Till Next Time My Friends

Oh, yes I have been derelict in my duties. This will be the last post until the next big Biff trip which is already under discussion. Well anyway, after we left Sweet Carolina we headed to Georgia. We spent a few days in the Darien area. Very much like South Carolina - plenty of salt marshes and ocean. Went to Jekyll Island one day - very pretty. One day we ate a fun little place called MudCat Charlies - nothing fancy but the food was very good.

Next headed to Florida. We went through the pan handle area. Stayed right on the water at a little place. I like this part of Florida, not like the rest of the state. More laid back and less touristy.

After Florida headed toward Alabama and stayed near Bellingrath Gardens for a few days. Still hot. Then on to New Orleans. We were getting pretty tired of salt marshes by this time. However, the beaches are pretty with very white sand. The ocean here was very warm due to the summer of hot weather. There were signs of the horrible oil spill but most of it was cleaned up by the time we were in this area. Can't say we hung around the beaches too much because like I said we were ready for a change in scenery by this time.

What can one say about New Orleans? Other then it was a bit more odoriferous then I was expecting. Reminded me of Quebec City, maybe its poor cousin. It was a very mixed bag. We still saw a lot of evidence of hurricane Katrina destruction. We stayed at the KOA West and we were very happy with its location. It was in a safe neighborhood right near the great Mississippi river. Found a great place for poor boys - man were they good! And one more thing - everyone we met was very friendly and welcoming. All in all - I like New Orleans both the good, the bad, and the smelly. It has personality!

From New Orleans

This was the last leg of the trip. I flew out to Chicago from New Orleans for Emily's bridal shower east of the Mississippi. Jack continued on to Amarillo. I caught up with him there and we finished the last few hundred miles together to home sweet home Tijeras! The house looked good and I was quite pleased to see that my lilacs and roses survived without being watered all summer. It was a wonderful time and I hope everyone enjoyed the blog!

Carolina Connection

Headed down south to sweet, sweet South Carolina. First stop Columbia. We spent the next few days visiting with all the family of Jack's late sister Emillia. Jack's brother-in-law David graciously offered his drive way to park the Biff. We had big family get together and David cooked his famous Eisenhower steak - yum! Had a great time catching up with everyone and seeing all the new great grand kiddos. Also played some wicked games of Hearts with David and gal Jean. Oh and maybe a glass of wine or two. I also got to have some quality girl time with Jean Louise ( standing in for my daughter Emily). It amazes me how much the two of them are alike. I miss my sweet Emily.

We also decided to spend a few days at Lee State Park not too far away from Florence. Jack's parents spent a lot of time at this state park. Jack's father taught at Francis Marion College and helped found the Math department. We visited the campus and even met with a few professors who remembered his dad. The school had a framed picture of his dad on the walls. However, the first portrait was stolen ( maybe a disgruntled student??) Another of Jack's high school buds lives in nearby Lamar. We had a great time visiting with Allen and wife Sonja. We had nice cook-out at the Biff homestead. The next day Allen showed up with the top down and we did some cruising down memory lane and the town of Florence.

Now on to my favorite part of South Carolina beautiful Edisto Beach. Spent the next week enjoying the beach and nearby Charleston. However, the rip tides where fierce due to hurricane headed toward North Carolina. We have so many good memories here! David and Emillia built a wonderful beach house here. Jack and I spent quite few vacations enjoying the beach with them and their family. It is always bitter sweet to visit since it brings back so many memories of Emillia. Edisto is also where Jack proposed to me! And of coarse no trip to Edisto is complete with out a trip or two to the Piggly Wiggly ( heck even Wikipedia mentions it). The Pig is the only grocery store on the island and it is crammed packed with everything under the sun, tourist and some of the best fried chicken made by the locals. Due to the Labor Day weekend and being kicked out of the Edisto State Park, we decided to lay low and headed back to David's driveway. Had few more days visiting with David. We also went up to Greenville one day to Jean's neck of the woods. Very pretty town with a very nice down town area on the river. Ate some good pizza too. The next day was my birthday. Jack gave me flowers ( and a promise to buy me a new bike back home) David and Jean helped to make it special by making me a nice dinner and letting me kick butt playing Hearts. Never got around to eating the birthday cake so we had if for breakfast the next day.

All in all we spent close to three weeks in South Carolina but now it is time to leave. Missing the the shrimp and grits already.

Freedom isn't Free

We left Massachusetts and headed for historic Gettysburg. The weather turned very hot and humid and was quite stifling. Now imagine wearing a blue or silver wool uniform which was the case for all the brave souls that fought this historic battle in the heat of the summer of 1863. Jack and I took one of the guided tours through the battlefield and I highly recommend doing this if you come to Gettysburg. It really told the story and brought home the significance of this battle and the Civil War to me.

Another of Jack's old high school friends Wayne Croft lived about an hour away. He met us for lunch one of the days we were here. We had a very nice visit and ate lunch at a tavern in Gettysburg town. Next on to Harpers Ferry another historic site.

My nephew David, wife Stacey and family live in Virginia. The Harpers Ferry KOA was about the closest RV to his home. It was located in a pretty area but the weather continued to be extremely hot and humid so it was hard to do much of anything much outside. We spent the next few days visiting with them and their two adorable children Lauren and Kyle.
Kyle was getting his tonsils out and we stuck around few days to help out. Poor little guy.

Jack's cousin Arthur also lived about an hour away in Alexandria. We had wonderful visit with Arthur, his wife Sigrid and his mom Aunt Joanne. Always good to reconnect with family. Sigrid was quite the bookie ( having been librarian for Library of Congress) and gave me lots of books to take along. I have been enjoying them greatly.


We also decided to stay one more day and head into our nation's capital and spend a day touring the capital's historic monuments. Luckily, it had remained cloudy which helped to cool it off a bit. Would love to come back some day, I feel like we barely scratched the surface of Washington DC. So much to see!

Back to the Maine Land

We decided not to take the ferry from Nova Scotia back to the states and had to back track a bit through New Brunswick. That took us full day and we stayed at a RV park in transition right near the Canadian\US border. The park had new owners and they were hoping to get it back in shape. It was situated on nice spot but needed some work. I hope they make it!

We left bright and early the next day. Spent the last of our Canadian money on diesel fuel. Jack was happy that would be the last time he had to pump that much money into the tank. All in all Canada averaged about 25% higher for everything. We had good time with our Canadian neighbors but we were glad to get back into the good old USA. We crossed over on US 1. They had a brand new border crossing facility with a special bay for RVs and trucks. We were pretty much the only ones crossing which we thought was odd. The border patrol looked happy to have something to do. Turns out most of the local traffic use the old crossing.

Us 1 was slow going and needs some love and care. We were planning on staying in the Bar Harbor area and checking out Acadia NP but the area was a zoo! We headed on down the road a bit and stayed in a RV park just outside of Searsport. It was right on the water and had this mother earth funky granola vibe. They had goats and a garden and all sorts of fun things for the little ones but it was pricey. We really enjoyed the park and had a fun time exploring the area and local towns. Lots to do but after Canada the added traffic and crowds was a bit of an adjustment.
Next Jack and I went down memory lane. Both of us lived in Brunswick at one time years apart and we suspected that we may have lived in the same motor home park just outside of town. The town of Brunswick has grown a bit but we did find the park and it was the same place we both remembered. We have few of these type of almost meeting situations in our lives - guess we were just meant to be together!

The next leg of the trip is dedicated to visiting old friends and family. First stop Massachusetts and an old friend of Jack's -Russell Seegers.
The park we stayed in was nestled in the woods and had a family of wild turkeys roaming around and a wonderful farm stand \bakery across the road. Russell gave us tour of the area by car and boat. We met a few of Russel's friends Ray and Harriet and had a wonderful cookout at the Biff homestead of steak,lobster and fresh baked pecan pie courtesy of the farm stand. Good food and friends made for a wonderful time.

Super Nova Scotia

We crossed over from PEI on the ferry. It was a beautiful day and the crossing was very pleasant. Decided to stay near Peggy's Cove about 30 mile or so from Halifax. Very interesting area geographically - very pretty and if you go there on a foggy day it has a haunting charm. I could picture this area being the setting of a good mystery novel. However, it is a popular place and I would suggest seeing it early in the morning if you are looking to get pictures without people mulling around the area. We stayed at a little RV park on the water a few miles away. Very old but has all of this rustic charm. The owner was an older woman who was very sweet and proud that she owned and lived there for fifty years.

We spent a day in Halifax and checked out the Maritime Museum and Citadel Hill. Jack has been interested in Titanic history long before it became popular due to a certain movie. Halifax was involved in the body recovery effort. An interesting tidbit is that toe tags were first used by doctor who was charged with body identification task (or so our tour guide said at the museum). It was later used again by him in the great Halifax explosion. There is a cemetery near by that has remains of the unclaimed souls. We were going to visit it but the day was one of those hot and oppressive days and opted out.

Wodi (one of furry four legged traveling companions) was acting very odd for himself and I was concerned something was wrong. We ended up finding a vet near Halifax. Nothing was serious and we decided that he may have just hurt himself and needed a few days rest. Those short legs sometimes make it hard for him to get up stairs and I suspect he may have either strained something or his back was sore. He did get back to his prancing self in few days.

It was decision time. We had toyed with the idea of heading over to Newfoundland since the beginning of the trip. We looked into cost of taking the Biff on the ferry which is the only way to get there from here. Time and money became the deciding factor since we did have a rough deadline to get home by October for Emily and JR's wedding. We are already planning when we will come back to this area to see the Fall colors and Newfoundland. Plus we are told the Cape Brenton area of Nova Scotia is also something to see.

We headed over the north side of the island to see the Bay of Fundy and with the thought of taking the ferry back over to the mainland New Brunswick. It was going to be bit pricey and although it would have saved us driving time the cost ratio to justify it was not. We ended back tracking a bit and driving to New Brunswick.

From Nova Scotia

We did spend few days in the Bay of Fundy area, very cool to see how dramatic the tides are at the different times of the day. We stayed at the "Look Off" Rv park which has great views of the valley and bay. I ended up enjoying this area quite a bit. We found fun little winery in Blomidon. The name originally was "Blow Me Down " but over the years in morphed into Blomidon. Ended buying few bottles of wine which by the way seemed to have higher alcohol content ( ask Jack about that one). We also found restaurant "Between the Bushes" that was in the middle of blueberry and raspberry fields. The food was excellent. I commented on how loud the birds were in this area and turns out they were loud speakers of predatory birds to keep the other birds from eating the berries. Boy did I feel stupid :) JLS

PEI is short for Potato

Prince Edward Island or PEI was a bit of a disappointment after Gaspe'. I suspect it is better to do PEI first as it does have its own charm but it really can't compete with Gaspe'. This island is nicked named the "Gentle Island" and hence I found it a bit on the boring side. I kept expecting there to be something more. It is known more for its red sand beaches and has been made famous by the "Anne of Green Gables" book. Lot's of twisting country roads but no really dramatic views.

The first place we stayed at was geared toward families. Lots of activities, nice beaches, tennis courts, baseball field, movie theater and about a billion of kids to go with it! So be aware that this island is really geared towards families and there are lot tourist activities geared toward entertaining the young ones. Many of the campgrounds are big and keep that in mind if a more quiet campground is more your style. We did find a quite older campground " Seal Cove" which ended up being a little gem of a place. It was right on cove noted for it's seal colony and it did not disappoint. You can take a short walk up the beach and get view of the seals. Plus the seals were singing in the distance most of the time we were there. They also have a very nice pool.

So why the word potato in the title? PEI is known for it's potatoes and there were miles and miles of potato fields. The rest of Canada often refers to the road and bridge into PEI as the spud road. We took the ferry from PEI to Nova Scotia and I kid you not that there must have been at least 10 trucks filled with potatoes next to us. And I have to admit that they are tastier spuds then what you find in the states. I don't know if it is because they are fresh off the farm, or the dirt or what but they are quite tasty. Speaking of potatoes, the whole eastern half of Canada seems to have a love affair with french fries and they really are some of the best deep fried potatoes you will ever find.

From PEI

Gaspé Gasp

Around every curve is an ocean view, quaint village, scenic church and lighthouse! The cliffs are red and dramatic and I am told that in the Fall the colors on the trees make the drive even more beautiful. I would love to see that some day. We did not even scratch the surface of this very beautiful place. This drive is reported to be one of the top three scenic drives in the world and nicknamed the Gaspé Gasp. It does live up to its name and this part of the trip has been one of my favorite areas.

You can find campgrounds right on the ocean. One place we stayed even threw in a glass of wine and lobster dinner including desert for $20! We also stayed in Percé on a cliff with a spectacular view of their famous rock formation. The town is very charming - très magnifique. We hiked up to the top of cliff over looking the town. If you have four wheel drive , I suggest driving all the way to top as the walk is quite steep and brutal if it is hot outside.

From Gaspe'

At last not all was paradise. The roads were bad and it was quite a treacherous drive with the Biff. The hills are steep and curving so be prepared. We also had emergency room visit while we were staying at Cap Chat. Jack banged his head on the corner of one of the slides on the Biff. It was quit the gash and looked like it might need stiches. Everyone speaks French here so trying to find a walk in clinic was near impossible and we ended up in the hospital emergency room. Most everyone was French speaking and filling out the paper work was a challenge ( their admissions were the same as ours - you ain't getting anywhere unless you have insurance or prove you can pay!) We did find one nurse who was very helpful and acted as our translator. In the end they super glued Jack's head , yup that's right - a surgical super glue. Wish we would have known could have done it ourselves and saved $560 bucks.

Le Québec très Français!

Traveled along Lake Superior shores after leaving Thunder Bay. Stayed near Wawa for the night in a small RV park on the edge of some of the native Boreal forests. Very dense and dark. In the morning decided to get off the main drag around the lake and cut across to Quebec province on highway 101. The map made this area look very desolate but it was not too bad. We spent the night ( Happy Canada Day)at a small municipal park near the Quebec border. Trailer Life RV guide does not list many campgrounds in the area but I think that is because it increasing becomes more French as you cross into Quebec and they just are not listed. Continued on highway 117 through the Réserve faunique La Vérendrye This area is bit rural and make sure you fill up at a Gaz-Bar (that's French for gas station) before crossing the park.

We decided to skip Montreal and head straight to Quebec. The whole time we were in Canada I was on moose watch. They certainly have enough signs telling you watch out for them. Each province has it's own version of moose on the loose road sign too. Some are charging and others are sauntering, regardless in all the rural areas we were traveling, I only caught a fast glimpse of one along the road. That is until we were on the crowded expressway between Montreal and Quebec where we saw two of them contemplating crossing the road. They took one look at the Biff and thought better. Good thing because they were huge and could cause some serious damage!

Stayed on the south side of the St.Lawrence river in the small town Levis. This part of Canada does RV'ing differently then the rest of the world. Many of the locals go to the same RV park every weekend and have quite elaborate setups. It is more like their summer lake cottage as opposed actually traveling in the RV. So get a reservation if you plan on staying over a weekend because they do fill them up. The RV park was packed and off the expressway so quite noisy. It did clear out nicely by Monday morning. .
We spent our 7th wedding anniversary (July 5) in Quebec. Levis has a ferry that crosses the river into Old Quebec It as about $6.00 round trip and runs every half hour through most of the day (5:00 Am till 2:00 AM the next day). It takes you directly into a very quaint and beautiful area of Quebec city. Lot's of pretty cafes, the river front, and touristy type shops. Très romantique!

From Quebec

Jack and I took guided tour in horse drawn wagon. Good thing cause it was very hot and humid and quite miserable walking around. I ended up with a mild case of heat exhaustion. JLS

From Quebec

Oh Thunder Bay!

The title of this post has to be sung to the tune of the Bruce Springsteen song "Thunder Road" cause the whole time I was there that song kept playing in my head. We had been doing a lot of one nighter's with the thought of spending few days along Lake Superior shores. The KOA was very nice and folks very helpful when Jack came down with a bit of sinus of infection. Read his post for the full details on the experience with the Canadian Health Care. We were in need of some quality down time.

Lake Superior and all the Great Lakes are certainly something to see if you have never been in this part of the country. Having grown up along Lake Michigan and spending time in UP Michigan and Wisconsin, the landscape was quite familiar and as result my picture taking duties were derelict a bit. But the Mother Lake Superior is mind boggling all the same even if the pictures do not do it justice.

The town of Thunder Bay itself was not what I was expecting being much larger and more industrial after all the rural areas we drove through. Jack got kick out of all the large scale shipping harbors. Think the song "Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot to get a feel for the town. Just realized all these songs playing in my head really tip off how old I am!

From Thunder Bay

The Kakabeka Falls are close by and should not be missed ( I know, I know another waterfall). Just make sure you bring enough loonies for the self pay station. They don't take credit cards and rumor has it they will ticket you if the sticker is not displayed. It was a minimum of $5 for two hours. Some very nice folks saw us digging around and coming up short and gave us two dollar loonie. Canadians really are some of the nicest people I have meet in my travels! If you have the time take the hike to the little falls as well. The trail can be bit buggy and soggy but worth seeing. JLS

From Thunder Bay

Canadian Health Care...up close.

Today we're in Thunder Bay Ontario on the north side of Lake Superior. Kind of a pretty town and a great view of the lake. This morning I finally reconciled the fact that I had a sinus infection and got to see first hand Canadian health care. Apparently there are very few family doctors in Thunder Bay so most people go to walk-in clinics and the one I went to was in a back room of a local pharmacy. The small waiting room was overfilled with about half the people standing. I stood in line to see the receptionist (who was very friendly actually) and she held out her hand to collect my government health card. I told her I was from the US and she said it would cost me anywhere from $20 to $100 depending on the doctor's opinion. Then she said by the looks of me it wouldn't be over $40...so I guess that was a good thing. There was one doctor and one receptionist and things went amazingly fast for such a large number of people waiting. When I got in it was obvious they weren't changing the paper sheets on the exam table so I opted to stand. The doctor came in in a few minutes and immediately asked me what was wrong with no eye contact or introductions. I told him chronic coughing more so at night and I thought it was a sinus infection. He listened to my lungs and agreed. He saw I was from the states and felt sorry for me and gave me a bottle of Canada's equivalent to flonaze (out of his backpack) and a prescription for Moxiscilan. It all took less than 60 seconds and I was charged $30. The Mox was $27.69. So for essentially $60 with no insurance and 60 seconds of the doctor's time I was done. Now for sure you would not go to a place like this for a true emergency or illness but I suspect with the new health care in the US we'll be seeing places like this spring up. It was definitly impersonal and like a cattle call but it was also very simple and down to earth. Not sure if I liked but I did admire the efficiency...sort of like the feeling you get flying Southwest. JWS

Saskatoon to Kenora

The RV parks around Saskatoon were packed and we were glad we had a reservation. We never could quite figure out why. Not that Saskatoon is a bad place but certainly not that much of tourist destination. We never did catch up with our mail even thou we stayed a few extra days hoping it would show up. It was pretty darn swampy at the RV park and we were beginning to feel like we were held hostage by all the mosquitoes. Plus, the weekend was coming and the park was booked up for Jehovah Witness convention. We were being kicked out. Better pack up fast before the JW's come a knocking with their white shirts and ties! We were glad to leave and decided to do a drive by of the rest of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Along the way saw fields upon fields of yellow flowers. Looked it up on Wikipedia. Turns out it was rapeseed which is used to make canola oil. It made for a pretty picture the yellow flowers against the blue sky with big puffy clouds. Took a few pictures while we were driving, here's the best one. If you surf the web turns out a lot of folks thought the same thing so there are better pictures than mine on the web. Stopped for an over nighter in Neepawa - nice little city RV park and continued on to Kenora, Ontario the next day.

Kenora turned out to be a tourist destination. Nice Rv park right on the "Lake of the Woods". Spent a pleasant night and morning there enjoying the warm weather and sun. The town looked interesting but we did not unhitch so we did not get the chance to explore the area. JLS

The Soggy Prairies of Saskatchewan

One might ask why are we heading to Saskatoon? Answer - to catch up with our mail. We had it forwarded to a campground in the area. This area is an extension of the great plains and prairies down below in the lower forty. We had planned to get there on Saturday but left Edmonton area a day early. Called the RV park and they were booked so we could not get in a day early. And all the other RV parks listed in the guide were also full. Is Saskatoon really a tourist destination? Hmmm, looks like we may have to find a Walmart to park in for the night when Jack spotted an old and faded sign off Yellowhead Highway 16 for a little Provincial Park on the Saskatchewan river. Eagle eyed Jack saves the day!

This turned out to be a pleasant surprise! Not so much for the park itself, it was not much more than a grass field ( and quite soggy) but for the warmth and friendship we found. Turns out they were having their annual baseball tournament a long standing tradition held on Father's Day weekend. Our neighbor Ernie knocked on our door asking if it was okay if he fogged the area. Oh yes please! These prairie mosquitoes are fierce. This area has been getting much rain and the ground is saturated and prime breeding grounds for those pesky bloodsuckers. Later we shared a few drinks and campfire with Ernie, Michelle, Ted and Agi. Very friendly folk and they shared some great stories! And why didn't I take some pictures??

In the morning we shared email addresses and hot cinnamon rolls. Time for us to head to Saskatoon and hopefully our mail will be waiting. JLS

Edmonton Elks me

We left Hinton on Wednesday and started heading to Edmonton. We stayed at Elk Island NP which is about 30 miles east of Edmonton. Sorry no pictures of this area.

Edmonton itself is fair size city noted for having one of the largest indoor malls in North America. The weather was on the dismal side and we decided to check out the mall. Turned out to be longer drive than expected through some heavy traffic. Plus the TomTom GPS (we have it programmed with the voice of Pres George W. Bush) failed us and we missed the turn off. George did redeem himself and we did eventually find it. What can one say - it's a mall and much like any other mall except for the giant ice rink, water park and rides. Malls are not our cup of tea but if shopping is yours, then check it out.

I have to say Elk Island NP was bit of a disappointment. It is more like a large urban nature preserve then what one expects of a national park. It was quite expensive to camp inside the park. They charge a per person per day fee on top of the camping site fee which all totaled came to $40 a day. The sites did not have any water, electric or sewer and the park overall looked a bit run down. Plus they charged another $8 a day if you want to have campfire. It looked like it might be weekend hangout place for Edmonton youth crowd. We did see some buffalo but nothing like what you see at Yellowstone NP or Custer State park in the Mt Rushmore area. Never did see any elks or beavers. Lesson learned -we will stay away from the Canadian NPs for camping. Provincial parks seem to have larger sights and seem to be more maintained. So we decided to leave a day early for Saskatoon. JLS

Not Exasperated in Jasper

Jasper and Banff are two of the great Canadian NPs and are not overrated. This area is a must see once in your life. The color of the lakes is quite unique due to all the glacier melt. Try to see them on sunny day to get the full effect of color and light. I have never seen anywhere else the color of these lakes. Pictures truly do not capture how beautiful the lakes and mountains are in this area.
We did a drive by through Jasper NP the first day out from the Wells Grey area. You can drive through the park for free if you tell them you are just using the road to get to the other side. But know the name of your destination because they will ask.

We were not sure if we could fit in the campground in the park so we stayed just outside the park in the Hinton\Jasper KOA. Very nice KOA and has some great views but very slow WIFI. Plus a large field you can let your dogs run around. Zuzu had a great time! On the ranch next to us there were three new baby colts and it was fun to watch them with their moms.

From Jasper

We were in for shock when we went to go into Jasper NP the next day. It was $20 a day entrance fee. We were pretty sure it was free 7 years ago when we were there for our honeymoon. If not free - much less. Regardless, we had great time down memory lane. I didn't take a lot of pictures since I still have our honeymoon pictures of this area. We did stop to have dinner at one of the restaurants we ate on our honeymoon. Chatted with the waiter a bit and he gave us the low down on his home town Saskatoon which we will be staying for a few days to catch up with our mail.

The next few days we decided to explore the Hinton area. They have very nice large Provincial Park that had a lot of camp sites that were large but no hook ups. Talked to few of the park rangers and they told us what to check out and said we might even see a mama moose and her babies in the one area. But alas no luck. Hinton itself is an odd mix of tourism and industry. On one hand it is the Eastern gateway to Jasper and on the other the home of a large paper mill and thriving industry . Heading towards Edmonton next. JLS

Alls Well with Wells Gray

We started heading north east towards Jasper. Driving through the greater Seattle area was as expected - crowded! Passed into Canada without a hitch ( except for the 5th wheel). We took a back road avoiding the I5 crossing. It was late afternoon and I think the boarder official was tired. Stayed hitched and stayed in Chilliwack on a road called Luckakuck ( where do they get these names?) The RV park looked like it may have seen better days but was still ok. It was given very high ratings in Trailer Guide. Right off Canada 1 and as result very noisy. I don't recommend using the laundry facilities unless you are unhitched - the walk from the sites was far.

From Wells Gray

The drive once we got pass Chilliwack became quite beautiful and we ended up in small town called Clearwater near the entrance to Wells Gray NP. I had never heard of this park and this turned out to be quite a nice surprise. The park had series of waterfalls that were very spectacular. The KOA was nice and great Wifi to boot. Definitely worth staying a day or two.JLS

Home of the gods and town of the queen

Ok - so it's been awhile. We headed out of Bend and stayed two rainy days in the Columbia Gorge area. Very wet and very green and full of water falls. It rained hard and steady for almost 24 hours straight. It was raining so hard that we couldn't get pictures of the famous Multnomah waterfall. Is that moss growing on the dogs?

From Columbia River Gorge

Started our trek to the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park. Rain cleared a bit but still over cast on the way up.We found a great state park (Salt Creek Recreation area) to stay. There was even fellow Excel owner we chatted with a few times. It was bit on the remote side hence my lack of posts. No Wifi and the broadband stick could not find service. We had great views of the Juan De Fuca Straight and on a clear day even see Victoria from our windows.

From Olympic Penn and Victoria

This area is incredibly beautiful with snow capped mountains, ocean views, quaint towns and some of the most hauntingly beautiful forests. The Hoh Rain forest in Olympic NP is must see in this area. Pictures do not do this area justice. This area and the town of Forks is gaining some fame for being the setting for "Twilight" books and movies and taking advantage by exploiting that fact. Years ago I got a ticket in Forks. The town hasn't changed much.


The town of Port Angeles offers a ferry to Victoria BC and I recommend doing this as well. Very charming and the Butchart Gardens were something to see as well if a bit pricey.


We decided to take the Port Townsend ferry to the mainland and started our way up to Jasper. It is short ferry ride and you do need to reserve your spot. We had fun taking the Biff on the ferry and it saved us a lot of driving time. JLS

From Olympic Penn and Victoria

Friendly Bend

Spending some quality down time in Bend and staying put over the Memorial Day holiday. We came to Bend to meet with friend and stock broker Doug Graeber. We had a nice dinner at a little fish shack, we feasted on fish nachos and sushi. How's that for a combo?

The weather for the most part has been cold and over cast. Taking a lot of little day trips around the area. They have mountains, volcanoes and plenty of rivers. Wish it was sunnier, most of the pictures do not do the snow capped peaks justice. We also learned how to tell the difference between the chipmunks and squirrels in the area. They almost look identical with one difference. You'll have to come to Bend and find out for yourself.

From Bend area

The town of Bend itself is very pretty, they have really done up the area around the Deschutes river. Lots of nice trails and pretty shopping area. Nice dog park too where the dogs can even go swimming in the river. Everything looks spanking brand new. They are also into roundabouts at the intersections. For minute there, we thought we were in New Zealand and almost went the wrong direction.

We checked out the fancy and over priced Crown Villa RV park ( $60 a night and up to $80 for the holiday) but opted for the more reasonable priced Scandia RV park. Nice park and I can walk to Starbucks and a Fred Meyers store! It was my first Fred Meyer experience - they are a cross between a Sears, Target and Safeway all in one. Hold on to your credit card! JLS

Shasta Daisy

We spent the last few days in Lakehead near Mt. Shasta area on Lake Shasta.

Stayed at "Antlers" which is a campground\resort\marina. We are told this place and area really pops after Memorial Day. Lake Shasta is noted for being big houseboat lake supposedly more of them than Lake Powell. And I can understand why. The lake is beautiful with many little inlets that they allow camping.

However, if boating isn't your thing there are plenty of hiking, rivers and little towns that offer a lot of vistas and charm. There was a fun little hotel that was a collection of old railroad caboose cars. We had good time exploring the area. We liked it so much we stayed a few more days.

From Mt Shasta

According to the camp ground guide - they rated the RV parks higher in Redding. Just shows that what the guides rate high for looks is not the same as what I rate for looks. The parks in Redding were all off the highway and may be newer but this place has charm. And trees. Plus it is right on the water. This area has that old campground feel and there are other parks near by if you can't get into this one. We were off season so the rates were very reasonable and the area quiet - that may not be the case later in high season.

We headed out of California towards Bend, Oregon. We were going to stay few days at Crater Lake National park near the north entrance but decided to turn around and continue on since they were still snow plowing and the park entrance was still closed. Brrrr. What happened to summer this year? JLS

Time spent in Berkeley

Headed out yesterday and up towards Oregon. Staying in the Mt. Shasta area for a few days.

We had great time visiting with Matt and watching him receive his PHD in Chemistry. Enjoyed how pretty Berkeley is with all of the old houses and charm. But parking was a hassle and especially stressful with the big old black 1 ton dualie. Jack became quite the pro in maneuvering in some really tight spaces. Gotta love that man's driving skills! And thank God for Safeway parking lots!

Matt lived in a little canyon tucked in Berkeley with some state parks close by, it is amazing that there are still tracks of wilderness in the midst of such an urban area. The view of the SFB and Golden Gate bridge was phenomenal.

From Matt's Graduation 2010

The first day we took Zuzu and Wodi and walked around the neighborhoods in Berkeley. Wodi decided he had enough walking and laid down and would not get back up. Our poor little pup was plain tuckered. Jack being the gentleman hiked back on his own to get the truck.

Yum- we did some good eating while we were there, the highlight being dinner at Chez Panisse (and Matt paying). Matt's goal was to eat there when he received his PHD. It was truly fantastic and worth the wait. Great time celebrating with Matt and Kenny. JLS

California Here We Come!

Tuesday was another cold and blistery day. We took a drive up to Carson City. Looked pretty much like any other urban sprawl city these days. On the way back saw a sign for Virgina City of wild west fame and took the turn off. Reminded me of a larger more touristy Madrid, NM. Lots of souvenir shops type of place. It was gosh darn cold up there to boot. Views were pretty and it was fun to run from shop to shop. Brrrr - I thought Nevada was hot.

Decided to stay another day in Fallon and explore the Lake Tahoe area instead of driving on US 50to San Francisco area that way. The weather finally turned warmer and no wind! I had always heard Lake Tahoe was beautiful but it took me by surprise just how beautiful it was, Truly worth seeing! We drove around the lake and still quite a bit of snow around the area. Only saw one park with camping open so it was good idea for us to stay in Fallon instead of trying to camp up there.

From Virginia City and Lake Tahoe

They take their snow removal seriously there!

From Virginia City and Lake Tahoe

Headed out on Thursday on I80. Saw signs that I80 was closed to wide loads past 9ft due to construction. Hmmm, will the Biff make it through? We decided it would. Gotta say it was pretty scary drive. We just made it, it was close on either side. California roads are tired and over used and have way too much traffic. It was not a pleasant drive to Berkeley.

Good news along the way! Matt heard that he was officially now Dr. Matthew Sheldon!

We were able to find a mobile home park not too far from where Matt lives that had some open sites. Pretty reasonable over the typical California RV park. Most of the folks live here as opposed to passing through like RV parks. California is such an odd mixed bag. On one hand you have so many darn people and constant traffic and then you find these little spots that are absolutely beautiful. In a very urban crowded area is little mobile home park lush with trees and flowers - one block from a major six lane highway. It does sound like the "Langoliers" coming - no its just the drone of million cars passing by.

Drove to Matt's house and wow! He has million dollar views of the San Frisco bay and Golden Gate Bridge ( oh make that two million dollars - that's how much the house next to him is on the market). So gotta wonder how him and his roommates landed that gem to rent. JLS

Not Falling for Fallon

The weather looked good in Ely and decided to head on out to Fallon. Highway 50 is nick named the loneliest highway in America. Very fitting. One of those roads where the mind can wander ( as long as the weather is good). The drive is series of mountains and valleys gradually going down in elevation each time.

Along the way the winds picked up as the predicted storm front moved across the state. Temperatures dropped and drive became quite challenging for Jack. I blissfully fell asleep. They also don't tell you there is nothing between the little mining town of Austin and Fallon. So better get your diesel fuel before making the drive. We just made it on fumes to Fallon.

Once in Fallon we looked for an RV park that we stayed at 5 years ago on our way back from seeing Matt in Berkeley. It sure has gone down hill. We remembered it as being well kept and sparkling and out of town. Looks like the town has done some sprawling and grown around it. The RV park now also has convenient store where all your liquor needs can be meet. It's an odd combo.

We may have to stay here for few days and skip Lake Tahoe as originally planned. The weather is still quite breezy. We will be exploring the area and hope there is something more than casinos around and "Sand Mountain". We saw it on the way into town and really is just that - a big mound of sand that apparently the ATV'ers get their kicks. We also "googled" Fallon and found out that it is the home of Naval fighter pilot training school made famous by the movie "Top Gun". We wondered why on the drive there were signs for a Naval base in the middle of the high Nevada desert.

Oh and one more interesting fact - there is a road to an unrestricted nuclear test sight ( only one of two outside the famed Nevada Nuclear test site). They will let you tromp around and tell you it is perfectly save but warn you not to dig or eat the dirt. Hmm - I think I'll pass. Maybe will see some giant ants or giant killer bunnies around town. JLS

The Road to Ely

The drive from Denver to Utah was beautiful if a bit treacherous towing the Biff. The mountains still had boat loads of snow on the peaks. Traffic was steady on I70 till we hit the Utah border. Just too many people in Colorado for me.

We stayed the night in Green River - pretty much your only choice on I70! Green River SP is pretty little park, RV sites are large but no hookups. Saw another Excel with NM plates staying there but did not know the folks.

Once you leave Green River the scenary becomes quite dramatic and desolate. The next town and gas station is 100 miles away. We then continued on to Ely, Nevada on highway 50. The land is flat and welcome change after the drive from Green River to Delta. Looks like large salt flats very sureal and beautiful.

Decided to stay two nights in Ely at the KOA. Took a pretty little hike in Cave Lake SP on Mother's day. JLS

Chatfield State Park - Denver area

Stayed the past few day in Chatfield SP located on a man made lake. Pretty amazing that such a large SP is so close to such a large metropolitan area. Lots of walking and biking trails. Enjoyed the park , large RV sites with ample space between sites. However, I suspect the area gets pretty crowded on the weekends. Urban sprawl surrounds the park. Denver has become the land of strip malls, box stores and chain restaurants. Oh and car washes!

Today we pack it up and head towards California. Taking I70 through the Rockies - hoping the winds are kind as we travel west. JLS

Red Rocks

Jack and I visited Red Rock Amphitheater yesterday - really something worth seeing if you are in the Denver area. It is a natural rock formation that created a natural amphitheater. Besides the spectacular views of the Denver valley, it has an interesting history. Many many famous performers have played there. Of coarse I forgot the camera. Survived the 376 stairs walk up without a heart attack too( yes - we counted them). We then took a nice ride to the town of Evergreen in the mountains and ate lunch at a little cafe along the way. Very nice day indeed! JLS

NM and Colorado Rallies

NM rally in Las Cruces was a big success with 52 rigs attending. Pet Parade seemed to be a big hit as well. Got the Excel and truck washed/waxed for $227 at the site. Staff at Hacienda were very friendly and accomodating. Gave my pistol and ammo to Ralph to hold for me as we plan to be in Canada in the next month or so. Mac highly recommended I not take it. Curbside propane tank isn't working for some reason...acts like it's empty but it's not. Andele's catering was real good and members seemed to like it. Gave away lots of raffle gifts, door prizes, and 50/50 cash. Met Ted Wheelis...Sandia manager and Mike and Martha's ex-boss.

Left Hacienda on Monday morning and drove to Raton Pass. Spent two nights at Cedar Rail RV Park at NM Colorado border. Spent Tuesday exploring Trinidad as best we could. I-25 construction has been going on for over 2 years in the area. Weather Monday night was windy and near freezing. Tuesday was windy but warmer. Tuesday 04/27 was my birthday.

Weather forecast was for really high winds on Wednesday so we left early for Colorado City to join up with the Colorado Excel Club members. Arrived at KOA about 9am just as winds were picking up. First night we're having 60-70 MPH gusts with 5th wheel bouncing around a bit but not Urbano winds by any stretch. Some members are keeping their slides in tonight to reduce their footprint. Can't go outside very easily with the wind. Had dinner at Max restaurant with about 15 of the Colorado members...pretty decent food and I bought Joy's dinner. Diesel is costing $2.89-$3.14 per gallon. Curbside propane tank is now working for some reason...maybe the changeover valve was stuck? Made reservations for 4 nights at Chatfield SP near Emmy's house in Denver starting 05/03.

Haven't taken any pictures yet...been too windy for now. JWS

Retirement

Wednesday 04/21/10
Retired from work yesterday and arrived in Las Cruces (Hacienda RV Resort) today for the NM Excel Club spring rally. Beautiful weather with temps about 80 degrees. I have a bad cold tho. Rally begins on Friday. JWS