A layover in Vernon

We left Osoyoos yesterday; and drove North along 97 heading towards Vernon. Beautiful drive through the Okanagan valley with mountain views all around.

A few days earlier, our truck started making strange noises. It's never a good thing when your vehicle starts making strange noises. And it turns out, this wasn't going to be an exception. After getting set up yesterday in our new park in Vernon, Mike brought the truck to the local Ford dealership.

Turns out that one of the cylinders is leaking at the exhaust manifold. They've been working at this since yesterday afternoon; and are having quite the time getting the rusted bolts off. One of the bolts was giving them quite the hassle; and had to be sent to a machinist to get it off. The bill, so far, is roughly $2500.00 - ouch!!! Hopefully, with any luck, this will be the last thing needing fixing for a while - wish us luck. We're hoping to be back on the road again tomorrow.

Molly is doing okay though. She still needs help getting in and out of the truck and the rig; and she doesn't get very far very fast; but she seems to making small improvements on a daily basis. Hopefully the glucosamine and aspirin will only continue to help. Thanks for all the warm wishes being sent her way... now can you also pray to the truck gods for us... and the lotto gods... thanks.

No pictures today.

Onwards to Osoyoos

I know that it's been a long time since I posted a blog. So I'll fill you in on what we've been up to. After leaving Sqaumish, our next destination was Chilliwack. The reason for this stop, was to have another visit with Mike's brother Rob, before we left the area. The park itself was crammed in tightly and overpriced and right on the Trans Canada, so very noisy; but the visit was great. There were also nice mountain views all around, but we were happy to pull out on Monday morning.

We took the Crowsnest Pass, Highway #3 heading East towards Osoyoos. Very little traffic; and the views all around were again breath taking. Didn't matter which direction you looked, there were mountains.

We arrived early afternoon; and were enjoying the hot tub and heated pool, shortly there after. Very nice park, well layed out; lots of trees in between sites, and a lake out the back window - pretty nice! The internet however, wasn't the strongest; and that contributed to the long blog delay.

Tuesday was a pretty rough day. Molly isn't doing very well these days - the arthritis in her back legs has gotten worse; and she having a tough time getting in and out of the rig. And going for walks is painfully slow. We made a few phone calls to local vets, to see about having her put to sleep; but when she looked at us with those big brown eyes, we both melted and neither of us had the heart; so off to the pharmacy we went instead. She's now on glucosamine sulphate and an aspirin. It's been almost a week; and even though the improvements are small; she does seem to be improving.

Thursday found us heading East on #3 for a day trip. The "hill" heading out of town is the Anarchists Highway; and even with just the truck; it was a workout. But once at the top... you guessed it, breath taking views all around, with Osoyoos spread out below. There was barely a cloud in the sky; and you could see a long way. Including our campground. From there, we continued on a gravel road up towards Mount Baldy. The skiing is done for the year and most of the snow is gone. On towards Oliver, and then back to the park.

Another adventure on Friday, this time the Desert Cultural Centre. Spent some time in the centre; and then off on the hike we went. I haven't mentioned this yet, but Osoyoos is in Canada's Senoran desert. And very reminiscent of our time in the south west.

Another day drive on Saturday and a hike on Sunday. The weather turned out to be pretty nice this past week, low 20's and mostly sunny and it was great to be out and about doing things.

Take a look at our pictures

Shannon Falls and Sqaumish

Turns out the "day after" skiing wasn't near as bad as Mike thought it would be. Maybe having a steam room and hot tub, plus a naproxen was a good idea.

Also turns out that the last run wasn't on 7th Heaven, but on Whiskey Jack and Olympic Run; on the Whistler side of the mountain. Mike's still smiling; and I'm sure he will be for a while yet.

Wednesday we ended up taking a drive to Shannon Falls. This little gem of a place is just south of Squamish; and was worth the drive over. The roar of the water rushing down the mountain side is deafening; and the views and sights around are breathtaking.

Thursday, we drove back north of Squamish and took a rough gravel road towards the Tantalus Mountains. Lots of pot holes to dodge on this road; but Al, we didn't lose any fillings - not a one!!!

Last night, we had a campfire as it was also our last night in Squamish. The 9 nights there flew by; and the weather turned out to be way nicer than was predicted.

Today, we travelled to Chilliwack. There was lots of construction along the way, but the traffic moved along pretty good. We were here and set up just after 2:30 this afternoon. The park is right beside the Trans Canada and the sites are pretty small. But, there are mountains surrounding us, in any direction you look - pretty nice. We're only here for the weekend; and isn't too far for Rob to come for a visit.

We've been getting lots of comments on the blog plus lots of emails with lots of really nice comments about our travels. It puts a smile on our faces knowing that so many of you are enjoying our travels and blog. We'll be doing lots of travelling in the next while, so there will be lots to see, do and share. Hope that you enjoy it was much are we are!

Take a look at the pictures

A Long Time Dream Comes True

From the time Mike was 18 right through until his late 30's he loved skiing. Many of his holidays from Ford were to places such as Mount Tremblant; Smuggler's Notch; Madonna Mountain; Stowe and Killington just to name a few. His dream however was always to ski Whistler. And even though he lived in BC for a year; and came out on many visits, it just never seemed to happen.

When we went up the Peak 2 Peak on Saturday, I was quite content just to look around; and take in the views, watch the skiers, etc. I thought that Mike was too, but once up there, he was itchin to have a pair of skis on.

On Tuesday, his dream finally came true!!! We headed up to Whistler on Tuesday morning; and arrived there with lots of time to get outfitted with boots, skis, and poles and get his half day ticket. Since he hadn't skied in over 20 years, I suggested that maybe a half day would be plenty.

Back to the truck we went, so he could get dressed and then off to the lifts. The beam on his face as he came down the first time back to me was the biggest I've ever seen on Mike's face! Reminded me of the Visa commercials...$38.84 for half day ski equipment rental, $64.45 for half day lift ticket, the smile on his face PLUS fulfilling a long time dream... priceless. It was a great day for Mike, and I'm glad to have shared it with him.

I decided to pass on the skiing, as I haven't skied since the winter of 1985, and with my bad knees, I was quite content to wander around the stroll, people watch and souvenir shop.

When I met Mike back at the base shortly after 4; he looked tired, but happy. When I asked him how it was, the answer was "I'm pooped, but WOW, it was totally worth it!" Best skiing he's ever done, and his last run down started at the top of 7th Heaven and non-stop to the bottom. He managed to get 8 or 9 runs in and also got to take the Peak 2 Peak again. And trust me, the half day ticket was more than enough! :))

Figured he would be a little sore the next day, so off to the recreation centre for a steam room and hot tub we went; for "just in case". And it felt wonderful - and I wasn't even skiing!

Take a look at Mike in "action"

A visit to Vancouver

On Monday we were up and out the door shortly after 9 and headed down the Sea to Sky highway to Vancouver. Beautiful views the whole way.

Mike's brother Rob, drives for a transit company; and we met him on his lunch break. We ended up sitting in a park near Commercial and Grant; and spent a good half hour catching up. Rob's break came to an end; and back to work he went.

We however, had another stop to make. Our good friend Sally's daughter lives in this neighbourhood; and just had a baby girl back in November. So after stopping to buy a yellow stuffed elephant for baby Jubilee; we met Leslie and then stopped and shared a pizza.

Next, we took a self-guided tour of downtown Vancouver. We drove past the Pan Pacific hotel; drove through Gas Town; along west Hastings for a bit; and then eventually over to Stanley Park. We drove the perimeter of the park and took lots of loops along the way; plus when there was something nice to look at, we got out and looked around, took some pictures; and then moved on.

Once we left the park; we drove over the Lions Gate Bridge. Beautiful sites all around; and the sun glistening off the mountains, made things really pretty. We drove over to the Capilano Suspension bridge, but it was pretty pricey to walk across.

We only get one station, the CBC, at our park. And of course the NHL playoffs are happening right now. So, I'm pretty sure we watched a hockey game after supper and before heading off to bed.

Another perfect day on the West Coast. Take a look at our pictures.

Peak 2 Peak in Whistler

Today turned out to be a beautiful day for the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride in Whistler. We left our park around noon; and headed on up. There was very little traffic; and no road construction going on today. On our way up on Thursday, the crews were out working in full, preparing for the upcoming Olympics.

We took the first part of the gondola ride up; and were in our own car. The views all around were breathtaking, and both the upper and lower villages of Whistler were right below us as we climbed up. The first ride up was roughly 25 minutes and no matter what direction you looked; there were snow covered mountains, skiers/boarders and breathtaking beauty.

Once at the top, you have a chance to walk around for a bit; watch the skiers/snowboarders; have a bite to eat; shop for souvenirs; or just enjoy the views around. Then you continue on in the Peak 2 Peak gondola; which takes you from Whistler Mountain over to Blackcomb. This ride is roughly 11 minutes; the cars are much bigger - holding roughly 12 people; and again breathtaking views no matter where you look.

When we reached the end; we again got out and walked around for a bit. Even with sun glasses on, the glare from the snow was hard on my eyes. We walked into a few of the buildings; watched some more skiing/boarding action for a while; and then took the cable ride back over to Whistler. Took a few more pictures; and finally took the cable car back to the bottom.

The Peak 2 Peak Gondola is the longest and highest continuous lift system in the world. The highest part is 1472 feet above Fitzsimmons Creek.

Mike couldn't believe that he was actually spending the day at Whistler and wasn't going to be skiing! He did a lot of skiing in his past; but it's been a long time and with no equipment, etc.; he was content to just be up there.

The sun was shining the whole time; and there was no wind. Just an absolute perfect day to spend at the top of Whistler.

There was a big music festival happening on The Stroll, so we stopped and got a burger and poutine and listed to the music while watching thousands of people walking to and from the slopes.

Take a look at our pictures

On the Road Again

Well, after a day's delay, we pulled out of the Living Forest RV park on Wednesday morning. We had said our goodbyes to a lot of people on Monday, but Bob and Alvisia came over to wish us safe travels and to see us off. After a quick stop at the office, we were on our way to Departure Bay ferry terminal. We had less than an hour wait; and the sailing went by smoothly. And this time, Molly's face didn't swell - yay!!!

We had beautiful snow capped mountains to watch on the 1 1/2 hour crossing; and as you approached the mainland, you could see Vancouver's skyline in the distance.

We got turned around a little bit getting off the ferry due to a detour; and ended up driving through a pretty swanky neighborhood in West Vancouver - pretty nice.

We are now settled in our new park in Squamish; and are completely surrounded by mountains. It's beautiful here. The park is quite new and the owners are busy making new sites, etc. But we are at the far end of the park; no neighbors; and our patio faces a wooded area.

Yesterday, we drove up to Whistler, which is under an hour; and spent a couple of hours driving from the upper village to the lower village and driving through some really nice neighborhoods. In fact, I don't recall seeing one single place in need of repair. And it's quite apparent, that you need some moola to live here. We finally made our way to the downtown shops. This area is called "The Stroll" and is pedestrians only; roughly 800 meters from start to finish and stores and restaurants on both sides. Some of the shops were pretty expensive; even the sales racks were a little steep for me!

The "stroll" eventually ends at the gondola and there were tons of people with ski attire on and carrying their skis or snowboards. Lots of restaurants down at this end of the mall to treat yourself after a long day on the slopes. We were planning on heading back today, to take the Peak to Peak gondola ride; but it's really overcast and drizzly. Guess we'll have to try another day.

Take a look at our pictures

Getting Ready to Roll

Well, this past month has been spent mostly doing what we normally do - going for daily walks; playing cards with friends; enjoying the steam room/hot tub at the aquatic centre and just enjoying spring on the island.

We also had some friends come for a quick visit. We picked Sally and Latisha up at the ferry at noon and dropped them off the next afternoon around 4. During their short 28 hour visit; we spent the first afternoon touring around Victoria. Latisha had never been to BC before, so it was nice to be able to show her the capital. Plus Victoria is a really pretty city and any excuse to go is good enough for us. We also found a really nice place to have a chinese dinner right in China town.

The next day, we were up and out the door fairly early and off to Cathedral Grove we went. We have now been to Cathedral Grove in all 4 seasons, and regardless of the season, it's a beautiful place to spend an hour or so walking amongst the giant cedars and douglas firs. We also stopped at Qualicum falls and Coombs - still no goats on the roofs!

After they left; we go serious about getting ready to roll. Every drawer, cupboard, closet and bin has been emptied out and reorganized. I figure we tossed out roughly 50 pounds worth of stuff that we had no use for, or was broken. That's a job that you really need to keep up with, when you're living in a small space.

We also spent the better part of a day washing our rig from the roof on down. What a job that was! Both of us had sore shoulders the next day. But it looks good! Mike and Bob also checked a couple of our axles/bearings on the rig; and everything looked fine.

We also brought the truck in for a tune-up and oil change; and everything is working well. We also put a new set of tires on the truck. First time in 13 years and 4 vehicles that we've had to replace a full set at once.

Yesterday, our friends Barb and Marjorie came up from Victoria; and shared our Easter dinner with us. And it was delicious - turkey and all the trimmings... mmm mmm good!

We leave the island tomorrow; and our destination is Squamish. We've been across from the Sqamish/Whistler area for the winter; and are looking foward to being in the mountains, instead of just looking at them. Hopefully our sailing will go smoothly; and we should be there by late afternoon. I'll do a blog once we get set up.

Take a look at our pictures

The rest of Jenn's visit

A few weeks back, we found a nice place to go for a walk along the ocean. It's a park called Neck Point, and on Saturday, we had a beautiful day to take Jenn there. Although there was still snow on the paths and boardwalks, it was an easy walk.

There's only a few short uphills; but the views are totally worth it. You also drive through a very nice part of Nanaimo to get there. No cookie cutter homes in this area; and beautiful properties and views all around.

On Sunday, we toured around the harbour and downtown Nanaimo, before heading off to do some shopping. One of Jenn's favorite meals that I make is Chimichanga's from left over pot roast, so on Sunday night we feasted on chimi's. And then headed off for a hot tub and sauna.

Monday, Jenn and I headed off for a day of touring. We started mid morning in Chemainus; which is a small artsy community; with beautiful murals painted on buildings throughout the community. Made our way through half a dozen shops; but didn't do too much damage to the wallets.

Next stop was a picnic lunch at the summit of the Malahat. And then into Victoria. We toured around the cruise ship pier first; but didn't see any ships. Next stop was fisherman's wharf. Had my camera with me this time; and took some pictures of the house boats. Came across some harbour seals, just in time for some locals to feed fish to them. We then stopped at mile marker "0" on the Trans Canada where there was also a statute of Terry Fox.

Toured through some pretty nice neighbour hoods for a while and then made our way back to downtown, where we walked through the Empress Hotel; past the Parliament building and along the inner harbour before meeting my friend Barb for dinner.

Yesterday was spent at the casino, where we won; followed by a session of bingo, we both won; how often does that happen? And a stroll along the river in our park. We dropped her off bright and early this morning, at the ferry terminal and this time, there wasn't a speck of snow anywhere!

We had a great time with Jenn; and thoroughly enjoyed our visit with her. Who will be our next guest? We hear our couch is really comfy!

Take a look at the pictures

Winter Came Back

Well we thought for sure that winter in Nanaimo was done, but apparently we were wrong! It started to snow late afternoon on Wednesday and by the time we left here to head to Duke Point to pick up our friend at the ferry terminal; it was a full fledged blizzard! We are putting all of the blame on Jenn, as she has come from cold, snowy Ontario.

We left here just after 7:00 pm and with the quarter sized snow flakes blowing directly into our headlights, making out the road was a little tough. The speed limit on the highway there was 90 km's and I was driving along at 40 km's just to be on the safe side. I haven't driven in a blizzard in 3 winters, as the first two were in the south; and this year when it has snowed, we usually just stayed in. On the way back things appeared better; and we decided a nice hot tub and sauna at the aquatic centre would feel great; about half way there, we decided that it was time to turn back and try again the next night.

On Thursday we spent the afternoon shopping and taking Jenn for a quick tour around Nanaimo; and had that much needed hot tub later in the evening.

Today was beautiful; and we drove over to Cathedral Grove. This is a preserved area of forest with some of Canada's oldest Douglas firs. There was a smattering of snow on the ground; and it was a beautiful way to spend an hour walking through the forest. We then continued our drive and just outside of Port Alberni, we stopped at Sproat Lake for a picnic lunch and a nice walk out to some Petroglyphs. Heading back home, we stopped at Little Qualicum water falls; and found ourselves on a hike heading down to some falls. Again, just a little bit of snow, but it added to the ambiance. Our last stop on our way home was Goat on Roof in Coombs. This is a little tourist attraction that has an array of gift shops and a market. We were here earlier in the fall and both times, the goats haven't been out.

We arrived home around six and enjoyed a slow cooked blade roast dinner. Mmm Mmm good. A lot of the snow has already melted and should be gone by tomorrow.

Take a look at our pictures

February in Nanaimo

I know that it's been forever since I did an update on the blog; but we really haven't been doing too much exciting stuff lately.

Most of the snow was gone by early January and the winter up to this point has been really nice. The day time temps average around 8 and we haven't been below freezing over night in over a month. We've also have had very little rain. And when it does rain, it seems to do it over night.

We go for daily walks in and around our park. There's a really nice trail that boarders the park; and takes you along a river. The river is a playground for all kinds of birds. Just today we were over there and were entertained by a flock of Canadian geese.

Depending on how high or low the tide is decides how far we walk along the river. There's a couple of low places along the way, and when the tide is high, there's no way to cross. A few weeks back we had a really nice big rainbow going across the river; but we didn't find the pot of gold, oh well, maybe next time.

We have also been going to the aquatic centre quite a bit; and have been enjoying the sauna, steam room and hot tub. We usually go in the evenings; as there are less kids at that time.

A friend of ours is coming for a weeks visit starting tomorrow; and we'll be taking her to all kinds of places. We're both looking forward to it.

We also both celebrated our birthdays recently; and we both enjoyed our days.

Take a look at our photos

Christmas on the Island

Wow, it's hard to believe that Christmas 08 has come and gone and we're already into the 4th day of the New Year! Where does the time go?

We had a pot luck dinner at the club house before Christmas; and the turnout was really good. 32 people braved the cold and snow to indulge in a turkey dinner with many fixings to go with it. Mmm Mmm good. We also have gotten together many nights to play cards with Bob and Alvisia. Mostly pepper; but have also started to play frustration; and trust me - it is very frustrating!

Christmas day was spent talking to our family and friends through Skype. It was so nice to hear so many familiar voices; it melts the miles in between. It's great to be able to make as many calls as we want without costing us a thing. Okay, $24 for the year is pretty close to nothing. We some how managed to get our turkey in the oven between phone calls; and indulged in a turkey dinner later that day.

New Years was spent watching Shrek 2 and watching the ball drop from New York - 3 times. With the time difference, we were able to watch it from coast to coast. We were also treated to fireworks going off at midnight. Could only hear them; and intermingled with the fireworks were guns shots being fired into the air. Along with that, a ferry in the bay beside us blasted on the horn for a few good minutes. First time for gun shots and boat horns. What will next year bring?

The past couple of weeks have been mostly spent trying to keep the awning clear of snow; trying to figure out how long it will last before things go back to "normal"; going for walks; and just enjoying the winter wonderland we been living in for the past few weeks. We've had roughly 2 and half feet of snow in total.

We want to wish all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009! Thanks also for those of you who check the blog often; makes us happy to know that you're enjoying our adventure with us.

Take a look at the pictures that are posted.

"It hardly ever snows on the Island"

"It hardly ever snows on the Island"; "If and when we do get snow, it's usually just a dusting; and gone the next day"; "The winters are generally really mild here; and very little snow". These are just some of the things that we've been told by the many locals that we've met. Well, we did "get just a dusting" on Friday; and with the rain that shortly followed, most of the snow was gone quickly.

However, we woke up on Sunday morning; and were quite surprised to see more than 9 inches of freshly fallen snow! And with the freezing cold temps that we are also experiencing, my guess is that this snow will take more than a few hours to melt! In fact, I'm pretty sure that it will still be here for another day or two. So much for local weather forecasting!

We are also having problems with our water freezing. We bought some insulation for the water hose; but it still froze at the connection leading into the rig. We managed to get everything thawed out with the help of a blow dryer and pan of hot water - not together, so no worries! lol We then wrapped the connection. Seems to have worked until last night; when the temps were down to -7 brrrrrr! So Mike spent part of today thawing out the hose again; and trying to come up with something better. Might end up turning off the water every night; and just use our fresh water tank for overnight usage instead.

We are nice and toasty warm inside though. We have 2 space heaters and when it gets really cold; the furnace comes on. Also been doing lots of baking and cooking and having the oven on seems to really help.

Molly's been having a great time romping in the snow. We weren't sure how she would react to it; as it's been a couple of years; but she's loving it! Buries her nose right it and surfaces looking like a snowman.

Take a look at our pictures.

Fall in Nanaimo

We met a couple from our home town of St. Thomas, Ontario, back in mid September. Bob and Alvisia are also full timers and have spent their fall out on the island. They are also card players, and we have gotten together quite a few times to play cards. Mostly euchre, but we've also taught them Pepper, which is a variation of euchre.

We also shared a thanksgiving day turkey with them; and took a drive over to Coombs. We went there specifically to go to "Goat on Roof" market. It's a tour attraction, with lots of gift shops offering a wide variety of goods. There's also a indoor market with a cafe and lots of fruits, vegetables and cheeses etc to choose from. There were no sign of the goats though, but the roofs are all grass. Pretty neat.

We've had a pretty nice fall so far. The day time temps hover around 9 and we've only been down to freezing once during the night. We've also had a break with the rain. Mostly seems to rain over night; and during the day it's been quite nice.

We spend our days, going for walks; puttering around the rig doing odd jobs; shopping; playing poker on-line; and sometimes just a whole lot of nothing. Suits us just fine.

And just as I'm getting ready to post this blog; it started to snow. So, went out and took some pictures. It looks really pretty, but I'm hoping that it doesn't last too long.

Take a look at some of our pictures of our rig and campsite

Recap of our adventure

I'll give you a little recap and some of our favourite things that we've done so far. We started our adventure in September of 2006. We can't believe that we're already in our 3rd year; and we both absolutely love this new life of ours.

We have stayed in or driven through 5 provinces and 29 states. We have put 57,936 kilometres on our truck; and our gas total is $9,693.04. We have stayed at 78 campgrounds and stopped in 20 casinos to play poker. It took us 18 months to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific. And luckily, we've only been snowed on twice.

We arrived at the Atlantic Ocean in late September of 06; and I finally put my feet in while in South Carolina, Dec. 06; and it was freeeezing. We arrived at the Pacific in March 08 and didn't put my feet in until August 08 on the Long Beach, Vancouver Island. Almost as cold as the Atlantic.

Our top 5 favourite places we've parked our rig on are:

1. The desert in Ajo, Arizona. Hands down the nicest place we've parked our rig on in 2 years.
2. Our current park - Living Forest Oceanside RV Park, in Nanaimo, BC. Lives up to it's name, beautiful tall cedars and giant leafed maples all over the place.
3. Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. Cliffs and slot canyons in our background.
4. Lake Fausse State Park, Louisiana. Back yard had a private dock on the bayou.
5. Glenwood Canyon Resort, Glenwood Canyon, CO. Colorado rushing behind us, with a railroad, mountains and a full moon. Beautiful.

Our favourite national parks

1. Bryce Canyon; hands down the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Undescribable beauty.
2. Mesa Verda; close 2nd to Bryce with the cliff dwellings dating back to the 1200's
3. Arches; incredible arches shaped from rocks, in beautiful reddish tones.
4. Rocky Mountain; snow capped, tree covered, bare, big and breathtaking.
5. Grand Canyon; deep, wide and majestic.

Some of our firsts, mostly mine, as Mike has done or seen some of these things before:

1. Seeing so many types of cactus - saguaro's, ocotillo's, prickly pear, cholla, teddy bear cholla, barrel, organ pipe.
2. Walking through a slot canyon. Antelope slot canyon in Page, Arizona was incredible.
3. Having a crawfish boil and seeing a tree house in the Achafalya Basin in Louisiana.
4. Joshua Tree National Park. Had never heard of or seen a Joshua tree and now I have.
5. Camping in the desert. Loved every minute of our 23 days there.
6. Snorkelling in Key Largo, Florida; swam over Molasses reef and saw amazing ocean life.
7. Seeing a Gannett colony; there were 10's of 1000's of them on Bonaventure Island, Quebec.
8. Seeing our first ghost town, Tin Cup, Colorado.
9. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA.
10. Seeing the amazing cliff dwellings throughout Southern Utah.

I've included just a few pictures from each area; but if you wanted to see more pictures of one area, go to that specific album.

Hope you enjoyed this little recap.

Visit in Victoria

We ended up going to Victoria late September for another visit with Barb, Liz and Lorne. We met some new people in our park, from St. Thomas of all places; and drove Bob to the airport in Victoria; and then spent the night with Barb.

We went out to a nice pasta place and met Liz and Lorne for dinner. We had a nice time; and when we arrived back at Barb's she told me that her bathtub was all ready for me to indulge in! The thing I miss most is my bathtub; and when the park doesn't have a hot tub; I miss it even more.

I must have spent close to an hour in there; and enjoyed every minute of it! The next day, Barb toured us through Sooke; and part way to Port Renfrew before heading back to Victoria. We enjoyed seeing the gang again; and have plans to do it again.

Roughly a week later, we had some excitement at our site. We had a really bad wind storm; and this place is filled with trees. Lots and lots of really tall trees. We had just gotten off the phone with Mike's brother, Ken; and went out to get some fresh air before dinner. And much to my surprise, a tree had come down and was lying right across our fire pit; extending right across the road! WOW! Didn't even hear it come down. Our guardian angels are still looking out for us though; cause the tree fell away from our rig; and didn't do any damage to us. The park workers came and cleared it off the road the next day; and finished the clean up on Monday. Only tree in the whole park that came down.

Take a look at our pictures

Living Forest, Nanaimo, BC

We arrived in Nanaimo, BC in the early part of August. Within a short time of setting up, both Mike and I agreed that this was the nicest RV site that we had set up on, in close to 2 years.

The park is called the Living Forest Oceanside RV Park; and it certainly lives up to it's name! We have a two tiered campsite with the rig parked on the upper level and our fire pit on the lower level. We are completely surrounded by large cedar trees and can see Nanaimo Bay from our site. We are surrounded by roads; and cannot have a neighbour! It makes for good privacy.

A week or so after arriving here, our good friends, Sally and John; came for a visit. It was nice to see some familiar faces and get one of Sally's infamous hugs. While they were here, we took the opportunity to drive over to the west coast of Vancouver Island.

On the way, we stopped at Cathedral Grove; and saw some of BC's oldest and largest douglas firs. They were massive! This area is known for it's rain; and judging by the moss on everything; I believe it.

We continued on to Long Beach; and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the beach with the Pacific Ocean as our view. Sally and I also braved it; and strolled in the water for a bit - pretty cold!

We ended our drive in the roaring metropolis of Tofino. It took us all of 10 minutes to drive around the whole community 3 or 4 times! On the way back, we stopped so I could get a photo of me and my namesake creek, well at least the sign.

We also did some blackberry picking while they were here; as this place has 1000's of bushes along the river; they were quite tasty on the cheesecake and pancakes.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Sally and Johnny.

We spent labour day weekend up at Salmon Point; with our newly acquired friends - Liz and Lorne; and Barb, Marjorie and Alyssa. We drove up on Saturday for dinner and a campfire. And went back again on Monday to tow Barb's 5th wheel back to Victoria for her. She doesn't own a truck; so we volunteered our services; and got a whole truck load of wood (twice) and a nice dinner for our efforts. When you meet really nice people along the way; it's nice to help out.

Take a look at our pictures

Victoria, BC

After spending 3 months at Salmon Point, near Campbell River, it was time to move on. We headed towards Victoria, and spent a couple of weeks near the Malahat mountain on the Island. Very nice, woodsy campground.

We drove in one day and toured around downtown Victoria. Walked around the harbour, past the parliament buildings; and past the Empress Hotel. We then met our new friend Barb, for dinner; and then she toured us around Victoria for a couple of hours by car. It was a nice way to see a new city.

For the August 1st long weekend; we moved into Victoria. The park wasn't the greatest, jammed in like sardines, and close to the Trans Canada; but it was only for the weekend.

B.C. is celebrating it's 150th birthday this year; and there were lots of activities downtown Victoria for the whole weekend. On Saturday, we spent the afternoon wandering around Fisherman's Wharf. It's pretty neat to walk around. There are lots of houseboats moored to the docks; they are real houses, but look like doll houses, everything pared down. Also very expensive. We then had a fish dinner at Barb's fish restaurant - very tasy; and shared our table with a couple of locals.

We then headed to where the cruise ships come in; and got out on the pier just in time to see a cruise ship docking. It was amazing watching something so huge, manuever with grace, right up to the dock. A few minutes later another one came in; and again parked with ease. I think sometimes I have a harder time parking the F-350!

The next day we went back to the downtown core; and were among 40,000 plus people! All out celebrating B.C.'s birthday. The 19th annual symphony splash was happening this year, among many other activities. There's a symphony orchestra set up on a stage in the inner harbour. And they played lots of different accompanyments. There were 10's of thousands of people sitting on the front lawn of the parliament buildings; and 1000's in front of the Empress.

We found a place to park our chairs; and listen to the music and watch people. We were also entertained by a marching scottish band; between the symphony intermission. The finale for the night was fireworks; cannons; and bells chiming. It was quite the day. We normally avoid big crowds, but it was neat being in a capital city for such a big celebration. Normally we would have been in Victoria park in downtown London Ontario, for ribfest, but this was way neater!

Take a look at the pictures

Salmon Point, Campbell River, BC

We left Mission on Monday, May 5th and took the ferry over to Vancouver Island. We noticed at this time, that Molly's face on the left side had started to swell. We spent the first night in Parksville; and continued on to Salmon Point the next day.

By Wednesday morning, not only the side of Molly's face had swollen, but also her eye; and under her chin. So off to the vet in Campbell River we went. Turns out she had an abcess. She had emergency surgery on the abcess and we picked her up the next morning. She had a drainage tube; along with her stitches; and with the cone she was now wearing, looked like frankenstein's bride wearing an easter bonnet!

She had the stiches in for roughly 3 weeks; and the cone remained on for another week after that. She was quite happy to see the last of the cone. And she has healed completely.

We had a nice view of the Straight of Georgia, with the snow capped mountains on the mainland as our main view. It was a nice place to call "home" for a few months. We also met some really nice people here. We ended up sharing a few fires with Liz, Lorne and Barb. Also met up with them in Victoria; and hope to see them again.

We ended up spending 3 months at Salmon Point; and the weather for much of the spring and early summer, was rainy, cold, windy, overcast; and generally yucky! I thought that we would have been a lot more protected from the wind, being on the east side of the island; but I was wrong! It seemed like the wind was a constant. Watching cruise ships pass by, also became a frequent thing to watch; as well as the many barges that bring supplies to the island.

Gas on the island is also quite high. The highest was 149.9/litre for diesel; so we spent a lot of time going for a hikes along the ocean or for walks around the park. We certainly did our share of boycotting the gas stations this summer. Although eventually you do have to stop; and it was $172.00 to fill the tank - ouch!

Take a look at the pictures we posted.

Mission, BC

We arrived in B.C. mid April; and the cold, wet, windy weather followed.

Mike's brother and family, Rob, Karen and Emalynn live on a ranch; just outside of Mission, B.C. After a little maneuvering to get our rig settled in; we took a tour of their place. They have 10 acres and 6 horses. And their property is beautiful. You can see a mountain top from just about anywhere on their property.

The first day was a beautiful, sunny, warm day; and Mike and the others were raring to get a ride on the horses. I had never been on a horse; so wasn't quite as anxious. Emalynn got me settled on Sky Dancer; and walked me around the ring for a while. I never really did get comfortable; and wasn't in any big hurry to ride again. Mike hadn't been on a horse for a really long time; and he was in his glory.

Molly, on the other hand; never really did adjust to living with 6 horses. She finally did get brave enough to sniff one, without barking; but most of the time she just barked and tried to avoid them. One of the horses, Dylan, ended up going after her twice - picked her up by the scruff of her neck and dropped her. I know she wasn't liking this - at all! Needless to say; she did her barking from a safe place after that.

It was nice being on the ranch with Mike's family; and getting to see the daily workings of a ranch. We both decided it was way too much work. We ended up staying here for 3 weeks; and then we headed to the island.

Take a look at the pictures.

Avenue of the Giants

Our trip north found us driving along The Avenue of the Giants. This 33 mile stretch of highway found us surrounded by great, big, huge, 350 plus foot giant red wood trees.

And what a sight that was. We were pulling the rig at this time; and more than once were hugging the yellow centre line. Thank goodness this highway was pretty quiet.

There are trees in this area; that are hundreds of years old; among the oldest in north america. Some of these trees were so wide; that you need 20 plus people, linked by their hands; to fully circle a tree.

We continued north through Oregon, and spent roughly a week in this beautiful state. We found a couple of nice state parks to stay in; and found lots of neat places to take day drives. Next stop was Washington. The weather on the West coast; is usually fairly moderate in the early spring; but this year was an exception. It was cold; wet; and windy for most of our time here. Great planning on our part. The state parks from California right on through to Washington are beautiful; with large, private sites. And great hiking trails, usually close by.

We also spent a week on the beaches of Long Beach, WA. It was still pretty chilly at this point; but the park we found was nice and right at the beach. In fact, we were able to drive our truck along the beach for a bit. Molly also spent a lot of time chasing her frisbee and had a great time.

While in Washington, we visited another relative. We hadn't seen Victoria for close to 9 years; and it was nice to visit and catch up. She treated us to a nice Mexican dinner; than toured us around Seattle; before coming back to our place, another state park, out near Puget Sound to hear some stories and see some pictures. A good time was had by all.

Next stop, Canada.

Take a look at the pictures.

San Francisco and area

Our next stop along the way was San Francisco. We stayed at a nice RV resort about an hour south of San Fran. We drove in one day and did a self guided tour. We drove past fisherman's wharf; alcatraz; went through the golden gate park; and of course, we drove across the bridge. That was pretty neat. We also drove to haight/ashbury. Mike lived in that area, briefly, during the early 70's; and although that was a long time ago; he pointed out the house he lived in. The whole area is pretty preppy and a lot different from those earlier days.

We also followed a cable car up and then down, one of San Fran's really steep hills! We were here during the spring break time; and couldn't find a place to park our F-350 - anywhere! So needless to say, we didn't have a chance to get out and walk around. But we were satisfied with what we did see.

We also spent a day in Carmel. Again, we picked a really busy time to go and see this little gem of a town. But we did manage to find a parking spot down by the beach; and spent an hour or so walking and watching the waves.

We also took a few more scenic drives around this area; those twisting, curving, tight roads. And again were wowed by the beauty of the area.

It was on one of these drives, heading "home" for the night when we passed a pier, completely covered in sea lions. There must have been hundreds of them. All piled on top of, or right beside each other. It was quite comical watching the jostling when a new one came out of the water. After an hour or so of being entertained, we had a nice fish dinner at the restaurant beside the pier; and for desert, we watched the sea lions before heading home.

We then headed north up the coast; and were wowed by the rugged beauty of the Big Sur Highway. Unfortunately we couldn't stay in the park as we're too long for their spots.

Take a look at the pictures.

Driving along the coast in California

After pampering ourselves for a week at the Fountain of Youth Spa, we started to make our way to the Pacific Ocean. Again we found ourselves on a secondary highway; one of those twisty, curvy roads; and all of my driving skills were put to the test.

We spent a night in San Matteo; and although we had planned on spending a week in this area; it was really booked up due to Spring break. So we moved on the next day. We drove through places such as Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach; Redondo Beach, Santa Monica. These are places that the Beach Boys sang about for years; and many of us dreamt about. We also drove under LAX, while a plane was landing. That was as close to Los Angeles that we came to. As we avoid most big cities like the plague.

We ended up spending the night in Ventura; and were parked right up to the ocean. This park was also a dry camping park - no facilities; but for one night; we managed just fine. We also had surfers right behind us; and they kept us entertained until sunset.

Take a look at our pictures.

California, here we come!

We arrived in California early March; and were met by a beautiful warm, sunny day.

At this time, we decided to head to the Sultan Sea; and spent a week at The Fountain of Youth Spa. Talk about going from one extreme to the next. Dry camping to more spas than one person needs. This place had 4 spas; a couple of steam rooms and we tried out everything.

We also took a tour through Joshua Tree National Park. I had never seen nor heard of a Joshua Tree before; and it was pretty amazing to see.

Take a look at the pictures.

Back to Mesa, Arizona

After leaving the bliss of the Ajo desert; we headed back to Mesa, Arizona. Another of Mike's Aunt's from Ontario was there for a visit; and we decided that one more visit with the relatives would be a good thing before leaving the area.

We also took this opportunity to get hair cuts; wash our really dirty truck; re-stock our fridge and freezer; and get a few good games of pepper in while there.

We only stayed a week this time before moving on towards California. We spent a few nights in the desert near Quartzite, Arizona, which is really close to the California border. During the months of January and February, Quartzite is booming. There a 1000's of RV's parked throughout the desert; and 100's of vendors selling their wares. Thankfully, when we arrived; there were only a handful of both. We found a nice place to call home for a few nights. Although it's wasn't near as peaceful as the first boondocking experience. The I-10 was only a few miles behind us; and the traffic never seemed to let up.

Take a look at our pictues that we posted.