Day 25 -2011 Escapees Rally Gillette, WY

Escapees Escapade Gillette, WY

Escapees is an RV club with members all over North America, and once a year they have a big ‘Escapade’ where everyone who can converges on one place for seminars, sales of RV related stuff and systems, but mostly re-connecting with friends and getting together to socialize.

This is our first Escapade since they are held in the US in the summer when we are home, but this year it fit in with our kids’ visits, and our trip across Canada, so we put it ‘on the list’ hoping we’d make it - and we did!

This year it is held in Gillette, WY at their Camplex - a wonderful set of well appointed buildings just perfect for what we are doing. There is camping on site, and while we were prepared to dry camp, we were glad some electric sites were available as it was really hot when we arrived and our little generator won’t handle our air conditioner.

We got settled in, with really nice friendly neighbours on both sides and behind.

Sunday there was an Escapees church service which we attended, and afterwards saw several friends that we had met a few years ago in the Arizona desert! There ended up being 10 of us, and we all went out to supper together - Uncle Freddie’s Junkyard Grill in case you think it was fine dining :)

We have taken in seminars, Mike turned a pen, I made a bracelet and took in a beginning quilting class plus some line-dancing, and we both learned how to play pickleball. Every afternoon there has been a social with one group or another, plus evening entertainment, so we’re keeping very busy.

There is WiFi here, problem is lugging the laptop the 1/2 mile to the main building where everything is done and carrying it around until we go back to the trailer..... but today I had nothing I needed to do this morning so Mike took my bike off the back of the rig (took him all of 5 minutes) and I bungied the laptop on the back of the bike, and voila!

Next stop - Black Hills area, SD (Mt. Rushmore, gold rush towns etc.)

Day 21 - Cody, WY to Gillette, WY

This morning we were up extra early and got the trailer ready to go - Mike did the draining and filling of tanks job and I did the fastening down of furniture and closing slides, and then we were off.

Today’s goal? Gillette, WY for the Escapees RV Club Escapade! We have been Escapees members for several years - they did our mail forwarding when we were traveling, and we have met some really nice folks that we have spent time with in Arizona, California and Mexico. We have never been to an Escapade, but this year our travel dates worked out perfectly!

Our route is straightforward - continue on the Greybull Highway (route #14) to the I-90 to Gillette. We are seeing more ranches - endless fields of unirrigated pasture, mountains in the distance all around, and little signs of inhabitation by other than wild animals. Although there are miles of fencing, we don’t see any cows. And then we saw ..... an antelope! This is truly the land of “Home, home on the Range”.

Along the way we pass a benonite mine - the same stuff Mike uses in his winemaking process.

The #14 goes through another huge mountain range, with a pass at 10,000 feet. I expected more of the same type of Rocky Mountain scenery we have been enjoying, but this drive was completely different, and the most beautiful we have seen yet! Totally indescribable, so I am hoping I can soon get pictures up.

The road kept Mike busy - incredibly twisty and very steep, the road carved out of the side of the mountain. As we go along we can see where the road is on the mountain ahead of us and also behind us!

Then we went through the pass, and expected to be on the downhill side, but, no, we are still climbing, and continue climbing for quite a bit longer before the road leveled out. We’re now in high prairie land - around 8000 feet elevation - with pasture, a few ranches and other houses along the way, running a ridge on top of the mountains. All along there are signs that this is not a place we’d like to live in the winter - barriers that close the road off, signs saying to return to Greybull if lights flashing...Greybull! That’s miles back and would be a horrendous drive in snow.

Eventually what goes up must come down, and the sign reads ‘8% grade next 11 miles’, and ‘Matilda’s’ screen is a maze of twists and turns. So down we go, to around 4000 feet where we more or less stay for the duration of the trip.

Mike is actually happy to join the I-90 where the road is faster and straighter!

Did I mention it is hot? 96 degrees F when we reach Gillette!

We found the site of the Escapade, and were warmly and efficiently greeted and sent to our parking spot. We were prepared to dry camp, but are glad to have power to run the air conditioning! The Escapade doesn’t actually start until Monday, although there are a few events tomorrow, but there are a lot of folks here ahead of us.

We got settled, checked out some of the vendors who are already set up in the main building of the Camplex, got registered, Mike bought an Escapade shirt, and we got our packet of info that we will need for the week - we’re going to have a great time! There is WiFi inside the building (about 1/2 mile away from our unit) so we’ll be able to at least keep the blog up.

Beside us in the camping area are Jim and Linda from California - Jim is a wine connoisseur, and he and Mike talked wine as we all sat out in the shade of our trailer.

As I write this it is 9:30 pm and the temperature has dropped to a comfortable 80 degrees. It has been pitch dark for over an hour, and all we can see when we look out are a few lights behind shaded windows.

Good night!

Day 20 - West Yellowstone, MT to Cody, WY via Yellowstone Park!

We woke early - it’s cold!! 49 degrees F and that’s inside the trailer! We put on the heat and crawled back into bed until it warmed up, thankful for the electric blanket.

Enough of being wimps, we’re up and ready to leave. Today we’re going to Yellowstone National Park to see Old Faithful!!

The park is only a few miles down the road, so we get there in good time. At the gate ($25 to get in) we are told that Old Faithful should go off around 11:15! It is an hour’s drive from the gate to Old Faithful, so we have plenty of time. We’re told about the wildlife there, but don’t see any until - a female moose, just as unconcerned about passing vehicles as could be! We watched her for a while, and then continued on. The park is surrounded by mountains, some snow-capped, and there are little streams everywhere.

Soon we see an area with lots of little steam clouds - actually small geysers! We’re getting close! Finally we reached the Old Faithful turnoff, with its large parking area, plenty big enough for our truck and trailer. There is a large Inn here, also a lodge for winter, with a converted van fit out with snow tracks instead of wheels sitting outside ready for snow.

When we got out of the truck - surprise! It is hot again! We’re glad we have the trailer along so we can change our clothes!

There is a trail surrounding Old Faithful which we took while we were waiting for the ‘blow’ - there are several small geysers there with water bubbling away in them. In the past, Indians would catch their fish and then attach them to a line and drop them into these pools to cook them. Good idea, but not allowed now (no idea why not, beats cooking them over a fire).

We sat on benches surrounding the geyser and waited. Soon the steam got much heavier, and everyone got excited, and then it waned. And then suddenly it started, and billowed steam and then water high up into the air! Our wait was rewarded with a huge display. Super!

We returned to the trailer and had some lunch, shared an ice cream from the on-site store, and then continued on our way to the east entrance. We crossed the Great Divide two more times! Once at some 6500 feet and another time at 8395 feet! At one spot we had to stop and wait for a buffalo to amble across the road (grass always greener on the other side), and saw a large herd of buffalo close enough to touch.

The scenery is breathtaking. Lakes, mountains, twisty roads.....

Then we are out of the park, but the roads continue to climb and descend. We are now in Shoshone National Park and then another park area before coming into Cody, WY.

Cody is named after Buffalo Bill Cody, and the whole area is ‘wild west’. Ranches, trail rides, mountains and valleys surround the town. The town itself is also ‘wild west’ with nightly rodeos, shops with western wear, a saddlery, upscale western furniture and decorating shops (for the log houses being built outside town), everything a cowboy or cowboy wannabe would want. After getting our trailer parked we spent an hour or so wandering through the downtown.

Tonight we opted for a KOA (a chain of RV parks we usually avoid) because we want power (for air conditioning tonight!), WiFi (we may not have any of either for a few days) and a laundry - the downside of today is the necessity of doing laundry and also grocery shopping, but there is a nice Albertson’s nearby so that isn’t too bad, and Mike helped with the laundry :)

We’re watching the hurricane developments on TV, sounds bad for a large area, and we hope everyone is OK.

Well, we have WiFi, and it is working well, but not for uploading pix - so still no pictures, but at least the blog is up to date!

Day 19 - Spokane, WA to West Yellowstone, MT

The fairgrounds campsite had its obligatory train that tooted past, waking us (late) at 7. It didn’t take long to get ready to leave as we were already hooked up.

It’s cold! Well, not really cold, but certainly different from the 90+ degrees we had last night! but the sun is out, so it will warm up quickly.

So we’re on the road again! Today we hope maybe to get to West Yellowstone in Montana to get an early start the following morning.....

Today’s trip is through magnificent country! We usually try to avoid traveling on Interstates except when we’re in a hurry to get somewhere, but the last few days have been excellent. Roads good and scenery breathtaking. And it is hot again - over 90 degrees F.

It is a fine sunny day, and then boom! out of nowhere huge drops of rain making mud on the dusty hood of the truck. And it went from over 90 degrees down to 63! In just a couple of minutes. We saw dust devils in the fields sending spirals of dust way up in the sky. Then as soon as it started, it stopped, and the temperature went right back up again. Weather in Montana.

Our route is east right along the I-90 into Montana where we crossed the Great Divide (6393 feet elevation with a 6% grade hill going down the other side for 6 miles) and then turned south on highway 191. We considered stopping at Butte, but figured we had enough time left to get to West Yellowstone before dark.

Ooops, took a wrong road. How could we miss it? Only way is to backtrack about 5 miles. The 191 is a small road, two lane, with twists and turns and construction. Now we’re concerned we may not make it before dark! Along the way we see kayakers and fisher-people enjoying a fast flowing stream. Then, like before, heavy rain, almost hail, and rapidly dropping temperature. The areas of water are sending up fog spots everywhere - the water is still warm and the air is now cold. We’re still climbing, have been for hours, but the chill is more than elevation.

We barely made it to Bakers Hole, a campground run by the Forest Service, very rustic, but large sites with power (which I’ll want not for air conditioning this time but for the electric blanket!! - OK, I’m a wuss) before dark.

We had to put jackets on to set up, again not unhooking, thanks to a nice level site, and changed into our jeans to walk around the park before supper as it would be too dark afterwards. The park is almost full, and we got the last electric site. There are signs warning of the presence of grizzlies, and advising us not to leave any food where they can reach it. I’m hoping they won’t be attracted by cooking smells - we haven’t eaten yet. But although Mike saw evidence that they were around, we never saw them.

No trains here!

Guess who won at cribbage tonight???

Day 18 - Troutdale, OR to Spokane, WA

We’re all hooked up and ready to go, but first we wanted to take a walk around the park and down to the river. We got in too late last night to appreciate the park’s setting - right on a river with a sandy beach, walking distance to a very nicely restored downtown (and also to a large outlet mall). Of course there is the necessary train track, but here it crosses a bridge over the Sandy River and just adds to the ambience.We’re leaving too early to do any shopping or browsing, but enjoyed our walk in the most pristine park we have ever been in.

Our route today is the I-84, I-82, I-90 - all interstates, which sounds very boring, but surprisingly it was all scenic! We followed the Columbia River (the same one that the Revelstoke dam uses for power in BC) for a long way, It’s a large river, and we saw several barges being pushed by large tugboats making their way west. Along the way I spotted an 'historic road by-pass' sign showing a small loop - let's do it! No time to check the map, the turn was right there. So we annoyed 'Matilda' immensely and took what turned out to be historic, also narrow, twisty (that's an understatement - sharp hairpin curves would be more like it) for several miles until it joined the highway again. It was a lovely detour, and we were amazed at how many cyclists were going along this road). On the interstate for over 50 miles there is a stretch of wind mills - thousands of them - harnessing the gusts of wind the road signs warn us about. It is also a “chain-up” area. Huh? It’s where you put chains on your tires in the winter. I remember my Dad doing that when I was a kid, had forgotten about tire chains (winters south can do that).

We saw a couple more dams along the Columbia before turning further north from Oregon into Washington.

We are in the Cascade Mountains, and they look more or less like the suede hills of BC. Their covering, which should be lush green, is a sandy beige - all the hay/grass is extremely dry. In fact we heard on the weather that they were expecting thunderstorms in the afternoon around Mt. Hood and were concerned that the lightning might set off fires.

We didn’t see any rain - sunny and clear all the way - and hot! 95 degrees F.

Our destination tonight is the Spokane County Fairgrounds - apparently they have campsites. Well, they do, but we are the only ones here! But they have power (at 95 degrees we are putting on the air conditioning) and water and the price is good so we’re staying.

After another late supper we walked over to the horse ring and watched the end of a flag bearing practice - we’re definitely in horse country!

Day 17 - On the road again!

No blog for yesterday - poured rain the whole day so did laundry and grocery shopping - 'nuff said :)

Today we're ready to hit the road, but I haven't poured my Atlantic Ocean water into the Pacific yet! Well, it's not going to actually be the Pacific, but the water from here goes to there so it will have to do. So bright and early we're on our bikes headed for the water - dang! I forgot the camera! Good thing, too, because when I reached for the jar of water the bag on the back of my bike was......gone?? How did that happen? I am sure I put it on securely (obviously not) and don't remember going over any bumps. So that was a ride to nowhere!

We retraced our ride, but didn't find the bag - someone else's lucky day. They got bike gloves and a couple of lights, fortunately not the camera!

Back at the trailer we had a big breakfast - finished up the lovely organic eggs plus the rest of the blueberry/beef sausage since we're not allowed to take them across the border. Can't eat everything, so guess we'll be making another donation...

We plan on staying at a truck stop tonight, not sure if there will be internet, so this may be the last post for a couple of days. It's the end of Wheelygoode Across Canada, but we'll continue anyway as we plan on stopping at Yellowstone, an RV rally in Wyoming, friends in Michigan..... obviously more excitement to come!

No pictures today since I didn't take any yesterday (could have taken one of the laundry I guess) and forgot the camera earlier this morning (a very good thing).

So now we're on the road again!

Our route led us out of Vancouver and along the Trans Canada to the US Customs where there was an hour delay getting through. Once our turn came up it was fairly simple, until the guard said he would send someone to check our rig. OK, guess it's donation time again. But then he looked at our license plate, ran it in his computer and said "Have a nice day" and waved us on! Our fire-fighter plates are looked upon with respect in the US, and more than once have helped us at customs.

We followed I-5 along the Washington State coast and into Oregon where we turned onto I-84. We had glimpses of the waterfront in Seattle, looks like a beautiful city except for the heavy traffic - at 2 pm on a Tuesday! Glad it's not rush hour! Then we saw Mt. Rainier (about 3/4 snow covered) and passed the turnoff for Mt. St. Helen (but couldn't see it as it was too far away and other hills were in front). Our plan was to stop overnight at a truck stop just east of Portland, OR but both of the ones there were absolutely full of trucks and not an RV in sight, although they are usually RV-friendly. So on to a campground. Fortunately the Sandy River RV Resort was just a mile away, so we decided to check and see if they had room. It's in a lovely spot on a river where we can see Mt. Hood - also almost all snow covered.

We're in luck! Reasonable rates with a Good Sam discount, neat as a pin with concrete pull through pad that is perfectly level so we don't even have to consider unhooking! Plus free WiFi so I can update the blog for today.

It was 9:00 by the time we finished supper and had the dishes put away, and we're planning an early start tomorrow, so guess there won't be much internet use after all.

Day 15 - Farmer's Market and Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

We still have a couple of things on our 'list' for while we are here - one of them is the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge.

There are several suspension bridges in the region, the most famous (and likely the largest) being the Capilano bridge. However the bridge is part of a whole amusement type park, and the admission is much more than we are willing to pay when all we want to do is cross the bridge! Where do the locals go? Lynn Canyon! It is in a beautiful setting, has hiking paths etc. as well as the bridge, it's free and also nearby!

But first we had to visit the Farmer's Market as it is only open in the morning. It is in a park not far from here - walking distance! Well, depends on who you are. It ended up being a whole lot further than we thought! And it was hot and sunny - usually a good thing, but this time Mike thought it was more of a good thing than he wanted. But it was a beautiful walk, in a section of North Vancouver we likely would not have seen otherwise, in a park right on the water. Finally we got there, mainly looking for a nice loaf of bread but also anything else that looked good. Believe it or not, there was no bread! Two bakers, and they had other tasty and attractive things, but no bread at all. But we found blueberries (wished our freezer held more), fresh corn, and a vendor selling organic beef and blueberry sausages. That should take care of supper! We found a less roundabout way to get back home.

After lunch we walked back to the bus stop, and used some more of our tickets to go to Lynn Canyon. Being a sunny Sunday, we weren't the only ones going there! The bus was full, and when we got there the parking lots were full too (glad we took the bus).

The bridge is along a hiking path (8 km if you do the whole thing; we didn't) and is over a very deep gorge in the mountains complete with waterfall! The trees are unbelievably tall. The trail itself has some steep and rough places, and in other areas lots and lots of steps. It is a lovely park, great for families. Add a swimming hole (lots of wet dogs and kids!) and what more could you ask for?

Back on the bus we stopped off at the transfer point to enjoy North Vancouver's waterfront shops, ending up buying more cherries! I didn't think until afterwards that we have to take them across the border - hope they aren't on the forbidden list!

We finished off the day doing laundry. Ranks right up there with grocery shopping. The park has a nice laundry room with lots of machines, all being used so I can only do one load and have to do the rest tomorrow. Oh well, it's supposed to rain.

Is this where I say I beat Mike at cribbage (again)?

Day 14 - Vancouver Island - Victoria!

I have wanted to visit Victoria for years! Said to be more English than England, well, I have not been to the UK, so can't say. However there are double decker buses, and places to have 'high tea' if that counts.

Victoria's downtown is the older historic area, right on the water. There is a huge marina - what a lovely place to berth your boat!

When we arrived there was an Indian festival in progress, with booths selling curries etc. and women in saris dancing.

We walked through the square and ended up in Chinatown - not a large area of the city, just a couple of blocks, set off with a large arched entrance and guarded by a dragon. There were shops selling vegetables and fruits that we didn't recognize, restaurants with good smelling food, and other shops and businesses.

Next we headed for the waterfront area, and walked along to government house (looks like parliament buildings) and the famous Empress hotel (where you can have high tea for $60). Undaunted, I decided to explore the hotel a bit, checked out the lobby area and dining rooms. Not in our budget for today (or tonight) so guess we'll just go back and sleep in the trailer :)

There are any number of restaurants! Waterfront patios, pubs, fine dining..... Mike was hungry, so we had a panini at a small cafe.

Maybe time to find a bus and head back to the campground. We retraced our steps and arrived home very late, and quite tired as well :) but it was a great day which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Pictures to follow.

Day 14 - Vancouver Island Butchart Gardens

Our first stop on Vancouver Island was Butchart Gardens. Mike's Mom had been there many years ago and we thought we should see them.

First stop - the coffee shop for some lunch, a browse in the gift shop, and then our walk through the gardens that were planned and designed by Mrs. Butchart and of course a landscape gardener.

In a word? Beautiful!

Mrs. Butchart's back yard was beyond ugly - a dug out limestone pit with chimneys etc. from her husband's cement factory. What it became was a combination of great imagination, much study and research (in the days before computers made research so easy), a lot of labour, and of course a goodly amount of money.

The tall lombardy poplars in the sunken garden were planted to cover up the cement plant chimneys, which they do very well. I wonder how long it took! Guess I'd better add patience to the above list - essential for gardeners I think.

Mr. Butchart collected rare duck species, and built a special star shaped pond for them. The rose garden has varieties collected on their various travels. There is also a Japanese garden (which our Japanese friend enjoyed). Many of the flowers are annuals or bulbs - dahlias, geraniums, begonias etc. all much larger than ours at home. Imagine the work that takes in the Spring!

Surprisingly, it only took 1-1/2 hours to go through the gardens, which we found later was about average. Beautiful, but at $30 apiece it's maybe a bit overpriced (but since it was crowded, guess it's working for them).

We returned to the stop to catch a bus to continue on our day's 'adventure'.

Day 14 - Planes, trains and automobiles, and interesting people

Well, not exactly, but how about bus, seabus, skytrain, double decker bus, ferry, 2 more buses to Butchart Gardens and another to downtown Victoria?

Today's the day to explore Vancouver Island! We originally wanted to take the trailer over, but much too expensive unless we were actually spending several days there (one time a truck camper would have been perfect!); next plan was just to take the truck ($50/each way), then we looked up public transportation, and voila!

So, up very early to walk to the bus (good walk); transfer to the seabus (a small ferry) which connected to the skytrain - actually half subway, half elevated train; then to a large city bus (the kind that is hinged in the middle) to the ferry terminal at Tsawwassen. Cost so far? $1.75 each! This is a large ferry like the one going to PEI from home which gave us a 90 minute cruise from Vancouver through the islands to Swartz Bay; then a double decker bus (not the fancy red kind, but a city bus) which transferred to another city bus which took us to Butchart Gardens, then another bus to downtown Victoria!

At the station for the skytrain we met a confused young Japanese girl who is a college student here for a month to learn to speak English. She was with a group, but missed her first bus so they were separated. She had the station and bus routes written out, but it's a lot of transfers. Since she was going to Victoria too, she followed along with us. Then another young lady going to Victoria for the weekend decided she could be 'tour guide' for all of us, joined by a third young lady who now lived in Vancouver but whose home is in Victoria - she had a backpack, a heavy hand bag and was carrying a pie that she baked for her Mom in an aluminum pan! Once off the skytrain we met yet another young Japanese man accompanied by his quite senior hostess who also was going to Victoria - she was getting him to the ferry. It turns out that the 2 Japanese students came from the same city in Japan! Anyway they enjoyed talking together during the ferry ride. During the ferry ride the Japanese girl called the contact number she was given only to find out that that person had stayed in Vancouver! So she stayed with us through the gardens and on to Victoria and then figured she might be able to find the rest of her group on her own. Anyway, it was interesting, and fun to meet and interact with these young people.

The return trip was exactly the same but in reverse (except for the people). We left Victoria at 6 pm, made fairly good connections all the way but the every hour on the hour ferry had an hour off (meant we waited almost 2 hours for the next one since we had just missed the previous one by minutes), then missed the seabus by literally seconds even though we ran all the way through the station. Now it is dark and we still had a long ride on another bus to go and a walk back to the trailer on an unlit street. We arrived 'home' at 12:45 am!

Was it worth it? Yes! We enjoyed the public transit, much more interesting and less frustrating than driving and finding parking spaces, plus Mike figured he saved a bundle on fuel and parking.

Posts for Butchart Gardens and Victoria to follow - this morning we're off to the Farmer's Market!

Day 14 - We've 'arrived'! Hope to North Vancouver

Next door to us in Hope are 2 couples from Australia who flew to Los Angeles, rented a car, drove to Vancouver, picked up an RV which they rented for 8 days and toured as far as Jasper, AB. Today they were dropping off the RV and getting on a boat for an Alaskan cruise before flying back home! They were really envious of the large RV's we have here - much different from the ones in Australia.

We left Hope fairly early, wanting to get to Vancouver before the afternoon traffic. From Hope the land gets flatter, and there are market gardens growing blueberries, corn, cherries etc. Surprisingly not so much irrigation is evident. BC logging is big business, and we saw some logs being sent downriver. And of course the trains!

We went through Chilliwack and Abbotsford and then quite well outside Vancouver the traffic got heavier, and didn't improve with the construction - they are building a new bridge, HOV lanes etc. to ease the congestion, but it is a big project so actually less delay than we would expect. The traffic eased only after we crossed to North Vancouver, making us really glad we didn't do the drive from Vernon to Vancouver today, which is a Friday.

Whew! We made it! We arrived at Caprilano RV park (very nice park, right in the city), got ourselves settled, had a quick lunch and then unloaded the bikes - we're going to cycle Stanley Park!

This RV park is right at the bottom of the Lion's Gate bridge, so we don't have to take the truck at all! There is a bike path ramp just outside the park, and there is a bike lane right to Stanley Park. This is a wonderful large park with 2 beaches and their concession stands, a huge pool, a totem pole area with some beautiful totems, lots of places to just sit and enjoy, and best of all a seawall that encompasses the entire park and which has both a walking and bike path!

Just as we got a bit inside the park, we heard beautiful music - a Chinese gentleman playing the erhu! He had a taped background, and had an amplified erhu. We chatted for a bit and he made some suggestions to improve the sound of my erhu - I wish I had brought it with me!

The seawall is exactly that, and we had great views of Vancouver with its cruise ship docks as well as large tanker ships, pleasure boats and seaplanes.

Cycling around the park was great! Nice and level - unlike crossing the bridge which was only great on the downhill side:) We're out of shape from basically sitting the last several days (my story and I'm sticking to it).

Back at the park I am sitting in the very nice lounge area overlooking the pool. It's a beautiful day, and so people are out sunbathing. Mike is back at the trailer relaxing outdoors (likely having a nap).

So, we are here! We plan to spend 4 nights here before heading south and east. Lots to do in Vancouver/Victoria!

Day 13 - Vernon to Hope - with a donation to the Fraser River

We’re leaving, but which way to go? Down through the Okanagan Valley? On the faster Route 5? Or backtrack to the Trans Canada? We were told the Trans Canada was actually the more scenic route, and since our trip is along the Trans Canada, we decided to retrace our route back up the 97 to #1, which annoyed ‘Matilda’ no end, but she finally realized we wouldn’t change our minds and gave up trying to get us to make U-turns in the middle of the Trans Canada.

More scenic? More scenic than what? We followed the Thompson River, through the ‘suede hills’, well named because they aren’t green at all, but mostly brown dirt. Houses are built right underneath - from the highway it looks like they could be at risk of landslide. The ground is fertile enough, but only if it gets water, and obviously not enough comes from rain because anywhere there is green there is irrigation, even the hayfields and pastures! It is not agricultural like the valley area, and doesn’t seem as prosperous.

I was looking forward to seeing Kamloops, but was very disappointed - it is not pretty at all, or at least not today.

The railway is well used all along, in fact in all of the west there are huge trains moving stuff, but here we’re really glad things are shipped by train and not by truck - imagine all those big trucks on this mostly 2 lane highway!

Where the Thompson River meets the Fraser, it is very turbulent, and water rafting signs are evident. We only saw 2 rafts in the water though, for the whole trip.

Just after the point where the rivers meet, the spare tire on the trailer decided it had travelled far enough and fell off! Of course we had no idea, but a following truck passed us and gestured - what? We didn’t know what he was trying to tell us, but there was a pullout nearby so we stopped, and another car came up behind us and told us how our tire had come off the trailer, rolled nicely down the side of the road and into a parking area. He offered to take Mike back to pick it up, and so his wife Sylvia and I had a nice visit sitting on the side of the road.

It was good that Mike had someone to show him exactly where the tire went, or he would have been searching forever. Really forever, because it was obvious that the tire wanted to try out the river rapids - the parking lot was right by the river with nothing to stop a speeding tire. On inspection, we found the weld was faulty - one of the things we probably should have checked. Well, maybe it will be found somewhere by someone who can use it!

Anyway, Sylvia and her husband (never found out his name) joined us for a picnic lunch just a few miles down the road, and then they went off to Vancouver to catch the ferry for Nanaimo where they live and we carried on our way.

We had been travelling in mountains all day, and the suede hills (actually really mountains too) seemed like foothills, so we thought we were through the ranges, but then higher, sharper and snow-covered mountains appeared. Awesome!

We decided to stop in Hope - a small town completely surrounded by snow topped mountains. We unhitched the trailer and drove into town to check it out - a wide main street, lined with shops. Not the tourist kind either, but ‘real’ shops (pharmacy, movie theatre, deli, grocery, etc.) and a lovely park right there for people to enjoy. Hope is known for its chainsaw sculptures, and there are several downtown.

Back at the campground we found we had excellent WiFi, so I settled down to update the blog before something happened to it. Yesterday’s park had WiFi, but really slow and then none, so maybe I can post pictures today!

Day 12 - Revelstoke to Vernon

Vernon is of special interest to us as Mike’s Mom had lived there for a short time during World War II and liked it so much that she compared every other place she lived with it, and they invariably came short. We don’t have an address, all Mike’s brother Arnold remembers is that he walked up a long steep hill from school, and that the house was on the left with a park nearby. We’ll try!

First stop on the way is Craigellachie, the place where the last spike joined the railway from coast to coast. I need to read the book again. Tour buses stop here for a 15 minute stop (washroom, take pictures of the monument, buy souvenirs) starting at 7 am! and then continue to the next stop. Fortunately we got there just as one bus was leaving and the next had not yet arrived so we could take pictures and not have to rush.

We passed a huge lake, large enough for a fleet of rental houseboats! You can buy an RV lot there for $69,999 (pretty close to 70k to me).

Next stop was the Log Barn - sort of a tourist trap - they have goats to pet and feed, hilarious to watch them walk along an overhead beam to get food. They will actually turn the wheel to bring the can up! They are cheap to keep - the tourists pay for their feed.

Inside is a farm market with everything attractively displayed. Mike found some pickles ($7.95/jar) and we bought a quart basket of black cherries ($10.95) - but they are absolutely delicious so worth every penny.

We then found our park just inside the town of Vernon. Very nice park, right on the water if you have an even smaller unit than we do, otherwise just across the lane. Still a great view from the picnic table.

Off to explore! Vernon is situated in the Okanagan Valley, with mountains all around and lots of big, clear lakes.

We’re in wine country, and the park receptionist told us that the Gray Monk winery was the best, so we went straight there, about a half hour drive. Lots of other choices! Wineries and fruit farms are the mainstay of the economy here. The Gray Monk is in a beautiful location, looks a bit like Italy. We had ‘the tour’, which Mike especially enjoyed, plus a free tasting. There is a restaurant on the premises - we looked at the menu and were glad we had already eaten lunch. $19-24 for lunch.

We stopped at a bakery for some fresh bread, and a fruit market for peaches and then back to Vernon for more exploring.

We found the former Army barracks, now used for Army Cadets, and looked for the older section of town in that area, then for a school. What looks like an old school is now something else. Wish Arn was with us! Anyway we went from the school up a hill and found a possible house.....took pictures but internet is too slow to post them. Sorry Arn.

We're staying at the Silver Star RV park and it is very nice, but we’re not staying - back on the road tomorrow!

Day 11 - Canmore, AB to Revelstoke, BC

We woke up early - COLD! Only 48 degrees F. inside! Glad we're not in a tent!

I donned jacket and jeans and went for a walk - the mountains are magnificent in the morning sun. Then breakfast, and away we go.

The Trans Canada winds through the mountain passes, and we think about the Indians, early explorers and settlers - how did they find their way? It's an amazing route, sun is shining and the snow (in mid-August!) is glistening.

What goes up must come down, and so half of the trip is downhill! One of the road signs reads "Ten Mile Hill - Check Brakes"). There are several 'tunnels', avalanche shelters actually, that we go through, the inevitable construction but only short delays, and entered another time zone (makes us 4 hours 'behind' home) before reaching Revelstoke.

Revelstoke is friendly to RV'ers, and has lots of easily accessible RV and bus parking. We saw a little bakery/deli (we are so spoiled with good bread at home) and picked up a couple of things for lunch.

Mike was concerned yesterday that we might not find a spot to park here, so he had booked us into Lamplighter RV Park, which is a wonderful little park just outside of town. We settled the trailer in and then went to do some exploring.

Revelstoke is famous for its railway museum, the dam, a few other historical museums (local history, loggers etc.) and is also known as a great place to hike, bike, ski, fish, almost anything outdoors.

We chose to tour the huge dam, very interesting with descriptive panels and video and then a trip in the elevator to the top of the dam. Unfortunately cameras are forbidden, so our only pictures are of the outside from the parking lot, not from the vantage point the top tower gives. In the picture you will see a little bump on the top - that's where we were!

Next we filled with fuel for tomorrow ($1.23 - we're not in Alberta anymore!), wandered around the picturesque tourist town, bought some groceries at a very nice but over-priced store, and topped the afternoon off with ice cream and a visit to the local art gallery.

We then returned to camp to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine. All in all a very enjoyable day.

Day 10 - Swift Current, SK to Canmore, AB

Gotta love Canadian weather! We went from shorts, T-shirts and sandals to jeans, sweatshirts and sneakers - from running the air conditioner to turning on the furnace - from weather in the 80's to 45 (F)!

We were planning a short day, Swift Current to Strathmore, AB, but once on the road changed our minds and decided on Canmore, AB. Good thing, since by the time we got to Strathmore it was a deluge of rain and windy, not the weather we enjoy setting up camp in! Of course it rained, we washed the truck! Calgary was 're-habbing' its main street, meaning that it was sloppy mud.

Price of fuel - $1.10/l at Canadian Tire, with a bonus of 5 cents a litre of Canadian Tire money! Gotta love it. The price is good, but the amount we are buying isn't - three fill ups today!

The landscape changed along the way from fields of one crop to fields of another; and then as we went west, less flat with some rolling hills, and more and more oil wells. The fields are open to wind, so the houses are surrounded by thick windbreaks of trees, and the farmyards have sturdy wooden fences for protection. Such beautiful wide views and then they are not able to see them. Finally west of Calgary there were the mountains! Hard to see at first with the low black clouds and the rain, but then out came some sun and they were magnificent, with snow on the peaks.

As we came into Canmore it rained again, but slowed to a drizzle by the time we got to our campsite. Then out came the sun again! Great! We decided not to unhook the truck as the site was level and we could walk into the town. Since the sun was shining we set out right away. The park is developing some condos, with beautiful views of the mountains which we passed on our way along a path joining the park to the main street of town. Canmore is a pretty tourist town, and it was fairly crowded. We were glad to be walking! After looking at the prices on the posted menus in various restaurants we decided to eat back at the trailer - pricey little town. Just as I found a tempting fabric shop, we felt drops of rain, so we had to either stay and see what happened or head back, Mike quite pleased we decided to forgo the fabric shopping! Fortunately I had brought our teeny folding umbrella, but we were still plenty damp by the time we got back to the trailer.

Changed and dried off we enjoyed some supper, and a short period of sunshine before dusk. So here we are, nestled in the mountains with some tall spruce, and some tame bunnies hopping around nibbling on the grass. Perfect!

Day 9 - Castle Butte, then Bengough, SK to Swift Current, SK

Today we are going to Castle Butte!

We are now closer to Montana than we are to Regina!

We packed a lunch and started out for Castle Butte, a formation made of clay, coal and limestone dating from the ice age. Once we get just a bit south of Bengough the landscape changed to what you would expect in an old western movie in the days of Indians, outlaws and early settlers all trying to live in the same area of hills and valleys. Highway 13 is called the Red Coat trail after the early RCMP officers who tried to bring law and order.

We drove onto a private road, it turned out that there is a whole web of these roads, all unpaved, but in fairly good condition, winding around this back country. Few farms, and they are all spread miles apart. For all the oddness of the landscape, it is apparently fertile - there are lots of fat cattle munching away, all free range, just some gates (left open but with a cattle gate of a series of railway tracks set over a ditch).

The 'castle' is a formation shaped like a castle that can be seen for miles, and was a landmark in the early days. We were hoping to actually climb it, but the surface is crumbly and we didn't want to cause any more damage. Heavy rains have caused parts of it to slide. But I climbed a bit of it, and we walked all the way around. Very interesting, but in actual fact, not worth the 4-1/2 hour drive to get there.

We then followed the dirt road for a ways until it began to become a network of roads and we had no idea where they would go, so we retraced our route and decided to go back to the campground, hitch up the trailer and see how far we would get today.

We decided on Swift Current (further than Moose Jaw, but not as far as Calgary) because there was a park there with Wifi to update the blog (now I can add pictures!), 30 amp power (so we could put on the air conditioning - it is hot!), a laundromat so we could replenish our wardrobes, and Mike would be allowed to wash our truck! There were so many moths washed off into a large enough pile that it attracted a horde of flies!

Day 8 - Richer, MB to Bengough, SK

Today we need to go into downtown Winnipeg (with the trailer) to the Apple store where we hope they can provide us with the missing piece to our charger. It's Saturday, so traffic should be light, and we left early before the mad shoppers. As a result we easily made it to the store located in a huge upscale mall, and being early, found a parking spot (s).

It's only 9, so we figured the store might not be open, but went into the mall to check. Most of the stores were still closed, but Apple was open and ready for business! The manager was in a meeting so we browsed around looking at all the beautiful toys until he came, was sympathetic to our dilemma, gave us an extension cord that would work, and we were back outside and on our way! Very kind of him.

Along the highway we were passed by a large truck, and it looked like bits of paper flying around after it - but no, they were white moths. Thousands and thousands of them in the fields (and on the highway), splatting all over the truck. Yuck. Should be fun getting them all off!

We see lots of varied crops - canola, large fields of sunflowers, hay all baled in huge bales, wheat, lentils and peas..... (all food for the moths I think). But as we turned south we saw lots of flooded areas - whole fields right up to the barns all under water.

Our goal today is the town of Bengough (pronounced Bengoff) in Saskatchewan where we want to climb Castle Butte. We got directions from the SK tourist bureau and continued along. Saskatchewan looks like a tall, narrow province on the map, but let me tell you it is a long way across! Highway 1 (Trans Canada) could use some road work, but then we turned off onto highway 9 and found that Highway 1 wasn't so bad. Then we turned onto highway 13 which we followed for hours before coming to the Bengough turnoff, then more secondary road to the town and the little local park. Very nice park, run by the town. We had a huge site, level enough so we didn't need to unhook (except in the end we unhooked as we were advised not to take the trailer to the butte).

Saskatchewan is an hour different time from Manitoba because they don't change to daylight savings time- 3 hours different from home now.

We arrived in time for a late supper, a walk around the little park and a couple of streets of the town, and bed.