Home Again Home Again . . .

This morning we made the decision to head home. We had hoped to draw the camping out until after Thanksgiving, but I guess that won't happen now. The warm weather just wouldn't hang in there for us.

It was nice to have the sewer hookup plus the campground water was still turned on, so that made it easy to clean and empty the RV tanks in preparation for winterizing. Ron will add the antifreeze when we get home.

I am hoping we can enjoy some deck time and are able to sit around our propane firepit this weekend. Pretend camping!  It has been a long time since we have celebrated Thanksgiving at home.  So that is it for our 2011 camping season.

NOTE: It was 12C, cloudy and spitting rain when we left Cardston and when I wrote this final entry. Back home in Medicine Hat? Sunny and 21C.  I'm starting to think we should give up travelling in the spring and the fall!

Creston, BC... to Cardston, AB

Mountain Park Resort
Site #10 - $35.84, p/w, Internet, Temp 22C

Well, we've come full circle on this RV Trip. We spent last night in Creston/Erickson. At the Mountain Park with all those cool animal and bird wood carvings throughout the campground.

It was a beautiful evening and we sat out around the fire. Until we ran out of wood.  What?? We can buy some from the campground host??  No! never! We can not buy / pay money for firewood!

This morning it was cloudy, rainy and only 8C when we left Creston. The fall colours were much more prevalent than when we came through this area in September. Particularly in the Fernie / Sparwood area. It was all golden and beautiful! We changed our minds re our destination a few times on today's drive. We almost headed straight home.

But then the sun came out and the temp rose to 17C. And so, we turned south at Pincher Creek and we headed to Cardston, AB.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Creek Campground
Site #42 - $25, p/w/s, Internet LeeCr12543, Temp 17C

Cardston has a really nice town campground. So we 'checked in'. And, we managed to have another fire with wood left / salvaged from around the campground. Plus Ron raked up lots of leaves. 

On a neighboring lot there were all these piles of dead branches lined up along the chain link fence that separates the private property from the campground property. We figured they wouldn't mind us cleaning up and burning some of these old dead branches. We did manage to pull a couple branches through the 'links' in the fence. But then the friendly neighbor lady came out of the house with her 5 huge and not so friendly barking dogs. Apparently the branches are piled along the fence to keep the dogs back from the fence! "Some people are intimidated by the dogs" the lady says. Hahaha! We won't be stealing any more of THAT wood!!

Grand Forks to Creston... or ..??

We did enjoy our stay at Grand Forks. I'm kind of thinking that it doesn't take much to amuse us though. We always seem to enjoy the silliest little things on our travels. Small things small minds?? It has been interesting just to sit in this City Park campground and watch the locals go by. Some great entertainment there!

The bike trail here wasn't great. It looked good starting out, but for such a short distance. They really haven't developed or paved much of this Trans Canada trail at all. We biked what we could, but spent most of our time riding on the city streets. A bit of a disappointment.

On Sunday we opted for a truck tour. Ron headed north on a well paved highway winding up the mountain valley. I suggested we head over to Christina Lake. Ron claimed that particular highway wouldn't get us there. However, I turned on the GPS and "Lee" told us otherwise. We had a most enjoyable tour.

We missed a turn, but decided to continue further up the road. The fall colours and the mountain countryside were truly beautiful. We then returned to that missed turnoff. An hour later we were back on Hwy 3. At Grand Forks. About 500 metres down the road from where we had originally started our drive! We had such a good laugh. And indeed. A left turn down Hwy 3 and a further 20 km drive brought us to Christina Lake. Yup... it's those small things. Thanks for the laugh, Lee!

And Christina Lake? Nothing much has changed. If anything, it has gone further downhill. Developments have started and have been left unfinished. Businesses have closed plus there are "For Sale" signs everywhere. Actually this whole south area of BC seems to be suffering. It would appear that there is an excessive amount of real estate on the market right now. Tough times.

Today we continue east. Towards home. No hurries though. And where we spend the night will be a surprise. To all of us!

on to Grand Forks

Grand Forks Municipal Campground
Site #13 - $29, p/w/s, Internet poor, Temp 15C & cloudy

We quite enjoyed our lazy days at Osoyoos. We thought we might book another two nights for the "pay for 6 get 7th night free" special, but our site was booked for tomorrow night. And so we decided if we had to pack up and move, we may as well just keep going.

Through Greenwood and on to Grand Forks. One hour away. It is cloudy but pleasant. There is a section of the Trans Canada trail that passes through this area, so the bikes will be coming out.

I am happy to be back to the free unlimited internet and using my laptop rather than typing on the little iPod Touch keyboard! It was strange that the internet time limits ran out on the laptops and the newer iTouch, but the two older Touches remained connected.

All for now. Hope you are enjoying the weekend!

more from Osoyoos

Nk'Mip RV Resort
Site #C12 - $184/5=$36, p/w/s, cable, Internet 1 hr. free, Temp 9C on arrival

Turns out that is Osoyoos hasn't been too bad weatherwise after our first day. One can't complain when it's 22C+ and sunny. We would prefer a little less wind off the lake though.

We warmed up in the hot tub when we arrived and haven't been back. We have toured the town by truck and by bike. It never ceases to amaze us how this place continues to grow. There are always new developments springing up. It looks like this Nk' Mip RV Resort will almost double over the next year as the neighboring orchard has been levelled and will soon house another club house and more RV sites they say. Wow.

We ended up registering for five nights and still haven't made plans beyond that. Who said retirement was easy? ;)

I am not happy that we are limited to 1 hour of free Internet every 48 hours. I have managed to get around this somewhat by creating several different accounts on each of the 3 iPod Touches plus the two laptops we are traveling with. Ha! Where there is a will . . .

That is all for now. I must make the most of my hour!

Kelowna and on to ??

Orchard Valley RV
Site #3 - $35, p/w/s, cable, Internet, Temp 23C

We enjoyed our visit with Doug and family. Ryley is a real source of entertainment. A gadget guy. He was attaching motors and propellers to dinky toys and to his lego built planes. Plus he had some cool elastic shooter guns. One was even a repeater! I figured he should sell me his motorised bicycle that was powered by a leaf blower. How cool is that!



So we had a good visit. I did a load of laundry and the Italian lady serves great pasta.

We had a moment of panic when Ron realized his credit card was missing. Long story short, it was left at the last place he'd shopped in Vernon. Jeff called the business, picked up the card and even delivered it to us in Kelowna. He is working on the hospital in Kelowna, so that was perfect. Bonus? We had another visit as he stayed for a coffee and toast!

We had another big discussion about where to go. It is SO tough when the weather back home is better than what we are looking at here. We debated just heading back to AB. Anyway, we ended up choosing Osoyoos. If nothing else, we can soak in the hot tub. It was however the worst travel day we've had this trip. Wind, driving rain and COLD (10C). We would have stopped in Penticton, but most of the campgrounds are closed for the season. So we bucked the wind and we continued to Osoyoos. We are looking forward to that indoor hot tub.

Vernon & Kelowna

Big Chief RV Park
Site #3 - $35, p/w/s, cable, Temp 26C

Vernon. The weather was awesome! It was 26C when we arrived. We felt a little silly getting out of the truck in our long pants, sweatshirts and fleece vests.

We are trying out a different RV Park as we can't drink the water at the Beach campground by Jeff's. It's okay, although the sites are set up alternating so that you face your neighbor. I hate that. It gives the appearance of more privacy when you all back in the same way.

We headed to Jeff's. Owen was so happy to see his Grandma! lol



Actually I got lots of smiles as long as he was on Daddy's knee.

The next morning Grandma wasn't so scary. Owen and I shared lots of giggles. And he learned how to clap his hands.... yaaaaaaay.....!!!! So much fun.





Yesterday we hung out at the campsite and today we enjoyed the sun on Jeff's deck. Well, actually Christal and I enjoyed the sun. Ron and Jeff trimmed trees and put in some new sidewalk blocks. (I think they enjoyed themselves also.) I truly loved spending time with Owen and after that initial meet he seemed to enjoy his time with Grandma!

Tomorrow? It is on to Kelowna.

from Nakusp to Vernon it is

Village of Nakusp Campground
Site #4, p only, cell service, Temp 16C

As cool as it was when we arrived in Nakusp yesterday, the sun came out and it warmed up nicely. We enjoyed our bike ride along the lake and about town.

Plus, it was the first time we sat at the fire both before and AFTER supper. A beautiful evening.

Today after lunch we will head to Vernon. I am really looking forward to see our grandbaby. Who is 9 months now. And crawling! I'm a little sad that the next time we see him, he will probably be a toddler. (Growing up too fast!!)

On Sunday we will visit with Doug and family and then likely head to Osoyoos area. Have a great weekend everyone!

BC - Leaving Mirror Lake and on to Nakusp . . .

Kaslo is an interesting little town. It once housed 27 saloons full of prospectors. Now the rather quaint historic village is home to many museums, galleries and other artsy shops. (I tend to think 'hippies'.)  Also, we had quite the chuckle. Would you get you hair done at the local "Yack & Whack"??

Ron toured the "SS Moyie" sternwheeler and found it very interesting. It is the oldest intact passenger wheeler in the world. It was launched in 1898 and made it's last sailing on Kootenay Lake. When it was dry docked in 1957, Kaslo bought it from the CPR for $1.00. To date they have spent over one million on the ongoing restoration.

We have enjoyed pre-supper campfires, but it has been too chilly to sit out in the evening. We are back to using our electric heater overnight.

This morning we said goodbye to Mirror Lake. Next stop? Ended up being Nakusp. We thought it might be warmer then the forested Cherryville area. However, temp is only 13C. Oh well, we will dig out some sweaters and our bikes! I leave you with this pic of Mirror Lake. Pretty, eh?

BC - Cranbrook to Kaslo

Mount Baker RV Park
Site #11 - $28.45, p/w/s, Internet, Temp 16C

It is not pleasant pulling the RV in high winds. The Crowsnest Pass was horrible. Sunday night was spent at Mount Baker RV in Cranbrook. Downtown Cranbrook. I'm not sure why, except that Ron said he's only ever 'driven through' and has never seen the place. Anyway, now we've 'seen' it :)
------------------------------------------------------------
Mirror Lake Campground
Site #51 - $28, p/w, boil water, no Internet or wood

I love the drive north along Kootenay Lake to Crawford Bay. The road is winding, and the views are beautiful. We caught the ferry and headed to Mirror Lake between Ainsworth Hot Springs and Kaslo.

Ron always asks for "a room with a view" and we did have a nice little spot overlooking the lake. Although 'Lake' is a bit of an exaggeration. A pond would be more accurate! However, it looks like a perfect little swimming hole with a nice sandy beach. If only the weather was slightly warmer! We are enjoying the blue heron and the cormorants that are hanging about.

Today we are in Kaslo for a few supplies. And internet. The young lady in our campground office tells us they believe in 'old fashioned camping' so there is no wifi at Mirror Lake. We will spend another night there before heading to Cherryville area.

A Developing Plan . . .

M.D. of Taber Campground
Site #54 - $20, p only, free wood, poor cell, Temp 26C

As we drove away from the condo, I thought we were headed to Calgary and the Bow Valley area. That is until Ron put on the left signal. And, an hour later we were in Taber. Whatever! It is sunny and warm with temps in the mid 20's. Plus there has been no need for the electric heater. And yes, we love free firewood ;)

Today we are in town for a few supplies and the internet. We will continue down Hwy 3 tomorrow to Creston area then along Kootenay Lake, across the ferry and to Mirror Lake. Hopefully we will have cell service and some internet to keep in touch.

2011 Fall Get-Away

Here it is Sept. 14 and we are sitting at home. Weird.
Where has the month gone!?

Anyway, we are finally getting our sh*t together and we are planning a short RV trip before Mr Winter decides to show his evil ways!  At least I hope we can still sneak in a few more frost free camping nights.

We have looked at maps, had many conversations and we still aren't exactly sure where we are going.

The Grand Teton National Park is appealing. Plus we still want to explore more of Utah and the Arches National Park. But, it is such a pain crossing the border when one appears to be on a "Marked List". And there is that whole Medical insurance thing to think about.

so... I think we've decided that we will just hang about in southern AB and maybe BC (?) and we will hope for a few more weeks of sunshine.

A sketchy plan. And, I may or may not have anything more exciting to report than this.

Taber and Home

M.D. of Taber Campground
Site #42 - $20, p only, no internet, poor cell, free wood, Temp 14C

We ended up doing two nights at Taber. We were able to have our campfires and do some biking around the park.

We like this little campground. It is first come first serve, firewood is provided free and it is only $20/night for power. Kind of like the camping we remember from days of old! Plus? It is always nice to end our RV trip with some "REAL" camping as our previous nights in Helena & Great Falls consisted of the 'parking lot' style RV Park with no campfires allowed.

Now we are home. So ends our Spring camping. A month and a half on the road. It is time to pack away the RV and start planning for a busy July at the lake. Happy Summer everyone!

Re the change of plan

Turned out it wasn't so bad to stay that extra day. Great Falls has an awesome bike path along the Missouri River. We rode from the campground to the dam / power station. A great ride. It did start to sprinkle and we took cover under some trees. Thankfully it didn't amount to much and we made it home dry.

We then did the Historic Streetcar City Tour. We were the only two. Bud was a great guide and we always enjoy learning more about the cities we visit.

Today? Our border crossing was a breeze. Did I mention how much nicer our Canada Custom's people are than those US assholes? We brought a case of vodka which we declared, paid duty on and were sent on our way in less than 10 minutes. They didn't care about the tomato!

Lunch at Milk River and we are trying to decide whether to camp one more night on the road.

change of plan

Unfortunately 'the plan' fell through. While packing to leave this morning, Ron chatted with a neighbor and they had heard the pass wasn't open yet. So Ron headed to the Tourist Centre to check it out. And yes, it is closed. We are now disappointed and undecided. Also? The weather isn't looking real good around Taber area for the weekend. Hmmm, what to do.

So? Another night here to work on a new plan. We may just be heading home tomorrow.

Great Falls, MT

Dick's RV Park
Site #105 - $33.70, p/w/s, poor Internet

Greetings from Great Falls. Our drive here was another one of those hour drives that we are so famous for! I think some of the reason for these short jaunts are to delay our arrival home! We love this leisurely RVing lifestyle!

Back in Helena. On Day 2, we drove up to the Hauser Dam area. We might have considered camping there another time except for a fairly long stretch of gravel road. With all the rain they've had, it was extremely muddy. The drive concluded with a trip to the car wash. We sat out for drinks before supper. Our neighbors from Oliver, BC joined us plus another US couple on their way to Alaska stopped by. It is always fun to swap travel stories.

We have now come up with a plan for our final few travel days. Tomorrow we will head to St. Mary on the outskirts of the Glacier National Park. (This park borders our Canadian Waterton Lakes National Pk.) We will camp at St. Mary's and will then drive (sans 5th wheel) the 50 mile "Going to the Sun" road from the East to the West entrance and back, over the Logan's Pass. We hear the views are quite spectacular.

We will likely spend 2 nights at St Mary's which will have us crossing the border about Friday. We are then thinking that we might camp at the Taber municipal campground for the weekend and arrive home on Monday. So that is the plan right now. We have been known to change our minds! If the plan does change, and if we have internet, I will keep you posted. Plus? Assuming that we are back in Canada for the weekend, we will have the cell phone turned on.

Helena, MT

Lincoln Road RV Pk
Site #40 - $38.50, p/w/s, Internet, Temp 16C & drizzly

Another couple hundred kilometers down the highway and we are in Helena, MT. We saw a lot more evidence of the flooding here. There were a number of acreages where people had their vehicles parked at the end of their drive. The road between home and vehicle was under water. Also? Our second choice for camping that is further down the road? Flooded.

After setting up and having lunch we headed to town for the "Last Chance Train Tour". Such an awesome way to see areas of this historical city that you might otherwise miss.

From the Mansion District to an old pioneer cabin left from the gold mining days. We both really enjoyed the tour. Particularly the architecture and the mansions from the 1800's. Wow. Gorgeous! At one time, Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other US city. I could have filled my memory card with pics of these beautiful homes. My fav:

There were the early homesteads from gold rush days -- "Last Chance Gulch" and the remnants of limestone kilns from days gone by.

I find it interesting that, Helena, capitol of Montana only has a population of 55,000. Basically the same size as Medicine Hat. Our tour guide informed us that more than 60% of the labour force are employed by the government.

We were lucky with the weather on our tour. Back home it began to pour. Just what they don't want to see around here. Tomorrow? We will hang around for some more sightseeing.

Missoula, MT

Jim & Mary's RV

Site #D7 - $31, p/w/s, Internet, no fires incl propane :( Temp 14C, light rain

Today's drive? 270 kms. The upside about these short stretches is that you don't have all those extra stops for a pee break. Or for lunch. You just take care of it all when you arrive at your destination! :)

So we stopped on the outskirts of Missoula. And yes. It is raining. The check-in conversation:
    Ron: We'd like a campsite with sun please.
    Owner: Do you have a reservation?
    Ron: No.
    Owner: I'm sorry. All our sunny sites are taken.
We saw evidence of the flooding on our drive here. The River is very high.

We are booked for two nights. We were to Costco, Staples and Best Buy today. I'm thinking the laptop prices here are not much better than our prices back home. I will probably not be buying.

The wine? It is VERY cheap. Some cheer on a rainy night!

Had a chuckle at this person who is on the move to or from Missoula.

Post Falls, Idaho

Suntree RV
Site #93 - $35, p/w/s, Internet, Temp 14C

We didn't take advantage of that 50% discount. We decided to leave Sun Lakes Resort this morning. We felt we had 'seen all / done all' after another long bike ride yesterday.

In the evening, the wind came up. Ron moved the truck a couple times to provide a wind block. Finally he gave up. It was so gusty and kept changing directions. I guess it was a function of the coulee we were in. We managed to get supper barbequed and spent the evening indoors. Watching a movie. I dozed off and when I woke up, Ron's eyes were shut! So much for that movie! We'll finish it another time.

Today's drive? 200 kms. And tonight we are in Post Falls, Idaho. Just west of Coeur d'Alene. Brrrr... Where did that warm weather go? Only 14C.

Tomorrow's destination? Missoula. We keep hearing about flooding in that area. And more rain. Hmmm... We should have headed further south!

We do have some internet here. A slow connection. We will keep an eye on tonight's Canuck game (3-0?? What's with that!?)

Sun Lakes Resort near Coulee City, WA

A little more about our current location. Sun Lakes Resort in the Sun Lakes State Park. Such a pretty area. The surrounding cliffs or "Dry Falls" are the skeletal remnants of what was once the world's largest waterfall. (Yes we are in USA and they always have the World's Largest & Best!) 

The retreat of the falls at the end of the Ice Age gave birth to the large canyon that remains here today. We drove in to Coulee City for a few supplies. City is a big exaggeration! In Canada it would be a very small town or a village!

Back at the 5th wheel and after a 'cold one', we went for a bike tour of the area. We followed a paved road running parallel to the lake that has been closed to vehicle traffic. It made for an awesome ride. Beautiful scenery and no traffic to worry about. However, some thunder clouds developed and we decided we'd best head back. We barely made it home when it began to pour. It passed over and after supper we sat at the campfire. In our shorts. Love the warm temps here! (Not liking the mosquitoes which are abundant!)

So we have decided to stay another night. Probably even two nights. The special? A 25% discount tonight and 50% discount tomorrow night! Tough to resist a bargain! Because camping for $12.50 per night? Awesome!

Hwy 2 and Coulee City, WA

Sun Lakes Park Resort Inc.
Site #3 - $25, p/w/s, Internet office, Temps 20C+

Damn! I hate not having internet at our campsite! I have photos to upload. We need to check phone messages at home. And we don't even know who won the last Canuck game. It sucks to be out of touch! There is internet available at the campground office, so hopefully today I can 'catch up'.

Yesterday, on the river between Leavenworth and Wenatchee, we saw many of those river rafters that we had wondered about. It is a very popular sport in this area. And the "Alpine Village" of Leavenworth, one could spend a lot of time & money! So much to see and do. It has a similar feeling to Banff. I talked about it four years ago when we were here, so I won't bore you with details again. But, the shops are very cool. And this past weekend? There was an outdoor art show and a local wine sampling walkabout. Ahhhh.... for a good set of knees.

It is mind boggling how quickly the terrain changes when you make the steep climb out of the lush green Wenatchee Valley. All of a sudden it is flat dry farm land. Much like our prairies. Except here? You can drive miles and miles without seeing even a single tree. And the crops are right up to the highway. No ditches. 

The area where we are now camped by Coulee City is all sagebrush and interesting cutbanks and rock cliffs. Plus? It is hot here! Last night we were too warm in the 5th wheel. It was already 21C when we woke up! It was windy when we got up this morning, but the wind has died and the temp has gone up to 27C. Time for laundry.