Month: November 2021

It is said that the Inuit have dozens of names for snow. On Vancouver Island for the winter, Betty & I haven’t seen any snow – yet. But it appears that islanders have dozens of names for rain – from drizzle to showers to torrential rain, and everything in between. And it seems that we have experienced all of them since moving to an ocean-view site at Living Forest campground in Nanaimo, B.C.!

I think the latest system is called a “pineapple express” leading to a “weather bomb”, causing an “atmospheric river” in southwestern British Columbia. Towns have been evacuated as water treatment plants have overflowed. Roads – including the Coquihalla and TransCanada highways – have been closed due to mudslides and flooding. Motorists have been stranded, requiring rescue from emergency crews. Evidence of climate change is all around, as every day the extreme weather is recorded as “unprecedented”. It’s not a pretty situation here, but thankfully there has been no reported loss of life to date.

Fortunately, our motorhome has been high and dry inside, and we are warm and cozy as we hear and watch the weather go by. Apparently, this system has brought over 200 mm of rain to Nanaimo in the past couple of weeks. Rain, rain, go away! 

Under normal circumstances, we would consider raising our levelers and heading to a location with better weather – like Quartzsite, Arizona or South Padre Island, Texas, with both experiencing sunshine and temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s Celsius. But at least three factors are keeping us grounded (as long as a landslide doesn’t sweep us into the nearby ocean. We had looked forward to an ocean view, but never intended to be that close – lol). 1) We have airline tickets to fly out of Nanaimo to Winnipeg in a few weeks, and changing reservations has proven to be a major hassle these days. 2) When we moved to our current campsite, our living room slide-out refused to fully extend, and we now have a new $1,500. slide-out motor on order, to be installed in a couple of weeks. 3) Finally, health issues are keeping us tethered to the Canadian health care system for the next while, so we’re not leaving the country any time soon…

Betty & I will just have to look on the bright side. The relentless rain should reduce the chances of forest fires, prevalent in the region last summer. And we don’t have to learn all those Inuktitut names for snow!

Cheers!

Now that we are living in the relatively small confines of a motorhome, Betty and I are often asked if we miss our last two homes, which were located in a desirable, quiet, tree-lined neighbourhood close to downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. The first of the two had plenty of room for our four children to grow into adulthood. When they moved out of the family nest, the second downsized home – a couple of blocks away – seemed just right for Betty and me. They both had nice amenities, nice yards, nice neighbours, and overall great locations: The mantra of realtors everywhere.  How could a relatively tiny home compete?

The answer is also location, location, location! But while real estate agents will be promoting a specific lot on planet earth, we get to experience multiple locations. So far we have visited 39 states, 9 provinces and counting. In all we have found fabulous locations, locations, and locations, with many more to come!

Finding the right spot can either involve extensive planning, or be totally serendipitous. We enjoy campsites with ocean views, and the sounds of crashing waves to serenade us to sleep at night. In developed parks (the Florida Keys for example) those sites can book up a year in advance. Even with the parks on speed dial, we still didn’t get into many preferred sites. On the other hand, Betty & I have happened upon roadside pull-offs with amazing river and ocean views, with no signage prohibiting overnight parking. Previous blog posts picture many such sites, encountered particularly on our trip to Canada’s Atlantic coastline.

While RVing has become increasingly popular in the last few years, with many desirable parks full or overcrowded, the internet continues to post new information about alternate options. We regularly review Campendium.com recommendations, check out freecampsites.net, subscribe to Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome, visit provincial, state, and national parks, and stay on BLM land, where available. These days there are many, many camping locations to choose from, beyond that local city’s KOA.

This week we made the move from a forested site, to an ocean-view site in Living Forest Oceanside Campground in Nanaimo, B.C. It’s a great location, and we look forward to watching the tides ebb and flow, and the ocean-going ships making their way up the Strait of Georgia.  In whatever location you find yourself, may you take the time to look around and enjoy the beauty of the people and places that surround you!

Cheers!