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 12-03-1957.”

View all the information on eBay

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Empire Tractor Beaverton, OR **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Sold Was $3500.

This is a rare Empire Tractor built with civilian Willys parts.

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“Empire tractors were only made for a few years after WWII. To start with they used surplus military Willys jeep drivetrains, later using civilian jeep drivetrains. The engine is jeep, the transmission and rearend are jeep, steering column and wheel is jeep, even the radiator is jeep. The operator platform is surplus Navy ship decking.

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