Not Another Baja Trip

Not another Baja Trip

This time we are traveling from Victoria to Ontario via the Trans Canada with a return to Victoria via the US Interstate 90. We will visit friends and family along the way there, hopefully have a few pleasant adventures, meet some nice people and see parts of Canada we have never seen before. Returning we will once again visit the Badlands and Yellowstone.

Will it be the shop across Canada trip? Will we find interesting things to see and do along the way or will we just drive drive drive? Is the Trans Canada really as bad as Mexicali One? Is the highway through Saskatchewan truly boring? Is Ontario really Onterrible? Will we find good swimming in the Great Lakes? Will Summer be over by August 28, our expected entry into Ontario? Did we bring the right clothes? Will we long for our kayaks?

Day One
Tuesday August 19, 2008

Caught the early ferry – for us – 5:00 (pm that is). There are always so many last minute things to do that just have to be done – have the grandkids over for a sleepover and play, celebrate Natasha’s and Lindsay’s birthdays, clean the house, get the mirror on the pocket door in the master bathroom, get the watering system done for the deck plants, figure out the lyrics for some songs, stop at the clinic for antibiotics for my wasp sting(s) on my toe which has predictably blown up. Important stuff.

A little nap on the ferry and we’re good to go! Put the steaks back in the fridge and had dinner at McDonalds in Chilliwack – I really really really have to find some kind of fast food that I can eat on the road. I really can’t do McDonalds, enough said. Open for suggestions – please please please….

Drove through what we know is beautiful country in the dark and ended up exhausted in Kamloops around midnight. After some rumbling up and down side streets looking for a level spot we found a great camping spot in front of some beautifully manicured little houses. Wish I had brought my niece Renee’s address in Kamloops with me and we could have surprised her in the morning when she opened her curtains! Oh well, next time. Off to Salmon Arm in the pouring rain complete with thunder and lightening in the am.

Day 4
Friday August 22, 2008

Off to Canmore after having a great time visiting my long time wonderful friend Miranda in Salmon Arm! Played music till our fingers were sore. Listened to some fabulous tunes she has written, recorded some and learned some. Ate the freshest, most delicious organic vegetables from the local market. Enjoyed a great evening walk with Bella (the dog) visiting beautiful horses along the way – Percherons, Warm Bloods, and some perfectly lovely, friendliest of all, no name brand. Our pockets should have been full of apples if we had been planning more carefully. While there had just been some super hot days before we got here it was relatively cool so no swimming this time.

Looking forward to seeing Wanda and Tim this evening and being in the mountains.

Day 7
Sunday August 24, 2008
Feels like I am home, some wonderful memories of living in Banff and hiking every day with Laura, Bill E., Herbie…. OMG these mountains are so very beautiful, they are definitely part of my soul. Great Visit with Wanda and Tim, Suzie and Bob! Had a nice little hike up to Grassie Lakes. Beautiful aqua lakes, we sat and watched some rock climbers for awhile. It was all we could do to keep Lorne from roping up!! Hahaha. Grassie was a very interesting man, he was responsible for the building of many trails in the area, all by hand. Apparently there is a book about him, I would like to read it sometime.

Had a yummy dinner that night with Wanda, Tim, Suzie and Bob and Suzie’s brother from Australia. Shrimp, steak, fabulous salad and excellent company! Suzie is amazing – her recovery after her near death experience has been miraculous indeed. She looks her old self for sure. What a relief.

Had a great little bike ride along the river today with Wanda and Tim. So beautiful, its part of the trans-Canada trail system and part of it was paved so very easy riding and very pleasant indeed. Unfortunately we had to cut it short, head home for a quick lunch and now we are off to Calgary to Freela and Dan’s and hopefully to visit a few other old friends of mine.

GMC Rally in Santa Rosa

I meant to post these pictures from the GMC rally in Santa Rosa on our way home from Mexico in April. Well, better later than never....
These are the GMCs at Miguel's shop in California where we stop on the way to Baja and on the way back. Its always interesting watching him move them around.....
In Santa Rosa at the GMC Rally in April. A view of the campground full of GMCs from the roof of ours.

GMC Motor Homes

These are just a few of the motor homes we saw at the rally in April.
Can you guess, this one is from Texas. The owner was dressed in a very similar manner. The interior was partly red and partly blue, some things were half red and half blue - like his counter top.