Jan 2, 2013 - 2000 km of blacktop

02 - 06 January, 2013 Christmas has come and gone, leaving warm memories of good times with family and friends. The upside of our originally planned December 1st departure date to the south being delayed somewhat was that we were able to spend the holidays with Erin, Ryan and Mel. On January 2nd we made the 3pm Schwartz Bay ferry from Victoria to Vancouver to start a whole new chapter in our travel adventures. Even by Turner standards we are LATE!!! After about a 30 minute “inspection” at the border (where we donated 2 mandarins to the US...

Apr 17, 2011 - Airplanes and softball

4-17-11 The Museum of Flight and Softball The usual morning routine. It was pouring rain. After coffee, I went to breakfast at the McDonalds next to the Tulalip Casino. Turns out there is free WiFi there. Gary called and said we should meet at his house around 11 AM to go to the Museum of Flight at Boeing field in Seattle. Joe has a softball game later today as well. By the time we hit the road for Seattle, the rain had stopped and the sun had come out. It was turning out to be a fine day. I have been to the Museum of Flight several times...

Apr 16, 2011 - Another rain day

4-16-11 Up at 6AM and installed at my table at Starbucks by 6:45. Did the usual online business then back to the RV for homemade bacon and eggs. Talked to Julie on the phone who reports it's sunny and 45 degrees in Anchorage but feels warmer. It’s raining and 45 degrees in Tulalip but feels colder. Today was pack and plan day. I need to decide what goes to Alaska and what stays in the RV. I also got out the Milepost and other sources to plan a route back. I plan to head directly north into British Columbia to the Cassiar Hwy then pick up...

Apr 15, 2011 - Taking care of business

4-15-11 Got up and went to coffee early at my favorite Starbucks near I-5 in Marysville. Checked e-mail, updated this journal, and started looking for places to store the RV for about 6 months. I have a lot of housekeeping things to do today. It’s not all fun and games on the road. I had phone numbers and plans to run down a few leads but first breakfast at the Casino buffet. I plan to eat about a day’s worth of food and I made a pretty good accounting of myself in that pursuit. After breakfast, I started making phone calls and making...

Apr 14, 2011 - Camped in Tulalip

11-14-11 Tulalip, WA Awoke at 5 AM but didn’t want to get up yet so I just turned on the heat and went back to bed. It was mid forties temperature wise but feels colder. I finally rolled out of bed at 7AM and was delighted to discover that you could catch a WiFi signal from the Home Depot near the Wal Mart here. I checked email, located a few campgrounds, updated the journal then ventured out to unhook the truck and explore the area a bit. I found the Tulalip Casino just down the street with a nice parking area for RVs that allows dry...

Apr 13, 2011 - Into Washington state

4-13-11 Into Washington Since it will be a long day, I was up, hooked up, and rolling by 7:30AM. There was more mountain climbing into Oregon. At Siskiyou Pass (4400’ ASL) there was snow coming down and sticking. Many trucks were parked along the road. This pass is the highest point on I-5 according to a sign. Left the snow behind near Ashland, OR but there was rain off and on and would continue this way for most of the day through Oregon. Must be in the “Pacific Northwest.” Stopped for gas in Central Point, OR and paid only $3.80 a gallon!...

Dec 1, 2010 - Woodburn, OR - Tulalip, WA

The skies have cleared somewhat this morning, but it is by no means sunny. We depart the RV park and drive a few miles on I-5 to go over to Target & Costco. We park the motorhome in the parking lot and drive the truck to an exit a few miles down the road so we can go to the New Balance store to get some runners for Evan. They have the width of shoe he needs, so we have one very happy teenager! When the shoe fits properly, we can see smiles! The strip mall the store is in seems very high class; they have valet parking! We check out some of...

Oct 16, 2010 - Departure Day

Well, the day has finally arrived.. departure day. It has been a hectic week with the boys writing a couple of tests so they can stay ahead of the game, getting organized and some truck troubles. The truck has been fixed, thanks to the shop at Steve's work and we are ready to go. Just getting things organized, making sure everything has been loaded up, last minute laundry and off we go. Hudson, our lab, has been anxiously pacing the deck all day, ever since the motor home left it's usual spot beside the house. He knows something is up and...

Jun 2, 2008 - I Love Otters!

Ok...I know that one might say....seen one aquarium, seen them all. That may be true but I have to say that all aquariums are not the same and any aquarium with otters in them are well worth entering! I am a bit partial to the old otter. There is something very cute about their mannerisms! So we made it to the Seattle Aquarium today - which I very much enjoyed. Not as big as the Monteray Aquarium in California but still good fun! So we saw otters and tufted puffins which I found quite intriguing, giant octopus and colourful star fish and...

May 7, 2008 - Oregon into Washington

Holy Chris is ready for home. He was up and at ‘em at 7am and wanted us in the van and gone without breakfast. The motor was runnin’ as our signal to hit the road. So, we had to ignore it and just have a normal breakfast. Still on the road before 8:30 anyway. We decided to see the Oregon Coast and it is so beautiful with the many huge rocks that are nestled out from the points. The wind is so strong here that the trees are blown permanently in one direction. There are also sand dunes as the wind has covered many things in sand. It is...

Apr 5, 2008 - Leaving Powell River, Canada

We caught the 7:20am ferry out of Saltery Bay. The kids ran me all over every outside deck of the ferry. The trailer pulled great on and off the ferries. When we got into Horseshoe Bay we checked 730AM radio and it said the Aldergrove border crossing was only a 30-minute wait. So, of course, we went there. Two hours later we sailed through the border. Oh well. It was an easy wait with the RV as the kids and I made lunch and brought it to Chris in the van. We played with toys and then watched grandpa’s favourite movie “Over the Hedge”. The...