With the coronavirus still around us, now is not the time for travellin’, although I end this post with a travellin’ song I wrote during our quarantine. It is still a work in progress, with our dear son Andrew assisting with the musical arrangement. Watch for it at the top of the charts in the near future! Lol.
Adam shows Betty’s latest creation, made with love to keep him warm when Lisa isn’t around. lol
Speaking of work in progress, at the end of our last post I mentioned that we had begun upgrading our seasonal campsite at Town & Country RV Park in Winnipeg. This pictorial post chronicles that process.
Before the leaves arrived on the trees, we added 15 yards of gravel to our parking area, levelled with the assistance of our neighbour, Brian, and the park owner’s son, Kevin. With heavy rains last fall, large pools of water had covered much of our site. A new drainage system has now also been installed, so we hope to stay high and dry.Park owner, Ken, then compacted the site with his tractor & roller.I edged the parking area and patio with mini ties, secured with rebar.Including a border for our sewer & water connections.15 yards of good quality topsoil were then added to the site.Andrew helped to create the patio area with large paving slabs.As an experiment, we seeded the lawn with micro clover, in addition to grass seed. A large bag of grass seed was about $34., but this tiny bag of micro clover was $79.95! Sure hope it works!!!The tiny micro clover leaves are starting to make an appearance. They are supposed to choke out other broad leaf weeds, and provide a green lawn during both droughts and wet weather. Because it is a low ground cover, it doesn’t need to be mowed often. And if we sprinkle it with vodka, it will come up half-cut. lolBetty & Charlie watch the grass start to grow.Who’s lookin’ at you, Charlie?Betty is starting to make a vertical herb garden, from one of the left over pallets.And our storage shed finally arrived. Not sure what caused the supply chain issues, but it seemed to take forever to get here!It has just enough room for our bikes, ladders, and garden equipment.Betty talked me into quilting also… Here I’ve taped off and started painting the design for a barn quilt.The installed barn quilt, on the back of our shed, as seen through the trees.A closeup view shows our name plaque, which came from a restaurant in Bragg Creek, Alberta 40 years ago. When you made a reservation, they would carve your name onto a board, which would be placed on your table. After dinner, you could either take it with you, or have it mounted with many others on a feature wall in the restaurant. They served great Alberta beef, so we went more than once, and did it both ways…The planter below our other Alberta tree-sliced name board is made from left-over construction forms.Four weeks on, the micro clover is still coming. It looks patchy in places, but hopefully will fill in soon.Our add-a-room has finally gone back up on our new patio, expanding Betty’s sewing room, in anticipation of great things to come!
Well, as you can see, we haven’t been doing much travelling this month. Our plans are to stay put here until October, when we hope to head west to Vancouver Island for the winter. Campgrounds there stay open year-round. Yeah! In the meantime, here’s the first draft of that travellin’ song. Enjoy!
Canada Day 2020 is a steamy hot one in Winnipeg again this year, with temps in the 30s C. all week.
This is just a quick update on a few of our campsite improvements. Hope you can enjoy the day, even from a distance…
We had a heavy thunderstorm last night. The grass is green and the flowers are blooming. Still hoping for the trellis to fill in with black-eyed susan.This is what some of our grass looks like up close and personal. There are a few bare and weedy patches that need to be overcome by the micro clover, but it’s getting there…Our vertical garden is propped against a satellite dish stand, loaned to us by our neighbours, Brian & Henny. Thanks to our dear granddaughter, Isabella, for adding the musical notes, and the plant pot pics on the next photo!The vertical herb garden is labelled and starting to grow, with the mint already dominating. Better make a rack of lamb to go with it! It’s all looking like a place where we can stay for the summer. Cheers!
"They say there is no game without pain Well I must gaining a lot But I'll give it all that I've got, to bring it on Well it seems that I've been here before So if this means that there is more, bring it on
It's written in the good book That we'll never be asked To take anymore than we can Sounds like a good plan, so bring it on..."
To stress, or not to stress: That is the question. It is impossible for Betty or me to turn on the tv without being overwhelmed by information about the deadly coronavirus, along with stories of environmental, social, and political upset and unrest around the world. At the same time, we are safely cocooned in our little home at Winnipeg’s Town & Country RV Park – a very quiet, stress-free, socially-distanced habitat.
A 2020 day in the life at Winnipeg Beach’s dog beach.
Other than visits with our immediate family, and infrequent trips to the grocery stores, we haven’t ventured out much in the past few months. Betty talked me into one day trip to Winnipeg Beach, where Charlie enjoyed a romp at the off-leash dog beach. But otherwise we have been staying close to home. And enjoying it!
Can Charlie smile and carry a stick through the waves at the same time? Yes he can!After his work-out at the beach, Charlie prepares for another work-out on his yoga mat. lol
Betty has continued her quilt-making, and I’ve been doing some maintenance and upgrades to our home on wheels. Following are a few examples:
The latest from the Betty Reddoch quilt factory: A Green Bay Packers rag quilt, made with love for Kevin.After washing, waxing, and buffing the whole motorhome, I painted each of the toppers black. The original colour-matched topper casings had been mistakenly removed by Camping World in Minnesota two years ago. I’ve been hating the white covers they installed ever since. Finally got around to painting them myself.Two & a half hours to completely mask off the area around each topper, and 20 minutes to paint them…The finished product, reflecting the high shine in the side of our coach. I have a dozen more pics, but Betty won’t let me post them. lolOK. So here’s one at sunset, showing the front-end shine after finally removing all of the Diamond Shield coating. See June 29/19 post for the rest of the story. The headlight lens are polished with toothpaste: Best cleaner yet! Not everyone will be as excited as me with the upcoming addition of a SeeLevel monitor that accurately tells us how much stuff is in our black, grey, propane, and fresh water tanks. With a bluetooth connection, I can even track our poop load on my phone. Yeah!!We are also adding a pair of LED light bars that will light up off-road driving on BLM land, National Parks & Forests, and State & Provincial Parks.As hoped, our black-eyed susans have been filling in the trellis at our campsite.Early last month we did have an attack of the crows, who apparently like to pull the heads off marigolds and roll in them…Betty got this pic of one of our colourful sunflowers.This pic doesn’t do justice to the stunning passion flowers in our front yard.A final garden shot, showing our lit-up runway leading to our palm tree.
There is much in the world for us and others to be stressed about – at least those of us who experience empathy for our fellow human beings. But as eternal optimists, Betty & I see the potential for tremendous positive changes to come in our world, especially in the area of race relations. We are cautiously following Covid-19 protocols, maintaining our health in difficult circumstances, and are thankful for a quiet, safe location to park and rest our heads at night.
We are thankful to be safe and sound in our little home on wheels!
We hope and pray that if all the social and pandemic health issues don’t kill us, they will make us stronger and better equipped to be kind and loving to each other.
Cheers!
"And it's written in good book That we'll never be asked To take anymore then we can Sounds like a good plan So bring it on Bring it on Bring it on It's just one more storm in the sea Bring it on Bring it on Bring it on It's just one more storm in the sea So bring it on."
As Betty and I prepare to travel to the west coast of Canada for winter, it is important that we check that “all systems are go”, as they say at Cape Canaveral.
Newer, often high- end motorhomes have integrated touch pads that provide detailing information on all monitored systems. On a single IPad-type device, one can turn any and all coach lights on and off; raise and lower blinds; lock and unlock compartments; check engine and battery status; determine electrical consumption; and know whether or not holding tanks are full or empty. Our old Boy didn’t come with that level of sophistication, so we have had to improvise with aftermarket additions. This post describes what we have. (In most cases I am listing the brand of monitor that we are using, without any compensation from the manufacturer for doing so. More detailed info can be obtained on-line from the manufacturer, or by contacting me. If you are a manufacturer whose product is listed here, and you want to send me money – feel free! lol)
Our original CruiseMaster Monitor.
The monitoring panel that came with our CruiseMaster provides some basic information about battery and propane levels. It allows us to turn the water pump off & on; bring the slide-outs in or out; use electricity or propane for the water heater; turn the generator on and off, monitoring hours of use; and assess holding tank levels. This last function will be addressed later in the post.
Our surge protector tells us how much power is coming into our motorhome, and whether or not there are any faults or errors.
When we decided to go full-timing, Betty & I determined that a number of other monitors would be helpful, if not essential.
It also monitors our power usage, going up and down as appliances are turned off or on.
One of the first was the addition of a Progressive Industries 50 amp surge protector. These are available as a plug-in at the campground electrical post, or as a hard-wired unit in the coach. We chose the latter, along with an interior monitor to let us know the condition of electricity coming into, and being used in our motorhome. This information is very valuable, as we have saved our appliances on at least two occasions where “shore power” was unreliable. We have also read reports from a number of RVers who have either had all their appliances fried in a lightning strike at their campground, or protected by a similar surge protector. I don’t have a lot of knowledge about electricity, but am happy with the peace-of-mind that this device provides.
Our TireMinder rotates through each of the tires on our coach and car, showing pressure and temperature.
Another monitor that we had installed falls into the category of “must have” for me. Our motorhome and towed car roll down the road on wheels, and it is essential that they remain in the preferred round shape. We added a TireMinder tire monitoring system which tells us the temperature and tire pressure of each of our motorhome and Smart car tires. We are alerted if there is a slow leak or blow-out (something you may or may not realize when going down the road in a house on wheels). The installation of this monitor at Camping World was a nightmare (recorded in a post April 17/18), and the system didn’t help last November on our trip south through Arkansas (Nov.9/19 post), but for the most part it is essential to know where we stand, or how we roll…
Everything you ever wanted to know about your lithium batteries, all on a phone app!
One of my favourite toys is a monitor from Victron Energy. It provides more information than one would ever want to know about the condition of our lithium batteries, installed and pictured in a Nov. 23/19 post from Texarkana, Texas. While Tom installed a wall monitor in our coach, I find myself always using the Bluetooth connection to check battery temperatures, state of charge, voltage, current, power, consumed amp hours, and time remaining before the batteries shut down, among other functions. It also logs status, history and trends, indicating when the solar panels are adding power, and when appliances are depleting power. I’m not much of a numbers guy, but love to check where we stand on power consumption when we are out in the boonies.
Also on the topic of solar monitoring, KISAE provides a monitor with our pure sine inverter, and Morningstar shows our mppt charge controller settings on this TriStar remote meter.Not everyone will be as excited as me with the addition of a SeeLevel monitor that tells us how much stuff is in our black, grey, and fresh water tanks. With a bluetooth connection, I can even track our poop load on my phone. Yeah!!
The final monitor for this post is our Garnet Industries rv gauge, recently installed by Stylings RV in Lockport, Manitoba. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, our CruiseMaster came with a tank monitor that has a series of lights showing tank empty, 1/3, 2/3, and full. Unfortunately, as with many RVs, the system uses probes mounted inside each of the tanks. Over time, these probes get coated with gunk and no longer provide an accurate reading. According to this monitor, our black tank has been full for the last 10 years. Yikes and peeyuuu! Lol
How much is in YOUR tank?
The SeeLevel tank monitoring system, from Alberta’s Garnet Industries, has senders /sensors that are mounted to the outside of the tanks, so they can never become fouled. Garnet provides a number of installation options, but we chose to have a main monitor, which includes a water pump switch, added to our plumbing bay. This monitor provides accurate readings as a percentage from 0 to 100 for each of the fresh, grey, black, and propane (lpg) tanks, in addition to a state of battery charge. The neat option we chose is a Bluetooth connection, allowing me to check our tank levels on my phone from anywhere in our coach. How fun is that! Lol
Well, there are other monitoring systems available out there, and more information about each of those I have listed, but this post is long enough for now. We are wired up to track our old Boy’s heartbeat, blood flow, and GI tract, so for now “all systems are go!”. Let’s hit the road!
Here’s another monitor. The odometer on our old Smart just turned 100,000 km last week. Hope it has many more miles to go!
Here’s hoping that all your systems are functioning well and that you can monitor progress goin’ down the road!
Cheers!
P.S.: A man and his toys! – Betty 😉
I painted up these outside monitors (also known as mirrors) last week as well.Here’s the other side, with all the chips and peeling paint gone. I do want to add side-view cameras and monitor in future, but that will be another post. lol
These Canada geese, over our campsite, can also feel that fall is in the air, and it’s time to move on.
Betty & I are now only a week away from leaving for our new winter home on Vancouver Island. In one sense, all of life is a preparation for what is to come. Our past experiences all contribute to decisions we now make about possible futures. But 2020 has been a year filled with unexpected uncertainties. Like others have reminded us, our plans must surely be written in jello, especially in times like these!
Last week we tried to social distance with our old friends, Janet & Peter from Manitoulin Island, but it’s easier said than done. (We wore masks for the greeting hugs.) Thanks to Kevin and Valerie for hosting this brief but memorable gathering!
We had planned to take a leisurely two month drive out to our campsite in Nanaimo, British Columbia, stopping for extended visits with friends along the way. Having lived in Calgary, Alberta for 9 years, we have lots of catching up to do with those who played a big role in our experiences there. But with COVID-19 still among us, and possibly beginning a second wave, we have cut our anticipated travel time in half. Knowing how hard it would be not to hug old friends, we may find ourselves social distancing, with a promise of a closer visit on return next spring – if things related to this pandemic have been sorted out a bit by then.
New skirting will tie in to that provided with our add-a-room.
In the meantime, we have prepped our motorhome with removable skirting that can be added to help keep the chill out from under our home during the winter. Yes, we’ll be in the warmest place to camp year-round in Canada, but it’s still not what we have gotten used to in Arizona, Florida, and Texas!
We have created the skirting to enclose the underside of our motorhome, keeping winter drafts out. (The logs and boards will be replaced with something more permanent/ attractive when we get set up on Vancouver Island.)
Among other upgrades, we’ve added a dehumidifier and new windshield wiper arms, because we understand it can be a little damp on the wet coast. We have purchased AutoSocks for our drive through the Rocky Mountains, as an alternative to installing tire chains. And we have also added LED light bars for national park and off-road navigation, and Betty & I have created covers that protect the lights and shield them in states and provinces where their on-road use is not permitted.
Let there be light – and lots of it! Light bars fit nicely on the front of our coach.The new padded, protective covers attach with velcro when the lights are not in use.
And we have installed new wine glass holders, mounted under cupboards that could not contain our oversized glasses. You gotta do what you gotta do! lol
Six oversized wine glasses can now be suspended under our cupboard – when not in use… lol
Before we head out on the road next week, Betty & I will be celebrating four family birthdays and an early Thanksgiving with our family at Andrew’s home. (All those pictured on the face page of this blog.) It is always bittersweet to share these meaningful family times just before we leave. But we already have our plane tickets to return to Winnipeg for Christmas, so the separation shouldn’t be too long.
Our family, along with my brother, Allon (top right) at a belated Christmas gathering in Arizona – January 2020.
So those are our plans, and we’re almost ready to go. We are headed to the end of 2020, and in a lot of ways it can’t come soon enough! While this year has taught us that it’s impossible to fully prepare for what is to come, we hope that a spirit of kindness, love and compassion for others can carry us through, regardless of what the future holds.
Like the Canada geese over this campground tree that has already lost its foliage, it’s time for us to leave.
Goin’ places that I’ve never been Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again On the road again Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway We’re the best of friends Insisting that the world keep turning our way
And our way Is on the road again…”
As is our tradition, Willie Nelson’s On The Road Againblasted through our motorhome’s speakers as we set out on another leg of our overlandish odyssey this week. This pictorial post provides a quick update on the past few days.
Charlie says “I’m ready to go! Can someone push the gas pedal for me?”Our site at Town & Country is packed up, with anything staying behind in our new shed.As mentioned in our last post, our family bubble got together for a celebration of 4 birthdays & Thanksgiving on the night before our departure. We stayed within the current Manitoba guidelines for this gathering.Adam & Valerie were also there. Just couldn’t find a wide enough lens to get everyone in one pic…So we set out over the Canadian prairies to the west, with miles & miles of blue & fluffy sky above and golden fields below.Our first night’s stop was in Elkhorn, MB, just about 3 1/2 hrs west of Winnipeg. (Don’t like to push it too hard on the first day. lol) The municipal campground has about 10 full-service sites at $25./night, plus a number of unserviced sites adjacent to Elkhorn’s fair grounds & cemetery. We more or less had this campground to ourselves, and it was a peaceful stop. Don’t those clouds look like mountains in the background?Our second night on the road was in the large Walmart parking lot in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Next we drove to Calgary for a couple of free nights at this local casino parking lot. With the pandemic continuing, the lot had room to spare.We were unable to visit most of our old friends due to COVID-19, but couldn’t pass through Calgary without seeing Wendy & Ken Colvin, who have been close friends for the past 50 years. Unfortunately, dementia has hidden many of our shared memories from Ken. It was still sweet to see him at his care home, even if we had to mask up and social distance. Our continued love and prayers for Wendy & Ken, as they gallantly face this part of life’s journey.The Calgary skyline has changed a fair amount since we moved away in 1987, with a huge combination of remembered and unfamiliar streets.As we left the city, the rugged Rocky Mountains came into view beyond Alberta’s foothills.We couldn’t leave the area without a quick visit with old friend David Milgaard. While we masked up for our greeting hug and social distanced as much as possible, Betty & I couldn’t resist a hearty bowl of David’s chilli, to keep us warm on the road. Thanks David!Our next stop was at the municipal campground in scenic Canmore, Alberta.For $40./night, we had mountain views in all directions, and were able to get a site with 30 amp service and nearby access to drinking water & a dump station.As we approached Banff National Park on the Transcanada Highway, we came to this familiar view of the majestic mountains. We never get tired of this!Our site (#804) in the national park’s Tunnel MountainCampground includes water, sewer, and 30 amp service for $39. Oh yeah, the dominant view of Mount Rundle is pretty awesome too! Betty uploads some messages to social media, as we relax in our campsite. Where’s Charlie? – Blending into the grass. lol. The ranger says the park is full of elk, and other animals that are predators of elk, – guess we’ll have to keep our eyes open…
Well, that catches you up to the end of our first week on the roadagain. Many more miles to go before we set up camp for the winter, so hope to have a few more stories to tell. Keep safe!
Cheers!
Our current view – looking down the street from our Banff campsite. WOW!
“Well, I’m so tired of crying But I’m out on the road again I’m on the road again Well, I’m so tired of crying But I’m out on the road again I’m on the road again…
…You know the first time I traveled Out in the rain and snow In the rain and snow You know the first time I traveled Out in the rain and snow In the rain and snow
I didn’t have no payroll Not even no place to go…”
On the road through the majestic Canadian Rockies.
That other On The Road Again tune – this one sung in the 1960’s by Canned Heat, with a distinctive falsetto vocal and echoing harmonica – often floats through my mind as Betty & I drive along North America’s highways and byways. It’s a much sadder song than Willie Nelson’s, but in some ways fitting for our last couple of weeks.
Castle Mountain, between Banff & Lake Louise, Alberta.Betty captures some of the captivating panoramic scenery. Charlie says “Is it time to go yet?”
Of course, it’s all relative. We have been driving through some of the best scenery in the world, with WOWs at every turn. What could be sad about that? Well, without being too much of a Debbie downer (sorry about that phrase Debbie…) we had a few glitches along the way.
This avalanche shed is pictured through the raindrops on our windows. Fortunately, we could still see to drive after our wiper arm disconnected.
Our new windshield wiper arm, replaced just before leaving Winnipeg, came apart at the linkage the first time we used it. (We spent over $4,000. to ensure our coach was ready for this trip.) Canadian Tire in Canmore, Alberta put it back together again (for $80.), and it worked until we needed it.
John & Char Singleton live in Penticton, BC. John & I went to high school together in Ontario. John knows how to fix things much better than I do…
Fortunately, we haven’t seen much rain while driving, but the wiper linkage came apart again, and remained dangling until old friend John Singleton came to the rescue in Penticton, BC. He bored and bolted the linkage so that it should stay connected now…
Despite the stress of having a disabled vehicle, Betty & I were able to relax for a few days in Singleton’s beautiful back yard. Oh ya, Charlie loved it too!!!John & Char’s backyard water feature includes a rooster that lived in our backyard, before we sold our home in Winnipeg. He looks right at home overlooking an attractive water feature!In addition to fruit trees, the yard is full of whimsy, like this tree face.
Then the big ouch! We were driving up a steep hill at Kelowna, BC when the “check engine” light came on and we lost most power. We had to put our hazard lights on and limped all the way into Penticton. There John referred us to Midtown RV, who diagnosed our problem as a blown exhaust manifold gasket, and sent us over to Cullen Diesel for repairs.
Our GPS captures the terrain through which we drove – very dramatic, but hard on a vehicle.
In 2015 we had both left & right exhaust manifold gaskets replaced in San Antonio, Texas (for a couple of thousand bucks U.S.) and the right one was replaced again last year at a shop in Winnipeg (for about $1,500.). Unfortunately, according to Cullen’s friendly and capable Branch Manager, Harry Hohmann, the Winnipeg shop had bored out a bolt improperly, and the new bolt they had installed was not a tight enough fit. Cullen’s had to rebore the hole, add a large plug, and then bore the plug to securely attach the bolt. (At least that’s what I think they did. Harry explained it all to me, but I don’t speak mechanic. lol) With the addition of new front brakes, our bill came to just over $3,000., but we were rollin’ on.
The remaining drive down the Okanagan Valley was most pleasant. We passed dozens of wineries, but the driveways and parking areas were too small for us. Too bad! Driving down Osoyoos Main Street. We thought we might spend a night here, but it was too early in the day to stop.The Crowsnest Highway, through Princeton, was jaw-droopingly scenic, but we found all the provincial parks along the route were closed. Betty’s arrow points to our road ahead.We finally stopped for the night at a Flying J Truck Stop in Hope, BC, where we ran into a neighbour from Town & Country. Gordie’s tractor trailer was parked right behind us when he recognized our Smart & CruiseMaster. Small world! BTW, we parked before the fog rolled in.Just outside Vancouver, in nearby Maple Ridge, we spent a couple of enjoyable days in an unserviced site at Golden Ears Provincial Park’s Gold Creek Campground.This old stump was almost as wide as our motorhome!The forest floor in the Gold Creek campground was covered in vibrant green moss.There was a light rain during the day, but thanks to our granddaughter Isabella’s fire starters, we were still able to enjoy a roaring evening blaze.
Betty & I had planned on taking a series of ferries and driving up the Sunshine Coast to Powell River, then taking a ferry across to Comox for a tour of Vancouver Island before settling into our winter campsite in Nanaimo.
So we weren’t crying on the road again until we entered Vancouver. Going up another steep grade we lost power, the “check engine” light came on, and we limped along at 30 km/hr to a nearby campsite in West Vancouver.
We were happy to be able to limp into the Capilano RV Park in West Vancouver, even though the sites are some of the smallest ever! You had to turn sideways to walk past our picnic table, which was partly under our neighbour’s slide out. The other side was just the same! Of course it is at the foot of Lions Gate Bridge, with world famous Stanley Park on the other side, so it’s easy to see why the RV park is so full & popular.
We were camped near the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, and Harry told us that, if we could make it to Nanaimo, the Cullen shop could either fix us up, or tell us where to go.
Setting sail in a large ferry, from Horseshoe Bay.
Keeping our plans in jello, we took a very scenic ferry to Nanaimo. BTW, we had intended to keep the car attached for the ferry ride, but had left it off from the campground to the terminal, to avoid the ailing motorhome motor pulling extra weight. At the terminal I handed in a “dangerous goods” form, declaring our 1 attached and 2 small detached propane cylinders. Turns out I shouldn’t have bothered, but the staff who came to investigate our “dangerous goods” did say that only one portable propane cylinder could be in the vehicle. The other needed to be moved to the Smart car, which then had to remain detached and loaded on the ferry in a separate line. As it turns out, BC Ferries has a little car rate, so it actually saved us $30. by leaving the car detached. One win for us! Yeah!
Vancouver Island finally comes into view as we reach the end of our ferry ride.
Our next big win came as we approached the Nanaimo Cullen shop. Both Betty & I had images of needing to replace our failing motor. How much would that cost? Yikes!!!
Approaching our destination: Nanaimo, BC.
I informed Joe, Cullen’s service guy, of our crisis, and he came out to have a look. In less than a minute, he had diagnosed the problem as a spark plug wire that had come unplugged. He had a small co-worker crawl underneath on the spot, reattaching it. He then checked and cleared the codes that lead to the “check engine” light warning. Our motor is now humming quietly – and so are we! How much did that cost: “FREE”. Yeah Cullen’s!
Our current site, #113, is in Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville, BC. on beautiful (and relatively warm, but wet) Vancouver Island.
“Well, I’m so tired of crying But I’m out on the road again I’m on the road again Well, I’m so tired of crying But I’m out on the road again I’m on the road again…
So that’s our story for the past couple of weeks. Any further tears are tears of joy!
It was overcast but mild today as we watched the surfers catching a wave at Pacific Rim National Park’s Long Beach.
“And we’re goin’ to Surf City, ’cause it’s two to one You know we’re goin’ to Surf City, gonna have some fun You know we’re goin’ to Surf City, ’cause it’s two to one You know we’re goin’ to Surf City, gonna have some fun, now Two girls for every boy…”
A couple of surfers are on the lookout for the right wave at Long Beach, on the west coast of Vancouver Island.Long Beach is a great destination for surfers from around the world, even on overcast days..Almost every other vehicle in this line heading to Tofino had a surfboard on top.
Jan and Dean were excited about going to Surf City, USA in 1963, but Betty & I were amazed when we arrived in Canada’s own surf city this week! From prior visits we were aware that the west coast of Vancouver Island attracted surfers to Pacific Rim National Park’s Long Beach. High waves regularly roll in on the wide sandy beaches, and the temperate climate makes the surf sustainable, especially with a standard wetsuit. But we didn’t realize just how popular the area has become!
The majestic Cathedral Grove trees are amazing! We were sorry that all stopping points in the area were closed.
From Parksville’s Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, Betty & I headed on the twisty narrow road that heads through the majestic Cathedral Grove old growth rain forest. We were looking forward to a hike among the natural Gothic architecture. But possibly because of the coronavirus, the pull-outs along the road were all closed, so we had to press on.
Our motorhome had to breathe in to get through some of the narrow stretches on Highway 4.
As we approached the west side of the island, we came upon a major traffic bottleneck. A rockslide on Highway 4 completely closed road access to Ucluelet and Tofino in January of this year. Now the road is back in operation and being widened, but a lengthy stretch is reduced to one lane, which alternates direction every hour, and closes completely for a large portion of each day & night.
It’s difficult to get the full perspective, but this jack hammer is operating 6 stories up a solid rock face, bringing down the wall in order to widen the highway.
We were happy to reach our site (#9) at Ucluelet Campground, and especially glad to discover that we had water, sewer, and 30 amp. electrical service for $30./night.
From our campsite, we can watch the tide roll in and out, as the boats bob in the harbour.On the small island in the middle of this picture is a group of sea lions that make their way up the coast from California each year. We can hear them bark for our campsite.Betty & I enjoyed the sculptures outside the food truck in Ucluelet where we stopped for fish & chips. That’s a surfer passing behind her.This one, hung with shells, provides a glimpse of the mountains beyond, hidden by low lying clouds.
I haven’t checked with the Ucluelet locals as to whether there is a rivalry with Tofino for the “Surf City” title. Surf shops and boards are ubiquitous in both locations, although Ucluelet is a little less busy/ more laidback.
Surf shops appear on almost every block in Tofino & Ucluelet. Many pedestrians walk the streets – most are in their 20s & 30s, with the majority appearing to be very physically fit.There’s another board, hanging out the back of the truck in front of us.Many of the local resorts cater to surfers from all over.Our gps often took us to the end of the road. Thankfully we were in the Smart car & able to turn around.Here is another pic of one of the geodesic domes shown in the last shot. They have a great view over the waters at Tofino.
In our winter travels from Manitoba, I always light up when we finally reach the southern palm trees: Paradise is at hand! Well, to the best of my knowledge, this southern end of Vancouver Island is the only climate in Canada that can sustain the beautiful palm tree. It’s great to see them again!
Palm trees in Canada. Yeah!I likely have more pictures of palm trees than I need, but they make me smile…
Today, in addition to our drives through Tofino and Ucluelet, Betty & I stopped in Pacific Rim National Park, for a long walk on a Long Beach. Charlie loved it too, and as we watched the surfers catching a wave, we joined Jan and Dean in singing along with that old surfer song:
Tomorrow’s forecast is for blue skies & sunshine, but I couldn’t resist posting this cloudy pic anyway, as the sun tries to peak through. This is low tide at Long Beach, btw.At low tide, there are miles & miles of sandy beach to walk along and contemplate life.
“…You know we’re goin’ to Surf City, gonna have some fun…”
A surfer with a bright coloured board passes Betty & Charlie, heading in the other direction.
Cheers!
Charlie loves Long Beach too! He likes goin’ to Surf City to have some fun!
There was nothing but sunshine today on Vancouver Island as Betty & I enjoyed a restful day at the beach – Long Beach that is. Tomorrow we are on the road again, heading to Port Alberni, on our way to Nanaimo. But on this day off, here are a few pics from our incredible island interlude:
This is the beach where we spent the day: Heavenly!Before we left, Betty had some quiet time, contemplating life and looking over the harbour behind our campsite.There are still little blooming flowers all around us – daisies, dandelions, and these little blue things…Deer appear quite plentiful in our campground, and often come by for a visit.Our campground is actually right in Ucluelet, where the streets are much steeper than anything we would find in Winnipeg. lol.It’s a relatively short drive from our campsite to Long Beach, within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.All along the way, a bike/ walking path fringes the highway.The newest stretch appears to run all the way to Tofino. It is paved, and very impressive!On the beach were long strands of bullwhip kelp, like this one.It was great just to walk on the beach in the sunshine.The tide was going out, and little streams formed artistic paths through the sand on their way back to the Pacific Ocean.The waves were quite large today.They pounded the rock in the background with a mighty crash.As the tide ebbed & flowed, it circled large rocks on the beach.Betty & Charlie took a break on this one.So I set my camera’s timer up to capture part of this incredible island interlude.
That was our day today – at the end of October on Vancouver Island.
Our new winter home is at Living Forest Oceanside Campground & RV Park in Nanaimo, British Columbia, on beautiful Vancouver Island.
I need an attitude adjustment. Betty & I arrived at our winter campsite two weeks ago, and it’s a great spot! More like a provincial or state park than a private campground, our site (#191) is large, quiet and private. Tall trees and shrubs border our angled site, with neighbouring RVs on staggered lots, rather than on top of each other in a grid pattern. So what’s my problem?
Our pull-through site (#191) has lots of room to park and put up our add-a-room.As is our custom, our sign lets people know where to find us. A picnic table & fire pit are also included. BTW, those are real live plants below the sign.
Before I share my problem(s), let me relate how we got here.
The road back from Tofino & Ucluelet was just as tricky as the journey west.Construction had the highway closed for much of each day, with one lane open for alternating traffic.The views were amazing, as long as you weren’t driving…The old growth forest, Cathedral Grove, was just as majestic on the trip east as it was heading west.Now at our campground there are forest sites, oceanview sites, and oceanside sites.Of course the oceanside sites have a long waiting list.A campground cafe – closed because of the Coronavirus – has a patio with a great view of the Nanaimo harbour.Because of COVID-19, full-time snowbirds like us are unable to travel to Florida, Texas or Arizona for winter. The only area of Canada where the weather is mild enough to winter in an RV is southwestern B.C,, including southern Vancouver Island. As a result, many campgrounds are full. We were fortunate to be able to book the last pull-through site (#188) in Living Forest for next November to April 2022.
So what’s the problem? This is where Betty says I need an attitude adjustment…
The title of this post could have been:
RELENTLESS RAIN
or
ACHING ARTHRITIS
or
CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES
or
DEPRESSING DARKNESS.
Our overlandish odyssey has taken us to 39 states and 9 provinces so far, with all having advantages and disadvantages. On Vancouver Island, Betty & I love that the temperature rarely drops below freezing, and snow is not a common sight. But the rain…
I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis last summer, and a rheumatologist in Winnipeg has been testing which medications are effective for me. Unfortunately, the meds I am currently taking are not working, and the damp climate is making any movement much worse. I will be unable to attend my next appointment with her in early January, due to the Coronavirus.
Ah yes, the Coronavirus. While we are sufficiently sheltered in our campsite, Betty & I have watched with consternation the continued growth of this pandemic. Months ago we booked flights back to Winnipeg for Christmas, but have now just informed our kids and grandkids that we will not be joining them this year. Likewise, we have not been getting together with friends and acquaintances on Vancouver Island, and it feels sad to have to maintain this level of isolation. But we know it’s short-term pain for long-term gain.
Finally – although I’m sure I could go on and on, but who would want to listen when there are far worse troubles in the world – the depressing darkness. As with the rest of Canada, we are approaching the shortest day of the year. The sun rises late and sets early, but because of the majestic tall trees around us, it rarely reaches our site. The lights are on in our motorhome for most of the day, but it’s not the same as experiencing the consistent sunlight we had in Arizona last winter!
OK, that’s enough belly aching. I’m sure I’ll get used to the rain; find a better treatment for my sore joints; celebrate a COVID-19 vaccine; and enjoy the lengthening days after December 21.
In the meantime, Betty will still be encouraging my attitude adjustment. Wish her well as she practices patience in putting up with her curmudgeon husband!
Cheers!
Betty finally puts Saskatchewan on the map.I add Alberta.British Columbia is the 9th province we’ve visited since December 2017.
