Cascades to Grand Coulee

We spent two nights in the Cascades. Taking the advice of our guidebook, we stopped at the park information center in one of the little towns and got the lowdown and maps. This ended up being very good advice, because there isn’t a formal entrance station or kiosk to the park. This park, much like Olympic National Park, is mostly wilderness. Lots of trails, and only one road that bisects the park into a big chunk and a small one. The road actually doesn’t go through the park per se at all. It follows the Skagit River, passes three dams, and is designated “recreation area”. We stayed in Colonial Creek Campground. It sits right on Diablo Lake, and our campsite had the lake in front and Thunder Creek running alongside. It was easy walk to the gravel beach to launch the kayaks. The lake is very scenic, vivid green, lined with pine trees, rocky cliffs, and snow-topped mountains looming above it all. Yesterday morning when we went out, there was still fog on the lake and in the valleys between the mountains. Very cool to paddle in. There was only about 25 yards visibility—you went from smooth, dark water into the mist—paddling behind Steve, it looked like he was going to drop off the edge of the earth. It would have made a perfect cover for Kayak magazine. There is a lot to explore in this area—some great-looking trails, and lots more paddling; but Steve did something to his back so we weren’t able to do all the things we wanted to. Yet another place to come back to! Yesterday, we took a very short paddle, then loaded up the kayaks and headed east on Highway 20 over the Cascades. We camped near the summit on the eastern slope, about 12 miles from the town of Twisp, where we stopped to do laundry and grocery shop. Then, this morning, we drove to Grand Coulee, and found one of the few spots left in the Spring Canyon NFS Campground on Roosevelt Lake, about three miles east of the dam on the south side of the lake. Steve’s back is much better today; the kayaks are off the RV and ready to go.

The scenery and temperatures are very different from where we’ve been. No more rain, fog, moss, or damp. The terrain and vegetation looks very similar to Utah’s mountains—quite dry, lots of sage, not many trees. In fact, looking out the RV window I am reminded of Jordanelle or Rockport reservoirs. There is a nice sandy beach here, and the water is quite warm, also very different from where we’ve been—the ocean and all the lakes we’ve paddled so far have only been about 48 degrees—not at all appealing for swimming. While paddling yesterday on Diablo Lake, I got grounded on a sand bar and had to get out of my kayak and pull it to deeper water. My feet were aching and numb, even though I only waded ankle-deep for less than 10 yards!

We plan to stay here for two or three days, then move on. Our tentative next stop is the state park on Moses Lake. I hope to meet up with my friend and fellow quilter, Jo Roman, who lives in the town of Moses Lake. We met through Quilts of Valor—she machine quilts all the quilts I piece for servicemen and women wounded in Iraq, and has also quilted some of my “keeper” quilts. We’ve gotten to know each other through email; it will be fun to meet face-to-face.

On to the Cascades

Our time was up on San Juan Island and we reluctantly said good-bye yesterday morning. It had taken us a couple of days to get into the swing of things there. At first, all the information we didn’t know about tides and currents seemed overwhelming, and, between that and the rain, we were reluctant to venture out with the kayaks. But after we watched group after group of obvious neophytes leave from our beach and return, damp but safe and happy, we got braver. We found the currents and tides not a problem, and paddling in the rain no big deal. In fact, it was nice. Our last morning, we woke up to a light fog and misty rain, and went for one last paddle. It was magical. The sea and the sky were the same color, and with the fog, the sensation was almost one of being suspended in space. Big ships, their foghorns sounding low and shrouded in mist, were barely visible farther out in the strait

Things we loved about San Juan Island: sunsets, kayaking in all kinds of weather, and the wildlife. There were orcas in the bay, baby seals on the beach, and a mama black-tail deer and her twin fawns, still dappled with spots, wandering around the campground. We will go back.

We left our campsite and drove back to Friday Harbor, where we got in line for the ferry and had about an hour to kill. We found The Blue Dolphin, which boasted having the best breakfast in town. Since it was the only breaskfast we ate in town, we don’t know if that was true, but it was fabulous! We didn’t order anything fancy—just bacon and eggs—but everything was cooked perfectly and served piping hot. A bonus was that they served two types of hashbrowns—shredded (Steve’s preference) and homestyle chopped (mine!). Both were obviously home-made, not frozen. Yum!

After grabbing a couple of lattes (did I mention that there is an espresso stand on every corner in Washington), we got back in the RV and waited to board the ferry. The ferry was delayed some, and after a bit we found out why. Last to get off was a semi pulled half a house—one of those manufactured jobs. It was long and wide and tall, even with the roof off. I can’t imagine what it must have cost to ferry it over! Once we were loaded on, the rest of the trip was smooth sailing. We de-boarded in Anacortes and drove to Deception Pass State Park, where we stayed last night. Today it’s on to the northern Cascades. Steve says he’s tired of mountains, trees, rain, and windy roads, but it’s either that or down through Seattle and Tacoma, which means traffic and congestion, which he hates, so the Cascades win. Before we get too far away from civilization, we’ll fuel up, hit a supermarket, and find a laundromat. We don’t have that much to wash, but everything is kind of damp from rain, and with the high humidity here, nothing gets dried out. While one load is in the washer, I’ll throw another—towels and quilts mostly—in the dryer to dry out.

Geography Lesson

For those unfamiliar with the Pacific Northwest, I thought a quick geography lesson might be in order. Place your right hand on a flat surface, palm down. Extend your thumb so it’s at right angles to your fingers. Your fingers are the British Columbia mainland, and your hand is Washington State. Your thumb is the shoreline of the Olympic Peninsula, the tip being Neah Bay and Cape Flattery, the furthest NW point in the lower 48 states. Keep your right hand where it is, and make a fist with your left hand. Place it, knuckles down, above your right thumb, so the thumbs are parallel, about an inch apart, and the tip of your left thumb is about 2 inches from your right hand. Still with me? Good! Your left hand is Vancouver Island. The San Juan Islands are located in the curve of your right hand between your thumb and fingers. San Juan Island is the westernmost of the islands. If the tip of your left thumb is Victoria, San Juan Island is about a half inch up your fist. There! Now you know where we are!

Ferries and Fog and Orcas, Oh My!

Today is Wednesday, July 18th. We left Frank and Judy’s in Poulsbo just in time to catch the 9:30 ferry out of Kingston—we were the last vehicle on! A quick trip across, then about an hour drive up to Anacortes for the ferry to the San Juans. They don’t run all that frequently; we missed the 11 a.m. by about an hour, and the next one wasn’t until 3:10, so we paid the fare, got in line, and just hung out. There was actually a nice, rugged beach there, so Steve and Ellie went exploring while I got out the Featherweight and sewed. Since they charge extra for both height and length, it cost us $150 to get the RV on. Ouch! Well, at least it’s a round trip fare. And if you take into account four days worth of fuel that we won’t be using while camping, it comes out almost even.

The ferry ride to Friday Harbor took a little over an hour, and it was beautiful. Smooth and quiet and not smelly. We cruised past little islands covered with evergreens, and cabins tucked in pretty little coves. Lots of sailboats of all sizes and some big power boats too, but not overly crowded. Very picturesque. Friday Harbor is a pretty little town, but the streets are narrow and not fun to explore in an RV; besides, we were a little anxious about being able to find our campground, so we didn’t dawdle. The island is fairly small, and we had a good map, so it would have been hard to get too lost. San Juan County Park is on the opposite side of the island from Friday Harbor, about 10 miles away. Not that far, but the roads are very narrow and winding, with little or no shoulders. There are lots of bicyclists on the road, and the speed limit is 35, so we took it easy and eventually got to the park and found our campsite and got set up.

San Juan County Park is on the center of the island’s west coast, perched on the edge of Small Pox Bay. Despite its unfortunate name, it’s quite lovely.There’s a little cove with a boat launch, and a wide open meadow above the bay with strategically-placed picnic tables and huge driftwood logs for admiring the ocean view and watching for whales. You can see Vancouver Island. Bicycling, kayaking, and whale-watching seem to be the main activities here. Many of the commercial kayak trips launch out of this park. The activity in the late afternoon is to sit up in the meadow with a snack and a drink and look for the orcas. We’ve seen them from shore both days so far. They are unmistakeable—their black dorsal fins stick up 6 feet above the water! Every kayaker we’ve talked to has seen them from their boats, as close as 10 to 25 yards away.

Although when we got here Monday, it was beautiful and sunny, we woke on Tuesday to a steady drizzle of rain. That didn’t seem to stop the commercial kayak tours, but we were a little reluctant to go out in the rain because of our unfamiliarity with the currents, tides, etc. The storm cleared up in the late afternoon and the sun came out, so we schlepped our kayaks down to the bay , maybe 50 yards from our campsite, and paddled off, heading south against the current. The current didn’t seem too bad and we paddled about 45 minutes or so before deciding we’d better head back. At first, we couldn’t locate our bay and panicked a little—wow! We must have gone further than we’d thought. We then spotted our bay practically right in front of us—we had barely gone anywhere even though we were paddling hard. We laughed and paddled back, riding the current. We definitely have a lot to learn about sea kayaking.

We had a paddle all planned for today, but again woke up to rain, harder and steadier than yesterday. It’s now mid-afternoon, and it’s not raining as much, although it’s still quite overcast. No wind though, and the water is calm and smooth. I imagine we’ll give it a try in a little while—it’s getting to be time for the orca show, and it would be fun to be out there with them instead of just watching them from shore.

Fun on the Olympic Peninsula

Today is Sunday, July 15th. I don’t know where the week went! We had a nice day—Tuesday? Wednesday? I’ve lost track-- with Frank and Judy touring the museum and Chief Seattle’s grave in Suquamish, and then Judy and I got to “tour” the quilt shop in Poulsbo, which is a wonderful—great selection, nicely laid out, etc. I bought a few half-yard chunks of fabric and a couple of fun patterns, including one for a hilarious fish-shaped oven mitt—guess what many of my friends will be finding under their Christmas trees come December! They next morning we headed off for the Olympic Peninsula. Our first stop was Neah Bay, out on the northwestern tip. It’s a little town on the Makah Indian Reservation, and has a really excellent museum and cultural center there. This museum was unique in that there were lots of artifacts that were hundreds and hundreds of years old. This is unusual for the Pacific coast tribes because the damp climate meant that things rotted away instead of being preserved. However, several hundred years ago, a mudslide buried a whole village that was only recently discovered, and everything was protected from the damp by the mud. It’s been really interesting to learn about the coastal tribes because their culture is so different from the Plains Indians and the desert peoples of Utah and the southwest.

Neah Bay is described in one of our guidebooks as a “rather bleak” reservation town, but we didn’t find it so. The RV park we stayed in was certainly nothing special, but it was right across the street from the marina, so we wandered around the docks looking at all the fishing boats. There was also an espresso shop, and a restaurant with fabulous onion rings and fresh fish and chips. On the beach next to the docks, along with the obligatory seagulls, were bald eagles—4 or 5 adults and at least that many more juveniles. The campground owners, Rita and Roger, said they’ve counted as many as 45 there at a time. One of the local fishermen cleans his fish on the beach for the specific purpose of luring the eagles there so he can collect their feathers. There were also bald eagles just hanging out in the trees surrounding the campground. Very cool! The next morning we headed out to Cape Flattery, which is the most northwestern point in the lower 48 states, and were treated to dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean. After that, we headed down to the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park.

Olympic National is home to three temperate rainforests; there are only two others in the world—one in Tasmania and one in Chile. To qualify as a rainforest, you need to get at least 100 inches of rain a year. Hoh gets 140 to 160! It is like no place I’ve ever seen before. Trees are huge here—spruces and firs that grow 60 to 100 feet in other places are 200 to 300 feet tall here. The forest is lush and achingly green. Ferns, mosses, and lichens are everywhere. In fact, the forest floor is so thick with growth that baby trees have no place to take root. Instead, they start out on top of stumps and fallen trees that have been covered with nutrient-rich mosses. As the seedlings grow, their roots wind down around the sides of the log until they reach the ground. Eventually, the “nurse log” rots away, leaving weirdly-formed tunnels and holes between the now-thick and exposed roots. There are several nature trails right at the campground//visitor center that we were able to hike. We took lots of pictures, but mostly of the forest floor—how do you take pictures of something that’s 200 feet high?
We wildy underestimated how much time we would need for the Olympic Peninsula. There were two other rainforests we wanted to explore, as well the part of the park that borders the Pacific Ocean, but, because of our hard-won reservation at San Juan County Park, we had to leave these places for another visit. This morning, after one more short hike in the rainforest, we drove back to Poulsbo. Tomorrow morning, we’ll hop on the Kingston ferry, drive about an hour and half to Anacortes, and catch the ferry to San Juan Island. Last night in the campground, we met a couple about our age who are ardent kayakers, and have kayaked out of San Juan County Park. They say it’s great, and also that we are practically guaranteed to see orcas when we kayak there. We’ll keep our fingers crossed!

Back in the USA

Back in the USA!
We left the Clearwater KOA, filled up with Canadian fuel for hopefully the last time, and headed for the border near Bellingham, Washington. The drive was another beautiful one—through the North Thompson and Fraser River Valleys. Lush green mountains and forests looming protectively over broad rivers bordered by farms. We saw horses, dairy cows, and an occasional llama. As we crossed a little bridge on the edge of the town of Chilliwack, a black bear burst out of the undergrowth on the side of the road and loped across the road right in front of us. Steve slammed on the brakes as the bear hurried off down the bank on the other side and disappeared. Despite the farms and semblance of civilizatin, It’s still wild country.

We crossed back into the States without incident, except for having a half a kilo (about a pound) of ground beef purchased in Canada and intended for supper that night confiscated by the Agriculture inspector. They are worried about Mad Cow Disease. He was very nice about, though, and apologetic. We then drove about 20 minutes to fuel up, asked about nearby campsites, and were directed to the Lynden KOA. Another very nice facility with lots of shade, although not as private as our last site. Our spot was on a little lake—more of a pond, really; kids in surrounding campsites were having a great time paddling inflatable boats around it. In the evening a little flotilla of Canada geese floated over, and yesterday morning as we were packing up to leave, we spotted a muskrat swimming and feeding in the middle of the pond.

Since Steve brought up the idea several days ago of spending some time in the San Juan Islands, we started researching it via internet. We got a list of campgrounds, started calling around, and ended up being frustrated and disheartened. The public campgrounds—state and county—had very limited hours to call for reservations, and every time we tried, it was either the wrong time or the lines were busy. The private resorts, besides being very pricey, were equally difficult to reach. We were told that people make reservations up to nine months in advance. It seemed hopeless. So we phone Steve’s brother, Frank, who lives in Poulsbo, on the Kitsap Peninsula, and decided to hang out there a day or two while we figured out our next move. After a pretty drive through farmland and a short ferry ride, we arrived at Frank and Judy’s. They had gone out to do some shopping, and we beat them home, so while we were waiting, I dug out the cell phone, and tried one last to rech a couple of the San Juan Island campgrounds I hadn’t been able to connect with. I finally reached one, and, to my utter amazement, when I asked, without much hope, if they had anything available at all anyhtime in July for two nights or more, she replied that the county park on San Juan Island had a two night opening for the 16th and 17th. I couldn’t believe it! Before I could give her any information—disaster! I lost cell phone reception and the line went dead! It took me ten minutes to regain a signal, and many busy signals and redials before I was able to connect up again. BUT, the good news is, she dug a little into her computer and came up with a FOUR day slot instead of two days! So wse are now booked into San Juan County Park from July 16th to the 20th. It’s right on the ocean, and lots of kayak tours leave from that very park, so we ought to have a great time. We’re hanging out with Frank and Judy today, exploring Port Gamble, and tomorrow we’ll head off to check out Olympic National Park

We ended up staying three nights at Whistler’s Campground . Although it’s a huge place(781 sites!), it doesn’t feel that way at all. The campsites are arranged on loops of 12-20 sites and are large and forested. Our site was backed by a stream and some woods. While Steve was setting up camp, I took Ellie for a walk behind our site; we came upon a cow elk feeding near the trail. I don’t know who was more surprised—her or us—but she didn’t seem to mind us being there, and put calmly put her head back down to feed. I went back to the RV to get Steve and the camera, and she hadn’t moved. What a nice welcome! At the outdoor program that night (which was on bears, but paled in comparison to the Clark’s Nutcracker Suite), I asked the ranger guy about places to kayak, and he gave us several options. The next morning, we headed up to Pyramid Lake, a few miles outside the townsite of Jasper, to give it a try. The lake was another stunningly beautiful one, ringed with snowy mountains. As we launched the boats and started to paddle off, I spotted a mama loon and her two fuzzy brown chicks just floating out there, presumably having a swimming lesson. I was able to paddle up quite close and they didn’t seem to mind. Unfortunately, the camera was in Steve’s boat; he hadn’t seen them and had paddled off in a different direction. Darn! We paddled all around the lake, which took about two hours. At the far end was a little floating island “garden” of plants, about 6 feet square, obviously man-made. We couldn’t figure out what it was. That night, as I thanked the ranger for his recommendation and told him about the loon family, he said the “island” was set up as nesting habitat for loons, because their nests along the shore kept getting washed out. The loons seem to love it, and there is now a stable loon population on the lake.

The next day, we headed off for the ranger’s other recommendation—Maligne (pronounced Mah LEAN) Lake. This one was farther away—about 20 miles—up a beautiful narrow limestone canyon that followed the beautiful Maligne River and passed several more lakes. Maligne Lake is the largest and deepest lake in Jasper National Park—22 km long and 94 meters deep. It’s long and narrow and deep green-blue in color, and again, stunningly beautiful. There is a tour boat concession and picnic area at one end, but no trails along the shoreline; the only way to really see the lake is by tour boat, canoe, or kayak. There are about 8 primitive camp sites along the lake which are only accessible by canoe or kayak. The tour boats are the only motorized craft allowed on the lake, and there were amazingly polite, giving us a wide berth and slowing way way down to minimize waves. We had a nice two-hour paddle until the wind came up on the way back. It was tough paddling, and I got pretty wet with water running down my paddle onto my lap, since I hadn’t put on my spray skirt. The water in that lake is freezing cold, and I wads pretty well chilled by the time we reached shore. Even with warm, dry clothes and a hot shower, it took me the rest of the day to get warm.

This morning we left Jasper and headed off to Clearwater, BC. It’s a 5½ hour drive, but it seemed to go much faster because of the beautiful scenery. Once we left the park, we also left the most rugged of the peaks behind as well. However, they were replaced by lush green mountains, pretty mountain valleys and meadows carpeted with wildflowers in all colors, and wild and majestic rivers. We are now camped at the Clearwater Valley KOA and Resort. It’s the nicest KOA I’ve ever seen. The front part of the park is typical KOA—pool, store, gameroom, miniature golf, etc., although the campsites are large and shaded. We are camped in the back of the park on a secluded site surrounded by trees, ferns, and wildflowers. We’ll stay the night and then move on, although exactly where is somewhat in question. Turns out that Canada doesn’t yet carry the ultra low-sulphur diesel that our rig requires. The diesel they do have is hard on our engine and may cause damage that will not be covered under warranty. The bottom line is that we have to get out of Canada. We’ll be looking at the map and figuring out the shortest distance back to the States. Once there, we still have lots of options. Our vague plan is to head to Anacortes, and, if we can get reservations for one of the campgrounds in the San Juan Islands, to take the ferry over there and spend a few days kayaking. If we fill up with fuel at Anacortes, we theoretically could continue on the ferry to Victoria and do a little touring on Vancouver Island before taking the ferry back to Washington. Then we’d still have plenty of time to explore the Olympic Peninsula and the Cascades. Stay tuned.

Jiuly 5th

Our night in lake Louise Campground turned out fine. The trains didn't seem to be running during the night, or, if they were, we didn't hear them. The best part about Lake Louise Campground was the evening program at the ampitheater. We though "Ho hum, another ranger talk," but it was something to do because the evenings are very long here--it doesn't get dark till 11 p.m. Well, it turned out to be the funnest ranger program we'd ever been to. The topic was the relationship between the whitebark pine, the Clark's nutcracker (a bird), and other wildlife. Sounds only mildly interesting, right? Well, it was a hoot! The ranger (they call them "wardens" here) did an amazing job. After she showed us slides and we learned to identify the whitebark pine and the Clark's nutcracker, she pulled out the costumes and asked for volunteers. First, she talked to a tree, and then to a Clark's nutcracker. Guess who was the nutcracker--me! Steve made me volunteer. I wore a baseball cap decked out with eyes and a long black beak. I had a mesh bag filled with bright orange ping pong balls danglind under my chine to represent my "sublingual pouch" that I use to store pine nuts. We had a script that I read, telling the audience all about me. It got even sillier than that. To illustrate the process of collecting and hiding seeds, we were treated to a performance of "The Clark's Nutcracker Suite." A kid in a tree costume, holding up a pladstic "pinecone" bsket filled with more ping pong ball "pinenuts." Frisbees at either end of the stage, to represent hiding places. Two little girls with a Clark's nutcracker hat, AND a tutu. And of course, music--The Nutcracker Suite. The "birds" were leaping and twirling, grabbing "nuts" from the tree and "hiding" them in the frisbee. It was hilarious and adorable. And of course, I didn't have my camera--who ever brings cameras to ranger talks?

We are now camped in Whistler Campground, Jasper National Park, just outside of Jasper, Alberta. The highway between lake Louise and Jasper is called the Icefield Parkway, and is supposedly rated as one of the most scenic highways in the world. I believe it. Imagine the Grand Tetons (my favorite mountains!). Hundreds of them. On steroids. Sprinkle liberally with serene turquoise lakes, each a miniaturized variation on Lake Louise, and dot with pale blue rivers, milky from glacial slit. Punctuate with an occasional waterfall, and have an elk wander across the highway every now and then. That's the Icefield Parkway. Just as I would decide that I had more than enough pictures of mountains, we'd go around a curve and another breathtaking view would appear.

Yesterday we went into Jasper to do laundry and get some groceries. Everything is very expensive here. Groceries cost about twice as much, or more. Examples: a dozen eggs $2.79. Half gallon of orange juice $4.59. A half kilo of lean ground beef (about a pound)$4.99. I asked at the laundromat for a fabric shop or yarn store, and she said, "Well, there's a quilting store two blocks down the street." Joy! Turned out to be a combination quilt shop and yarn store. I didn't buy much, but it was fun just to be there.

Today it's off to fina a lake to kayak in.

July 3rd

We did two more hikes in Kootenay Park yesterday—one relatively short one to Dog Lake and a longer, steeper one at Simpson River. Both were beautiful, in different ways. Simpson River was the site of a lightning-ignited forest fire in 2002. So instead of a heavy, old-growth forest, it was open and sunny. Lots of baby trees and wildflowers. After the hikes, we were exhausted. We drove to a nearby campground and collapsed for the rest of the day. Steve watched a DVD—Memphis Belle—while I got out my little Featherweight sewing machine and worked on a Quilt of Valor.

This morning, we left Kootenay and drove into Banf National Park. Didn’t seem like it could get any prettier, but it did! We are definitely in “the good part” now. Very tall, craggy mountains with beautiful rivers and lakes below. We drove to Lake Louise and then to Moraine Lake. Lake Louise is gorgeous and justifiably famous, but I must say we both preferred Moraine Lake. The lake is smaller, but is the same deep turquoise blue, and the mountains surrounding it were even taller and more magnificent than the ones around Lake Louise. And being a little off the beaten path, there were fewer crowds. Lake Louise was quite a zoo, and everything was very pricey. We thought it would be fun to rent a canoe and see the lake that way, but it was $40 an hour!!!! Instead, we walked the lakeshore trail a ways. We had planned to take the hike to the teahouse above Lake Louise, but it was a steep trail several miles long, and neither of us felt us felt up to it after our hikes yesterday.

We’re staying in the Lake Louise campground tonight. Not our favorite campsite. It’s huge campground—several hundred sites, and although there are lots of pine trees and shade, it’s pretty close to the highway and you can hear all the traffic noise. Also, there are train tracks right outside the campground, and the trains blast their whistles as they go by, every hour or so. Should be an interesting night! There is electricity, which is the first time we’ve had it since we left Salt Lake, but the internet connection is extremely slow, and I still haven’t been able to post a blog.

Not sure yet what our plan is for tomorrow. We are definitely moving on, but don’t know which direction. I want to go west to Yoho National Park and take the guided hike to the trilobite beds, which are world famous. We also plan on heading up north through the Columbia Icefields and on to Jasper National Park, and would have to do some backtracking if we go to Yoho, so we’ll see what happens. Either way, it’s bound to be great!

On the Road Again!

We left home June 26th for a six-week summer vacation. We had originally thought that this was to be our Alaska summer, but it turned out that we had less time and less $$ than we had anticipated, so readjusted our plan accordingly. At the Life on Wheels RV Conference in Moscow, ID last summer, I attended a seminar on touring British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. In the opinion of the presenters, Mike and Teri Church (authors of the guidebook that became our Baja bible), British Columbia’s scenery rivaled Alaska’s. The slides they showed were spectacular, so we thought we’d give it a try. However, trying to see the entire Pacific Northwest in just 6 weeks seemed a bit daunting. We decided to leave the Oregon coast for another time, go from east to west to make sure we spend as much time as we want in the Canadian Rockies, and then see as much of Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula as our remaining time allows. We figure we can hit what we miss when we do the Oregon Coast—maybe next year?

Our big news is that we are no longer in the Royal Palms. We’d had our eye on the Winnebago View since it first came out, less than a year after we bought the Palms. We liked everything about it—the layout, the quiet Mercedes diesel engine, the fact that it was over a foot narrower which made it much easier to drive –everything except the price (don’t ask!). But the narrow roads on the Baja Peninsula, where we definitely want to go back to, and the rise in fuel prices made us rethink. Steve did the math and figured that we would actually be saving money by spending it. My kind of math!!! Within a few weeks of getting back from Baja, we traded in the Royal Palms. Our new house on wheels doesn’t have a name yet. Royal Palms II doesn’t seem to fit. We’ll just wait to see what comes up.

So here we are, on the road again. Our route so far has taken us up through Idaho and Montana and now into Canada. We stayed one night at Flathead Lake and a couple of nights at Glacier National Park, which Steve had never seen and I hadn’t been to since my VISTA days. While there, we did a couple of great hikes. We especially enjoyed the one to Avalanche Lake. We left Glacier yesterday and crossed into Canada via Eureka on the Montana side and Roosville on the Canada side. If you get to Eureka, we recommend lunch at Café Jax. Because of the holiday weekend—Canada Day is July 1st—all the campgrounds we came to were full. We spent the night in a daisy-filled meadow off a dirt road a couple of hours into British Columbia. It was great, although Ellie was less than thrilled. Turns out there was a den of coyotes nearby. We didn’t see them, but we heard them yipping and barking and howling, and Ellie wouldn’t leave safety of the RV without one of us, and then only reluctantly.

Today, we drove into Kootenay National Park, which is the south next-door-neighbor to Banf and Lake Louise. The scenery is breathtaking—and we supposedly aren’t even at “the good part” yet. We saw a black bear right next to the road. Tomorrow morning we’ll do a short hike from our campsite at McDonald Meadows to Dog Lake, then a longer hike on our way to another campground inside this park. One of the great things about Canada’s national parks is that unlike the US parks, dogs ARE allowed on the trails, as long as they’re on leash. This means Ellie can hike with us instead of having to be locked up in the motor home. The last picture is Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park.