28 July, 2007 – Saturday – Olympia, WA

Hard to believe it’s been 4 days since my last blog. Fortunately, Connie reminded me of this delinquency before dinner this evening. A dinner of Alaskan Cod, fresh corn, fresh radishes / salad, and 2-Buck Chuck Chardonnay (from Trader Joe’s) – wonderful eating.

To catch up on events: Carol (our daughter) arrived successfully on Wednesday (25th) for the Writer’s Conference at SeaTac. We met her at the airport and delivered her to the Hilton Hotel / convention site. After a less than successful dining experience Wednesday p.m., I returned to Olympia campground – leaving Margaret and Carol to get settled / ready for Thursday.

I am pleased to report that things are going extremely well for Carol and her encounters / meetings with the editors / agents at the conference. I’ll let Margaret fill in the details – when I pick them up tomorrow (Sunday).

In the meantime, I have been resting and picking up loose ends. Loose ends defined here as moving the motor-home this a.m. (couldn’t get a single “good” spot for the three weeks we’re in Olympia). But it was not a problem – nice thing about a motor-home vs a 5th wheel trailer – much easier to maneuver by yourself when backing into a tight spot. So I am now in a nice spot – fairly level and easy to get in / get out.

I have written about the camp-ground we’re in. It is the same one we were in last year – yes, the same one that had the brushfire last year; and scared us to death. To be honest, we weren’t scared to death – just concerned that it would jump the fire road and engulf the surrounding trees. Just worried. But it is a lovely campsite – amidst the tall trees and undergrowth. You’d think you were in the middle of nowhere – not 5 miles from the state capitol.

So what to do when No. 1 wife is off and I am left alone with Suki – the cat? In a nutshell, try to keep the cat satisfied with rubs and food – food being most important.

Yesterday, Friday, I re-visited one of Olympia’s most beautiful assets: Tumwater Falls Park. I’m including a couple of photos from my one-hour stroll. The park is located just south of the state capitol buildings and adjacent to the old Olympia brewery in Tumwater, WA. I’m told that it is most beautiful in winter with snow, but I am satisfied with sunlight and greenery.

When walking in the park – along the Deschutes River - it is hard to believe it is adjacent to Interstate 5 (yes, the one that goes through LA to Tijuana, Mexico). The sound of the river, rapids, and falls, drowns out the sound of modern civilization. Most pleasant; all that, and close at hand. There is also a park for public picnics. In late summer; early fall, you can watch the salmon spawning upstream – struggling through the fish traps and falls. Fascinating.

The state helps with this process. They harvest (?) the fish eggs and transplant them upstream and enable the spawning process to begin again.

Tomorrow, I pick up Carol and Margaret. We plan to drive into Seattle. Carol wants to see the Space Needle, Pike’s Place Market, and downtown Seattle. We’ll be back here tomorrow night. Monday, we’ll show Carol the Olympia environs. Tuesday, it’s back to SeaTac for her return to LA.

Lot’s to do; not a lot of time.

Tuesday – July 24, 2007 – Olympia, WA

It has been a couple of days since our last blog posting. This blog will be to let everyone know we arrived safely in Olympia, WA. I say this with more truth than usual.

We left Issaquah, WA, Sunday morning and successfully negotiated the traffic and highways around Seattle. Just south of SeaTac airport, traffic – all 5 lanes of it – came to a complete stop. It proceeded to inch along for the next 30 minutes. After a few minutes, we suddenly realized that the northbound side of I-5 had NO TRAFFIC on it – nada, zip – just 5 lanes of empty concrete. Not a good sign.

To make the story brief, at 8:30 Sunday a.m., a young man (21), in an Accura was traveling south on I-5 at over 100 mph when he left the road, went through the median barricade and into the on-coming northbound traffic. Probably because it was a Sunday morning, traffic was relatively light. He was killed and the driver of the car he hit was sent to the hospital. Two other cars were damaged in the ensuing pin-ball bouncing, but the passengers were not injured.

When we finally passed the scene at about 11:30, they were loading his car on a flat-bed truck. Looking at it, I’d guess it was about 24 inches thick – truly flattened.

We have noticed and commented to each other on the “pocket-rocket” cars that many young folks are driving these days – the small Hondas, Mitsubishis, Toyotas, Accuras, and Nissans (to name a few). You’ve seen them: about half the size of a real car; big (loud) exhaust, spoiler on the rear deck, and flashy tire rims / wheel covers. Usually driving 15 – 25 mph over the speed limit and lane-changing to gain an extra 2 – 3 seconds over everyone else. Often there will be two of these – in effect, racing.

Anyway, we arrived safely. We are enjoying seeing Connie and Harold – great food, conversation, and sometimes great card games.

Today, we’re dropping off the Saturn for detailing – try and get the road tar and other junk we’ve picked up along the way (inside and out!). Then off to the casino for breakfast and a little penny-slot excitement.

Tomorrow, Carol – our daughter arrives from LA. We’re looking forward to seeing her and vicariously sharing her adventures this week at the Writer’s Conference at the SeaTac Hilton.

Wayne

Saturday, July 21, 2007 – Issaquah, WA

We awoke this morning to cloudiness, but scattered sunshine. Much more pleasant than yesterday’s solid clouds / rain. But then we are in the northwest!

After a “champion’s” breakfast of Krispy Kreme and coffee(!), we were fueled for the day – at least until our sugar / caffeine “crash”. Our first stop was the local Farmer’s Market at Pickering Barn in Issaquah. Like so many of the Farmer’s Markets we’ve visited during this trip, there were lots of gorgeous flowers ($5 purchased an enormous bouquet), beets, onions, carrots, peas, green and wax beans, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, apricots, pears, apples, honey, and the local specialties, gardening advice, and the arts. This one had one difference: a sustainable ornamental garden /original family barn.

As we walked through the garden, we were struck by the variety of flowers and plants that flourish in the northwest. Margaret remarked several times during our travels in this part of the country how many varieties of green and texture there are. Every turn in the road reveals a new combination of color and texture. In the East, you have pines, oaks, palms, and kudzu(!). Here, you have seemingly endless varieties of fir, pines, elm, spruce, hemlock, ferns, fruit brambles (raspberries, blackberries, etc.), and Japanese Maples. (Plus lots I can’t identify successfully.) Many of the municipalities plant fruit trees along the streets.

One of today's photos is of a vegetable display. Surprisingly, we didn’t buy any of the produce – although it looked wonderful. So what did we buy? Pasta! Yes, pasta. A local couple had produced an interesting variety of flavors, so we bought three kinds: lemon/ginger, saffron, and curry spaghetti. We haven’t had any yet, so we’ll have to report back later on how they tasted.

But one thing they do have in the northwest, at least around the Seattle area is urban growth. Here we are, 17 miles from downtown – across Lake Washington / Mercer Island – in the foothills of the Cascades, and there is traffic and housing development on every hand. A photo shows one example of the growth on the hillside – just above our RV Park – and close to a Boeing plant. I often wonder how many different Boeing plants there are, scattered around Seattle. The traffic is heavy!

After a short period of sunshine today, the rain returned this evening. Still mild, but wet and humid. Tomorrow we head south to Olympia for an extended stay. We will be seeing Connie and Harold (our friends in Olympia / Fernandina Beach). Wednesday, our daughter Carol arrives from LA for her writer’s conference at SeaTac. Margaret and I will drive up Wednesday to pick her up at the airport. Margaret will be staying with her during the conference and I will drive up a week from tomorrow (Sunday, July 29) to pick them up for Carol’s short stay with us in Olympia. She will fly back to LA on Tuesday, 31st. I don’t know which one of us is more excited.

Last, but not least, was our discovery of a Trader Joe’s market, less than 5 minutes from our RV site. Yesterday (Friday) we loaded up on a variety of yummies – had two quiches last night for dinner. I bought a case of “Two-Buck Chuck” Cabernet Sauvignon wine. In case you’ve never heard of it, it was introduced (I think in California) several years ago at $1.99 – thus the name. Later they raised the price a dollar, but it’s still a bargain – an excellent wine for less than $3.00. While we were in the store yesterday, a sales associate asked if we had tried their Chardonnay. No, we hadn’t. She said it had won several awards; but they had a hard time keeping it in stock. So today, I returned and bought another case of the Cabernet Sauvignon and a case of the Chardonnay. I’ll let you know how the Chardonnay turns out! (Margaret commented this evening at dinner that the Cabernet was a lot better than some of the wines costing a lot more than those we tasted in Canada. (Sorry, Canada!)

The last photo of the day captures a gentleman’s humor. I thought about buying the sign that said: Old Crow and Cute Chick Live Here – for display in our motor-home, but Margaret nixed the idea. The cut-out of the youngster eyeing the cut-out of the large lady says it all. Fun for all!

Friday, July 20, 2007 – Issaquah, WA – Friday

Last year, before we began our travels, I read a book – and I apologize I don’t remember the name or authors, or I would give them credit. In a nutshell, they circumnavigated the USA in 365 days in a RoadTrek van. In their book, they mention a number of times that they would have day(s) where they wouldn’t do anything – anything: like sightseeing, chores, shopping, or traveling – just “chilling out”, i.e., doing NOTHING.

We have learned in our last two years of travel, that even though you may not have a schedule and you’re not WORKING, you do not feel a need to “sight-see”; there is no need to do anything – so you agree amonst yourselves not do to ANYTHING. Just relax and do whatever comes along.

Today was one of those days. We woke to rain – rain in Seattle? How novel! Actually they are having their first period of rain in a while and need it. We took it in stride. After a relaxing morning, we ventured out to check the local shopping. After locating the movie theatre (for a later viewing of Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix), we located Costco (always important), and stopped in to the local Trader Joe’s. If you have never shopped in a Trader Joe’s, it is truly a religious experience. Unfortunately, we have none in the southeast USA. Maybe someday; in my lifetime?

The rain continued all day. The photo of the day demonstrates two truisms: a) rain and cloudy skies in Washington state; and b) the “paved paradise(s)” I have written about. Other than being sterile and generally unfriendly, “paved paradise(s)”, have lot going for them. Like a MacDonald’s or Holiday Inn, they are predictable. Nothing exciting or memorable, but very predictable, and when you need them, very welcome.

So although we are “parked” less than 100 yards from I-90 and surrounded by fellow RV’ers, it provides a place to hang your “hat”, dump the “excess fluids”, fill up the fresh water, and generally take it easy. Plus, one often has cable TV (the situation here) in which to catch up on the cable TV shows. Like the MacDonald’s / Holiday Inn – not exciting or rewarding, just something you occasionally need to recharge batteries, etc.

One thing we have learned in the last 24 hours: serious traffic is no fun. After 12 years in middle Georgia and Amelia Island, we have become accustomed to little or no traffic. WOW! Even here in Issaquah – 17 miles due east of downtown Seattle – traffic is a nightmare. Of course the rain doesn’t help (being unaccustomed to rain and unfamiliar with the roads), it is easy to blame the other drivers. They, of course, are used to it; we’re not. But that doesn’t make it any less intimidating – or unnerving. But we survived with nary a dent or scare.

Thursday July 19, 2007 – Issaquah, WA

After a beautiful, sunny morning, we pulled out of the Wenatchee River County RV park. This site came as a surprise to us because although it is a county government-run park, it is nicer than most of the private / commercial RV parks in the USA with expanses of green grass, large shade trees, the nearby Wenatchee River, free WiFi (that worked), generous spaces, all in all very nice.

Today was a short drive – only 126 miles – with the first 47 miles through the Wenatchee Nat’l Forest, just southwest from Leavenworth. A typical northwest forest with the road following streams and cascading brooks and ragged clouds hanging in the tree tops. We picked up I-90 in Cle Elum (meaning "swift water" in the language of the Kittitas Indians) and headed west to Issaquah (a native name meaning "the sound of birds". Another version of the name is said to have come from the pioneers, who, being impressed with the multitude of wetland birds, called the area Squak Valley. When the next wave of settlers came and asked for the name of area, the natives told them, "Is Squak."). Who knows?

Although we drove in partly cloudy conditions across Snoqualmie Pass (elevation 4,102 ft), it wasn’t until we were in the RV park and I got out to hook up electricity, water, etc., that the rain started coming down seriously. But it didn’t last long, so I finished my tasks, mostly dry, and we settled down to watch cable TV – haven’t done that in a long time. Margaret is busy with her sudoku puzzles. And I’m drafting this blog.

Didn’t have a chance to do any photo stuff today, so I’m going to include some from earlier during our last day in Summerland, BC, Canada. The day’s highlight was the visit to the Ornamental Gardens. We included several photos from that visit, but there were so many, I’ve decided to include a few more.

The first – of the bench – was representative of the garden’s approach. While surrounded by beautiful flowers, towering trees, and vistas, there were several benches in strategic sites where you could just sit and enjoy the ambience.

The second is whimsical – the first time we saw tented fruit trees at a distance, we thought it was something from a sci-fi movie; Return of the Pod People or similar. Although we may not be accurate in our assessment, we concluded it was a form of organic gardening. By enclosing each fruit tree in a tent (mosquito netting?), they avoided spraying pesticides. But it sure looks funny.

Lastly, a classic of the soaring Sequoia – at least that’s what we think it is. Has the right kind of bark – might be a Red Pine? Neither of us is much at botany. At one point we learned, through an educational sign, the difference between Lodgepole Pine, Douglas Fir, and Spruce. But that learning quickly evaporated as we were inundated by the many varieties in various forests. And of course that all changed as we drove south and west – with different climates. Sigh… If the photo is not a Sequoia, please let me know and I’ll correct the nomenclature.

18 July, 2007 – Wednesday – Wenatchee to Leavenworth, WA

It rained off and on all night. Still drippy this a.m. with lots of clouds and gray skies. But life moves on.

We headed up to Leavenworth, WA, to see the sights. Leavenworth is a created Bavarian town – with German food and souvenirs: music boxes, cuckoo clocks, chocolate, nutcrackers, incredible crystal, beautiful linens, fine porcelains, and all the stuff that comes with a tourist attraction. Plus local wines in the Germanic style, and imported beer. It’s the kind of place that after a few hours of poking around, I’m ready to leave. At least that was the way it was with us. Tonight there is a performance of “Sound of Music” at the outdoor amphitheatre, and there are mid-summer jazz and chamber music festivals.

We had lunch in Café Christa (second floor). Both of us had a goulash (I thought that was a Hungarian dish?). I had a German beer; Margaret had local water. It was OK, but not great.

Today was not a great photo day. Blame it on the cloudy conditions or what we encountered; whatever. Looking over our shots for the day, we concluded it wasn’t memorable despite some promising shots of the bountiful, colorful hanging flower baskets. They are enormous!

The weather has cleared – finally. The evening is wonderful – great time to sit under the spreading elms and enjoy the sound of the river and twilight. The campground is serene. I walked down to the river this p.m. There are lots of trees and bushes along the banks that were uprooted – probably during the recent spring thaw – along the river bank. Folks were out enjoying rafting down the Wenatchee River, in rafts accommodating one to twenty. There are no falls, just rapids, between Leavenworth and Wenatchee, so it is an easy raft trip. Makes me wish I could have taken it – particularly since the river is so close to our campsite.

Photos today are limited – we can’t figure out whether it was the weather, the sites, or just us. The two photos in down-town Leavenworth are representative of a town determined to appear Bavarian. Whether it “works” or not is up to the observer. The last shot is of a small town between Wenatchee and Leavenworth – named Cashmere. We didn’t find any sweaters of note, but we did buy some pastries. Other than the roof covered in moss (lichen?) and an upside-down crow, it wasn’t memorable. Maybe one has to get involved to uncover hidden qualities?

Tomorrow we head west to Issaquah. We hear it is a great place; our next lay-over before heading into Olympia where we will spend the next 2+ weeks.

Tuesday – July 17, 2007 – Wenatchee

A day filled with mixed experiences – like most of life’s days! We had some successes – and some not so successes. The campsite by the Wenatchee River continues to be a pleasant experience. Driving in Wenatchee trying to deal with life’s challenges was not always pleasant. So what’s new?

This morning we signed up for another night – thru Wednesday night – but they could not take us for another night. Turns out a church group is arriving en masse Thursday evening for the weekend and taking over the campground. Should I tell them I need saving?

We drove into town this morning and found lots of things we needed (and some we didn’t). For starters, we visited the local Wal-Mart to pick up miscellaneous items. It wasn’t a Super Wal-Mart, but they had some of the things we wanted. We have found it interesting how Wal-Mart’s vary from town to town. Some have everything (well, almost everything) you want; while the next one is missing “essentials”. Strange.

For example: yesterday we picked up a can of Planter’s Deluxe Mixed Nuts for snacking. When we popped the top, the aluminum sealer foil had been opened. Not knowing what mischief might have been played with the can, we visited the local Wal-Mart for a refund. The sign over the counter said CUSTOMER SERVICE. It should have said, CUSTOMER DISSERVICE. There were three ladies behind the counter and five customers in line. Doesn’t sound like a problem does it? Unfortunately two of the three ladies behind the counter were waiting on the phone – on HOLD, for ten minutes. Finally, I arrived at the counter and successfully got a refund on my nuts!

We arranged for our mail to be forwarded to the local FedEx office today. It arrived right on time – thanks to our house sitter. But probably the most important item – our ATM Debit card – wasn’t in the package. More calls to Wachovia! Sigh…

Other surprises in the mail, but I won’t bore you with them.

Today’s other adventures included dropping the laundry at a local (Latino operated) laundry for Wash-Dri-Fold. A wonderful concept when you’re on the road. Rather than sit in a questionable Laundromat for hours; waiting for clothes to wash, finding an empty dryer(s), and waiting for ALL the clothes to dry; we love dropping off a LARGE bag of dirty clothes and returning 4 hours (approx) later to find them washed, dried, and neatly folded. We have attempted to do cost comparisons with Do-It-Yourself, but it’s hard to value the convenience of having them do it! So wherever possible, we let THEM do it!

Margaret retired to the motor-home this p.m. to catch up on reading and e-mail, so I ventured into town for the various chores. Thought I was going to be killed several times. I don’t know what gets into people, but this afternoon it was as though everyone was late for something. You’ve had those days?

We drove around the valley this morning looking for "action". We found more orchards. Actually found a Winery / Tasting room - but they were closed.

We have been intrigued by the young cherry trees - they look like young Triffid with their single "head" stalks, and their multiple arms. Hard to get a good photo but maybe today's will demonstrate.

After picking up the mail, laundry, and miscellaneous from the grocery store, I stopped off at the local river-front park for some photo ops. I found an example of why travel is so broadening (or educational). The first photo is of a “machine” designed exclusively to clean out waste from water-way inlets. A paddle-wheeler with a scoop on the front (and a dumper on the back). He was backing and maneuvering in the water-way to pick up algae and other debris from the Columbia River. Fascinating innovation.

There was a walking-bridge I thought might cross the river, so I embarked. Alas it was only across a number of railroad tracks. I thought this array of rail-cars waiting to be loaded was interesting. I have not idea what they might ultimately carry, but it was visually fascinating.

One of the other local signs of interest was the Bison Bagel shop. I've heard of Bison Burgers, but never a Bison Bagel. I don't think I want to know any more!

I also found wild raspberries growing along the river along with wild-flowers.

Yesterday, we realized we have driven / visited a large part of Columbia River – all the way from British Columbia to Astoria, OR. The current portion – from Brewster, WA to Wenatche,WA - new to us, but similar to the section around The Dalles in Oregon.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) we are heading to Leavenworth – about 15 miles NW of our current site. We visited Leavenworth many years ago, but are anxious to revisit it.

Thanks to all of you for the encouraging comments.

Wayne

Monday, July 16, 2007 – Penticton, BC to Wenatchee, WA

Yes, back in the US of A (or whatever the Beatles named it). Although we got away at a reasonable time this morning, the line was long at US Customs, the Washington State Road Department was making repairs, and add to that an accident. All those things impeded our progress. Add to that, traffic.

Actually, I exaggerate (I’ve been known to). The US Customs officials were efficient and cooperative – after a short exchange of, “where have you been; who did you visit; how long were you in Canada, etc.”; we were waved through. I declared my 7 bottles of Okanagan wines, two bottles of Absolut, and one can of beer; he said “It’s not worth your time to pay $1.42 duty; go, and enjoy your wine.” Wow!

After a relatively long day, we have found camping nirvana! (More later) - I say long day; it was only 228 miles (long by our standards), but included lots of highway repairs; waiting for prescription service at a local Wal-Mart, small town speed limits, and of course, the US border crossing. As it turned out, it was quite a scenic drive. We followed the Okanagan River from the valley where we spent the last 5 days, down to Brewster, WA where the Okanogan (spelled differently in the USA) joins the Columbia River (on its way to the Pacific at Astoria, OR).

When we left Florida – back in May – we drove through smoke from the Georgia / Florida fires all the way to Nashville, TN. How fitting then that as we drove back into the USA through Oroville, WA (on US 97) that we should drive through more smoke from fires in the hills around Omak, WA.

The drive along the Okanagan River (or however you wish to spell it) is a drive through orchard after orchard of apples, peaches, cherries, apricots, and grapes (plus others, unidentified from the road). What a wonderful growing paradise this land of arid hills, wonderful lakes / rivers, and rocky hillsides. If you add water, it will grow – apparently whatever you decide to plant.

The upper Okanagan Valley is quite populous with a heavy influx of tourist, retirees, and summer vacationers. As you drive south, that population disappears and you are left with basic farming, agriculture, and service industries. At some points you are left with the feeling that you are at the end of the earth. But there are folks scratching out a living selling cherries or apples at roadside stands.

Anyway, on to tonight’s resting place: as I said, after a long day, we were ready to stop at almost anything that said RV. Fortunately, Margaret spotted a sign saying Wenatchee County Park – left lane. Naturally I was in the right lane with a convoy of cars in the left. Bravely I put on the left turn blinker and a kind soul gave me a gap.

So we are ensconced tonight in one of the most idyllic campsites imaginable -- about 40 yards from the raging Wenatchee River, and almost as far from our nearest neighbor. Green grass; abundant trees; beautiful hillsides; full hook-ups: what more can you ask. (Also, only $24 / night with full hook-ups.) Life is good!!!

Tonight’s photos are: 1) the view from the back of our motor-home of the Wenatchee River and environs; 2) a wonderful pair of trees – also close to our site – spelling W for Wayne (or as Margaret observed) and M for Margaret viewed by the angels above.

By the way, we had a near-death experience today. I was inexplicably delayed at Wal-Mart getting my prescriptions filled. Eventually they were filled and we were on our way. But just south of Omak, WA, there was a “terrible” accident – closing the highway for hours. Had we not been delayed, we might have been involved. Moral: never question divine acts of intervention!

We will stay here for several nights while we enjoy the environment – and relax back in the US of A. And yes, we are within cell-phone range! This is reported to be a special weekend in the area. We’re up for anything.

M. Wayne is outside, humming with delight in the twilight. Odds and ends: leaving Penticton a sign announced the performance of Relvis (Elvis with an R), and on the same sign, a Sasquatch breakfast. Or one could enjoy a Chinese smorgasbord. Down the road a bit, was a bald eagle looking for the above mentioned Sasquatch breakfast. We saw several bald eagles and their nests along the lake. What else (we always have “list” which we can’t remember)? The scenery/area seemed quite inhospitable, dry, sage brush, rocky cliffs, rumpled hills with few trees to break up the barrenness of it all. Not that there needed to be – the orchards were incredible, laden with every fruit imaginable, covered every tillable surface.

Thanks for your interest in our adventures

Wayne

p.s. In case you haven't discovered "by accident", if you double-click on the various photos included these blogs, will give you a full screen view. Sometimes the photos - as seen in the blog - are pretty tiny and the details aren't visible. Try double-clicking and see how it works.

Sunday, July 15, 2007 – Summerland, BC

Sometimes when you plan your outings, they often don’t live up to expectations. Other days, you don’t plan and wonderful things happen. Is there a truism for life in that observation? Anyway, we arose today with thoughts about lying low and preparing for our drive south tomorrow. But then we decided that it would be foolish to sit in the camper with the wonderful world around us – so out we went. What a great decision!

Driving south to Penticton on early days, we had seen a sign for Ornamental Gardens “experiment” station. Intrigued, we went there first. What a delight! I am not a gardener – I admit it; the genes for that talent are all with Margaret – but it was lovely. Perched atop one of the local hills, there was something to entrance the senses – ranging from riots of color and texture, to yawning chasms (totally unexpected – good thing they had fences up!), wonderfully mature trees of all descriptions: sequoia, magnolia (like none we’ve ever seen), ginkgos, Douglas firs, and many others I can’t name. My one disappointment was they didn’t have EVERYTHING named.

Naturally, as you would expect, we both took lots and lots of flower pictures. There is an art to taking photos of flowers and I’m not here to demonstrate the right way or the wrong way to do it. But there were so many gorgeous colors, it was hard not to point and shoot. Margaret managed to capture the rare, elusive Monarch dining collecting nectar.

When not enjoying the flower beds, the expanse of green lawns under the lofty trees was an experience in itself. What a great place to spend the day relaxing amidst Mother Nature’s beauty. There were nooks beneath trees for viewing the vistas, picnic benches in the shade for lunching, and winding paths to wander. One could easily spend the day there, relaxing with Mother Nature. There was a trellised area for weddings and a covered area for music. I may throw in some other photos later (when things are slow) because the gardens and environs were breath-taking.

After a couple of hours when the sun began to bear down, we decided to move on. Instead of heading directly back, we elected to hit just one more (or two) wineries. The first, Silk Scarf, was operated by a retired Israeli Air Force pilot / officer. He immigrated to Canada from Israel three years ago. His choice of Canada (specifically the Okanagan Valley) came after considering Napa, Argentina, Chile, and other wine growing regions of the world. He is very happy here in British Columbia. (When I asked him why he chose Canada instead of the USA, he looked at me like I was quite slow, and announced Canada was by far the better place to live.)

I attempted to recall the names of those Israeli Air Force officers I had worked with for so long, but age and time caught up with me. I could only remember the names of two folks in Israel; he didn’t know any of them. Sigh…

Our next stop was the Dirty Laundry Winery. We stopped there just to prove to ourselves such a place existed – it did. The owner said they had sold out of their inventory last July (early in the season) – they were very pleased.

An interesting tidbit of local lore: the native Indian name for this valley meant “A place to live”. And surely it is. Not sure I could stand the -17 degree Celsius winters, but they do have a great climate to be so far north. The golfing brochures claim you can play 10 months of the year – more if they don’t get snow. To keep things in perspective however: the sign at the entrance to the gardens today said: an average of 176 frost free days per year! (That means they have 189 days a year where the temperature drops below 0 degrees C – 32 degrees F. That’s a lot of cold days in my book!)

Tomorrow we’ll be back in the US of A – with all its warts and problems. But it’s still home.

Saturday July 14, 2007 – Summerland – Okanagan Valley

Today has been quiet for us. We went into Penticton this morning for their weekly Farmer’s Market. Lot’s of folks and families and pets having a good time, getting some sun, and buying: the fruit array we mentioned yesterday, plus beets, lettuce, spinach, new potatoes, carrots, onions, rhubarb, kohlrabi, broccoli, and squash; pastries and bread; natural foods, beans, nuts, and grains; flowers and fruit trees; jams, juices, and honeys -- everything looked delicious! There was an art fair as well with soaps, lotions, clay pieces, glass, jewelry, etc. Almost forgot, two vendors featured alpaca wool skeins in white, brown and pinto, all home grown and sheared. Although we saw fruits and vegetables we would have liked to purchase, we remembered last year when the USA border guards confiscated some of the foodstuffs we had bought in Canada. So we’re trying to restrain ourselves from purchases that we can’t consume in the next 36 hours. There were so many people milling about, we couldn't get a good photo of the wares.

I, however, couldn’t resist the wineries yesterday, and bought eight bottles. It will be a challenge to get it all consumed by tomorrow night. I’ll let you know how that turns out!

Penticton is a pretty little town. I say little, when in fact it feels much bigger especially on the south side where fast food and chain proliferate. It is primarily a tourist and retirement town with all that entails. Folks in the streets are having a good time. The restaurants are busy as are the beaches and the lake. We have enjoyed our visit here.

While returning to our car, we walked through the lakefront park and found a small Japanese-style garden. Not fancy, but quite peaceful and serene in an otherwise bustling environ. The photo is of a single stone across a small pond drain with a single hand-rail. Simple but pretty.

After the Farmer’s Market, we drove south around the next lake in the chain of lakes (in the Okanagan Valley), Lake Skaha; much smaller than Okanagan Lake. Lake Skaha is surrounded by brown, arid hills and a small population. We did visit one of the wineries there – again on the eastern slope. The above photo says it all: Blasted Church Winery!

We had to ask where the name came from. In 1929, the local folk decided to relocate a small church to another site. A miner – with blasting experience – agreed to help. With four sticks of dynamite inside the church, he was going to “loosen the nails” – so it could be easily disassembled. Yes, you hear it correctly. Somehow, they were partially successful – the blast did not destroy the church (just the steeple), and they were able to dismantle it and relocate it to downtown Okanagan Falls. The winery is built on the site of the “Blasted Church”. Only in the Okanagan Valley!

The pew is their calling card – the entrance to the winery. One of their newest wines is Dam Flood! And the last photo is a collection of their postcards over the years. A fun place.

We returned to the camper and took a well deserved nap. A great thing about retirement without a fixed schedule!

Tomorrow we’ll check out some of the local Summerland attractions and prepare for our return to the good-ole US of A on Monday. We’re looking forward to having cell connections and getting mail.

Friday 13th, 2007 – Penticton wineries

When we managed to find a campsite yesterday, we were told it would only be for one night; and they might have a spot for us on Friday, but we’d have to relocate. After yesterday’s travails finding a campsite in the land of Canadian water / sun / wine worshippers, we weren’t optimistic about being able to stay in the area much loner. But Friday 13th turned out well for us. Although we had to relocate to another site, we were given the new site for an additional three nights! It is a much larger and longer site, and sheltered in a grove of large weeping willow trees. So we’ll be able to see local attractions, i.e., wineries!

But what a challenge! Within a 1 hour drive of our campsite, there are 88 wineries listed. To paraphrase the famous quote: So many wineries; so little time. Fortunately, there are mitigating circumstances: a) when you’ve visited one winery tasting room, you have pretty much seen them all; b) you can only taste so much in one day without your taste buds being overwhelmed; c) we can only store / carry so many wine cases before the motor-home cries uncle; and d) how does one choose / buy carefully when faced with so many choices. To narrow the choices, we had asked the wine merchants in Canmore for their recommendations on which wineries to visit. And Tina the young lady serving us last night in the restaurant seemed knowledgeable and recommended three wineries. So we had a plan!

Onward to the slopes, or more correctly, the Naramata Bench. Many of the area’s wineries are located on the hills / slopes of the eastern side of Lake Okanagan. Although there are wineries on the western side, it seems that the better soil / climate is on the eastern side. That’s where the better wines seem to be made – according to our guides.

Yesterday’s weather – blue, cloudless skies – deserted us. Still relatively hot – upper 80’s – but cloudy and gray most of the day. As you can see from today’s photo’s, there were rain clouds on the western side of the lake – mostly in the mountains – but it never rained seriously, just sprinkles.

The biggest surprise in the Okanagan Valley area is the sense of humor of local merchants – and wineries. You’re going to think I’m making these up, but I’m not. There is a Chinese Laundry Restaurant; and a Bum Wrap selling swim-suits and beach cover-ups in Penticton.

There are some “normal” winery names – Lang, Nichols, and Hillside Estates Winery. But then you have: Elephant Island Orchard, Black Widow (which was closed), Red Rooster, Tinhorn Creek, Tantalus, Blasted Church, Wild Goose, Burrowing Owl, Crowsnest, Dirty Laundry, Little Straw, Gray Monk, Laughing Stock, Forbidden Fruit, Hollywood and Wine, Howling Bluff, Tangled Vine, Stone Boat, Silk Scarf, and Margaret’s favorite: Therapy with their selection of Pink Freud, Freudian Sip, and Freudian SuperEgo. Their posters and t-shirts are whimsical as well.

As we headed back after our exhausting visit to the five wineries, we drove past the Penticton beach front (south end of Okanagan Lake). Folks were on the beach and in the water having fun. It is strange to see a beach on a lake – with wavelets – and gaggles of geese swimming alongside the vacationers (Canadian geese or American geese on vacation?). Everyone is tanned, or working on it. One can swim, water ski, float about on big round “inner tubes,” sail or power boat, and finish the day with a beach fire and cookout.

In addition to the wineries and their grapes, the Okanagan Valley has a wild profusion of fruit trees growing along side the grapes. We saw (and could identify): apples, pears, apricot, plums, cherry, peaches, and nectarines. It is very similar to the Yakima Valley in Washington State. Both have similar climates and soil. Both are a similar distance from the Pacific Ocean. Both are surrounded by mountains / hills makes for lush conditions for the fruit growing.

In the local hills, there is a hiking trail named: Three Blind Mice Trail. Why would I want to set out to hike a trail named after blind rodents? It’s too hot to hike anyway. Oh, last winter it got down to minus 17 degrees Celsius (1.6 degrees F). Cold enough. The lady who staffs the office said it was always colder in Montana to the south where her relatives lived.

Other odds and end: saw a tanned, be-turbaned Sikh gentleman in Bermuda shorts pedaling his bicycle down the road.

Tomorrow: the farmers’ market and exploration south.

Thursday July 12, 2007 – Summerland, BC

The last two days have been less than “smooth” – unlike most of the trip!

Yesterday (Wednesday) we carried our laptops up to the KOA office area to use their WiFi – Margaret to get her e-mail and myself to publish the last two blogs. As luck would have it, neither us could get connected. It had worked fine earlier, but not yesterday. We even tried again last night unsuccessfully. The only reception we got was from the mosquitoes. Sigh…

This morning brought its own set of hiccups. First, Suki, who thinks he's Marco Polo, got away from Margaret and ran off into the woods when some children got between him and the camper. He flew into the woods trailing his lead, which immediately got tangled as did he in the dense undergrowth. She just followed his yowls for help. Margaret finally got him untangled and carried him home. It didn’t do much for her temper. He's been a subdued puss the rest of the day.

Just as I started the engine, the Low Coolant light came on. Why me? But I wasn’t too concerned because our first stop was the local gas / diesel emporium for a top-up. Guess what? They were out of coolant! So we put in a pint or so of pure water to get us through the day. I wasn’t happy doing that, but I guess it will suffice until we reach civilization.

So, on to the wine country at last. After an uneventful trip down Trans Canada Hwy 1, we turned south in Sicamous. We are here to report the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is all it was reported and then some. We drove around / beside some of the largest lakes we’ve ever seen – outside of the Great Lakes. They reminded us of the lakes / lake-towns in northern Italy – with mountains / hills tumbling into the azure blue waters. Homes and condos built on the hillsides and down to the water. Lots of pleasure boats darting about the blue surface. Didn’t see any ferries plying across the lake however.

Our first major hurdle came when we stopped at a RV Park recommended by our “neighbors” in Revelstoke. “Stay at the Holiday RV Park in Winfield (just north of Kelowna).” Nada – no room.

Then on through the bustling city of Kelowna. Hard to believe they had 3 inches of snow only 2 weeks ago. It was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit as we battled the Thursday p.m. traffic (Margaret was driving by the way – a great job in a difficult situation).

South of town Hwy 97 (we departed Hwy 1) the road climbed the side of a mountain with the lake dropping away beneath us. It was beautiful and would have been more appreciated if we’d known we had a spot for the night!

We tried a provincial park south of Kelowna but no go. They had a spot but it was way too short. The problem, we learned, was every Canadian camper loves to go to the lakeshore for their vacation. And there are a lot of them! So we pressed on.

Driving into Summerland, we spotted a tourist info bureau, so we decided to play it smart and have their fingers do the walking. There are three RV parks in Summerland, so I picked one at random. Yes, they had a spot for us, so on we went. Upon arrival the manager allowed that they were new, they were booked up starting tomorrow. He didn’t want to let the motor-home and the car both in (the campground was too small for both of us). So we unhooked and I proceeded to attempt to put 10 pounds of blivots in a 5 pound bag. After scraping one side of the motor-home, I said, “Enough.”, and pulled out to check out the next RV park.

The site we have is a little better – at least the space is bigger. But the manager said we could only keep it one night. And then we have to move. We may just drive on to the USA tomorrow!

The one redeeming feature of this RV Park is that the WiFi works from our site. So I am able to get the last two blogs out, Margaret can check e-mail, and I can catch up on finances! We’ll let tomorrow take care of itself.

Our photo of today is from the one moment of respite during the otherwise tense day. Wherever possible, we like to stop by some scenic overlook for noon-time repast. Today was adjacent to Mara Lake, just south of Sicamous. The water was so clear you could count the stones on the bottom, and the surface sparkled with sunlight.

P.S. 10 PM (Mountain Daylight Time)
All is forgiven! In "desperation" we went out to explore what culinary adventures might be available in Summerland. Answer: None. (At least none that were open on a Thursday evening.) So we ventured south to the next town on the lake - Penticton. And found a most marvelous restaurant: Front Street Bar and Bistro. (Not an imposing title, but superb food.)

One of the most innovative menus we've seen in a long time. Not knowing what to order, we did appetizers: roasted garlic and brie platter with a blueberry compote; garlic and butter prawns; garlic and cheese mushroom caps (served in an escargot-style dish with 6 "holes"); garlic Ceasar salad; and a local Pinot Gris (no vampires tonight in this motor-home). Margaret finished it all off with a cheesecake and coffee. Let me say for the record: it was the most fantastic ending to an otherwise yuckee day. Made it all worthwhile.

Seriously folks, it was a meal worthy of a last meal. The wine was a wonderful complement; we are going to find the winery tomorrow (assuming we can get another night (or two) in town. Actually, Summerland is about 10 miles north of Penticton (pronounced: Pen-tick-ton); the beginning of the best wineries (according to our local gurus). Based on a short visit to Penticton, we want to stay for as long as we can get a campsite!!!

More later. Wayne

Wednesday, July 11, 2007 – Revelstoke – Glacier Natl Park

Another day of spectacular vistas with new aspects. As you will see with the today’s photo selections, we spent some time in Cedar Forest Boardwalk in Glacier National Park. There are several of these walks in the park above the vegetation to protect it.

To recap the day’s activity, we left Revelstoke late this morning and drove back up Trans Canada Hwy 1 to Roger’s Pass in Glacier National Park. There are reported to be almost 400 glaciers within the park (although I don’t know if this count was before or after “global warming”). I do know that you can see many glaciers from the highway, but not all. I think you would need one of the helicopter rides to see them all.

Revelstoke is approximately 2,000 feet nestled at the juncture of four valleys. Glacier National Park summit is approximately 4,400 feet – not as high as one might expect given the history of road and rail closures at the summit due to snow avalanches in the winter. So even though you’re at Roger’s Pass summit, you’re still dwarfed by the surrounding mountains.

In case you’re wondering about the photo choices, we elected not to use the WOW pictures of glaciers, mountains, and waterfalls. There were too many and we did want to include a few of the forest. By the way, I thought taking pictures of mountains and snow was a tough exposure, try taking shots in the deep woods with patches of sunlight! As a result, the photos can’t really do justice to the feeling of greenery, surrounded by massive trees, but we try.

The first was Margaret sitting down to take it all in. You can see the boardwalk climbing some way up the hill before looping back down. The second is of me holding apart the two trees was the walk favorite. In the minutes it took to move past these two trees, I watched at least 5 other folks make similar poses! I hope you can see the final photo – I call the green glowing tree. The sunlight was reflecting off the giant green leaves back on the bark of the tree making it glow. The giant leaves by the way are called Devil’s Club (I think that’s correct) and have extremely nasty looking thorns which were a major pain to the early settlers, pioneers, and railroad workers.

Other events of the day. While stopped at one of your typical WOW sights, a car bearing Texas plates pulled up behind us to also take photos. They were on their way to Lake Louise. We compared notes on the high speed drivers on this stretch of road. They certainly aren’t taking in the view – maybe they’ve seen it before?

Coming back, the temperature was 92 degrees. Shortly afterwards, we passed a family (including a baby) of Mountain Goats by the side of the road, grazing on the grass. Why in the world were they at this low elevation (probably about 2,500 feet), in the heat, in harm’s way from the speeding autos? And they didn’t even blink or look up when we went by! We have now seen the two indigenous goats and sheep of the mountains (the big-horn sheep are brownish with curving horns; the mountain goats are white with straighter / shorter horns and goatees).

While eating our lunch at one of the Cedar Forest Walk picnic tables, a green bus rolled in with a load of senior citizens (M. They were no older than us.), each carrying their lunches. The sign on the bus said “Big Green Gospel” – and had a British Columbia license plate.

A beautiful, bold stellar jay tried to wangle some handouts hopping across the picnic table. He was so colorful, bright blue and black. He then flew down to the newly cut grass and spread out – fanning out his tail and spreading his wings across the grass. He’d cock his head and look into the leaves. We watched, wondering what in the world he was doing. We decided, from glimpses of another bird in the foliage, he had a lady love in the trees above and was courting.

I did forget to mention when we were in the Safeway store (back in Canmore, Alberta) several days ago, the lady announcing various sale items in the store said, “Ya’ll come back and shop.” – definitely Southern accent! We would have liked to know what part of southern Canada she was from!

Tomorrow, wine country!

Tuesday July 10, 2007 Revelstoke – Revelstoke Mtn

Margaret wished we had seen snow – today she got her wish. But probably not as much as we hiked through. But first downtown.

We enjoyed visiting Revelstoke last year, one we reason we returned this year. It is a pleasant, friendly town, located at the juncture of four different valleys (and accompanying rivers/streams). It is also the staging area for the Canadian Pacific Railway with lines heading out in all directions.

We began the morning with coffee and pastries at a local bakery. Then we prowled the city streets looking for photo ops and general shopping. Margaret found both. The “main” street in town is closed on weekends for “farmer’s market” sales, but during the weekdays, it is another part of town to prowl. The first photo is the entrance to this street – guarded by bear sculpture on both sides. Most of the intersection corners have flower baskets – very pretty. Wonder what it looks like in February?

Then we went looking for a car wash – of any kind! This sounds easy – particularly when a kind gentleman gave us specific directions. Nada! Never did find what he described. Finally we stopped at a lumber yard in the “Industrial Park” and asked. He sent us to a different place. It was a gas station we used last year during our visit. The owner asked, “Is your car dirty?” Yes! You’ll need $5 to wash it. It was dirty but it only took $4 to wash – complete with foamy soap brush. Didn’t get off the road tar or serious bug “doo” but it looks better than before.

On to Subway for a sandwich and sodas for our picnic outing to Mount Revelstoke. Remember, Revelstoke is at 2,000 feet (roughly) and Mount Revelstoke peaks out at 6,230 feet. So today’s outing was all uphill – to say the least!

Last year when we were here, the road to the summit was closed due to snow, so we were only able to drive about ¼ of the way up. This year, it was open to the top (almost). Specifically, the road from the entrance to the top is 16.1 miles. At the entrance, the sign said the road was open: 15.5 miles. So off we went.

The parking lot (at 15.5 miles) was adjacent to a nice lake with picnic sites. We had our Subway sandwich there – with deer-flies. That’s what we called them in Georgia. They might be horseflies; or some other nom-de-plume; but whatever, they are large, fly-looking things that buzz you and bite you no matter whether you’re moving or standing still. They fly slowly so you think you can swat them, but no, they recover and attack again. Their bites are painful. And if successful, can leave a long-lasting welt. Several got me, so I’ll see how I survive.

I mention these pests for a specific reason. After our picnic lunch by the lake (our neighbors surrounded by deer-flies), we elected to take the “shorter” trail to the summit of Mt. Revelstoke. The sign said it was only 1 Km – about 0.62 miles. We took this trail as opposed to the paved road because it was “shorter”. Big mistake! But what did we know?

Our shorter trail took us through deer-fly infestation, up steep rocky trails, and over knee-deep snow drifts! Actually, the snow drifts weren’t the worse part. By carefully staying in previous foot-prints or staying in the shadows where the snow hadn’t melted as much, we were able to keep our footing, stay reasonably dry, and took no tumbles, left no sitz-marks, and didn’t embarrass ourselves.

The biggest problem came when we were roughly 2/3 of the way up and came to an apparent “end” to the trail. I say end, because after climbing for 30 minutes, the “trail” appeared to begin heading down-hill at a steep angle. Not only steep, but with lots of snow to clamber over. It looked like it was going to go down-hill in a serious way; not something you want to tackle on snow.

Fortunately, a family came down-hill on the trail and we realized the trail took a sharp turn. No markings, although the lady-ranger said she had tried to mark it with a downed tree! Sorry, all downed trees look alike! Anyway, the family coming down said they had traversed lots of snow but they had made it that far. We thanked then and proceeded uphill.

To make a long story short(er), we made it to the top, i.e., the last parking lot, without any tumbles or embarrassing incidents. There we asked the resident ranger (for clarity, these Rangers were folks operating out of the back of their SUV’s parked by the road) where to go next. There were three trails available: 1) the Meadow in the sky – reported to be beautiful with flowers; 2) two lakes; and 3) trail to the summit of Mt. Revelstoke. The first two trails looked to be completely snow covered – not something we needed any more of. The trail to the summit was actually clear – not a long hike and completely clear of snow. It was obvious which we took – mostly to claim we’d been there. (Photographic evidence available.)

We found several lakes / ponds with ice. Photo above.

There were several vistas of mountains and valleys – a couple of down-town Revelstoke. But one we like particularly was the Columbia River and its valley just north of the Revelstoke dam – photo above. Last year we visited the Revelstoke dam and were very impressed with the structure and its history. We didn’t make it to the dam this year. Ironically, the only photos that I “lost” last year, were from our visit to the dam. Still haven’t figured out what went wrong.

We’re back in the campground tonight – surrounded by lots of folks. Wonder where they were last night? It is a peaceful and idyllic setting. The only night sounds are the river (stream?) and the train traffic. Other than that: dark and quiet.

M. A beautiful part of yesterday was the flowers, just getting their spring start. The hoped-for walk in the meadows was not to be as the meadows were still deep with snow, but the other slopes and sunny places were home to columbines and lupine. Other red flowers and ones that looked like cream-colored jonquils – all very pretty. In fact the road up was fringed with wildflowers and small waterfalls; the trees were magnificent. On the upper slopes they were stunted from the cold and the ranger’s station at the top was blanked with snow up to the tip of the flagpole. Brrr.

Monday, July 09, 2007 – Banff – Revelstoke

After 10 days of sunshine (mixed with clouds), we rose this a.m. to RAIN. While I’ll be the first to admit breaking “camp” in a motor-home is a lot easier than a tent, tent camper, or 5th wheel, none are much fun in the rain. But so be it. We managed to get un-hooked and everything stowed without getting truly drenched.

So the first photo of the day is what we encountered about 20 minutes after leaving Banff – you guessed it – SUNSHINE. And we had thought we might even encounter snow in route to Revelstoke! But not today. Instead, we beheld magnificent mountain vistas, waterfalls, lush green forests, rushing torrents of glacial melt water, and blue sky. We saw trains that stretched from horizon to horizon, and still kept coming.

A word about our route today: Revelstoke is a railroad hub for trains heading north and east through Rogers Pass (Glacier National Park). We spent a few days here last year with Connie and Harold and found it a charming town. Not a Banff by any stretch, but nice nevertheless. So we thought we’d head here on the way south to our departure through the Okanagan Valley (Wine Country!!!). By the way, if you caught my spelling errors (?) of the Okanagan Valley, it turns out that the Canadians spell it: OKANAGAN; the Americans spell their town: OKANOGAN, WA.

It is about 175 miles via Trans Canada HWY 1 from Banff to Revelstoke. Doesn’t sound bad, but most of the road is in poor condition. In addition to the surface, many of the turns are tight (for a major highway), you’re either climbing or descending (7% grades) or coming into or out of a tunnel, plus the traffic continues to be horrendous. When you’re struggling to maintain 55 mph (the speed limit) on these two lane roads in a motor-home pulling an auto and everyone (literally) wants to pass you, it gets tiresome to say the least. Thankfully, we saw no accidents. An almost accident when an over-eager driver passed in a no-passing zone with a string of traffic coming led by a semi. Retreating to the shoulder allow him space to squeeze between at the last moment. Otherwise we would have been on row one as witnesses to stupidity-caused head-on collision.

Anyway we made it. We plan to spend 3 nights in Revelstoke and head back to Rogers Pass and the Glacier National Park to take in some sights we missed the previous two times, and a picnic or two.

We did have one surprise upon arrival. Yesterday, in Banff, I took the time and effort to wash most of the motor-home and the front of the Saturn. After I checked in and walked around to unhook the Saturn, I found we had arrived with a brown car – not the white one we started out with! I didn’t think the roads were that “dirty”, but the car (and the back of the motor-home) were definitely BROWN! So after getting parked, the first job was to rinse everything off with the hose. Fortunately, this part of the country isn’t rationing water!

The final photo shows the kind of camping environment Margaret really enjoys most: dappled sunshine, grass, trees, a good book – and relative privacy. We are about 2 miles east of Revelstoke, next to a river (and train), but ensconced in a grove of many trees with the lawn chair out and the awning deployed. It is actually quite warm this afternoon compared to the last 9 nights. We are only about 2,000 feet above sea-level, and it is quite a change from Banff. But we’re looking forward to a quiet few days here.

Sunday – July 8, 20007 Banff

Our photo of the day is a little different than the usual “scenic” but still part of the local “color”. For the past few days, Dan the One Man Band (his moniker) has been playing in a small park in the middle of Banff – right on main street. (I call it a park – it has shrubs and seats plus a round depressed area in the center that is probably flooded in winter for ice skating.) Dan would play almost any request. While we were listening, he was doing Johnny Cash – not too badly. Someone in the crowd asked for a Spice Girls number and he admitted he didn’t know any. Besides the guitar, he played the harmonica (when he wasn’t singing). The right foot played the bass drum and the left, the cymbal and tambourine.

Tonight (Sunday) is our last night in Banff. It will make nine nights we have been here. I won’t say we’ve seen everything because I can think of several “adventures” that we never got around to. And of course there is the winter season which has to be totally unlike anything we’ve experienced. Maybe someday? If you ever get the opportunity to spend some time here, do, for you’ll enjoy it. It is incredibly beautiful, even the air smells sweet and spicy. Folks are friendly, the mountains magnificent, and the vistas never cease to be breathe taking. Plus, you’ll feel right at home.

It was cloudy today with patches of sunlight with temperatures in the low 70’s. Very pleasant, all in all.
The clouds seemed more like mist in the early morning, but more cloud-like with patches of blue sky and warm sun as the day progressed. By evening (twilight at 9:00) the sunlight was moving over the mountains illuminating this part, leaving that in shade, then changing again. Fascinating.

We did not plan any “strenuous” activity today, actually planned to read and do some clean-up in preparation for our departure tomorrow. We knew we needed a few things from the grocery store so Margaret made up one of her famous “lists” of things and we headed out in the late morning. This time, we decided to visit the small town just southeast of us – Canmore, Alberta. We had driven through it coming to Banff and remembered the Safeway sign. We had not thought to explore it sooner. Too bad.

We really enjoyed Canmore. It was primarily a mining town in its early days. There may still be mining going on, but we didn’t see any evidence. However, it appeared to us to be the “bedroom” community for service workers in Banff. Canmore is roughly 10 miles southeast on Trans-Canada Hwy 1 – 4 lane divided highway – basically an interstate highway design. The main street had some original buildings but mostly there were beautiful shops, galleries, and restaurants. And there were a couple center complexes, Safeway. The houses were beautiful.

Canmore is outside the Banff National Park and thus is not limited in its growth, i.e., the kinds of businesses that can open there, who can live there, and lots of other factors that I can only guess at. One thing we found interesting in Banff (that probably wouldn’t be true in Canmore) is that you cannot live in Banff unless you are employed in Banff. Banff is within the national park and subject to the park rules and regulations. Our tour guide at the Cave and Basin Historic site told us this fact and admitted some folks try to get around it by operating B&B’s, etc. But officially, even if Michael Jordan (or Bill Gates) wanted to live in Banff, he’d have to get a job at McDonald’s flipping burgers! It makes the town accessible to everyone.

In Canmore we found restaurant and grocery store prices noticeably cheaper than in Banff. But the few real estate listings we saw in RE offices were anything but cheap. Most of the houses and apartments listed for Canmore started in the high 300,000’s and went up from there. Even though this is in Canadian dollars (roughly 1.04 Canadian dollars to 1.00 US Dollars) it is still pretty expensive. We think that if you owned one of these, you could live in it for a couple of summer months and then rent it out for the rest of the year to the snow birds. Lots of skiing possibilities and it’s only about 50 miles from Calgary.

We had a great time in Canmore. Wish we’d found it a few days earlier. Margaret discovered a store that featured Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Bhutan and other Asian antiques (Chinese wedding bed, chests, benches, pillars, boxes, rugs, fabrics, carved pieces – just lovely). The sales lady said that almost everything in the store was between 100 – 300 years old. She was native Canadian and was surprised that we were from Florida. One of the few sales persons we’ve run into that seemed genuinely interested in who we were and where we’d lived / been. (I know she wasn’t trying to make a sale! Her merchandise won’t fit in the motor-home!)

Once again, we found ourselves in a town at lunch time (actually closer to 1:30 p.m.). Lots of choices, so we ended up in a Japanese / Thai / flavored restaurant. I had Japanese ramen and Margaret had Singapore Curry chicken rice (usually noodles). Great food, lovely place settings and friendly atmosphere. The chef, elderly Oriental gentleman, brought us a sample dish that he was considering putting on the menu, and asked for our opinion. I’ll let Margaret describe it, but let me say it was delicious. M. It was twice-braised pork in a clear sweet broth with a sprinkling of Japanese spices. It was absolutely wonderful.

After a stop at the Safeway, we returned “home” and got to some last minute chores. I washed the front, back, and lower sides, and windows of the motor-home to get rid of some of the grime we picked up in Saskatchewan. All Saskatchewan autos seemed to be perpetually dirty (lots of dirt roads) and no one seems to bother washing them – pride of ownership? Whereas the Alberta cars (in and around Calgary at least) seem to be kept pretty clean.

Margaret is out walking Suki – his last stroll in Banff. Not sure what we’ll find down the road, so she’s making sure he gets his exercise.

M. Wayne didn’t tell you about the wine store in Canmore. It was their second day of business. The shop featured fine wines from all the expected places around the world and from Canada as well. Wayne was interested in the local wines, as the Okanagan Valley is where we are headed next. We had tasted one last year that was excellent, but we didn’t know much about the region other than what the waiter told us. The two owners were delighted to give their recommendations on where to visit and what wines were especially well suited to their Canadian environment, resulting in especially good wines. We had a friendly chat. Wayne bought two bottles, one Pinot Gris and one Syrah from the Okanagan Valley, which is Canada’s Napa.

This has been a wonderful part of our journey.

Saturday 070707 Banff – river hike

The forecast cold front came through last night and when we arose, we were in the clouds. But it wasn’t very cold – around 50 degrees at 7 a.m. After coffee, eggs, and toast, we still could not see any of the surrounding mountains. So we decided to stay in town and visit shops and museums.

Fortunately, as the day wore on, the sun came out, and by mid-afternoon it was beautiful and mild. So we took a hike along the Bow river (no climbing or steps) which runs through the heart of Banff (and during the Spring thaw, can flood parts of town). The name Bow was the local Indian description of the river/valley. The quality of Douglas fir trees found here that make (made?) excellent bows for hunting. The Bow starts at Bow glacier (seen from the ice field parkway we drove yesterday) and flows southeast into the South Saskatchewan River in southeast Alberta. From there the river flows into Hudson Bay – not the Atlantic or Pacific! The water is cloudy green, deep, and swift. No salmon; trout instead.

The bridge in the above photo is the only bridge in town and is the main road over to the Banff Springs Hotel as well as the various hot springs mentioned yesterday. There are three Indian heads sculpted or cast at the top of the arches on each side. As we walked the path along the river, we noticed trees leaning into the water, and that a lot of grass and tree roots were submerged. And the lower parts of the bank were quite wet. So the river is still quite full from the spring thaw and flowing rapidly.

Along the river are many beautiful homes. The above house is not quite as nice as others but it demonstrates the profuseness of the Balsam Poplar pollen (seed pods). It looks a lot like an invasion of wooly caterpillars! There were many lovely homes of stone, or wood, or logs with beautiful gardens and lawns. One even had a three-hole putting green. The flowers were magnificent. Hanging baskets are everywhere.

M. A small wedding had just been held at the gazebo in the park. The wedding party was posing for pictures as we passed. Her gown was white with dark red flowers embroidered at the hem, bodice, and sprinkled across the hoop skirt, and she carried dark red roses with a spray of orchids. It was unusual but striking, quite lovely. At the Anglican Church one block off Banff Avenue, another wedding party was emerging. The groom and an older gentleman were wearing kilts, and there was a bag-pipe player who, I assume, had played the wedding march. The English ladies love their hats and there were several grand examples of spring hats, wide-brimmed, pink, with large, bows.

We stopped at an Indian “trading post” and poked through the assorted merchandise. One could purchase real pelts – wolf, bear – with heads, if one wanted. Ugh. They had deer leather shoes, gloves, fur scarves, etc. Everything we never would want or use. Wayne bought an airy straw hat, and a carved, crystallized limestone bear, with fish in mouth, for his collection.

W. While walking through town, we saw several Royal Canadian Mounted Police in dress uniform. He was kind enough to let Margaret pose with him. He was pleased when we told him we had visited the RCMP training Depot in Regina. He said it was one of the best six months of his life – and he never wanted to go through it again! (Sounds like boot camp?) He was also pleased we had gotten to visit the new museum there – he was anxious to see it for himself.

Hunger sent us looking for something light for lunch. Light - well, maybe not - but very delicious. Wayne stumbled on an open door with menu and decided immediately, this was the place. We shared three appetizers: shrimp coated with wanton/fried; calamari/fried; and spring roll. It was delicious.

Friday – July 6th, 2007 Banff

OK, now that we’re caught up on chores, it’s time to do more exploring in the local area.

There are several thermal hot-springs in the Banff area. These occur when water runs down through cracks / fissures in the mountain and encounters heated rock (magma?) at a depth of 2 – 3 kilometers (about 1.2 – 1.8 miles). It then percolates back to the surface dissolving various minerals as it rises and comes out in three different hot springs. (This area, like so many, was once the bottom of a sea, and like so many areas, has fault lines.)

One of these was discovered by some Canadian Pacific railroad workers who tried to claim it for themselves – including building the first “hotel” over the thermal pool. This was a crude one-room cabin. The Canadian government quickly stepped, denied their homestead rights, and created the first Canadian National Park. It started out as Rocky Mountain National park and after several land disputes with Alberta and Saskatchewan, ended up in what is now Banff National Park. Land size also varied.

The thermal hot spring pool they discovered was in a cave. We visited the cave just to say we’d been. It wasn’t very large or exciting, but warm and secluded. Very relaxing until a summer kids group arrived in masse.

There was a “swimming” pool at the site, patterned after Bath, England, hoping to lure to wealthy to “take the curative waters” in the Canadian wilderness. It fell on hard times in the late 20th century, as tastes changed and maintenance costs rose, and now is drained of water. The buildings still exists as part of the National Historic Site of Canada, unique as the very first National Park.

Our tour guide – a somewhat cynical young man – said the real reason people stopped coming was the water in the “pool” wasn’t hot enough. They expected hot water and it was only lukewarm by steam bath standards. There is another hot-spring-pool farther up the mountain that is still in operation today – and that’s where folks go for the “healing” waters, and to enjoy the delightful sulfur aroma.

The mosquitoes are out in force. The tour guide said the dragon-flies usually take care of the mosquito problem, but they (the dragon-flies) are late showing up this summer – thus the problem. We were fortunate that we both wore long sleeve shirt(s) and long pants – not much exposed skin. The folks in shorts and halter tops were miserable.

It is also quite warm – particularly in the valley where the thermal hot spring is located. A cold front is supposed to come through tonight with a “drastic” lowering of temperatures. But today it was hot in town and the valleys, so we thought we’d solve that by going to the top of a mountain – Sulfur Mountain to be exact (called that because it is the source of the thermal hot springs – and the sulfur dissolved in them).

So we took the gondola to the top! A sign at the bottom said 5,146 feet; in the restaurant at the top of the gondola run, a sign said 7,296 feet above sea level. I was surprised the elevation was measured in feet – not meters.

The top of the gondola run was spectacular – 360 degree view. But there was more. A short distance away, along the ridge of Sulfur Mountain, was the site of a cosmic ray observatory. I say a short distance away. True as the crow flies, but we had to climb a lot of stairs to get there. I don’t know the elevation at the observatory, but it was significantly higher and was on the very pointy, pointy top of the mountain. There was a true 360 degree view. Fortunately, the wind was relatively mild and temperature very pleasant, the sun, intense.

We had lunch in the enclosed building at the top of the gondola terminal – fish and chips (both cooked fresh by the Chinese chef) and beer! Yummy. Margaret was wondering why she was so tired. She looked at the clock (we don’t wear watches when RV’ing) and it was 2:15 – 6 hours since breakfast of a half a bagel, and lots of climbing at 7,000 plus feet in thin air. All that, and the cosmic ray thing too! No wonder we were tired and sore. It was good to climb into the going-down car.

Now that Margaret has her very own digital camera, we’re making a lot of exposures. When we get back to the motor-home and load them into the computer, we find we often took the same picture! But that’s ok because there are differences in angle and how the photo was exposed. But it is still funny how we see things in a similar way.

As you can imagine after being at 7,000 plus feet with the array of mountains, valleys, rivers, and the city of Banff spread out below you, how do you pick a picture or two that do it justice. For the photographer, there is something to be said for this one or that one. But for the observer who wasn’t there, it is harder to understand what is being shown. But we try. And thanks for being interested in our efforts.

Phew! After reviewing over 150 pictures, Margaret and I could only narrow it down to six that we thought would be appropriate. You’ll just have to come visit us and ask to see the best of the rest!

Most of the photos are self-explanatory. One that caught Margaret’s eye was the Amish family visiting the top of the rock and the Cosmic Ray Observatory. These are folks that don’t believe in the modern? One might ask what are they doing here and why?

Other shots show the scope of the vista and the fact that both of us made to the very tippy-top of the pointy, point rock! I have to admit I kept my eyes closed the last part of the ride up the gondola. We switched places on the way down – it was easier looking back up (where we came from) than down, where we were headed!