Musings #9

I was just checking over the blog and I see that I have my musings out of order.  #5 is followed by #7 and then #6.  Sorry.

May 12

Today is the official start of the Caravan Tour and we will be headed to Hyder, Alaska tomorrow.  But first, let me fill you in on all that has been going on.  We had an orientation and a pot luck supper and everyone introduced themselves.  There are 17 rigs involved (unfortunately, one rig had to drop out due to a lot of mechanical problems), our guide, Spike & his rig, our trouble-shooter, Roger and his rig, and our "tailgunners," Harry & Betty.  Harry & Betty had gone on this tour three years ago and are back as volunteers to help out.

Roger had a vehicle inspection and we were all fitted out with radiator protection and those that were towing cars had shields put on them.  Dan had Roger check a few things and change the fuel filter.  Handy having Roger around and he is a real sweetie.

On May 12 we had a historic native village tour, checked out their totem poles and ceremonial houses and received a talk about the history and background of these people and then we went through the Kispiox Totum Village. 

We had a special treat in the evening - the native people had agreed to give us a special traditional dance performance.  Spike said this was unusual as he has only seen it a few other times.  We were unable to take pictures during the performance, but could photograph the dancers in their costumes afterwards.  It was really neat and it was cute seeing the kids learning the traditional customs.

May 13

We travelled 170 miles to Hyder for 2 days in Camp Run-A-Muck.  Fantastic views on the way up and we learned how to travel in a group.  We all have VHF radios so Spike can give us lectures on what we are seeing on the way or a heads up if anything interesting was coming up and we can communicate if someone is stopping or if a car or truck is trying to pass.  Can you imagine having to pass 18 RVs? 

Travelled alongside rivers and mountains with a couple of glaciers.  Still lots of snow which makes the mountains beautiful and the bears easier to see. 

I imagine they must close this road sometimes in the winter.  Some of the signs said chains on tires were required certain months and some signs said avalanche areas.  Saw some damage caused by avalanches and i think we heard one while we were in the campground.  Did see what I think was a fox in the campground.

We are the first campers for the season at Camp run-a-muck - they opened just for us - and  had just finished plowing the campground.  Lots of snow still and where there isn't snow, there is mud.  What a mess. Glad we brought our yucky boots.

Saw nine black bears on our way from Hazleton to Hyder and saw some more in Hyder.  One was actually in someone's front yard.  One of the group saw a grizzly and her cubs ambling down to the river to see if the salmon had arrived, but we didn't see that one.

How to describe Hyder?  It is rather unique.  It kinda reminds me of the TV show "Northern Exposure" complete with the quirky characters.  There is one road and it is the way in and the way out.  It is the southernmost town in Alaska and has been officially deemed a ghost town.  There is a general store which is run by the mayor and is mostly tourist stuff, a fish market (absolutely the BEST seafood chowder ever - better than the one we had in Victoria), a gallery thaat sold yummy fudge and the proprietor played the dulcimer, a post office where the mail is flown in by pontoon plane on Mondays and Thursdays.  It is a desolate town, cut off from almost everything.  I think the only means of making a livelihood is fishing and mining.

There was a grocery store in Stewart, the next town which was in British Columbia, and we had to pass through Canadian customs each time we had to go to the store or a restaurant.

We were warned that the owners of small dogs should walk them under the trees because of the eagles - they had been known to swoop down and grab small animals.  Oh great!  We also got a lecture on what to do if you came across a bear.  Uh oh.  Looks like we're now part of the food chain.

Hyder is located at the mouth of a fijord (a body of water between two mountain ranges that was carved out by a glacier) and is the beginning of the inside passage of Alaska.  The fijord is called the Portland Canal which cuts through the mountains and empties into the Pacific.  The water here is delicious and pure as it is fed by a glacier.  We saw more totem villages and native grave sites.

Tomorrow on our way to Dease Lake, BC.  More later.

Musings #8

Not sure what date exactly - what fun to not be ruled by a calendar!!!!

Camped for a couple of days in Surry which is right outside Vancouver.  The campground was one of the best - spotless, well kept and beautifully landscaped.

Vancouver is an easy town to get around and we figured out the "sky train" which can take us all over the city.  Checked out the harbour which is quite beautiful and then walked to Chinatown, then walked to Gaslight Village where we had dinner in an Irish Pub - had pub grub (pot pie - yum was great).  Gaslight Village was hopping - very crowded with young folk drinking and dining.  Realized later that it was Cinco de Mayo and everyone used it as an excuse to party.

Next day took one of those hop on hop off trolleys for a tour of the city.  Went to a park - the flowers were wonderful.  There were cycle paths throughout and being a Sunday and the sun was shining (which is a rarity) most of the Vancouverans were out and enjoying it.

We toured a chinese scholar's house and garden - very pretty.

Vancouver and Victoria were really nice cities to visit.  I had heard so much about them and they lived up to their reputations.

May 7

Leaving Surry on our way to Cache Creek.  What should have been an easy run between these towns turned out to be quite an ordeal.  The main roads in BC so far are 4 lane and well paved even though they are winding..  BUT we hit an accident and they diverted us by back roads to Kamloops (love that name) which was 80 miles out of our way.  This little road followed a river through the hills and was definitely 2-handed driving.  Naturally it was my turn to drive.  We were both exhausted.  Another long, long driving day tomorrow to Prince George.  Be glad to leave this campground.  Not the best.  It is still early in the tourist season and some of these campgrounds are not up to par for the season yet.

Lots of farms and lots of little calves.

Early spring here - trees just beginning to bud and no tulips or daffodils out yet.

An observation - I am amazed at how many people are living in campers both in campgrounds and out in the country.  Wow - the economy must still be really bad.

May 8

Brrr, cold this Morning in Prince George, BC.  Started out bright and sunny then cloudy, then snow flurries.  Went to the Canada Superstore which is a lot like Sam's Club but mostly groceries.  The tour company told us to stock up here as the first couple of towns on the Alaska tour would be small with limited shopping.

Now it is not quite hailing, but round and white spots coming down.  Looks like those dippin' dots ice cream.

Hand made sign "Give 'er a Yank Towing Company

Snow squalls off and on all day with a lot of signs "Caution Moose Crossing" but havn't seen any.

Wow - got even colder - 36 degrees and gusty.  Brrrr.  No leaves or buds on trees here and no roadside flowers.  Think we're in for a chilly night - we have been giving the fireplace a workout and have been covering the bedroom windows with towels. 

Interesting - except for Prince George, the past several hundred miles or so have been so completely empty - you do see some houses and small farms but except for the logging industry what would employ people here?  Sometimes we are the only vehicle on the road.

Saw a combination restaurant and bowling lanes - looked like it might have 2 lanes and 5 tables.

May 9

The campground was very basic - just power - no water or sewer - but nice and grassy and we backed right up to the river and were only one of three campers. 

Funny, the one of those campers knocked on our door and it turns out they were the people camped next us in Santa Fe that we were chatting with a bit.  They are from Maine and are on their way to Alaska also.  So we invited them in and spent the evening getting to know them better.  She's a quilter so I showed her my bedspread.  Got their e-mails and hope to see them again down the road.

Tomorrow we're on the way to Hazleton where we will join the Alaska Caravan and start the next leg of our adventure.  Woo Hoo!

May 10

Wow!  Didn't realize last night in all the dreary weather that we have a glacier view!  Gorgeous, breathtaking.  Camera just doesn't capture it.

Oh Boy it is sunny and cold (32 degrees) this AM.  On our way to Hazelton and with all the snow we got yesterday and last night all the mountains (8,000 and 9,000 feet) surrounding us have lots and lots of snow.

Some hearty soul is golfing in Smithers in 41 degree weather.  Avoiding the crowds?

We're driving on Route 16 from Prince George called the Yellowhead Highway through a beautiful valley surrounded by huge mountains.  Our camp host was telling me he was driving a logging truck on this road in winter and a moose was wandering down the middle of the road.  He had nowhere to pass him as there was ten feet of snow piled up on each side of the road.  He inched past the moose but apparently the moose got pissed off and charged the fellow behind him.  The other fellow was not appreciative.

Most of the few houses we see have wood-burning stoves and big stacks of firewood.  I can see why. 

Very spotty phone reception since Vancouver so mostly our phones are off.

Just passed a black bear on the side of the road.  Darn!! Not enough time to grab the camera.

Yea!  Turned off for the campground.  Eeek! have to go over a long one lane metal bridge.  Tight squeeze.

This campground is beautiful.  Open and grassy but the view of the river and mountains are really worth the trip.  Wow.

OK, time to meet the other folks and get equipped and ready for the grand start of the caravan tour on Sunday.

more later.

Musings #6

April 17

Three Rivers RV Park in Tulare California- went grocery shopping and the lowest prices on fresh produce and meat I've seen in years.  Stocked up and ran out of space, so am now storing non-perishables in the oven.

April 18

Dropped the dog off to be groomed while we travel to Sequoia National Park.  Spectacular scenery on Rt. 198.  Tall, skinny trees like you see in Italy.  We are climbing into the Sierra Nevada mountains on a 15 mph serpentine road.  It's so twisty that vehicles over 22 feet are prohibited.  How to describe what we see out the window?  Since I'm a mountain person, I would imagine this is what heaven would look like to me.  Range after range all the way to craggy snow-covered peaks.

Big yucca plants,purple flowering trees (redbuds?), bluebells and tiny white flowers.  Now we're in the clouds and deep snow.  Temperatue had dropped from 70 degrees to 45.  Poor Dan dressed for the day in shorts this morning.  Luckily we both had jackets in the backseat.  Trees are getting taller as we drive through the Giant Forest.  The sequoias are hard to miss as they are lighter in color than other trees and of course are SO much larger in circumference.

Drove to see the "General Sherman" tree - the largest tree in the world.  Pretty impressive!   The average age of these trees is 3200 years.

April 19

After climbing and decending another mountain range (didn't know Calif. was so hilly) we are driving through another valley.  Lettuce, strawberries, more grapes, peppers - now I know where a lot of my veggies and fruit come from.

April 21 (I think)

We were just outside Monterey the last two nights.  Went downtown to Cannery Row which was made famous in John Steinbeck's novella.  Certainly doesn't look now how it must have done in the 30's.  Now it's all tourist stores, restaurants, breweries, etc.  One of the sardine canning factories is now the Monterey aquarium that is rated one of the best in the US.  I believe it. 

It was expensive - $30 each for seniors but we spent hours there.  Fish facinate me and I love snorkling so also love aquariums (is the plural aquaria?) would like to have a small aquarium but with traveling, a dog to care for is plenty.  Anyway, the aquarium was very enjoyable from the jellyfish exhibit to the seahorses to the penguins and, of course, the otters.  What fun.  Saw some creatures I never saw before.

Naturally we ran out of time and we didn't get to see the San Juan missions or the Steinbeck museum in Salinas.  I wanted to see the Steinbeck museum as I am a fan of his books.  The museum has the actual camper he used as he wrote "Travels With Charlie."  That book started my desire to travel around in a camper.  As I read the book in high school, I wanted so much to do the same.  Aren't I lucky?????

Another billboard - "1-800-STINKY    Triple A Plumbing Service

An advertisement for a restaurant - "Salivation is Nigh"

April 22

Headed for San Francisco.  The question is how to get the rig over the Golden Gate Bridge while avoiding the downtown hills.

Driving in a congested area when driving a big rig you try to leave a lot of space between you and the vehicle in front of you cause it takes twice to three times as much space and time to slow down or stop.  Naturally, human nature being what it is, that space is an open invitation for people to dart in front of us and then hit the brakes - unnerving.

Wow temp change - 72 degrees in San Jose to 59 in San Fran.

Beautiful going across the GGBridge.  I think that everyone that owned a sailboat was out on the water today,  Surprising the amount of foot and cycle traffic across the bridge.

Now we're staying outside the small town of Garberville on Rt. 101 in the middle of the redwood forest.  Drove the Avenue of the Giants.  Humungus trees so dense the road was as dark as evening.  These redwoods are much taller than sequoias but not as large around, and not as old.

Sometimes the campgrounds are a disappointment and don't live up to the description in the book.  This was one of them.  Oh well, it has water, elec. and sewer.

April 23

Drove to a place called Shelter Cove on the coast.  Looked like an easy drive of 20 miles.  Again 49 degrees and very windy.  Maps can be deceiving - it took us an hour to get there.  Driving thru mountains into the clouds and i've never been on such a narrow (one lane in spots) winding road.  Locals passing us zipping along as we are crawling and hugging the center of the road.  There are a couple of communities up there but can't even imagine living here as it is so remote.  Shelter Cove has a small plane runway and while we were there, two planes took off and one landed.  That must be the preferred way in and out.  Can't get a craving for a Ben and Jerry's in the middle of the night if you live here.

This whole stretch of coastline is so inaccessible it is called the "lost coast range" and it is a national conservation area.  Lots of wildlife but we didn't see any - did smell a skunk, though.  We were along the migratory route of gray whales.

April 24

On our way to Oregon and are still on Route 101 which is the scenic route along the coast.  Going along the Fraser River Gorge with waterfalls everywhere and snow on the top of the mountains.  Met a couple from Nova Scotia.

Sign at a truck stop - "Junk Food for sale here"

Amazing - people on bicycles with all the camping gear struggling up the mountains.

More later.

Musings #7

Wednesday, April 24

Raining and dreary and cool in Coos Bay, Oregon.  Can't complain - only had one other rainy day since we left so it is a good time to catch up on stuff.  Waiting in a tire shop for the truck to get tires rotated and got to talking to a storm chaser.  He is a retired man who has lived all over the US and chases tornados, floods, and other disasters, films them and sells the footage to TV stations.

The slideout in the bedroom is not extending all the way, stops short 2-3"  Have to get that looked at.

The drive up the coast from California through the redwoods was lovely.  The coast of Oregon is breathtaking but the beaches are SO different from our beaches on the east coast.  They are very craggy and the sand is dark.  Think it is made from pulverized rock rather than from shells like the east coast.  Walked the beach at one point and there were no shells - surprising.  Doesn't look too swimmer-friendly either. 

Read that all 300+ miles of coastline are open access to everyone.  There are no high rises, condos and very few houses right on the beach. 

A higher percentage of the men have beards and older women with long grey hair.  Did a Wal-Mart stop and, boy, do you get to see some sights there - fun people watching!!

Found a bagel shop which made me happy and managed to fit some in the freezer for later.

April 26

Yea!! the sun!!!

Although we loved the sound of the rain on the vent cover as we were going to sleep. we're glad to see the sun again.  Are going to the RV repair shop to have the bedroom slideout looked out.

Yesterday drove the coast road in the rain and the coast is very wild and rocky and untamed looking.  Most of it was state parks and we were the only car on the road.  Stopped at one state park and watched the sea lions, seals and cormorants in the rain.  No whales visible though.

Interesting looking at the map that a great deal of the Oregon coast is state parks.  They've really done a great job of preserving the beauty of the area.  It really is a gorgeous state if it would only stop raining.

April 30

Havn't written in a long time.  It was dreary all through Oregon and rained as we headed to Seattle.  My friend Pamela says it doesn't rain ALL the time in Seattle.  She's right, it only rains MOST of the time.  We were here a couple of days and it rained every day.  I  called Pamela the day after we arrived and spent the morning and lunch together catching up on our lives since the last time we saw each other (Pamela was my across the street neighbor in North Raleigh).  We went to her house on Friday for dinner and we got to meet her new husband as she just got married New Year's.  It's great that you may not get to see an old friend for a couple of years but when you do, you pick up just where you left off as if no time had passed at all.

We did take the ferry to Victoria, British Columbia.  What a pretty town.  Architecture is impressive with tulips and flowers everywhere.  Stayed in a pretty hotel right on the harbour and watched the float planes take off and land.  Did have to pay extra for the dog.  We toured the Parliment building, the sun came out and it was almost warm.  We ate dinner outside cause we couldn't leave the dog in the hotel room and the food was wonderful - seafood pasta caught (supposedly) right there. 

The next day it was raining and 44 degrees.  We drove to some famous garden but it was too cold and rainy to enjoy so we headed back to Victoria and went to the museum instead.  Interesting museum and learned a lot about the history of the area.  Outside was so cold and damp we stopped at a lunch cafe and had the hottest, absolutely the best seafood chowder ever!!

Finally got a haircut on Tuesday - was getting a little shaggy.

The rhododendrum and tulips in Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver are absolutely fantastic.  The Canadians really are big on parks filled with flowers.

Forgot to say we had a covy of quail in one of the campgrounds in Oregon.  Fun to watch.

Musings from the road #5

Havn't updated this blog in so long - I will try to catch up.

Not even sure of the date these notes were written

Driving thru the Mojave desert.  An unforgiving, harsh, alien mountains.  Lunar landscape so empty and arid.  There was a green valley surrounding the Colorado river but otherwise the desert has its own stark beauty.  I always thought the desert would be flat but it is very mountainous.  Also passed the Mojave river (not a drop in it).

Drove through Barstow, California which looks like a funky town.  There is a McDonalds in three old railcars in Barstow Station.  Barstow is the end of Route 40, so we have traveled almost the whole length of America's main street from Warsaw, North Carolina to Barstow, California.

Passed the Boron capital of the world - apparently Boron is the main ingredient in Borax - 20 mule team is still active, i guess.

Passing Edwards Air Force Base where Chuck Yaeger was the first one to break the sound barrier and where some of the space shuttles landed.

Huge windmill farm where the flat desert rises to mountains.  The windmills stretch from a slight rise all the way along the crests of the mountains - must be several hundred.  Sorry to go on and on about windmills but for some reasom they facinate me.  In the museum we visited in Texas they explained how the central and western part of the states would not have been able to be settled without windmills to pump the water from underground aquefers since surface water was so scarce.  SO, windmills are what really won the West.

Climbing up and down mountains on the way to Bakersfield.  Coming up over a rise and the air is hazy.  Reminds me of a line in a Jimmy Buffet song "I spent 4 lonely days in a brown LA haze."  Don't tell me this is smog from LA.  But it is nice to see some green again.

Amazing how the terrain changes.  We started the day in the dry, rocky Mojave desert, climbed through mountain ranges and are now in a green, fertile valley and it is only 10 o'clock!

The USA has such an abundance of beauty.  I keep running out of superlatives to describe what we're driving through, so forgive me if I repeat myself.

On another note, I am enjoying my Nook (electronic book reader), especially since I figured out how to download books from the library.  Actually, i havn't needed much as most of the
campgrounds have trading libraries.  Have read about 8 books so far.

Just passed a church in Bakersfield called "The Soul Factory."

A billboard - Pest Control - zero return on infestment.

Driving through miles and miles of grape vines and nut trees.  This area must feed the whole country.