MoHo

Home Sweet Home

2010-06-23T06:03:00.004-04:00

Here we are one year and 25,648 kms. later. Those are the kms. on Moho's wheels but we can't calculate the ones on our feet. We travelled through five provinces, twenty-one states and four southeast asian countries. It has been an amazing year and we have seen and learned so much. Travel truly allows one to step outside the comforts of familiarity and challenge each other. We learned that we make a "great team" and would not hesitate to repeat our adventure.

Already people have asked what was the best place orthing? We both agree that each experience was unique and all wonderful. There was no specific favourite.

So, in closing our blog, I want to thank everyone (and there are too many to name individually) for the hospitality, the great meals, and the help with minor Moho repairs along our way. The emails were a bonus in keeping in touch and some arrived very timely when a wave of homesickness occurred. Of course, Don never experienced that!

And for now the wheels areparked and so ends Moho0910 Blog.........

Pennsylvania

2010-06-15T08:10:00.009-04:00

With our heads full of American Civil War history it was time to move on and enter the Amish farmland area of Pennsylvania. We found the ideal location; Intercourse in Lancaster County. Our campsite boasted "a relaxing setting where one could sit back and watch the cows come home." This was not a lie. Sites were set on a hill bordering a local farm where we watched an Amish farmer and his young son plough his fields with the aid of a team of mules. A short walk to town were the tour buses, buggy rides, shops, restaurants and promises of a taste of the Amish lifestyle. We instead chose the peddle option and climbed on our bikes to head out into the countryside.

Our first stop was Mascot Rollers Mills/Ressler Family House. It was a water powered flour mill built in the 1730's. The family acquired the Mill in 1864 and operated for three generations until it ceased operation in 1977. The Ressler Mill Foundation was setup by the family in 1967 to preserve the Mill and share with the public this part of history that was more than a business for this family. The house has been maintained in the way left by Anna before she moved to the Senior Home. We felt like we were introduced to the family and could feel their

presence today.

We continued to Bird-in-Hand Farmers' Market where local produce, cheese, meats and bakery goods were for sale. In our Pinksen style we purchased whoopie pies and a piece of shoo-fly pie to sample. Another item we purchased was pon pudding made from pork innards to try with our cheese grits. All turned out to be delicious. Pennsylvania was an even "drier" state than Utah. No alcohol was sold in the supermarket and we found one store that sold wine and spirits. Their beer was sold separately and the minimum purchase was 24.

Arising early we did a long run through the farmlands. Not realizing the Amish rose so early for Church we felt a little uncomfortable in our running attire passing the Amish families walking or buggy riding in their Sunday best. Despite our feelings we were greeted with wonderful smiles and waves.

Feeling well rested we travelled on a few more miles. One could not pass through Hershey, PA without stopping to sample and tour Hershey Chocolate World. Of course we had to purchase some dark chocolate for it's medicinal purposes.

We passed through Harrisburg for a night and by chance found Little Buffalo State Park in Newport, PA. Time to settle in for a couple of nights and hike the area around Holman Lake and the ridge. We had planned to also do some running but temperatures dropped and the rains came. We instead chose the option to stay bunked down in our cozy Moho and start planning for our return home.

However, our wheels kept turning over the rolling farmlands of Pennsylvania. A stop in

Cook Forest State Park gave us the opportunity to experience the Cathedral Forest with its old pine and hemlock. They were not the Redwoods of California but we enjoyed hiking there just the same. This was our quiet time to prepare for the return to our Canadian lifestyle.

Our last "adventure" was shopping at the Prime Outlets in Grove City. Charlene, not being a "shopper" faced the necessity of purchasing new clothes after a year of a limited wardrobe. So it was off to the border and our crossing back into Canada.

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground

2010-06-07T13:49:00.012-04:00

This drive stretches 175 miles from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Virginia, through West Virginia, Maryland and ends at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Our visit to Monticello was covered in the Blue Ridge Parkway Blog.

From Monticello we decided to detour off the JTHG Corridor and drive through Shenandoah National Park on the Skyline Parkway. The drive was similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway but the mountains were not as intense and their were more views of civilization below particularly the Shenandoah Valley. We camped at Big Meadows in the Shenandoah National Park and had a great hike to Lewis Falls the next morning with a portion along the Appalachian Trail.

After finishing the Skyline Parkway at Front Royal we drove to Manassas National Battlefield Park. The First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) on July 21, 1861 and the second battle on August 30, 1862 both resulted in victories for the Confederate Forces early in the Civil War. The farmlands of the fields of battle remain much as they were on those two days of bloody fighting. That and the excellent information provided on the walking tour of the first battle's locations brought that initial clash of the two armies of the divided nation with its unexpected loss of young men to life for us.

Our next stop was Harpers Ferry National Historic Park which also saw battles fought during the Civil War and actually changed hands several times during the war.

It is located on the Potomac River where the Shenandoah flows in. This strategic location on the border between West Virginia and Maryland (north) and Virginia (south) led to the transportation and industrial town being nearly destroyed during the war.

But the most important role Harpers Ferry played in the Civil War was its setting for John Brown's Rebellion for freedom of the slaves on October 15 1859 which was one of the triggers of the Civil War.

Our last stop was Gettysburg National Military Park the site of the a three day battle involving more than one hundred thousand soldiers from July 1-3 1863. T here were more casualties (51,000) than any battle fought in North America before or since. The battle ended with the failure of Pickett's Charge by the Confederates and victory for the Union forces. This would be the last incursion by the south into the north and would turn the tide in favour of the north. The war would drag on for two more years. The Visitors Centre has extensive presentations on the battle. We decided to bypass this for a twenty four mile self guided tour of the significant sites of the battle and views of some of the thirteen hundred monuments that decorate this large park surrounding the town of Gettysburg.

Our drive ended at the Soldiers' National Cemetery where many thousands of soldiers from both sides are interred. This cemetery is most famous as the site of the delivery of the Gettysburg Address by President Lincoln four months later at the dedication of the cemetery. This two minute speech changed Gettysburg from a field of death to a symbol of sacrifice and an inspiration to the living.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

2010-06-01T13:53:00.015-04:00

The Blue Ridge Parkway often called "America's Favourite Drive' is deserving of this label. The 469 miles commenced for us in the Great Smokey Mountains, North Carolina and moved north to the Shenandoah National Park in the Appalachians, Virginia.

Our scenic drive which joined the two parks took us through mountains, valleys, meadows and more mountains. We got a sense of the life of mountain people in this area of the United States. The views were breathless at times and thankfully there were lots of pull-offs to stop and enjoy the landscape below us.

Construction began in 1935, and the final leg was finally completed in 1987 with the spectacular Linn Cove Viaduct which looks as though it's suspended from Grandfather Mountain. This September 11th marks the 75th anniversary of the Parkway. We can thank the initiative of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for this wonderful drive. His intent was to give travellers a scenic drive and use the labour of CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) during the Depression of the 1930's. Our drive was slow with the speed limit being 45 mph and sometimes it was difficult to even achieve that.

There were so many highlights of our week long drive that I will mention but a few. The Parkway had several Craft Centres and we visited two. The first was the Folk Art Centre near Asheville, NC operated by the Southern Highland Craft Guild and has been in operation for the past 60 years. The handicrafts of the region were well represented. The second was the Parkway Craft Centre part of Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. This stood out for us not only because of the quality workmanship but the beautiful grounds of the Park.

We continued on to the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, NC. This store established in 1883 is still in operation and some of the items looked as though they were there since the beginning. There were barrels of candy selling for a penny. The store's motto was that it sold everything from "cradles to coffins" and after a short visit we believed it except for the fact that we had actually gone to buy a loaf of bread and couldn't find one.

The Mabry Mill, the most famous attraction on the Parkway, was well worth a stop. As well as the working of the Mill we saw an example of an Applachian home and a real whiskey still tucked in the woods. This spot brought us back the next morning for breakfast. Buckwheat flour ground at the Mill made very delicious pancakes as well as the sweet potato and cornmeal pancakes too. It was our opportunity to try famous Country Ham and biscuits. The ham was not a big hit. With full bellies we moved on and thankful that there were stops along the way to hike and work off the calories. Two of our favourite hikes were Fisher Peak Loop and Sharp Top Trail which gave us a panoramic view of the Peaks of Otter area.

Monticello or "little mountain"; home of Thomas Jefferson was one of the best tours we took on our trip. We commenced our tour with Susan our guide in Monticello Hall where visitors waited to speak with President Jefferson. The room was filled with artifacts including giftsbrought back by Lewis and Clark from their expeditions. One of the most amazing facts we learned was that the house was designed by President Jefferson and it incorporated open-air living spaces, skylights, terraces and cooking/storage spaces in the basement. It is said to be his "essay in architecture". Walking through the home gave us a clear understanding of this man's intellect. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence held many talents. He was fluent in many languages, possessed thousands of books, was a self taught architecture, a pioneer in agriculture and travelledoverseas to Europe on several occasions. As well as our tour of the home we toured Mulberry Row and got a true sense of the life of a slave. Jefferson himself was conflicted by the idea of slavery his whole life. After visiting Monticello we more fully understood the ideas of "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" and "that all men are created equal" that established the foundations of self government and individual freedom in America.

Before leaving the Monticello area we stopped for lunch at Michie Tavern. This historic tavern gave us the opportunity to sample fried chicken, pulled barbecue pork, stewed tomatoes, black eyed peas, cornbread and biscuits in a cafeteria style tavern. We did not eat another meal for the rest of the day. The site also contained a General Store, and museum shops of artisan works.

Our most exciting adventure in the Charlottesville area came when we decided to take a tour of the University of Virginia. After passing the Rotunda we continued and very quickly came upon an overpass that had a 10 foot clearance. Moho needed 11 feet. Keeping in mind that we were travelling on a narrow street with cars parked on both sides Don came to an abrupt stop. Faced with the fact that we had to make a quick decision all my thoughts diverted to the crazy motorhome movies of Chevy Chase and Robin Williams and how I now found myself in one of their crazy scenarios. There was no alternative but to back up several feet and attempt a U-turn. Charlene made her debut as the newest Charlottesville policewoman; waving and directing traffic. After several minutes we cleared what felt like a disaster and got back on the Interstate for our campground. Later that evening we laughed and pledged to write that episode in our memories.

After all the excitement of Monticello and Charlottesville it was time for relaxation. We found the perfect spot. Humpback Rocks Mountain Farm Exhibit presented an outdoor concert of bluegrass music. After feeling cheated because the Blue Ridge Music Centre was closed when we travelled through, the local band; Loose Gravel gave us the music we searched for. Humpback Rocks was ideal. We sat under a big walnut tree with the local mountain people and with the warm afternoon breezes we listened. It was very relaxing to listen to the banjo, violin and mandolin, watch the volunteers re-enact life in previous generations and generally soak up the ambiance.

So our wheels keep moving but we will not forget the picturesque lookoffs, the tunnels, the wild azaleas, the clean mountain air and the people of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Carolinas

2010-05-25T21:35:00.006-04:00

After our good-byes to Kirsten and Stella in Savannah airport it was time to get back into Moho rolling mode. Time to head north and enter South Carolina. We settled into our KOA campsite in Mt. Pleasant just the other side of the river from Charleston and hit the hay early. We realized that company and especially babies can zap your energy in a wonderful way.

With a good nights sleep we were rejuvenated and ready to explore Charleston. The KOA staff gave us a good suggestion to park Moho and use the water taxi. It was a short scenic ride and saved us the hassle of traffic and parking in downtown Charleston. An added bonus was the swimming dolphins along side the water taxi.

Charles Town named for King Charles I was established in 1670. Charleston was the capital of the Carolina colony and the southernmost point of English settlement in the late 1600's. By the mid-18th century it had become the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia and the centre of a successful shipping industry. Following independence from Britain Charleston became more prosperous in the plantation dominated economy. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 revolutionized production and it quickly became South Carolina's major export. Of course, plantations relied heavily on slave labour. On December 20, 1860 South Carolina voted to secede from the Union making it the first state to do so. One of their reasons was the president's hostility to slavery. On January 9,1861 the first shots of the Civil War were fired in Charleston Harbour. By 1865, Union troops took control of the City. A short ferry ride away was Fort Sumter. www.nps.gov/fosu During the Civil War, this Fort became the focal point of tensions between North and South. The war had shattered the prosperity of the antebellum city. Freed slaves were faced with poverty and discrimination but as the city's economy slowly improved so did living conditions for all.

We strolled along the River and onto Broad Street, home to many of the banks and commercial establishments. Then we walked the full length of Meeting Street known as the Museum Mile. Again the architecture and old homes similar to Savannah and St. Augustine were present. There are over 1200 architechurally significant buildings within Charleston's historic district. Many were built in the late 1700's. Charleston has many examples of 18th century single homes. Of all three antebellum cities I liked Charleston the most.

Another city bites the dust. We were rolling..... I knew we were heading into the mountains because temperatures dropped, the humidity disappeared and two extra blankets came back out on our bed. The air had a clean, fresh, crispness. The town of Cherokee, North Carolina had a main street lined with cheap souvenir stores and a casino run for the tribal band by Harrah's.

Luckily, our campground was several miles out of town and we settled into it and took the weekend to prepare our journey across the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 469 miles spread from North Carolina to Virginia. Of course we did not want to miss anything. Before commencing our journey along the Parkway we stopped by the Great Smokey Mountain National Park Visitor Centre and Mountain Farm Museum. www.nps.gov/grsm So in closing, next blog: The Blue Ridge Parkway and our adventures.

Tybee Island and Savannah

2010-05-25T08:37:00.012-04:00

River's End Campground and RV Park on Tybee Island, Georgia became our home for 11 days. Moho, our home on wheels got a long rest and enjoyed our family visitors; Kirsten, Jeff and Stella.

Our agenda was pretty relaxed and mostly working around Stella's eating and sleeping.

It was great that Don & I had the opportunity to catch up on the weeks we've been missing with Stella by being on the road.

In the usual Pinksen fashion we did our homework on "best eating spots" and hit the top three on Tybee Island. The remainder of great meals were prepared by Don & Jeff and included oysters, shrimp, crab and scallops bought fresh from the local fish monger.

Weather cooperated and allowed us to spend most of our time outdoors giving Stella the opportunity to nap in her new digs. There were a lot of "firsts" for our baby granddaughter: riding on an airplane, beaching it, sitting in the sand, swimming in the outdoor pool, going to a baseball game and staying with Nanna and Poppy while Mommy & Daddy had a night in Savannah.

We did take one day to walk through Savannah. The City's beautiful parks and twenty-two historic squares made it easy to explore on foot/stroller. The Bull and Abercorn street corridors took us past nine of the squares. It was quite pleasant to walk along the Savannah River and watch the many boats sailing along.

Of course we had to give Stella a little history lesson. We toured Fort Pulaski on Tybee Island. The Fort was built to guard the river approaches to Savannah. Construction began in 1829 and required $1 million, 25 million bricks, and 18 years of toil to finish. By the end of 1860, however, its armament was still not completed and it was not yet garrisoned. As it turned out, before United States troops could occupy the fort, they had to conquer it from the Confederate troops. On January 3, 1861 two weeks after South Carolina seceded from the Union and one week after Federal troops occupied Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, Georgia Gov. Joseph E. Brown ordered state militia to seize Fort Pulaski. There was lots of history to learn about but we just strolled and enjoyed the musket firing.

From beaching to hanging out at the pool to history lessons we found time to do the best thing of all - shop. Kirsten & Nanna had the most fun of all checking out the many bargains in children's clothing. Stella is totally outfitted for this summer and a good start to her fall wardrobe.

But it was time to say our good-byes. However, only 4 more weeks before we cross back to Canada!

Florida

2010-05-24T17:29:00.007-04:00

It was now time to move away from the coast and commence our journey inland. Our choice, Ochlockonee River State Park provided a peaceful atmosphere with only thirty campsites nestled in the shady wooded forest. It was also a great place to host our neighbours Diane and Glenn as they were making their way north to home after a month in the sunny south. We ate, drank, ran, biked and shared our stories. Though our quarters were small it was still fun to camp out and relax together. The weekend flew by and they were anxious to get motoring. We on the other hand still had six weeks to get to the US/Canadian border. Lots more to see and do.

Our wheels took us next to the St. Augustine area. Again this proved to be a very touristy site but we settled just outside at Anastasia State Park and made day trips. Our first stop in the City was the Tourist Information Centre where an elderly volunteer lady provided us with more information than we would use but helpful tips on where to go and not to go. Moving very slow because of the heat we headed toward Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. www.nps.gov/casa The Castillo (castle) was initially built by the Spanish in 1672 to protect their empire in America. The construction is unique with it's diamond shaped projections at each corner of the fort. This design eliminated blind spots for the guards and increased the firepower by allowing multiple cannons to fire on the same target. This fortress has served six different flags, survived hurricanes, withstood bombardments but appeared very much like it's final completion in 1756.

We meandered along St.George Street with its original houses and newer replicas. It was very similar to a walk along St. Jacob's Main Street or Niagara on the Lake. One interesting site was St. Photios National Greek Orthodox Shrine. It gave an explanation of the early Greek immigrants to the United States.

We continued along our walking tour and viewed Ponce de Leon Hotel - now Flagler College. This was a very prestigious hotel built between 1885-1887

by Henry Flagler. Mr. Flagler was a busy man back in the 1880's when he constructed a sister hotel to the Ponce de Leon. This hotel named the Alcazar is now the home of City Hall. Before leaving St. Augustine we stopped at the San Sabastian Winery to tour and sample some Floridian wines. Wines are produced with the native Florida Muscadine grapes. They proved to be a little sweeter than our palattes were used to.

The next stop Tybee Island in Georgia to prepare for the visit of family.

Mississippi_Alabama_Florida Panhandle

2010-05-23T19:16:00.017-04:00

After the craziness that is New Orleans we left to drive across the North Gulf Coast through Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Our first stop was Davis Bayou State Park, Mississippi (part of Gulf Islands National Seashore) which turned out to be a perfect spot to spend three days. The park sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina but like everything else along this coastline life is returning back but repairs are progressing slowly. It was an ideal location to bike and run. On our long run along the beach front we witnessed vacant lots where only the exterior staircase remained and the houses gone! On the last day the heavy rains of the tornadoes just north of us allowed us to hibernate and not feel guilty. Between the rain storms we did manage to bike into Ocean Springs (15 minutes away) to buy some supplies and luckily a gentleman was selling fresh crawfish from a massive boiling pot. We purchased a couple of pounds and came back to the Moho to feast on our treat.

Gulf State Park in Alabama with over 460 sites was the next stop. Our paved campsite backed onto Middle Lake and proved to be another great spot to exercise and enjoy the warm temperatures. We biked to the beach one day but winds proved a little too uncomfortable to lie and read. So instead we biked around the City of Orange Beach. The extensive developed paved trails through the Park were great for biking/running. On one ride we actually saw an alligator beside the trail.

Finally Florida! Temperatures were getting warmer so we decided to take a break and play tourist while enjoying some needed air conditioning. TheNational Museum of Naval Aviation was a nice reprieve. www.navalaviationmuseum.org

The site was definitely worthwhile for the aviation enthusiast but non buffs like ourselves also saw and learned a lot about air travel in the war time periods. The WWI exhibit included such planes as the Sopwith Camel Fighter, the plane used by both Snoopy and the Red Baron. It made us wonder how a flimsy craft could cover the distance and increased our respect for WWI aviators. More astounding were the early aircraft carriers and the short distance the planes had to land while at sea. We travelled through time all the way to examples of jets used in Desert Storm and the Blue Angels, an American equivalent to our Canadian Snowbirds.

Continuing our travels we entered another unique tourist area; Seaside. It was comparable to entering a "perfect world". Yes, it was perfect because it was actually the movie set for Jim Carey's movie "The Truman Show". White picket fences lined the streets and finely groomed landscaped gardens. Retro Air Stream trailers were the local ice cream and chip wagons. But fantasy land soon ended as we travelled further down the road to Panama City or better known as the "Redneck Riviera". Of course we hit it during a biker event which added to the ambiance. We pushed on to find Mexico Beach which

gave us a more tranquil picnic opportunity. We both agreed that our travels along this coast gave us a different impression of the State of Florida.

Again it was an opportunity to sample seafood. A short stop at Joe Patti's proved a great experience. It was the biggest seafood supermarket that either of us had ever shopped at. There were many different fresh fish on ice than we'd ever seen. We settled on the Royal Red shrimp and Chef Don's culinary skills made them as good as any restaurant along the Panhandle coast.

We were definitely on a State/National Park roll. Our love of the outdoors was evident again when we arrived at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Florida. We were overwhelmed by the number of birds and wildlife that visited our campsite.

Commencing with the Red Headed Woodpecker that was just outside the Moho bedroom window to the deer that visited our campsite at lunchtime and finally the armadillo that skirted the bushes around sunset. The Park was quiet and ideal to

catch more of that laid-back feeling.

Southeast Asia Top Ten + One Favourites -Part 3

2010-05-05T14:44:00.007-04:00

9. Temples at Angkor Wat

The Angkor Wat site is massive with a mesmerizing number of Temples. How this all could be built 800-900 years ago and then "lost" for centuries is astounding.

10. Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach on Koh Phanang

This remote small village and beach was our favourite stay on the southern Thai islands. From our beach hut to the tiny restaurants in the village it was totally relaxing.

11. Koh Lanta

We ate at many beach restaurants but those on Koh Lanta best exemplified simple Thai cuisine eaten in a laid back atmosphere. Koh Lanta is also a great island to tour independently by motorbike while learning about the devastation caused by the tsunami.

Southeast Asia Top Ten + One Favourites -Part 2

2010-05-04T20:11:00.009-04:00

5. Motor bike tour from Hue, Vietnam

We took a motorbike tour through small villages and through rice paddies.We toured a small rice production museum with an elderly woman as our guide and lunched on vegetarian Vietnamese food at a monastry.

6. Tailors in Hoi An

Hoi An is famous for it's tailors - over 200 and many shoe makers. We worked with Mr. Xe and his staff and besides the fun experience we ended up with some custom made garments and shoes which we shipped home. Besides from this Hoi An is a beautiful Unesco Heritage town.

7. Tunnels outside Saigon

While in Vietnam you cannot escape reminders of the Vietnam/American War. The most memorable for us was our visit to the Cu Chi tunnels. Three storeys deep and 200 km. long, these tunnels were used by the Viet Cong to help defeat the Americans outside of Saigon.

8. Killing Fields

It was amazing to us that while the Khymer Rouge slaughter of millions of Cambodians was occurring in the late 1970's back home in Canada we were leading our normal lives and oblivious to it. Our visit to the Killing Fields included the school converted to a jail and the Fields themselves.

Southeast Asia Top Ten + One Favourites -Part 1

2010-05-03T20:42:00.027-04:00

We are finally getting around to publishing some notes in our blog from our trip to Southeast Asia from January 5th to March 1st, 2010. We travelled for 29 days with Intrepid on a small group tour from Bangkok to Northern Thailand on the Mekong River into Laos, down the length of Vietnam and back across Cambodia to Bangkok. We spent the rest of our time visiting the islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket.

What follows is our top 10 + 1 list of experiences in chronologic order:

1. Slow boat down Mekong River

We spent two days travelling on the Mekong River from the northern Thai-Laos border to Luang Prabang. Simplicity of life on the River was evident by a family of gold pandling peasants and school age porters.

2. Elephant ride Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang had great food and a wonderful night market but our highlight here was definitely the elephant excursion.

3. Loatian people, homestay in Laos

The Loatian people always had wonderful smiles and were placid. We stayed in a remote village which we reached by going down river in a boat made from old American B-52 fuel cylinders.

4. Boat Halong Bay

Our night on Halong Bay, a Unesco site, included private onboard cabins, gourmet food, caves and kayaking.

Louisiana

2010-04-22T21:22:00.016-04:00

Louisiana who knew it existed? We thought Louisiana was just New Orleans but what a surprise we got once again. Because of the strong influence of French, Spanish and African cultures this state is considered exceptional in relation to other states in the empire. Our first introduction to this new state and area was the Acadian Cultural Centre. http://www.nps.gov/jela/new-acadian-cultural-center.htm A movie along with exhibits gave us a good understanding of the origins, migration, settlement of the people and the unpleasant treatment by the British in the 1700's in Nova Scotia.

We continued next to the Vermillion Ville Cajun/Creole Heritage & Folklore Park to see a re-creation of life in the Acadiana area between 1765 and 1890. The grounds are laid out as a historical village with some restored original homes, interpreters that demonstrated the traditional crafts and local musicians.

We discovered that Louisiana has some of the friendliest folk in the US. Our Canadian licence plate was confusing and the immediate impression was that we were French. The wheels kept moving and our next stop was St. Martinville, the birthplace of Acadiana. Unfortunately everything closed at 4:30 pm so we just had a brief walk around. We did find the Evangeline Oak; the most photographed tree in the World and the Statue of Evangeline; the Acadian heroine immortalized by Longfellow. A quick stop in St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church made us realize how modern American churches are compared to the much older European ones.

Second day in Louisiana was a short drive to New Iberia. We were not invited but happened upon a T.E.A. (Taxed Enough Already) Party. A local candidate was canvassing and we knew we had entered Republican territory. As we approached the crowds with banners I warned Don to keep all his comments to himself and we'd discuss later in the Moho.

I had watched politics on television but the live version is even more scary. I am grateful that issues such as guns, religion, gay marriage and abortion have all be dealt with in Canada and we can move on. Enough politics, we moved on to Victor's Cafeteria where the locals know a good thing. Atmosphere was much lighter and the most important agenda item there was enjoying the great food. Unfortunately we went for the famous crawfish pie but it wasn't on the menu for that day. Instead the hostess sold us a frozen crawfish pie with good instructions to savour later.

Next stop was Avery Island. This place is known for the great Tabasco Plant. Edmund McIlhenny knew a good thing post-Civil War when he decided to cultivate red peppers into the world known hot sauce. 700,000 bottles are produced daily and after touring the Plant we discovered it takes 3 years from the time of picking to bottling. The production includes storing the pepper mash in bourbon barrels which might account for the great taste. The McIlhenny family continue today to supervise all aspects of the process.

It was time to explore Louisiana's Northshore. We crossed Lake Pontchartrain via the 24 mile causeway. You don't want to run out of gas out there in the middle of nowhere. All I could think was you could almost run a marathon across this concrete structure but how boring with only water on both sides and nothing for miles and miles. We reached our first of two pre-booked park destinations, Fairview State Park in St. Tammany Parish. Louisiana has great State Parks which would explain why they are so busy.

The first physical activity was a bike ride on the Tammany Trace from Mandeville to Abita Springs. This was a 30 mile paved, flat old railtrail that was busy with runners, walkers, bikers and rollerbladers. We had a pitstop at the Abita Brewery where Don sampled the seasonal Abita Strawberry Lager. On we went to explore the Park trails and the introduction to the swamp where I spotted my first alligator in the wild.

The Tammany Trace became my favourite spot as I did a 10 mile run (the 1st since the NY Marathon) and a 30 km. bike ride. Don and Crocus also enjoyed the ability to let loose and crank out the miles.

Time to move to the big City of New Orleans; sample the cajun/creole cuisine and play sightseeing tourists. Our first tour was the Honey Island Swamp Boat Tour. It was 2 hours on the Pearl River as well as navigating deep into the bayou. The guide was excellent and could spot all types of wildlife from alligators, snakes, birds, frogs and lizards. He was a wealth of knowledge and gave us facts of the area pre and post Katrina.

Now it was time to slow the pace and wander the Garden District admiring the distinct architecture - grilled ironwork, ornate exterior moldings, Greek columns and stained-glassed windows. Many of the homes are still owned by descendants of the original owners. The streets had narrow sidewalks but were shaded with huge oak, magnolia and palm trees. The Garden District was first populated by the new Americans because they were shunned by the Creoles who continued to live in the French Quarter. No expense was spared when they developed their community which consisted of their own church, theater, cemetery, grand hotel and even a railroad. The pace changed once we took the St. Charles Streetcar into the French Quarter. No part of our travels could compare to the music, food, galleries or people that we encountered in the two days of the FQ.

It must sound as though all we are doing is eating and drinking but when opportunities arise to sample local cuisine we can't pass it up. From the cafe au lait and beignets to the grilled oysters, seafood gumbo, muffuletta sandwiches, shrimp etouffee, jambalaya and the rice/beans not to forget the hurricanes; we tried it all! Almost every establishment had live music either inside or on patios but the most impressive was a noon concert we caught at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park where Jim Hession entertained us with his ragtime, stride renditions on piano. There was definitely lots of great talent in their small City.

So our two full days were busy and the entire time we kept our friends in mind; Ruby because it's your favourite City, Brenda because you've always wanted to walk Bourbon St., Brad because you would have loved the jazz, Jeff because your recommended gallery was an oasis from the hustle and Dave because your advice regarding the hurricanes was duly noted. However, it was that time again! Good-bye to Louisiana and hello Mississippi.

Texas

2010-04-13T13:31:00.020-04:00

The initial impression of Texas was that there were many white double cab pickup trucks and lots of cowboy hats. People were friendly as everyone have been along our travels.

Our first stop was Fort Davis. This small town could be missed if you blinked but was rich in history. Originally it was a frontier military post with significant structures which laid along the Old Overland Trail (El Paso to San Antonio). With our fill of sightseeing in the last few days of New Mexico we decided to take three days in this sleepy town.

It was a good place to catch up on maintenance/cleaning of Moho and hike two great trails. The first was from our campsite at Fort Davis Mountain State Park; Skyline Trail where we climbed straight up and got great views of the Park as well as Fort Davis, 4 miles away. Thenext day we packed a lunch and hiked Limpia Creek Trail. From the top we got panoramic views as well as a forest fire approximately 3 miles in the opposite direction of Fort Davis. On the last day we decided to drive into Fort Davis to do a 10 km. flat run and tour the Fort. The run gave us the opportunity to see quite a few of the old buildings and the enthusiastic Ranger gave us lots of information about early Fort Davis during the second half of the 19th century and the "Buffalo Soldiers" who were stationed there.

Before heading out from the park we had a few visitors. Yah, the javelinas. There were three and they sauntered through our campsite. I now know why the big nose. They use it to uproot young plants in the ground and then proceed to eat them. They fed for a few minutes then wandered along to the next campsite.

Next stop was Big Bend National Park. Our 100 mile drive through the National Park to the River was very rugged, desolate and remote. The Park borders on Mexico and the natural boundary is the Rio Grande River. Big Bend offered opportunities to run, hike, bird watch and utilize the river for water activities. The ironic part was that the area was experiencing a heat wave with temperatures 10 degrees above the norm. So with temperatures reaching 39C or 103F, we moved slowly. We did a short hike along Boquillas Canyon where the river gave the illusion of cooler temperatures.

Along this trail we found mexican wares for sale as the Village of Boquillas is just on the other side of the river. Once a 300 person village depending onthe tourist trade of Big Bend the village is but 90 people since 2002. Homeland Security closed all border crossings in this area and the Mexican people were forced to re-locate to other areas. There was one sole, Victor; the singing Mexican. He placed a donation can on our side of the border and I guess sneaks across at the end of each day to pick up. His voice can be heard throughout the canyon. The other beauty of the canyon was the blooming cacti. The combination of high temperatures and a little water have allowed these dormant seeds to burst into bloom earlier than usual. Before leaving Big Bend we got up early, unhitched Moho and did a hike/run from Daniel's Ranch to Hot Springs. The 105F water of the hot springs was nice to soak our feet but the air temps were rising and we had to get back.

We were so glad we did not take the advice of people that told us there was nothing in Texas and just drive through. After arriving in San Antonio, we decided to stay a few days and divide our activities between the City and the surrounding hill country.

The first day was spent on a beautiful scenic drive which we called the 'barbecue trail". Thinking Texas was dry and desert like, we were very surprised to discover how lush, beautiful and picturesque the hill country was. We decided to make it a fun day and sample the "texas barbecues". Our first stop was Lockhart where we visited Smitty's for brisket and Black's for pork loin. Both were delectable. It would definitely be a challenge to keep the weight in check if we had this back home. It was good that they were samples and not full meals. On we went to Southside Market and Bar-B-Q in Elgin. Here we sampled Elgin hot guts with saltine crackers or simply sausages. Next stop was Taylor where the lineup was long and as we were not ready to eat we purchased chopped brisket in barbecue sauce for take away. We did try some texas ice cream - Blue Bell which turned out to be average.

Last stop but definitely our favourite was The Salt Lick in Driftwood where again we ordered brisket for take away. The aroma was so good it didn't make it off the parking lot. This thriving business was started by a husband/wife team who wanted a reason to remain in Driftwood. It has since changed hands and now a Sheriff has to direct traffic for parking. It was good that this "barbecue trail" took 11 hours to complete. Again, the scenery of well maintained ranches, long horned cattle, great looking horses and abundant spring wildflowers along the roadside added to our day.

San Antonio was definitely a worthwhile visit. The City was very inviting and we found lots to do and see for a day. Starting with a tour of the Alamo we learned the history and the significance of that battle in 1836. While the details of the siege are debated there is no doubt the symbolism of the battle. It was a struggle against overwhelming odds - the defenders holding out for 13 days against Santa Anna's army. We moved through the downtown core stopping for a picnic lunch at the Main Plaza which was reconstructed in 2008. We paid a visit to the San Fernando Cathedral to see the resting place of soldiers such as Davie Crockett, and James Bowie to name a couple. The El Mercado was the opportunity to purchase mexican goods or for us a chance to sample mexican sweets.

The highlight of downtown was the Riverwalk. A 5-km. walk with much to see. San Antonions have built this walk incorporating commercial, art and natural beauty. Water taxis are available but we decided to walk and work off the sweet calories. Before taking our bus back to our KOA we sat for refreshments and watched people strolling along the Riverwalk. Good-bye San Antonio but we think we'll be back.

Last day in this area was another driving day. We set out to view more of the colours of the Texas Hill Country in bloom. We were not disappointed. Our first stop was Fredericksburg, birthplace of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Texas White House, the family cemetery and lots of exhibits and films about LBJ and Lady Bird. Also in town, at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park we walked through meadows of bluebonnets and stopped to watch birds feeding along the nature trail. With over 700 historical structures in Fredericksburg we followed the walking tour where 30 significant ones gave us the historical flavour.

It was time to head back but we managed to make one more pit stop off our track. We discovered Luckenbach. It has maintained it's ghost town feel but it's country music association was still alive. It is a popular Sunday afternoon spot for musicians/song writers to take the stage and entertain passersby. The old post office, saloon, dance hall and general store were still in operation. It was great to be entertained but this week there was no Willie Nelson.

Last stop before heading into Louisiana was an overnight RV park a few miles west of Houston. Good-bye to Texas - we enjoyed our stay.

New Mexico - Northern and Southeastern

2010-04-03T16:20:00.014-04:00

Our travels took us north to Albuquerque, the largest city in the state. This was a great opportunity to rent a car and explore the surrounding areas of Santa Fe and the Pueblo communities. Our first stop, Santa Fe - capital of the state, proved a great experience with the abundance of art galleries, fine architecture, historical attractions and of course good coffee. We did our traditional walking tour and strolled up Canyon Road that is designated a "residential arts and crafts zone" and went in and out of stores before stopping for a rest just off the Plaza to savour a coffee. Our little tour continued on to pay a visit to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The parish have commenced a project to create a garden with life style replicas of the stations of the cross. To date only three have been completed which we found enthralling and when completed this project will be an artist's masterpiece.

Next stop was San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in America and next door to the Mission was the oldest house in America. The Mission was quaint and contained a bell dating back to 1356. Before leaving Santa Fe we made a final stop to the New Mexico Museum of Art where Don found one of his favourite artists - Georgia O'Keeffe. There was a special reception for members of the museum so we had to wait around in order to access Ms. O'keeffe's work but there was much to see while we waited.

The next day took us to Albuquerque and the Old Town. First stop was the Pueblo Indian Cultural Centre where we just happened to catch some native dancing. The museum showcases the history and arts of the Pueblo people and gave us a better understanding of these people. We moved on to the Old Town where again we found natives selling their jewelry and trinkets. Albuquerque appeared to be more of a working city and lacking the cultural, art appeal of Santa Fe. However, we found a great little place for lunch where we sampled both sopapillas (fresh from the oven) and stuffed sopapillas filled with pork, beans, cheese and chillies. Continuing on our way we took the opportunity to drive Old #66 through Nob Hill. Evidence of old signage and even an old gas pumping station were visible. Great little drive through history.

Enough of the City touring, it was time to take a drive and see some of the northern Indian Pueblo settlements. The drive was scenic and took us through Valle Caldera National Park, an extinct volcanic crater, and two feet of snow on our way to Bandelier National Monument. This site offered us more examples of Pueblo villages as well as a great hiking loop trail through Frijoles Canyon. There were more kivas, cliff dwellings and finally Alcove House where we climbed 140 feet up wooden ladders and stone steps to see a Ceremonial Cave.

To view more on Bandelier visit this site: www.nps.gov/band

We stopped in Los Alamos for a coffee but there wasn't much to see as we could not enter the National Research Centre where the atomic bomb was developed. Earlier in our trip through New Mexico we had driven near Trinity Site where the world's first atomic bomb was exploded July 16, 1945. That site is only open to the public twice a year.

Time to return our rental car and move on south to Roswell where we hoped to find warmer temperatures. That we did, moving from freezing temperatures to high 20's. The town was a little of a bust with it's claim to fame being aliens and sightings of UFO's but we saw neither. We made a quick drive through staying only one night and enjoying the weather and peace and quiet of Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Too late to see any significant birds as they've left for home but we did learn there are hundreds of varieties of dragonflies present in this Refuge.

Carlsbad was our last night before moving to the next state. One of our stops was the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park. A botanical garden specializing in native species of the Chihuahuan Desert. It was not a typical zoo but instead animals are rescued and either treated and returned to their environment or they remain in the Zoo for care. A new animal we have to watch for in the wild are the Javelinas. They look like members of the pig family with big noses and lie around lazily. We had a great two hours exploring but again were a little too early and saw only a couple flowering cactus.

Our last stop was Carlsbad Caverns. A World Heritage Site since 1995, features a spectacular cave system. We followed the self-guided tour and entered at the natural entrance. It was a one mile trek down 750 feet following steep, narrow trails that early explorers would have completed. Along the main corridor we passed highlights such Bat Cave and finally reached the bottom or Big Room. Elevators can assist those not up to the physical walk down the trail.The Big Room measures 8.2 acres with lots of stalactites and stalagmites.

For more on the caverns: www.nps.gov/cave

So now we say good-bye to New Mexico and hello Texas!

New Mexico - Southern

2010-03-25T12:05:00.016-04:00

New State....New Mexico

It is the fifth largest state in area (behind Alaska, Texas, California and Montana) with less than 2 million people. Our first destination was Las Cruces near the Texas border. It was an accidental find as we had enough driving and happened upon a good KOA with a good view. Not far from a small town; Mesilla, we visited for a day trip. This was a great opportunity to see a plaza, a mission-style church and lots of adobe houses, stores and restaurants. One little restaurant was Little Diner and Tortilla Factory on the border. The menu offered a full gamut of New Mexican cuisine so we sampled gorditas, enchiladas, tacos and great rice. A newspaper clipping on the wall touted the most famous visitor; George W. Bush, when he was Governor of Texas.

The next stop was Alamogordo where we visited White Sands National Monument. The park is 275 sq. miles of white gypsum sand dunes. This was an opportunity to hike on the sand that feels like icing sugar.

The roads are ploughed because winds can blow and cover the surfaces. At one point Don was driving and when he braked he forgot it wasn't snow.

The Alkali Flat Trail was a 7.4 km. loop with a view of White Sands Missile Range in the distance. Occasionally the Park has to close when they are testing experimental weapons and space technology.

Alamogordo also boasts the New Mexico Museum of Space History. We toured the faciliity which was an educational experience of space travel in the past and future exploration. We did find Marc Garnieau's picture hanging in the Space Hall of Fame. www.nmspacemuseum.org

We camped at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park and hiked up Dog Canyon Trail in the Sacramento Mountains. From the top we had a great view of the Tularosa Basin including White Sands National Monument.

The next day we visited Three Rivers Petroglyph Site which has over 21,000 petroglyphs left by the Jornada Mogollon natives over 700 years ago.

We travelled on to camp at The Malpais - Valley of Fires Recreation Area. It is the site of an ancient Indian legend that the "malpi" country was once a "valley of fire". This is true because the black lava covers 125 sq. miles and is more than 160 ft. deep at the

centre. A great paved nature trail gave us opportunity to explore. However, we have learned that weather in this area can change quickly. While hiking we were snowed upon and an hour later the sun was beating down and providing a wonderful warmth.

Off to Albuquerque tomorrow.

Tucson

2010-03-18T18:57:00.019-04:00

It's been 3.5 months since we published a blog but we're back on the road and it's a little easier now.

What have we been up to? Well..... we left California to enter Arizona and made two stops in Tombstone and Bisbee before settling ourselves in Tucson for a week.

It was a great introduction to the Arizona lifestyle. We camped in Catalina State Park and took the opportunities to run,

bike and hike on the great trails in the Santa Catalina mountains. One of our first hikes was Romero Canyon Trail where you see Don checking out the saquaros.

A bonus to our stay was renewing acquaintance with Mary and Phil (running friends from back home). They are snowbirds who introduced us to some nice people, took Don for long bike rides and a great hike up Pima Canyon.

But Canada was calling. We stored MoHo for our 3 month absence and headed home to family and friends for Christmas.

Then January 4th came all too quickly and we set off on another type of adventure; Southeast Asia. This will be a separate blog entry with highlights of our exciting two month adventure. It was then back to Canada for a week with Kirsten/Jeff/Stella and Erin/Brad as well as a quick pitstop in Guelph.

We returned to Catalina State Park in Tucson to get reacquainted with the RV lifestyle. It is very easy to settle here as this picture from our RV indicates.

We've pledged to spend more time in Tucson in future years. However, ten days have past and it's time to move on as there is still a lot of country to explore. New Mexico is our next destination.

Joshua Tree to Arizona

2009-11-27T10:16:00.025-05:00

Palm Springs, our planned stopover for a few days, ended up being a one nighter and source to gather supplies. Our RV site was very comfortable and folks very friendly (lots of British Columbia snowbirds) but the once very popular spot for weekend get-a-ways from LA LA land has seen better days. Of course, the sidewalks still have the "stars" cemented in their centres which we observed during our morning run. However, we were too young and had not had enough plastic surgery to warrant staying longer.

We both agree in our 4.5 months on the road that the most enjoyable stays have not been in the cities but rather away from the bustle. So off we escaped again, to Joshua Tree National Park. The Park contains parts of both the Mojave and Colorado deserts. We decided to camp at Jumbo Rocks famous for it's stacked boulders and picturesque joshua trees. There were no roadrunner sightings and luckily no rattle snakes either. The daytime temperatures were ideal for running and hiking though the nights and early mornings were quite cool. A memorable hike up Ryan Mountain (5461 feet or 1664 m) gave us great views and the cell coverage to leave a birthday message for my friend Diane. Time definitely slows down when we have no phone, internet, tv or radio distractions. After several days we needed to replenish our water and supplies so reluctantly we left our spot at Jumbo Rocks.

Indio, our destination to gather supplies was great. Temperatures were very hot and the RV Park was a resort with an inviting swimming pool and hot tub. We met some Californians who had just purchased a large "A" coach but had not travelled outside their own neighbourhood and were impressed to hear our tales. Next morning before heading out to "Slab City" we had a great 10 km run (my fastest in a year) through Sun City (a planned retirement community).

A description of the Salton Sea and Slab City (where we boondocked) that does it justice is hard to do with words alone. Hopefully the added pictures will help.

The Salton Sea is a saline, endorheic body of water which means water runs in but not out which in this case means polluted water in and increase saltiness due to evaporation. What was hoped to be a resort lake in the 60's in now a desolate area of boarded up motels, wrecked playgrounds, ramshackled trailers and shorelines of dead fish. Despite this it is one of the major wintering spots for birds. It was here at the Salton Sea in the Sonny Bono Wildlife Refuge that we finally saw roadrunners.

We dry camped at the Slabs. A de-commissioned World War II base now populated by a mixture of those who want off the "grid" either full-time or just wintertime.

One notable character is Leonard Knight who has been building his monument to God for the past 20 years. It is made of odd pieces of timber, hay bales, adobe and donated paint and aptly called Salvation Mountain.

Our final stop before leaving California for the last time on our trip was Quechan Indian Reservation. Our campsite here was just a short walk across the border to the small Mexican village of Los Algodones. So for American Thanksgiving we crossed the border to savour tacos, barbecued chicken, rice, refried beans, salsa, guacamole and of course cervasa. The village serves Americans and Snowbirds without drug or dental coverage. It has streets lined with dentists, opticians and pharmacies.

Arizona next.....

Baker to Big Sur

2009-11-23T21:10:00.016-05:00

The new Nanna and Poppy are back on the road. It has been a little hard to concentrate with the distraction of our little treasure back in Canada. However, the internet is a marvellous tool and we get updates as well as pics to keep us going.

After arriving back in Las Vegas we picked up Moho who had a great rest and fine tune up and we headed west back to California. With jet lag and still feeling the emotions of our trip home we did not make it very far on the first night. Actually we got to Primm about 40 miles west of Vegas. The one and only RV park had closed and we resorted to a Casino parking lot with a few other travellers. I will add that we were too tired to spend a few quarters inside.

A good night sleep gave us energies to hit the desert again. We found an ideal camping spot with its own Ghost Town - Calico. Though it's population in 2001 was 8 people, at it's peak in 1887 it had 1200 and was a flourishing silver mining town. It also has a famous cabin constructed from bottles.

The next day was interesting driving as we passed Edwards Air Force Base (space shuttle's second home), 100's of windmills, California City (a planned city with paved roads and no houses that never quite made it) and Bakersfield (the end of the road for many migrants from the east during the depression) finally arriving in Santa Maria to commence the Pacific Coast Highway. We made a few pitstops along the way. The first being Trader Joe's (Don's new best friend and favourite supermarket) and Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo. Bubblegum Alley is a narrow laneway and major tourist attraction where people have been sticking their chewed gum for many years.

We finally arrived in Morro Bay and decided to break for a few days as we try to stay off the roads on weekends. The park was small and the couple who were the owners were energetic and busily replacing most of the concrete pads with interlocking bricks. We took the opportunity to utilize the biking trails through town and did a couple of runs. The location was excellent in that we could stroll through downtown and along the waterfront boardwalk. There were many fish and chip restaurants but we opted for Giovanni's one night and purchased fresh fish from his market to cook ourselves on another night.

After four days it was time to move again and drive what is said to be "the most beautiful drive in the world" the Pacific Coast Highway section from Morro Bay to Monterrey passing Big Sur. It was indeed beautiful and the winding cliffside highway presented many views. The town of Big Sur was a little disappointing and in our opinion the entire drive did not match the Oregon Coast experience. We did not tour the Hearst Castle thinking it was not worth the $48. but took pictures from a distance and viewed the massive Visitor Centre outlining the contents of the Castle.

Before leaving the Coast we had a great RV park in Monterrey. It was situated high on a hillside in Laguna Seca Recreation Area adjacent to the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. We had fun watching the practice runs and the incredible speed of these cars.

On to Palm Springs..............

Stella Emmalene Lewis

2009-11-17T20:39:00.013-05:00

We had planned a stopover after the New York Marathon in Toronto before returning to Las Vegas. Our plan was to visit with Kirsten late in her pregnancy and celebrate with a baby shower.

But Baby Stella had other plans. She decided to arrive while all the family was together. Two weeks early! Our visit with a very pregnant Kirsten became a visit with mother and baby instead.

Stella Emmalene Lewis arrived on

November 4th weighing 6 lb. 12 oz.

We were able to spend 5 days with Stella, Kirsten & Jeff before returning to Las Vegas. Thank you Stella......

New York Marathon

2009-11-13T20:44:00.007-05:00

November 1, 2009

It's a day I won't forget anytime soon. The New York Marathon! After 9 long years, 13 marathons and back surgery I finally made it to the start line. People said it was an emotional marathon and they weren't kidding. Close to 44,000 ran and I'm sure each had their own goal and reason to run. Of course there is a lot of hype but the logistics of moving that many people to Staten Island for the start was pretty impressive. After a subway ride to the Ferry terminal I said my good-bye to Don (the best and patient Coach ever) and boarded the 8 am boat.

The first person I chatted with was originally from Vancouver but living on Manhatten and sat next to her were a couple eating Tim Horton bagels (new to Times Square). We shuffled our way to my Blue Corral for my 10:15 wave. Here I met a mother/daughter team from Ottawa. It reminded me of Alicia's first marathon in Vancouver, Kirsten's first marathon in Tampa and Erin's yet to be decided. Time actually flew by and we were quickly herded to the start and the crossing of the Verazzano bridge. A strong wind whipped across the bridge and I thought it was going to carry me over. This was going to be a long day! However with the multitudes of people and the various types of music I soon got into a groove even forgetting my own Ipod. The miles went by and on the bottom of 59th Street Bridge, as promised, there was a familiar smiling face, Don. A hug and picture moment and I was off to the finish. New York was supposed to be my first marathon..........will it be my last.......only time will tell!

Next day we walked Central Park/Times Square to remove the stiffness and shopped a little for the grandbaby soon to be born. Off to Toronto later in the day to see family and friends that we had not seen since July.

Bryce - Zion - Valley of Fire

2009-11-13T13:38:00.036-05:00

We arrived in Glendale, Utah to set up camp before our company arrived. The location was ideal in verdant Long Valley in the fall of the year. Our RV Park was on a working farm in Glendale complete with apple orchards, donkeys and llamas. The family had worked this land for generations.

While waiting for Erin, Brad, Rachel and Dylan to arrive we completed the final runs before the New York Marathon. Hopefully all this training at higher altitude will produce rewards when running the marathon at sea level.

We woke the next morning with cold but sunny weather and drove to Bryce Canyon National Park. At 8000 to 9000 ft. it was colder than we had anticipated. Thankfully we were able to visit here before the approaching winter set in.

We drove to the end of the road and on our return stopped at many viewpoints each

more breathtaking than the previous. The most

spectacular was Bryce Point where we had our first view of the complete Bryce Canyon

Amphitheatre.

At Sunset Point we hiked into the Amphitheatre starting along the Rim Trail, dropping down into the canyon at Sunrise Point along Queen's Garden Trail and climbing back out to Sunset Point through the Wall Street section of the Navajo Loop Trail. This is touted to be "The Best 3 Mile Hike in the World". While on the trail we had lots of discussion about this ranking but all in the group decided it was one of the most beautiful hikes we had been on.

That night after all the hiking we walked to the uniquely decorated Buffalo Bistro to savour Wild Boar and Bison ribs with cheap Pitchers. With Utah's strict liquour laws the owner told us they were able to get a beer licence but it was too much hassle to get a wine or cooler licence.

The next morning we all piled back into the rented mini van for our visit to Zion National Park. We had expectations of warmer weather as this time we would be on the floor of the valley and not on the rim. The drive to Zion Valley passed through unique landforms on it's way to a one mile tunnel and multiple switchbacks into the Valley.

Along the way we stopped for a short hike to the rim of the canyon to catch our first glimpse of Zion. We toured Zion Valley the first day that private vehicles were permitted to drive after the busy summer season. We did two hikes and even though water levels were low the fall colours were beautiful. It is amazing that the present slow flowing Virgin River could have created this beautiful valley but I guess it had a long time to do it.

Rachel and Dylan left us the next day but not before picking apples for the road. The remaining four of us had 2 days to make our way back to Las Vegas. On the way we visited Pipe Springs National Monument, an early Mormon settlement in the desert. We camped at Valley of Fire State Park and wished we had more time to spend here.

Next off to New York and Toronto.........

Moab to Zion

2009-10-27T21:05:00.017-04:00

I know I posted on Friday about our Moab experience but this has been a short week while waiting for Erin & Brad to arrive. Funny thing we touched base in four states; Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona and then back to Utah.

Our first stop was Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. This World Heritage Site administers the preservation of archeological sites and the relics of the Puebloen people. As the season is slowly coming to a close there was only one of the three Ranger guided tours available for us. Cliff Palace, one of the three cliff dwellings of the Puebloen people, was described in detail by the Ranger and helped us get a good understanding of the area and their lifestyle. We climbed down through the crevices in the canyon to arrive at Cliff Palace the largest of the cliff dwellings. These people inhabited the Mesa area for over 700 years and late in the 1200's moved on. We viewed original masonry as well as a Kiva (ceremonial room). These rooms were used to pray for rain, luck in hunting or a good crop as well as meeting places to simply weave and communicate. There was a scenic drive that allowed us to see many of these cliff dwellings on both sides of the canyon.

As well as Cliff Palace, we viewed Spruce Tree House. This was a little easier to access but gave a good example of the recessed village under the canyon overhang.

The drive through the desert can be boring at times but I was excited that we were nearing Four Corners; Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Well don't blink or you will miss it! The best thing I managed was a picture of the sign entering New Mexico. Don was honked at by a Navajo lady driving her pickup truck so we didn't take any time to look for evidence of the landmark where these four states touch each other.

After our day of exploring we travelled on to a place called Bluff where we boondocked. We camped at our first BLM (Bureau Land Management). They are primitive sites that offer no utilities but a box to deposit your $10. Again, the season is coming to a close so there were only 4 occupants in a 25 site park. So quiet we could hear ourselves breathing.

No distractions and good reading time!

Early rise and we find ourselves travelling again. This time it's Monument Valley. This area is owned by the Navajo Nation. As we approached and Merrick Butte became visible Don stated that he was sure he had seen this site before. "It's a picture!" I picked up our trusty guide book and sure enough the cover of our Frommer's was the actual picture we were looking at with our eyes. Time for a photo moment! The Valley drive is a 17 mile (28 km) unpaved dirt road where RVs over 25+ feet are not recommended. So, we viewed the Valley from the Visitor Centre and got our feel for the area by reading pamphlets.

It was a long drive to Page, Arizona but the entrance to Glen Canyon was well worth it. We stopped for supplies and did something we do not do often.....take a tour! This time it was Glen Canyon Dam. The Dam was constructed between 1956 and 1966. Much of the Colorado River's original canyon (Glen Canyon) disappeared from view and Lake Powell was formed. Today Lake Powell is home for hundreds of houseboats and motorized watercrafts. We were lucky to be visiting off season.

The drive was easy going and we decided to have a beach day. From approximately 6 km. away Don spotted some RVs parked on Lone Beach.

Our beach afternoon turned into another boondocking night. This place was truly off the "grid". We met several Canadians making their way down to their winter destinations and taking a few weeks to enjoy the peace and quiet of this location. We have met so many people that have opted to change their lifestyle and we find it very surprising the little cost that it takes to make these changes. It would have been easy to stay on Lone Beach and enjoy many "Happy Hours" with our new found friends but we had to make a move closer to Zion where we would meet up with Erin and Brad.

Still time to take an easy hike up Toadstool Trail before our destination of Glendale in Utah. Again we found a quiet little park with all utilities and close proximity to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. Lots of exploring to follow in the next few days. The only thing we have to watch are the temperatures which dip close to freezing at night but daytime is great at 15 or 16.

Moab

2009-10-23T12:54:00.022-04:00

Three months into our travels and it was time to take a vacation within a vacation. Exploring can be difficult work. We knew Moab was definitely the destination to take a break. The RV Resort we chose was perfect in location and amenities. Moab is well known for it's biking and so Alicia & Chris chose to join us for a few days. Chris, the biker enthusiast, had some memorable rides in the few days. He biked some well known trails as well as arranged a shuttle to an elevation of almost 11,000 ft. with a group to return quite hungry a few hours later. Alicia, had a different agenda. She ran everyday and relaxed in the pool/hot tub while catching up on some reading. This week was so different from our West Coast Trail adventure.

Besides from the mountain biking Moab is famous due to its proximity to National Parks. The first we chose to explore was Arches National Park. The Park has more than 2,400 arches (an arch is defined as a hole in a rock with an opening of at least 3 feet) so we saw a very small percentage. The 18 mile (29 km.) scenic drive allowed us to admire the view but also explore the more popular sites on foot. My first impression of these pillars of stone were of statues that were reaching out to tell a story.

It was amazing to view Balanced Rock, a 3,600 ton boulder that sits precariously on top of a pillar and looks as though it could topple any moment. Of course, it's a great place to goof around with the camera lens.

As I said we did see the more popular tourist spots and the most famous Delicate Arch which is Utah's unofficial state symbol. This was a 3 mile (5 km) hike which we chose to do pre sunset. Upon reaching the viewpoint we joined approximately a hundred people who were there to capture the views as well. It was a comical setting while everyone waited with cameras mounted on very expensive tripods to catch that perfect shot! We also took the opportunity on our drive back down to stopover and enjoy the starry night while identifying as many constellations as possible (while sipping some wine and enjoying some cheese).

Canyonlands National Park: The Island in the Sky District was a 32 mile (50 km.) drive for us from Moab.

This high altitude mesa (or table) between the Colorado and Green Rivers allowed us to view these scenic vistas from above. We stopped at five viewpoints: Grand View Point Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook, Upheaval Dome, Green River Overlook and Mesa Arch and did short hikes.

Grand View was great for Don & Chris to demonstrate their "adventurous behaviour" but really it was not as dangerous as it looked. From our viewpoints it was amazing to see how nature carves out the beauty in the earth's surface.

These two National Parks were a photographer's dream and even amateurs like ourselves.

But every vacation must come to an end. On Saturday Alicia & Chris headed back to Denver for their flight home. Hopefully they were rested and ready to re-enter the fast paced City life. However, we had one more chore before we moved on.

On Sunday we woke very early to drive the Moho to the start area of our Half Marathon Race in our p.j.(s) From our home at the staging area we were able to prepare (eat, dress and utilize our private port-a-potty - every runner's dream) for the Race. The course was amazing, 13 miles (21 km) through red rock canyon along the Colorado River on a closed road. Sorry no pics! It was a great psychological achievement for me being my first race in almost 18 months and 10 months since my back surgery. Definitely a great boost for the New York Marathon in two weeks. By the way, Don "achieved his full potential" coming first in his age group. It did help that he turned 55 two weeks prior to the Race.

Next we are off to Colorado and the Four Corners (Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah). More wandering in the desert while we wait for Erin & Brad to join us for a few days.

Drive from Death Valley to Moab

2009-10-10T22:25:00.011-04:00

We are on our way again. Good-bye to Death Valley. It's hard to believe but we are heading to Moab, Utah for a 10 day reservation. Yes, I did say 10 days. It does seem like we have covered a lot of kms. (approaching 10000) in such a short time.

Alicia & Chris plan to join us for Thanksgiving. Canadian Thanksgiving that is!!!

One last look back at Death Valley was Zabriskie Point and Don says his good-byes. I was so mistaken by my initial impressions of the desert. It truly is a magical place.

The drive was just a little too long so we decided to take a detour into Las Vegas, Nevada. Great opportunity for Moho to get a service check and shampoo (lots of dust in the desert).

We found a great little RV park about 10 miles out of the City but still the ability to use public transit and go visit "The Strip". None of the glitz has changed since our visit to Vegas a number of years ago. There are a few new hotels. We promised ourselves we will return another time and stay at Bellagio and take in a show. However, the ringing of the slot machines was enough after a few hours but none of these were our quarters.

We did take time for a few pics especially this one outside New York, New York as we'll be flying to the "Big Apple" in just a few weeks.

Time to head back to our quiet little moho and get ready for the road.

Interstate driving is no different from one state to the next except in Nevada where there are casinos signs everywhere. In the middle of nowhere you will find a gas station and a casino. Don is pretty excited that he is getting great gas mileage and the cost is so much less to fill than in Canada.

Well we have now reached Utah. The red rock mountains were the give away clues.

Looking foward to great hiking and biking in Moab.

Death Valley National Park

2009-10-08T00:47:00.013-04:00

So....we left the ocean, travelled inland to the forests of enormous trees and the steep mountains with the twisty, curvy, steep roads and next the desert. Temperatures were hot to cold through the other parts of California but then came the desert. It is a unique place. My first impression is that it is a big gravel field or a construction site that ran out of money; however, Don has quite different feelings and he thoroughly enjoyed spending his birthday in seclusion. No cell phones, no internet, few people in this National Park - Furnace Creek Campground.

But there were some beautiful canyons to explore; Mosaic Canyon and Golden Canyon to name but two and again the sand dunes that were fun to climb but more fun to run down.

The texture of the stone and colours were breathtaking. So in retrospect the desert isn't a gravel pile.

A trip to Death Valley would not be complete without visiting Badwater. Elevation here is -282 feet below sea level.

Our poor bodies are now totally confused with being below sea level one day and being 9945 ft. above just a few days before.

By the way the Tioga Road which impressed us so much was closed due to snow and ice only two days after our crossing.

Of course I have to mention that Badwater is also the start of "THE ultramarathon" - 135 miles from Badwater at -282 ft. below sea level to Whitney Portal 8360 ft. above. We saw the race course AND no this is not on either of our "bucket lists". It was enough to walk the salt flats.

Don is pictured here at Zabriskie Point as we say good-bye to Death Valley.

Next is Nevada but we will return to California. We have some side trips to Nevada and Utah before the cold temperatures come to these states.

Yosemite National Park

2009-10-06T22:44:00.016-04:00

Time to return to the mountains. Yosemite National Park is located high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was the first National Park established in the United States. The main attraction of the Park is Yosemite Valley. We drove the 18 miles from our campsite to park Moho and bike through this impressive Valley. Surrounded by the spectacular granite mountains we found some escape from the multitude of tourists and took the opportunity to do some short hikes. Before heading back to our campsite we were informed that there were shower facilities for residents of the Park. Like most things in California there is a hefty price tag, and this shower was $5. each. No thanks, Moho has a great shower!!!!

We knew it was remote when for two days there was no cell or internet coverage. This place is perfect for relaxation but the temperatures dipped to near freezing at night. But it too must be shared with the the wildlife in the area. While out for a walk not far from our campsite we accidently frightened a momma bear and her cub. The momma sauntered in one direction while the cub climbed a tree. A resident camper informed us there were three bears that visit the camp sites regularly.

Yosemite was truly breathtaking but for us the drive over Tioga Pass was equally impressive. Within a few weeks this 40 mile road will be closed for the winter. We hiked Lembert Dome for a good view of the meadows. The Moho performed admirably climbing to its highest point on our trip as we went over Tioga Pass at 9945 ft.

Napa Valley

2009-10-06T22:22:00.015-04:00

The Napa Valley welcomed us with some overbearing heat temperatures of 42C or 108F as well as the pretentious wineries that boasted of their best Cab Savs and Pinot Noirs. We have visited wineries in Australia, New Zealand, British Columbia and our own Niagara and was very surprised to find many here in the Valley required reservations as well as $20./per person tasting fee. Being the economical, unemployed travellers we did our homework, read the reviews and purchased some of the better ones at local stores.

However, how could one travel the Napa Valley and not visit at least one? So we did. August Briggs, our recommendation to anyone who travels here, turned out to be a hidden treasure. Tom, our host, treated us with enthusiasm. Maybe it was a quiet Monday afternoon or maybe it was the couple that were partaking along with us. It turned out they were Canadians living in the Bahamas and sent to California on a scouting trip to select wines for a resort owned by Tiger Woods and opening next Spring. What luck for us! Tom treated us to approximately a dozen samples, as well as seldom offered barrel tastings. We spent a good hour learning all about August Briggs as well as the other 660 wineries in the Napa Valley. Thank goodness we biked from our trailer site.

The Valley was also the perfect opportunity to run our 34 km. training run. We left early in the morning to stay ahead of the heat and ran past many vineyards where workers were commencing their day of picking the last of the season's grapes. Hoping for a flat run I was surprised to find rolling hills but the scenery of the Valley kept me distracted.

Calistoga, our base, was a quaint little town and we took the opportunity to bike and tour it's downtown main street. This store sign caught our interest for obvious reasons.

Time to move on and enter the remote Yosemite National Park.....

Redwood National Forest - California

2009-10-06T22:00:00.012-04:00

The Redwood National Forest is located along the coast of northern California. The State and National parks protect 45% of the remaining old growth Coastal Redwoods. These trees are the tallest in the world. After leaving the coast it was a little claustrophobic to enter Jedediah Smith State Park where we camped for two nights amidst the giant trees. We hiked through Simpson-Reed Grove and took the opportunity to run the Hiouchi Trail (favourites of John & Christina - Guelph friends).

We continued on our way through Avenue of The Giants. It was like driving in a living tunnel. Sunlight would stream down wherever there was a small opening.

From the Forest we travelled on to the Napa Valley......

Oregon

2009-09-24T12:02:00.051-04:00

So after a great summer in Canada and visits with lots of family and friends it was time to cross the border. We were entering new territory that neither had visited before and did not know what surprises lay ahead. After our border inspection of the motorhome we now found ourselves in Washington State. Still feeling a little bushed from the West Coast Trail we decided to take it a little easy and head to the Coast. Spending only one night in Washington State we crossed into Oregon (no tax state) and knew we made the right decision. WE LOVE THE OREGON COAST! The coast is absolutely beautiful but maybe it's being by the water and the Newfoundland feelings being aroused. However, this coast is nothing like the east coast. Sandy beaches, white surf and blue skies everyday. Also important to note are the State Parks. We were very impressed with the amenitites we receive and also how quiet they are with the summer season coming to an end.

Measuring 363 miles (580 kms.) it could take approximately two days to drive. But for ten days we meandered down Highway 101 with pitstops in small towns to explore and sample the "catch of the day". We even took time to tour the lighthouse at Heceta Beach. The running was great and we found both quiet roads and trails. Don even managed a swim and some biking on Crocus. But to our surprise not only is there a variety in the beaches/shores there were pasture lands where we toured Tillamook Cheese Factory and sampled the cheese as well as the great ice cream.

Time to take a break from the Coast and travel inland to Eugene. A city approximately the size of Guelph that has so much to offer but more importantly it's trail system for biking/walking and running. We did our 33 km. training run by the river and completely on trails. It also boasts a reputation for track and field. Some of the high school tracks would leave our Canadian coaches filled with envy.

We had a short stopover at Hayward Field where Don & I both got to run on the rubberized track. WOW! It was like a cushion. This track was also home to Steve Prefontaine the famous US athlete who died back in 1975 after setting multiple records. Cities are great but it was nice to return to the Coast.

As I said earlier the Coast has variety. I will close this blog with some pictures to indicate it's beauty. We will continue on to California and the Redwood Forest.

West Coast Trail

2009-09-23T00:09:00.021-04:00

The West Coast Trail continues for 75 km. along the west coast of Vancouver Island through coastal temperate rainforest. It is part of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

We had friends who had previously hiked the West Coast Trail. As well, Alicia and Chris are avid backpackers and for these reasons we had made plans to walk the trail six nights/seven days commencing September 6th. Though in good shape we truly did not know how difficult the trail would be especially after rains and the ensuing mud. On Sunday morning we took the West Coast Trail bus from Port Renfrew to Pachena Trailhead, a four hour physically jarring ride over mainly woods roads. We started at the easier (ha ha) end of the trail. After completing the mandatory orientation; warning us about injuries, evacuation, tsunamis, tides, wolves, bears, and cougars, we set out mid-afternoon in the rain and mud to complete twelve kms to our first campsite at Michigan Creek. As we approached the nine km. mark, although walking inland, we could hear the barking sea lions before we reached the viewpoint.

The next morning being inexperienced it took us three hours to break camp. By the last day in our enthusiasm to finish we had this task down to one hour. This day started off in wet clothes. It gave us our first experience of beach walking, suspension bridges, and lots, and lots of ladders. As well we had our first cable car ride or also referred to as "Canada's Wonderland for Adults" ride. We arrived at Tsusiat Falls by mid-afternoon with enough time to dry out our wet equipment and clothes.

We set our two tents up in a cave in case it rained again that night.

Day 3 was our longest hike, 16 kms., to Cribbs Creek. Due to the excess weight of our low tech equipment, and the extra water which had to be carried that day, this proved to be Don's hardest day as he was carrying about 50 lbs. This is when Alicia and Chris' youth and high tech equipment became apparent. The day did provide an opportunity for a cold beer sold to us by the ferry operator at Nitinet Narrows at the end of the ferry ride.

Wednesday started off raining again which increased the mud experience for the rest of the week. We did get a respite from the weather at Chez Monique's where we ate burgers and coucous salad well worth the $15. each. As good as the free refills of hot coffee were, we had to push on. Most of the day was beach walking on slippery kelp covered rock and climbing over boulders and tree trunks interrupted by two cable car rides. This 12 kms. took us to our campsite at Walbran Creek.

The fifth day was only 9 kms., but all inland through diifficult mud, swamp and roots. It felt more like 90 kms. We met a family from Seattle up to their knees in mud totally unprepared for the experience but the mother still managed a big smile. It was Charlene's most difficult day with several falls. Upon arrival at our campsite, Camper Creek, an evacuation was occurring of an injured woman and momentarily Charlene was ready to join the departing group on the boat. Gatorade, hot chicken soup and a good night of sleep made her ready to complete the final two days.

Our second last day was almost all beach walking but not all easy. We had to rush in the am to get to and around Owen Point at low tide where we had only a 15 minute window. In our enthusiasm we arrived early but took the opportunity to remove our wet boots from all the streams we crossed. Chris made coffee and we enjoyed watching more sea lions on Owen Island. This was followed by two kms. of extremely difficult boulder climbing and gigantic tree trunk straddling. We camped at Thrasher Cove where a high tide greater than expected came within feet of our tents that evening. Chris and Alicia moved their tent three times to avoid the approaching waves.

Our final day started with a one km. climb up from Thrasher Cove to the main trail. From there it was all up and down with tricky footing until the 75 km. mark. Alicia and Chris had gone ahead and when we finished the ferry ride we found out they had to walk another four kms. on the road to retrieve the car. On our way to get the ferry back to Vancouver we stopped at a quaint 100 year old pub for local pints and fish and chips.

The West Coast Trail is difficult to do but great to have done!

British Columbia

2009-09-18T23:22:00.025-04:00

It seems ages since I managed an entry and I apologize to those who have emailed looking for pics and info.

We have been busy with family stuff! However here we go.....

We entered Beautiful British Columbia (as the licence plate indicates) and enjoyed our drive through Rogers Pass. I cannot imagine what winter travel must be like but the snow sheds through the mountain tunnels gave me a little idea.

We headed to Revelstoke and decided to take a few days to simply relax. It turned out to be the ideal location for running, biking and swimming so Don decided to do a mini mini triathlon. We ran our 28km training run and he proceeded to swim and bike later that day while I played lifeguard from the shore.

We knew we were in the forest fire area as there was a small fire the night before our arrival and hints of the smoke filled the air. It was good to have some downtime after the hiking in the Rockies. As suggested by Alicia, we visited Revelstoke Dam to see where BC gets a large portion of their hydro power.

The scent of wine country; the Okanagan Valley, was not too far away so why not sample some spirits. We paid a visit to Larch Hills Winery, the highest elevation winery in Canada. The winery was tucked into some pretty steep mountains and Moho whined upon reaching the top. Rest time for our vehicle/home!

The Okanagan Valley has to be one of the most unique areas of Canada. The road is lined with fruit stands and wineries. The hills almost appear to be misplaced and belong on the Mediterranean coast. We reached our destination of Kellowna where our friends Tom & Shirl opened their home and pampered us with their hospitality. Tom has not lost his ability to whip up a good steak and next time Shirl & I will not talk so much that we forget the potatoes. We reminisced about Grand Falls, NL and how the girls considered Tom & Shirl as family and would run back and forth from house to house. Again we had to say good-bye to Kellowna and move on.

Our route took us south toward Osoyoos, Canada's desert. We found a very young winery, Cassini Cellars which opened in May of this year. A quick sampling and purchase to share with Alicia and Chris. The next valley, Similkameen, Don's favourite, is a hidden treasure. The fruit stands are even more abundant than the Okanagan.

We found a quiet RV park where the owners said people camp there to pan for gold in the surrounding hills. Note to selves: we must return and seek our fortune. The next day we hiked around Lightning Lake in Manning Provincial Park. Our last stop before Coquitlam was in Othello (the man who named this area of the Fraser Valley liked Shakespeare) where we ran through the Othello tunnels and Don tried his hand unsuccessfully to catch Rainbow Trout even though the pond was stocked.

Finally Coquitlam, our last Canadian stopover, Alicia and Chris' old residence for a few days. Time to move into "moving mode" and get ready to flex the muscles and help the couple move into their new residence. An early start and a well organized daughter got us moving in all the right directions. It was a smooth transition and to celebrate we enjoyed the delicacies of the East Indian restaurant in their new neighbourhood.

Next onto the West Coast Trail..........

Alberta Part 2 - The Rockies

2009-08-26T00:24:00.051-04:00

August 11th and we have finally made it to the Rockies. I must confess that I prepared myself for mountains but nothing as magnificent as the real thing. Our first stop was Jasper and we were welcomed by these goats upon entering the National Park. I was anxious to see wildlife (but more of that later). We set up camp for a few days and prepared our itinerary.

Our first hike, with my weighted backpack, was up Old Fort Point. We crossed the Athabasca River and the trail passed by some quaint little cottages with wonderful views of the mountains all around. At first I thought I had fallen so out of shape with the great food/drink at Alberta Beach but I quickly learned it was altitude and it would take a little time

to acclimatize.

From this viewpoint we saw the wonderful Jasper Park Lodge and I thought of my sister Dee and the summer she worked there many moons ago.

We continued on to the Valley of Five Lakes where the ideal spot awaited us. From our resting spot we viewed Mt. Edith Cavell

and enjoyed our packed lunch along with our visitor, Mr. Loon.

21.5 kms later we were both tired but no damage to our bodies (blisters or back). This was a good first training hike for the West Coast Trail.

The next day was time to explore Jasper. There are the boring chores of grocery shopping, laundry, emailing but after all work there is play. We took Alicia's suggestion and had a couple of local pints at a u-brew pub.

Time to lace up the hiking boots again. This time it was Maligne Canyon. We set out early to ensure we found parking for the Moho at the trailhead.

Of course the hike was not enough exercise so Don decided we would go for a little run around Lake Edith and Lake Annette. We continued on to the grounds of Jasper Park Lodge that we had viewed from Old Fort and 11.5 kms later we finally made it back to our starting point. I thought for sure we were lost!

We got a good feeling for the Rockies but it was time to move on to Lake Louise (which turned out to be my favourite). Again, the trick was to get an early rise and head out. We decided to take the Icefields Parkway route but stop for breakfast at Sunwapta Falls (the resort that Alicia and Chris worked at a few summers ago). Of course the Icefield Centre proved to be another hot spot for tourists. We did take the time to climb and get as close as permitted to the glacier.

The first rule we learned to avoid frustration is to get beyond the tourists that linger around Chateau Lake Louise and move into the wild.

Our first day of hiking in our new location was to the Tea House - Lake Agnes. This is named for the wife of Sir John A. McDonald. Of course there is always a reward for the work. Homemade scones with jam and tea gave us the energy to continue to Big Beehive which was recommended by Becky our massage therapist.

Thank you Becky.

From the top of the Beehive we took an alternate route down and headed up to the very popular Plains of the Six Glaciers.

There are just too many pictures to post in the blog so I'll refer you to the Picasa Web invitation to view the awesome landscape shots.

We had one more day to explore the many hikes in the Lake Louise area so we took Becky's suggestion and completed one of her favourites, Fairview Mountain. It was a fairly steep climb to Saddleback where we took a break and Don called his Mom to explain that we were having a snowball fight.

However, the challenge was to follow. We climbed over 700 metres in 2 km. My only thought was "how am I going to get down"? The loose gravel made our steps quite tricky in places. But once again the work was rewarded by the spectacular views at the top.

Time to move on to our last destination in the Rockies, Banff.

We took Alicia's suggestion again to drive the Bow Valley Parkway. This road closes at night because of the large amount of wildlife crossing. Good news/bad news.... we saw no wildlife so I'm beginning to think I'm jinxed! It was, however, a very pretty drive with no traffic.

We stopped along the way to take a short hike into Moraine Lake which proved to be one of the more picturesque spots. It is of course the picture on the old $20. bill. Here is an example minus the image of Don & I.

Banff is a very tourist town that caters very much to the shopper but that is not one of my favourite activities. However, the Cow's ice cream was a worthwhile treat and I recommend Messy Bessy if you are a chocolate lover.

Not to dwell on the wildlife but my eyes were sore from all the

scanning I did. One note I must mention is the amount of $$$ being spent to protect these critters. $2.5 million dollars is being spent for each wildlife overpass and not one would come out while we drove along. My only encounter was the deer that stopped by to feed near our campsite while Don & I were quietly reading outside. Our Eastern European neighbours were very excited and after a few minutes frightened the poor creature away.

Time for one last hike and this time there was a big reward.

He left our campsite after breakfast and once through town we hiked to the Hot Springs where our tired bodies could relax in the pools of 37C or 102F. Who said all work and no play? Not in my books.

It was time to move on and we thought to travel back up the Bow Valley Parkway and no not for wildlife but instead a hike into Johnston Canyon. This is a busy spot and because we could not get a place to park on our drive down three days before we figured we would get an early start and hike before breakfast. Again our recommendations proved it was a worthwhile stop.

But alas, we say good-bye to the Rockies and hello British Columbia, the last of our Provinces.

Alberta Part 1

2009-08-19T15:14:00.025-04:00

Ah, Alberta! We finally made it and there is so much to do and say that I have to break into two parts. The first being pre-Rockies!

It was like stepping back in time in a few ways. Our first stop Dinosaur Provincial Park. We took a tour offered by Parks Canada and it was well worth the dollars. We were escorted to a restricted location in the Badlands amongst the hoodoos about 20 minutes from the Visitor Centre. Kate, our tour guide was excellent and provided great information as well as authority to unfold one of the excavations. We viewed fossils and bones of all sizes and shapes. We both enjoyed our 1/2 day hike.

Then on to Drumheller. We settled in for a few days and weather was great until the second night when we experienced one of Alberta's freak storms. In just a few minutes the sky became very dark and the wind began to blow with great force. Thunder, lightning and rain in sheets. Luckily we had all our belongings under cover but campers nearby found their equipment and supplies strewn all over the Campsite. However, the sun reappeared the next day and we were off to explore the Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. It was a 7 km. bike ride where Charlene had her first fall (no body injuries) but Don managed to ride over the back wheel of the bike. Whew, only $25. to fix. In what seemed like a blink we passed 3 hours learning lots of things about dinosaurs. It seems amazing that the dinosaurs that roamed the earth for millions of years could have been made extinct by a volcano in Mexico. So goes the theory!

Just as there is time for play and exploring, we must also maintain our home on wheels. We took the opportunity to give Moho a shampoo.

Off to Calgary to visit Don's Aunt Doris and Uncle Don. Aunt Doris proved that she had not lost her touch for cooking. When we arrived we found her sorting through her recipes and arranging them in a new filing system. She has a wonderful flare in the kitchen and I managed to take away a few to try. On such short notice she managed to get Sharon, Deanne and Susan (Don's cousins) as well as their spouses; Dale, Peter and Greg and kids over to visit. Other than Deanne and Peter who we saw at the Boston Marathon a few years ago, it had been close to 25 years.

Again it was fantastic to visit, exchange email addresses and hopes of these western cousins to visit us back in Guelph in the next few years. We played some cards and Charlene actually got some practice in her new game of Crib.

However, after a few days the wheels needed to roll again. We thanked them for their hospitality especially the ride Uncle Don gave us in his brand new Lexus - only 4 days old.

Next stop Alberta Beach, where as I said in the beginning of this blog it was like stepping back in time.

We visited with our Grand Falls friends, Ruby and Bill and it felt like we hadn't missed a beat. Over twenty five years ago we shared a gourmet cooking club as well as a close friendship and our weekend at Alberta Beach proved that we had not lost our flare to cook and eat. Not to mention the wine. As an added bonus Bill became Don's RV teacher. They made one trip to Canadian Tire and $$$$ later Don had his tool kit outfitted. Most important rule - check the tire pressure! I must add that Bill managed to get Don on the golf course for 18 holes. I think he was more tired after their game then any of his long runs. The four days zipped by and again time to push on. Bill and Ruby we may have to keep moving on but part of us will stay with you.

The Rockies!!! WOW!

I must keep you in suspense as we have four more days and then we'll share our adventures in Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff.

Saskatchewan

2009-08-13T20:45:00.010-04:00

Over three weeks on the road and finally the flatness of Saskatchewan. We have seen yellow fields of canola, purple fields of flax and of course the straw coloured wheat fields.

But my trusty guide, Don has found some hills in Saskatchewan. Our first stop was the Qu'Appelle Valley. Maybe Canadians don't know it's there because Saskatchewan is known to be flat and these are definitely hills. For a moment I thought we skipped the province and jumped to the Rockies. It was delightful and we enjoyed our stay at Echo

Lake Provincial Park. Our campsite was nestled between Echo Lake and Pasqua Lake. It was a one nighter but we found a hike to overlook the town below.

Next stop, Regina. We had to check out the site that so many of our friends have graduated from. It was the RCMP Training Academy. We picked a great day as it was parade day for all the cadets and they were especially on good behaviour due to a visiting Senator who walked away as impressed as we were. When orders are shouted those cadets don't think - they move!

It was time to keep pushing on. We made a quick stop in Moose Jaw to communicate with family but decided to push on to Swift Current. Another Walmart night and this time there were nine other campers. Size ranged from a tent camper all the way up to an A Bus which made Moho look like a baby RV. We can honestly say we love the variety of camping in different situations.

Cypress Hills Provincial Park was our next destination. We settled in for a few days. It was great for running, biking and hiking. Charlene had her first real test with a pack weighing 15 lbs. in preparation for the West Coast Trail in a few weeks. She passed with no pains or blisters. Cypress Hills was abundant with wild life. On the second night while enjoying our nightcap by the fire we had a visitor, Mr. Moose. He sauntered through and stopped for pics but unfortunately they did not turn out. There were lots of deer; mule and white tail.

Before leaving this area we had one more bike ride and a climb up Bald Butte. Views were great and on a clear morning we could see for miles

Our next stop Alberta!

Manitoba

2009-08-12T16:05:00.016-04:00

Before saying good-bye to Ontario we had one more pit stop; the Terry Fox Memorial on the highway just east of Thunder Bay. As part of our exercise regime we ran 20 kms. near Agawa Bay on the Trans Canada, the same route Terry would have followed. The site proved to be an emotional experience when considering what a 20 year old set out to accomplish and the pains he endured before finally relinquishing his dream.

Finally Manitoba Mosquito Capital of Canada! Our first stop was Lower Fort Garry where we visited the former Hudson Bay Company site. The interpretive tour was most informative and staff were well educated on all topics. The contrast between lifestyles of the senior HBC managers and common workers was very evident. Furs of all types of animals were viewed in the fur lofts and I could only think what value was contained in the three storey building.

Time to push on to Winnipeg Beach and Gimli for a few days of exploring. Biking was relaxing in this sleepy town. As for Gimli, we searched for the site of the Gimli Glider; the famous Air Canada plane that ran out of gas due to technical measurements from imperial to metric. The experienced pilot managed to successfully land his aircraft with no fatalities. We thought of our friend, Susan J., who was an AC attendant on that flight and what her memories of Gimli must be like. The little town of Gimli also offered a visit to the Icelandic Museum which demonstrated clearly the strength of the early Icelandic settlers to Canada. Hardships for those that survived but 1/3 of those that left their homeland did not survive the first winter due to small pox.

Time for more pampering...and a visit with family. Cousin Terry and Laurel opened their home in Winnipeg to us and provided great hospitality. It was good to rekindle memories and meet new members of their family; Joshua and Kristian. There was also a bonus in that Aunt Viola was visiting from Ottawa and we got hugs as well as samples of her yummy cooking. Then time to explore a little of Winnipeg. We walked around the Forks which is at the confluence of the Assiniboine and Red River and wandered into the French Quarter to view the grave of Louis Riel and statues of early Selkirk settlers. One could not travel through Winnipeg without paying a visit to the Canadian Mint. It was one thing to hold a bar of gold valued over $450,000. but it was quite interesting to learn that Canada makes currency for approximately 80 countries. As one can imagine security was tight but even tighter for employees.

The wheels were ready to turn again. We said our good-byes with promises of reunions in future.

Our next stop was Spirit Sands - sand dunes in Spruce Hills Provincial Park. We had just enough time to hike the dunes before pushing on to the International Peace Gardens for a few days.

This Park was one of the most magical places we have visited. Situated on the border between Boissevain, Manitoba and Dunseith, North Dakota it was Henry Moore's

dream to create a place that represented the peaceful coexistece of two nations; the United States of America and Canada. Visit their site to get a better idea of the layout and the many memorials as well as the tranquility this place offers.

I'm thinking this trip is about rekindling old relationships? Don managed to contact an old friend from elementary school in Mt. Pearl who he also shared high school, university and medical school with. Barry and Janet were delightful and we laughed over stories past and present. They have been in Brandon for over 20 years and like most it was supposed to be a career move for a few years. Life becomes comfortable and time slips by.

Again it was time to move on.

Ontario

2009-08-02T12:51:00.037-04:00

Thank you Eric Zermano for the great illustration.

In 2001, while on a 3 month leave of absence, backpacking through Europe we decided that someday we would take a year off from our jobs. That time has arrived and here we are setting out on our one year leave of absence. There will be variety but mainly we will be cruising through Canada and the United States. Our jobs are covered and our house is rented.

July 4^th 2009, we set off to Manitoulin Island to transition for one week with the motorhome parked at a cottage that Rod and Natalie have access to. After Rod, Natalie and the kids left we spent the remainder of the quiet week running, biking, swimming and waking up late in the mornings with no alarm clock. By the end of the week we were both into our second books and had spent many trips relaxing in the sauna.

July 12^th time to begin our journey. We got our initiation into full time RVing by spending the night on the Walmart parking lot in Sault Ste. Marie with five other rigs. Most Walmarts in Canada and the United States allow overnight stopovers and you will even see RVers with awnings up and lawn chairs out. In compensation I suspect many campers purchase large amounts of supplies at the Walmart as we did that evening.

The drive around Lake Superior seemed to go on forever with the hills giving us a sampling of greater mountains to come in a few weeks time. Northern Ontario was very much like Newfoundland and after 2 days we were longing for some new terrain.

We had the pleasure of spending 4 days with Maria, Franco and Gloria Nacinovic at their camp at Polly Lake. Our initial plan was to stop for 2 days

but the welcome and pampering was too much to resist as well as the Finnish sauna, which they kept fuelled with firewood.

Franco and Maria’s home is in Red Rock about half an hour from Polly Lake. Red Rock was a bustling pulp and paper town with well laid out streets lined by family homes. Gloria said that the street she grew up on was always full of kids playing. The Mill closed 3 years ago and a large number of the young families have moved away. While shopping at the local supermarket we met the 2009 New Year’s baby. This little baby was not born until June 5^th this year.

Again thank you Gloria, Maria and Franco for your wonderful hospitality and generosity. Your camp at Polly Lake is truly a magical place.

After two weeks in Ontario we were ready to move on to Manitoba and the Prairies.

Cleaning MoHo

2009-06-20T19:45:00.000-04:00

thanks Brad & Erin

2009-05-16T09:28:00.001-04:00