#31 Mar 2014 Never enough Time!

Everywhere we visit we find more points of interest than we have time to explore. Even with “retirement time” there is never enough. Now the difference is that we can plan to return and check out what we missed.

Friday we explored the Nanaimo museum and learned about the history of coal and herring in the area and much of the geology. Nanaimo is well known for it Bathtub Races.

It’s also the home of Nanaimo bars, although the exact origin is not certain. How can one confection become so famous?

There is a classroom display including primary school readers. Who remembers Dick and Jane? We do, and so do 80 million other children who started school with them and learned to read and absorb basic moral and family values.

We headed south to Chemainus and more history. This time I felt almost as old as some of the museum exhibits when I saw an old adding machine similar to one I used in accounting at Jasper Park Lodge in 1972.

Shortly after I started there the machines were “updated”.

Chemainus history is told in over 40 murals around town.

In Victoria we stayed with Peter and Lorraine who live in Oak Bay. We walked along the shore and were treated to a lovely ocean rainbow.

Saturday Peter gave us an in depth, very knowledgeable tour of Victoria including points we didn’t even know existed. Abkhazi Garden is hidden in the heart of Victoria and rivals Butchart Gardens in beauty if not in size. We savoured high tea, spring flowers and an art display in the garden.

Victoria's Chinatown is home to Fan Tan Alley the narrowest commercial street in North America.

Fisherman’s Wharf is quaint and lined with float homes.

Arbutus trees have very dramatic coloring and shed their bark.

Sunday Ralph and I headed for Sooke, a new area for us. The walking pier has posted signs with clear pictures and descriptions of many west coast wildlife species. I photographed all of the signs and will keep them for reference. In the future I hope to be more specific about the wildlife we see in our travels.

This home is certainly unique and appropriate to the west coast.

We continued north to Jordan River and enjoyed watching surfers brave the cold waves.

Monday morning we caught the first ferry to Vancouver. We were treated to a spectacular sunrise behind Mount Baker, something we don’t often see – sunsets are much easier to catch.

#30 Mar 2014 B.C. Tourists

We have continued to sort through “stuff” in the RV that we thought we would need while travelling. We are slowly learning that life can be very simple when we let go of our "work" lifestyle. While we were travelling we donated to a few thrift stores and now we have more to donate here. We have not put anything into our storage locker but neither have we gotten rid of anything – yet.

We needed several electrical and water repairs on the RV which we expected would take a few days at the dealership. We knew we wouldn’t have a bed for a few days so we might as well get out and be tourists again. We have not explored Vancouver Island north of Victoria.

March 25th we dropped the RV at the dealership in Chilliwack and said we would be back March 31st.

We caught the ferry at Horseshoe Bay and headed for Nanaimo. We booked Kennedy House B and B, a beautiful 100 year old heritage home. The owners spent 5 years lovingly restoring the home to its Victorian grandeur.

Wednesday we explored Parksville and area. Herring were spawning and attracting incredible numbers of wildlife. At Rathtrevor Park we saw dozens of bald eagles and thousands of gulls.

The sea lions were sleeping/resting by floating on their sides with only their fins above water.

Cathedral Grove is a small remnant of old growth forest. The oldest Douglas fir is 800 years old and 76 metres tall.

Look way up!

Thursday we stopped at Oyster Bay and saw/heard sea lions resting after their herring feast.

On the pier we watched huge nets of oysters being unloaded from a truck into a boat. We were mystified and had to ask. They had caught more oysters than could be used and were taking them back into “storage” in the ocean to keep them as fresh as possible.

In Campbell River, Michelle, a friend of ours, gave us a very informative tour of the city and local museum. We always enjoy getting a better understanding of the area we are visiting.

We stopped at a park looking towards Quadra Island and enjoyed the sunshine and ocean. As we were leaving Ralph spotted whales spouting. We watched for a long time and saw several spouts and splashes and watched as the orcas moved along searching for supper. What a spectacular experience!

We finished a great day with dinner at Salmon Point and a peaceful sunset.

#29 Mar 2014 Home Again!

March 12th after the upgrade at Henderson’s and a good nights sleep we were on the road again. Ralph felt more relaxed and comfortable with the handling and steering of the RV.

We drove through Portland OR in the rain and finally caught a glimpse of Mount Hood.

We stopped in Silverton, east of Salem OR for the night. Spring was well on the way with daffodils and magnolias bursting with color.

A beautiful sunset highlighted the magnolias and the moon rising.

We decided to stay in Silverton and relax before getting back to Surrey and starting our “to do” list. We checked out additional water filters for the RV at Camping World and Wal-Mart. We have been told by several people to go to Camping World for information but check Wal-Mart for prices. We have been pleasantly surprised by the scope of camping gear in Wal-Mart and yes the same filter was considerably less expensive.

Our last US stop was in Mount Vernon WA. We entered the details for Mount Vernon RV Park into the GPS and wiggled our way into town. The directions puzzled Ralph because he had been to this park in November and it was out in the forest next to a casino. There are two parks with the same name within 10 miles! Does that make any sense? Not to us. We found the correct one down the highway and setup after dark in the rain.

In the morning we had a good breakfast at the casino and filled the gas tank in the RV. We will have to face Canadian prices in the near future.

Sunday, March 16th we crossed the border quickly and effortlessly and headed for Peace Arch RV Park in South Surrey. We spent the next week re-connecting with family and friends, adjusting to cool, wet weather, activating our cell phone, etc.

Vancouver hosted the TED conference March 17th to 22nd. The conference featured world-class speakers who think outside the box and look to the future. This 30th anniversary event was held in Vancouver, the first time outside of California. Speakers ranged from

Chris Hadfield, astronaut

to Edward Snowdon, whistleblower (via telelink)

to Larry Page, CEO of Google

to Avi Reichental, 3D printer

The conference cost $75,000 for the week but many speeches are available on the TED website – free is much more affordable.

An interactive community artwork named “Unnumbered Sparks” was a special show during the conference. This net was suspended near the convention centre and illuminated from below. Using their smartphones, viewers were able to request the circles and squiggles, etc. on the exhibit. Many people were fascinated by the display with cameras and smartphones clicking furiously as the view shifted.

#28 Mar 2014 Shake Up and Stabilize

Sunday, March 9 we were in bed by about 10 PM. A short while later we both woke up thinking the other one was rolling around in bed. We each said, “Lie still” and went back to sleep. It felt as if someone was heavily walking around in the front room.

The next morning as we were leaving the park, staff asked if we had felt the earthquake last night. OK! Now we knew what woke us. We were about 80 miles south of Eureka CA and the 6.9 earthquake was about 50 miles from there out into the ocean and 3.5 miles below the seabed. In 1978 in Papua New Guinea we felt many small quakes bit not much since then.

We continued up the California coast to Crescent City. This would be the end of the coastal highway.

Now came more corners and hills. Ralph said a few times that he felt like he was fighting the steering wheel all the time. This drive was another example of the roads we need to prepare for in the future and Ralph needs to be comfortable and relaxed. Again, on the map this highway does not seem to show the 20 mph turns and twists.

Tuesday we had an appointment with Henderson Lineup in Grants Pass OR to assess the suspension of the RV. Henderson is recognized across North America as experts in suspension, steering and vehicle handling. They started with a comprehensive road test assessment, followed by a complete suspension and steering inspection. They identified many upgrades that would give us a more stable, safe ride. Wow, more dollars than we expected. What would give us the best bang for our poor Canadian dollar? Front and rear sway bars were upgraded and a track bar added. When Ralph came back from the final test drive he was a happy camper! We plan to travel for thousands of miles and want to feel comfortable and safe.

Ralph commented that with the improved stabilization of the RV we might not feel the next eqrthquake. I guess we’ll wait and see/feel.

While the shop was working on the RV we went to Jacksonville. The town has over 100 heritage buildings which have been well preserved and utilized for today's businesses.

This is also prime wine country and so we sampled. We had to watch our quantity before crossing the border into Canada but were able to purchase and enjoy some local wine.

We are now well labeled and identified.

#27 Mar 2014 The Redwoods - bigger than our imagination can grasp!

March 8th we continued our homeward trek heading for the giant redwoods in northern California. We started out with good intentions. We discovered an ARCO gas station with fuel at $3.39 per gallon. It was 20 to 30 cents cheaper than other stations so it was busy. After nearly half an hour we had only $100 worth of gas as the station limited each transaction. Well, let’s get on our way.

We had phoned Richardson Grove RV Park in Garberville CA and the manager said she would wait for us to arrive that evening as she lives on site. Sounds good.

Once again the GPS was worth its weight in gold as we worked our way through Oakland CA from one freeway to another. Ralph says if he had looked closely at the map before we headed out he would have gone through Nevada to avoid the congestion.

We survived the congestion and only faced the construction but were much later than anticipated. We were on #101 which is a major highway and very scenic. Scenic seems to have come before major in the road design. The last 30 mile stretch was a narrow, winding road - in the rain - with giant redwoods right beside the highway. Those of you familiar with Vancouver 1st or 12th Avenue will recognize how the trees crowd the road. This daytime photo shows the road near the RV Park.

This was an unfamiliar road in the dark. Ralph was concentrating and I was vey quiet. We finally arrived at the address in the GPS – Richardson Grove State Park. We crept into the park and looked around for anyone. Nope! No sign of people. Ralph walked around and I searched the GPS and Passport America directions. Ooops – We were looking for Richardson Grove - RV Park, not State Park. Remember, we cannot back up with the Suzuki in tow. Fortunately we were able to make a circle and backtrack to the RV Park where the manager directed us to a pull through site.

A very light supper and early to bed. We both apologized and said we would be more careful in the future. Some learning experiences are positive – some not – but still learning experiences.

In the morning Ralph went to un-hitch the Suzuki and the battery was dead. Another ooops – the key had been left in the “on” position instead of the “accessory”. Dead battery and more learning. The nearby service station manager gave the Suzuki a boost and we were set to go – in the rain again but we are “wet coasters”.

Across the highway from the RV Park, this “Grandfather Tree” was our introduction to the immense redwoods. It’s hard to grasp the size and age of these trees.

Nearby “Avenue of the Giants” is a well signed 32 mile drive among groves of coast redwoods. These redwoods are taller than any other living thing and can live over 2,000 years. Many of these groves are old growth and have never been logged. This photo shows how small the Suzuki looks in front of the trees.

The burls on the trees seem to look like fantastical creatures.

The rain forest also creates mossy trees that seem to glow when the sun peaks through the clouds.

Along the open highway young redwoods show the red bark clearly. As the trees age the gray, grooved bark grows up from the bottom.