Like many others, Betty & my travels have been limited by the pandemic coronavirus, and all its varients. Other than flights back to Winnipeg for Christmas, we have been staying put in our ocean-view campsite at Nanaimo, British Columbia for the past six months. The site is nice, but we’ve had far too much rain, and we’re told it’s been colder than usual – although there’s no comparison with the snowy winter and spring our family has been experiencing in Manitoba!
For quite some time now, we have been itching to get back on the road. With the exception of a couple of day trips south to Duncan and Victoria, there hasn’t been much to post on a travel blog.
On our way across the Rocky Mountains last October, our motorhome struggled on a couple of occasions, and we wanted to ensure it was performing at its best as we headed out for the next leg of our overlandish odyssey. So we took the Boy into Nanaimo’s Cullen Diesel and they changed out the transmission fluid which, according to my records, hadn’t been changed in a dozen years. They also changed the spark plugs and wires, and we seem to be cruising up and down the mountains more easily now. Yeah!
The sun was shining as we began our trip down Vancouver Island, but we experienced a little of everything weather-wise on our first couple of days.
Arriving in Victoria with plenty of time before boarding the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington, we drove past the B.C. legislature and other famous landmarks.
After clearing customs in Port Angeles – late on Good Friday evening – we received notice from Telus, our phone service provider, that I was incurring some serious roaming charges. This was notwithstanding Betty & I have active Canada-U.S. data plans. There is obviously a mix-up somewhere, but we may not be able to reach anyone at Telus until Monday or Tuesday – a real hassle when we have come to rely on electronic communications these days. Fortunately the Port Angeles Verizon store was open Saturday morning, and we were able to activate our wifi jetpack at a very reasonable pay-as-you-go rate. Yeah again!
Knowing that citrus fruit and other food items can be an issue at the U.S. border crossing, we made the Port Angeles Walmart our first stop – stocking up the fridge and pantry, and obtaining permission for an overnight stay in their parking lot.
Yesterday we headed west and south down Washington State Hwy. 101, again experiencing the full range of spring weather – from sunshine to rain and wet snow at higher elevations, and back to sun as we reached the Pacific coast.
I had researched possible overnight campsites on the Olympic Peninsula, but many were listed as closed until mid-May, and others were first come, first served, with no guarantee we would find a spot suitable for our motorhome and car. Fortunately, when we looped through Kalaloch Beach campground yesterday afternoon, we came across a nice spot, close to a sandy beach, and are looking forward to Easter dinner here later today.
Oh, btw, yes Washington is state #40 on our overlandish odyssey – over two years since we registered state #39 – Colorado. The coronavirus has slowed us all down, but Betty & I are hoping that we can enjoy our time on the road a little longer, and that you also can experience happiness, wherever life finds you. As Willie Nelson sings, yes, it’s great to be FINALLY on the road again!
Cheers!