Johnboy, sorry to hear of your issues. A friend I work with bought a new Chrysler mini van for his wife and he never thought to check for the spare tire at the purchase time. He found out before she went on a trip that she didn't have one. He wasn't thrilled at all. It seems the auto manufacturers will do what ever to cut costs these days. Anyway, your trip sounds very nice! I've been following on google too. I'm not sure we'll get to any of the places you're going. Stay safe and have fun!