Teddy Roosevelt called the road between Yellowstone National Park and Cody, Wyoming one of the most scenic 50 miles in American.  Can’t disagree with the man.

We left Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone, headed for the East Gate and then Cody Wyoming.  Passed more hot springs, the beautiful Yellowstone Lake and traveled through the amazing Sylvan Pass.  More sheer drop-offs, steep, twisting roads and mind-blowing scenery.  Its so hard to describe - rocky formations with sheer cliffs, weather-worn mesas, what we call hoo-doos, with rich green meadows and lacy cottonwoods, with glorious pines march up hillsides.  It constantly changes. Distant mountain ranges appear in many tones of blues and greys as a backdrop.

Just outside the East Gate we stopped at the lodge that Buffalo Bill Cody built because he was convinced of two things.  First This region should be preserved and second, that it had great tourism potential.  I find myself admiring Bill Cody more and more everytime I am exposed to the things he accomplished.  He built the first hotel in Cody Wyoming, the Irma, when it was just a few cabins, he built lodges, all manner of things.  He also sold the image of the west in Europe and across North America.  Because he rubbed shoulders with presidents and royalty he had a huge influence on preservation.

So, stopped at a dam just outside of Cody and did the walking across the top, interpretive centre thing.  This dam is significant to Jack and I because of our first trip to the area.  That year we left Yellowstone in the dark and rain.  We had no idea of the beautiful scenery, the huge lake formed by the reservoir behind the dam, and so on.  Our first inkling was when we suddenly went into a lighted tunnel, came out to sheer dropoffs on the right (the face of the dam), went in another tunnel, down a steep hill and into Cody.  It was a hair-raising experience.  This time it was wonderful.

Anyway, we arrived in Cody at what is one of the nicest campgrounds of the trip - and its right in town, 1/4 mile from the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Centre, 1 mile maybe from downtown.  We’ve enjoyed that.  First night we went into town where you can park Rvs on the street.  The main street is 7 lanes wide, and has been since Bill Cody laid out the town.  We at Prime Ribb Buffet at the original Irma Hotel which has preserved all of the fancy woodwork, the stage horn chandeliers and animal heads on the walls. They stage a ‘shoot out’ every night - which was fun. 

Took the town bus (a little one for tourists), for a trip around Cody the next day, hoped off at the Historic Centre and spent the day there.  It was 93 degrees so the museum was lovely, not to mention a great place.  That evening we went to the rodeo.  Cody is famous for its rodeo, which goes every evening in the summer.  Most of the contestants are young, so its much more informal, and family oriented.  

Today we went to a breakfast at “Our Place” - line up outside (mostly bikers) so we had to wait, but worth it.  Jack and I decided to indulge in the local favourite, Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs.  Walked it off at Trail Town, a collection of old original cabins and log buildings preserved from the old west.  Included the Hole in the Wall cabin where some of the outlaws of the past hung out.  Big thrill for me was the blue birds that frequented the place.  Beautiful little things that gave colour to the sage/dust landscape.

Jack and I decided to relax this afternoon.  Carol and Russ ventured off on their own and went downtown.  We feel organized for the 1,500 miles or more back to Canada.  The trek starts in the morning.

Good thing I guess, Mom is down about this move, and feeling very neglected.  We need to get her settled.  I haven’t been able to call every day from the US because of the cost, so she’ll be glad when we get back to Canada.

Well must go.  I’m neglecting the old fella, so should go be sociable.

Julie

Teddy Roosevelt called the road between Yellowstone National Park and Cody, Wyoming one of the most scenic 50 miles in American.  Can’t disagree with the man.

We left Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone, headed for the East Gate and then Cody Wyoming.  Passed more hot springs, the beautiful Yellowstone Lake and traveled through the amazing Sylvan Pass.  More sheer drop-offs, steep, twisting roads and mind-blowing scenery.  Its so hard to describe - rocky formations with sheer cliffs, weather-worn mesas, what we call hoo-doos, with rich green meadows and lacy cottonwoods, with glorious pines march up hillsides.  It constantly changes. Distant mountain ranges appear in many tones of blues and greys as a backdrop.

Just outside the East Gate we stopped at the lodge that Buffalo Bill Cody built because he was convinced of two things.  First This region should be preserved and second, that it had great tourism potential.  I find myself admiring Bill Cody more and more everytime I am exposed to the things he accomplished.  He built the first hotel in Cody Wyoming, the Irma, when it was just a few cabins, he built lodges, all manner of things.  He also sold the image of the west in Europe and across North America.  Because he rubbed shoulders with presidents and royalty he had a huge influence on preservation.

So, stopped at a dam just outside of Cody and did the walking across the top, interpretive centre thing.  This dam is significant to Jack and I because of our first trip to the area.  That year we left Yellowstone in the dark and rain.  We had no idea of the beautiful scenery, the huge lake formed by the reservoir behind the dam, and so on.  Our first inkling was when we suddenly went into a lighted tunnel, came out to sheer dropoffs on the right (the face of the dam), went in another tunnel, down a steep hill and into Cody.  It was a hair-raising experience.  This time it was wonderful.

Anyway, we arrived in Cody at what is one of the nicest campgrounds of the trip - and its right in town, 1/4 mile from the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Centre, 1 mile maybe from downtown.  We’ve enjoyed that.  First night we went into town where you can park Rvs on the street.  The main street is 7 lanes wide, and has been since Bill Cody laid out the town.  We at Prime Ribb Buffet at the original Irma Hotel which has preserved all of the fancy woodwork, the stage horn chandeliers and animal heads on the walls. They stage a ‘shoot out’ every night - which was fun. 

Took the town bus (a little one for tourists), for a trip around Cody the next day, hoped off at the Historic Centre and spent the day there.  It was 93 degrees so the museum was lovely, not to mention a great place.  That evening we went to the rodeo.  Cody is famous for its rodeo, which goes every evening in the summer.  Most of the contestants are young, so its much more informal, and family oriented.  

Today we went to a breakfast at “Our Place” - line up outside (mostly bikers) so we had to wait, but worth it.  Jack and I decided to indulge in the local favourite, Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs.  Walked it off at Trail Town, a collection of old original cabins and log buildings preserved from the old west.  Included the Hole in the Wall cabin where some of the outlaws of the past hung out.  Big thrill for me was the blue birds that frequented the place.  Beautiful little things that gave colour to the sage/dust landscape.

Jack and I decided to relax this afternoon.  Carol and Russ ventured off on their own and went downtown.  We feel organized for the 1,500 miles or more back to Canada.  The trek starts in the morning.

Good thing I guess, Mom is down about this move, and feeling very neglected.  We need to get her settled.  I haven’t been able to call every day from the US because of the cost, so she’ll be glad when we get back to Canada.

Well must go.  I’m neglecting the old fella, so should go be sociable.

Julie

YELLOWSTONE

Boy, can’t believe I’m so far behind with my ‘reporting’.  So much has happened in the last two days it fair boggles the mind.  All of it good stuff.  Some of the place names following might b e wrong, but if I wait to check you won’t get this till we are back in Ontario

We packed up and left Grand Tetons National Park with some regret.  Nice campground, and we enjoyed touring the park.  We overnighted at Coulton Bay RV Park and had a lovely campsite.  Jack remarked that we need to always include stays in National Parks in our travels to remind us what camping is really about.  Its true.  You are in semi-wilderness instead of parking lots.

Of course this statement was disproved when we got to Yellowstone.  More about that later.  Trying to keep in chronological order here. 

One thing we have notices here is that what looks like a short distanced in miles, can take a long time here.  Between the roads that are very twisty and turney, not to mention the long steep upgrades followed by long steep downgrades up and down mountains, and the necessary low speed limits it can take an hour or more to go 19 miles.  Of course the time is also dictated by the fact that your can’t pass very often, and there are so many wildlife sightings that slow traffic to a stop.

Coming out of the Grand Tetons is was construction.  Took us an hour and a half to travel 26 miles!  When we entered Yellowstone at the South Gate we stopped to walk in to a waterfall and relax.  Lovely.  I’m so impressed with the wildflowers here - this stop it was something similar to blue bells.  

Back on the road we traveled along side a spectacular canyon.  Almost impossible to get nice photos because the roads have no shoulders, and the turnouts (or pulloffs) never seem to be where you want them.  Apparently this canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon.  Not as accessible.  

Next stop - West Thumb Hot springs.  We took the walking trails (mostly boardwalks) around these hotsprings and whatever else you call the weird stuff that is part of thermal Yellowstone. I find it pretty interesting - bubbling (boiling) ponds steaming away in a landscape that looks like it belongs on the moon.  The springs range from mud pots that bubble up milkly-muddy looking ooze to turquoise pools rimmed with crystalized minerals that are gorgeous to look at.  These particular springs are located beside a lake some of the springs are along the shore, looking like miniature volcanoes, others create little streams that run down into the lake.  The little bit of growth is usually brilliantly coloured.  I have some awesome pictures.   

Carol and Russ had never seen anything like it and we have only seen this type of thermal activity years ago in a different part of Yellowstone   It truly is other-worldy.  But the sulphur smell and steam get to you after a while. On the way out we passed an elk on the road

So now its time for a little history lesson.  Some facts for you.  Yellowstone, all 2 million acres of it, is actually a huge volcano.  An active one at that.  The Park is rimmed by mountains, which actually were the rim of a huge crater.  This is/was the largest Volcano in the world. They class it as active because of all of the thermal stuff happening.  There are geysers, hot springs, mud springs, all manner of things going on, including about 1,000 earthquakes or tremors a year.  I would have loved to spend time learning more about all this stuff.  They have a centre when you can go to see the seismographs and such but we just haven’t had time and the rest of the gang isn’t as interested as me. 

Anyway from there we checked in at our campground.  Thank heaven we reserved back in February because they were turning people away when we arrived a 2 pm.  Had no time to dawdle about as we had booked a wildlife tour at 3:30.  I had suggested it to give the guys a chance to enjoy some of Yellowstone without having to drive.  The roads are so twisty, have no shoulders, and most of time, no guardrails even where there are steep drop offs.  

Had a bit of a shock at the increased price over what they quoted, but decided to go for it.  Turned out the price went up because we got to go in a restored heritage mini-bus thing,

These were originally build for the park in he 1920's. They had been sold off years ago, but were recovered in Alaska.  The buses and all parts were purchased in Alaska, shipped to Detroit where they were rebuilt and restored.  And of course brought up to today’s standards.  So off we went in these yellow tourist buses that hold 13 passengers, and have a roll-top roof to facilitate standing up to view wildlife from the safety of the vehicle.

A few interesting things.  First the doors are made of wood, which flexes when you lean on it, so every time we went around a steep curve it felt like I was going to fall out.  Second, there were three full bench seats across, each supposed to hold four people.  Jack got to sit in the front passenger seat, so Carol Russ and I were in row 2.  It was cramped.  None of us are small people.  So when the driver said we had to pick up three more people, two for the back row and one to go in with us, the dander went up.  Russ was livid, I was worried I would loose my window seat, as was Carol.  Luckily, when he stopped at the next resort to pick up the 3 (mom dad and child) she took one look at the space and said no way, I want my money back.  Phew!!!

So off we went.  First spectacular wildlife was a pretty large herd of buffalo spread out over a river valley.  A mile or so further on, the buffalo - oops, have to remember the guide’s lecture - the bison - were right along the side of the road.  We saw an eagle and kept a lookout for a grizzly who had been feeding on a dead buffalo/bison but didn’t see him.  Saw some pronghorns, and elk at a distance.  Probably the best part of the tour was the drive.  Having a narrator, especially one who has worked in the park for years brings things to life and increases your awe and appreciation.  The old bus thingee did a lot of clanking and gear changing as we charged up steep mountain switchbacks, and down again.  It was pretty hairy as the driver seemed to spend most of his time gazing about looking for wildlife instead of at the road.

We spent quite a bit of time stopped looking at where wildlife was supposed to be - grizzly and black bears, big horn sheep and such.  We saw a lot of people with scopes looking for bears and wolves.  Yellowstone has a number of wolf packs and there are people who go out night after night with scopes to try to see them.  They refer to them as wolf spotters.  Driver never stopped to see if they could see bears or wolves, he just kept saying “you often see bears here but we can’t stop because there is no where to pull off.”

This tour was great for the guys because they could look and enjoy the spectacular place Yellowstone is.  But, I would not recommend paying $100/each for it.  He didn’t go anywhere we couldn’t go ourselves.  As we found out the next day.

We got back to camp about 9 pm, so had to hook up in the dark.  Its amazing how much earlier it gets dark now, especially in the mountains.  

Next day we headed out to explore another part of the park. Taking a circular route which would get us to Roosevelt Lodge at 3:30 ready for another adventure.  We had booked a covered wagon trip that took us out to a cookout in Pleasant Valley. It was a fantastic experience, and much better value than the yellow bus.

We had two possible ways to get to the Lodge.  A repeat of the hairy mountain trip of the day before, or a drive around a western loop which would take us through new territory.  We went west, taking in Mammoth Hot Springs and lots of different scenery.  I had been told that our best chance of seeing Big Horn Sheep was to head for the North Gate so off we went.  Well here we are driving in second again because of the steep roads.  Sure enough we found a herd of 7 Big Horns clambering about on a cliff.  Mark another one off Carol’s list.  We saw elk along the way, so really her list is getting down to a sighting, and photo, of a black bear.  We do keep trying.

We have actually seen Black Bears three times, but she has always missed it, or couldn’t get a picture.  

We arrived at the Lodge, which is a centre where you can taking several different horseback rides out into the wilderness, go on a stage coach ride, or do what we had come for, take the covered wagons out for a cookout.  Its about a 45 minute trip out through the valley.  We passed bison and pronghorns along the way.   We arrived at the “camp” just before two groups of horseback riders, so had the pleasure of seeing them come down a ridge and hill.  It was so enjoyable.  They had a western singer, an old fellow who talked like Johnny Cash and sang like Gene Autry, who brought a real feeling of the old west.  Coffee was in pots hanging over a campfire and dished out by an older cowboy.  The wranglers (drivers from the wagons, and those who accompanied the ‘dudes’ on horseback) or cowboys sat around the campfire and gave real atmosphere to the place.  There were picnic tables for the rest of us.  The meal was all you can eat - steak grilled on site, potato salad and coleslaw, western style beans, cornbread, watermelon and peach cobbler.  Very good.

So we all enjoyed this experience very much but were a little anxious to get back because we had to drive over the mountains to get home and wanted to do it before dark.  To give you an idea of the roads here they give you a map with distances and driving times on them.  This road we were to travel was 19 miles, estimated time 1 ½ hours.  Not only tough up and down grades, sharp curves, no shoulders with drop offs that go down thousands of feet but we also knew we had to go through the buffalo/bison again and Jack and I knew how hairy that could be after dark.

So off we set.  Well folks I have to tell you that our little Rialta did us proud.  Jack put her in second and we just made our way up and down, round and round, with no hesitation.  Russ followed along behind, and other than running a bit to close to the back of us from time to time, he had no trouble.  The day before he had complained about his brakes burning and smoking, so Jack told him to rely on the transmission more.  Worked great.  Much better trip than that darn old bus thing.

So today is our last in Yellowstone.  We decided to head off to see Old Faithful.  Man what a place that has turned into.  Huge lodges, gift shops, eating places and such.  The parking lot is absolutely huge.  We all ended up doing a bit of shopping before heading out to watch the geyser perform.  They have a boardwalk around Old Faithful now.  It has benches for the fortunate, some sit on the raised boardwalk and many stand behind the sitters.  There seemed to be several hundred folks all eagerly waiting for the big blow and she performed admirable, right on time.  Fascinating to thing this geyser has been sending up water and steam 60-90 feet in the air at 60-90 minute intervals since it was discovered in the 1800s.

Our day ended with a trip to the laundromat and showers in the campground, then a leisurely evening.  We head for Cody tomorrow.

So there we go.  Sorry this bit has been long-winded but truth is we packed a huge amount of serious experience into these three days.  

One more interesting note: Today the work crews were out putting up long poles that were 10-12 feet high to mark medians and such for the snow plow operators.  They quite often get snow here in early September.  That is only 10 days from now.  We have three nights in Cody, then will be hot footing across to Sault Ste Marie.  Plan stops in Wall, the Badlands, and a few other places along the way but just short ones.

Thats all folks.

Julie

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BELLVUE IDAHO TO JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

OK, so I’m back and pleased to report Jack is on the road to recovery and all is well.  He’s not over what ever it was totally, but much better.  He’s decided it was food poisoning or something.  Ever notice how often we blame feeling cruddy on what we eat?

Anyway today was an awesome day.  Started off a bit shaky - Carol was not a happy girl.  We refused to be rushed today so didn’t get going to 8:45.  She also has a sore toe which we didn’t know about.  Anyway.  It ended up being such an awesome day everyone ended up happy. ;>

So as we left the scenery continued to be awesome and interesting.  The amount of irrigation through this sections just amazed us. It makes you wonder about the water table.  They irrigate grain, vegetable crops, hay, even pasture with cattle in it.  Very lush for a while before it went back to a dessert landscape. Then we noticed a quite sudden change.  

We were in lava fields - mile after mile of black- with some plant growth on it but stunted.  We had entered Craters of the Moon National Monument area.  Story is that Idaho sits on The Great Rift, a long line of fractures in the earth’s crust that allowed lava to burst through the earth surface. Not volcanoes, but more like leaks.  There were places where lava burst through holes so spewed out rocks and chunks of lava which formed some awesome ridges or walls, piles and formations, and cones that were made when ash spewed up in the air and came down almost like sand, but it formed these huge cone shaped mini-mountains that look like they are mostly soot or sand.  We took the time to take a drive the National Parks folks had paved and made walkways to provide access to.  Quit an experience.

This particular lave field is 15,000 years old, and covers 618 sq miles.  There are up to 60 lava flows and 25 cones.  This part of the world has had a lot of seismic activity so there are many other lava flows and such, but not as big/impressive.  I was fascinated by the sprinkling of plant life - a few lichen, a few wild flowers, and the hardy pines that seem to need very little to grow, even if they grow stunted.  Not much wildlife here - we saw one chipmunk and a few birds.

However, after leaving the main lava area, we did spot three prong horn antelopes and later in the day saw several eagles and quite a few large hawks and osprey.  

We continued on east passing through Idaho Falls and began once again following The Snake River. It often runs in Canyons or valleys so is again beautiful.  As we crossed into Wyoming the landscape changed again now we are in a combination of the worn down, sage covered mountains and the rockier “new” range of snow-capped Grand Tetons.

Jackson Hole, play ground of the rich and famous, is on the edge of a huge elk preserve and wetlands.  Grand Tetons National Park lies between us and Yellow Stone. It’s a distance of aboug 95 miles.  So we are well positioned to visit town in the morning to stock up with grub for our stay in Yellow Stone and then be able to take out time and enjoy the sights.

Talked to Mom today, and then John this evening.  Both are well.

Back at you when possible.  I hear its been 37 C in PEI and hot in Fonthill.  Weird because we have been in the dessert and its been in the 60s F.  I love it, but everyone else is cold.  

Well, must be off to do some banking while I have a good internet connection.

Julie - remember if you want to get in touch email us at julie@seacroftpei.com

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Well, I knew it had to happen and it did.  Jack has been like a grouchy old bear for days now - since we left Victoria actually.  He was obviously trying to be nice until today.  If I could have found an airport I would have put him on a plane anywhere.

Truth is he is sick.  Really sick.  Its all been exaggerated by long hard days.  He keeps pushing till he breaks - the usual story with Jack.  He has now crashed.  Its is 7pm.  We are in a tiny place called Bellevue in rural Idaho at a camp ground that can only be called rustic-with-full-services.  I got him to give in by picking up the phone to call 911.  If you get this you know everything is all right and he is alive and well.  If he isn’t - well I won’t be sending it will I.

Anyway, back to our day.  We stayed the night at a Good Sam Burns RV Park.  Nice enough with shady trees and very clean. $27 a night.  I woke up at 6:20 after an almost sleepless night.  Don’t you hate it when you don’t seem to fall asleep until an hour of so before you have to get up.  Didn’t have to but Mother nature called - loudly.  Jack was having a rough morning so when Carol and Russ were packed up and sitting in the rig with the engine running before 7:30 it started things off wrong!!!  I finally had to say something about it. Poor Jack didn’t even have time to go to the bathroom!

Anyway we breakfasted out then hit the road.  Once more we were running through countryside that is very different.  They call it dessert.  It is covered with sage brush, some scrubby weedy things with yellow flowes and the occasional stunted tree.  Buttes, messas, mountains softened by time so they have rounded sandy looking tops, often with a “collar” of rock part way down.  Fascinating.  I took 257 pictures today of the countryside.  Today was different in that we quite often ran beside a small river which created a green zone in amongst all of the dessert.  We would top a mountain, begin the run down the otherside, then start to pick up signs of green.  Finally in a gulch or pass there would be lush green trees, bluish toned cotton-woods, grasses and even some bullrushes.  The rivers were never big, but in some areas had been utilized for irrigation so there would be productive ranches growing acre after acre of crops. As we left Oregon we went through an area where they were growing corn (as high as an elephant’s eye I swear), and other vegetable crops. We decided some of it was navy beans or something similar.  But the most fun was the onions.  Field after field after field.  The air smelled of onions.  And a sign on one farm’s barn claimed to ship 22,000 loads of onions a year.  

In the more arid areas the crop is hay.  They grow more hay here than I have ever seen in my life.  It is piled in blocks in fields that are bigger than buildings.  These big blocks (of huge rectangle bales) are dated and numbered so are obviously to be shipped.  All of the hay is irrigated with huge sprayers.

The cole crops are also irrigated, but by using a network of channels and ditches. Again fascinating to see how industrious people are making this arid land work for them.  There are huge land-holdings, cattle ranches, horses - all of it spread out over miles and miles of rolling land, stunted mountains and valleys.

When we entered Idaho we did about a hundred miles on Interstate 84.  Hateful experience.  We headed north on a secondary road as soon as we could.  I was fascinated to pass over the old Oregon Trail and a couple of the other wagon train routes, as well as old stagecoach routes.  One could spend weeks exploring and experiencing what is in these two states.  So our trek ended up here, in the only RV park for miles around.  We have about 400 miles to go to Yellow Stone and two days to do it in so we can relax more.  Hopefully Jack is feeling better.  I don’t mind driving these roads, but won’t make the time he does. 

Our route takes us through the Grand Teton National Park, where the mountain driving will be a challenge.  We had to change our plans a bit because the west gate into Yellow Stone I partially closed for construction, so we opted for the south gate.  It will be good to stop for a few days

Julie

I’m at a loss to know how to start today’s report.  These last few days have been pure adventure for me. It all began with the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington.  We had a boring 2 ½ hour wait to board, then it took them a long time to figure out how to get the trucks, RV, cars and tractor trailers (or trains as the crew called them) loaded on the ship so we late leaving.  Even so, the trip itself was awesome.  I was on deck from the moment we climbed up from the “parking garage” below.  Leaving Victoria Harbour was very interesting.  We passed by cruise ships, navel vessels, the marina and RV park that we stayed in, fishing boats, lighthouses, etc. It was lovely

Once away from shore I was in the bow, watching for whales and such.  No whales, but salmon put on an impressive show jumping in front of the boat.  The most awesome aspect was the low cloud hanging over the Olympic Mountains and Port Angeles in Washington.  It created a wonderful misty almost ethereal atmosphere as we crossed.  Boats, birds, mountains all kept vanishing into the mist and reappearing.  Cool stuff.

Carol and Russ got pulled over going through US Customs, but just delayed a few minutes and then we were on our way.  South on Hwy 101 

OK, so the mist, low cloud, rain and such continued to be part of our lives as we madly drove towards Long Beach.  A commitment to meet John at Long Beach meant we didn’t spend any time on the coast, or in Olympic National Park - which was fine because it was raining and so foggy we never really saw much in the way of mountains.

It was beautiful going past lakes, and once we got to the coastal area it was awesome.  If the weather had been better it would have been wonderful.  As it was it was hard driving.  And a long day.  We finally arrived in Long Beach about 7 pm and found our campground. I had booked ahead and that always makes me a little nervous - you can’t believe everything they say on web sites folks!

This place turned out to be great.  A short walk through the sand dunes to a big broad beach.  I made a quick foray to the beach and was enchanted to find a huge flock of pelicans down on the sand.  I hadn’t taken my camera, because it was nearly dark and very overcast.  Of course we had a wonderful sunset which sort of came out of nowhere.  And me with no camera.  John arrived about 9:30, exhausted but very happy because he had such a good time at the Didje Festival he went to.

We had a great day with John the next day.  Got Dungeness Crab for lunch which was fresh-from-the-sea delicious.  Barbecue for lunch.  John and I plotted some projects we are working on.  He and his dad had a batchee (?sp) ball competition.  He and I went to the beach for sunset and took photos.  Sunset fizzled but we had fun snapping the pelicans, the misty beach, each other, the dunes - whatever.

Highlight for him was having a camp fire.  So picture this folks.  Its raining, not hard, but raining or heavy misting all evening.  John is not only determined to have a fire, he is determined not to use paper to start the darn fire.  He did it, but it was a struggle.  Jack pooped out and went in to watch a movie in the dry.  He’s been feeling a bit punky for days now and just didn’t want to be out in the cold rain.

John and I perservered, burnt his $8 worth of wood.  He slept in the RV both nights because it was raining so we gabbed too long.  Anyway next morning packed up and he headed north and we all headed south into Oregon.

If we loved what we could see of the coast of Washington, we were bowled over in Oregon.  The coast road is an adventure to drive. Up down turn around seems to be the order of the day.  The turning around is to see the view.  The highway runs beside the Pacific Ocean.  So do the mountains. The road twists and turns and at each curve you find your self wondering what the scenery will be.  This is like rain forest; thick, lush growth.  Huge trees with thick, thick undergrowth that ranged from blackberry brambles, to wonderful ferns, to hardwood trees and shrubs of all kinds.

The seascape ranges from 700 ft high cliffs, to huge monolith rocks; from sandy dunes to isolated little coves and sea caves.  We saw sea lions in a sea cave, whales spouting, pelicans soaring (love those pelicans), seals, it was all wonderful.  So wonderful that we only traveled 84 miles on Wednesday and 170 on Thursday.  Since we still had 370 to go to the Redwoods in Northern California, we had to take a reality check.

Truth is Julie finds out too many neat places to stop to see.  I kind of got into trouble for slowing us down between adding John’s visit into our mix, and then saying, “Turn here” too often.Add in the fact that the weather has been poor - foggy, wet, cool with just enough periods of blue sky to whet our appetites and make it even more noticeable when we lost it again.

  So last night we sat down with the maps and figured out mileages against our time.  Verdict was simple if we went to Northern California, we would not get to Yellowstone in time for things we have already paid for - wildlife tours, chuckwagon dinner, that sort of thing.

So this morning, we drove through the fog to Florence, then turned east.  We are heading home.  Granted we have a continent to cross, but I must admit I felt pretty depressed to be leaving the Pacific coast.  I love it.

We followed the MacKenzie River Valley through the coastal mountains, to Eugene, then meandered through the Cascade Mountains.  The trees just seemed to get bigger and more magnificent as we went.  Huge big pines.  We passed through little villages where carvings and sculptures were everywhere.  One metal working genius had all sorts of creations outside - the most spectacular a Cinderella Coach - full-size.   

We passed Christmas farms with huge holly trees, orchards with huge nut trees, fisher folks on the river and funny buildings of all shapes and descriptions.   When we entered the National Forest and Park areas it was kind of mind boggling.  These huge pines or cedars with lacy boughs, often right to the ground lined both sides of the road, quite close to the pavement creating canopies that the sun shone through (yes the sun did come out).  In some areas ferns grew right to the pavement edge and with the trees gave the effect of driving down the most wonderful tunnels.  

One area had acres and acres of what was obviously lava flow.  Its broken up now the trees and a lot of growth - I would guess the lava flowed 2-400 years ago based on the size of trees there.  Then we went through a huge area that had been burned in a forest fire.  Pretty recent as the only new growth was small plants, wildflowers and such.  That was near Mount Washington.  The forest changed as we came out of the Cascades and into the area known as Sisters and Bend.  Trees were still huge, but with very little undergrowth and lots of space between them.  You could see through them for a long way.  Made one want to get on a horse and go exploring.

A few miles down the road, east of Bend the landscape totally changed.  Trees became shorter, stunted.  Pines had the bark and needles seen before, and the thick trunk, but the trees were really short. Sagebrush and some yellow weedy thing gradually took over the land which is now rolling hills, called buttes, linked my miles of sandy soil covered with stunted sage brush.  It turned into country called high dessert.   We saw a few cattle but not many. Too arid.  Eventually even the stunted trees disappeared.  The road would go out front as straight as a pin, the vast dessert on either side and the only shadows you could see came from the clouds passing over.

Some of the very old buildings from the days of pioneers, stage coaches and wagon trains are still to be seen.  We saw two soddies -cabins built with sod.  A weathered sign hanging from cross bars declaring “Hatfields - High Dessert Ranch”.  A place that claimed to be a stage coach depot. Even a rest stop (picnic area) that had a special place for exercising and watering your horse.

Anyway with the road as good as this last part was (130 miles of weird beautiful dessert) and none of Julie’s side trips we managed to travel 320 miles today. 

So now I have to head for bed so that I can successfully navigate us in the right direction to find Yellow Stone .  

More next time

Julie

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Man, we are so upset that our time in Victoria has flown by so quickly.  We left Vancouver on Wednesday and had an almost perfect run to the ferry.  Hardly any traffic, clear sailing.  Just had to wait a few minutes and we were on the boat.  It was misty though - a low cloud cover - so the view was not as magnificent as it can be.  We arrived at the campground at about 2pm, wondering what we would find waiting for us.  

Turned out to be a great spot.  West Bay Marina and RV Park is on the harbour in Victoria.  The marina part is home to about 25 houseboats and more fancy sailing and motorized vessels.  The little ferries that ply the harbour come in, so we are able to get right downtown on them.  Fun and very handy.  

The RV part of this park is crowded and kind of funnily laid out but the view makes up for it.  Victoria Harbour is the only marine airport in Canada, designated as such because so many seaplanes land and take off here.  Makes for a very interesting harbour watching.  Kayaks, fancy yachts, power boats, a fishing fleet, tug boats, little 12 passenger ferries, big auto ferries, cruise ships and naval vessels all share the same waterway.

Funnily enough wildlife is also present.  We have a mom seal who nurses her pup on the log boom marking the entrance to this marina, and a few minutes ago a hawk dives almost into our campsite after another bird.

We didn’t get a spot on the water, but its just a short walk to be able to go harbour gazing.  The most amazing sight is the huge cruise ships that tie up just across the water.  At night it is stunning to see them all lit up.  Last night there were three huge ships in a row.  I find myself making late night forays to the bathroom just so I can savour the water, and the lights.  Last night was a full moon as well.  I feel like the big fellow upstairs is smiling on us!

Its been busy here.  We spent some time with our friends Marg and Dick.  True kindred spirits who we met on our train journey in 2008.  Also got to visit Jack’s nephew, Chris and family.  That involved meeting the new baby girl in the family so was delightful.  

We rented a car and did the ‘must-do’ things for Carol and Russ - toured Marine Drive and the city, took a day trip to Duncan and Chemainus which we followed with dinner at the Waddling Dog Pub with Bob and Linda Marshall, and an evening at Buschart Gardens, then another day trip to Fort Rodd (historic sight with another re-enactment on the go), Colwood and Sooke.  We also took the little ferry downtown and strolled the touristy shops, Empress Hotel and enjoyed the buskers and crafts people on the waterfront.

Jack and I love this area.  Its less busy than Vancouver, more laid back and most ‘British’ if that is the right way to describe it.  Every time we come here we ask ourselves why we live anywhere else.  We have enough good friends to feel welcome and at home.  Love the vegetation and the rough, rocky nature of the landscape; not to mention the closeness of the ocean and the climate.

Anyhow, had better get at it.  This evening is pack-up and ready for a driving day time.  We head down to the ferry terminal at 7:30 am to catch the Co-Ho from downtown Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington.  Then we drive down to Long Beach Washington where we meet John for two nights camping “one sand dune from the Pacific Ocean.”

On that happy note, I shall say goodbye for now with a reminder that our cell phones won’t work in the US without costing us a fortune so please only use our cell numbers if its really important.  I hope to get onto email every couple of days.

Julie - Remember if you want to get in touch email us at julie@seacroftpei.com

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So, today is our last day in Vancouver and we are already sad to be leaving.  The last few days have been jam-packed. 

The four of us went to Whistler one day.  Its one of those places one wants to see, but once you have there is no need to go back.  Its one huge shopping mall with grand (expensive) hotels and eateries as the main attractions.  At this time of year there is no skiing of course, but they use the hills for mountain biking, hiking and sightseeing.  Many of the chairlifts are still going but we didn’t go up.  It was 37 C the day we went there so we left a lot of sweat and a little cash.  The road up is vastly improved - not quite as hair-raising - but still very scenic.  We took a picnic.

Another great day involved heading out of town to Langley and Abbotsford.  We went to Fort Langley - a historic site - a lucked in to a re-enactment weekend.  There were lots of costumed folk cooking outdoors, shooting flintlock muskets, making things and generally making the walk around the fort great fun. Had lunch in the village.  Fort Langley has preserved much of the good stuff of days gone by and is now full of interesting shops and restaurants.  Lovely after the big city hustle and bustle.  Looked at some more motorhomes and were once again wowed by the variety and prices here compared to home.  Then we rounded out the day by going to the Abbotsford Agri-Fair, Exhibition and Rodeo. Highlights were the Rodeo and a lumberjack show. Ohh, and the pulled pork on a bun.  Yummy.

It was a lovely spot, especially sitting in the bleachers for the rodeo.  A backdrop of snow capped mountains and a rising moon were much appreciated.  Tendrils of grey smoke drifting across the sky were stark reminders of the numerous forest fires that are still raging here.  Heard on the news that there are 700 fires burning today in BC.  It is so sad to think of the lovely green forests being burned

On Sunday we drove through the West End early enough to beat the Gay Pride Parade which was 2 ½ hours long this year, and to get a parking space relatively close to the False Creek Ferry, fondly known as “bobber boats” which take up to 12 across to Granville Island Market.  Jack felt quite smug about beating the crowds.  By the time we shopped, strolled and ate lunch the parade was over and we made it back through to Lion’s Gate Bridge.  Put the grub away and scooted up the mountain to visit Capilano Suspension Bridge.

This was the scene of a great failure for me.  I was determined to cross the bridge but just couldn’t do it.  When there are just a few people on it, it sways both sideways and up and down.  This day it was packed.  Solid people, one lane going over, one coming back.  So no stopping.  What fun is there in that?  

Anyway I got out about 15 feet and could feel my knee starting to grind.  Rather painful experience.  I knew if I kept going I would be hobbling about for days to come so I had to turn around.  Jack and C&R kept going to walk the trails & walkways between suspended tree houses and such.  I was very disappointed and a little embarrassed. Word quickly spread that I had hurt my knee and next thing I knew the staff wanted to call paramedics and stuff.  I convinced them I was fine, but had to spend the time sitting sipping frozen lemonade with my leg up and an ice pack on it.  On the way home we visited the base of Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Reservoir where I did gimp on some of the trails. Couldn't bear to sit in the car like Russ and let the other two enjoy the fantastic view without me

Yesterday we, and a couple of hundred thousand other people, went to Stanley Park for a horse pulled wagon ride around the park and a visit to the aquarium.  Met the kids afterwards at Vera’s Burger Shack for supper.  This long weekend is apparently one of the busiest in Vancouver.  I believe it!

Returned the rental car this am and are packing up to head to Victoria tomorrow.  Temperatures are a little better now so hope that continues.  We have booked into a campgrounds on Victria’s inner harbour for our next stop.

 More next time

Julie - Remember if you want to get in touch email us at julie@seacroftpei.com

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For Jack and I returning to this part of Vancouver evokes feelings of having come home.  We are camped at Capilano RV Park, actually on reserve land and operated by native peoples.  The campground is beside the approaches to the Lions Gate Bridge in North Vancouver sort of sandwiched between a river and the bridge.  Huge trees, the lacy west coast cedar in particular give one the feeling of being in the country, even though surrounded by busy highways and Rvs. In fact the park is tightly packed as are all innercity RV parks, but that is only to be expected.  Fortunately we have an almost private area between the two RV’s which is backed by a cedar hedge which provides shade in the evening. 

 It’s a short walk across a bridge over the river to an absolutely huge mall with two grocery stores, all banks, shops of every kind and a dozen or more places to eat.  Crossing the river is one of our entertainments because the resident Indian population has the right to fish the river for salmon. They do it in the traditional way, by building channels with river rock, guiding the fish into pools where they can net them, Fascinating to see.  It’s a tidal river, so the building and managing of the channels changes every time we see it.

This park is located near the narrows, the waterway that cargo ships must take to enter the harbour.  On the other side of this water way is Stanley Park.  It’s a very picturesque setting.  A public park, called Ambleside takes up the shoreline to the west providing us the walking trails, a fishing wharf, par 3 golf, and beaches.  The drive from here to John and Chrissy’s can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on traffic on the bridge. So we pick our times.  Of course traffic can be awful in this city so one just has to accept it.  As Jack says, you claim your space and proceed with caution.

We’ve been busy since we arrived in Vancouver. We took a taxi to Lonsdale Quay, then the seabus over to gas town, and explored the area around the Pan Pacific Hotel, etc. Stocked up at Lonsdale Market before heading home.  Ate at the original Spaghetti Factory - a fun experience.

Went out to Langley to get our fridge fixed, and spent the day looking at motor homes.  Indulged in one of Jack’s favourite entertainments - getting salesmen all excited.  It was a fun day.

Spent a day at Granville Island.  Met John, Chrissy and Lisa (their friend) for lunch, shopped for fairies at one of my favourite stores, and of course enjoyed the market.  I think Carol and Russ enjoyed the huge variety of vendors even though they found it very busy.

We spent another day in Richmond, Stephensville, and Ladner.  Toured the Georgia Strait Canning Factory - a National Historic Site, had fish (salmon for Jack and I, Halibut for Carol and cod for Russ) and chips at Fisherman’s Wharf, strolled the village, found Jack’s favourite Romanian Bread shop, and my favourite English Shop.  There we purchased 9 pots of Bovril to take home.  Would have loved to get more, but have to watch the $$$$$.   We followed up by going to a wildlife sanctuary near Ladner.  This is a wonderful place where ducks, geese, heron, and all sorts of song birds, swallows and such hang out. 

To get to the Sanctuary you drive through market garden/farm land which is rich in berry production.  You can actually smell the raspberries and blue berries as you pass the fields.  It is intensely beautiful with the mountains and the city off in the distance creating a backdrop to the fields of crops, grain, fruits and vegetables.  We were delighted to find blackberries perfect for picking alongside some of the roads.  I’m in heaven.  Raspberries from a farm gate operation were $2.99 a pound and so delicious I ate all of them by nightfall.

We’ve spent time in Stanley Park, visiting John’s studio, and of course shopping.  Anyway, this is just the beginning of our time in Vancouver, so more next time.

On that happy note, More next time

Julie - Remember if you want to get in touch email us at julie@seacroftpei.com

Ok, so as soon as we got settled here we found out what a near miss we had in Kelona.  Just hours after we left they were evacuating the area we passed through because of raging forest fires.  So glad we didn’t get caught in all that heat and smoke.  The temperatures in the Okanagan Valley are still in the high thirties, and the fires still burning.  Sad situation for all.

This just a quick note to let you all know that we are OK, not in the forest fires, and we haven’t melted into little puddles yet.  Although its close.  Its in the mid thirties in Vancouver.  Thankfully we are close to the water and it really cools down at night.  They have extreme danger warnings about fires even in the city.  Smoking is not allowed outside in parks and such.  What a summer!

More from Vancouver later.  I’m writing this beside the pool and simply must go jump in and cool off

Julie