RV completed and Ice Cream Too!

August 30 – We didn’t have to rush this morning as our appointment wasn’t until 10.  We had a nice breakfast and packed up and hit the road to Jim & Tracy’s Alignment, Inc.  We drove separately as it was only a few miles from the campground.  Bill checked in and we got Molly’s carrier out and some food and water for her and moved into the truck (that has no AC).  We went to Walmart to pick up a script I had sent there and of course did a bit of shopping.  We also made stops at JoAnn’s, Michaels, World Market and Bill went into Home Depot.  Since we had Molly with us we couldn’t take her in her carrier into a sit down restaurant so we went thru the drive thru at Arby’s.

We got the call a bit earlier than we expected which was a good thing but then I was on a search for finding Wilcoxsin Huckleberry Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Well, I tried 3 grocery stores and the most they had was 4 boxes.  I was not going to drive all over the city and get 1-2 here and there as we didn’t have a cooler in the truck and they’d melt as it was a very hot day out and inside the truck since it has no AC.  I finally found a store that had enough for us to make the trip at about at the time they called and said the RV was ready.  So we made our last stop and hustled back to the RV as it was HOT out and in and I had to save the ice cream!!

While Bill went in to pay the bill and get our key I moved Molly back to the RV and the ice cream.  The next challenge was getting it in our smaller freezer than in the past.  Plus there’s the broken door issue.  I moved stuff around and managed to get them in there so we are good to go now.  At the check out at the grocery I learned there’s a Wilcoxsin store here that I could gone to.  Oh well, as long as I got them that’s all that matters. 

We went to our campground for the night and I made one of Bill’s favorites:   mashed potatoes with beef and gravy and the token green veggie was broccoli.  It was a nice change and it was a good meal. 

We have a longer drive tomorrow than normal but it is what it is. 

Getting ready for tomorrow!

August 29 – Today’s temporary end point is Billings, MT.  We had a nice drive through lowland hills.  There were more golden hay fields and are so pretty and a nice change from the mountains of trees. 

Along the way we saw 3 young antelopes along the road.  That made me keep looking for more along the way but no, they were all of the “wild” life for the day.  We did see a large sheep herd though.

In trying to get ready for our strange day tomorrow, we got out our big electric cooler.  The cord would not work it in the RV or the truck so I took the fuse out and drove down to ACE is the Place where I got a package of the fuses and gave it another try.  It worked perfectly in the RV on regular power and using the cord for the lighter type connection.  The issue was it would not work in the truck!

We were trying to be ready tomorrow to take fridge items out of the fridge and carry them with us in the truck while the RV was getting an oil change and alignment.  The process is supposed to take about 4 hours based on our appointment times.  OH well, it will be what it will be!  We did a trial run to the shop so we wouldn’t get lost or be late!

Bye bye Glacier National Park

August 28 – Time to say goodbye to Glacier National Park and St. Mary’s, MT.  It was pretty cold out this morning but we still got going by 9.  We drive down the mountains and of course, we hit bad roads.  Looks like road work was in the works but being Sunday no one was working.  It reminded us of being back in Canada and Alaska.  Gravel and dirt, but with cows thrown in!  There is a lot of open grazing here so there were cows on the roads.  We couldn’t understand why the cows were in some areas that had no grass or shrubbery, just gravel and black dirt.  It was several miles before we finally left the cows behind. 

The drive today was a gradual downhill ride and then we were in huge flat valleys.  There was not much traffic at all.  The scenery was beautiful but very different.  There were lots of golden fields of hay as far as the eye could see.  The number of homes was sparse. 

We had stopped for lunch at a rest area along the way and really took our time today as we could not check in to the campground until 3.  We arrived right on time.  We have a nice pull thru site for the night.  Once we got parked we went into Helena to Walmart and did major grocery shopping.  There were some non-grocery items on the list as well so we had a cart full!  We now have a good supply of meat, veggies and fruits!

We had some of our rotisserie chicken for dinner with a salad and fresh corn on the cob that was so sweet.  So we are definitely good on groceries for a while!  For dessert we had some huckleberry ice cream.

Red Bus trip!

August 27 – We were up, dressed and had breakfast in plenty of time to drive ½ mile to the meet point for our tour in the Red Bus.  They really are not buses, but old time looking cars with 4 bench seats.  They hold 16 but we only had 14 in our bus.  It was colder than expected and looking like rain which meant we would not get to roll back the top of the bus and stand up to take photos.  Bummer!  It was really a cold day out.  I stayed in the bus several times as it was a little rainy in addition to the chill out.  The tour lasts 3 hours and we saw all of the eastern lakes, the resort, glaciers, the mountain peaks and stopped at a visitor center that took about 90 minutes to get to.  The traffic is monitored but it was quite heavy today.  We did several stops for photos and we did see a grizzly bear eating berries along the road.

The stop at the farthest point has some beautiful views of snowy mountains but boy, was it windy and cold rain.  We did not dress appropriate for the weather we had there.    The ride back covered things that were too crowded on the way up.  The guide/driver was excellent and has been spending his summers there for quite a long time.  He’s retired and loves to hike there so it’s a win-win for him.

When we got back and got some nice photos with the bus it was time for lunch!  We ate at the little café that we started to eat in before.  It had a limited menu as it was their last day open so they were using up what meats they still had.  After lunch we made a quick stop at the grocery store but ended up not finding what I was looking for.  So we headed back to the RV and started getting things ready for leaving in the morning.

Things didn't go as planned!

August 26 – Today did not go as planned!  The plan was to drive into Many Glaciers and have lunch at the Many Glaciers Lodge.  Then just see what we could see and drive a bit on Going to the Sun Road.  The road reminded us of Alaska and the Yukon as a long stretch of it was gravel but we could see that they are working on it, just not today!  We got to the ranger station and were told that the park was full as far as parking was concerned and to try back around 4 or later.  So we turned around and headed back but stopped to get photos of one of the glaciers that we could see on the mountains at the far end of the lake.  It was beautiful!

On the way back we drove the road to the other side of the lake that is here in St. Mary’s to see if it’s another village with a store.  Actually, what we can see from the hillside where our RV is parked it looks like a village but it turned out the be a big KOA.  Wish we had gone there as it’s more level looking.

So we stopped at a couple of places in St. Mary’s looking for lunch.  Their first place didn’t have anything I wanted and the other café has ice cream and advertises that they have food but since that part was closed the other day we figured not to waste a stop.  We went to the lodge and waited to be seated and had a window seat at the back of the dining room.  Beautiful view of the mountains while we enjoyed a delicious lunch.  I picked a salad with chicken and it was loaded with meat in addition to candied pecans, craisins, veggies I didn’t recognize, crispy prosciutto, blue cheese, fig with white balsamic vinaigrette.  I think it was the best salad I’ve ever had!  Took me a while to finish it though.  Bill had a bison burger with fries and a salad.  His was good as well and our server was very nice.

We revisited a couple of shops and left with just one gift to take home.  Once we got home I got busy making venison meatballs for tonight’s dinner.  I used a package of venison so have enough meatballs for 3 meals.  We had a salad with it but nothing as fancy as I had for lunch.  I did put some feta on it!

We have one more full day here and we are going on the Red Bus Tour!

Time for another adventure!

August 25 – 4 months til Christmas!  Today was a short drive to Glacier National Park area.  We didn’t leave until about 9:30 and there was NO traffic on the road until we reached the border crossing.  We slowly moved forward in the lane and were concerned that we might not fit under the drive thru, then I saw a sign about trucks and RV’s go to the right outside lane.  We moved into that lane once cars moved enough for us to make a lane change.  They had a bar down blocking the lane.  Then we saw a border guard walking to us and said he would open the gate for us.  He was very nice and asked how long we’d been in Canada and all the same stuff we’ve been asked numerous times.  He asked if he could come in and take a look.  They really only care if you’re transporting alcohol purchased in Canada and if you have any fruit or veggies from there.  I could honestly say no to the fruit and veggies as our plan was to get to a grocery store today and get some.  I told him the alcohol was what I brought with me from Florida and he asked about my plants.  I told him they came from Florida with me and I was planning to take them back and he was fine and sent us on our way!

We drove right to the campground after unhooking in the village of St. Mary’s.  They were not ready for us but said we could back up to their building and wait for 2 hours.  So we backed up and a guy came out and said he was going to see if our site was ready.  He came back in his golf cart and said we could go on to our site, so that was really nice.  We have full hook up pull thru that is not quite level.  We had barely pulled in when we got a neighbor in a Super C.  Nice couple from Colorado that are full timers at 52! 

After lunch we ventured to the village, which is a gas station with a gift shop and ice cream shop, a lodge and a small grocery store.  We got groceries first and they didn’t have much but there were come locally grown veggies so I got lettuce, a bag of yellow string beans and a yellow zucchini.  The rest was stuff from who knows where!  I spurged on a bottle of Huckleberry wine while Bill got Snapple.  We did agree to a small bag of Dot’s pretzels.

We checked out the lodge and verified where we meet the Red Bus for our tour in a couple of days.  Then we went in the ice cream parlor and each got a scoop.  Bill went with Caramel (ugh) and I went with Huckleberry!

Time to head back to the park and get those beans cooking for dinner and the potato baking.  They went well with our variety of leftover meats to finish off tonight.  We had some Almond cream cheese pound cake for dessert and settled in our recliners and got our books out.

We have 2 days of sightseeing to rest up for!

Most excitement was seeing a bear cub

August 24 – Not a very exciting day today.  We did laundry and cleaned up the RV for our departure tomorrow.  We saw signage about a Bison Paddock and decided to drive out and see them.  We drove out and could not see anything from the overlook so we followed another car all the way around the area.  The roads were not so great but we took them slow and it lead us back to where we started – and no Bison to be seen.  On the last leg of the road I saw all the way in the front area in a corner that you could not see until you went all the way around but you still could not get close.  So we pulled in the pull out at the top of the road.  Bill said he was not walking down there so I started on the waling path but veered off to the grassy area that was much shorter.  I was successful in the whopping  herd of 8 Bison.  I got a few photos and walked back up to let Bill know I found them.

Oh, we also saw a black bear cub along the road but as usual he was too fast for us to get the camera out and ready.

Nice Visit to Waterton National PArk

August 23 – We had an outing planned for mid-afternoon so we didn’t rush around at all this morning.  I spent most of my time catching up on my CC receipts and checking them off of the statements.  I was way behind but did get caught up.  I sent a message thru my medical portal  and hope to hear back tomorrow.  Bill wanted me to sew some velcro on a jacket of his so I got that done. 

We had some lunch then showered and drove the short distant to Waterton Lake National Park.  It cost $21 canadian for the 2 of us to get into the park.  Bill has wanted to go here for many years.  Not that the park is go great but as you approach you see the Prince of Wales Resort Hotel sitting on the top of a hill with the background of the lake.  It’s a gorgeous building that was build in 1927.  The inside looks very much like the resorts in Yellowstone and Glacier because they were all built by the railroad company. 

We went past the resort into the small town where we visited almost every shop in town after some time in the Visitor Center.  Bill tried to make a deal to get one of the young guys that worked there to sell him his park cap.  That didn’t happen!  We also saw a female deer in a yard so we stopped to get a photo and then Bill was ready to pull away and I stopped him as a baby deer was right at the passenger headlight.  Bill was looking at the mother and we both didn’t see the baby, but it was fine!

I think Bill only bought a magnet and a decal today.  We drove over to the side of the lake where the docks are and there was a group departing the tour boat and a line waiting to get on.  We discussed going but then it’s a boat to no where, just around in the lake but you could see the Prince of Wales form the water and that would have been cool.

We had a dinner reservation at the Prince of Wales and were a bit early so we went to the bar and got a table for 2 and beverages and we could see out on the lake.  It was peaceful and beautiful.  When our reservation time arrived we headed across the giant hall to the dining room and were seated next to a mom and her daughter.  They were just up from St. Mary’s, which is where we go from here.  The dad forgot his passport and had to stay in St. Mary, MT so the ladies drove up to see the resort and have dinner.  They are on their way to Oregon to get her settled in for her first year of college.  Nice people from SC.  Their son is out there as well so at least they will see him as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meals.  Bill had bison steak with veggies and I had Elk Ragout.  We both enjoyed our meals and Bill wanted to taste my Ragout.  He said he wished he had ordered that but he isn’t one to take a chance.  It was a delicious meal and nice folks to chat with.

When it was time to head out the rain stopped and 2 beautiful rainbows popped out.  I did my best to get some good shots.  One was so brilliant.  We got to see them all the way to the campground.  Nice!

The couple that was trying to back in their big 5^th wheel when we left was parked and we didn’t see them outside.  We didn’t get to go over and visit the couple in the caravan that we met last night, but maybe they don’t leave tomorrow, who knows.

We had the rest of our rhubarb for dessert and then Bill headed to bed.  He didn’t sleep well last night so maybe if he gets a head start he will do better.

Good Bye Waterton Lake

August 22 – We said our goodbyes to Calgary and headed south to Waterton Lake.  It’s a rather remote area consisting of a national park, lots of lakes and at least one campground.  It looked like a nice place to just chill a few days and also visit Waterton National Park.

We have a nice back in space near the office so we can keep an eye on what’s going on it the park.   It’s strictly seasonal.  We hear some car noise but it’s pretty quiet.  They have several young people working for the summer like we’ve seen in most of Canada.  One of the girls here will be travelling to Florida this winter with her family.

We noticed in the afternoon quite a few RV’s coming in with Fantasy Tours number stickers on them.  A couple of them were parked across from us so we ventured out after dinner and chatted with a couple from the group.  She has nothing but good things to say about a previous caravan they had been on and so far are happy with this one.  It’s Canada only but they have a lot on their agenda.  We met the Wagonmaster and got a booklet of the tours they do.

I cut up the rhubarb I got in Cochrane and put a quart bag in the freezer and made a small crisp with the rest.  It’s just enough for 4 servings but it’s better than no rhubarb!  I finished a crochet project and read. I need to find a place with yarn.  I’m getting down to nothing that matches!

Last day in Calgary, but we didn't go to Calgary!

August 21 -  This was a lazy day to start!  Wasn’t looking too nice out and we really didn’t want to  go into Calgary with the traffic and road construction.  We found a small town not too much further away that we went to, Cocharne.  I needed a toner cartridge for my printer and they had a Staples there, Walmart, Canadian Tire and more.  The nice thing is it was all in one area.  They have really laid out the town well so you can do all or your shopping within a ¼ of a mile.  There’s also a Safeway store, Dollarama, sporting goods, clothing stores and quite a few restaurants.

Once we got our shopping done Bill wanted to lunch at Mike’s, so we did.  The food was excellent and we were a bit after the normal lunch time so it was pretty quiet. 

Then it was a short drive home with no traffic to contend with.  The amusement park lot was still full and the spaces that had emptied at the campground were now filled again.  We did get some rain but not heavy and it did not deter anyone from staying at the amusement park.  They literally do no leave until the place closes.

I got my printer back in action and am trying to do the paperwork to submit to Medicare for Bill’s emergency hospital visit.  What a pain!  He’s got to make a couple of calls while we drive tomorrow so I get the correct place to send it to. 

We had a nice dinner of fresh asparagus, ham, fresh tomatoes and the last of the potato salad.  I tried to get fresh green beans again today and they don’t have them.  Hope to get some when we get back to Montana!!!

Nothing else to report for today.  We head pretty directly south in the morning!

Shopping Day!

August 20 – Once breakfast was over we kinda dilly dallied and got our showers and headed into Calgary again.  We went to a huge mall, the one that was closest to us.  It had 3 sporting goods stores but not the shirt Bill was looking for.  We were impressed with the HUGE food court and variety of places to order lunch.  I went with Greek and Bill went with chicken, noodles and zucchini.  We both really enjoyed our lunch but too bad we could not find him a tshirt!

I did buy a Christmas gift so it wasn’t a total waste!  Then Bill walked me to the Safeway Grocery and he left to move the car to the front of it.  I did get some of the items we could not find at Walmart so that was better.  Then we went to the closest Canadian Tire place.  I guess they do tire work but it’s more like a cross between a Lowes and a Walmart.  They have everything!  Bill bought a gizmo to clean the RV windows and that was pretty much it.  I checked out a lot of stuff but really didn’t want to deal with finding a place to put it in the RV for the ride home. 

Bill used his new “toy” to clean the front window and then he sorted out books that we haven’t read from the back of his truck and put in a bag that we have read.  I think we are good now for a few more days.  I descaled my Keurig and a pair of ice trays I forgot we had so while we don’t have an icemaker we can make 4 trays at a time.  I do love my ice!

Dinner is salmon for me and meatloaf for Bill, fresh corn on the cob and zucchini.   We have some diet ice cream for dessert so we are good to go!

PS:  There is NO WIFI at this campground either!  Luckily, I am able to hotspot off of Bill but he can’t off of my phone.  Doesn’t help with my laptop though.

Adventuresome Day!

 August 19 – For probably ¾ of our drive today we were in the mountains, Canadian Rockies.  The roads were good but no 4 laners!  Lots of 3 lanes back and forth.  We also had to crawl past an accident.  We deducted that a small car pulled out of the rest area and pulled in front of a car coming.  The small car was smashed in the front passenger side and the vehicle was left in the road.  The other car was an SUV and it was sitting in the water at the edge of the river.  Now, this is in the middle of no where and once we got past the area we did not pass the rescue people for about 25 miles.  NO one appeared to be majorly injured and other people had stopped to help out.  We only saw one tow truck headed that way.  At least the car in the river was not in deep enough for water to be going in.  That was our “excitement” for the day!

As we continued East all of a sudden we came out of the last mountain and then it was farming and hayfields as far as the eye could see!  No gradual change at off, but we didn’t complain!  It made the rest of the drive into Calgary a breeze.  Our campground was on the right off the Canada 1 about 5 miles before you get into the city proper.  We had a pull thru with a full hook up.  We happen to be nextdoor to the Calaway Amusement Park.  A lot of the guests at the campground are here to go there.  The parking lot is huge there across a field from us and it was packed when we arrived.  Later in the day they would walk back over to the campground or to their cars.  It’s lined with big trees so we really can’t see inside of it.

Once we got settled in we ventured into Calgary which is now over 1 million people.  Nothing like when we came here over 20 years ago to the famous Calgary Stampede.  They are doing a lot of road work so that made it difficult since we didn’t really know where we were headed.  We went to Walmart for a few supplies and to check things out.  Bill was looking for a specific t-shirt but they didn’t have it.  It was not like our Wal-marts at home.  The groceries are in the middle and seem rather haphazardly organized and they don’t carry but one kind of anything.  Needless to say we didn’t buy much and the prices are so high.  A bag of my Gala apples has been as much as $10 for a 3 pound bag.  I’ve been buying just 2 at a time and pacing myself! 

The campground was definitely full tonight and the field is being used for drying camping.  There were 6-7 there for the night.

We do enjoy watching the people come and go and the little kids so excited about going to the Amusement Park.

Love the Hot Springs

August 18 – Today was a relaxing day!  We did some household chores and in the afternoon we ventured over to the Hot Springs at the office.  They have one that is the size of a swimming pool but it’s not very hot at all.  More like a swimming pool.  The have a smaller pool that is a real hot springs.  I spent most of my time there.  Bill went from pool to pool.  We’d stay in no longer than 20 minutes at a time as there was a warning that it could be detrimental to your health to stay longer.  Then we would sit in the chairs provided and read and relax.  So we stayed a couple hours and I was SO relaxed I could have napped for a while!

Since we head out tomorrow for Calgary, Alberta I did a load of laundry and we got things back in order to leave.  We didn’t do a while lot here but it was more relaxing and slow paced, which I really need at this point.  I’m beginning to think I should not have booked us to stay travelling as long as we have planned.  Oh well, last trip west of the Mississippi, sooo!

Super tour of Revelstoke Dam

August 17 – A lazy morning!  Just reading a book and eventually getting ready and dressed to go into town.  We had lunch at home then headed directly to the dam.  We passed inspection with all of our ID and Covid cards.  There were about 15 on our tour.  The guide did an excellent job telling the history of the dam, how long it took to build, how much it cost and could answer every question anyone asked.  It was about an hour and once we were “released” you were free to go back to every place we’d been on our own.  We were a bit disappointed that the 3 Indigenous tribes that live along the river and catch the bulk of their food from it got shorted in the deal.  A lot of their fishing areas are no longer available to them and they have to rely on the government to “stock” the fish for them to catch.  There are no fish ladders in the areas that were changed to build the billions of dollars dam and 8 years to do it.  It does supply electric al the way to Vancouver.  It was very interesting and mammoth!

Then we stopped at a shop we had passed that deals with AC and they said they didn’t have any openings for this afternoon or tomorrow.  If they had a spot it would be up to 2 hours depending on what the problem was.  So I guess Bill will call ahead in the states and see when we can maybe get it looked at.  It’s that or wait til we get home.

We made a quick stop at the grocery for some produce and would you believe they didn’t have a single peppermint candy or other hard candy except suckers?  So I left with 6 suckers as my mouth and throat dry out very easy and I have to be sucking a candy or sipping water.  I guess it’s might be a pleasant change!

Checking out Revelstoke

August 16 – Once we got breakfast out of the way and showers we lazyed around a while.  The plan was to have dinner in town so we didn’t head into town until after lunch.  We stopped at one of the National Park places to see the big trees but they had that area roped off.  It was only open for using the picnic area or the restrooms. 

We drove out to the Dam, which is huge and were told they have 4 tours a day and that we’d need photo ID and our vaccination cards.  No problem, so we got the tour times and decided we’d go tomorrow at 1:30.

We checked on a couple of places that might be able to fix the AC in the truck.  It’s really been a temperature change for us and we’d like AC in the truck.  It blows hot air so maybe it’s low on freon, maybe there’s a hole in the line.  We called and stopped at several places but they said it’s 2 weeks out.  So, I think Bill is going to make an appt. for one of our stays in the states. 

We parked in the Main Street area and visited some more shops and some we’d already looked at and I did buy a Christmas gift so the trip wasn’t wasted.  The lady in the shop was super nice and since we were the only ones there, we visited with her.  Her dad was an engineer on the train and she grew up riding the trains all over BC.  Very nice lady.

We walked around and took pictures of the 2 carved bears that welcome you to the main street downtown.  During the summer they have music with different groups every night.  We’d seen them setting up both days we’ve been in town.  I just wouldn’t want to drive back to the campground in the dark as there are no street lights and we’re about 20 miles out of town on a curvy main highway.

We had a nice dinner at Zala’s which had been recommended.  We were kinda shocked at the prices being much more reasonable than every where else we’ve eaten in Canada.  Bill had a 2 pasta meal of baked spaghetti and really enjoyed it and I went with a dinner size salad with salmon on it.  It was the largest portion of salmon I’ve ever been served and grilled to perfection.  Needless to say we didn’t leave a crumb behind. 

Time to head back to the campground before it gets dark, well it’s not until like 9 or later!

Made it to Revelstoke

August 15 – I was pretty sure Bill had a good night as he was still sleeping like a rock when I got up.  When he got up he said he didn’t have a twitch all night and slept well but was feeling a little sluggish.  I think the fix for that is to take the pill around 8 as in a couple of hours it was worn off and he was fine.  So we will see how it goes from here!

We hit the road around 9 for Revelstoke, BC.  Actually, our campground is Canyon Hot Springs about 25 miles east of the city.  It was another foothills driving day and we passed so many lakes again!  Today though there were a lot on the right side for a change.  We started in the foothills and then into steeper uphill and down roads as we were now in the Canadian Rockies.  There were a lot of passing lanes and you can be sure all the cars were taking full advantage of passing us ASAP.  We are on Canada 1 which is the Trans Canada Highway.  You’d think it could be 4 laned but I guess with the water and the mountains it’s not a possibility.

We had considered stopping at a big rest area on the way in and leave the RV while we went to the pharmacy and grocery store.  We missed the location and so we drove on to the campground.  We were pleasantly surprised to have a full hook up pull thru!  Yea!  It’s pretty nice and level and with full hook ups we could not be happier! 

We set up, turned the AC on and headed into town.  First stop was the pharmacy where we found that the script was not dated and they would not fill it without confirmation.  So we left it with the pharmacy so contact the hospital etc.  We went to the grocery for some produce and I went in the Dollar Store for a couple of birthday cards then we checked out the gift shop in downtown.  We were running low on Canadian money and the first one didn’t exchange unless you had an account, the second one was closed by the time I got there and the 3^rd one had the same account required rule, but they did have an ATM that I could use and it charged me $3.50 for the transaction.  But, we’re back in the money!!

Bill went back to the pharmacy and was able to get his pills and the doctor had also said he was low in calcium and magnesium so we got vitamins for him as well. 

We drove a bit around the town and then headed back to the RV.  It was time to get some supper going so I put together a meatloaf and baked it with a half of white potato and half of a white sweet potato.  While they baked I peeled some carrots and just cooked them in water and was surprised that Bill really enjoyed them.  My favorite part of the meal was my white sweet potato.  Very yummy!

After dinner we took a walk around the park and took our garbage to the containers.  It was a bit chilly out and there were those darn mosquitoes so we didn’t stay out too long.

Time to read a while and watch Bill do the dishes!

Another crazy day

August 14 – Thank goodness the roads as good, but too bad now there’s so much traffic.  We are travelling in what I think of as the foothills.  There were miles and miles of lakes along the road.  Boaters were out and didn’t make a dent.  You’d see a huge lake and one boat out in the middle.

Nothing exciting to share but it was a nice drive and we arrived in Kamloops with no problem.  It’s about 6-7 miles to Knutsford where the campground is.  We saw an opportunity to get diesel before heading into the campground.  Bill asked if I thought I could fit at the station and I’m always very confident and I said “sure”.  I waited for a car to exit then I pulled in and there was still room for small cars to fill beside me.  I got a lot of looks from people.  I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a woman driver or that I was able to navigate thru without hitting anything.  Bill was concerned if I could make the turn out onto the road as there were trucks parked along the other side.  Well, they seemed to be very close to the curb and I had room to swing out of the exit so I didn’t have to make a hard turn on the road – and it all went according to plan!

We were not at all impressed with the campground and we had reserved for 2 nights.  There was no one at the office when we arrived.  There was a list of arrivals and what site you were assigned.  Ours was only 3 spaces from the office.  It was a back in, which was better than nothing and Bill directed me in just fine.  Once we decided not to stay 2 nights we called the office and I left a message that we had wanted to talk to someone and let them know we had a change of plans and were only staying one night.  I will say that park was packed for the night. 

Bill had a bad night last night and his leg twitched all night and he didn’t get any sleep.  Today his abdomen was twitching instead of his leg.  So once we were settled in I call the Urgent Care place and they said they were booked for today and tomorrow and suggested we go to the hospital Emergency Room.   So we left at about 4 and went to the hospital.  What a zoo that was.  After 2 hours Bill got some paperwork and completed it and then we were told I had to prepay before they would see him.  They would not take our insurance so I had to pay on my credit card $1,160 for him to be seen.  They said I could submit to my insurance at home.  So I handed over my card and had to show them the receipt at the ER so they moved Bill inside the actually treatment area and put him in a room.  I also had to keep feeding the parking meter as that isn’t free either.  So 6 hours later he saw a Doctor!  He was familiar with the involuntary jerking and gave him a pill to take tonight and a script to get filled tomorrow. 

We had not had dinner so here it was 10pm and we’re both starving so the only thing we found open was Wendy’s.  Obviously the Wendy’s here does not make a burger like at home.  I ordered my burger with pickles and mustard and Bill did the same.  They both had lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and pickle.  Oooh!  If we both hadn’t been starving we would had pitched them.  We now know to be VERY specific if we order one again in Canada.

We were pretty exhausted when we got home so off to bed and hoping for Bill to get a good night’s sleep.

One day at a time....

August 13 - It started as a sunny day and Bill ran a couple of errands and I caught up on bank statements and bill paying.  After lunch we headed over to the arena.  They didn’t have much of a crowd but we learned this was a 2 day event so maybe tomorrow will be busier for them.

We stayed about 2 hours and enjoyed the calf roping, barrel runs, and other events.  They had men’s, women’s and events either or both could enter.  They had some youth events as well.  We left just in time as we walked over and started getting some chilly rain on the walk back so we were moving as fast as we could!  It rained on and off all afternoon but at least the sun was still out so it was a nice afternoon.

We head out in the morning heading further East.  We will spend 2 nights in Knutsford, BC and make a visit to Kamloops.  We will start picking up the pace after we leave Glacier in another week.  I’m really tired and need to get back to a “normal” regiment.  I love to travel but I need a break for a while!

Words can't describe how sad I am today!

August 12 - It was a very sad drive for me today!  I am really going to miss all of the great couples and singles that we met on this adventure.   It’s amazing how people from all over the US can gather and become such good friends in 50 days.  It seemed like we had forever on day 1 and then like a snap of your fingers it was over and time to say good bye.  I did my share of crying as I’m sure there are many that we will never see again and them makes me very sad.  The good thing is I will NEVER forget how we bonded, laughed and celebrated each day together, whether it was a good day or a bad day.  I thank the Big Guy upstairs for bringing us together and giving us this time to share.

We didn’t drive too far today as Bill we found a place to fix our propane tank that we’ve been unable to really use for a month!  We booked 2 nights in Williams Lake, BC.  We unhooked on arrival and I parked the RV at the propane place and they said it would take a couple of hours.  We planned to go have lunch and check out our campground.  Well, we didn’t get far and they called that there was really nothing wrong with it.  Apparently there was a washer that fell out and no one who was putting in the propane knew that it needed that to connect.  Geez!  So it didn’t cost us anything but Bill tipped the older man who was going to do the work. 

So we drove the half mile to the campground at the Williams Lake Stampede.  We have a nice pull thru with full hookups so I was able to do several loads of laundry.  We had wonderful hot showers and hot water to do the dishes!  The view out our front window if of the area and there are about 50 horses there.  We found out there is a rodeo there tomorrow so Bill went over and bought tickets for us.  That will be a change of pace for sure.  It’s been quite a while since we were at the Calgary Annual Stampede so we are looking forward to it.

I went to Walmart for a few things after I stopped at the Bulk Food store and the Dollarama.  Picked up some yarn and snacks that you only find at the bulk food places.  I went to one in London, Ontario and this is the same company.  Such an awesome selection.  Too bad we don’t have them in Florida!

Bill checked out the RV by us, looks exactly like Dave and Laurie’s and he tows a pickup that looks like Bill’s.

Last day together😢😢

August 11 – Today’s drive was to Prince George, BC.  It wasn’t a very long drive and the campground is outside of town, which is the norm!  Half of the spaces are pull thru and the big rigs like us got those.  There are areas of trees that are dividers between the sites.  They are all full hook ups but we were warned to fill our water tanks before arriving as the water has a strong smell and taste.  So all Bill had to do was hook up the electric.  

There wasn’t anything of particular interest to see in town so we just hung out and chatted with our fellow campers.  Tomorrow morning are the good byes and that makes me very sad.  Marty gave me a big hug and said he’d see us in Florida as he volunteers at Crystal River working with the manatees.  Dave and Laurie are also wintering in Florida over by Arcadia, so we will see them as well.  Some of the couples winter in Texas so there’s a chance we will go there for a week, who knows!

We had dinner out as a group and the food was expensive but excellent.  I think everyone enjoyed their meal and the chance to spend some time together in a peaceful setting.  I can’t complain that I might not see them again as it was a real blessing to meet them all in the first place.  Bill and I agree it was worth every penny to make this trip and meet such awesome people in the process.

The down side is we need to have body work done on the truck and the motorhome.  Those roads are a mess in many places and the bumping and dips, yikes – but we made it out in one rickety piece!

We do plan to stop on September 13 in Belton, MO to see Mike and Barb as it’s on our route.  Hoping it times out that we can meet for lunch somewhere for a couple of hours.

Sadly the best part of our summer is over, now for the long ride home!

Time is winding down

August 10 – About 8:45 we followed Dave out of the campground to the dump station.  Then we hooked up the truck and off we went to Smithers, BC.  Actually, our campground is just outside of Smithers and it’s one of the best we’ve had for the whole trip.  Pull thru sites with full hook ups!  I did 3 loads of laundry as it was really piling up!

There was a group ice cream social sponsored by the Wagonmasters.  Vanilla ice cream with some toppings.  Of course they planned it right at the time we would be eating dinner.  It would have been better to have it as a dessert!  So we ate some ice cream and I came home.  Some of the people wanted to play some games but I was not interested.  Bill stayed and played but didn’t win anything.

We went to Dave and Donna’s for the dinner we had agreed on when we arrived and had a late supper.  Dave and Laurie came as well and we all have such a good time together.  After dinner we sat around and just chatted.

Only one more day and evening with everyone. 😢So sad!

One of our best days in Alaska

August 9 – Today the adventure was going to see bears fishing in a river close by.  Actually the forest service in Hyder, Alaska is about 12 miles and they built a viewing area for people to come and watch the bears “fish”.  We drove in a “follow the leader” mode as the Wagonmasters were paying for the tickets to get us in so we needed to all arrive pretty much on time.

The boardwalk is pretty long and goes from just behind the ranger station and runs parallel to the river.  We could immediately see the salmon swimming all over the river.  There were some dead one who had laid their eggs and then die.  The whole way the salmon breed, lay eggs and die is kinda sad.

There was not a huge group on the boardwalk and we rode with Dave and Donna so we hung out for about an hour with no bear sightings.  They gave us return tickets for tonight to come back and see if the dinner hour worked better for us.

Oh, there is no Canada border crossing office when you enter Hyder but we did have to show passports to go back to BC.  Actually we had to refile on the Arrive Canada website to go back this evening.

We did take some photos of the salmon laying eggs and fussing with each other.  Then back in Canada we stopped at a couple of the shops but didn’t find anything of real interest. 

After dinner we headed back to the bear viewing with Dave and Donna.  I went straight to the very end of the boardwalk where you could see quite a way down the river.    There is no way to know what direction the bears will be coming from.  There were not many people there when we arrived but it ove sure got crowded by the time we left.

A couple of the ladies from our group hung out with me and Bill kinda moved around from spot to spot.  I can’t tell you how exciting it was when I saw the black bear straight in front of me but a ways down the river.  I took a lot of photos of the bear and he gradually moved closer to us.  By that time people were jam packed at our end and Bill was behind me as well.  I stayed as long as I wanted and there were some negative comments that people should move once they get their pictures so others can get some.  Maybe I was not generous enough but I had waited a lot longer to be in that spot and was just lucky that the bear came from that end.  Once I got enough pictures to picked a tiny lady to take my spot so she could see and we headed out.  Dave and Donna were ready when we were and we were all excited that we got to see the bear slaughtering the salmon for his dinner. 

We did our stop at the customs station and went back to the campground.  It stays light here until about 9:30 but it had been a long day.  We set up our time frame to leave in the morning behind Dave and Donna after dumping our tanks at the city dump station.

Seeing a bear catching fish and eating his dinner was a great way to end our trip.  We now only have 2 more nights with the group and then we all head our separate ways.  Not looking forward to the good-byes.

Good Road, Good Sites!

August 8 – Today was probably the BEST road we’ve had in Canada and Alaska for a whole day!  Then the scenery with glaciers made it a worthwhile drive.  It was still a mountainous road with plenty of ups, downs, curves and trucks, but nothing as busy as on the interstates at home.

As we got close to Stewart, BC we pulled over to enjoy the view of a huge glacier with melt flow into a big lake below.  It was very peaceful and calming.

Then the fun began as we arrived at the campground within the time frame we were allotted to arrive.  They were not ready for us so there were 6-8 RV’s lined up on the small town road but off the main one so it was OK.  Then some of the spaces in the woods were a challenge to BACK in to.  We have power only and I’m really getting tired of it.  We learned later in the day that one of the couples arrived and the wagonmaster told them she forgot about them!  It’s not like we’re in the first week!  They work from a list every time we enter a campground as they assign the spaces.  That couple was very P O’d that they were totally forgotten.  Then the “found” them a spot in the other side of the campground with only 15Amp, meaning you can only use one appliance or thing at a time.  She was very mad and I don’t think today was the end of it.  These people of really not people persons.  They have no skills to deal with controversy or problems or people.  They literally just blow you off if you say anything they don’t like.  I think Passport America is going to get a lot of negative emails and reviews on this one!!

After lunch Bill and I went to the Visitor Center and the older lady there was a hoot.  We really enjoyed interacting with her.  We walked a bit and then we went to the City Court House which is also a museum.  We spent about an hour there and Bill found the car wash so for one day the truck will look nice!

We stopped at 2 grocery stores and I picked up only the essentials as the prices are so high.  Hoping to make it to bigger cities soon and can stock up a bit better. 

Bill was told/asked if I would bring a dessert tomorrow for our “family” (dysfunctional family) meal tomorrow evening.  I made a pineapple upside down cake and a rhubarb crisp.  Hoping on one likes rhubarb!

We are still not using the stove so I George Foremaned our brats for dinner and I had bought a bin of potato salad and a kale salad mix this afternoon to go with the brats. 

Oh, and one of the Daves wanted to see what it cost for a helicopter trip to a glacier.  The other Dave has been in helicopters and said he’d like to go as well.  On our way back from shopping I spotted a helicopter landing and Bill said Dave and Dave’s cars were parked in front so we stopped and watched the wives video the landing.  They loved the trip.  They landed on a glacier way behind what we could see and got out and walked on it.  They were kinda on cloud 9, but good for them.  Since the pilot had a full cab the price was less also!