Vancouver Island B.C. - Day FOUR (End of the road)

We slept hard.  Like, REALLY hard.  It was the best night of sleep I’ve had in years.  I woke at about 8:30 and Marci woke at almost 9:00.

Yawn.

We ate Cream of Wheat, enjoyed Starbucks coffee, and packed up slowly.  Our camper is pretty easy to pack and we were ready to leave around 9:30.  We drove west (as the road we are on loops - and it’s cant be WORSE than the 20% grade we slid down getting here).  And it was a great drive.
We hopped onto Canada Highway 19 (the only “highway” on this Island (sorta).  It is well maintained and you can get up to 110km/h at times (don’t get excited - that is like 60 mph).  By the way, Canadians ALL drove faster than this.

We stopped to get gas at “Woss”.  We paid $199.9 per liter (that is more than $5.50 a gallon).  The saving grace is that the exchange rate is good (1.30 Can for every 1 DOLLAR).  So, it was 134.00 for less than a tank of gas.  GULP!  But I bought Molsen Beer, half and half, deodorant, salsa, salmon jerky - you know, the essentials.  And paid $60 without a wink.

Then we looked for a “dump station”.  The Canadians call these, “sani-dumps”.  Because we intend to spend the next seven days in the “bush”, we figured we should go in with empty poo tanks.  This was more of a challenge than we thought it would be.  Finally, we found a Sami-dump in Port McNeil.  We dumped, took photos of the world’s largest “burl” (an odd growth on a tree), and got sundry groceries and lunch (SUBWAY - which, by the way, is the largest fast food chain in America).
Off to Port Hardy and the wilderness!

Not so fast,

Bella has been acting weird today.  Well, she is weird every day, but weird for her.  Lethargic, puffy eyes, uninterested in food.  It is almost as weird as when she got high on marijuana edibles (another story for another time).  When she wouldn’t even sniff at the smoked salmon, we headed to the emergency vet.  They said they couldn’t fit her int heir schedule today and we made an appointment for 9:00 am Sunday.  AHHHHH vacation.

We found a spot on a lake nearby (let’s be honest, there ain’t much competition - we are saw far north as the road goes).  It is still pretty and we are about 45 min from the vet.

GOOD/BAD/UGLY

GOOD: I found liquid Tylenol for Marci (thank God - she was hard on both of us)

BAD: Bella is really sick

UGLY: Can’t get into the vet until tomorrow - so one less day of solitarily vacation….

Vancouver Island B.C. - Day THREE (tranquility)

Our campsite is nestled under a canopy of tall straight timber.  This keeps the camper in shade and makes it easy to sleep late.  I rolled out of bed at about 8:00 and Marci followed a leisurely half an hour later. 

The new generator works like a charm and I quickly had Starbucks coffee, toast, and scrambled eggs. Yummm

As we ate, we poured over our maps and made plans for tomorrow.  Today will be a lot of sittin', readin', drinkin', and relaxin'! 

We found a beautiful little cove on Stella Lake and hiked our folding chairs over to sit a spell.  We listened to Lonesome DOve, swam in the surprisingly warm lake, and generally did next to nothing.  Ahhhhh...

Good / Bad / Ugly

Good: Tranquility

Bad: The weekend is coming and we are told that crowds are coming as well

Ugly: Bella has diarrhea (could be rough traveling tomorrow) 

Vancouver Island, B.C. - Day Two (the long drive north)

 So, it’s 5:00 am and we are on vacation.  A wee bit early you say?  TRU DAT!  But we have a ferry to catch in port Angeles and they told us to be 70 min early.  We were certainly first in line, but even Starbucks was closed…

TIP: EVERY SINGLE PERSON at the terminal at the suggested time was old (including us).  We certainly got on the boat (but so did all the youngsters who slept in).

 

TIP #2:  Measure your RV before you make reservations.  I was WAY off (we are 23’ long).  It costs more, but they easily accommodated us.  Had it been full….!?!?!?

Vancouver Island, BC is only (460 Km - or 285 miles).  Seems like you could get from Victoria ferry terminal to Port Hardy in 4-5 hours.  The Customs Officer seemed skeptical when we told him this was our destination….

TIP #3:  Do not tell a Canadian Customs Agent you have no reservations (seems fishy).  I also didn’t mention that I am a police officer (though I DID NOT TAKE A GUN - respect the country you travel in).  And don’t take - Eggs, fresh fruit, “weapons of any kind”, cannabis (we were pretty safe there), “weapons” (but he didn’t mind our camping knives), he asked about alcohol, and we had some, but it wasn’t a problem.  The customs process was about five minutes and only about 10 cars were searched (we were not, but we were within the rules anyway).  

It took almost eight hours to get from Victoria Ferry to Stella Lake (an hour outside Campbell River (a REALLY pretty town by the way)).  BUT - we stopped three times for gas, one time at the COSTCO in Victoria for a new generator, and a few little stops to see the views.  We took our time.  But you still could never make this in five hours.  The highways have stop lights.  There is a LOT of traffic.

TIP #4:  In the USA, COSTCO only takes VISA (trust me on this).  In CANADA, COSTCO only takes MASTER CARD.  UGH.  Luckily we brought a checkbook.  They were SUPER friendly and worked hard to help us.

By the way, the new generator is AMAZING!

We finally arrived (through a 4x4 gravel road) at our FREE campsite (we don’t cost, only the solitude) after 6:00 pm.  It is gorgeous (and surprisingly, there were only two empty sites.  But it is very quiet, lots of space between sites, and a GORGEOUS lake!

We plan to stay a couple of nights here (but you never know - we are UNDAUNTED!)

Vancouver Island, B.C. - Day One

There is nothing quite like a snow day.  Teachers and kids all over the country wake up at 4:00 am in hopes of hearing those sacred words.

Today, with the temperature at nearly 100*, we had a snow day!

Marci and I were going to start our summer trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Canada) in the early afternoon.  But, as luck would have it, the stars aligned and we were able to get up early, gather our things, and take off!

Good thing too…

Although we drove in a leisurely manner, it took about seven hours to arrive in Port Angeles (where we will catch the ferry to Victoria early in the morning).  We stopped three times for gas and propane, but there were LONG delays and stopped traffic several times on the way to Sequim (pronounced “skwim”) which is on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington (bordering Olympic National Park).   

We arrived at an “overflow” campsite (actually one of the better private sites we’ve ever reserved (Ranger Creek Campground $40)) at 4:00 pm.   It is beautiful, spacious, clean and well maintained.  Phil was quick top resound to text questions and we feel like this is one of the best private sites we’ve ever booked!

GOOD / BAD/ UGLY 

Good: Last week the temperatures at home (Yakima, WA) were nearing 110*.  Ugh.  Right now it is 60* in Port Angeles (6:00 pm).  NICE!!!

Bad:  Gas prices.  We paid $194 for gas today.  And we are not even in Canada.

Ugly: When we bought our camper last July, we bought a new Cummings portable generator.  It worked pretty darn well - till it didn’t.  We were camping in the spring and it shut down whenever we put a load (like the microwave) on it.  I brought it to Cummins.  They did a whole lot of tests and said it was good to go.  It ain’t.  No joy on the toaster.  Used to work - now it don’t.  We are stopping by Costco in Victoria, CAN to get a new generator before we head into the remote inland of Vancouver Island tomorrow.

Oh well…just breathe.  WE ARE ON VACATION!

The edge of America

Northern Idaho is literally the edge of America.  Of course, the same could be said of South Texas, or even  Puuwai Island in Hawaii.  But there is a different vibe here - and not sure how much Canada even impacts life here (although the casino proudly advertises that you can gamble or win in Canadian dollars if you’d like...).

There is little doubt where Northern Idaho stands politically.  You cant drive far (even on small backroads) without seeing a “Trump 2020” sign or a “Don’t Tred on me” flag.  Good for them.  I don’t judge either way.  These are just observations.

No one wears masks (ok, maybe a few elderly folks) and there is no mandate when you walk in a business,  This is refreshing for me - but scary to Marci.

The region is clearly supported by agriculture with beautiful farms at every turn - and lumber, with heavy trucks full of logs lumbering (get it?) down the highways.  There are several large factories turning trees into boards and plywood.

It is also the location where Randy Weaver holed up on Ruby Ridge in 1992, after a shootout with federal agents.  Weaver’s wife, fourteen year old son, and a Federal Marshall were killed.  The location is west of the small town of Naples and being so close Marci and I decided to get a glimpse of history.  And it ain’t easy.  There are NO signs or indicators about where to go - and it doesn’t feel like the thing you might ask folks nearby.  But we found it - and yes, it is very remote.  And what a view the Weaver’s had on their isolated perch.  

Idaho is unique and it is beautiful.  There are gorgeous forests in every direction, Clear streams and friendly folks.  Glad we got a chance to visit.

Deep in the Idaho woods

We’ve seen a lot of places.  Unique places, like the top of Mombacho volcano in Nicaragua, the clean sparkling streets of Tokyo, or Monument Valley in Arizona.  But we have never seen anything like this.  Huge golden wheat fields that literally butt up to heavily forested mountains.  But there is a reason this looks weird - it is because they dammed the river and drained the valley to create “The Nile of the North”.  

We also took a tour of the Kootani National Wildlife Refuge.  It is a 2,774 acre swampy area set aside primarily for water fowl, but also has deer, grizzly bear, and moose.  It was well worth the trip!

We also popped over to Montana (five minutes from our campground) and giggled at the phone booth.  Time has not moved as fast up here.

Up

The state of Washington is located in the northwest corner of the ‘lower 48’ states.  So, driving north(east) for nearly six hours should give you an idea of how far “up” we are.

Bonners Ferry is a small town near the tip of the Idaho Panhandle.  We are north of town.  And Canada is just a few minutes further north.  In fact, we made the quick trip to see the border (closed to all but essential traffic due to Covid).  

The road is broad, but traffic is light as we approach the border crossing.  It is a remote area covered in dense forest.  You cannot help but think this border is difficult to patrol.  Running mostly along the 49th parallel, it covered almost 9,000 miles. But a close look on Google earth doesn’t reveal hidden roads or trails.  And a road sign said the entire border was surveilled and has iron posts delineating the survey.  Wow.

The area “boomed” when gold was discovered during the peak of the civil war, and the town was named for Edwin Bonner, who operated a ferry which took passengers back and forth to British Columbia.

Today it is a quaint farming and lumber town with a small court house, a scattering of restaurants, three grocery stores, and a struggling downtown. 

There is also a small casino, due to the 10.5 acre Kootenai Indian reservation.  Interesting story there - in 1974 the tribe declared war on the Unites States (one of the few who had never signed a treaty forbidding such an act) and posted soldiers on each end of town - forcing travelers to pay a toll to cross historical territorial ground.