Vancouver and Beyond!

Our time in Vancouver has been a nice break from the usual adventures that we have been having in the motorhome. Staying with relatives in the heart of downtown Van, we have really enjoyed all that the big city has to offer including walks along the seawall, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. We even took a couple of days and drove to Seattle, Washington! 

Many mornings, we leave the condo where we are staying and take a walk along  the False Creek seawall. Sometimes we walk to Granville Market where  fresh fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses are readily available.

Taking the Aquabus from Granville Island back to our condo is a nice way to end an active day! Some days we log 8-10km !

We really enjoyed the delicious meals prepared by my Aunt Christine! She really treated us to many dinner parties, entertainment, and opportunities for sightseeing. 

A couple of days in the Seattle, Washington area was also quite enjoyable. Below is a picture of the Peace Archway border crossing. 

Steve's favorite part of our trip to Seattle was visiting and touring the Boeing Factory. Unfortunately, no cameras or cell phones were allowed so we were limited as to how many pictures we could take. The factory below is the largest building in the world! Disneyland in California can fit inside this complex with 12 acres of space still left over. With 35 000 employees working here each day around the clock, it's a pretty busy place! 

Below is one of only four Boeing Dream Lifters in the world used for bringing airplane parts to the Boeing factory. We were lucky to have seen this huge modified 747 land while visiting the factory. 

As we approach Seattle, we can see the Space Needle off in the distance. 

Having a laugh on the Hop On Hop Off Bus in downtown Seattle. There was plenty of room on the upper deck!

In our research on Seattle, we had discovered that Hollywood movie star Bruce Lee and his son Brandon were both buried in a cemetery in the Seattle area. Fans flock to the area every day leaving flowers and other tokens.

After a few days it was time to head back over the border to get ready for our next big adventure!

We are all packed and ready to go! Perhaps our flowery luggage tag will give you a hint as to where we are headed next!

                                           Until the next time........

A Salute to Small Towns

One of the things we love about this journey we are on is that we get to experience small town Canada, small town USA! We shop in the grocery stores where the locals shop and buy our java from the the local coffee hot spot. We also have an opportunity to experience local culture, history, nightlife and get a sense of what makes each little place tick.




Clinton, British Columbia is one such place where we

stopped for a night and were pleasantly surprised by it's unique personality. Midway between Prince George and Vancouver on the Cariboo Highway, this little village of 650 residents was founded as a direct result of the boom of the Cariboo Gold Rush over 150 years ago. When we pulled off the highway for the day into the Goldtrail RV Park, we knew we were in for a treat. 

As soon as we landed we were met by owner/operator Mike Dier with a "Where are ya from?" Well....that was it! Mike is a very colorful character with a wonderfully dry and unique sense of humour. Right away, he was quick to tell us about his nightly buffet at the Roadkill Grill, "the cheapest buffet in Canada!" and that we could bring our "own Screech!" 

After driving all day, the thought of barbequing our own chicken had lost its

appeal and the delicious smells wafting from the covered patio was very tempting. So.....we poured up a glass of wine and sauntered on over and tried our luck on the buffet! It WAS delicious! And, at $25 per night with all the hookups, one of the cheapest campsites we have stayed in so far!

Later in the evening we took a walk down Main Street and visited some of the local businesses. Clinton has done a wonderful job at retaining the character of the town as well as informing visitors and locals alike about the history of this little place. We really enjoyed reading the many storyboards about the various buildings in the town, when they were built and what they were used for. A highlight was visiting the Emporium which took us way back in time with everything from vintage carriages and toys to china and old electronics. It was fun talking to the owner who proudly told us about where he gets all of his wonderful goods and that the Canadian Pickers show had visited 5 years ago. 

Clinton was such a pretty place! They do a great job of preserving history as seen here!

Though Clinton was a nice stop in our journey we were up and on the road the next morning headed towards Vancouver. A fellow traveller we had met somewhere on our travels had suggested that we drive into Vancouver using Highway 99, which takes us down along the Fraser Canyon. It was another breathtaking drive that took us along the mighty Fraser River, through little communities and canyons and along white knuckled vertical cliffs. We finally barbequed our chicken when we stopped in Whistler for the night.

Below is some dashcam footage of our drive down Highway 99 along the Fraser Canyon!

Next stop for the night, Langley, BC!! In search of a secure location to store our motorhome for a month while visiting family in Vancouver, we were taken to a

little municipal park right on the banks of the  Fraser River. Edgewater Bar Campground was a very nice trailer park with lots of sights and sounds to keep us entertained. This sight, to the right, reminded us of our childhood days watching The Beachcombers on CBC Sunday nights. We have seen sunsets in our travels, but nothing quite compared to the sunset we saw in Langley on the night that we stayed there.

With our RV all cleaned out and safely stored, the motorcycle packed up with our clothing, we ventured on in to Vancouver for some big city living with family and, who knows, maybe some other island adventures.

Until the next time....

Last stop....Haines, Alaska!

After leaving Valdez, we travelled across the Canadian border into the Yukon and on to Haines Junction for a couple of days and then back over the border again to Haines, Alaska. Our Newfie friends, Paula and Wallace, were also travelling the same route and so we had an opportunity to enjoy a few more laughs around the campfire each night.

Located along North America's longest and deepest fjord, we quickly discovered the beauty of this little place as well as the abundance of wildlife right at our

Many cruise ships can be seen sailing
in and out of Haines

doorstep. We were excited to see the grizzlies in Denali, but the real thrill was seeing the black and brown bears fish for salmon along the Chilkoot River and Lutak Inlet each evening between 5 and 8 pm. Also attracted to the area for the run of chum salmon is a population of approximately 400 eagles. We didn't realize that this area is known as the Valley of the Eagles especially when the population swells to over 3500 in the autumn months. It was a delight watching these majestic birds perch themselves upon the pier just next to our campground and then to see them take off, swoop and dive for a seafood meal. 

Always nice to share a campfire with new found friends especially when they're "from home"!

With a population of 2400 people and an equal number of dogs (yep!!! people in Alaska LOVE their dogs!), Haines has wonderful shops and little restaurants as well as the historical military base, Fort Seward. The Disney movie, White Fang, 

Main Street

was filmed entirely in Haines and you can even go and visit the set in Dalton City. However, by the end of September when the cruise ships stop their run and tourists aren't as plentiful many shops begin to close for the season. Some people stay on and live here year round but others head South for the winter and return in the Spring. 




Alaska has been an absolutely amazing experience and the last 5 days we have spent in Haines have really topped it off! Especially when you finally get to see the Northern Lights, another bucket list item crossed off the list!

On our last night, we left the city and boondocked out in the woods. The aurora gods must have known that this was our last opportunity! They did not disappoint!

We saw this handsome guy looking for food along the Lutak Inlet. The locals say that he is only a young bear and that it seems his mother has pushed him out. He seems to be doing just fine!

In the video below, watch the bear cub catch the salmon and bring it back to Mom. It was amazing to watch these animals in their natural habitat!

Haines is also one of the ports for the Alaska Marine Highway and the one from which we would be leaving Alaska and sailing to Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

We boarded the MV Malaspina at 8pm and began our next two adventure through the Inside Passage, stopping along the way to pick up and drop off passengers.

Thank you, Alaska, for a truly unforgettable experience! Our next adventure awaits!