Before leaving Sault Ste Marie, I had looked up Flying J gas/diesel stations to find locations and prices. The one in Sault turned out to be for commercial rigs only so were hopeful the one in Sudbury would be available to us. Turned out it was not, after "eventually" finding it...However, the manager there gave us the name of another station that had reasonable prices so plugged in the GPS and off we went. It was on Lorne St., and called Dumas' Your Independent Grocery Store (with attached fuel station) and the cheapest fuel in Sudbury. Our biggest fill yet with over 400 ltrs.
Continuing on down the road, passing a lot of gorgeous scenery and interesting small towns we arrived just north of Parry Sound when we decided it was time to find a spot for the night. We were fortunate to get into a KOA in Sequin (10 min south of Parry Sound)with 50 amp power. Unfortunately, Dale could not get the satellite to work due to all the tree so he was not a very happy camper, that plus a high price and also no sewer connection. Had to discharge the tanks at a community staion on the way out of the park. We needed to dishcarge and take on water as from there, we were really not sure what we would find down the road due to the long weekend now upon us.
Arrived in Orillia (via a couple of interesting back roads..OK so I can't read road signs and "suggest" left your other left turns) Pulled into an empty Wal Mart lot to get our bearings. Dale turned the generator on so we could keep the air conditioning going and it overheated again. He thinks it is a thermostat..this will be the third one since we bought the bus. While in Orillia, Dale made a few phone calls and one was to the Church of the Nazarene campground in Pefferlaw. He had spent a few years there when a youngster as his dad was the caretaker/overseer in the mid-forties and it was in our plans to spend some time there to visit old memories. (did I mention that Dale's background/upbringing was strong Church of the Nazarene??) They had parking available AND a 50 amp hookup. So, on the road again, and 40 minutes later we arrived.
The drive was down the east side of Lake Simcoe and talk about cottage country, and so many farms, small towns and beautiful old homes. While this is not my first trip to Ontario, I am always thrilled to see the wonderful brick houses. While there are lots of properties for sale, the signs of depression/economic downturn, is not as evident as it is further north.
The northbound traffic was incredible. Single lane traffic as far as the eye could see. Locals told us that was Toronto/Hamilton and areas south etc etc emptying out for the long weeked and generally during the summer, every Friday is the same; repeated again on Sunday night, or Monday if it is a long weekend. And we thought Vancouver was bad.
We are parked in a nice grassy area with a few trees so some shade. Plus, we have put out the awnings on the south side to give some relief from the sun. With the 50 amp hook up we can, when needed, at least get air conditioning going.
It is family camp here at the campground this week so a very busy place and LOTS of young people, which is so great to see. Church services morning and evening, youth, young adults and adults..something for everyone.
We didn't make service Fri night or Sat a.m., as we both are still feeling rather ill and had put in another terrible night. Went over to Sutton this afternoon and loaded up on cough medicine and throat lozenges, enough that we were able to make the music service for a short time tonight. Nothing like good old gospel singing to make you forget your troubles. And the voices of the soloists..sends goosebumps up my back just thinking about it!
Now back at the bus and trying to get ourselves settled; finding a position that gives relief from coughing. I talked to a lady after service and she advised that this cold/flu thingy has generally having people feeling lousy for up to 7 weeks. Oh, joy, I am "only" in my fourth and Dale has just started. Think I caught mine from Kevin just before we left..will need to have a chat with him!!
Till next time hope everyone is enjoying their travels and having a good summer.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Leaving Atikokan, we eventually joined up Hwy 17 and continued on into Thunder Bay.Once again, a drive through, around, up and down just to get a flavour of the place, but, as we had no intention of stopping there, we didn't linger. Actually quite depressing..the turn down in the economy is very evident in Ontario, so many empty buildings, for sale signs and a sense of dreariness seams to pervade some of the towns.
We were now following along the shore line of Lake Superior and enjoying the many stunning views; tempting to stop at every one but you would need years to travel this route to do that. This night we turned into another small town called Marathon. It was a few KMs off the highway so we knew it should be quiet. One thing I cannot get over is how small the houses are in these towns. Squat, square and two stories high and all the same design. The only thing that seems to change is the colour and maintenance. And, appears they were all built at the same time. New construction is a little different in design, but not in the size.
We parked in another Lions Club run park and this time had the benefit of 50AMP power, plus water and sewer. This was a beautiful little park, on a small lake (Lake Superior was on the other side of town) and only two other rigs in the whole park. Quiet and peaceful and no lights to shine in the bedroom windows! We were able to get out the BBQ and enjoy a very lazy evening. The young gal attendant came over to us before she went off shift to adivse a Tornado warning had been given for the area and advised where we should go if the storm hit. It was quite breezy so we were concerned of course, but it turned out to be a non even..thanks goodness and had a very good night.
In the a.m., we took advantage of our spot and washed the bus. Up to this point it was still covered in SK & MB gumbo and muck and looked quite unloved. Even with our washing it, the gumbo has left markes on the finish. It will take some heavy scrubbing to get those off so will have to wait until we are settled somewhere for a few days before we can tackle that.
It was 1:45 before we hit the road again. Deliberated whether to stay put as it was a late time to be going, but figured we could make Sault Ste Marie by dinner time. Another breathtaking drive of stunning vistas and now we were seeing lots of campgrounds, lodges, resorts..obviously getting into popular tourists areas. We did arrive at the KOA just north of "SOO" and still had enough time to park the bus and take the car to see the city. Lots of history here and just love the old brick buildings. Our main goal was to find a drug store and load up on cough medicine again..this is really getting to be a pain!!
We had thought of whether or not to drive the bridge over to the USA side but the views from Soo were quite good so decided not to waste one of our allotment of 182 days. Soo is another city that is showing signs of a depressed economy with many empty buildings showing the signs of lack of attendance.
Back at the bus, threw some pre-cooked ribs in the oven (which we had picked up at M&M in Marathon) so that, with a salad made a nice later dinner. It was a lovely evening and we were able to sit outside until well after dark..no mosquitoes!
Both Dale and I had coughing fits throughout the night so when we finally quieted down and got back to sleep it was around 5:30 a.m., this resulted in both of us sleeping in quite late. Don't know what time Dale got up but know it was (9:30 a.m. for me!). Made porridge for him and we got the bus ready to travel, finally on the road at 11:00.
We are now only 45 KMs out of Sudbury. We will be stopping here for fuel at the Flying J; our last fill was just before we got into Winnipeg so this one will be an expensive one. From Sudbury we will turn due south; not sure where we will stop but will start looking for a spot around 4:30 or is. Something will turn up but if not, it won't be the first time we've slept on the side of the road. That's one good thing about being totally self sufficient.
Till next time.....
We were now following along the shore line of Lake Superior and enjoying the many stunning views; tempting to stop at every one but you would need years to travel this route to do that. This night we turned into another small town called Marathon. It was a few KMs off the highway so we knew it should be quiet. One thing I cannot get over is how small the houses are in these towns. Squat, square and two stories high and all the same design. The only thing that seems to change is the colour and maintenance. And, appears they were all built at the same time. New construction is a little different in design, but not in the size.
We parked in another Lions Club run park and this time had the benefit of 50AMP power, plus water and sewer. This was a beautiful little park, on a small lake (Lake Superior was on the other side of town) and only two other rigs in the whole park. Quiet and peaceful and no lights to shine in the bedroom windows! We were able to get out the BBQ and enjoy a very lazy evening. The young gal attendant came over to us before she went off shift to adivse a Tornado warning had been given for the area and advised where we should go if the storm hit. It was quite breezy so we were concerned of course, but it turned out to be a non even..thanks goodness and had a very good night.
In the a.m., we took advantage of our spot and washed the bus. Up to this point it was still covered in SK & MB gumbo and muck and looked quite unloved. Even with our washing it, the gumbo has left markes on the finish. It will take some heavy scrubbing to get those off so will have to wait until we are settled somewhere for a few days before we can tackle that.
It was 1:45 before we hit the road again. Deliberated whether to stay put as it was a late time to be going, but figured we could make Sault Ste Marie by dinner time. Another breathtaking drive of stunning vistas and now we were seeing lots of campgrounds, lodges, resorts..obviously getting into popular tourists areas. We did arrive at the KOA just north of "SOO" and still had enough time to park the bus and take the car to see the city. Lots of history here and just love the old brick buildings. Our main goal was to find a drug store and load up on cough medicine again..this is really getting to be a pain!!
We had thought of whether or not to drive the bridge over to the USA side but the views from Soo were quite good so decided not to waste one of our allotment of 182 days. Soo is another city that is showing signs of a depressed economy with many empty buildings showing the signs of lack of attendance.
Back at the bus, threw some pre-cooked ribs in the oven (which we had picked up at M&M in Marathon) so that, with a salad made a nice later dinner. It was a lovely evening and we were able to sit outside until well after dark..no mosquitoes!
Both Dale and I had coughing fits throughout the night so when we finally quieted down and got back to sleep it was around 5:30 a.m., this resulted in both of us sleeping in quite late. Don't know what time Dale got up but know it was (9:30 a.m. for me!). Made porridge for him and we got the bus ready to travel, finally on the road at 11:00.
We are now only 45 KMs out of Sudbury. We will be stopping here for fuel at the Flying J; our last fill was just before we got into Winnipeg so this one will be an expensive one. From Sudbury we will turn due south; not sure where we will stop but will start looking for a spot around 4:30 or is. Something will turn up but if not, it won't be the first time we've slept on the side of the road. That's one good thing about being totally self sufficient.
Till next time.....
MB & ON July 25-29
We've had poor internet connections this past week so unable to update this blog. I'm writing while we are travelling so keeping fingers crossed that we don't loose our signal.
On Sunday (25th) we headed out from our campsite to "The Forks" in downtown Winnpeg as we had heard a lot about it as a "must see" place to go. While the location, right on the river, was a beautiful setting, the rest was a disappointment. It was a take off on Granville Island in Vancouver, but really missed the mark. That, plus a lot of litter around, crowed areas..not inviting for a tourist. Might explain while it was not that busy considering it was a beautiful day. From there, we toured around Winnipeg, getting a lay of the city and surrounding areas. During this tour, it was discovered that Dale has trouble with North and South, while I have trouble with left and right (you know, the other left!!!). I had wanted to go to Portage and Main as you always hear about it and so, with our directionally challenged abilities noted, we got to see it three or four times!! We also got to view the CPR railroad yard and a few other less notable sites!!! Eventually we found our way home for a late BBQ dinner and a much needed bottle of wine.
Monday found us on the road again, but we didn't get away until almost 11:00 a.m. The scenery was slowly changing from flat prairie, to rolling hills and more and more trees. Starting to look more like BC. We made good time on Hwy. 11, turning into Hwy. 17 when you crossed into Ontario and just east of Kenora we took a different route and turned south on Hwy 71. A slower, twistier road, little traffic and breathtaking scenery; there are so many lakes, big and small that every turn had another stunning vista in front of us. When we got as far as Fort Francis, we started looking for a stopping spot for the night; rest areas were marked on the map, but once again, they didn't appear in reality. As we neared a little town called Atikokan, we turned off the hwy and drove into this little town about 3 kms north, did a quick tour of the town,and then found a Lions Club run RV Park. The "official" RV parking was full (due to all the construciton workers there in their 5th wheels, working on road construction) so we parked down at the river. A beautiful quiet spot and turned out it was far better than the "official" parking area.
It was a restful evening and where we were, a lot of the locals bring their dogs down to swim and run so got to talk to a lot of the folks. The town used to have a mine nearby and the town was quite lively. Since the mine closed, the town has gone from 8500 to about 2800 and slowly dying. They are trying to build up tourism as a replacement industry. Might make it too as there a lot of plusses about the place.
I wll sign off now and continue the travel on a different page.
On Sunday (25th) we headed out from our campsite to "The Forks" in downtown Winnpeg as we had heard a lot about it as a "must see" place to go. While the location, right on the river, was a beautiful setting, the rest was a disappointment. It was a take off on Granville Island in Vancouver, but really missed the mark. That, plus a lot of litter around, crowed areas..not inviting for a tourist. Might explain while it was not that busy considering it was a beautiful day. From there, we toured around Winnipeg, getting a lay of the city and surrounding areas. During this tour, it was discovered that Dale has trouble with North and South, while I have trouble with left and right (you know, the other left!!!). I had wanted to go to Portage and Main as you always hear about it and so, with our directionally challenged abilities noted, we got to see it three or four times!! We also got to view the CPR railroad yard and a few other less notable sites!!! Eventually we found our way home for a late BBQ dinner and a much needed bottle of wine.
Monday found us on the road again, but we didn't get away until almost 11:00 a.m. The scenery was slowly changing from flat prairie, to rolling hills and more and more trees. Starting to look more like BC. We made good time on Hwy. 11, turning into Hwy. 17 when you crossed into Ontario and just east of Kenora we took a different route and turned south on Hwy 71. A slower, twistier road, little traffic and breathtaking scenery; there are so many lakes, big and small that every turn had another stunning vista in front of us. When we got as far as Fort Francis, we started looking for a stopping spot for the night; rest areas were marked on the map, but once again, they didn't appear in reality. As we neared a little town called Atikokan, we turned off the hwy and drove into this little town about 3 kms north, did a quick tour of the town,and then found a Lions Club run RV Park. The "official" RV parking was full (due to all the construciton workers there in their 5th wheels, working on road construction) so we parked down at the river. A beautiful quiet spot and turned out it was far better than the "official" parking area.
It was a restful evening and where we were, a lot of the locals bring their dogs down to swim and run so got to talk to a lot of the folks. The town used to have a mine nearby and the town was quite lively. Since the mine closed, the town has gone from 8500 to about 2800 and slowly dying. They are trying to build up tourism as a replacement industry. Might make it too as there a lot of plusses about the place.
I wll sign off now and continue the travel on a different page.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saskatchewan & Manitoba July 21-24, 2010
We spent Wednesday afternoon touring around Saskatoon. What a pretty city on the river; beautiful walkways along the river surrounded by tall, cool, trees! It is deceivingly bigger than you think!
Eventually we booked into a RV park on the NW side of Saskatoon (Saskatoon 16 RV Park and Campground) and shared our spot with about a million mosquitoes. With all the rain, the grass had not been cut in the park so every step sent up a cloud of the little critters. Other than driving in the car, we spent most of the time inside.
Thursday was a beautiful day, of which I spent most of it in bed or lying down due to this cold/flu/allergy/sore throat/hacking cough..whatever it is I wish it would go away!!!! Dale got out for awhile and took an old cough medicine prescription and managed to get it re-filled (Tussionex). It was/is quite deadly as it is a rather stronger barbituate. Does the trick tho and kills the cough within a few minutes. The unfortunate side effect for me is itching, dopier than normal and dizzier than normal. We did decide tho' that I am allergic to Saskatchewan!
Friday we left Saskatoon around 11:00 a.m., without visiting friends as I was too miserable to be social, and headed east again. The drive was uneventful, miles and miles of miles and miles of canola, alfalfa, wheat and more with a few prairie towns thrown in for good measure. Stopped in Lanigan for a light lunch and continued on until just west of Minnedosa (3 hrs west of Winnipeg). We ran into a horrific rain storm with visibility down to zero. The good thing was the rain washed some of the Saskatchewan mud/gumbo off the bus and windows. There is a really nice and big rest area (with a small fishing lake available...bonus!) there and we took advantage of it. Once the storm passed through it was dry within minutes.
Had a good night's rest and after leaving the rest area, again around 11:00, we continued on to Winnipeg and to our current RV Park..Traveller's RV Resort & Campground on the south east side of Winnipeg, between TC # 1 and Hwy 100. BIG park with lots of amenities. We spent a lazy late afternoon just lazing about and checking out the park before a great salmon BBQ, shared bottle of wine and another hectic evening of relaxing.
This morning, Dale was up before god and put out the awnings. The sun is out with a vengence and it is a beautiful day. We are heading downtown to check out "The Forks" and other areas..finally will get to be a tourist, cold or not cold/flu/allergy!!
Till next time....
Eventually we booked into a RV park on the NW side of Saskatoon (Saskatoon 16 RV Park and Campground) and shared our spot with about a million mosquitoes. With all the rain, the grass had not been cut in the park so every step sent up a cloud of the little critters. Other than driving in the car, we spent most of the time inside.
Thursday was a beautiful day, of which I spent most of it in bed or lying down due to this cold/flu/allergy/sore throat/hacking cough..whatever it is I wish it would go away!!!! Dale got out for awhile and took an old cough medicine prescription and managed to get it re-filled (Tussionex). It was/is quite deadly as it is a rather stronger barbituate. Does the trick tho and kills the cough within a few minutes. The unfortunate side effect for me is itching, dopier than normal and dizzier than normal. We did decide tho' that I am allergic to Saskatchewan!
Friday we left Saskatoon around 11:00 a.m., without visiting friends as I was too miserable to be social, and headed east again. The drive was uneventful, miles and miles of miles and miles of canola, alfalfa, wheat and more with a few prairie towns thrown in for good measure. Stopped in Lanigan for a light lunch and continued on until just west of Minnedosa (3 hrs west of Winnipeg). We ran into a horrific rain storm with visibility down to zero. The good thing was the rain washed some of the Saskatchewan mud/gumbo off the bus and windows. There is a really nice and big rest area (with a small fishing lake available...bonus!) there and we took advantage of it. Once the storm passed through it was dry within minutes.
Had a good night's rest and after leaving the rest area, again around 11:00, we continued on to Winnipeg and to our current RV Park..Traveller's RV Resort & Campground on the south east side of Winnipeg, between TC # 1 and Hwy 100. BIG park with lots of amenities. We spent a lazy late afternoon just lazing about and checking out the park before a great salmon BBQ, shared bottle of wine and another hectic evening of relaxing.
This morning, Dale was up before god and put out the awnings. The sun is out with a vengence and it is a beautiful day. We are heading downtown to check out "The Forks" and other areas..finally will get to be a tourist, cold or not cold/flu/allergy!!
Till next time....
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
AB & SK..July 18+
Dale spent some time Sunday afternoon repairing the electrical hookup between the car and the bus. It had come undone and after dragging on the road for lordy knows how long, it was a bit of a mess. Now all fixed and working great. Later, Judy came and picked us up and we spent the evening at Matt & Caylie's and got to see Kennedy, who is now 3 and a delightful little girl, and Noah, who is 3 months and a real charmer. It was a lovely, lazy evening.
Monday a.m., Judy dropped off my bracelet, which she had repaired and shined (thank you!!) and around 10:00 we left Calgary, heading east on TC #16. Ran into rain, sun, rain, sun and more rain..mostly rain AND the most god awful road construction on Hwy 9. Muck, slime, gumbo for miles and miles. The wheels on the bus actually started spinning on one slight climb and now the bus is covered in Saskatchewan gumbo!!
The fields were glorious tho', yellow (canola) and every shade of green on the rolling hills. Really was a beautiful drive to Eston. Joan & Paul met us just outside Eston and showed us a good, paved place to park (if you know Eston, it was behind the gopher statue!). With all the rain, the gravel roads were too soft for the bus to travel on and even Joan & Paul are unable to get out of their driveway with their b us. If it doesn't dry up by fall we may never see them again!!!!
Had dinner out at Joan & Paul's and a good visit before they brought us back to our coachn. Then, Tuesday a.m., they came in and we went out for a delicious breakfast, a shop stop at the 2nd hand store and then Paul & Dale went over to Kindersley to do guy stuff, plus Dale can't sit still for more than 15 minutes, and Joan and I went back to her place. A fun filled afternoon of doing laundry and playing Mexican Train Dominoes. Then, Joan wanted to learn cribbage so we got a few games in. Still have a few basics to cover but Joan is going to be a deadly player!!!
Dinner, some wine, good visit and then back to our bus for the night.
We left Eston around 10:00 this morning, heading east in glorious sunshine. So much flooding tho' all along the highway. Fields just floating..this province certainly needs a lot of sunshine to dry out and save the crops. Arrived in Saskatoon around 12:30 and currently parked at WalMart on the outskirts until we check out RV parks. A lot of them are gravel roads so want to make sure they are dry enough for us to drive on..if not, we'll just stay at Wal Mart. Did a quick tour around the city to get the "lay of the land" and will do some more exploring tomorrow.
Time is flying, already on the road for 9 days and seems like we just left. Till next time....
Monday a.m., Judy dropped off my bracelet, which she had repaired and shined (thank you!!) and around 10:00 we left Calgary, heading east on TC #16. Ran into rain, sun, rain, sun and more rain..mostly rain AND the most god awful road construction on Hwy 9. Muck, slime, gumbo for miles and miles. The wheels on the bus actually started spinning on one slight climb and now the bus is covered in Saskatchewan gumbo!!
The fields were glorious tho', yellow (canola) and every shade of green on the rolling hills. Really was a beautiful drive to Eston. Joan & Paul met us just outside Eston and showed us a good, paved place to park (if you know Eston, it was behind the gopher statue!). With all the rain, the gravel roads were too soft for the bus to travel on and even Joan & Paul are unable to get out of their driveway with their b us. If it doesn't dry up by fall we may never see them again!!!!
Had dinner out at Joan & Paul's and a good visit before they brought us back to our coachn. Then, Tuesday a.m., they came in and we went out for a delicious breakfast, a shop stop at the 2nd hand store and then Paul & Dale went over to Kindersley to do guy stuff, plus Dale can't sit still for more than 15 minutes, and Joan and I went back to her place. A fun filled afternoon of doing laundry and playing Mexican Train Dominoes. Then, Joan wanted to learn cribbage so we got a few games in. Still have a few basics to cover but Joan is going to be a deadly player!!!
Dinner, some wine, good visit and then back to our bus for the night.
We left Eston around 10:00 this morning, heading east in glorious sunshine. So much flooding tho' all along the highway. Fields just floating..this province certainly needs a lot of sunshine to dry out and save the crops. Arrived in Saskatoon around 12:30 and currently parked at WalMart on the outskirts until we check out RV parks. A lot of them are gravel roads so want to make sure they are dry enough for us to drive on..if not, we'll just stay at Wal Mart. Did a quick tour around the city to get the "lay of the land" and will do some more exploring tomorrow.
Time is flying, already on the road for 9 days and seems like we just left. Till next time....
Sunday, July 18, 2010
JuA ly 16,17,18
Finally got to meet new great nephew Nixon, 4 mos old and the spitting image of Ryley! A snuggly little one and a big hit with sister Taylor, who is now 2 1/2 yrs old. The kids are growing way to fast. Ryley was home on days off so good to get to visit him as well as Sarah and the kids. They hope to be out to Vancouver next summer so will plan on spending a lot more time with them.
We overnighted in Red Deer and were treated to a magnificent and very colourful lighting and thunderstorm and more RAIN!! Wow, did it ever come down. Nice to be cozy and comy in our home on wheels. Love the sound of the rain on the roof; a real lullaby to put you to sleep.
Had some generator problems to be resolved so when the sun came out Saturday morning Dale was out trouble shooting; so far so good!
We left Red Deer around noon and arrived in Calgary a couple of hours later. The stampede is still on so lots of traffic around. We're parked near the Ambrose University in a very quiet area, but close to most things/people we want to see.
Spent the afternoon/evening with Judy, who toured us around for a bit of shopping and then ending up at one of the casinos to make a donation and have dinner before coming back to the bus for a cup of tea to end the evening.
Today, Sunday, we went to Calgary First Church of the Nazarene where we met up with Mel & Connie Olsen, with whom we had lunch after the service. They were heading back to their home in Drumheller and were in Calgary to see Connie's two grandson's compete in a talent contest (they made it to the finals but didn't win).
Now the clouds are rolling in again and looks like a big storm coming. Think we'll have a quiet hour or two on the bus and see what the weather is going to do before we head out again. Still want to get another visit in with Judy and Matt & Caylie and the kids as well as Lloyd & Phyllis. We'll just see how the time goes as we plan on leaving here sometime tomorrow and actually start working our way east.
We overnighted in Red Deer and were treated to a magnificent and very colourful lighting and thunderstorm and more RAIN!! Wow, did it ever come down. Nice to be cozy and comy in our home on wheels. Love the sound of the rain on the roof; a real lullaby to put you to sleep.
Had some generator problems to be resolved so when the sun came out Saturday morning Dale was out trouble shooting; so far so good!
We left Red Deer around noon and arrived in Calgary a couple of hours later. The stampede is still on so lots of traffic around. We're parked near the Ambrose University in a very quiet area, but close to most things/people we want to see.
Spent the afternoon/evening with Judy, who toured us around for a bit of shopping and then ending up at one of the casinos to make a donation and have dinner before coming back to the bus for a cup of tea to end the evening.
Today, Sunday, we went to Calgary First Church of the Nazarene where we met up with Mel & Connie Olsen, with whom we had lunch after the service. They were heading back to their home in Drumheller and were in Calgary to see Connie's two grandson's compete in a talent contest (they made it to the finals but didn't win).
Now the clouds are rolling in again and looks like a big storm coming. Think we'll have a quiet hour or two on the bus and see what the weather is going to do before we head out again. Still want to get another visit in with Judy and Matt & Caylie and the kids as well as Lloyd & Phyllis. We'll just see how the time goes as we plan on leaving here sometime tomorrow and actually start working our way east.
Friday, July 16, 2010
July 15-16 con't.
Seems I hit enter when I should not have on my previous note!! We left Tumbler Ridge at 9:00 a.m. and headed east..drove until 5:00 p.m.with minimal stops, arriving in Morinville, Alberta to visit friends, Paul & Diane who we met at Two Springs Resort. What a lovely little city, just 45 minutes north of Edmonton. Had a great evening with them and a lazy morning too. Before heading out we went to a truck/car wash and got the mud off both vehicles (we had been in lots of rain and resulting mud fly from the road). Then off to Edmonton. Of course, leaving Morinville I managed to miss the first turn so spent some time touring a subdivision before we found our way again (Dale was not impressed) and then, while programming the computer, missed the second turn. Oh, what can I say!!!
We "eventually" took the new Arthur Hendry (sp) freeway which bypasses most of the city of Edmonton and from the directions Crystal had given us, found their place with minimal problems. Spent a lovely afternoon/evening, partly on the patio in between thunderstorms, sipping some refreshments and enjoying watching Alexander playing in the mud. Annika was content to crawl around and try to get anything she could into her mouth. Ian arrived home from Calgary around 6:30ish so had lots of time to visit in the evening over pizza and additional "refreshments".
In the morning, Crystal and her mom, Marily, took off to Calgary to visit Crystal's sister. Dale and I enjoyed a couple more hours with Ian and the kids. Ian is definitely going to be somewhat exhausted by the time Crystal gets home on Sunday night!! Glad we got to visit them in Edmonton, before they move, in the spring, to Calgary.
Once again, on the road, this time headed for Red Deer. We took Highway 2A to get off the freeway which was impossible with the traffic and the rain. Alberta is wet, wet, WET and folks here are even more tired of it than we at the coast are/were. Plus, everything turns to gumbo/glue and is impossible to get around in. Not our cup of tea.
We arrived in Red Deer at 2:45 and are now just getting ourselves settled in on the bus before we head out to visit Ryley, Sarah, Taylor and Nixon. Have parked just east of Wal-Mart in the old part of the mall ...no one around so should be a quiet spot for the evening. Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but probably head to Calgary for a couple of days. Till then, will spend some time looking around Red Deer (one of my favourite Alberta cities) and start winding down a little more.
Till we write again...happy travels.
We "eventually" took the new Arthur Hendry (sp) freeway which bypasses most of the city of Edmonton and from the directions Crystal had given us, found their place with minimal problems. Spent a lovely afternoon/evening, partly on the patio in between thunderstorms, sipping some refreshments and enjoying watching Alexander playing in the mud. Annika was content to crawl around and try to get anything she could into her mouth. Ian arrived home from Calgary around 6:30ish so had lots of time to visit in the evening over pizza and additional "refreshments".
In the morning, Crystal and her mom, Marily, took off to Calgary to visit Crystal's sister. Dale and I enjoyed a couple more hours with Ian and the kids. Ian is definitely going to be somewhat exhausted by the time Crystal gets home on Sunday night!! Glad we got to visit them in Edmonton, before they move, in the spring, to Calgary.
Once again, on the road, this time headed for Red Deer. We took Highway 2A to get off the freeway which was impossible with the traffic and the rain. Alberta is wet, wet, WET and folks here are even more tired of it than we at the coast are/were. Plus, everything turns to gumbo/glue and is impossible to get around in. Not our cup of tea.
We arrived in Red Deer at 2:45 and are now just getting ourselves settled in on the bus before we head out to visit Ryley, Sarah, Taylor and Nixon. Have parked just east of Wal-Mart in the old part of the mall ...no one around so should be a quiet spot for the evening. Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but probably head to Calgary for a couple of days. Till then, will spend some time looking around Red Deer (one of my favourite Alberta cities) and start winding down a little more.
Till we write again...happy travels.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
July 12-15th..so far
Believe it or not we hit the road at 6:04 pm on Monday, in our nice clean and shiny bus! Stopped at Agassiz for a quick bite of dinner then up the Fraser Canyon. Wouldn't you know, we hit rain all the way through the Canyon. OH NO, our bus is now muddy and cruddy and the car is a mess. Oh well, at least we got to enjoy it for a few hours! We decided to stop in Spences Bridge, partly because my cold was getting the best of me and needed to lie down, so was already ready for bed when we stopped. Dale got out to unhook the car and insisted I stay inside so not to get chilled.
We were parked on a slight slant and he figured he could unhook and be able to get to the car to put on the emergency brake. NOT!!! The car rolled back across the highway and into the ditch. Thank heavens there was no traffic! The car was high centered so couldn't get it out.Then, NO cell/internet service to call BCAA for a tow. But, there was the Log Cabin Pub, which, thankfully was open, so went there and while Dale was trying to call for a tow (from Cache Creek no less) a patron overheard him and offered to pull him out.
Back up the road, chains on and while they were doing that I was putting out emergency markers and standing with a flashlight to warn oncoming traffic (and yes, I had dressed again by this time). Got the car safely out and got us back down to the pub where we parked for the night. Dale went in to buy the guy a drink to thank him and I collapsed in bed!
Certainly an inauspicious way to start our journey and if that is the worst of it, we will be quite happy.
The next morning we were up and on our way by 7:00 a.m. and it was a beautiful drive. They are four-laning from Cache Creek to Prince George and more road construction from MacKenzie to Chetwynd so quite a few slow downs. It will be a beautiful stretch of road when it is all done. The scenery thru there is truly spectacular, so many lakes and unfortunately, a lot of pine beetle kill. We arrived in Tumbler Ridge at 5:00 so made good time. Stayed in the Lions Club campground down and parked right beside the river. Quiet with only the ripple of the water on the rocks.
We were parked on a slight slant and he figured he could unhook and be able to get to the car to put on the emergency brake. NOT!!! The car rolled back across the highway and into the ditch. Thank heavens there was no traffic! The car was high centered so couldn't get it out.Then, NO cell/internet service to call BCAA for a tow. But, there was the Log Cabin Pub, which, thankfully was open, so went there and while Dale was trying to call for a tow (from Cache Creek no less) a patron overheard him and offered to pull him out.
Back up the road, chains on and while they were doing that I was putting out emergency markers and standing with a flashlight to warn oncoming traffic (and yes, I had dressed again by this time). Got the car safely out and got us back down to the pub where we parked for the night. Dale went in to buy the guy a drink to thank him and I collapsed in bed!
Certainly an inauspicious way to start our journey and if that is the worst of it, we will be quite happy.
The next morning we were up and on our way by 7:00 a.m. and it was a beautiful drive. They are four-laning from Cache Creek to Prince George and more road construction from MacKenzie to Chetwynd so quite a few slow downs. It will be a beautiful stretch of road when it is all done. The scenery thru there is truly spectacular, so many lakes and unfortunately, a lot of pine beetle kill. We arrived in Tumbler Ridge at 5:00 so made good time. Stayed in the Lions Club campground down and parked right beside the river. Quiet with only the ripple of the water on the rocks.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Well today is Saturday, July 10 and we are still NOT on the road. However, slow progress is being made. The bus has been serviced and ready to go. Dale and I got up EARLY this morning and gave it a good wash so it is nice and clean and sparkly. Now, if we can just keep the dust off it for the next day or two, would be nice to leave with a clean rig. Plans are to be out of here Monday, probably in the afternoon. A couple of things to finish up and tidy up and then we're ready. Will finish loading it tomorrow (finishing the cleaning out the GMC 4104 this afternoon..why didn't I do this a year or so ago????), and the car Monday a.m. and then, we're done. Worst case, if we don't leave Monday, we will be sleeping/eating on the bus anyway as the house will be empty and clean. Always good motivation to hit the road.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Getting Ready
Well, today is Monday, July 5 and we are finally starting to pack up. Still have to get the bus in for an oil change and brake check, but that will only be one day. Then get it home and a spit and polish job and finish packing. All being well, we'll be leaving Delta Friday night and will find a quiet pull-over spot somewhere up the Canyon. Now we are counting the days and eliminating items on the check list, one by one!!!!
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