Week 3

Oh my. So much in so little time! This week brought us farther south down the California coast, across the state of California into Nevada and Arizona. A lot of real estate and a lot of diversity in our wanderings this past week.

We started the week out by basing ourselves in Malibu ... parked right on the coast!  

From there, we toured around 

(Santa Monica)

and 

 (Beverly Hills)

and 

 (Hollywood)

 No ... we didn't see any stars. Didn't look too hard, though! Greater L.A. has sooooo many people and sooooo many cars and traffic jams for no apparent reason. After 3 days we were ready to leave the congestion of southern California and head inland. But before doing that we made sure we swam in the Pacific Ocean!   

Shortly after Harry took this picture ... mere seconds actually ... I went under! Even that small wave carried a lot of force. Harry was much better in the waves and managed to jump them and ride the top of them.

Our next destination was Las Vegas via a stop in Barstow, California. While in Barstow we toured a real mining ghost town. Mostly a tourist shopping trap, but we were able to glean some information about the mining that supported the area and some of the people who lived there. It was HOT and we were now fully in the desert. Thankfully the campground had a swimming pool where we could cool off at the end of the day.

Our journey from Malibu to Vegas took us from 

to 

 The pictures say it all!!

We rolled into Las Vegas where we stayed at a luxurious RV resort. Not because we were looking for the pampering but because it was on the right side of town for us! We took a car tour of Vegas in the afternoon, then went to the old downtown area for some supper. After a nice dinner we drove back to our RV via the "strip" which took FOREVER because of road construction. As I put on Facebook earlier in the week, Las Vegas really is "over-the-top". I couldn't help but wonder how much power and water that place uses in just one day. Maybe the U.S. could reach their greenhouse gas emission reductions just by shutting down Las Vegas! 


At any rate, one day and one night was enough for us so off we headed for the Hoover Dam. It was big.  

From Hoover Dam there's only one logical destination: the Grand Canyon (or "the big hole" as Renee called it).  We camped about an hour's drive from the canyon.  In the RV next to us was "Almost Willie", a Willie Nelson impersonator! Check him out:  http://www.almostwillie.com/  


We have spent the last 2 days hiking around various points of the south rim. There are not adequate words to describe what you see.

"O Lord my God, when I in awe-filled wonder 

consider all the works Thy hands have made ... 

How great Thou art."

A comical end to our day at the Grand Canyon included a raven who was a bit of a show off.  This raven spread it wings and glided over us, then with a loud squawk he tucked his wings in and rolled onto his back -- in mid flight -- then back to his front and the wings came out again.  The silly thing was doing aileron rolls!  And he did a lot of them as he swooped back and forth over us.  Amazing to watch!

Soon we'll turn north for the last leg of our journey. -K

Week 2

Another week of traveling ... another weeks of visual overload!

We continued our way down the coast . From Florence, Oregon, we headed for Eureka, California.

(You gotta love the name!) We did a lot of beach wondering along the way.

We had planned to go watch the sunset from a beach in Eureka. As we ate supper, we noticed a wall of fog rolling in over the hills just outside of the city. By the time we headed for the beach the city was completely socked in!

Wednesday we hurtled down the highway to Petaluma (just north of San Francisco). It was not such a good day of driving. The road was particularly bumpy and curvy and I actually suffered motion sickness ... something that hasn't bothered me for years. I was happy to see the RV firmly parked and NOT moving. That evening we wandered out purchase a new camera. Yes ... I just got a new one about 6 months ago. But, Harry did a classic move and in the process rendered our camera useless! He was stepping backward to get a picture framed "just right". Behind him was a large driftwood log. He did a big bum plant over the back of the log. The camera did a sand dive and sand wedged its way into the lens. We got some canned air and tried to blow the very fine sand out of the lens mechanism. It didn't do the trick. :-{ The new camera works very well and Harry is not allowed to hold it when we're on the beach!! (kidding)

We boarded the dogs for Thursday and Thursday night so we could really tour San Francisco. It was FANTASTIC! We went a little nuts photographing the Golden Gate Bridge. We toured the area around the bridge -- lots of parks and places to wander around.

Then it was off to Fisherman's Wharf for a stroll and some lunch. We feasted on seafood at Fisherman's Grotto. The main floor of the restaurant is a pretty typical restaurant. But we went upstairs where we were seated by a window overlooking the harbor with the Golden Gate in the distance. It was a true old-style classy dining experience; right down to the gentlemen waiters in their jackets and bow-ties. The dining room looked like a 60's supper club! What an enjoyable lunch.

What would a tour of San Francisco be without a cable car ride? We rode the cable car from one end to the other and back. And both ways, we rode on the running boards on the outside of the car! It was so much fun and we got a really great "hills of San Francisco" ride.

Next a cruise through the Haight-Ashbury district -- the birthplace of the peace movement. We finished off San Francisco with a drive up to Twin Peaks for a panoramic view of the city. What a great city to visit!

The last two days we've been in the Monterey area (this includes the cities of Seaside, Monterey, Pacific Groves, Pebble Beach and Carmel). Tres expensive! The weather was somewhat blustery, but we had a nice day touring around anyway. I visited an amazing yarn shop while Harry walked the dogs. Later in the day, I walked the dogs while Harry explored Pebble Beach golf course. At $500 for a round of golf, he didn't golf! He just looked at the 18th and drooled.

A significant heat wave (100F) is expected for the next week all over southern California. We're re-evaluating our planned route since the RV has great AC while driving ... not so great when parked. Another day of driving along the coast will keep us in cooler temperatures.

Still having a wonderful time! -K

Week 1

Ah ... the places we've been and the things we've seen!

We began our 5-week road trip a week ago in Fairmont, BC. We spent 2 days there, getting ourselves organized and getting Louise used the idea of living in an RV. Because the Mariners were not playing any home games in the upcoming week, we opted to skip Seattle and head straight south instead.

Tuesday we hit the road with Couer D'Alene, Idaho as our destination. We drove along the Columbia River valley and took in some beautiful scenery. It was an easy driving day. Thursday we continued along the Columbia River valley headed for Yakima. Again, spectacular vistas and lots of stops to just look out over the river valley.

We had planned to stay in Yakima but "there was no room at the inn"! Well ... there was one spot in a rather seedy RV park. Had we stayed there I would have expected to be wakened by a domestic disturbance and probably would have slept with one eye open! We continued down the road to Toppenish and camped at the RV park on the Yakama Indian Reservation. It was VERY nice.

Friday we headed straight for Portland via the Columbia River valley and gorge. There are a few dams along the way and since we're kind of fascinated by dams we stopped at Dalles to see the largest concrete, man-made dam. They had a camera on the fish ladders and we could watch the fish swimming by! Way cool! We stopped off by the Cascade locks for a picnic and a chance to watch some wind-surfers. In the parking lot was a car from Blackhawk County in Iowa!

Next we went down the road to visit the Bonneyville dam. Harry decided to take the guided tour of the power plant at the dam which consisted of a 20 minute lecture standing in the visitor center followed by a 5 minute walk to the plant where they were allowed to step inside, take a look , then step back outside. I was glad that I decided to watch the fish in the fish ladders and walk through the beautiful gardens around the visitor centre.

A local recommended we take the "historic scenic route" from Bonneyville. Yeah ... that was a mistake! It truly was scenic and had about 4 waterfalls to see, but the road was extremely narrow with an immediate 100 foot+ drop on the right. Not ideal for an RV with a tow vehicle. We exited the scenic route at the first possible chance. My nerves were calmed about 10 minutes later!! Even Harry thought it was a bit extreme. Hey ... that could be a new sport: Extreme RV-ing!! Ha ha ha!!

We stayed in Portland for 2 days and had a great time. There were all sorts of street fairs and festivals to wander around ... which we did. A historic home to tour ... which we did. An amazing grotto to hike to and view ... which we did! It was hot so we put the dogs in "daycare" for Saturday so we could tour around at our leisure and not worry about them melting back in the RV.

Sunday we struck out for the coast. It's hard to make any serious mileage on the coast highway ... there's just too many places to pull over and be amazed at the sights. Yesterday, we toured a working lighthouse, including climbing the stairs all the way to the top. Today we stopped in Florence, OR where Harry golfed and I shopped and puttered around. We'll probably cross over into California tomorrow (Wednesday).

on the road

By this time tomorrow (5:00 p.m.) I will be in Fairmont, BC and H and I will finally be on holidays. It's been 2 years since we last took an extended break and we are soooooo ready for it. H left on Thursday for his annual Golf Safari in Fairmont, BC. He drove the Great White (RV) out there which meant that we had to have it more or less packed on Wednesday. That also means I've been here in Calgary with the bare minimum of clothes and leisure activities while I wait to join him. I finished all of my actual "work" work on Friday morning ... earlier than I thought I would. So I have been stretching out the last few chores to fill the last two days! How pathetic: I vaccuumed the floors; then sat and knitted for a while. I cleaned the fish tank; then sat and read for a while. I cleaned the bathroom; then knitted again. I walked the dogs; then watched some tv. You get the picture! The biggest hurdle came this morning. I opened the fridge to get some breakfast and realized I had one bagel and some peanut butter in the house! No bread. No milk. No lunch meat or cheese, etc. So I had a breakfast of tea and a bagel with peanut butter, but had to go out for lunch and will pop out again for some supper in a while. Tomorrow morning I'll close up the house, toss the last few things and the dogs into the car and hit the road. We'll be back in Calgary around October 12th. We put U.S. roaming packages on our cell phones so we can be reached if need be. Or you can use my 'gmail' address for emails. Pray for safe travelling for us. ~K

the bounty of the harvest

'tis the season ... to harvest the garden. I've had success with two crops this year that I've failed miserably with in the past: tomatoes and carrots. This is what I picked last evening:

There are still more tomatoes coming. Since we are leaving in a few days, I've given my neighbours the green light to pick to their heart's content.

Speaking of leaving ...

Harry leaves tomorrow for his annual "Golf Safari" in Fairmont, BC. He's taking the motorhome so today will be a flurry of activity gettting it packed up for a 5-week tour. It's also supposed to be our hottest day yet this year. Figures.

Over the next 4 days I'll finish up some office work, then wash up the last bits of laundry and clean the house. Our niece, Anya, will be house- and fish-sitting for us. Yay! I always feel better having someone stay in the house while we are gone.

Monday, I'll toss the few personal items I'll still have here, and the dogs into my car and drive out to Fairmont to meet up with Harry. We'll probably stay in Fairmont for a day just to get settled in the RV and get the perishable groceries. (Harry's not actually staying in the RV for Golf Safari so it won't be stocked with any perishables.)

We'll be heading straight down into Montanna then veering west and heading for Seattle. From there it will be a leisurely tour down the coast -- stopping wherever we want and staying as long as we want in any given spot.

I'm a little nervous about travelling with Louise because she's so young AND because she's a furry ball of energy right now. If she doesn't get her daily run, she's bouncing off the walls.!! Oh well, Harry keeps assuring me that she'll settle into the routine on the road.

Well ... the clock on the wall says it's time to gather the dogs and head off to the vet to get their international health certificates so we can cross the border with them. It's going to be a busy day ... :-)

~K