Adventure

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power" Alan Cohen

Sunday, July 24, 2016

We're Home

Tuesday, July 19, 2016  Start: Fillmore, Utah  End:  Scottsdale, Arizona

After 66 days and 9895 miles, we are back home!  We slept well after a relaxing day in Fillmore and woke to a cool morning in Utah.
flower garden in Fillmore, UT

Original territorial capital building of Utah

Fillmore UT capital park
 The ride through Bryce Canyon and Kanab whetted my appetite for stark red desert mountains and far-reaching vistas. We stopped for lunch at Glen Canyon Dam, just like we had done on the way out, 66 days ago.



It was a great adventure.  There were no major issues at the house and we were greeted with an Arizona sunset as we unloaded the RV.  It's great to be back and we're looking forward to seeing family and friends again.  Love to all,

Mike and Bonnie




Monday, July 18, 2016

Almost home

Thursday July 14, 2016 through Monday, July 18, 2016  Start: Vanderhoof, BC  End: Fillmore, UT

We left Vanderhoof, BC on Thursday morning for a day of driving and ended up in Cache Creek, BC.  After we got settled in he went up the hill across the street to play golfand I took the jeep and went back to check in with everyone via phone.
Cache Creek area golf course
Cache Creek is the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 1, where we head west to work our way further south toward the U.S.  On the way out of Vanderhoof we just missed a major hail storm and saw piles of frozen rain as we headed over the summit beyond Vanderhoof.  We stopped in a quaint town called Quesnel for some baked goods (I popped into the store while Mike circled the block) and halted today's journey at Brookside RV Park in Cache Creek, just across the street from the Semlin Golf course.  Mike got to play nine holes, losing several balls to the wind before the storm kicked up and he quit and we went to dinner.  We had pizza at a local spot (Ane's) and before taking it home, drove over to Horsting's Farm Market.  They had fresh cherries, corn, greens, pies, and scones.  I don't know how we'll eat all of it but we loaded up and stocked the frig.

a real evening - Cache Creek

We've moved far enough south that we're getting really dark nights -- the trade off being that we're getting warmer days and nights too. We're averaging 300 miles a It's really been great having the jeep for transportation and hauling it was well worth the added flexibility.

Friday morning we headed out of Cache Creek BC and went through the Canadian National Parks on the route, one of which is also called Glacier National Park.  We took a couple of short walks; one through the skunk cabbage wetlands and another among the giant cedar grove. Even with the drizzle, it was peaceful and awe inspiring among the ancient giant trees.
ferns

skunk cabbage plants

cedar forest

We ended up in Golden, BC for the evening at a Golf RV Park, a frequent option in this part of BC where they have miles of green rolling hills.
boardwalk through cedar forest

snow tunnel (it goes over the roof)

Saturday morning Mike was going to play in a shotgun tournament at the golf course but Mother Nature had other ideas and we took off early in pouring rain.  The extra time resulted in our second visit to the U.S. Glacier National Park.  More on that it my next post.

We ended Saturday in Polson, Montana at the Wal-Mart parking lot, a freebie, and repeated that option Sunday night in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  It's quiet and secure.  The drive after Glacier NP was long and we didn't get into Polson until almost 11:00 pm.  First time driving the rig in the dark.  Mike said it was fine except when he saw a deer cross in front of a vehicle in the opposite lane - that gets your attention!  Idaho Falls has few RV options so the Walmart was the best choice for just an overnight.

Toady, Monday, we travelled a little over 300 miles to get from Idaho Falls to Fillmore Utah, named after the president.  Mike played 9 holes on a "spongy" course and I walked to the downtown and toured the original Utah territorial capital building.
Wagons West RV Park Fillmore UT


A genealogy note: I saw a business with a family name (Dearden) and asked if anyone knew where they had come from.  I was given the phone number of a family member who keeps track of those things - her name is Bonnie Dearden.  Strange coincidences!

Thursday, July 14, 2016

The heartland of British Columbia

Wednesday, July 13, 2016  Start: Stewart, BC   End: Vanderhoof, BC

We left Stewart this morning and shot down toward where the Cassiar Highway (97) meet up with the Trans-Canadian Highway (1).  We're reaching the plains, the mountains rising behind us now, and entering the logging forests.  There are many marshes that should have moose but the wild life is hiding and we haven't seen much of anything for awhile as the weather continues to warm up.


The berries are starting to appear, which will bring out the bears and the water plants at one of the rest stops netted me my first itchy bug bite.


We stopped Wednesday night in a town called Vanderhoof, it's claim to fame being that it is at the geographic center of British Columbia.  Dave's RV park was welcoming and had all the amenities.  We got nice hot showers and exchanged some books.  We're not doing a lot of exploring as "get-home-itis" is starting to kick in.

I'm getting a lesson in Canadian geography, city and towns as we go, it doesn't seem like a foreign country any more.