Finally Home and "Yes" it is Raining

We decided not to race home from Hedley, BC.  It would have been a very long Saturday and we would have been shocked to arrive at the ferry terminal, only to find out that a bomb scare on one of the ferries had created four hour delays and route changes.  Somebody was looking out for us.


Our decision to stop in Hope, BC was all the factor of the second game of the NHL finals.  The game started at 5pm and we wanted to be all set up and settled in by then.


We did stop in Manning Park for a walk with Kyle and had wonderful homemade clam chowder for lunch at the cafe.  We took some cute pictures in the Lodge main lobby and inquired about the prices.  The off season rates were very reasonable and the rooms appeared to be gorgeous.   We couldn't have stayed in the park even if we had wanted to. The main campgrounds were still closed for the season due to snow. A second disappointment was to find out that there is no longer a ski lift operating in the summer to take hikers up to the Alpine Meadows.  If you want to see the meadows, you hike the complete way up and down.  NOT.  Link to photo album.


After leaving Manning Park I explained to Kaye about the Hope slide (1965) and that my Mom and I visited it not many years after it happened.  When Kaye and I arrived at the viewing point, only the side of the mountain that came down looked anything like what I remember. The mass of the slide hit the lake at the bottom of the valley and the water was turned into a cutting force that eliminated every tree and piece of vegetation for quite a distance up the opposite side of the valley.  All of that destruction has regrown.   The mass of rubble at the bottom is still quite barren but even the 'slide' side of the mountain has started to regrow. Link to photo album.


Sunday turned into an uneventful drive to the ferry, then a shocker of a price tag for ferry. The truck and trailer were $230 one way and then that was topped off with a final 80klms in heavy rain.  We are home.  First observations:

The brick patio has been overtaken by massive thistle plants and running strawberries but the rest of the shrubs and flowers look wonderful.  Theresa has the inside of the house looking spiffy and the first words out of Kaye's mouth were; "I missed my bed".


First order of business was to get the hot tub running and the 'to do list' organized.  I installed a copper ionizer so we can quit using chlorine and put in new bearings so the pump is much quieter.  This morning Kaye and I enjoyed our first 'tub'.  Now we are home.  Time to go fishing.

Is That a Building Way Up There?

The little dot called Hedley, on Hwy#3, about 30 klms from Keremeos, had an old gas station on a tight corner that forced us to slow down enough to look down one of the streets and see the words ‘museum’ as we drove by yesterday.

When we were checking into Gold Mountain RV last night we asked about the town.  The park owners were very convincing that we had to go back and visit the town and so convinced us to stay another day.  The museum is free (donations), has a tea room, book sales and souvenirs. They also recommended the gold mine tour.  What mine?

 

So today we explored a piece of BC mining history and researched the birth and near death of a town.  What a wonderful place.  We drove through the old streets snapping pictures. This town is much larger than it appears from the highway.  The evidence of its prosperity in past years is everywhere but hidden behind trees and shrubs and the height of the mountains where the work took place. 

Picture of high mountain mining buildings
taken through the lens of the telescope
on the deck of the museum

Old shanty shacks still exist, lots of mobile homes in all stages of despair but there were also many complete restorations of early homes.  

About 50% of the houses/lots are for sale, the other 50% appear to be owned by retired folk who are happy to live in this quiet little haven with two good sized cities an hour away in either direction.  They have a volunteer fire department with a brand new fire truck, a really rustic restored hotel and restaurant with a delicious looking menu of delicacies.  Complete photo album of town shots.

Lunch was homemade Borsht and Mushroom soup along with a fresh baked Foccashia bread (I don’t know how to spell it and neither does Bill Gates) was a whopping $5 and coffee was $1.50. Reservations were recommended for the live folk band tonight.  Tickets are $10 and beer is $4.

We toured the museum for a couple of hours, read the history, had tea, were amazed at how a town could grow into a city and then die when the mines closed in the middle 50s.   Mounted proudly on one of the walls in the museum were four movie posters.  This little town has been used many times for major and minor productions.  I can't say we have seen any of them but we plan to now. Complete photo album related to the museum and town history.


Enough folks were retired and enough farm land had been developed to keep a small core of residents.  They had a school for many years but that is gone now too.  Tourists and retired escapees are the sustenance of the town now.  They even have a Monk named Leon that we got to meet.

The natives have resurrected the mines into tourist attractions and operate tours from the end of June till early Sept.  We were too early. Tom, a volunteer at the museum tea shop, let us pepper him with questions and it was obvious he loved giving the answers.

This is a wonderful little town and a piece of BC history that is worth visiting and donating to.  It was worth a lot more than the ticket price of a movie in the big city.  

Which Way To Go?

The weather Gods are not painting a nice picture for the next few days.  Neither are the Internet references and reviews for RV Parks around Penticton.   Most say; Overpriced and Overregulated. The WiFi at our Vernon location was so poor we could not do much planning so the new plan was to use Penticton to figure out where we are headed and find somewhere to stay.

The overpriced part we quickly confirmed during a lunch break at a wonderful ‘Organic’ grocery store with a sit down deli in Penticton (Wheatgrass).  Grilled salmon wrap, curried corn salad, chunky vegetable soup, stacked turkey and cranberry sandwich and delicious coffee.

After an hour of Internet searches and reviews our conclusion is; you should book well in advance and stay at the Provincial Campsites just North of town.  You won’t get WiFi or laundry but you will get lake side access, a true feeling of camping, a reasonable price and none of the crap I am listing below.

Here are some excerpts from our searches:

• Only two parks in all of Penticton accepted dogs;
• But those two did not accept dogs during Jul or Aug;
• And, your dog has to be less than 17in tall or long to be allowed in;
• Full service (power, water, sewer) $50 per night, charge for showers, charge for WiFi, charge for more than 2 persons (Best Western, $90, Free breakfast, free Internet, pool and hot tub);
• No refunds, must be booked in advance, no drive ups (so what if you don’t like what you see when you arrive?);
• Lasting impression; Leave Penticton off your Bucket List if you are a camper

Not far South of Penticton on Hwy 97 is Oliver and then Osoyoos.  Both of these locations had RV resorts that sounded wonderful and had good reviews.  We however, needed to make a decision.  It was getting late in the day, the rain was spotting and if we headed South we would be adding over 100klms to our journey.  A little more checking and we decided to head over Hwy 3A to meet up with #3 at Keremeos.  Our destination was a toss up between Gold Mountain RV and Riverside RV in Hedley BC. We chose Gold Mountain, about 100 klms.

The climb out of Penticton was straight up.  Ears popped over and over.  White beast wanted to go fast but I wouldn’t let her.  Once we crested that climb I swear it was downhill all the way to Keremeos.

It turns out the two RV parks are exactly side by side, in a beautiful river valley, 5 klms South of the little town of Hedley BC.  We are going to stay another day (rain or shine) and visit the town as the owners of the park have convinced us that the local museum and antique shops should not be missed and if the weather holds we can hike to one of the old gold mines.

The river is flowing too violently for Kyle to swim so we hiked up into the fields above the RV park.  He chased imaginary rabbits till he was ready to drop.  How do we know, really big pink tongue hanging out during the walk back down.

This is definitely a 5 Star place to stop.  $34 for full hook-ups.  WiFi, fire pits, four TV stations, grass and shade plus river access.  We will stay here again.

Warm and Green in the Okanogan

Our drive from Banff felt like it was downhill for 300 klms.  The rain shifted from intense to ‘piss me off’ every few klms.  We were delayed by road construction many times but none of them for long periods.  The ‘Twin Hyw #1’ project is alive and well in the National Parks.  That will be a 20 year project for sure.  Incredible engineering feats every few klms to overcome.

Political Statement: Send an email to someone you know in BC Government.  How can diesel/gas cost $1.08 in Banff, a National Park, in a tourist trap, but 50 klms away, a few klms across the BC border on the same National Hwy, the price jumped to $1.39?  Even in Wpg I only paid $1.15 with 7.5cents off at Superstore.  BC, you are being raped.

We had lunch in Revelstoke.  The sun came out just as we parked.  It stayed out for our complete rest stop.  We thought about stopping at Shuswap but it was still very early in the day and the weather forecast for the Okanogan convinced us to press on for a couple more hours.

Bitchin Betty (Our GPS) took us on a route march through back woods farm land as ‘it’ thought it was saving us a klm or two.  Great scenery of beautiful farms but really crap roads.  Bounced us out of our seats for 15 klms till we got back to the 97.

 

We settled into a really nice RV Park right beside Hwy 97 and a lovely lake.  Our plan is to stay for at least another full day.  Kyle deserves a swim and we have heard that there is lots to see in Vernon.

Our sister in law, Marie, posted that her husband (Kaye’s brother Dan) was in Vernon on business.  It turns out it was also their anniversary.  We met for breakfast and Dan heads home in the late afternoon.

Kyle met many friends today.  A short hike, though very steep, brought us to a smooth rock beach at Kalamalka Provincial Park. Lots of other dogs.   Photo Album.  We spent over an hour there, tossing sticks for any pooch who wanted them.  Kyle would have stayed forever. 

We headed downtown to walk the old section of Vernon and view the outdoor wall murals.  This is another must see.  Link to photo album.  We cut our walk short to head home and watch the Stanley Cup finals.  Well done Kings.  Tomorrow we are headed to the South end of the valley.  Not sure exactly where yet.

The Park Host Told a Fib

Kaye wanted to pretend we were camping and not RVing.  She made Kraft dinner along with beans and toast for herself.  You should have seen the grin on her face.  She made me egg drop soup with noodles and veggies. Guess what was on the breakfast menu?

We set ourselves a two hour goal and headed out on the Tunnel Mountain trails to see the Hoodoos carved into the side of the Bow River valley.  The last time I did this hike it was with Jay Currah, Pete Hansen and our children.  Over 20 years ago.  On that adventure we climbed down the trails to the base of the Hoodoos and back up the side.  Not this time!  We did hike a good 8 klms or more on the more traveled route and Kyle got to meet his first horse and rider up close.  He was very curious but well behaved.  Half way back, Kyle headed into the shadows to lay down in the cool grass.  He was bagged.  He is just like Courtenay when not on a leash.  He ventures ahead then returns to check on us and then off again.  For every klm we walk forward he does three!

The twenty years has seen the small fir trees grow to the point of blocking the view of the Hoodoos from all but two vantage points.  If I remember right, there had been a forest fire a view years earlier and the hillside was quite barren.

When we returned to camp in the afternoon, rain clouds had moved overhead and a small shower caught us so we changed our dinner plans.  We went to ‘The Old Spaghetti Factory’ last fall when we traveled through here with Brian and Jen.  The food was great so we decided to give it a second chance. Did not disappoint.  Great food and great prices.

Filled up with diesel for $1.08 ltr, same price as Edmonton.  Amazing.  Heading for warmth in the Okanogan tomorrow.

Link to photo album

Someone Stole the Clouds

Just a little nippy this morning.  Tough girl Kaye gave me the gears for turning on the heater.  My tender tootsies were frozen.  We flipped a coin on whether to stay one more day or press on.  I have never driven between Jasper and Banff on 93 so we chose to start a new adventure.  Hyw 93 is two lanes all the way, a few tight corners still left but wide shoulders, lots of pull offs and incredible scenery the complete distance.

Someone stole all the clouds today.  The sky was South Pacific Ocean Blue and not a whisper of wind.  Our plan was to stop at the Columbia Ice Fields (1/3^rd way to Banff) and spend the afternoon hiking.

There were hwy warning signs for Elk and Caribou constantly but sadly we did not see any today.  A small brown bear eating dandelions and a large brazen raven eating pistachios were the sum total of wildlife.  That was all made up for by the mountain scenery.  As the hwy winds up to nearly 7000 feet at the ice fields, every corner we rounded gave us a different perspective of the mountains.  Dave, the ‘Japanese Tourist’ clicked way too many photos.

 

When we arrived at the ice fields we noticed that several trailers and 5^th wheel units were disconnected in the parking lot.  This led me to believe that we must be able to drive up to the top level parking lot of the ice fields.  Why else would you disconnect?  We followed suit and then headed for the park entrance.  The drive was actually about half a klm down to a gravel parking lot at the site where the toe of the glacier was in 1982.  The upper road is closed to public traffic but the tour busses were bumper to bumper.  We discovered later that you have to buy a $50.75 bus pass each to hitch a ride there!  Our National Park!  I was pissed and still am.

We parked at the very bottom and took on the challenge, along with a steady stream of other hardy folks.  Most of the young hikers were outfitted with toques, gloves and sturdy hiking boots.  Kaye was decked out in Birkenstock sandals and definitely no socks with sandals!  We had our canes and our three legged wonder dog.  It was a tough climb and would have felt chilly if not for the glorious sun.  Kyle was the talk of every climber and Kaye’s sandals drew comments from far too many of the female hikers.

After we descended and knocked the ice pellets out of Kaye’s sandals she did admit her toes were a bit chilly.  We made lunch in the parking lot, witnessed the tail end of a small avalanche and then hiked up to the main lodge, restaurant and gift shop. 

It was pretty obvious that this is still off season.  The walking trails were still blocked with snow, the outhouses had ice blocks on the floor and I took a picture of a phone booth that would be hard to use.

The lodge was absolutely jam packed with oriental tourists.  Turns out there is an upper parking lot on the Banff side of the building that was full of tour busses.  Note to self; if it is like this on an off season Sunday, don’t come here in July or August!  The lodge has an interpretive centre that was well laid out and very interesting.  We learned a lot.

Link to complete photo album.

Banff was a full two hours further and the scenery continued to awe us the whole way.  We are settled into Tunnel Mountain campground.  We, along with my Mom and her friends have all stayed here before.  This will be a two night for sure stay, maybe even an extra day.  The park staff said we are in for at least two more days of spectacular weather and the campground is deserted!

Stage Two: Adventures in Canada

The desert was nice but this is wonderland

It has felt strange not gathering my thoughts and memories each day and transcribing them into some order of entertaining ramble.  Keeping a journal is time consuming but also fun.

We have been back in Canada for just over two weeks and thousands of miles.  We have done a loop from the border South of Lethbridge, AB. to Moose Jaw, SK, Winnipeg, MB, back to Moose Jaw, North to Lloydminster via Saskatoon, SK, then Cold Lake, AB, Edmonton and now Jasper National Park.

Don’t like the price of fuel, price of camping, price of admission to anything, or the horrid condition of our roads. However, there is just something calming and majestic about our land that makes the added costs fade away and the bumps and jars tolerable.

On day one we dropped the trailer in front of Grant and Dani’s house in Moose Jaw and on the morning of day two raced to Winnipeg.  Met with Mo and Brenda at the #4 Legion for the Sat afternoon meat draw and discussed next winter’s travel plans. We are extending an open invitation to you all to come and see us during July thru Sept (fishing and camping season), we will entertain anyone.

Mother’s Day was spent with our daughter and her beau Justin.  Enjoyed a family dinner with his parents and siblings plus caught up on the local gossip.  En route back to Moose Jaw we stopped into the farm at Elie and visited with Leonie and John (Dani’s Mom and Dad).  We did our best to convince them to come and visit us.  They need to stroke some items off their Bucket List.  We also stuffed a very large Martin Bird House into the back of the truck.  Dave and Kaye’s Dodge Mega Cab Hauling Service is alive and well.

During a restful two days in Moose Jaw we acted like tourists and let Dani escort us to the No#1 tourist trap in town; the Moose Jaw Tunnels.  It truly is worth seeing.  There are two tours; first is the underground businesses that were really slave labour for the Chinese immigrants that worked and lived underground, then the second was the prohibition years and the stories of Al Capone.  The tours are guided by young actors who transition in and out of character.  It was fun. 

Next stop was Lloydminster.  We just camped overnight and did lots of shopping in the tax free haven of AB.  A short drive the next day and we were at our son’s home in Cold Lake.  Brian and Jen had the chores list planned out and the weather cooperated for the first two days as well.  We rebuilt one side of their back yard fence, did a brake job on their new/used Durango, plus an oil change on our White Beast, and then prepped our old boat for its first new season on Cold Lake.  I wanted to have a spin on the lake myself but the weather turned poor so we skipped that and decided to head to Edmonton.

Two nights in Edmonton found us at Barney and Darlene’s.  We were their matchmakers 35 years ago.  Wow, how time flies.  They have cats.   One mustered up the courage to come and check out Kyle from afar but when he lifted his head; disappear.  During a walk at the park, Kyle chased a Jack Rabbit for ‘we don’t know how far’ because once he left the park, crossed a busy street and headed into a residential district we gave up on him.  He always comes back, just exhausted and sheepish, knowing how much trouble he was in.  The good news is; we think we have them convinced to come and visit. 

The Sun God said it would come out on Fri afternoon, so we packed and headed out for Jasper.  Sun God was right on.  Frost overnight, had to use the heater in the morning but today has been spectacular.  Kaye and I stopped in Jasper for one night when we were first married in 1976.  We were travelling to Victoria for our ‘Honeymoon’.   We could only afford to rent a spare room in a lady’s house.  We arrived late in the evening and she told us that she locks the door at 10pm and does not give out keys.  We still wanted to find somewhere we could eat and relax as we had worked all that day and then driven the four hours to Jasper.  Kaye remembers me muttering; “if the door is locked it won’t have any hinges”.  It was open when we got back.

Jasper is not like Banff at all, except for the prices of crap made in China.  It is so much smaller and seems to attract the true campers and outdoor explorers.  Hundreds of klms of groomed hiking trails.  We chose to drive to the farthest lake on the NW side of Jasper heading towards Pyramid Mountain.   Kyle swam everywhere we stopped and we hiked a lovely trail between Pyramid and Patricia lakes.  Being still ‘Off Season’ there were no parking issues and we felt at times like we had the whole park to ourselves.  Jot this down, visit Jasper before school gets out!

 

Kyle found his voice today.   We stopped to watch a lone female Elk (I think) grazing at the side of the road.  She did not care that we were there.  I rolled the window down in the back of the truck and Kyle started to sniff loudly and then out of nowhere he started to bark.  And he barked loud and consistently.  The Elk lifted its head, tweaked its ears to listen for a second and then continued eating.  I rolled up the window.

Link to complete photo album.

Next stop will be the Columbia Ice Fields on Hyw 93 and a stay in Lake Louise or Banff. 

Welcome to the Capital of Montana and Say Goodbye USA

We can smell Canada!  Helena, as a state capital, is not as big as we expected but it is quite sprawling.  We ended up in a small RV park just North of the city, called Lincoln RV Park.  Nothing fancy but very clean and friendly.  We are going to stay an extra day so that we can go and see the state museum.  It has been recommended by many.  The weather is just perfect for us (75F).


The signs in the city are not very friendly towards dogs.  Short leash only, no expanding leashes, keep off the grass, etc.  We stopped into the local Chamber of Commerce which does double duty as the information bureau.  I inquired about the 'dog' issue and one of the ladies gave us direction to a mountain trail, very close by, that was leash less.  Kyle was in heaven, Dave and Kaye were tuckered out after an hour of up hill hoofing.


Of note, there are casinos everywhere.  Not the Vegas style, just "Old Bucks Bar and Casino" repeated over and over, street after street.  We did not bother.  The museum was really worth it. Allow two hours min, four if you like to read the fine print.


We treated ourselves to homemade stuffed Portabella Mushrooms using Corizzo sausage,  hamburger and other stuff.  Yummmmm.  We have cleaned out the fridge of fresh food as we are not sure how sticky they will be at the border and we have enough left overs for our last night in Canada tomorrow.


We only travelled from Helena to Selby on Wed.   Very, very windy, right on the nose/left.  Pain in the ass driving and hard on the gas mileage.  The wind had been generated by the flash heat.  Temp went up to over 80F.  We stayed in the Lewis and Clark RV Park, the last RV park before the border (32 miles South). A really cute old husband and wife team run it.  A great way to finish our camping, staying in a place that reminded us of our first two nights with the trailer in Barstow.  We used the afternoon and evening to get all our paperwork and receipts ready for the border.  No WiFi at the trailer but a usable signal at the office.


On Thurs we headed for the border and arrived at 0810.  We were out by 0840, the only ones in line.  A lovely gun totting young lady border guard quickly filled out our 'Form 1'  and we spent the most time waiting for the cashier to count her till and officially open up so we could pay our GST.  No one even bothered to walk out and inspect either the trailer or the truck.  I guess we just don't look like crooks.


So ends this chapter of our Southern Adventure.  This sign says it all !


We are planning on visiting our family and friends over the next three weeks while travelling from MB back to BC via SK and AB.  I may post some photo albums but I expect the blog will be put to rest for awhile.


Thanks for reading.

All the best; Dave and Kaye

Hwy 287 - Idaho Falls to Helena, Montana

West Yellowstone was a lovely short two hour drive on Hwy 287.  It was a joy to not be on an Interstate, however, they do not slow down the speed limit.  70 Mph on a two lane with no shoulders and no guard rails.  Tough on Kaye.


We were recommended to stop at a Ranger Station and inquire about passes into the National Parks for military personnel.  The lady I spoke with had heard something of the program but her understanding was that it was for currently serving members.  The station we stopped at was a State Park Ranger and we never did get to the National Park so if anyone knows the answer please advise.  I could not find anything on the CF Appreciation Site about National Parks.


We arrived at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone and they were closed for lunch.  It is a massive RV park and obviously one of the most popular but this is truly "Off Season".  We drove past hundreds of motels, hotels and RV parks getting here.  Many still had; "Closed for the Season" signs.  There were also hundreds of SkiDoo rentals.  This park and resort area is obviously huge but it hides its expanse very well.


This is Fly Fisherman Country.  Lodge after Lodge after Lodge.  Disney Land for outdoor lovers.  

We made lunch in the trailer and read the notice boards at the RV Park.  No fresh water hoses are allowed to stay connected to RVs as the overnight low will be -5.  Too cold for Kaye, we will be back!


Our new plan is to race for Helena, MT, the state capital.  It is out of the mountains, in the grass lands of cattle country.  We can make it there before dark.





If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone from Canada (eg heading South) then I have to recommend you travel South on Hyw 287 from Helena vice the faster route on the Interstate.  The road is very good, the traffic is light and the scenery is breathtaking.  The road winds its way along the Missouri River and then climbs into the mountains following the Madison River.  You will cross grass lands, then cattle country, then high foothills and finally an Earthquake Lake formation on the Madison River before reaching heavy trees and tons of wildlife.  We did not see Bears, but Bison were being guarded at the side of the road by Rangers and Big Horn Sheep and Deer were everywhere.  Photo Album.


We are in the Lincoln RV Park, about 8 miles out of Helena, North off the I15.  Clean and well kept.  Nothing fancy, VG WiFi but as it is the only park available for another 100 miles to the North so we will be staying.  Tomorrow we will see if the State Capital Museum is open on a Tuesday in May...The military museum is not. 

A Day in Idaho Falls ( A Good Day)

We did not travel far yesterday (Sat) as we stopped several times to see if we could find an RV dealer with a service department open to fix our furnace that will not light.  No such luck.  Walmart wins again, we bought a small electric heater and it cooked us out!  

We collected brochures of the museum highlights for Idaho Falls and set our sights on seeing a roaming exhibit of prehistoric creatures.  Of course we are bias towards the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, AB but we have to give our USA friends a chance.

Well, no such luck on fixing the RV heater or going to a museum.  It seems that we are in Mormon Country, which means that all the big box stores are open, all the restaurants and hotel beer parlours are open, I could have even got a hair cut, but heaven forbid that tourists, children or atheists should be able to visit artistic or cultural centres on a Sunday.  Nuts.

Oh well, Kaye, Kyle and I followed the masses after lunch (church) and ended up at a huge green belt that follows the Snake River through the centre of town, into the Hydro Project and then calmly winds its way towards Twin Falls.

We walked for over three hours, met people from all over, including Canada, and found a unique collection of benches designed by local artists in memory of friends and family.  So it turned out, not as planned, but even better.  Complete Photo Album.

I was very impressed with the city planners and the architecture present in the 'modern' downtown buildings and business centres.  I wish they would do more of this at home in our Canadian cities.  The new buildings echoed the style and structure, that have become the history of their city.   Artistic displays are prominent and fit.  I hope you enjoy the photos.

We are headed for Yellowstone National Park tomorrow.  It has been snowing there but the RV Park I am booked into says that it will be clear sky and above freezing.  Yippee...

Our next stop on 93 North is Twin Falls.  We passed through valley after valley and finally mountains with snow tops started to appear.  The temperature dropped and then began to rise as we descended from 6000 ft to 3000ft.  Really good gas mileage today.


We are now in Idaho, land of the Latter Day Saints (LDS).  The landscape has changed from desert mountains to lush farm fields.  We are in the home of the US potato heartland ( I like PEI better!).  We found a really cute, small RV park with full amenities, even a hot tub.  The elderly lady running the desk was a real hoot.  When I started to ask questions (while she was checking me in) about what there was to do in Twin Falls, she stopped, looked right at me and said; "Now look young fella, I'll get to all of that in due time, don't mess up my routine"!  And she lived up to her word and planned a great outing for us.

Our first stop was of course; "Twin Falls".  Named;  "Niagara of the West".  It was very cool in the morning so we dressed in jeans but it quickly turned into a nice warm day.  We ended up overdressed.  


On the day we visited there were three falls, I couldn't find an explanation of when or why 'twin' became 'three'?  I shot lots of photos playing with the manual modes on the camera.  There was a rainbow created by the mist of the falls and the angle of the sun, that I wanted to try and capture.  No, I did not post all 100 versions, just a couple.  Link to photo album


Next, Kyle was treated to another swim in the upper lake above the falls.  This lake (river backup) was created by the falls irrigation project and power station dam.   There were a couple of homes (mansions) overlooking this lake.  Our only issue was; no stick.  There were dried reeds that looked like sticks but they could not be tossed far and Kyle just ate them anyway.  Oh well, he still got tuckered out swimming and that was what we came for.


A group of senior high school kids gave us a cute show on a steep hill in the park.  I missed filming the best 'crash' but I did capture a couple of their antics.  See if you can figure out what they are doing. 


This area is not like Nevada.  People here are affluent.  The farmlands are plush, irrigation is everywhere and 'For Sale' signs are not so prominent. I guess investing in the food supply does survive every economic crash!


The sun was lovely and warm when we went into the grocery store.  It was gone and the wind was whipping when we came out.  By the time we drove back to our RV park, rain was beating down and the wind was rocking the trailer.  I turned on the furnace !!! NOT, the bugger won't autolight.  Read the book, tried and tried. No joy.  Out with the woollies, thunder and lightning, very gusty winds that did diminish in the night, but morning arrived with steady East winds at 35k and cold.


Our plan was to make it to Yellowstone National Park on Saturday.  We met a family who had just travelled through West Yellowstone today and they fought snow and ice road conditions.  We logged onto the Weather Network to try and find some escape but there is none.  So Yellowstone is out for this trip.  We are headed up the road to Idaho Falls and maybe we can find an RV shop open that can check the furnace!  Not sure what next.

Saying Goodbye to Ely

Ely was a great find.  After the rail yard tour, we were told to eat at the Red Apple restaurant for lunch.  When we walked in we were the only people in the place.  I yelled; "Fire up the grill" and a young lady shouted; "Mom, man here says fire up the grill"!  By the time we had eaten the place was packed.


Right next door was the local museum.  Entry by donation.  These little places are so much fun.  They have moved original buildings from around the town to this location to preserve them.  Much more fun to visit than the big city places where everything is far away and behind glass. Photo Album.



Downtown Ely was a busy place.  Many more motels than I would have expected.  Most of the main street has been restored and the Hotel Nevada was the star attraction.  We showed up just in time for Free Pizza (kitchen specialty) and after 20 minutes eating and playing penny slots, our dinner and beers cost us $3.30.  The hotel was a museum itself and the deer chandelier was absolutely priceless. Kaye just kept saying; "No", over and over.  Photo album. 


From Ely we are going to continue on the 93 North to Twin Falls Idaho.  Weather is supposed to get cool and we may get rain.  Iif I get a good WiFi connection, I can catch up on the blog and posting photos.   Bye for now.

Whoo, Whoo.. All Aboard

The first part of today is for Gerry Young.  We are not train buffs, but we have visited Gerry's basement so could not pass up what we found in Ely.   The Nevada Northern Railway is long gone but 14 miles of track and all of the original rail yard and maintenance buildings have been preserved and continue to be fully functional.

This is the only place left in America where you can not only take a train ride on an old steamer, but you can pay to be the engineer / operator for the complete journey.   The photo album is quite large and I have scanned the information from the brochure and the description of the rail yard.

Our personal tour guide for the afternoon (just for the two of us) cost $4 each.  We felt that "Bob" was worth a lot more than that and so we made a donation to their society as well.  Bob is 81 and only works 5 days a week in the off season.  He steps it up to six during the peak summer months.  He is normally the Walking Tour Guide and Concession Host but if one of the other volunteers is missing he fills in as an operational Engineer, Brakeman (front or rear), or Conductor.  He does not shovel coal any more on the steamers!

Bob was wonderfully soft spoken with exceptional clarity.  His role as Tour Guide was very well suited.  He seemed to enjoy it best when you asked specific questions as it gave him a chance to stray from his set routine.  I did not understand much of the technical specifications that he rattled off as he described the role of every building, piece of machinery and of course the many different steam and diesel locomotives. 

There are a number of full time paid machinists working on restoring and repairing the many loco's and other cars on site.  Volunteers run, work and do the daily maintenance on the operational cars and loco's.  It is a very popular destination in the summer months.  Gerry, I hope you enjoy the photos and the story.  We are really happy we found this place!

Ely Nevada...We were reminded it is pronounced; EeeLeee Not EeeLie

To escape Vegas we were recommended to head North into the desert mountains.  We Google'd a bunch of towns on the two lane highways and settled on Ely, Nevada and the Prospector Hotel, Casino and RV Park (Has a pool and hot tub so we are not roughing it).


 The drive was only 250 miles, Hyw 93 and 318 North to 6. The road was great and the reduction in temperature was a dream come true.  The changing face of the desert is something that we will have to come back and see again.  I guess we are very fortunate to be here at this particular time of the year as it is during these few short weeks that the desert blossoms.  I would not want to be here in summer (120F, 100 at night).


One thing very obvious during the drive was that the 'little' towns and homesteads are all deserted. The locals say there are more Ghost Towns now than in the 1800s.  Look at the photo and see if you can find us on the map!


Once we found Ely (Eelee) and spoke with a very informative desk clerk about what to do and what to see, we decided to make Ely a two day stay.  We knew we owed Kyle a swim as the poor fella had been cooped up the whole stay in Vegas due to the heat so our first order of business was finding a lake.  We found Cave Lake, it was a beauty and we all enjoyed it, Kyle was the only swimmer.  I have narrated the photos in the album so I won't repeat them,  read along and you will pick up the story line.


Ely is a very historic town that is struggling to stay on the map.  It is still one of the largest copper mining areas along with many other precious ores but with automation that does not employ many anymore.  However, the city is hanging on as a holiday stop.   Hyw 93 is listed as a historic scenic route and Federal money has kept the highway in great shape.  Hundreds of caves in the surrounding mountains are now hiking and climbing attractions designed for the young and flexible! We were surprised to watch the RV park and the Hotel sell out on a weeknight, off season.  Good for them. 
Our only complaint with the RV Park was that the WiFi was very weak and brutally slow.  So there will be no photo uploading or blog while we are here.  Tomorrow will be special treat for Gerry.  I will leave it up to Claudia to show him the pictures!

OK, Lets Talk About Vegas

Vegas was wonderful. 

If any of you choose to visit Vegas via RV then we have to recommend the park we stayed in.  It is aptly called the ‘LasVegas RV Resort’ on S. Nellis Road.   It is located a block from Sams Town Casino (one of the big ones not on the strip, on Boulder Highway instead).  The park was $30 night, beautiful, lovely pool and spa, gym, laundry, dog runs, coffee, office centre etc, etc.  Everything you would expect in a 5* hotel.  We could have stayed at the Sams Town RV park and saved $10 but no pool/spa or extras.  Well worth the extra.  We met many ‘seniors’ at our multiple visits to the pool (middle 90s F.) and got the low down on all the best deals in town.

On Sunday we had a Prime Rib buffet at Arizona Charlie’s Casino and Hotel.  After the inside scoop from the pool gossip group we qualified for the Senior’s discount, the Club Player Discount and the 25% off special coupon.  It all turned into two dinners with two Bud Lights for $21, taxes in.  These seasoned RVers know the ropes of Vegas!  The meal was incredible, melt in your mouth Prime Rib and Kyle was the winner of all the trimmings.

We walked the strip on Saturday, played some slots, won a free lunch but most of all we watched the people.  Vegas has tried to make itself a ‘Family Destination’.  In my opinion they have failed, for a host of reasons that I will keep to myself but I cannot recommend bringing small children here.  It truly was fun seeing the Bridal Groups in their loud T shirts announcing the end of another young lady’s or man's single life and the excitement of people really having a good time with each other.  At home, gambling just seems wrong, but here it truly fits and is fun.

Kaye made a big deal out of telling the folks at the pool how much I loved cars.  They of course said that we should not miss the Imperial Casino’s Car Museum.  She agreed.  What that meant was; I got to drive her to the massive South Vegas Outlet Mall and drop her off.  I was then given the options of; Three, Four or Five hours to come back and pick her up.  Have a nice day, ‘Dear’.  As much as I love cars, I figured the three hour option would be the easiest on my bank account.  I think I was right.

Kaye announced with pride that she did not spend a penny on tacky tourist souvenirs but she won’t discuss the Outlet Mall other than to model some very lovely new ‘stuff’.  Nuff said or I am going to get wacked.

The museum is a must for all my car buff friends.  $10 or free with a coupon.  Of course I had a coupon, thanks again to the ‘pool group’.  All of the cars in the museum are; ‘For Sale’, for the right price, except a very select few like Johnny Carson’s $1 donation of his dad’s original 39 Chrysler (Fully Restored).  One of the first cars to really catch my eye was a 57 T Bird Convertible (know anybody who loves convertibles?), I reached for my wallet out of instinct and was shocked to find that all my credit cards were missing.  Kaye is a very smart lady.  Link to the Photo Album.

Vegas is in a worst state than Reno was in 2010.  Foreclosures are still growing and everything is 'For Sale'.  I took pictures of whole malls for sale and others that have only the brand name store still open and everything else deserted.  Sad. The bottom has not been reached according to the locals.  We met an unemployed union carpenter at the dog park who told us very sad stories of the economics.  Real Estate is dirt cheap.  Only thing booming is RV Resorts for retired Canadians and Northern USA folks with money!

When Kaye was here four years ago she had to fly home on New Year’s Eve and missed a trip to Old Vegas (Freemont Street) and the new overhead light show.  We were ordered to see it by the ‘pool group’.  I messed up and forgot my Japanese Tourist Camera Bag so no sooner had I filmed the Overhead Lights and the Zip Line and the batteries died.  You are probably tired of my pictures by now anyway.   You have to see this.  It is Marti Gras every night.  There were two live bands, an incredible Blues Jazz sax player, dozens of costumed actor wantabees and some really talented artistic artists.  A true 'Must See' if you visit Vegas.  Link to a short video. We went to the original Golden Nugget Saloon, which I visited 25 years ago and sat at the same bar, played $.25 poker and had a beer!

"Buddy"

It is a shame that they still allow smoking in the casinos (Sams Town had a small ‘No Smoking’ section whose slots paid for our dinner) because trying to rebrand themselves as Family Adventures just doesn’t work well in a smoky atmosphere with scantily clad bar maids.

 We stayed two extra nights, enjoyed some really good ‘down’ time and had fun. Kyle loved the leash-less dog lovers park and we loved taking him there.  We met many other dog lovers with stories that we will get to tell for years.  We even taught one man’s dog to fetch, something ‘Buddy’ had never done for ‘David’.

The heat is going to break into the three diget numbers this week so we are going to hit the road.  We are going to avoid the interstate again and wind our way towards Salt Lake City on the two lane roads and explore.  Let you know tomorrow how we make out.