Our Cross Canada Trip

2007-09-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

JUNE 27 to AUGUST 24, 2007

The trip was made by Mel, Willa and Tegan (our granddaughter) Kraft. We traveled in a 31 foot, Class A motorhome. We brought 3 bikes with us which were on a carrier on the back of the motorhome and I had bought covers for the bikes which helped keep the dust and rain off of them. We did not tow a car and we found either there was parking or we used a shuttle from the campsites. We stayed in campsites most of the time, mainly because it was reasonably hot and we wanted the hookups to run the air conditioner. However to save money you can stay in Walmarts, Canadian Tire, Costco parking lots. If you are concerned about safety, then the private or provincial campsites are best. However, you won’t be lonely in the other parking lots. We stayed in one Walmart parking lot and there were about 10 of us. In another we shared it with one other camper. We always asked at the store but they seemed more than happy to have you stay.
The following is a summary of some of the cost of our trip. I’ll add to the list as we get the figures in but as of August 25, 2007.
We traveled 15,600 kilometers = 9,693.84 miles.
We used 4443.693 liters of gas or 977.495 gallons.
Gas cost $4,557.31 which averages at about $1.003 per liter.
We averaged about 10.164 miles per gallon.
Our campsites cost us a total of $1417.06 including taxes.
Based on being away 59 nights the average cost of campsites was $24.00 per night. Out of the 59 nights we stayed with friends and family and several other sites with no charge so that has to be taken into consideration.
The average cost of gas per day was about $75.55 per day. Many of the days we stayed stationary if there were things to do in that area.
So camping and gas cost about $99.55 per day.
We bought about $76.00 worth of propane and we brought back about $20.00 worth still in the tank.
Longest day on the road 965 kilometers or 599.65 miles which was too long of a day.
Shortest day on the road 54.7 kilometers or 34 miles which means we did a lot of sight seeing that day and there were a number of other ones with similar mileage.
Our average moving speed was a low of 34 k/h to high of 87 k/h.
Our highest elevation was in the Rogers Pass in BC at 5300 feet; the next highest was about 3200 feet which was Calgary, Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta was 2335 feet. Once we left the prairies the highest we reached I believe was on the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia which was about 1400 feet. The rest of the country was in the 100-300 foot range.
Any other questions just email me. You can use the email fourwinds93@hotmail.com. That email won’t be checked much from here on but you are welcome to use either my work email, mel_kraft@telus.net or Willa’s email at willakraft@telus.net

Day 59, August 24, 2007

2007-09-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Day 59, Friday, August 24, 2007.
We left Keith and Lillian’s at about 9:00 am and headed for home. The traffic was a little heavy but moved very well. We did hit a road construction on the Coquihalla Highway past Kamloops but nothing that held us up for long. We did see two mishaps, one was a newer Dodge truck and the whole front end was burnt to a crisp. In Merritt where the #5 crosses over the #1 there was another mishap and we weren’t sure what the problem was, maybe another fire by the looks of it. Well this is the last leg of our journey across Canada. It was with mixed emotions getting home. Nice to be home but sad that the adventure was over. We arrived at home about 3:00 pm after a stop for corn and then to dump the holding tanks in the motorhome. We had someone looking after our home while we were gone and it was sure nice to come home to a spotless house. Hardly know anyone had lived there for 2 months. Once home we unloaded the motorhome and Willa started her laundry, every thing got stripped and ended up in the laundry. WE WILL DO IT AGAIN! But next time when we are retired and maybe take longer and I even thought of doing the trip over 2 years. Spend 4 months one year and leave the motorhome in storage for the winter back East and pick up where we left off the next year. That would save a lot of driving and give you more time to explore the huge country of ours. There is so much more we want to see in Canada but that is for another time.
I hope you enjoyed following the trip with us as we did physically doing it. We had a lot of fun and it brought to home just how big our country is and how beautiful it is and we haven’t seen all of it yet. I’ve had so many people I’ve met that say how beautiful BC is but I would have to say every province we hit had its own beauty only in a different way from BC. We could have spent weeks or months back in PEI. We regret not seeing more of Nova Scotia. However Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, will be high on the agenda for the next trip.

Day 58, August 23, 2007

2007-09-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Day 58, Thursday, August 23, 2007.
We spent the day with Keith and Lillian Bennett in Salmon Arm, BC. Very relaxing day. Keith is a wood turner and has all the equipment for the hobby. He got Tegan, our 16 year old granddaughter, to make herself a bowl. Keith got a piece of wood in the rough shape she would need and after a few instructions she got started. I think Keith could have turned the bowl out in less than an hour but it took Tegan three hours. She sure enjoyed doing it. She and I were amazed at watching the block of wood slowly taking shape under the tool. Each curve a little different cutting tool was used and as the chips flew the bowl started to magically appear. Once the bowl was shaped then she started the sanding process to get a nice smooth finish. Tegan again was amazed how smooth the bowl got as you used the different sandpapers. I think the thing that amazed her most and still does me is when you have everything ready to start to put the oil finish on the wood. Keith uses either mineral oil or extra virgin oil ( what exactly an extra virgin is I am not sure, I do understand what a virgin is, but extra? Maybe it means two, you know just in case!). You should have seen Tegan’s eyes light up as the oil was applied. The wood grain jumps out at you. The bowl was made out of a burl if I remember correctly and when the oil was applied all the twist, turns and birds eye jumped right out at you. Keith has done several bowls and a potpourri bowl for us. What was fascinating about our bowls was the cherry wood came from a tree in our field after it died. The interesting bit of trivia that goes with this is I knew the old gentleman who planted the trees in our field in 1933. Peter Ioriel, from Italy. He lived on the mountain for quiet a few years and I knew him as a kid in the ‘50s when we first moved to Straiton on Sumas Mountain. He had some wonderful stories to tell of the mountain and especially the school marm who lived in the house above from where we live now. Apparently she had an unusual number of gentlemen callers and the stories went on from there. Mr. Ioriel was a neat old gentleman and I talked to him after we bought the property that we currently live on and he gave me the history on the property. Where we live now is across the road from where I was raised, we moved there in 1951 with my parents. Right next door to the house was the one roomed school that I went to from grade one to grade six. Prior to grade one I would go up and knock on the door and the teacher would let me in and sit me on a chair at the back of one of the rows and let me draw or doodle until I got bored. Six grades, six rows of desks and one teacher. The teacher we had the longest was Mrs. Edith Money and she taught for 5-7 years at the Straiton School. When the weather got bad she would spend the night at our house or maybe a week if the roads were real bad. See how your kids would like that, I take that back at the age I was it would have been a treat but not for a teenager. We had an old orchard in the back of the house, and every fall we would pick the apples and store them in the basement of the house. My Dad would put them into about 40 gallon wooden barrels and they would be shipped off to his brothers and sisters who lived in and around North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Where I wanted to go with this was to say that I would pick one these apples, they were King Apples, and I would polish it up and take it to the teacher most days the apples were available. The King Apple has a wax coating on it and when you polished it, it would shine and in a multitude of red hues. Even then I was impressed by the colour and shine the apples could take on. By the way we were on 80 acres of land with an older two story house with a barn, chicken coop and a few other outbuildings and they paid $2000 for it in 1951. Hard to believe but you have to apply that to the hourly wage then. The lumber the house was built from was cut and milled from the timber on the property. We had about 8-10 huge maple trees around the immediate yard. One tree was getting a little too old and sat too close to the house and Dad decided to cut it down. The stump left over was about 4-6 feet across. One hot summer day just after the tree was cut down I decided to count the rings. There were over two hundred rings to the centre of the rotted out area in the center of the tree and the rotted out area was about a foot across. Sorry kind of got off the original entry, but to suffice to say we enjoyed our time at the Bennett’s and would have stayed longer, but weren’t invited to……………not true, they begged and pleaded for us to stay……which was a little closer to the truth but we were wanting to get home to get two kids ready for school and rearrange sleeping areas for the two girls. We took temporary custody of our 10 year old granddaughter just before we left on holidays……..which is another story. Tomorrow we start our last leg of the cross Canada journey which brings us right back to where we started—HOME.

Day 57, August 22, 2007

2007-09-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Day 57, Wednesday, August 22, 2007.
We left Calgary at 10:00 am and headed for Salmon Arm, BC. Calgary has grown so much it is unbelievable. When we got closer to Calgary the houses followed the hills for miles and the road construction is amazing. So leaving the campsite I had wondered if there was an easier way to get to the # 1 Highway, which is the Trans Canada Highway, than the way we came. I took our trusty GPS and marked where we were and where we wanted to be on the #1 and it drew me a route and we followed it to the #1. The roads the GPS suggested were roads that connected the subdivisions, not main roads per say. These roads were all 4 lane roads with level cloverleaf intersections. There would be big signs pointing out new communities that are being developed and there would be 3-4 on each of these signs. We think we have growth in Abbotsford this. Would be like starting in Hope and having solid housing to Langley or Surrey and from the USA border to way north of Mission. Well 30-40 minutes later we were on the #1 Highway heading West. The mountains sure looked good. You start with flat prairie, then foothills, then mountains and I have to say after a month away they were beyond impressive and closer to overwhelming. I can see how someone living all their life in the prairies or eastern Canada and then coming to BC, the mountains could be very intimidating. Seeing the mountains was like coming home again and we aren’t even home yet. Considerable amount of highway construction through the Rogers Pass. In one area I think just before Field, BC they are building a new section of road and a new bridge and rather than following the old road they are climbing up into the mountain and have built this bridge which I would say is 700-800 feet above the old road and river. I would like to have gotten a picture but there was just no where to stop. It will be interesting to drive this section of the road when the bridge is finished. I think before they are done it will be four lane on the whole Trans Canada Highway. Just before the foothills we saw a bad accident. A single car went off the road and must have flipped, they were working on getting the driver out when we drove past. The second accident was a big semi that flipped over on a corner, It looked to me like the driver would have been ok if he/she were buckled but I think the passenger would have had some serious road rash if not some serious rock bruises if they survived. You know, to come to thing about it those were the only accidents we saw on the whole trip, I have to say that surprises me. The drive was real good from Calgary to Salmon Arm. The traffic was very heavy, especially with the construction and flag people which would back the traffic up maybe 1-1.5 miles and then you had to contend with that bundle of vehicular moving out all at the same time. Everything seemed to flow well. We pulled into the Bennett’s about 4:30 in the afternoon. We gassed up before heading to the Bennett’s so we would be ready to go on Friday when we head on the final leg of our Cross Canada journey. We all agreed its good to be going home but we also really enjoyed the trip. The longer you are away you get more in the mode of traveling and the sitting doesn’t bother you like it did the first week of leaving home. I was just thinking of an interesting piece of trivia. Once we left the mountains the highest point we reached was in Alberta which was about 3000 feet above sea level. In the eastern provinces the highest point was on the Cabot Trail and I believe, if I remember correctly was around 800 feet. Coming back into the mountains along the Rogers Pass we reached an altitude of over 5300 feet. My GPS gives we a steady readout of the elevation as you move, along with, average moving speed, average over all speed, direction, odometer, daily miles traveled and about 10 other statistics. They are also great for finding your way around strange cities because you can put in an address for anywhere in North America and it will show you how to get there on a turn by turn set of instructions. We used ours on our whole trip. The GPS was turned on in the morning and ran till we stopped in the evening and then we used it to mark out our route for the next day if we were not sure of where we were going. The unit I have is a Garmen handheld with a very small screen so I have tied mine into my laptop which sits between the driver and passenger seats and swivels so we can both look at it. This also gives you a very large screen to view the map and the road ahead. They have new ones out now that talk to you and they are good but I like the way mine works with the laptop. Well two more entries for the trip and we are done. I may start putting our weekend trips into the blog. Let me know what you think of the diary of our trip including what was good and what was poor and how it could be improved for another time. Use the email fourwinds93@hotmail.com. That email won’t be checked much from here on but you are welcome to use either my work email, mel_kraft@telus.net or Willa’s email at willakraft@telus.net. Both are checked daily and mine at work is done 3-4 times a day. Make sure you have a clear subject line in the email or we may not look at it if we don’t recognize the sender or the reason for the email. My assistant at the office checks my email and if she doesn’t recognize the sender or the reason for the email she will delete it. We get a lot of spam and unwanted solicitations.

Day 56, August 21, 2007

2007-08-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

Day 56, Tuesday, August 21, 2007
We got a bit of a late start today but only had a few hours to Calgary so there was no panic to get away. When we left the campsite in Edmonton it was cloudy and windy out of, I thought, the southwest or east. We hit the #2 highway and the wind is out of the northwest which is good because it’s hitting the passenger side rear corner so not too bad but it is a strong wind. This tends to toss us around a little but not too bad and the good news is it does push us also. With a wind at the back, it is a lot quieter up front, less wind noise. As the road bends and twists on the way to Calgary the wind tends to catch us sometimes at the side and sometimes at the rear. From the rear, the vacuum gage goes from about 9-10 inches to 15 plus. If from the front the vacuum has dropped to as low as 3-4 inches. 10 to 12 inches is about normal. The higher the inches of vacuum the better the gas mileage. Now the side wind is good and bad. The good new is that it is not a head wind. The bad news if it is a side wind and throws us around something fierce. Not that you move across the whole road, but you use every bit of your own lane and can give the drivers in the other lanes a bit of a start when suddenly you are right on the line. Also with a side wind you are steering into the wind so when something blocks the wind like a row of trees or a big truck you tend to do the Highway Dance, “The Two Foot.” It’s two feet this way and two feet that way and back to the middle and then two feet back again and two feet to the middle. Well you get the idea. This dance can be done to any tune on the radio or the tune the passenger happens to be screaming when the dance starts. The wind must have been 50-65 k/h and maybe gusting higher. Not for the novice driver and needless to say Tegan was not driving. Closer to Calgary I noticed a 5th wheel on the side of the road dealing with his awning, I think it must have come loose and they were having quite a time putting it back up, if they were even able to. I would think if it had come loose it would have done damage to the arms or the track the awning slides into. He had some help so I didn’t stop and it would have been tricky to try and stop with traffic and the limited space on the shoulder of the road. Speaking of shoulders, a few of the highways have no shoulder at all. I wouldn’t want (knock wood) to have a reason to have to stop on one of those roads. Other than the wind the this segment of the trip was good and we rolled straight to Calgary and found a campsite on the NW corner of Calgary and only $30.00 per night. Met some nice people on either side and across the road. The couple on the passenger side are a younger couple with twin girls 3 years old and they have one of those decorative metal signs hanging in the window that says “Gamblers and loose women may frequent this establishment”. We found it quite humorous. The couple on the other side, he is helping his son in construction for a few months and the couple across the street are from Smithers, BC and they are just finishing their cross Canada trip. They had left in May.
We did get a hold of Jonathan and he came out to the campsite and had supper with us. He was on call but had no calls until later in the evening. Jonathan works for NCR (National Cash Register) Company. He is on loan for a few week hears from the Vancouver office. He has stored his car at our house while he is away. May do some cruising. He bought a 2001 Ford Mustang Cobra, convertible, candy apple red. Very nice car and in real good shape with low mileage. He’s very proud of it and has a right to be. Well it is 7:00 in the morning of the 22nd and we are on the last leg of our Cross Canada Trip. Tonight we stay at Keith and Lillian Bennetts which is in Salmon Arm, BC. We could just see the mountains on the horizon coming into Calgary and after almost 2 months they did look good. Should be well into them by noon if I can get Willa and Tegan moving soon. I just looked over at Tegan sleeping and I find it interesting where people put there arms when sleeping. Tegan has one arm under her head with the hand holding her head and the other in front of her face with the hand holding her forehead. Interesting position. Another time when mom came camping with us to a Kraft reunion about 4 years ago. She was sleeping in the motor home she had her hands under her head in such a way that it reminded me of a little girl sleeping and she was 89 at the time. Bit of Trivia. Ok now to start the day……………………”WILLA, TEGAN GET UP. IT’S TIME TO HIT THE ROAD, WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS ANY HOW, YOU ARE WASTING THE DAY AWAY, COME ON GET UP”…………………………………………”yes dear I’ll be quiet, you want to sleep longer, that’s ok dear, yes I am sorry I yelled, I was just trying to impress some people but it was a bad judgment call on my part, you have a nice sleep. Lillian can wait.” (Willa couldn’t get up because Melvin snored all night!!)

Day 55, August 20, 2007

2007-08-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Day 55, Monday, August 20, 2007.
Today was a duplicate of what happened yesterday. The differences were 1) the West Edmonton Mall opened at 10:00 am. 2) We had more time to shop, let me rephrase that, “they had more time to shop”. Tegan did well, got a lot of her school clothes. I walked around the Mall. Now I know what the ugliest hooker in town feels like. I found one shop that has a hand gun shooting range in it. It is almost in a bunker but what an idea. You could choose from several hand guns anything from a 22 upward. Prices weren’t too bad I don’t think, $19.00 to enter and about $29.00 for shells which gave you 50 shots of the high caliber and a 100 shots of the 22’s. Another shop I found very interesting was called “The Store of 100 Gift Stores”. This store is franchised out of Ontario and is made up of 100 plus little displays. If you have items you want to sell you rent space from this company and they set up a display of your products. You pay them a percentage and they look after marketing and selling it for you. For a cottage industry who can’t afford a space in The Edmonton Mall this is the answer. I was very impressed with the shop and the idea. Something for everyone. You need a week at the West Edmonton Mall to do everything and a hotel room in the mall would be perfect. We are off to Calgary in the morning and hope to meet up with Jonathan, our son. He is working in Calgary for a few weeks. Apparently they are short handed and he is going to fill in. I imagine lots to see and do in Calgary. The weather has been cloudy and a little rainy the last couple of days but today started off cloudy but no rain and turned sunny in the afternoon, not that I could see the sun from where I was. Can’t think of any thing else unless you want a step by step litany of my walking around the mall …………………………….”I thought not!

Day 54, August 19, 2007

2007-08-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Day 54, Sunday, August 19, 2007.
We left the campsite about 10:00 am and headed for the West Edmonton Mall. We were a little early but we got inside and did a little walking around to orient ourselves to the Mall. It is unbelievable the size of this Mall and I was told they are looking at more than doubling the size of it. Tegan had the run of the Mall. We have walkie/talkies that we are able to keep in touch with one another, she can call when she runs out of money. The process works quite well especially for Tegan. Actually she had her own money to spend but my story sounds better. Willa and I walked around together and later in the day she joined Tegan and I started walking the perimeter of the Mall. In 2 hours I did not cover 1/2 of 1st floor. Now I did stop at some of the stores and looked around but the size is unreal. We had lunch at the Mall, but breakfast at the campsite restaurant. All and all it was a good day. The girls are heading back tomorrow. I will spend a little time with them but may visit a cousin that lives across the street from the Mall. If all else fails I will go out to the motorhome and either read or watch a movie.

Day 53, August 18, 2007

2007-08-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Day 53, Saturday, August 18, 2007.
We didn’t get as early of a start this morning but didn’t have as many miles to cover either. The roads between North Battleford, Saskatchewan and Edmonton, Alberta were the best we have been on for this trip. Mostly 4 lanes and very little rough areas. The speed limit is 110 k/h and I set the cruise at 99-102 and that is the way we rolled all day. The GPS gives me an average moving speed and it averaged at 101 k/h before we hit Edmonton. So we made real good time and had a tail wind all the way except when it came at a rear corner because of the bend in the road. Some of that road is absolutely straight for as far as the eye can see and that is a long ways. The traffic was light until we got into Edmonton. On the way, we stopped in Lloydminster. Willa had a visit with her Mom’s cousin Jean Skinner. She had always wanted to meet her, and was glad she did. Nice lady.
We started calling campsites in the afternoon and they were all filled because of the celebrations that were going on in Edmonton. So ended up in the overflow at the Glowing Embers campsite just 6 miles from the West Edmonton Mall. This was all that was available for this evening. So we took it with the hope we can get a site with full hookups for tomorrow night. This is a real nice campsite. It cost about $30.00 per night with full services which includes WI/FI. There is a restaurant, store, nice washrooms and showers and a repair shop right on sight. 238 sights plus the over flow. We set up camp then headed over to the restaurant to have supper. Very reasonable cost and a good meal and didn’t have to drive anywhere. Well the next two days are Tegan’s. She wants to spend them shopping for school clothes. So it is off to bed. We don’t have to be up too early because the Mall does not open until 11:00 am. Nice part it is only 6-7 miles away from the campsite.

Day 52, August 17, 2007

2007-08-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Day 52, Friday, August 17, 2007
Well this was the earliest we have started on this trip. We were on the road by 6:30 am. The plan was to stay in Saskatoon, Sask for the night but when we got there all the campsites were booked because of some celebration they were having, in fact it was a baseball tournament. So we decided to drive to the next town. Either they didn’t have a campsite or they weren’t what we wanted so we kept driving and the next thing you know we are in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and have driven just under 1000 k or 600 miles. The longest day we have ever put in on this holiday. We were on the road 12 hours, Willa drove about 1-2 hours and Tegan drove about 1 hour, so it did give me a little break, but still a long day... in fact too long. I was wiped by the time we set up camp. The weather was wet all day and it was the first time on the holiday we drove most of the day in rain. I haven’t heard as of the writing of today’s diary but when we passed through Saskatoon there was a big storm heading there way. We fought the head winds right up till Saskatoon. As we headed west to north west we could see the storms coming. It looked like we were going to go right through the middle of the large storm then the road turned and it looked like we might go through the smaller storm but we ended up through the calm area between the storms and ended up with some rain but the winds had shifted and we had a tail wind most of the way to North Battleford. Good roads all the way with a lot of 4 lanes. Even in Battleford the campsite was booked but we were able to get an unserviced site so we took it. I was in bed and asleep by about 8:00 pm and didn’t move until the morning. I was absolutely wiped, just too long of a day. We are running short of time so decided to carry on to Edmonton in the morning. I have some relatives in the North Battleford area but would be hard to visit just one and not the others so decided to pass through. Also, we are back here next year for a Kraft family Reunion, so will see everyone then. This is also the town I was born in, North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Just a bit of trivia for you. Many, many moons ago!

Day 51, August 16, 2007

2007-08-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Day 51, Thursday August 16, 2007
I got up about 6:00 to go to the bathroom and was it ever cold. I checked the thermometer it said 40.8 f and that was coolest of the trip. We got rolling about 7:00 am and got ready for the Coopers and their daughter Andrea coming to dinner. Had to do a little cleanup in the motorhome and I had a couple of things to do outside. Took some time this afternoon to read my book and just plain relaxed, needed that after the last couple of days of putting mileage on. We had popcorn for lunch and afterwards I fixed one of the blinds in the back of the motorhome. The blinds have little plastic grommets and the cord pulling through them for the last 14 years wears one side out and then the cord starts to pull through the blind. I was replacing the grommets with metal ones and then ran across the idea of turning the plastic grommets around and hope they are good for another 14 years. Its very pleasant outside at 79f but there is a steady breeze. We lazed around the afternoon and about 4:00 pm I started to get everything ready for Tom, Gwynne and Andrea Cooper coming over for dinner this afternoon. Tom and Gwynne will be here about 5:00 and Andrea closer to 7:00 pm. We had a real nice visit with them. As of August 1 Tom has officially retired, I still say I am too young to have friends retiring. It was real great to see them and we decided it was about 5 years ago we last saw them in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. That was the night of the biggest storm I had ever seen. T and G had picked us up at the campsite and when we got back a hurricane past near the campsite and caused some problems. One motorhome had its awning torn off, a tree fell on a Jeep, and there was so much rain the sewer system had backed up. We had branches up to 4 inches in size fall all around the campsite but not one hit the motor home. The rain came down in buckets and flooded the underpasses and there were cars everywhere. No one seemed to get hurt which was surprising. Even in T and G subdivision any low area was filled with water. Thunder and lightning like you wouldn’t believe unless you are familiar with good old prairie thunder storms. When T, G and A left we cleaned up the BBQ and put every thing away getting ready to leave in the morning. Hoped to get an early start. (Again!)

Day 50, August15, 2007

2007-08-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Day 50, Wednesday, August 15, 2007.
We got away at 9:30 am Ontario time but I had set the clocks for the time change and so it was 8:30 am, depending on how you look at it. We were at Thunder Bay last night and the time change is just 10-15 miles West of Thunder Bay. So I cheated a little! It was cool in the morning when we left about 54f and stayed that way most of the day until we got into Manitoba and it started to warm up, with it came the head wind to Winnipeg. We had a real good drive the roads were all good and again letting out the extra air in the tires seemed to smooth the road quite a bit. A lot of trucks on the road. We traveled Highway 11 from Thunder Bay which is the Trans Canada Highway. Being a main road is probably why all the trucks and do they ever move along. The speed limit is 90 k/h. I set the cruise at approx 94 k/h and they were piling up behind me. I finally set the cruise at 98-99 and I finally moved along with the traffic. When a truck did come up behind me and a passing lane was available I would wave them by. If I didn’t slow down for them I would beat them up the hill and still have them behind me till the next passing lane. They seemed to appreciate it and would flash either their tail lights or back up lights to thank me (or else saying what a rotten no good for nothing Rv’er). The other thing that I do when the big rigs or motorhomes pass, when it is safe for them to pull back into my lane, I flash my head lights at them to let them know it is safe to pull in. Again they seem to appreciate it and flash back at me. I’ve had a few do this for me and it is helpful. I don’t pass too much because I just don’t have the power or the speed. The units I do pass are the ones that are sporadic with their speed. I had one motorhome today that was generally at about 94 k/h then down to 80-84 then back up agin. So I finally passed him but I always wait for a good looooooooooooooooooooooooooooong opportunity. He tailed me for awhile after I passed and then slowly fell behind and never did see him again. Generally the traffic moves very well and not too many doddlers but a number that must be over 100 k/h including the big trucks. We were just about 20 miles from Ignace, Ontario, we had come through some construction when I noticed an area of about 200-300 feet across of trees that were laying down and broken off about 12-15 feet up. At first I thought it was part of the construction and then realized there must have had a tornado or hurricane go though just that area. When we got to Ingnace they had one go through the day before. One building had its roof rolled up like the lid on a can of sardines. There were broken windows and a large sign had all the plastic blown out. Again in just a little strip so it must have been a twister that touched down. When we got to Winnipeg and the campsite the ladies there were saying a tornado had been through their area, although they didn’t get the wind destruction, they got the hail storm and some of the wind. One trailer had its awning flipped right over the rig. Lots of hail damage, cracked windows and one motorhome had a window blown right out. We were lucky and missed it all. Started to get a little warmer closer to Winnipeg and so did the head wind, got stronger that is. We pulled into the campsite after spending 7 hours on the road without a stop (other than one potty break for me) and covered 690 kilometers or 428 miles. The more driving we do the longer I am able to stay behind the wheel and not get tired. Willa had made reservations on the Satellite Phone while we drove so didn’t have to worry about a campsite. We needed groceries so we picked those up before setting up at the campsite which is the Traveller’s RV Resort. Difficult to move once setup and takes time setting up and down. We used the talking GPS to find a grocery store. Willa had bought me one for my birthday in June. (Oh! Thank you). She asked for a grocery store and it told her where it was, gave the address, then proceeded to give us direction on how to get there. (Turn left in .5 miles, turn left now and so it went.) She, we’ve named her Nagging Nelly, was right on with every turn and brought us right to the Safeway store. Isn’t technology something else. I do not understand how it works but I understand how to work it. We have Gwynne and Tom Cooper coming out for dinner tomorrow night and needed some supplies. Haven’t seen Tom and Gwynne for about, had to think on this but can’t be but must be about 8-9 years ago, when we were out to Saskatchewan for the last Kraft Reunion which was in 2000. Man that is hard to believe, time just flies. We watched a movie in the evening after supper then turned in. Very windy all evening. Got cool when the sun went down.

Day 49, August 14, 2007

2007-08-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Day 49, Tuesday, August 14, 2007.
The day started off with heavy clouds and we had rain in the night, not a lot of rain. The sky was cloudy all day (reminds me of a song something about “give me a land where the buffalo roam) and we did hit a little rain but nothing too serious. The roads were real good except for a few sections. I had let out air in the tires and that has made quite a difference, you don’t get the jolting we were before. We did hit some construction just before Nipigon, Ontario but it wasn’t too bad. We had been warned about it yesterday and mud but when we went through it was ok. We did get a little muddy but only the wheels and undercarriage. We saw a black bear on the side of the road but no area to stop. He sure looked healthy. In Geraldton, Ontario we had lunch, got groceries and topped up the gas tank. This was the highest we had paid for gas at $1.118 per litre. The past two days we were paying closer to $.95 per litre. We had a good drive today. To pass the time away, Willa proofed the blog and by the way we have redone the blog and all corrections Willa could find were made. Page 7 was a duplicate of page 6 and that also was redone. I was so embarassed with all the mistakes Willa had found that I was determined to redo the blog tonight before I went to bed and I did but it was midnight before computer was shut down. Before we leave this morning I hope to publish this page and then we are up to date. Tegan watched a movie or two in the afternoon but didn’t get up until almost 11:00. We do let her sleep at the back as we drive, which I know is not a good idea but it does pass the time for her. Yesterday we were driving through a small town with a traffic light and I didn’t see it until Willa casually said there is a red light. First time I locked up all six wheels. For the size of the motor home it can stop fairly quickly given enough space (ha! Ha!). Tegan didn’t come off the bed but the matress came as far forward as possible. Tegan didn’t even wake up. Must be more alert! We wanted to make Thunder Bay, Ontario today and we did. Found a nice campsite with wifi and so updated blog, checked emails and Tegan did her thing. The afternoon turned out warm but still made a pleasant drive. Just before Thunder Bay we stopped at an Information Centre which was also the memorial to Terry Fox. Very beautiful setting overlooking Lake Superior a fitting spot to a Canadian Hero. Didn’t realize how many awards he received from Canada as well as from USA. This is the spot where he had to end his trek. Well Winnipeg, Manitoba is the goal for tomorrow. See how we do.

Day 48, August 13, 2007

2007-08-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Day 48, Monday, August 13, 2007.
We got an early start today and were on the road about 7:30 am. We drove out to Calander, Ontario which is where the Dionne Quints were born and had a look at the very large house that was built just for them. From there we stopped at Tim Horton’s for Willa’s coffee and gas for the motorhome and we are off and it is just after 9:00 am. The trip was fairly uneventful. We drove through until noon and stopped and had lunch. One thing that surprised me was just after or near Englehart, Ontario we came over this hill and spread out before us were open grain fields. You would have thought you were on the prairies or what I would have thought of as the Peace River area. Big farms and large fields. The country made me think that we were in high country but the GPS kept reading around 800 feet and the highest we got was 1200 feet. The trees got shorter more like the far north. The thing that really surprised us was when Willa looked at the map and we are below the 49th parallel and closer to the Oregon and Washington borders as far as latitude goes. Later in the day we even passed a road called the 49th Parallel Road. The other thing I thought is that I am sure glad this is summer and not winter. I have a feeling this could be a very cold area. We fought a head wind all day today and worse than yesterday. The wind just threw us around. Both sides of the road are lined with trees and when a break in the trees came it would toss us toward the shoulder of the road. We fought this until about 2:00 in the afternoon. We didn’t make as many miles as we had hoped for but put about 300 miles behind us. Hope to have better miles tomorrow. Roads were very good. A little construction but no slowups and some rough roads but they weren’t too bad either. I keep the pressure at the maximum and decided to let a little out of each of the tires and that seemed to make quite a difference on the rough roads. Not the jolts we were getting before. The motorhome for whatever reason is working real good today even with the headwind. Lots of power for the hills and doesn’t seem to be working as hard as yesterday. Yesterday it was a struggle to get it up some of the hills and they were nothing compared to what we will hit in the Rocky Mountains. Willa does crosswords while we drive and Tegan watched a movie on the portable DVD player, so the time passes. I watch the road, traffic, you get the picture. Lots of big trucks on the highway.

Day 47, August 12, 2007

2007-08-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

Day 47, Sunday, August 12, 2007.
We were on the road at 8:05 am with coffee in hand and rolling down the road. This will be a short writeup on the day because there isn’t much to tell. We drove for about 464 miles miles today. We arrived in the campsite about 8:30 pm. Now for the in between. The motorhome was acting up for some reason and just didn’t seem to have the power it should have had and we fought a terrible head wind all day. The wind bounced us around but the roads were good. Before we left I laid out the roads we would need to get us though Montreal and Ottawa. It is unbelievable the underpasses, overpasses, side passes that you have to negotiate to get out of the campsite (just seeing if you are alert), out of Montreal. Ottawa is better. We made it through without a hitch, wrong road or wrong direction. Once we were through those two the rest was easy driving, point it down the road and hang on. We pushed pretty hard today and only stopped for lunch and gas. Makes for a long day but the motorhome is very comfortable to drive and you don’t seem to get tired. Our goal was North Bay Ontario and we made it. We found out where the campsite was and then we went out for supper because it was too late to set up camp then have to cook supper and besides I was too tired to drive, set up camp and cook supper too. I thought you might enjoy that, Willa didn’t find it funny proof reading this. Calendar Ontario is where the Dionne Quints were born. The museum for them is in North Bay and we went through it. They are shirt tale relative of mine on my mother’s side. She was a Dionne. The relationship is from a brother of her great or g/g grandfather. We are also related to Madonna, Celine Dion and Rene’ Levecque. There was a picture of a set of Quints that were born in 1990 visiting the museum. They live in Thunder Bay, not too far away. Fairly warm day driving but not unbearable. Well not much else to say and again I am doing this a day or so behind. Another long day tomorrow.

Day 46, August 11, 2007

2007-08-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Day 46, Saturday, August 11, 2007
We were up early again today to catch the early shuttle into Quebec City the old town. Today was to be spent shopping. We arrived at the Hotel Frontenac at about 9:30 am. We found a coffee shop then proceeded to hit all the shops Willa and Tegan could find. Up near the Citadel there are all kinds of little shops, then you go down into Old Town and there are several more streets of shops and very little duplication if any at all. There is very little you can’t buy. Some of the merchandise is made locally and most is brought in. Some of the shops carry very expensive items but most are what I thought was reasonably priced. The girls had a good time but even they got shopped out. We could have taken the late shuttle home but they wanted to go home on the early shuttle at 3:30 pm. You walk into these buildings and you are in awe of the age and history that is all around you. The oldest house in the Old Town was built in the 1600’s. and one of the streets was the oldest street in Canada or North America, I can’t remember which. There are street entertainers, people that will paint your portrait for you while you wait or in full colour if you have an extra hour to spare to come back and pick it up. These people are very good at what they do. I bought a cd of two guys playing a guitar and harp with a canned back ground melody, all popular songs but almost haunting to listen to. The guitarist picked the tune as apposed to playing cord to the background music. Every corner had an entertainer of some sort and all licensed by the city. Jugglers, one man bands, fire eaters. They floated around the city and you could see them in different locations at different times of the day. Very impressive. I was going to do something else besides look in stores but ended up following the girls around and did a little people watching and talking to other people. I noticed this one chap doing the same as I was. Although I couldn’t understand what he was saying in French, I caught the jest of it. “What another shop, its just like the last one you were in.” I saw him and motioned him to come over and sit on the window sill where I was. He came over and I gestured he had three girls shopping and I had two, sit and enjoy your wait and we did. Thousands of people the streets were literally wall to wall. Some of the shops are quite small and others are a good size. The last thing before we left town we did a tour of the town in a horse drawn carriage. The girl was good and told us about some of the history of the city. Her and Tegan got to talking about the horse, which was a Canadian. On the way back the shuttle was too full and several of us had to stand. I had a seat but a young lady came in and would have had to stand so I gave up my seat. Now this sounds like the gentleman thing to do but I was looking after my own interests, what if she fell on me in a corner. I could have had some tall explaining to do to Willa. When we got back to the site it was a long walk to the motor home. From the office to our campsite must have been 1000-1500 feet and you are already tired from shopping and walking all day. The family next door we had met the day before and visited a bit and then met them in town also. They invited us back to their campsite to enjoy the campfire with them. We did and we did. The weather was warm and sunny all day but the motorhome cooled down once the air conditioner went on and after the windows open kept a breeze coming through. Again all I can say is the history that Quebec City holds is fascinating. Well it is up early tomorrow and we are off. Want to make Winnipeg in 3 days but we think it will take 4 days with some pretty long days.

Day 45, August 10, 2007

2007-08-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Day 45, Friday, August 10, 2007
The alarm went off at 6:00 am and we are up and at ‘em. We have decided to stay for another day so today we are off to The Citadel and the Shuttle service leaves at 8:00 am at the office in the campsite. We can’t be late or we are left behind. Met some nice people on the bus and waiting for the bus. The bus dropped us off right in front of the Hotel Frontenac and from there it is only a 5 minute walk to The Citadel. We did the tour of the Citadel and were disappointed a bit. Understand we did two other Forts on this trip and they were pretty nice. The Citadel is an active military base and as such they don’t allow you to wander around without a guide. So if you are not on the tour the only place for you is the gift shop. We did do a tour of the Governer General of Canada’s Residence when she is in Quebec City. It was a very impressive tour. The one thing that stood out was the menu that is served to all the dignitaries that are entertained at the Residence. On the menu were wines and other items from different parts of Canada, the most interesting item on the menu was the Salmon that is served, it is from the Chilliwack River. I got talking to the tour guide and we did a trade, she will email me a copy of the Menu and I will email her pictures of the Chilliwack River. We had lunch in one of the restaurants on the street just up from the Hotel Frontenac. Very nice restaurant and the prices weren’t too bad. We did a tour of the Basilica Cathedral of Notre Dame. These churches are amazing, the finish the architecture and the statues. This Basilica is so big and limited view, because of the large columns, they have about 10 flat screen TVs on the columns for people to watch during the service. On the TV is the church service not the hockey game. We watched some street entertainment which was very interesting. On our way to Notre Dame there is a narrow little street and the whole street has painting or sketches you can buy. Some originals and other copies. From there we caught the shuttle home, had supper and we are reserved for tomorrow morning to catch the 8:00 am shuttle again. Tomorrow the girls want to shop. I will go with them but not sure I want to spend all day shopping. The weather was warm and sunny and no wind. Hope the no wind holds when we leave here. Well I will keep you posted.

Day 44, August 9, 2007

2007-08-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Day 44, Thursday, August 9, 2007
We wanted to cover a little road so we hit the road at 9:00 am and pushed through to about 6:30 pm only stopping for some groceries and a second stop at Mont Carmel where my great grand father Dionne was born. We were hoping to pick up some souveniers but there was not one souvenir shop in town. Not a very big town. I asked someone that was around the church if we could take a look inside. He indicated it would be no problem, no one spoke English, but everyone is friendly, anyway I collected Willa and we did the tour. They were just holding mass in another room and one old gentleman was determined that we would stay for mass, Well the priest saw right through us not being Catholic and directed us to the Church and they carried on with mass. Beautiful old building. We think my great grandfather was baptized in this church. From our little detour we were off again to the KOA Quebec Campsite. Along the way we had this big truck pass us and on a slight incline. I have cruise plugged in and I am watching him pull out to pass. But the incline was enough that he didn’t have the power to pass me, and there are no cars behind him. Next thing I see his turn signal comes on and he is coming into my lane. Luckily enough I was watching and hit the brake and moved over as he came over. The back end of the trailer missed me by only a couple of feet. Well I was going to change undershorts anyway so a little sooner was no problem. I don’t think he did it deliberately hopefully just wasn’t paying attention. We had good weather for the drive today not hot but a real bad head wind and as we turned corners the wind would catch us from different angles and sometimes threw us around quite a bit. We had a good chuckle today. Tegan made the comment that the next trip we make I would probably be researching where all the Auto Parts Shops are located. We had to laugh what with all the different things we had go wrong with the motorhome. We phoned ahead to make a reservation at the KOA Quebec Campsite. It is located just south of Quebec City and has a shuttle bus that runs to The Citadel or within a five minute walk of the Citadel and other little shops. The drive was generally good and the roads were good for the most part.

Day 43, August 8, 2007

2007-08-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Day 43, Wednesday, August 8, 2007.
At about 8:30 I started making calls to get an appointment to take the motorhome in to have the oxygen sensor fixed. Everyone is so busy but the owner of the campsite, Ponderosa near Hopewell Cape, gave me the name of a chap at J and J, Jeff. Went to see him but couldn’t help me and sent me to CarQuest in Riverview. They took me in and had a devil of a time to fix it. Not only were the threads on the oxygen sensor stripped but also on the threads in the exhaust pipe. But they finally got it done. The young chap that started it just persevered until he had it. We were in the shop for about 4 hours. New sensor and the bill was $132. Which I thought was real reasonable. I left them an extra $20.00 for donuts the next morning for coffee. We are off! We decided to hit the road rather than go back to the Hopewell Rocks. The motorhome seems to be running a lot better. So the oxygen sensor may have been acting up for awhile. Some of the longer hills had me crawling up but now seems to pull right up. There is still a flat spot but I can live with this for the time being. We headed for # 2 Highway and on our way to Fredericton, NB. When we left the garage it was warm and a little muggy but as we progressed to Fredericton it started to rain and rain fairly hard until Gagetown, NB. Took the wrong turn off the first time but managed to get back on after about 10 k of back tracking. We are in Gagetown Campsite a bit of a rustic site but all the services are here and the site is level. We are all set up and tired from the stress of not knowing if or when they were going to be able to fix the motorhome. Must have called 10 different places and all either weren’t equipped or booked up. Pretty hard to take a tourist in when your regular customers are waiting for their cars. But the people at CarQuest bent over back wards to help and in the end the young chap was able to fix the problem. Charlie was in the parts and Brian I think was either the owner or manager and I didn’t get the young fellows name that fixed the motorhome. If you are ever in Riverview or near and need mechanical help they did a good job and reasonable. Well we have a very long day tomorrow. The goal is to be in a campsite in Quebec City by 5-6:00 pm and tour the City the next day. Will hopefully be on the road about 7:00 am if possible. Be talking to you tomorrow……………………. I didn’t know that. I’d better be off to bed too. This is Willa talking as I’m proofing this page!

Day 42, August 7, 2007

2007-08-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Day 42, Tuesday, August 7, 2007
We were off fairly early in the morning, I think, doing this day’s diary 2 days from today so not sure, amazing how soon we forget. The goal was to make it to Hopewell rocks today and we did. We went straight into Moncton and the Visitor Information Centre. The VIC backs on to a mud flats and river and if you are there at the right time you can see the Tidal Bore come in. Which is the tide pushing the river water ahead of it as the tide comes in. We were too early, the next high tide was going to be at 4:52 pm. So we thought of going to Hopewell Rocks but that is about an hour away from Moncton. Oh! What to do. Tegan wanted to go to the Zoo which was about 15 minutes away and so we decided to do that. It is now about 12:30 so we will only have till 3:30 or 4:30 and then we have to be back at the TIC for the Tidal Bore. I made a mistake, had to accept it, but I did and I thought the tide was in at 4:52 pm and so I rushed the girls to get them back on time. This Title Bore, I am told is something to watch at 8-18 inches of wave coming up the river. Well we get back and I find out high tide isn’t until 5:52 pm so we had as it turns out a 90 minute wait. So that cost me dinner out. There was a nice restaurant right next door to the TIC and we had dinner there. None of us were too hungry. Willa had the fish and chips, which they batter themselves. Tegan had the creamy seafood chowder. I had the Acadian sea food chowder. The restaurant was a high end restaurant and the prices a little high but it was close by. I debated about the Acadian seafood chowder, because it was something new, but the gal that served us said it was good and never had a complaint. So lets go for it. It was the best chowder I’ve had so far and I know I have said this before. It is done in a spicy thin broth with a lots of sea food, whole lobster claw, large shrimp, scallops, steamed mussels, and I think some other fish. It was absolutely delicious. Tegan’s was good also but only ranked second best on her list. A very thick white chowder with lots of cream and maybe just a little too thick. We waited for and watched the Tidal Bore come in but must say it was interesting but somewhat of a let down. 8 to 18 inches sounds like a lot but not when you spread it over a 200-300 foot mud river and the bore was only about 8 inches or so. But it was interesting. Met a chap there and we got talking about where we are from. He was from eastern Ontario and we got talking about family trees. His last name is MacIntosh and his 6 or so great grandfather back was quietly famous. Do you recognize the name “John MacIntosh”. I thought not, he started the MacIntosh apple. Amazing what you find out when you talk to people. Well from the TIC we headed for the Hopewell Rocks. This area has the highest tidal changes in the world 25-35 feet, I am told. Well we are there for High Tide and the place closes at 8:00 pm and it is now 7:15 pm but the ticket is good for the next day also. So we walk down to the rocks which is about a 15-30 minute walk. Interesting but not much to see unless you see both ends of the tide which is what we will do. We’ll come back tomorrow and see it at low tide so you can walk all around the rocks. Driving into the Hopewell Rocks the motorhome started to make a loud noise like the muffler has a hole in it. So when we pull up and park I crawl under to see what the problem is. The Oxygen Sensor which screws into the exhaust pipe from the manifold, can you believe, fell out. Luckily the wire connecting it to the motorhome held it so I didn’t loose it. I tried as best as I could to put it back but I think the threads are stripped. Sure enough 5 minutes down the road sounds like a big hole in the muffler. We get to the campsite and I crawl under with wrenches to see if I can fix it, but the threads are shot and will need a garage to look at it. This is a problem for tomorrow. The campsite we are in is nice and has wifi but only at the office and guess where Tegan is with my laptop and why this is being written a day late. Willa decided to take advantage of the laundry right behind us and that is where she spent her evening. On that note I will say good night.

Day 41, August 6, 2007

2007-08-07T05:20:00.001-07:00

Day 41, Monday, August 6, 2007.
We got away fairly early today. On our way out of town we stopped at the lighthouse across from the Fortress of Louisbourg. This is the site of the second lighthouse built in North America. The one currently standing is the third in this location. The first burned down 2 years after it was built. Hard to believe looking at the harbour that at times there were up to 175 ships at anchor in the harbour. The fog horn was going when we arrived. Although it wasn’t too bad behind it they had a warning sign saying not to go past the sign without ear protection. We left there and drove into Sydney and Tim Horton’s was right on the way, we had seen it coming into town so drove right to it and luckily lots of parking which isn’t always the case. We are off. The road up to getting on #4 and a ways out of Sydney was good but then it got rough, narrow and rocky (as in rocking and rolling), although the sign said 80 k, I couldn’t get past 65-70 most of the time. Not a road I would recommend to anyone other than in a car. I would say the same for the west side of the Cabot Trail. I’ve talked to other people who traveled it years ago and they said it was a better drive then, you could see the water from most of the road but now the trees have grown up and not much to see and some very steep climbs. The East side was better and of course the Fortress of Louisbourg. A few other things I would like to have seen including the Miner’s Museum but we were too early leaving, running out of time and the girls had seen enough of museums. We did have a close call, I was motoring along and either I wasn’t paying attention or the guy’s brake lights weren’t working or he made a quick decision to make a left hand turn, but lucky there was a good shoulder on the road other wise I would have had an extra set of wheels and second smaller motor under us. Knock wood but the close calls have been non existent. We had a bit of a start coming around a corner, big semi coming at us, narrow road, low shoulder, and branches on a low tree on our side of the road. How accidents happen, every thing hit at once, I moved over for the truck caught the low shoulder, branches hit the motorhome and even small they make a heck of a racket, the m/h lurches to the right side and everyone is moaning. Not close, not a problem but sometimes catches you off guard and startles you. We didn’t make it into New Brunswick today but are about 20 miles from the border. We found a nice campsite in Amherst, Nova Scotia called Loch Lomond Park. We settled in for the night. I BBQed zucchini and steak for Willa and Tegan and lamb chops for me. The mosquitoes weren’t too bad. We cleaned up and I thought I would put out the bug zapper that Pat Pelletier at the office was determined I would buy. Not too bad at the start but as the evening progressed I looked at the window beside me and there must have been 10 mosquitoes on the screen then I looked at the bug zapper and there must have been 500 or more buzzing around the zapper, literally a cloud, it was absolutely mind boggling. I still had to go out and clean up the BBQ. Luckily the bugs were more interested in it than me and I was able to sneak out and do some clean up. Thank you Pat. I don’t think this is going to be the worst of them but up to now just hasn’t been a problem. The weather was good all day then started to cool in the late afternoon and we ended up with a little rain in the late evening but by that time we were all snuggled into the motor home, fed, watered and watching a little TV and Tegan was on internet to her friends. Will do the Hopewell Rocks and Fundy Park tomorrow..

Day 40, August 5, 2007

2007-08-07T04:34:00.000-07:00

Day 40, Sunday, August 5, 2007.
Everyone was up early and showered by 8:00 am. The campsite we are staying in, Point of View Suite and RV Park in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, has a $3.99 breakfast starting at 8:00 am. We were over there by 8:30 had our breakfast and were heading over to catch the bus to Fortress Louisbourg. The bus runs every 15 minutes from the visitor centre to the Fortress, starting at 9:00 am and we wanted to catch the first bus and we did. Just as a point of interest it is Fortress Louisbourg and not Fort Louisbourg. A Fort is strictly military where a Fortress is military and a town or city. The restoration of the Fortress began in the late 1930’s. A lot of the coal mines were being shut down and the miners out of jobs. So $35,000,000 grant was made for the restoration of Fortress Louisbourg. The miners were trained to do the work on the restoration in the skill that would have been used at the time the Fortress was built in the early 1700’s. When the restoration began there was nothing but rubble left. Most of the stone had been taken away to build churches and other buildings as far away as Halifax and I think they mentioned Montreal. We were in the Fortress by 9:30 am and explored until 11:00 am when the tour started. The tour guide we had was very knowledgeable in the life of the Fortress in the 1700’s and the history that went with the building. He knew the owner’s and little thing that went on in there lives at that time. We had lunch in the poor peoples restaurant. They have 3 classes of restaurants, low class where you are given a spoon and a pewter bowl, the second class where you have a fork and spoon and better dishes. Finally the upper class where you receive a spoon, fork, and a knife. We ate soup, bread and I had the fish of the day. But a very simple meal. A comment was asked why no knives and apparently in the 1700’s most of the low and second class people would have carried their own knives. One of the best Fortress displays we have seen. We enjoyed Fort Henry but it was military where with Louisbourg it also had the town life in it. We did a lot of walking during the day and then didn’t see all the buildings. All were well done and everyone was in period dress. This is another Parks Canada asset. We didn’t leave until almost 5:00 pm. The Fortress closes at 5:30. We spent almost 8 hours at the Fortress plus had to walk back to the motor home which was another 1/2 to 1 mile. We were tired. I bought a pair of Croc shoes and wore them all day and no sore feet or legs, I am quite impressed with them. About 12:00 midnight we had a good thunder storm and rain. Not a heavy rain but it went on for 30-60 minutes. Little bit of sprinkle in the morning. We used umbrellas to walk to the bus but didn’t need them the rest of the day. It cost us just over $40.00 dollars for the day plus our meal which was reasonably priced. We had supper at the campsite restaurant which was a Buffet for $19.00 each. They had mussels, halibut, fish chowder, and a light salad bar and desert which I didn’t think was too bad and only 200 feet from the campsite. Well that pretty well sums up the day. A good day but tiring. We will turn toward home tomorrow. We wanted to see more of Nova Scotia but just not enough time, so that will have to be another time plus we would like to see Newfoundland. We have a number of places to visit on the way home too, so it’s not like it is a mad dash but we are going to have to have longer days than when we started off. Well that’s it for today, good night all.

Day 39, August 4, 2007

2007-08-07T04:32:00.000-07:00

Day 39, Saturday, August 4, 2007.
We sure had a heavy rain last night, but I guess I told you about it already. When we got up in the morning the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky. We had our breakfast and we were off. We climbed to about 1480 feet over the drive on the Cabot Trail. Some of the hills are very steep. You don’t climb as high on the Cabot Trail as in the Rocky Mountains but the climbs are steeper in most cases. We puttered along stopping at viewing pull offs and gift stores. Lots of gift stores along the way. One we stopped off at was a leather store. Very interesting, some of the stuff he had there. Very renowned leather smith. He is world famous for his replica water buckets that were used to fight fires before fire engines and departments. They are very well made and expensive also, running in the neighbourhood of $500-600.00 each. Plus he makes the replica powder carriers that were used to carry gun powder from the powder magazine to the cannons. Very well done and also not cheap. For one movie, he was asked to make these water buckets for a scene. I can’t remember the name of the movie but apparently Russell Crowe was in it. Also according to a write up I read PM Mulroney gave a gift to George Bush Senior of one of his replica water buckets. Amazing what you find in these little shops along the road. We picked up speed in the afternoon with the idea of going to Fort Louisbourg which is located close to Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, still on Cape Breton Island. We arrived around 3:00-4:00 pm. We found a campsite right in town and walking distance to the bus that takes you to Fort Louisbourg. We will do the Fort in the morning. Once we were all set up we unloaded the bikes and rode into town. There is a Crab Fest going on and we thought we would partake of some of the crab. However, they were sold out of crab and we weren’t interested in the beer garden or hot dogs or hamburgers. So we looked for a restaurant that served Sea food. We asked a couple of locals and they recommended the Lobster Kettle and so will we from now on. The best sea food chowder I have tasted. I had a Snow Crab dinner and with the salad bar was only $21.00. Willa had the salad bar and some fish and Tegan had a big bowl of sea food chowder. For an appetizer we had fresh steamed mussels and again very good. An appetizer order of steamed mussels is one pound of mussels (and shells) for $5.95. I could make a meal out of a couple of pounds of them with no trouble. Willa and Tegan both help me eat them. Willa says she can’t believe she is eating mussels and enjoying them. We rode our bikes back home (the motor home has now become home and all three of us are using this term). Tegan found an internet connection and spent an hour on the computer. I read my book and relaxed. Willa walked around the campsite and found out you can see Fort Louisbourg from the campsite. All and all we had a real good day and the driving wasn’t bad at all but very slow road very windy, narrow and even some hair pin turns that I haven’t seen for a while. (Now a twist in the English language). We also had a good head wind most of the time so it was very WINDY. Still having a problem with the power on the top end of the motor home. I’ve talked to a couple of mechanics about the high pressure reading on the oil pressure gage but I will call Fred Key at the shop in Abbotsford to see if he can give me some advice. Tried a couple of times, but I think he may be away. I know they close the shop for a few weeks every summer so may have to wait. Until he is back or it breaks down and we have to go to a shop here or some where. Generally the motor home is running well. Some minor things but it is a lot of miles to put on in a short period of time. We have covered very close to 5000 miles so far about 10-12,000 miles by the time we are done unless we cut some of the trip short because we are spending too much time in individual spots. Better to see one spot well than two spots briefly. Well good night again. I’ll let you know how the Fort goes.

Day 38, August 3, 2007

2007-08-07T04:31:00.000-07:00

Day 38, Friday, August 3, 2007
I was a bad boy last night, I stayed up and watched a movie. Willa didn’t go to bed early either and Tegan was on the Internet until almost midnight when we all went to bed. So we were all a little tired this morning so didn’t rush to get away. We were on the road by 11:15 am and our destination is the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island. We have about 40 miles to cover before the road starts and we have decided to 1) go clockwise around the trail, 2) start with Ceilidh Trail which is on the west coast. This is where all the fiddlers come from and they have a lot of entertainment up and down this trail. We stopped at the Celtic Music Interpreting Centre in Judique N.S. The Centre has a history of the Celtic Music given by a young gal who also showed us how the different beats of the music was incorporated into the different songs. Then she showed us some of the steps in their dancing. From there a display area gave you more of the history and the Celtic people involved. This is where Natalie MacIsaac comes from and the other famous MacIssac, Ashley. From their we puttered our way up the Island stopping at different pull offs or driving through some of the towns. At about 4:30 we stopped for supper at Cheticamp one of the larger towns at a restaurant called “All A Board”. I had a lobster dinner, Willa and Tegan each had sea food chowder and they shared a lobster and for an appetizer we shared a pound of mussels done in wine sauce, they were so good as was the rest of the meal. We paid our fees in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and proceeded to look for a campsite. The site we found was just a small one with only about 10 camping spaces. We pulled in and got settled for the night. Willa did some work on the computer and Tegan practiced her Clarinet and I read. All of a sudden there was lightning, thunder and the rain started, it just absolutely poured. I went out to check something and even with an umbrella I got soaked. The rain was good, it cooled off the evening. I decided to take the motor home as opposed to renting a car. The roads were steep in a couple of places but nothing we haven’t been on in BC. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Day 37, August 2, 2007

2007-08-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Day 37, Thursday, August 2, 2007
We entered our 9th Province today, NOVA SCOTIA. We left Red Point Provincial Park, PEI at 9:00 am this morning. We drove along the beach for part of the morning and then took #4 which made a bee line from Montague PEI to the Wood Island Ferry. There we had lunch at a little shack called Crabby’s Seafood located right at the ferry dock. Very friendly chap doing the cooking but it was little more than a shack, but he seemed to be doing quite a business out of it. Very friendly and we took his picture in front of his establishment. Met a family, the son was from Toronto, Ontario and the mother was from Burlington, Ontario, had a nice visit with them. We had Clam chowder soup and shared a pound of steamed mussels. They were the best we have had on this trip, even have Willa and Tegan eating them. I also gathered two little bottles of the red soil to show everyone when we get back. The morning drive was uneventful with the idea of covering a few miles and catching the Wood Island Ferry to the main land and Nova Scotia. We loaded up on to the ferry but dragged the bikes quite badly but didn’t seem to do any damage. On board the ferry they had a father and his daughter playing, she on the fiddle and him on the guitar, both did a very good job. We got as far as Antigonish, Nova Scotia and found a campsite right in the middle of town. Very clean with 2 swimming pools and WiFi internet connection all through the park. So if you are reading this and all has gone well we are up to date on our blog. Well, I should get on with it Willa wants to check emails and Tegan wants to visit with friends. Tomorrow it is the Cabot Trail. Have heard mixed comments about taking the motor home on the Cabot Trail but the neighbour next door settled it when I asked him about it. His comment was “you live in BC and have driven through the Rockies, you will have no problem with the Cabot Trail. They live on Cape Breton Island. So tomorrow it is the Cabot Trail, may spend 2-3 days up there, see what happens.

Day 36, August 1, 2007

2007-08-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Day 36, Wednesday, August 1, 2007.
We had a great sleep and didn’t need the air conditioning and just as well because we didn’t have any power to connect to. The campsite was full and we were in the over flow. We didn’t rush out of bed this morning. I read for a while and Willa and Tegan slept. Got up and went down to check if any opening for today and if not were going to move on. There was an opening if the people in #73 left today so I checked it out and told the gal we would take it. The people left in the later morning and a half hour later we are all set up. We would have had to move because the batteries that operate the lights and pump etc. was too low to stay another night. When the batteries go so does everything else, including the fridge. Even though the fridge is operated on gas it needs 12 volts to run the safety feature or something. Driving charges the batteries. I guess yesterday I was operating too many things and we were stopped too often with not enough long driving times. When I plug into the 120 volts this also charges the batteries so by tomorrow all should be full, batteries, fresh water holding tank and hopefully the other tanks will be empty. Willa did some wash today, I vacuumed the motor home and did a few minor repairs but mainly just lazed around. We did do a little bike riding, Tegan went to the beach and walked both ways so she must have covered close to a mile or two. The sand here is not quite white and it squeaks as you walk or shuffle your feet. We asked someone why and they said it is because there is silicon in the sand. Tegan found a 4 inch crab in the water and was playing with it. We stopped by the motor home from BC to see what part of BC they were from. He said from Abbotsford, I thought he was kidding but for real. I introduced myself and he said you are a realtor. Turns out they are friends of Bob and Bev King from Abbotsford, I was on a downtown committee with Bev 12-15 years ago and Bev worked for me as my assistant for about a year I think. We had a real nice visit with them and apparently Bev and Bob are on their way out here also. Blair and Lil (I hope I remembered it right] are away till October and sounds like Bev and Bob are on a one year venture, so exciting. We had a nice visit with them and as we talked, it turned out their 8 year old grand daughter was in school with our youngest in Coughlin Elementary School in Aldergrove, small world. They are traveling with another couple from Langley. Blair and Lil left the same day we did June 27. Well I guess I’ll get back to my book, or maybe the beach, or maybe lay in the sun, so many decisions to make—life is tough. Later in the evening Willa met the neighbour two trailers over and sat around her fire and visited for an hour or so. They were in the campsite with a bunch of their cousins. Everybody is so friendly and are willing to stop and talk and most of the time you get their life story, which is always interesting. One thing we did notice on PEI is how neat the yards are and how well mowed they are. This lady we met made the comment on how important peoples yards were to them on PEI.

Day 35, July 31, 2007

2007-08-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

Day 35, Tuesday, July 31, 2007
From St Peters Community Campsite we meandered up the road. We followed Highway #16 along the coast today. It passes through most of the small towns, and we pulled off into anything that looked interesting. If we do this much more it may be October before we get home. All the towns, well not towns but villages, because a lot have only a store and or a restaurant maybe 10-20 houses are geared towards the sea. Fishing, lobster, crabs is all there is. Lots of farms up this way and most cut right out of the bush which although not very tall it is dense. The mainstay seems to be potatoes and I think a fallow crop of oats or barley but I don’t think for market, maybe just to keep the nutrients in the ground. We walked in a fishing village called Narfague, it is situated on a little pond with a quay for access to the water. 100s of lobster traps, you would think they would fish it out but they seem to keep going. Up the road we drove into a little village, but bigger than Narfague called North Lake and North Lake Harbour. Lots of boats and 2 or 3 warehouses where they deal with the daily catch, which at this time is tuna. From North Lake we continued East to East Point which is the most easterly point on PEI. There we visited the light house which was built in 1876 and located just off the Point by a half a mile. This created some problems because boats thought it was on the point and swing around it and land on the reefs. So later in 1880 plus or minus they moved the structure a little too close to the point and had to move it again years later because the banks were eroding. I don’t know how they did it but they did. This is one of the oldest still operating lighthouses on the Island. It was open for tours and Willa and I did a walk through. It is 68 feet tall and 64 steps to the top but what a view when you are up that far. In the four of the corners and there are six sides to the light house (I think or 8) anyway in the four corners there are 24 inch beams that run from the bottom to the top (all one tree). The trees were taken from right around where the light house was built. The light house still functions but now with GPS and other navigational aids they tend to be obsolete. A number now have been taken over by Parks Canada and are being restored. It is interesting the amount of holdings that Parks Canada has. Fort Henry, The Rideau Locks, Lighthouses plus a number of others things I’ve heard they have bought or are buying. Looking today in the same area, I doubt there are any trees that are higher than 15-20 feet and I don’t remember seeing any that were 20 feet. The gift shop had internet and so that is where Tegan spent her time and the gift shop was well stocked and very reasonably priced. We got talking to a couple from Scotland and they had heard a big Tuna was coming into the North Lake Harbour. So we were finished at the light house and we headed back to North Lake Harbour to see the big Tuna. It is only about a 10 minute drive but a 20 minute process to find a parking space for the motor home that is level and not blocking someone’s driveway. Well the first boat came in but someone said it was coming in too fast, so no Tuna, and they were right. A couple of other boats came and finally a slow boat and it was towing a Tuna. They are too big to bring into the boat, let me repeat this, TOO BIG TO BRING INTO THE BOAT. The first one was a big fish and I am guessing at about 400-500 lbs. These fish are caught with a rod and reel! Yes a rod and reel. The next boat that comes in is on our side of the wharf and we can watch them hauling the fish in. The boat owner and his wife on shore and other people are all excited about the size of the Tuna, the biggest they have caught for a while. Before the head comes out of the water they have to tag it, too dangerous to do in the open water. Well they haul this Tuna out and weigh it in at 940 lbs, this is caught with a rod and reel but not as big as you might think. They cut the head off and tail and get it ready for the auction that will take place the next day. The price has been as low as .50 cents a pound but lately the price has been $3.50-12.50. The owner of the boat that landed it said it did give him some trouble getting it to the boat. Well I guess it should have at 940 pounds. By the way the rod is hooked to the boat. That was a real treat for the day. From there we headed to Red Point Campground for the night and maybe stay an extra day to lay back and relax. The site was full so we ended up in the over flow for the night and hopefully a site will come up for tomorrow, although I should be good for 2 days. It was cloudy most of the day and so a little cooler. With no hook ups of course no air conditioning but with the wind and the clouds we really didn’t need it. We arrived a little earlier than normal around 3:30 pm. So had time to set up, relax, read and then start supper. I do the BBQing and we have BBQed just about every night. Keeps from heating up the motor home by cooking inside. We walked down to the water and waded out. Looks like a sandy beach for 1-2 miles and where we are it goes out maybe 400-500 feet and doesn’t get over your waist at low tide. I off loaded the bikes and we have them to putter around the campsite. We noticed another BC license plate but no one home to see what part of BC they are from. Tomorrow will be the first day that we sat and didn’t go anywhere. Should be good.

Day 34, July 30, 2007

2007-08-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

Day 34, Monday, July 30, 2007.
By the time we finished on the internet at the Tourist Information Centre yesterday and we had gotten in late we didn’t have time to do much else. So we decided to spend another day in Charlottetown. We started off walking up the street and looking at all the old houses and the architecture. Not far up the street there was an older church or basilica and we were allowed to go in. Not as old as I would have thought or as old as some we have seen. But the finish is utterly amazing. I’ve taken a lot of pictures and that is the best way to see what I mean. From there we went on to Confederation House, not as ornate of a building as the church but also government built and even then you can see it as a little austere. But the history the building holds! It kind of blows me away that a group of men got together, not to form a company or some other kind of endeavor, but to plan a country which of course later became CANADA. They met, they entertained, they partied together and from there came the basis for the country you and I call our home and native land. From there to the more important things of our lives - - - - - - - -lunch. We had our lunch on the side walk, we are running out of money and had Tegan begging for food or money to get back home. Makes for a better story than the truth. We were hungry and with the muggy weather it is the best place to eat. The weather is cloudy, if not it would have been too hot sit out on the sidewalk. We had a nice lunch at a place called “Just Us Girls”, even the napkins were pink. Service was a little slow “but I guess that is what happens without men working in the place.” From there we hit a few more shops. There are hundreds of little shops in this area down by the harbor. Very quaint little shops and some not so small. I even bought myself a pair of “croc” shoes. Seem very comfortable. My feet get very hot driving because the motor is right at my feet and must leak a little hot air from the motor. Hope these will help. The time is getting on to around 3:00 pm and we would like to get up the island and a little farther. A couple of days ago we did the west side of the island and tomorrow we will do the east side. May take a day or two, suppose to be some real nice beaches and we may even stay at one for a day or so. The Campsite we are in tonight is run by the Town of St. Peter’s Bay. Very nice campsite and we even got a senior’s discount. It took some convincing that I was over 60 years old. I had to show birth certificates, driver’s licenses - she kept saying I don’t look a day over 29, but she finally trusted me and gave us the discount. (I wish). A lot of the campsites are all grass as is this one tonight. We have been using private sites and Provincial Parks rather than Walmart or Canadian Tire because the weather has been so warm and muggy we needed the air conditioning. To give you an idea it is 10:00 pm and the temp outside is still 68.8 f and muggy. We hit our first rain today. We were heading for the motor home and puttering along when I looked across the bay and I said to Willa and Tegan, we had better make a run for it because the rain is on its way. We just barely made it and it started to downpour. Felt just like home, it did feel good after all the hot weather we have had. Well we are all snuggled into our campsite in the trees. I started to clean the bugs off the front of the motor home and ended up washing the whole thing and it did need it. Probably only do 100-150 miles and will take the ferry across to the mainland in the next couple of days depending on what we find on the east side of the island. Well I think I will finish my tea and head to bed. Made a phone call to my mother, it is her birthday today and she turned 93 years old. We talk to the kids every 3-4 days just to keep in touch and Kathy at the office a little less often and if she has a question she will call also. Sounds like she has been busy while we’ve been away. Suppose to be some beautiful beaches on the east side of the island, looking forward to visiting them. Night All.

Day 33, July 29, 2007

2007-08-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Day 33, Sunday, July 29, 2007
Sleeping in day today. Didn’t get away until 11:00 am. Didn’t have far to go about 70k. Good drive into Charlottetown. Found parking right away and ended up in the Tourist Information Center and they had wireless internet connection. Willa and Tegan went on and I got the laptop from the motorhome and was able to connect and as of yesterday you will be able to follow the trip up to yesterday. They have a good interactive display at the TIC. Then we walked around the board walk and had a light dinner about 8:00 pm and then headed to a campsite in Stratford which is just across the bridge from Charlottetown PEI. We set up camp and were into bed by about 11:30 pm It was still 70f at 11:30 at night

Day 32, July 28, 2007

2007-07-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Day 32, Saturday, July 28, 2007
We were up fairly early but did some cleanup. Willa met a lady camper next door and she is a tour director for PEI and so Willa got the lowdown on where to go and what to see. With her advice we headed up to North Cape at the northerly most point on the West side of PEI. Our first stop was - - - - - - -now you are trying to guess where I am going - - - - - -Willa made coffee at the motor home so we didn’t need Tim Horton’s. Now where was I - - - - - oh yes! Our first stop was a little town called Miminegash, PEI. Now that town was not well known to me but when you consider what it’s main export is you will recognize it right away. This town exports “Irish Moss”. Amazing isn’t it. WHAT! You don’t know either town or product????????? Neither did I but we all use it almost every day. Irish moss is gathered from the ocean as a sea weed, it is then processed and this gives a liquid that is used as a thickening agent in just about everything we use. For instance: ice cream, evaporated milk, chocolate milk (so the chocolate won’t separate from the milk), chewing gum, car tires and a number of other things. Irish Moss is harvested from the ocean after heavy storms and while the waves are still coming in and by horse. I won’t go into the details but if you look it up on the internet you’ll get a better explanation than I could give you. Miminegash is one of the areas that harvests, collects and packages it for processing down in the states and we buy the finished product back. We went through the museum and drove down to the harbor and we had seaweed pie at the museum made from the Irish Moss. We came part way up the #2 highway then cut over to the coast to do the coastal road. You go through all the quaint little villages, most with only a corner store and maybe a garage but lots of boats for harvesting Irish Moss, fishing and catching lobster. Good road for the most part. People are friendly and most wave when you go by. Lots of ATVs on the roads buzzing around. We traveled up the West coast to North Cape, this is where they have a number of wind turbines for generating power. I should have counted them but didn’t but I would say 10-12 at least. The banks in this area are about 4-50 feet high and at the low point you can walk down to the beach. Once on the beach you can look back at the banks and see the different layers for over the eons. From a writeup I read there were mountains here higher than the Alps and over 250-400 million years they have worn down. The red colour of the soil is from the iron in the soil and apparently is very hard on car bodies. Off the cape is the largest rock reef in North America according to something Willa read at the Interpretative Center. We walked along the shore for a bit and a few people walked out on a thin line of rocks to a sandy area but if that tide ever came in you could be stranded out there a long time. Looking back at the banks from the beach you could see swallows nesting in the banks in holes I assume they carved out for their nest, maybe they were Martens. Another traveler was sitting on a bench and she had a Blue and Gold Macaw, very pretty bird and it has a perch at the dash of their convertible that it rides on. There is a restaurant at the Interpretative Centre and we decided to have a late lunch and an early supper. Tegan and Willa only wanted clam chowder soup but I wanted a little more so ordered a seafood platter with the idea that Tegan and Willa would help me eat it. Lucky they ordered light because this came with a bed of steamed mussels, large shrimp, scallops, 2 ousters, large piece of Haddock, 12-14 oz lobster plus a salad, and cup of chowder. The flavors were superb. We all enjoyed the platter. We decided to put on a few miles to shorten up tomorrows drive. We were going to be near the campsite we stayed at two nights before with the music show. It’s out of the way a bit but a free night of entertainment. Who can say no even if you have to drive a little further. They had a young fellow on the fiddle and could he ever play and not just the fiddle but about 2-3 other instruments. One of the people in the audience was one of the fiddlers who played with the Don Messer Band. It was a great show and a couple of people from the audience even came up and sang and they were real good. We bought a cd of the fiddle player and asked him to autograph it and took Tegan’s picture with him. Truly was a great show and even Tegan enjoyed it. Well off to bed again running a bit late again tonight. Morning was a good time for driving not too hot but got a little warm in the afternoon. The motorhome sat for about 4 hours and was 107 f inside when we went back to it. Thank goodness0 for the air conditioning. Starting to cloud over and they are forecasting rain for tomorrow. Will make me feel right at home. Till tomorrow.

Day 31, July 27, 2007

2007-07-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Day 31, Friday, July 27, 2007
We started off about 8:45 am. From just east of Summerside PEI to 8 k west of Summerside, that was the extent of our driving today. We spent the day in Summerside which is a little port town. We started our day right after - - - - - - - - - - - you guessed it, right after our stop at Tim Horton’s. The Tall Ships 4 of them and 2 Canadian Naval ships where scheduled to be in port about noon. There are a whole bunch of little shops around the docks and that is where Willa and Tegan spent the day other than watching the Tall ships come into port. Quite a show, one was the Bluenose and the other 3 were the more old fashioned style of ship with the square sails, all were two mast. Bluenose was the first to come and it coasted around the harbor until another ship came in and the second as it came into port let off several cannon shots, quite a show. From there we went on to a Café that served seafood for lunch. After lunch we went back to the Tall Ships and by this time they have docked and we did a tour of them. Couldn’t get below decks but the rest was worth the look. From there Tegan found an internet connection and made use of it and Willa did a little more shopping and I went and laid in the shade and had a little snooze. The problem with a little snooze is you feel worse when you get up, just not long enough I guess. Tegan and Willa were shopped out, I was tired so we went to “Cows” and had an ice cream float. New ice cream company I guess, it’s in Vancouver and Whistler also, according to Tegan. She had to have her picture taken on the cow that sits out front of the store. It’s now getting on to 4:00 pm and we have decided to camp as close as we can get to where we are in Summerside. At the Tourist Information Centre, the gal there called the provincial campsite and reserved a site for us. The campsite, Linkletter Provincial Park is right on the water and we got a nice shady site with full hook ups. The plan was to stay in Walmarts, Costco parking lots but the weather has been so hot we need the hookups for the air conditioning and everyone is showering and so I need to dump a little more often then I originally planned. Just means more cost, may need you to send money asap to get us home. The rest of the evening and it is about 6:00 pm we are all going to relax. Willa and Tegan have gone over for a shower and Willa wanted to do one more load of laundry and the rest of the evening is ours. In between relaxing maybe I’ll get the chicken on the BBQ. Nice spot we are in has a view out over the ocean. The temperature was suppose to be over 100 f today, not sure if it made it or not but it was sure hot. Very clear sky with a little haze on the horizon but the haze may just be the fact you are looking so far. Well I am going to start my relaxing now. Just had to tell you what just happened, Tegan just came back from the shower and I asked her how the shower was and in her own words “the shower was great right up until Grandma told me I was in the men’s shower”. I laughed when she said it and so matter of fact. We took a walk around the campsite and looked at the other camping units. We thought ours was big but behind is one that makes ours look small. Further into the campsite there is a right hand drive unit, which is written on the back of the motorhome and the entrance door is on the wrong site of it also. Interesting what you see and how other people enjoy the outdoors their way. When we arrived the tide was out and you could walk maybe
200-300 feet out and another 100 or more didn’t seem above peoples knees. The tide has come in now and the wind with it, not a heavy wind but a steady breeze and enough that it will rock the motor0home. Well it is 9:46 pm and I think I will turn in for the night, may read a bit. Full moon tonight also. Talk to you tomorrow. We are about half our mileage now from what I estimated we would put on this holiday.

Day 30, July 26, 2007

2007-07-29T15:27:00.001-07:00

Day 30, Thursday, July 26, 2007.
Willa finished up her wash, just a few things she wanted to finish rinsing by hand. I packed up the motorhome and Tegan slept. We were on the road about 8:45 am. Of course you know what is coming next - - - - - - - coffee - - - - - but not Tim Horton’s she made her own coffee before we left, ha, ha, ha got you. Today is a day of driving, the goal is PEI by tonight. The oil gage is running a little high so decided to have the oil changed and see if that made a difference. Do the simple things first, right. We tried a couple of places but either couldn’t handle the size of unit or busy. But the Ford dealer in Miramichi, New Brunswick had a quick lane and fit us in so within an hour we were lubed, oiled and on our way. The oil gage is still running a little high but it is also 92f on the outside thermostat so I am hoping that is part of the reason for the higher pressure. Not much else to do and it is not to;o high and is holding a steady pressure. It’s been a real hot day for driving, running around 92 f most of the afternoon and we were inland a ways on highway # 11. As we got closer to the ocean again it started to cool down. I would rather drive in rain, its easier to warm up than try and cool down. Even with the rooftop air running the motorhome was not cool. The roads today have been good and we traveled through places like Neguac, Miramichi, Richibucto, Shediac, Bouctouche, Because we were trying to put on miles today most of these we just driven past or through but interesting to be in the same area or outskirts of some of the towns that we have heard of or I had seen on a map. My cruise control is acting up which means I have to have my foot on the gas petal, now this in itsself is not an issue but you have to understand that the motor is right at my foot and it is DAM HOT. I carry a little fan may be 10-12 inches across and I put that so it blows on my feet and what a difference. WE DROVE ACROSS THE CONFEDERATION BRIDGE. Wow is it ever long approximately 12.9 k. Right after the bridge on the PEI side there is a little village set up with lots of little boutiques and would you believe an information centre right off the highway. Willa and Tegan want to go back and have a look around tomorrow. There is also a monument to all the people that worked on the bridge during the construction. Around the monument they have placed red bricks with each of the people’s name on a brick and larger plaques for the companies. A friend of ours, Keith Bennett worked on the bridge, flying helicopter back and forth with supplies or men, remember how high the bridge is and ocean going ships pass under it. Well we found his brick, well actually Tegan found it and there are hundreds of bricks and in no particular order. So we were quite thrilled. I am not sure if Keith has even seen it. We asked about a campsite close by and they recommended the Sun-N-Shade Campsite about 5 minutes down the road. Very nice campsite and we met the couple next to our site, they are from Vancouver, Washington, Pat and Carl. Another couple from Ashcroft, BC. Everyone was telling us we have to go to the show they put on in the Rec Building. So after we ate (we got in late 7:00 pm) we headed over. Well what a show. The band has won awards on PEI and they were real good and they also had people with talent (which ruled out me) from the audience come up and sing a song or two with them. About a two hour show and was it ever worth while. This was included in the price of the campsite which was only $30.00 and included full services. After the show we came back to the m/h and I went to shut off the alarm and I don’t know what went wrong but I could not get it to shut off. It would go off every once in a while, very embarrassing. Had to dig out the manual and hit the override button and hope the code they gave me works. All went well. We are off to Summerside tomorrow for maybe a show and they say the Tall Ships are in there for the weekend so hope to see them also. Keep you posted. We will have to stop meeting like this, people are going to start taking. Tell you another saga of our trip tomorrow.

Day 29, July 26, 2007

2007-07-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

Day 29, Wednesday, July 26, 2007
We didn’t get a real early start, about 9:45 am. Nothing to do on the motorhome, just getting ready to go and we didn’t have many miles to put on today. We are on the Acadian coast and going to head to Miscou Island which is the farthest east you can go in New Brunswick. Before we start you know what - - - - - - - - Tim Horton’s which is right on our way. There is a wooden lighthouse there which dates back to the 1800’s. I think it is the oldest wooden lighthouse in use in Canada, I’ll have to confirm that. The drive up is about an hour and again the unseen scenery. Lots of little towns to drive through and the houses are quite spread out. The landscape changes from tall trees in the Shippagan area to a ground cover and a few copse of trees as we went up the Acadian Isles. There just are no tall trees, the tallest is maybe 10 feet and they are sparse and in little copse of trees. These copse are about 15-20 feet across and more or less in a circle. You can see in some areas maybe a half mile or a little more and that is all you see. Very strikingly different. The drive out is very windy, but a good road and actually better than some parts of the Trans Canada Highway. The ground again at the lighthouse is very flat and drops about 8 feet to the water. A different smell to the water here as compared to our ocean. More of a pungent smell. Takes a little getting use to. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was not open to go upstairs. There was a little gift store (and I mean little, 8 x 16 feet) operated by a local lady. Her husband does sand sculptures and she sells them there. Very well done and not very expensive. Willa and Tegan were down at the water and I started talking to this lady ???????????????????. She was born on the Miscou Island as she said “in the dead of winter, in the middle of a snowstorm and with no nurse, my dad delivered me, so I was born and raised on the Island”. Nice lady, her husband is a fisherman and was out herring fishing I think. He also lobster fishes. She had moved away for awhile but moved back with her husband and their little guy was born there, but not delivered by her husband. We have met some interesting and friendly people on this trip so far. Coming back from the lighthouse we stopped at an ecological walk and did the tour, but it was new and so no information on fauna etc. This was in the middle of a peat bog which is what most of this area is like. In fact, there were a couple of peat farms you could see from the road. On our way back, we stopped at the provincial run Aquarium in Schippagan. Very nice and well done. Very informative on the fishing history of the Acadians. I was finished ahead of Willa and Tegan so I thought I would come out and start the air conditioner. I met two ladies on big motorbikes and got to talking to them. They are from Moncton and on a little holiday. Well I got to talking to them and then Willa and Tegan came out and I introduced them around and we must have visited with them for 30-40 minutes. Very nice people. Well it is now getting to be close to 4:00 pm and time to start looking for a campsite. The Town of Schippagan has one right on the water and so that is where we headed about 3-4 k out of town. We are all settled in, been lucky in most of the campsites—the parking space is level so have to do very little to level up, maybe one or two wheels. They have a laundry here so Willa wants to catch up on her washing, some things just seem to follow you from home even on holidays. The weather has been overcast today with a temp of about 80-83 f but very muggy. I’ve ran the roof top air (which needs the generator running which is no problem). You get pretty comfortable in the motorhome traveling along with the a/c running. Then you get out and it hits you. the hot muggy weather. Well I’ve transferred my pictures over to the laptop and I am done with my diary and it is still fairly early. Once a week I transfer my pictures over, that way it gives me an idea where they were taken and if I forget I can look at my diary and hopefully figure out where they were taken. Another day of memories and another day coming to look forward to.

Day 28, July 25, 2007

2007-07-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Day 28, Tuesday, July 25, 2007
Tonight we are camping on the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Chaleur Bay and the town is Caraquet, New Brunswick. I don’t know where to start. How about the beginning. We got up real early with the idea we would get a good start. Willa wanted to shower and vacuum the motorhome and because we had full services I decided to not only dump the holding tanks but to flush out the black water tank. I filled it twice with water then let it drain out. I had never done this before, all the time we have owned the motor home. So we didn’t get away until about 9:30. We stopped to get a couple of pictures of the entrance to the campsite then we are off. We get about 10 miles down the road and I check all my gages and my alternator is not working, only putting out about 12 volts. So we turn around and head back to Charlo. The GM dealer is too busy to help but they did make a couple of calls around and the muffler shop right next to where I am parked would have a look at it. So I walked back to the muffler shop and they were ready for us and we pulled the front end of the m/h right into the shop. After a little checking it was the alternator that had went and required replacing. A new one is ordered and within 2 1/2 hours we were on our way. Because it was their lunch time we bought a dozen donuts for their coffee in the afternoon. The bill was very reasonable and the fact they were able to help us right away was great. It,s tough, they have their appointments set up and along comes this stranger with the puppy dog eyes, wringing his hands and practically begging for help. It’s a real judgment call on their part. We have been so lucky with the help we have gotten on this trip with the problems we’ve had. People seem to bend over backwards to try to accommodate a stranger in need. I’ve kept the addresses of the people that have helped us and when we get back we will send them all a thankyou and a calendar at Christmas. From there we are on the road again and I am saying to Willa, I hope that is the end of the problems - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - then I look at the gages and the oil pressure gage is way over what it should be. I start to panic and remember that I have had this before and if I just leave it alone for a while and keep driving it has always come back down again and it did. So other than missing a turn and ending up 15 miles on the wrong road all went well. We are driving up the Acadian Peninsula and our first real taste of New Brunswick. The winters must be harsh and short because the further we went up the Peninsula the smaller and more wind swept the trees and brush. The area makes me think of pictures I have seen of Newfoundand, only with more trees. We are driving a little late to make up some miles; but also to get to Caraquet because there is suppose to be a great Sea Food Restaurant in this town and also a campsite on the water. We found the food to be good and we found the campsite. We had booked at the campsite before dinner. After dinner we stopped at the wharf to look at the fishing boats that are tied up. Some mighty big boats and some colourful smaller ones also. The wharf would be a good half mile in total, and the walk back. Saw some jelly fish doing there thing and a number of people fishing off the wharf. We are in awe of New Brunswick so far and we have only covered a 100 miles or so. Imagine what the next 200 miles will be like (you are going to have to imagine; we are going to see it for ourselves). Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 27, July 24, 2007

2007-07-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Day 27, Monday, July 24, 2007
We got a fairly good start today and traveled along the St. Lawrence River. What a beautiful drive. The St Lawrence starts off as fresh water than slowly blends until it is salt water at the Gulf. I am not sure how wide it is or how wide I expected but it is wide. On my GPS it varies from just under a mile to over 3 miles as you head to the mouth of the St. Lawrence. The tide was out on most of our drive and there was a lot of reedy land along the shore. In one place the shore was solid rock and all carved up by either the water action or glaciers, if and when they came through. We have kept to the shore road as much as we can, no point in being inland when it is the water that has all the views. Our elevation varied from 20 ft to about 700 feet on my GPS. The GPS sure has been handy for elevation and average moving times plus telling us where we are in relationship to where we should be. The highlight of the day was crossing the New Brunswick, not that we were happy to leave Quebec. We were amazed at the churches we could see driving up the St. Lawrence. Some of the time we were driving on a rise and to the south you could see for several miles, in a valley, and two very prominent items were the churches and the silos on the farms. Lots of farms and lots of skinny fields. They must have been in the family for generations. If you Google Earth, in this area you can see them fanning out from the River. All seemed to be very well kept up. The land seems to change as you come into the boundaries for the individual provinces as if the change in the land was one way of deciding where the boundary was going to be located. Coming into New Brunswick the land got hillier. We came through Dalhousie and found a nice campsite on the south side of town The Blue Herron Campsite. I was having a problem with the spark plug wire again and had bought a new one to replace the old one that got broken when they worked on the gasket for the exhaust manifold. Got that done and a little work in the diary and it was time for bed. Well not quite like that. We do most of our cooking outside, I have the portable BBQ and a propane campstove and a ten pound tank with an attachment that allows me to hook up 3 appliances. It takes me about 5 minutes to set up, and the same to take down. Saves heating the motor home up and its nice to be out sideafter spending all day traveling. Keeps some of the cooking smells outside as well. Willa and Tegan are travelling well but it is a lot of driving. Wish Celeste, our 15 year old granddaughter, had come for company for Tegan. But she felt it would be too much driving and she would have been right but they would have had more fun traveling together and could have done more things together. We even thought of flying her out but would be quite costly. After driving most of the day it is nice to just sit back and relax. Well another day to the journey and another 30 plus to look forward to.

Day 26, July 23, 2007

2007-07-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Day 26, Sunday July 23, 2007.
We got a good start this morning, we were on the road by about 7:30 am. Nice time of the morning to travel, traffic is less and cooler part of the day, everything seems to run quieter and better. We have decided to skip Quebec City on the way down and maybe catch it on the way back. We’ve had enough of museums, forts and old buildings and besides we are about 4 days behind. We don’t really have a schedule but the Atlantic Provinces are our priority and we are spending an extra day here and there and suddenly you aren’t sure if you won’t need another month. For the same reason we have also dropped off the Gaspe’ Peninsular. So now we have cleared Montreal, Quebec City and come down over the St. Lawrence River and are now heading up the south side of the St Lawrence and into the country where my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandparents originated from after they came from France in the 1600’s. Now we are looking into my family’s information and Willa is trying to fill in some of the gaps she is missing and confirming some of the information she already has. We were in Mont Carmel, Quebec where my Great Grandparents were born and married. In Kamouraska (which is a native name meaning “Bull Rushes by the Sea”) almost sounds Russian. One of my relatives was the first Dionne in the area. In one of the towns, Cap St Ignace, we tried to find the old church where my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandparents were married in but apparently the church was washed away by the St. Lawrence River and with it went the graveyard also. Willa is pretty sure that my relatives would have been buried there. Soooooooooooo! I guess you could say that I have ancestors scattered all along the St. Lawrence river (well down stream especially). On our drive I was watching for Pat Pelletier’s ancestor’s farm which is on the road we were traveling on. Pat is the Mortgage Broker at our office. I stopped, took some pictures and called Pat from the motorhome to tell him I was in front of his ancestor’s home. Couldn’t reach Pat so had him paged. Still having some problems with the motorhome but hope to resolve it today. They broke a spark plug wire installing the manifold gasket and I think it is breaking down when I stress the motor. So see if replacing it helps. Well we looked at some more graveyards, churches and towns that were, are inhabited by my ancestors. Hard to believe that they could have been walking these same roads and streets that we have been driving and walking down. From Cap St. Ignace, I called my mother, and sister to tell them where we were. Turns out my oldest sister Jerry and her husband Joe were at my Mother’s. Joe’s brother inlaw had passed away and they were down for the service. Well talk to you tomorrow and update you on our travels. Weather by the way has been real good, not too hot for traveling and not wet and rainy either.

Day 25, July 22, 2007

2007-07-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Day 25, Saturday, July 22, 2007
Well I am writing this about 3 days behind. Had some troubles with the motorhome and had to do a little monkey wrenching in the evening, during the day and or in the morning. Nothing very serious, other than had to replace the exhaust manifold seal, helped make the motor a little quieter.
We got a late start this morning. Very tired after all the walking and being wet all day after the rain we were in. Then I went outside to start packing and ran into a couple of talkative neighbours. Not that it was them, as you know I like to talk also and we got visiting and before you know it half an hour or more has passed. One chap was working in Ottawa, must be a temporary job because he was staying in a motorhome. The other chap was from Alberta and traveling east also. We got on our way at about 10:30 am and headed for the nearest Tim Horton’s, which luckily was just up the road from the campsite. Not too bad a campsite and I had a chance to visit with the manager. Very nice man once you got to know him. The road was from very good to very bad and that seems to sum it up pretty much. You just think you finally got over the worst of it and you find out you have been fooled. We got some pretty good shakings on this trip and not just for a mile or so it could be 10-100 miles of rough road. We got our first or second feed of corn today. If it was the second feed it was real small cobs. Now that I think about it, it was our second feed and very disappointing. We headed out of Ottawa and finding our way out wasn’t too bad, we were on the outskirts of town. Now rolling down the road we have to go through Montreal. Now there is a set of roads. Luckily for us we had a main road we needed and were able to stay on it. Some of the time you would have overpasses, underpasses, sidepasses and on both sides and all of this happening at the same time. As I say we’ve had an easy route to follow but one wrong turn and I don’t know where you could end up and how you would ever find your way back again would be entertaining to say the least. Quebecer’s do drive a little different but all in all, all went well (I wonder if I could work another all in this sentence, I just did it). Had one driver and I am not sure if it was Quebec or Ontario and it was the only close call so far (knock wood) and SHE passes me then cuts right in front of me, missed my front end by about 4 feet, and we are traveling at about 90-100 k’s. Ran a little late today trying to make up time and had to take a site, it was an almost RV park. Old service station, older motel and a restaurant that didn’t seem too bad. But we were the only campers. I wanted to keep the drivers side to the sun, so we would have a shady spot to cook dinner and sit in the evening, so I asked the chap there if he minded if I pulled in sideways taking up 3-4 sites instead of one. Now this is late I don’t think they have many campers at the best of times and there are 20 sites altogether. Well he just didn’t know if other campers came in….. I finally said well how about I park across the sites and if another camper comes in I will move. I didn’t have to move. The place was kind of rundown. But could have had a lot of potential if it was run right. But it was quiet and level.

Day 24, July 20, 2007

2007-07-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Day 24, Friday, July 20, 2007
We set the alarm for 6:00 am. Everyone wanted a shower before we left. We had to hurry because Mike the taxi driver was going to pick us up at 8:00 am. To set the pace for the rest of the story: it started to rain about 4:00 in the morning and it was still raining when the alarm went off and it was still raining at 8:00 when the taxi arrived. It just poured all day. Well we were committed to do Ottawa today so off we went. We had umbrellas and I had a raincoat. Tegan and Willa didn’t want to take theirs so off we went. Mike dropped us off in front of guess what - - -tic- - tic- -tic if you said Tim Horton’s you are absolutely wrong it was Starbucks. Up to this point all is well. Now we have to walk to the information center to find out about the tours of the Parliament buildings. Well it is about 3-4 block, it is just pouring out, there is a gusty wind and we are walking. I don’t know how many times my umbrella did an inversion. By the time we get to the information centre our feet are soaked clean through and we are wet up to our knees. By the way when it is heavy rain do not and I emphasize do not walk near the curb unless you are already soaked. The buses do not worry about the water in the curbs and may have a game to see who can throw it the farthest along the side walk, also how high up on the pedestrians. Well we decided after the first or second bus we were not going to play along and more, and we walked as close to the buildings as we could get. I think some of the drivers were actually disappointed we were away from the curb. We did the tour of the Parliament buildings and it is well worth seeing. The history and the construction is magnificent and the young gal that did the tour did a real nice job also. I think I was most impressed with the library which is the only remaining part left after the fire in 1916. The rest of the building was rebuilt after the fire and they used stone this time, less chance of it burning down again. The library is finished in pine and the craftsmanship that went into it is beautiful. From the Parliament buildings we walked three block to catch the #8 bus to Hull, as you guessed it in the pouring rain. We are on our way to see the Museum of Civilization, again a great experience. At the Museum we see the display by China of some old artifacts plus the Imax presentation of the1st Emperor of China and his story. You may remember reading about the find in China of a whole army made out of Terracotta, something in the number of about 7000 figures (I think) and all buried with the Emperor. What is interesting to note is that each had a different face and in the image of his soldiers. Now we are getting tired but be want to see the War Museum, which we were told was very good. We have tickets too for the bus but have no idea how to get to the War Museum. We saw the bus which was the # 8 back to Ottawa. We talked to the driver and we could use the tickets we have or buy new ones, but they don’t sell them. Anyway it was getting confusing. Suddenly the bus driver, just a young guy, said get on the bus so we piled on and he said here is a day pass and you won’t need your other tickets so off to the War Museum we did ride. Had a real nice visit with the driver as we were the only passengers. Later some other people came on and I had a nice visit with a lady who is moving to Vancouver Island when she retires in the next year. Now the War Museum. We arrived at about 5:30-6:00 pm. We are already tired, but this is unreal what they have done. They start you off in sections. The first section is Early wars that Canada was involved in, moving to another section the Second World War, and the next section the Second World War. In these areas they are describing what went on, how it started, why Canada was involved, etc. They would have the different guns used in each action, including tanks, artillery guns, jet airplanes, torpedoes and all kinds of other displays. Downstairs more army equipment is displayed, 6-7 tanks 30-40 different trucks, cars, etc. plus the black convertible that Hitler rode in. It is now close to 8:00 or 8:30 pm and we are all dogtired. Instead of catching a bus we decided to walk to the Parliament Buildings and catch a taxi from there back to the campsite which is precisely what we did. We arrived back at the campsite at about 9:30 pm, I think or there abouts. We were all into bed and made a decision to sleep in and not go to Quebec City. We have seen lots of history and we are running out of time to cover the eastern provinces. So first things first - -- - - - - - - - - Sleep and to dry my feet out. They have been soaking wet all day and I mean soaking.

Day 23, July 19, 2007

2007-07-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Day 23, Thursday, July 19, 2007
Yesterday we made an appointment for the motorhome with the friend of Sean Murphy, Glenn Carroll who’s shop is just outside of Ottawa. I also made reservations at Rideau Heights Campsite just south of Ottawa. So our day begins. We were on the road by about 7:15 am. I wanted an early start, not knowing how long it would take us to reach Glenn Carroll’s shop. We hit some construction on the way but only about 6 miles north of Smiths Falls and some real rough road after that for about 10 miles and I mean real rough. Still we made good time and ended up at Glenn Carroll’s shop about 9:30 am. They checked my timing and the exhaust manifold gasket was leaking on the passenger side of the engine and we were very lucky they took us right away. Mind you I had called the day before but they are still having to fit us in and it is a busy shop. Glenn operated right out of his home property and has a nicely set up shop. We met his wife, his two boys about 8-12 and his dad who stopped around later in the morning. I missed the name of the chap that worked on the motorhome but a very congenial chap. Visited with a couple of the customers and the morning passed fairly quickly. I had a chance to do some and had a little nap also. They sent the wrong bolts the first time and had to reorder them, other than that we would have been out of there by noon, as it turned out it was 2:30. Glen apologized but I said we weren’t complaining, we were just happy he was able to fit us in. He was very reasonable with the costs also, which was nice to have happen. We stopped in a shopping center outside of Ottawa and picked up a few groceries. Then traveled on to the campsite we had made reservations at last night. We pulled into the campsite about 5:30 pm which is a nice time to stop. Gives you time to eat and cleanup and it is still early in the evening. I had planned on staying at the Ottawa Municipal Campgrounds but this lady Willa had met said this was such a good campsite. I have to say it has only two well maybe three real drawbacks. One: the bathrooms aren’t very nice, Two: we are just east of the flight path for a major airport, Three: The Via Rail tracks are just behind the campsite (HERE COMES ONE NOW. CAN YOU READ THIS OVER THE NOISE?). The rail is not toO bad, they are going slow and you hardly hear them. We bought our first feed of corn for this year at a grocery store we stopped at earlier. Peaches and Cream I think. It was very good and only about $1.99 per dozen. Made for a nice supper. Tegan is just having a shower and then we will walk up to the main street to see about a bus to downtown Ottawa for tomorrow morning and around the campsite. This should be interesting. Want to take the address of the campsite with us tomorrow in case we get lost. Very tired tonight so I think I will be into bed early. Didn’t travel too far today, only about 70 miles. When we leave Ottawa we go to Quebec City and that is about 272 miles. We will be up early on that one because it will be heavy traffic. Try and be on the road by about 6:00 am. Willa and I went for a walk earlier in the evening and noticed a taxi parked at a house just up the street from the campsite. We had decided to take a cab into Ottawa because I wasn’t too sure about the buses. So we knocked on his door and made arrangements for him to pick us up at 8:00 am in the morning, His name was Mike, an older gentleman could have been 60 or 65, very nice man and very accommodating.

Day 22, July 18, 2007

2007-07-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Day 22, Wednesday, July 18, 2007
We have come to a major decision this morning, we are going to stay another day at Smiths Falls, Ontario. We want to give the motorhome a good cleaning and do some maintenance work on it. So at 8:00 in the morning there I am in my lawn chair with my cup of tea watching all the boats go by, cueing for the locks. This time I am organized, I have brought out a big heavy towel. Some of these boats are unbelievable. I want to watch them load up the locks so I rush up and you can sit right on the lock gates while they are filling with boats and water. Sorry, what did you say? You want to know what the towel was for? Drool, my good man drool, and it worked. So I was able to watch while they load the boats into the lock, then fill it and let them out on the higher level. They were all bigger boats so only 5 could fit in, and they were tight. Later Tegan and I went to the locks when they loaded a couple of real big boats and watched the process. You ask did I need a towel, well of course not, you just hang your jaw over the railing and it runs into the lock. Some of the owners of the boats I actually think enjoy watching you drool. From there I came back and made bacon and eggs and then started the clean up. Willa was doing laundry again but less this time and there may not be much time in the next few days in Ottawa then Quebec City. The fridge needed reorganizing and the freezer was frosting up a bit so that was on the to-do list. We had collected a lot of brochures and booklets about the different areas and sites to see and they were scattered around, so I pulled them together and put them in a drawer and only kept out the ones pertaining to this area. Very relaxing day and one that we needed. The next 3-4 days will be very hectic. Did some reading, and proof read my diary to get it ready for loading onto my blog if I can get my connection working. (This is Willa —– his proofreading did not work. Can’t imagine what it was like before he proofed it! It sure is good for a laugh though!!!) Once a week I down load all the pictures from my camera and get them organized so they are viewable. Not a big job but nice to have the time to go through them and organize them. We had supper about 6:00 pm and we could hear the thunder in the distance, then the lightning and then the rain and did we ever get a down pour. The water is just lying around in puddles, luckily our site is dry. Some of the boats parked for the night are not much bigger than our boat, I wander how they faied in the rain. Well not an exciting day but a very relaxing day. The sky looks quite dark so we may be in for a few more storms. It’s 8:45 pm. Been a good day for all of us and a good restful day also. Want to be off tomorrow early. First thing is the mechanic that Sean Murphy had recommended, then to the campsite and then we start the tour of Ottawa, Hull and whatever else we can pack into tomorrow and the next day. And in the morning we pull a Willie Nelson - - - - - - - - - - - - “ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Day 21, July 17, 2007

2007-07-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Day 21, Tuesday, July 17, 2007
You asked me two days ago how many License plate designations Willa and Tegan had seen, the number is 35 from different States and Provinces. I wouldn’t have thought that many. We got away about 8:30 this morning and meandered up the road. Our first stop is Elgin, Ontario. I had found a site on the internet that gave all the little towns along the Rideau Canal with walking tours of the old buildings and their history. So I ran the information off and we had this along for each town on the list. We asked at the school if we could park there, which was ok, then unloaded the bikes and did a bike tour of Elgin. Very interesting and you are talking the early 1800’s. We took about an hour and then loaded up the bikes and headed off again. Someone Willa had talked to said you have to stop at Smiths Falls and what a nice town it was.
So about 30-40 minutes after Elgin we are looking for a parking space big enough for the motorhome in Smiths Falls. We were going to the museum then to the library so Tegan can access the internet but ended up going to the library instead. I took my laptop and had hoped to get my diary posted to the blog but it would not connect so as of now you all may have to wait until I either get back or get it working before you can read it. Smiths Falls is called the Chocolate capital of Ontario because Hershey’s factory is right in town. So after the Library we did a tour of the plant and of course the gift shop (or should I say chocolate shop). You can buy any of the brand of bars they make, Kisses, whatever and for a very reasonable price, in fact according to Tegan most of it was 1/2 what you would pay in the stores. They had bags of Hershey almond bars big bags, no wraps, I think maybe seconds and it was $7.99 for about 5 lbs. Tegan said this was the highlight of the trip. She has said this quite a lot on this trip, kind of neat that there is always something new and better than the day before. When we first arrived we walked around the locks, there are three of them here. There are three swinging bridges and at one time the car traffic could be held up on all three roads when boat traffic was going through. In the early 1970’s a new lock was put in that went below the bridge and so eliminated one of the swing bridges. The town is divided by the Rideau Canal. Now this new lock is one of three hydraulic operated locks on the Rideau Canal system. To get the boats low enough to make it under the bridge the lock is much deeper than any we have seen so far. I would guess maybe 30 or 40 feet. I must say it does not take long to fill up. During our walk around we noticed a campsite on the south side of the Canal and walked over to check it out. It is a city run site with hookups for both RVs and boats. The boats have docks or other tie ups available to them. The price is reasonable at $30.00 per night with water and electricity. Half of the sites back on to the Canal and we were lucky enough to get one of those. The boats tie up a little further along, so we don’t have any boats right behind us and the boats don’t have any RVs next to them either. We got settled into the campsite after the library and the Hershey tour, had our supper then went for a bike ride around town which was very enjoyable. Packed the bikes up getting ready to move tomorrow although we may stay one more day and get some cleanup done on the motorhome, laundry, and also some maintenance done on the motor home. Nothing serious just tightening down a few bolts and nuts especially on the bike rack. It had taken quite a shaking with some of the roads we have come over but has worked well. The covers have kept the bikes clean and dry. Before supper Willa made a few calls back to Tammy and Jon to touch bases. Kathy, who works with me at the office, and I have had a few conversations over the past two weeks. She is handling everything at the office real well. She said she was loosing weight, because she doesn’t have time to eat, and according to her this was a good thing. Quite a load to put on to her but she is good at what she does. Hard to believe we have worked together for the past 9 years. A great person to work with. We set up a bank account with her that the three of us have signing authority for and she can pay any extra bills that may come up. Really looking forward to tomorrow. There must be 30-40 boats tied up for the night and a lot of them will go right past our motorhome to catch the locks heading south. It will be like a parade for us. Some of the boats are pretty nice, 40-50 feet and two decks with flying bridges. It makes me drool. You could spend years boating the Rideau Canal and still not have seen it all. I am so impressed with the Canal and historic towns all along its banks. To think we have only seen a fraction of what is here to see. So much to see and so little time and money to see it. I shouldn’t say money because the trip so far has not been all that expensive except maybe for gas but even that so far has been within the budget I had guesstimated when we were planning the trip. Now for a sleep and then watch the boats tomorrow morning. Life is goooooooooooooooooooooood.

Day 20, July 16, 2007

2007-07-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Day 20, Monday, July 16, 2007
We got a bit of a late start this morning, Willa and I showered, which filled the gray water tank. I was hooked up and it was time to empty the tanks anyway. The pipe from the toilet to the black water tank was plugged, which is a problem with the motorhome. I have a special tool that is a long flexible hose with a sprayer on the end. It took a bit of work but it did clean out. A shitty job but someone has to do it. Anyway, we got the tanks dumped, showered, fed and we are off to Fort Henry in Kingston. We arrived at Fort Henry with the idea of spending a few hours. Well the tour alone took an hour and then we went back to look at a few other things. Fort Henry has been taken over by Parks Canada and sounds like they have taken on quite a handfull. They are redoing one of the Gun Posts and because they try to bring it back to original, and the Fort is made from cut stone, they have to bring in people that know how to do it. I wouldn’t think it is local people either. They fire off a cannon during the tour and have demonstrations of what Fort life would have been like. Not easy I would say. All the people are in period dress. Plus they have extra costumes that the people coming in can wear while they are doing the tour of the Fort. They also have the kids make like soldiers and get them marching around, kind of cute. Couldn’t talk Tegan into dressing up though, such a poor sport. The Fort is very impressive and the restorations have been well done plus what they have planned. We spent about 4 or more hours at the Fort. I met a lady from Alberta and we got talking and she was complaining how she did not enjoy her trip out east. I said “I can’t understand that because we have been in awe of everything so far.” She said “but I am so disappointed in the shopping”. I thought to myself ’lady if you want to go shopping fly to Paris or go to the Edmonton Mall”. I guess everyone is looking for something different and if it is not there they are disappointed. From Fort Henry we started back on our tour of the Rideau Canal. We thought we would put a few miles on and find a campsite up the road. The plan is to stop and see some of the locks and small towns along the way. We came to Jones Falls Locks and pulled in. Again the setting is spectacular and about a 40 foot cruiser and a 25-30 foot boat were on their way up the locks, so were able to watch the locks in action. Hard to believe this is all done without any power other than the people opening and closing the gate or opening and closing the valves all by hand. We spent about 2 hours watching the boats and touring the buildings. This lock system also has a dam which up until 1876 (I think) was the biggest dam in North America until the Cleveland Dam was built. There was also a power generating station below the dam. All the park people are very informative and helpful, I even gave a hand opening and closing the lock gates. Not that hard to do considering the size of the doors. They are made from West Coast Douglas Fir and last 25-30 years. The main timbers I would say are about two foot square. Turns out there is a campsite right close to the Locks so we headed there, a little expensive at $35.00 with electricity and water but not much different from most of the other sites we’ve camped in. Not many Walmarts in this area. We got into the campsite about 7:30 and we were tired from all the walking at Fort Henry and then at the Jones Falls Locks but a good tired, we read and I updated my diary. I was two days behind and I went to bed about 11:00 pm. Willa was already sawing logs but Tegan was reading. Well another bend in the road coming tomorrow and exciting to see what will appear.

Day 19, July 15, 2007

2007-07-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Day 19, July 15, 2007.
We left Bob and Mary-Ann’s at about 8:45 am. Then we spent the next hour looking for a Tim Horton’s. About 9:30 by the time we were on the highway heading for Kingston. The drive in was good but the traffic coming to and through Toronto was heavier than I would have thought for a Sunday. If you counted our lanes and the road next to us including the oncoming lanes there were 12 lanes. We were on the Express Way and there seemed to be another highway that paralleled ours on both sides of the Express Way. The traffic moved well and we had no problems. I stayed in the right hand lane and it ran from one end of Toronto to the other. We were maybe an hour driving through the City and suburbs. We came to this rise and you could see maybe 1 or 2 kilometers, the highway dipped then came up the other side so you had a good view. All you could see was freeway and lanes running every direction. I am not sure of the exact count but I estimated there had to be close to 16 or more lanes of highway plus over passes, underpasses. I must say it was a little intimidating, but I stayed in my right hand lane and drove straight through. We arrived in Kingston about 2-3:00 in the afternoon. One of the things I was sure impressed with was the Service Centers they have along the 401 Freeway. On both sides of the Freeway will be a gas station, MacDonalds, Tim Hortons, Subway, or a selection of other fast food places. Plus all kinds of parking for the big highway trucks or RV’s. The one we pulled into had a MacDonald’s and was it ever busy. There were at least four lines with about 8-10 people in each line. One I noticed as I drove by had a truck wash also. I almost think you could stay there for the night if you so wished and I don’t think there is any charge for it. Now for a little complaint. The Tourist Information Centers they show on the highway, you know the “?” with the arrow. Well! We followed one in one city and it was a good 5 miles to find it. All they will have is this “?” and an arrow pointing in a direction you should go and if you miss it on a turn then good luck. Well in Kingston I was smart, at a grocery store I asked a couple if they knew where there was a Tourist Information Center. She gave me the directions and she was right to the block, However she either failed to mention it, or forgot there was a big celebration going on in downtown Kingston. The traffic and the people were unbelievable. With the bikes on the back I am 34 feet long and 8 feet wide and I have to thread the motorhome through this throng of people. Some streets are closed and people and cars all over the place. Thread is the right word because in some cases it was like threading a needle. But we made it and with some searching we found the road we needed to get out of town. Oh, by the way, the Tourist Information Center was there but you couldn’t park a car let alone our motorhome. We are on our way to start the Rideau Canal Tour which starts in Kingston, but passing through we saw the ad for Fort Henry and decided to do that tomorrow.
We stopped at the Kingston Mills locks before hitting a campsite. They are absolutely unbelievable. To imagine they were constructed 175 years ago and no power required to run them. They use gravity as the basis to raise the boats, by bringing the water down from the higher lake to flood the lower locks, thereby raising the boats to the next level. The one we looked at today has 3 locks. The whole Rideau Canal System has been taken over by Parks Canada and this year has been claimed, I think, as a World Heritage Site. Everything is operated the same as it was 175 years ago. A parks person floods the lock, opens and closes the gates all by hand. Pretty impressive. We are going to be seeing more in the next few days as we follow the Rideau Canal by road. Lots of towns to do walking tours through and the old buildings. The old buildings are something else.
So now a campsite. We found one in Kingston Mills, Rideau Acres Camping Resort a huge RV park with some where in the neighbourhood of 300-400 campsites. But a very nice quiet place to stay and very friendly people on either side of us. I met the next door neighbour, Shawn Murphy, he was from the Ottawa area, and asked him if he new any mechanics he could recommend. He has a chap he uses close to his home, Glen Carrol, so I will give Glen a call as we get closer to Ottawa. Nothing serious just want to get my timing adjusted as it is pinging a little under a heavy load and I think after all the shaking, part of my exhaust has come loose but that I may get done at a chain store, so if there are problems later on there should be some warranty to fall back on. We also met another couple from the Ottawa area, they just spent 3 weeks in New Brunswick, his home area. I guess the weather wasn’t very good in fact quite cool. He gave us a few hints about the Cabot Trail. When you come to it go right instead of left the views are better. Someone else didn’t recommend we take the motorhome, but I figure if we can survive Toronto’s freeways and Kingston’s street celebrations then the Cabot trail should be a cinch. At the campsite we did a walk around, Willa and Tegan are keeping track of the different license plates, I forget how many, Willa is in bed now but I will try and remember to ask her in the morning, how many they have collected and let you know tomorrow.

Day 18, July 14, 2007

2007-07-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Day 18, Saturday, July 14, 2007.
We got up about 6:30 am with the idea of getting an early start. Willa wanted to shower before we left Cathy’s place and I wanted to fix the shower in the motorhome. A couple of days ago I went to have a shower and I heard a crack and looked down and I had cracked the bottom of the shower which put an end to showering in the motorhome. Luckily I had just started to shower and it was a matter of drying off and not rinsing shampoo out. The crack was right at the bottom of the shower on the floor so any water would run out under the shower and I didn’t need that cleanup. I had bought an epoxy patch kit to try and do the job. I got the patching done from underneath the shower, there is a large access panel in the hallway so access was easy. The job went well and will try it in the next day or so. Before we left Cathy’s, she gave us a tour of her house (over 100 years old) she bought about 2 1/2 years ago. What a neat house, like a doll house. We said our goodbyes to Cathy and we are off, right after we find a Tim Horton’s for Willa’s coffee. Now we are off, have a pretty easy drive to Bob’s house, about 64 miles, all good roads even though they are all backroads. But before Bob and Mary Ann’s house we stopped at the Hamilton Farmers Market. We missed our turn off the freeway and ended up driving through an industrial area, reminded me of Christmas Eve “not a creature was stirring not even a mouse”. Breakdown here and you could wait a long time for someone to come by. Took a bit of maneuvering but we found it and got parked. Most of the time it’s not finding what you are looking for, it’s trying to find a parking space. I need 34 feet with the bikes on behind. Little hard to find that space and especially downtown. The Hamilton Market - over 186 vendors in a huge two floor building. Just about any kind of vegetable you can imagine, plus spices, fruits and more. Hamilton seems to have a very diverse population and it showed up in the selection of vegetables you could buy. We pulled into Bob and Mary Ann’s about 3:00 pm. Bob insisted on taking us on a tour of Campbellville and Milton. Milton is distinguished as the fastest growing community in Canada. You should see the track housing they are building. Now they are going to pre-build the houses on site, like a mobile home factory then haul them to the lot. Bob cooked a nice roast beef dinner. Bob’s grandson Douglas and Bob’s mother-in-law Billy joined us for dinner. Both real nice people. Well, off to bed and hope for an early start tomorrow. Want to be in Kingston and start the Rideau Canal tomorrow,
,

Day 17, July 13, 2007

2007-07-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Day 17, Friday, July 13, 2007
Bob Cormack, Willa’s Mom’s cousin and his daughter Cathy went with us to Niagara Falls, Ontario. At about 9:00 am we were off to the nearest Tim Horton’s for Willa’s and Bob’s coffee. Bob volunteered to drive us into Niagara which was great because parking is a bit of a problem downtown. We had an absolutely great day. We had heard what a tourist trap Niagara was but we found it to be quite the opposite. Mind you, you could spend the money if you wanted to but if you thought out the sights you could keep it pretty reasonable. We did the Walk behind the Falls and walked the promenade which gives you some pretty nice views of the Falls. Hard to believe the amount of water that pours over the Falls. When we went to the Walk Behind the Falls you could just hear the power of that water. The portal views were not that great but the viewing area outside was outstanding! You are about half ways down the Falls and just to one side so you can see the full power of the water coming down. Every once in a while the wind would change and you would get the spray from the Falls. Even lunch wasn’t too badly priced considering it is a tourist town. When we left Niagara Falls we drove back the scenic route and stopped at the Whirl Pool and watched some big jet boats play in the rough water. The boats had 3 jets and carried about 50 people, could they ever move. We drove back through Niagara on the Lake which is a very pretty town. Full of all kinds of shops. We didn’t stop because it was getting late and Bob still has an hours drive to get back home. He lives in Campbellville, Ontario. We will see him tomorrow and spend the night with him. His wife Mary Ann is in Montreal judging a diving competition. We stopped at a Chinese restaurant called Mandarin. It is not cheap but the buffet is unreal. I would hazard to guess how many different plates they had and all of it was fresh and very good and I haven’t even come to the desert table yet. We got home about 8:30 pm. We were all tired and ready for bed. If we could peek into the future we would already know what tomorrow is going to bring.

Day 16, July 12, 2007

2007-07-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

Day 16, Thursday, July 12, 2007
We were up about 7:00 am and Willa and I had a shower, separately. We packed up and headed off - - - - to the nearest Tim Horton’s which turned up in Thamesford, Ontario. There was no parking in the T/H lot so I parked in a private drive across the street. I should have asked if it would be ok but just wasn’t thinking. The people that live there came out and started to suggest that perhaps my parents weren’t married (next time I will bring Marriage Certificates). Needless to say I moved into an area where the sign said no parking minimum fine $100.00—from the frying pan to the fire. Luckily Willa came out and we were off down the road before the City people arrived. Willa wanted to stop in Brantford, Ontario at the local Genealogy Society. Once we found them Willa was able to get more information on where her great great grandparents were buried, it was off to the Presbyterian Cemetery in Mount Pleasant a small community SE of Brantford. Once we got the info off the tombstone (and pictures), were off to Cathy Tedesco’s in Jordon Station, Ontario. Cathy was our flower girl at our Wedding, and daughter of Bob Cormack. Bob was a Jockey all his life until he retired from racing. His Dad was a very famous Jockey and raced a lot over in France in the early 1900’s. If you have ever watched the movie “Seabiscuit” the main character was Red ??????, can’t think of his last name, but Bob knew him when they both were Jockeys. Red was a lot older than Bob and just winding down his career. Tomorrow we are off to Niagara Falls and Bob and hopefully Cathy will be able to come also. We arrived at Cathy’s about 6:00 pm. She won’t be home until about midnight but we will see her in the morning. Cathy lives in Jordan Station, Ontario about 30 minutes north of Niagara Falls. The drive over was good, we hit a few of the backroads and a couple of wrong turns, but we got to see some unique neighbourhoods on our travels. The GPS works real good, at least if you are lost you know where you are lost at. It will show you the road you are on and if you have made a wrong turn. It will even plot your trip for you. Not much else to tell about today. We seem to be finally getting our days turned back. Traveling East you keep losing an hour in every Province and we had to get that sorted around. We’ve been in Ontario long enough we are adjusting to the time change. When we are traveling we start off in the morning about 8:00 am. We will go to call someone and then stop because it is 5:00 am in BC. Should work to our advantage going home, I hope. Another day another few miles down the road. Let’s see how the next miles unfold.

Day 15, July 11, 2007

2007-07-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Day 15, Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Our day started about 7:00 am this morning. Had to be up and ready because Willa’s 1st cousin once removed is coming to pick us up and we are heading into Woodstock today to do family tree business. Bob Cormack arrived about 9:30 and we were off. Our first stop was in Tavistock, Ontario, at Tim Horton’s coffee for Willa. The second stop was Woodstock to start the family tree research. Willa had very little information on Barbara Rutherford which would be Willa’s greatgrandmother. For some reason the information about this lady is very sketchy and found nothing in the Embro area; lots of Rutherfords but no relatives. The people in the Genealogy department were so helpful especially Cathy Bechard who bent over backward to help Willa. (They were able to tell Willa that greatgrandmother Barbara Rutherford was born in Brantford, ON and married just outside in Mount Pleasant, ON.) This department is in the old Land Titles building, an old building in it’s own right, the information stored there was utterly amazing. Willa is going to send her familytree info to these people when she gets back. Willa found out where this lady, Barbara Rutherford, was born, where she was married, her parents and where they are buried. Now it is off to the Woodstock Presbyterian Cemetery to find her and her husband’s graves. It took a little bit of looking but we found it, more correctly I found it. Turned out Bob’s father is also buried beside his parents. While Willa was researching in the Genealogy Society, in Woodstock, I took some time to go through some of the old buildings. The Court House was right next door and so Bob and I did a personal tour. The door to one of the court rooms was open and so I peeked in and the court was not in session so I stepped in. A voice booms at me “take your hat off”, which I complied with immediately. I asked permission to look around and she had no problems with that and pictures were ok also. Very pleasant lady and gave us some information on the Court House and the room we were in. This was the Supreme Court room. It seated about 100-150 people plus a jury setting on one side of 12 chairs and the other of 13 which was for the Appellant Court. Very heavy wood finishing all old oak, made me feel guilty and I hadn’t even done anything wrong. From there Tegan and I went to the Library to look around and to use the internet, Tegan to touch bases with her friends and me to answer some emails. We had lunch in a bar and grill called Crabby Joes, very nice atmosphere and the food was real good also and very reasonably priced. When we were looking for a place to eat, I asked a chap on the street if he knew of a good restaurant to eat at and I thought he said “Crappy Joes” and the first thought was ‘that doesn’t sound like a very good place to eat’. I had not heard him correctly. We did a short tour of the Knox Presbyterian Church. They were remodeling the pulpit area but the rest was magnificent. Beautiful balcony that wrapped 2/3 around the main sitting area. Turned out Bob had been christened in this church in 1931. Tegan got in a little shopping while Willa was working on her family tree. We have walkie talkies that we are able to keep in touch with each other. All and all it was another great day in our holiday. One more day down and another 45 to go. Every day is a surprise, I wonder what surprises await us tomorrow.
.

Day 14, July 10, 2007

2007-07-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

Day 14, Tuesday, July 10, 2007.
Today we arrived in Embro, Ontario and this is Family Tree Country. Well at least for us. This is the area Willa’s family on the Cormack side of the family came from. This would also include the Innes and Rutherfords. We spent the day talking to different people in Embro. One of the people Willa spoke to was the Mayor of Embro, Margaret Lupton, and in the discussions it turns out that Willa and her are related through her husband’s side of the Innes family. Small world. Willa happened to stop at the Historical Book Society office. They are working on a book for the area and the history of the area. They have most of the history on the different pieces of property and who owned them and a story about as many as they could gather. This is now being put into book form which will be held in 2 books of about 5-800 pages each. They will sell them for about $100.00 for the set which is about 1/2 the cost of production with the balance coming from grants, fund raising, and donations. Willa had been in touch with a lady from this area about 20 years ago with regards to family tree information. Willa found out where she lived and we made a call on her. Jean Coulthard is 93 years old this year and lives on a farm with her 3 sons just south of Stratford, Ontario which is about 20 miles from Embro. While Willa and Jean visited, one of Jean’s sons took Tegan and I for a tour of their farm or more correctly farms. They own 3 farms totaling about 320 acres of land. They mix farm with the emphasis on dairy and raising registered Holstein cows. Interesting enough the market right now is in Russia and they are shipping the younger stock that is ready. Very long pedigrees on these animals. They have them very tame and of course like cats are very curious. Tegan is petting them and they all want some attention, They have the longest tongues and just like sandpaper. A couple of the young calves are suckling on her fingers and this is quite an experience for her. They milk about 50 head of cattle which are all machine milked but the feeding is done by hand. It’s an older operation but very well organized and managed as far as I could see. The one farm has been in the family for 67 years and over time they bought the other two. Each farm has a house and two have good barns. Now the houses! They are 100 years or over. Two are made of brick and the third is cement block. They are absolutely gorgeous. Two story homes and the original wood work in the one we were inside. I would like to have had a tour of the other two homes but didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask. Doesn’t sound like a Realtor does it. At the second farm we met the other two brothers Alex and Gordon Coulthard and a grandson Murray Coulthard. One of the highlights of the trip is driving through some of the towns and often you will hear a name like Stratford, London, Woodstock and towns you don’t hear about like Arthur, Embro, Oxford, St Mary's, Elora and many others but it is the old buildings in these towns. The history is unreal, most are 100 to 200 years old maybe older and most are in such good condition. I am saying houses but it’s also the old stores, churches, and other buildings and these are not the commercial Historical sights that you pay to go into. Just driving through the town and a few times we got turned around in the town and toured some residential areas as well so had an opportunity to see lots of these buildings. After we left Willa’s relative’s farms we found a campsite and settled in for the night. We stopped at the Wildwood Campground near Stratford, Ontario. Willa wanted to catch up on laundry and so we hauled the laundry over and she started while Tegan and I went back and finished setting up, then I took Tegan to the beach. Turns out 14 days of laundry is a lot of laundry and I think it took Willa close to 3 hours to finish. I think we will be doing laundry a little more often. Met an interesting lady at the beach, Stephanie Du Laux. Her and her daughter have opened up a shop I think in Lambeth, near London, Ontario and it is a home décor and gift shop based on Fung Shway. They have a web site that I will check when we get Internet access. www.fungshwayway.com, if you are interested leave a note for Stephanie and tell her you heard about her website from the guy and his granddaughter she met on the beach, nice lady and seemed very knowledgeable in Fung Shway. We unloaded the bikes and Tegan and I did a little riding around. Later in the evening Tegan had taken a little ride down a very dark trail right behind the motorhome and came rushing back all excited and we had to go with her to see what she had found. It was like magic, maybe like Christmas in July - - - - - - - fire flies - - - - - all these little lights flashing off and on through the trees and for as far as you could see in the bush. It seemed that they only flashed just at dusk, as it got darker they weren’t around any longer. I had heard my mother tell stories of finding fire flies and putting them into jars but this is the first time that I saw them for myself. Another first. We seem to be hitting these firsts quite often on this trip. Willa’s mother’s cousin, Bob Cormack (Bob and his father were both Jockeys) will meet us tomorrow and try and locate the old homestead and old house around Woodstock. Bob took the pictures at our wedding and one of his daughters Cathy was our flower girl at our wedding. We hope to meet up with Cathy later in the week at Niagara Falls, where she lives. Always fun getting together with Bob. Well I know what tomorrow is going to bring, dead relatives, searching graveyards. By the way this is not boring stuff, I find it so interesting and met some great people who I feel as akin to as if they were blood relatives, which they are even if it’s only by marriage.

Day 13, July 9, 2007

2007-07-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Day 13, Monday, July 9, 2007.
We started off about 9:00 am and we are off to see part of the Bruce Peninsula National Park, specifically the Grottos. It is about a 12 mile drive but in the direction we want to travel anyway. I had seen some writeups on the internet about this area so it was on our list of places to visit. A bit of a narrow windy road but all paved. We arrived shortly after 10:00 am and packed a backpack with coats etc and off we went. The hike in is about a kilometer maybe a little more. We hit the first grotto and it was quite exciting. Tegan climbed down in through an opening and got down that way, I climbed down the sheer face of the cliff. Actually it was not all that steep nor that far down but the first story sounds better. We explored this grotto for awhile then climbed back out using that same sheer cliff in the first story. As you were standing on the floor of the grotto you could hear the waves coming in and hitting the underground caves. It was a gurgling sound. Also, there was a very small pool and I mean small like 6 by 8 inches and it was moving up and down with the wave action. I assume the waves were hitting an underground cave and pushing the water up to this little pool. As I said earlier, amazing, just amazing. We walked over to the second Grotto. The ground we are walking on, other than the trail we walked in on which was fine bark mulch, is layers of rock which is the makeup of the cliffs we are walking on. On the cliffs there are lots of handholds to walk down. You still have to be careful because a lot of the rocks are wet and slippery. To get to the second Grotto we climbed through a cave entrance which took us down to the water level. This was easier than the cliffside, although we did climb back up that way. Now this second grotto is way larger than the first and as you got down to it you could see there was a pool inside. Once you got inside of the grotto, there was a tunnel coming in from under the water and letting in a very blue light, it was almost magical. These grottos are made from the water action on the rock and probably using tools of nature, rocks to help carve out these amazing places. The water in this area is a very pretty green, other than the temperature you would think you were somewhere tropical. It was the highlight of the parks although we really enjoyed the boat ride yesterday. By the way Willa was the hoity toity one, she stayed on the top of the cliffs and looked down on Tegan and me. We got back to the motorhome and I decided to see if I could find the leak in the exhaust system. At first it looked like a loose spark plug which it wasn’t, but I broke the plug wire trying to pull the plug out. I was able to put it back together but a few miles down the road the motorhome started to miss and I had to stop, buy a new wire and put it back together again. This done we continued down the road. This would be around 1-2:00 pm. We decided to drive and try to find a free place to stay. We drove through a couple of towns to no avail. Now it is was getting late and we were in Arthur, Ontario. We stopped to ask a few people if there was a place to spend the night and a couple of girls on the corner couldn’t think of a place to stay overnight but made a suggestion where I could spend a few hours, but we were really looking for a place for overnight. Another person suggested the Community Center so we asked there and the chap on duty said it would be ok as far as he was concerned. “Besides” says he, “the boss won’t be in before 8:00 am and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him”. I thought this was sound advice and the recommendation of us being gone by 7:45 in the morning also had a very true ring to it. He came and checked on us later and made sure we were settled in, which I thought was nice. So here we are in a huge lawn area and all to ourselves. It is just starting to sprinkle a little and earlier there was some rumbling of thunder in the distance. It has cooled off now which will make it a nicer evening and easier to sleep. Other than a few minor problems, all has gone well. I’ve always said when an incident arises it’s not the incident that is the problem—it’s how you react to it. Another sleep and another day coming to surprise us.

Day 12, July 8, 2007

2007-07-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Day 12, Sunday, July 8, 2007
We set the alarm for the first time on this holiday. We had booked a spot on the Manitoulin to Tobermory Ferry and had to be there an hour ahead of time, so the alarm was set for 6:00 am. We still had a number of miles to cover, about 63 to be exact and I didn’t want to be late for the ferry, so we were on the road by about 7:15 am. We arrived at about 8:50 and so had a few minutes to spare. Willa picked up a coffee and Tegan found an internet café and was able to touch bases with her friends and get any messages she had received. The ferry ride is about 1 hour and 45 minutes. We had breakfast on board and for $5.88 it wasn’t too bad, in fact good. Not a bad size ferry holds about 143 vehicles, not too much different from the BC Ferries. The end of the ride is at Tobermory, a very quaint little town, with lots of little shops and boat rides, and diving. There are two national parks here, one in Five Fathoms National Park and the other is Bruce Peninsula National Park. When we got off the ferry we found a Visitors Information Centre to get an idea what there was in the town to see. They are always so friendly and helpful. The young chap there suggested we go to the Five Fathoms National Park Visitors Centre which we did. Well worth the walk through and later we went up the look out tower which was about 4-5 stories and walked up, didn’t like it too much, once you were up there you’d think you would sway a little with people walking around on it. Must tell you, when we were in the visitor centre I did a walk through the displays they had about the park. Well I guess Willa and Tegan couldn’t find me and decided I had gone through the display area, so they paid to go through and of course found me, I hadn’t paid. How I got in without paying is beyond me but I did. (I did go back and pay, just to show you what an honest guy I am). Then we took a boat ride which toured you around the Five Fathoms NP. Very nice ride in a twin jet glass bottom boat. Very large boat with lots of room inside and must hold 100 or so people. Very shallow draft on the boat, about 6 feet, and it could go right over some of the shipwrecks that are in the bays around Tobermory. This is part of the reason for the National Park, it is a diver’s paradise with lots of shipwrecks to dive to. Some of the wrecks date back to the 1700s and maybe a little earlier. The shipwreck we went over is right in town, in fact there were two wrecks and one dated way back into the 1800s. The water is so cold that the wood is preserved, somewhat. All three of us enjoyed the tour. From there we just tootled around town looking in the shops and I went and drooled along the boardwalks looking at all the boats moored in for the night. Some pretty nice boats. I can see if you lived anywhere around the great lakes you would want to have a boat. The scenery, and hundreds of small islands to visit and small protected coves to moor in. The water is so clear and blue. We found a private campsite for the night in Tobermory, and decided to stay there for the night, a little expensive at $40.00 per night. To average out we are going to need some Walmart parking lots for awhile. Tomorrow we hope to visit Bruce Peninsula National Park. Tomorrow, tomorrow what doest thou bringest.

Day 11, July 7, 2007

2007-07-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

Day 11, Saturday, July 7, 2007
It was about 9:45 am before we got started this morning. The Tim Horton’s was just across the street from the Walmart where we camped for the night. Had a good nights sleep. Very quiet parking lot considering we were right in town. I had gassed up the night before so didn’t have to contend with that. We drove through to Espanola where I topped up my gas tank, got groceries and a few items from Canadian Tire. The drive to Espanola was pretty featureless. I am amazed at the different rock formations and colourings. Even the trees and ground changed from spindly trees and muskeg to hayfields then to very sandy ground. Even the rivers and creeks are different from home with beautiful smooth rock outcroppings in the middle of the creek or river. We followed Lake Heron to Manitoulin Island that is after we left Lake Superior. The weather was overcast for most of the day with a few sprinkles. Very pretty drive to Manitoulin Island, you are high in the hills and you come down to water level. There is a about a 300-400 hundred foot Iron Bridge that crossed the water that turns Manitoulin into an Island. We stopped in Little Current at the Visitor Center to find out what was happening on Manitoulin Island. The young fellow there suggested we go to the Pow Wow that was going on in Sheguiandah and he recommended the Batman’s Trailer Park. We took his advise on both and after we got our campsite we drove over to the Pow Wow. I now know what a minority feels like. Everybody was very friendly. We watched different First Nations dances and dancers. Some of them have such good rhythm and well practiced in the different dances. This was a gathering of the local First Nations people and some from the Six Nations from the USA. Willa and Tegan watched more of the dancing and I went around and looked at the different displays set up with items to purchase. Of course Willa couldn’t resist buying some of the oldest native food - - - Pop Corn. After the Pow Wow we came back to camp, had some thing to eat then went for a walk around the campsite. Tegan had a shower, and Willa and I will have one also. We want to be up early as we have reservations for the 9:15 am Ferry to Bruce Peninsula and we have to be there an hour early plus it is about a 45 min drive from Sheguiandah to the Ferry. So we can’t be late. I suppose now I have you wondering what tomorrow will bring.

Day 10, July 6,2007

2007-07-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Day 10, Friday, July 6, 2007
We left Rainbow Falls at about 10:00 am. The roads were generally in better condition than other days of traveling. We had lunch in a rest area just outside of the Obatanga Provincial Park. Very nice area with picnic tables and pulloffs. I got a call from Kathy at the office (so nice to be needed) but the cell phone reception was very poor so I called her back when we reached a Visitor information pull off in Wawa, Ontario. There they have a nice visitor center and a huge, maybe 40 foot goose you can see for some distance before you reach it. Touched basis with Kathy. She has been fairly busy while we’ve been away, she always does such a good job. Today was a day of driving and we managed 330 miles. We were just outside of Sault Ste. Marie with about another 50 miles to go but the gas was getting low so we stopped in Pancake Bay to get some gas. They had about 3 stores there and one had all different crafts, some made locally but most at least made in Canada. Another store had all wood carvings and some of the carving was absolutely amazing. Anything from full size Indians to smaller carvings of animals. They also had replicas of sailing boats, they were very well done, plus lots of beautiful t-shirts, jackets and pull-overs. I think what was the most amazing was the pricing. It was all very reasonably priced, which surprised me being out on its own like it was, even the gas was one cent a litre less than in Sault Ste. Marie. These were big buildings and absolutely jammed full. From there we drove into Sault Ste. Marie and found an Information Centre and found out a good restaurant to celebrate our 39th Wedding Anniversary. We ate at Docks, a real nice restaurant right on the waterfront and they gave us a window seat. Good meal. After dinner we took a walk along the water. We met people at the restaurant moving from Ottawa to Edmonton, he is being transferred, but was raised in North Van. And did Air Cadets at Abbotsford. Another couple from Sault Ste. Marie, on the boardwalk and they are going to Abbotsford in a couple of weeks to visit his brother then renting a car and traveling up through Jasper, Banff and Cranbrook. At the Visitor Centre we asked about camping and they let us phone a couple of campsites. The prices ran about $23.00 to $30.00 with electricity hookup and or water. We only wanted a place to stop because we were going to be away hopefully early in the morning so we decided to try the Walmart Parking lot. When we arrived, there were about 9 other campers. We pulled in beside a retired couple from Texas, USA. We paid our camping fee at Walmart and got some merchandise in return. So off to bed we go, Tegan is going to finish a movie on the portable DVD player, Willa is already in bed and I am about to join her. Let’s see what the road tomorrow has to offer.

Day 9, July 5, 2007

2007-07-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

Day 9, Thursday, July 5, 2007.
Not a real exciting day. We left Rainbow Falls at about 10:00 pm to have breakfast at Hoito, a restaurant that Dirk Lewis had suggested to me. He said you had to have breakfast at Hoito which is a Finnish restaurant. It was not disappointing either, very nice meal and lots of food. The pancakes Tegan had and the Omelets Willa and I had were very thin and nice flavors. The general drive was rough but ok. Tegan drove part of the way. Willa is too nervous with her driving and I am afraid my nerves are a little frayed when she drives, just not a good time to try and teach a new driver, especially on these roads. Stopped at a lookout to have our first view of Lake Superior, pretty spectacular. Looks like the ocean, it is so big and in some places kind of an emerald green. One of the things on my to-do list was to see Ouimet Canyon. We saw the sign and made a quick left towards Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park. On the way there was a place that advertised the longest swinging bridge in Canada and we decided to go in and see it also. The road in was a red dirt road for lack of a better description about 2 k off the road we turned in on. Turns out to be two bridges one short and one long but when we went inside we checked the price and they wanted about $14.50 each. Now $14.50 each doesn't sound too bad but $45.00 for 3 of us seemed just a little too much. So we headed back to Ouimet Canyon and see what it was like. There was a nice walk to the Canyon and they had built out a couple of view lookouts that hung out over the canyon. I would say we were about 300 feet to the floor. The writeups were interesting because they talked about the plants in the floor and how they were unique to the area and some of them were artic plants. In the hottest part of August in the shadows of some of the big rocks they say you can find snow or ice still there. We found it to be a nice walk and very breath taking and the price in Canadian Dollars was (the drum roll please) - - - - - - - $0.00 that’s right $0.00. The Bridge walk I think would have been interesting and I am not saying it wasn’t worth it, plus they have the cost of building the bridges and maintaining them but I thought for 3 people it was a little much. The rest of the day was spent driving although we didn’t put on many miles. Well! I know what tomorrow will bring, its our 39th Wedding Anniversary and we will try to celebrate it in Sault St. Marie, Ontario.

Day 8, July 4, 2007

2007-07-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Day 8, Wednesday, July 4, 2007
We got a little later start but not too bad, we were on the road about 7:45 am plus or minus a little. We headed off down the road in search of a Tim Horton’s coffee for Willa at Drydon, had a bit of a drive through town. We tried to make up a little driving time and so we whistled down the road. Road speed was 90 k and we traveled about 90-94 k. Interesting the change in the terrain from lots of grain fields to light bush then heavier bush and then to trees, rocks and muskeg. We went from being able to see for 20 or more miles to seeing maybe 200 feet on either side of the road and ahead for not more than 1/2 a mile. Interesting changes and made for a longer drive but the rock formations are very interesting to see and so little top soil, you can see why not much has developed in the area except around the towns. Willa drove a couple of times during the day and Tegan drove a bit also. Only two lane road and we had a side wind a lot of the time so threw the motorhome around a bit. We stopped at Kakabeka Falls and were going to camp there but for a no service campsite they wanted $32.00 per night plus a park fee of I forget how much. We spent $3.00 to walk to the Falls and then carried on down the road. I would sure like to know the history of the area, the Falls cut through solid rock and there are hundreds of layers which I would think means it was once a lakebed and compressed over the years. We did see one campsite before Thunder Bay with internet service but we thought there might be one closer to Thunder Bay. But unfortunately there was not until we were on the other side of Thunder Bay and by that time it was getting too late and we all were very tired. So will stop earlier from now on. We ended up at Trowbridge Campsite which is part of Thunder Bays Centennial Park which is about 141 acres. We walked down to the river and over a bridge and back again. I was just wiped from the long day and did not want to walk any further. Well if the next 500 miles is anything like the last I think I can wait to see what tomorrow brings. Just kidding, we have enjoyed the whole drive, just today was a little less enjoyable but definitely new country we have never seen before.

Day7, July 3, 2007

2007-07-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Day: 7, Tuesday, July 2, 2007
Hot going to bed, little too warm to go to sleep. Started to rain in the early morning hours but let up about 7:30 am. We started rolling about 7:30 to 8:30 am. Now this sounds like we are sleeping-in in the morning but remember we are two hours ahead of BC time and so we are actually rolling at 5:30 to 6:30 am. We wanted to spend the day in Winnipeg, and we did. We hit the Royal Canadian Mint and did the tour, very interesting. Not only do they mint the Canadian coins but they mint for other countries all over the world and they will stamp out 750,000 coins an hour and they run 24-7. The process is unreal, from steel blanks, each blank is coated at least 3-4 times with copper, silver and nickel. My question was why not just use the steel blank and stamp the coin directly on to them but apparently the coins last much longer with the process they use, in fact the coins last 20-25 years. We also got to hold a $400,000 solid gold brick unfortunately it was very well chained down. From the mint we drove to the Forks Market right in downtown Winnipeg. The traffic was a little heavy but I am very comfortable with the motorhome in heavy traffic, in fact I even parallel parked it in one place. The Forks Market is similar to Granville Island. The Forks National Park is an old railway turnaround and is close to the old, I think, CNR or CPR Station which is a very old building. The Forks gets its name from the confluence of two rivers The Red River and The Assiniboine River. This was an old meeting ground for the Native Indians 500 plus years ago. Its about 3:00 pm and we decided to head east and get a little road time in today. We had to do a little grocery shopping and pick up a few things at Walmart. I thought the generator sounded a little funny and I got to checking and here the exhaust pipe had come off the muffler. The way the exhaust comes out of the generator it was blowing right on the wall of the m/h. This had to be fixed. So found a little shop that took us right away. He had to customize the pipe because it is an “s” shape, but they were very accommodating. Now we are off right after I fill the m/h with gas. Now we are off like a “turd of hurdles”. As we are heading east it is hotter than all get out and to offset the heat and cool the m/h down I run the generator and the rooftop a/c. Remember the horizon and how far you can see, well on the horizon you can see the big white thunder clouds forming in front of us. The road kind of scooted in between two big storm, so to the South of us rain and to the North. About 30 minutes later we hit the rain and although it was heavy it was not like the storms that hit Winnipeg the day we arrived. Now I cannot imagine this but they had 1.5 inches of rain in - - - - - - - one hour. Boggles my mind. We are camping tonight in a provincial campsite, Whiteshell Provincial Park in Falcon Lake, Manitoba. Seems like a very quiet place and with the rain it is much cooler about 64 f compared to 85 f in Winnipeg. At one stage when we came back to the m/h after sitting for several hours, it was 101 f degrees inside. Well much cooler tonight. As we drove further east the country is changing, no more horizon and just trees on either side of the road so the driving may not be as interesting as it has been. Tomorrow should be interesting, can’t wait to see what the road will deliver. Well I am off to bed, Willa and Tegan are already settling down and it’s now my turn. Well good night all.

Day 6, July 2, 2007

2007-07-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Day 6, Monday, July 2, 2007
We slept in! Didn’t get up until about 8:00 am Manitoba time. Then we all showered, and I got to visiting with a couple from Ontario and that took up a lot of time. He knew about the Highway 117 that I want to take heading home from Montreal. They say it is a beautiful drive. Once we got the tanks dumped we were off - - - - - to the nearest Tim Horton’s which was at least a 30 minute drive up the road. This was a hard time for Willa because she wants her coffee NOW!!!! But once we got to T/H’s and untied her and she got her coffee all was well again. Good drive into Winnipeg and after a bit of looking we found the Western Canadian Aviation Museum. We spent about 1-1.5 hours there and then we continued on to the Living Prairie Museum and spent 1-1.5 hours there. Very interesting. It is a 40 acre site and allowed to go back to the original prairie grass and other plants which can get to be 1-2 meters high (3-6 feet). The best part was the Monarch butterfly caterpillars. They maintain a certain plant that they like and there were literally hundreds of the caterpillars. Some were just getting ready to form there ?????????? Like a cocoon and one was just getting ready to form when we went for our walk and when we came back it had already formed his cocoon which apparently only takes about 2 minutes. We all found that very fascinating. The grass lands walk was not much different then we would see in our own field except for the height. From the Living Prairie Museum we headed for the Travelers RV Park to spend the night. Very hot traveling especially through town. Kept the generator running and the roof top air conditioner and it made traveling a little easier. Only burns about a gallon an hour so not too hard on gas. Got to the campsite about 5:45 pm. Nice campsite but in the middle of an open field, it took about an hour for the a/c to cool the m/h down. Not unpleasant in the shade but hot in the sun. The site faced the wrong way and we had the sunny side to the door and even the awning didn’t help. But turned around it would have been ok. Something to remember for the next campsite. Tomorrow we will head to the Forks, an old restored railyard with a food market and other sites to see. Then on to the Royal Canadian Mint. We hope to touch basis with Andrea Cooper, daughter of friends, Tom and Gwynne Cooper. But see what the day brings. Can hardly wait to see what is over the horizon tomorrow.

Day 5, July 1, 2007

2007-07-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

Day 5, Sunday, July 1, 2007
Our first night in a Free Walmart parking lot. Not sure how it was going to go but I think it was one of the best nights sleep Willa and I have had so far. A little bright from the parking lot lights but one of our quietest so far. We got away about 6:45 and hit the local Tim Horton’s. That was after we dumped our holding tanks. From there we were on the road moving east. I drove for about the first 4 hours and then Willa took over for the next while. We tried to locate a relative of Willa’s near Alexander Manitoba, but when we phoned there was no answer. Hmm! even if they had call display they wouldn’t have known we were calling because it was someone else’s phone, so they truly were not home. Now in Brandon Manitoba we stopped to visit my cousin, we just waited until they came home, we could outwait them because we were on holidays and they weren’t. All joking aside we were sorry we missed Bonnie and Art Asham but on the other hand we had a real nice visit with Roger and Betty-Ann Kraft.
I’ve heard so many stories about how boring the Prairies are to drive through and I must admit I was thinking along the same lines, however have we ever enjoyed the drive so far. The things to see if you watch. The trains, I could not believe how long they are. One I measured with the speedometer and it was almost exactly 2 kilometers long and I think it had either 5 or 6 engines pulling. I don’t think I saw any short trains, no pun intended. The horizons are absolutely breath taking, I am betting you are looking 30 + miles, and in some cases that was a 360 degree view. This morning as we left Moose Jaw to the south east there was a white band on the horizon and it took the longest time to figure it out, well actually about 50-60 miles. Turns out it was a storm moving in and this was the white billow clouds of the storm. The colour of the fields and the different crops and they must have had a fair amount of rain because the crops all looked in very good shape. The roads this day have been pretty good but considering this is the Trans Canada Highway or the #1 Highway it is a little disappointing. Now to be fair there are some areas they are constructing some new 4 lane, where only 2 now exist. But even some of the existing 4 lane highway is not in very good shape. We were going to try and make it to Winnipeg today but decided to pull in a little early and then leave early in the morning and catch the Museums and other stops of interest as early as we can. We ended up in a Lions Club park in McGregor, Manitoba. Nice campsite with full hook-up and only $15.00 per night and less with less services. As I look around from the m/h there is an ice arena, tennis courts and someone playing (actually two people), a small water park for the kids, two baseball diamonds, and it looks like either a subdivision or mobile home park up the road from us. Very quiet right now but we may here a train or two in the night, mind you once the engines go by there isn’t too much noise after that. Well Willa and I are going to see what is at the end of the road, maybe a pot of gold——–sorry forgot the gold is at the end of the rainbow. All and all it has been a very nice few days, everyone has traveled well and the rotation of the driving has helped everyone to pass the time. To pass the time away Willa reads her book and does cross word puzzles and Tegan is writing her letters and doing her cross stitch, as for me I drive, do my diary, sweat a lot when Tegan is driving and relax and enjoy the scenery when Willa is driving. We try to get out for a bike ride or walk each night if we can, it helps to get rid of some of the stiffness from the days sitting. Didn’t get to bed until close to 11:30 or 12:00 pm. Well can hardly wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Day 4, June 30, 2007

2007-07-29T14:29:00.002-07:00

Day 4, Saturday June 30, 2007.
I woke up about 4:00 and laid awake for about 20-40 minutes finally decided to get up and do my diary. Got the diary updated and the gas mileage updated also. Willa got up about 6:00 am and we got ready to leave. Fairly uneventful day. Weather was cloudy in the morning and then sunny with a few clouds from about noon on. Breezed though most of the towns and only stopped to gas up and pick up a few groceries. Debated whether to stop at Moose Jaw or travel on. We decided to stay and try and get an early start in the morning. We checked out one of the campsites and they were full and wanted $21.00 to dry camp (no hook ups) so we drove back to the Walmart and checked if it was ok to stay there for the night. FREE camping but the shopping cost us $100.00. May have to re-think FREE again. We set up camp had our supper and went to bed about 11:00 pm. Tegan has bought some cross stitch and has been doing that and writing letters to her boyfriend and other friends. She has really traveled well. We were off so early this morning we let Tegan crawl back to our bed and that is where she spent the balance of the morning. Not the safest place but it worked for her. Tegan and Willa drove several hours each. Willa just had no problem at all with the motorhome and Tegan is just getting better and better. The big trucks don’t seem to phase her at all. The first day or second day, a big truck passed us and I heard Tegan mumble to herself after the truck had passed “ breath Tegan breath”. I though it was quite funny. The motorhome has worked very well. The gas mileage has averaged out to just over 11 mpg and we have had a tail wind most of the time. Willa and I drive about 94-98 k/h and Tegan I hold down to 89-93 k/h. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Day 3, June 29, 2007

2007-07-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Day 3, Friday June 29, 2007
The plan was to be off early in the morning, We were up about 5:00 am, I had a shower and then Tegan had a shower. For some reason, Tegan had just finished her shower and the pump gave up the ghost. We left the campsite at Kicking Horse and drove to the dump station to dump the grey water tank and to have a look at the pump. The pump is located under the bed and so the bedding and matress has to be moved. Did all the checking I could and concluded the water pump has quit. Turns out it is the pressure switch which shuts the pump off when you are not calling on the water. We stopped at Canmore Alberta to pick up a water pump and $175.00 later we are on our way. Willa suggested that I check to see if it will fit ok but I, in my infinite wisdom, chose not to. We wanted a shopping center, so that Tegan and Willa could shop while I worked on the pump. Should have listened to Willa. The pump fit ok but the fittings were a little different. So decided to go to an RV shop West of Calgary (that’s right West of Calgary) to see if they had the right parts that I needed. This time we stayed right there until I go it fixed. All went together ok and we were off again. I topped off the water and the gas and we traveled east. Tegan drove a little bit of the way and I took over just before Calgary although the traffic was heavy she could have managed it. Although it does get intimidating when you have a big bus and a highway truck on either side of you. The lane may seem large in a car but can get very claustrophobic with the motorhome.
I drove most of the way out but Tegan started to drive around Strathmore Alberta and drove to Bassano where we camped for the night. We hit some very heavy wind just out of Calgary right to Bassano and when you were traveling East it tossed you around quite a bit. For me I have driven in the wind before but for Tegan she was like a drunken sailor for the first few miles until she got used to it and not overcompensating. The road out of Calgary is dead East until just past Strathmore and it turns dead South and of course the affect of the wind on the motorhome also changed. After Bassano the road runs SE to Medicine Hat. We got into Bassano about 4:30 pm (BC time) and set up Camp. After supper Willa and I went for a bike ride around Bassano looking for a pay phone to call home (just like ET). Sure some neat old buildings in the town, but not much value I presume because they seemed to be run down. Bassano Community Campground cost only $10:00 per night dry camping and $15.00 with electricity and includes hot showers. I didn’t notice the railway tracks when we pulled in, however even though there were a lot of trains I can’t say they were a bother. We settled in for the night, Tegan watched a movie and Willa and I read. About 9:00 pm we could hear thunder in the distance and about 30 minutes later we were into a good old prairie thunder storm. This went on for about an hour and the rain hitting the m/h roof was unreal. In the campsite some oriental people were tenting. Not sure how they made out but if not very noisy it must have been very wet. Around 10:00 pm it seemed to settle down and we slept well. Can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Day 2, June 28, 2007

2007-07-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

Day 2, Thursday June 28, 2007
We got away a little later than we had hoped for but was a hot muggy night and I didn’t sleep very well. Finally got up around 1:00 am and took an aspirin and they usually help when I am restless, it did work and finally went to sleep. We did Willa’s Tim Horton’s stop and I filled up with gas at the Salmon Arm Co-Op at $1.19 per litre for the second grade with 89 Octane the regular gas was $1.14 at 87 octane. From there we motored east stopping at Revelstoke to pick up a few groceries. I pulled into a café’s parking lot while we went for groceries. There was another motorhome there but the only way to park was to block him in. I kept peeking out to see if they had returned so I could move our motorhome and let them out. I noticed them just as we were paying for the groceries so I made a mad dash to move if they were leaving. Turns out they were from the Netherlands and just working their way to Vancouver Island and I think Tofino. I apologized for blocking them in but said I was keeping a close eye on their m/h so I could move ours if they were leaving. She said I had renewed her faith in people “when I said I was watching for them”. Prior to that she had a few bad thoughts about Canadian campers and BC ones in particular that drove Blue motorhomes. Had a nice visit with them, each wished the other a good trip and we went our separate ways. One other stop, the “DOLLAR STORE”, I think women and Dollar Stores are like animals when they leave their scent around, however in the case of women its that they leave their
“cents” instead. I guess it amounts to the same thing in the end. The roads were generally good and traffic wasn’t too bad so I thought it might be a good time for Tegan to drive. Well so far there has been only one bad chunk of road and guess when it had to show up. Rough road, narrow, construction and big trucks. She drove for a little while but when she panicked when a big truck passed her I decided I had better drive from here on. Besides, it wouldn’t have been right to let Willa walk the rest of the way. Sometimes the big trucks will move you a little, but Tegan overreacted and of course that made matters worse. Not that we were in danger of crashing but it did throw the m/h around a little and us inside it. I don’t think being tossed around bothered Willa as much as hitting the floor, she was laying down at the time. Just kidding.
We decided rather than pushing it we would camp early and rest up for the balance of the day. Turned out to be a good idea. We stayed at the Kicking Horse Campground just outside of Field, BC. We honeymooned here when we got married in 1969. I think we are also within one or two sites of where we stayed then. Now we are back with our 16 year old granddaughter Tegan. We set up the m/h and then went for a walk. Very pleasant setting. We hope to be off in the morning between 4-6 am. We will see what happens. We want to be well on the other side of Calgary before we stop again.

Day1, June 27, 2007

2007-07-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

DAYS EVENTS: Day 1, Wednesday June 27, 2007
The day was warm and sunny all day. I had a haircut first thing in the morning and then dropped Cassie off at Paige’s until Tammy finished her appointment at ICBC. Got home about 11:00 am. Finished the packing and we were off to Abbotsford to get one more key fob for the alarm in the motorhome. Did some banking and we were off on our holiday. Willa and Tegan both agreed it was hard to believe we were finally away on our holiday after 2 years of planning. We hit the road about 2:30 pm. Called the Bennett’s to let them know we were on our way. Had a great drive all the way to Salmon Arm. The roads were good and the motorhome just rolled along. We only had one stop and that was at the toll both and just for a few minutes to check the motor home. Used the GPS to locate Keith and Lillian’s house and pulled right in about 7:15 pm. Lillian had supper ready and we enjoyed a great meal and good friends the rest of the evening. I sold Keith and Lillian a house back in 1971-2 and we’ve remained friends ever since. Keith has semi retired and is now the head of CASARA (Search and Rescue by air) for part of the province.
When a plane is missing, they are involved in the search (and they are all volunteers) in SE BC. I was dog tired and went to bed about 10:00. Didn’t sleep well but I think still excited about leaving on the holiday and that it was a warm muggy night. Well Lets See What Tomorrow will bring

Getting Ready

2007-05-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

The trip has be several years the planning. What to see, where to stay, people we want to visit on the way. I sure have refreshed my school geography and learned a lot more besides. Even I didn't give a lot of thought to the size of Canada until you start putting in on paper. For instance when you reach Winnepeg you are not quit 1/2 way across Canada. With researching the internet I said to Willa, we will need a year or more to see every thing. This is the end of May and I think I have everything ready to go. A couple of items left and they will get looked after in the next week or so. We were planning on 4 of us traveling and with Willa's cousin Carnie meeting us back east for a week or so but alas it will be the three of us. The motor home can handle 4 people, 3 is great and 2 ideal. This way the table does not have to be made up every night and if someone can't sleep then there is a place to read or watch a movie on the portable DVD player or up date the blog. If the blog get out of date bare with me, it just means we are having to much fun and haven't had time to do the up dating.

2007-01-10T23:45:00.000-08:00

This is me on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada about 4 hours and a Ferry ride. I didn't dip my wheels in the Pacific Ocean but the people traveling inside of me did. Can't imagine what that would be like and why they don't get all rusty from the salt water. Next year they are planing to dip their feet in the Atlantic Ocean. It is sure going to be a lot of traveling but I feel up to it. My driver, Mel, has been doing a lot of work on me so I will be ready for the trip and some remodeling to make the trip easier for them. I sure hope I don't let them down. Well I will keep you posted on the planning.