Wednesday 7/26/23

Kelowna Canada

We had planned to visit Guy and Wendy (our neighbors at DSRV in Cathedral City) for a day, then all of us head over to Ken and Sherrie Patrick’s in Kamloops for a few days. Having made an appointment at Skaha Ford in Penticton because of the brake issues with the RV, we had to modify our plans. Instead of taking the coach to Kelowna and then North we would leave it at Skaha Ford for service and then take the MINI North. The plan was to visit with the TOAD and then return later in the week and pick up the RV.

Welcome to British Columbia…

 We dropped off the RV in Pentincton, right on our way and headed to Guy and Wendy’s.  We have been to British Columbia before on the West side of the Province when we traveled to Alaska back in 2019. This is our first visit to the East side of the Province. The Okanagan Valley (sometimes known as the Okanagan Country) is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. The region’s population is 362,258 according to the most recent census. The largest populated cities are Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and West Kelowna. It’s known for its wineries and fruit orchards. We have been told there are 260 wineries between the Washington Border and Kelowna. In addition we found roadside fruit and produce stands everywhere. It is a lush, green area…

A very lush landscape in the Okanogan Valley…

Guy and Wendy’s home is just North of Kelowna in Lake country, BC.  It is situated high on the mountain overlooking the adjacent mountains and the lake below. It really is a breathtaking view! After arriving they show us around the house and we talk about the brake problem a bit.  We know we won’t hear anything about the brakes at least until tomorrow so we settle in on the back deck overlooking the mountains and lake and talk for quite a bit.  Guy & Wendy indicated we had been invited to dinner to another couple we are friends with from DSRV who live nearby; “The Bakers”. Pat & Terry Baker are fellow Rver’s who because of some medical issues weren’t at DSRV this year. It will be good to see them!  Pat is the consummate host and prepares a spectacular dinner at their home .  We are so fortunate for all these friends willing to host us and to take us in for a few days given our unexpected brake issues on the RV. It’s hard to believe we only met these folks since we set out full time back in 2018 though they are all GREAT friends now!

Dinner at the Baker’s with the Bissonnette’s…

Pat is the ultimate Host… Yum!

With no info about the RV it is difficult to plan for our next few days where we all planned to visit other DSRV friend’s Ken & Sherry Patrick in Kamloops… The plan is to be flexible and see what the word is so Guy & Wendy plan on giving us a tour of downtown Kelowna and spending the day around their home…

Thursday 7/27/23

Today Guy wants to show us around their area so we hope to get info about the RV but eventually know we probably won’t hear anything until later in the day.  We get a tour of the area in the truck and eventually stop at a winery right down the street from their house.  Next we get home and Mike gets some info about the brake problem.  It needs more work than we thought and we will be without it for longer than anticipated. Without an RV to take with us to Ken and Sherrie’s, Ken comes up with a “Plan B”.  Mike calls the Ford Dealer to make sure we can leave the RV there until Monday if need be. With that confirmation we all load into Guy’s truck and head for Ken and Sherries in Camloops. Instead of taking multiple RV’s up to their lake house, we will all stay inside their main house and just do a day trip up to the lake house on Saturday.  

We feel so grateful for these great friends that are taking such good care of us in our time of need!

Downtown Kelowna…

Getting a beverage and snack downtown…

Friday 7/28/23

As we arrive at Ken and Sherrie’s house we can see immediately that it is another gorgeous home but this time on farm land!  The view from the back deck is spectacular overlooking some ponds, grazing cattle, mountains.  Ken owns 80 acres of property so it is very quiet and peaceful.  With drinks in hand we all climb on ATV’s and head down into the fields. 4 of them go directly to the pond where there are chairs set up for a different viewpoint while Ken takes Joanne over to visit with the cows.  Once we have plenty of time to chatter we head back to the house for dinner and more chatter on the back deck.  This being Friday we know we won’t hear anything about the RV fix until Monday but the plan was for the service area to get parts (at the latest) on Monday morning and to have the repairs completed by Monday afternoon.

Ken immediately poured us a glass a wine and got out the ATV…

The Patrick’s pond…

The Patrick’s  sharing the view from their deck… WOW!!!

Ken & Sherry are tremendous hosts…

Saturday 7/29/23

Bridge Lake, BC

We know the drive up to the Ken & Sherry’s Bridge lake property from their main house is about 90 minutes, but there is no hurry as we are all retired!  We enjoy the peace of the farm with deer grazing and other animals out enjoying the property.  The drive North was fun as Ken gave us small Walkie/Talkie’s to communicate between vehicles. We drove with Guy & Wendy in their truck, while Ken & Sherry drove in their truck camper.

Ken and Sherry are adventurous souls, like us, and have been to Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories several times. We are a bit of kindred spirits having been part of the small group of campers that have driven the Dempster Highway to Inuvik and then to Tuktoyaktuk (Commonly called TUK). Inuvik is a place of rich diversity. It is located on the Mackenzie Delta – Canada’s largest fresh water delta, close to the Arctic Ocean with views of the Richardson Mountains. It is part of the Northwest Territory. Tuk is a hamlet 85 miles north of Inuvik also in the Northwest Territories that lies on the Arctic Ocean. It is the Northernmost Canadian hamlet reachable by road. It is reachable by the first all-weather road to Canada’s Arctic Coast and is built on permafrost. To say this road poses challenges building, maintaining, and navigating would be an understatement. The building of the road was considered for decades and then finally in 2017, when it was completed,  fulfilled the decades-old dream to link all three Canadian coasts — Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic. We both, unknowingly, drove it in 2019 the year after it opened. At nearly 1,100 miles roundtrip from Dawson City, Yukon it is an adventure we all cherish… Ken & sherry are some of the few people we know that we can share with about our Tuk adventure….

When we arrive at Bridge Lake it is a beautiful. Although adjacent neighbors have built large homes, Ken & Sherry have kept their 5 acres fairly primitive as a camp and it is perfect.  The property includes a tool shed, latrine/bathing area, an older camper parked under a port, a dock for their pontoon boat, and a terrific pavilion. the Pavilion has a wood platform, for entertaining, cooking, and just sitting in a few Adirondack chairs to look at the lake. It is PERFECT!  

Bridge Lake…

The Dock…

All on the boat for the day…

Beautiful Bridge Lake….

We spend most of the day just trolling around the lake on the pontoon boat wandering around the islands and coves in the lake. Ken is a terrific tour guide and knows every inch of the lake. The day is spent talking, snacking,  drinking a few beverages, and just sharing time with good friends. To say it was relaxing would be an understatement.

Several times we hear and see loons talking to each other and then see an eagle catch a fish then pull it apart to eat it perched in a tree.   Originally we thought we would cook and eat dinner here at the lake, but knowing we can’t really drink and drive, we decide to change the plan and head back to the main house so we don’t have to worry about the drive home. 

On the way home we all stop to see another friend from DSRV (Gordon) who is preparing for a function for his company. Gordon also has 80 acres that sits above another adjacent lake to Bridge Lake. We can only stay for a few minutes but it was nice to see Gordon and get a tour of his property. We have a long drive still so continue on so we can get back to Kamloops for dinner. All in all it was an awesome day!

Sunday 7/30/23

Quad time!

With three quads available for use Ken suggests that we should take an ATV ride up the mountain for the views.  We pile onto the quads and Ken leads the way!  This was a real treat for us!  It is really off roading but  there is an old logging trail we stick too most of the day. The views are awesome and Ken gives us information and points out evidence of various wild fires that have happened over the years.  As we head back down we realize just how dusty we all are so we spend a bit of time cleaning off  when we return to the house.

ATV riding in the mountains by The Patrick’s…

Ken says we should all take a drive up the road to the ski village (Sun Peaks). It is literally only 5 miles up the road from them. Sun peaks is the second largest Ski mountain/Village next to Whistler/Blackcomb in BC.

Sun Peaks…

Many of the homes on the mountain are amazing!

We all pile into Ken’s SUV and as he drives around the ski complex we admire the multi million dollar homes!  Ken and Sherrie notice that their son and daughter-in-law are at their condo working on a renovation so we meet them before heading over for a beer while we watch the mountain bikers make their way down the mountain. This is a much larger ski area than we thought and it was fun to wander through some shops and sit at a table outside sharing a beverage with our friends.  Another late night as we know we are saying good bye tomorrow.

Enjoying a beverage with our friends at Sun Peaks…

Monday 7/31/23

Kelowna

As we drive back to Guy and Wendy’s house we feel like we are hoping we aren’t overstaying our welcome. Guy & Wendy have been great and have been so generous to us, we just don’t want them to feel we have been there too long.   They are very accommodating and understanding of our situation but we are so hoping that the RV is ready for us to pick up upon our return from the weekend.

Unfortunately the news is not good.  The tech that began our job last week has Monday off!  The person Mike was finally able to talk to did not have much information to give us other than the RV is not ready and he could not tell us when he thought it would be ready!  He didn’t know if the parts had arrived, he didn’t know if the oil change had been done yet… so we feel like we are stranded here!!  We resign ourselves to the fact that we can’t do anything about it so we head down to the local winery for pizza and wine!  The pizza is delicious and once home we spend another few hours on their back deck enjoying the moon rising and the lights of the city below reflecting on the lake.  We have enjoyed getting to know Guy and Wendy more and more.  Funny how Guy and Mike are very similar and Wendy and Joanne are very similar.  We head to bed hoping for good news tomorrow.

Sunset on Guy & Wendy’s balcony…

Tuesday 8/1/23

Kelowna

Today is Wendy’s day to spend with her mom so she is off early for the day.  Guy probably spends the same day usually visiting with his dad but today the boys decide to spend time washing and detailing the cars.  Joanne spends a lot of the day reading and catching up on journaling.  In the afternoon Guy suggests that we borrow the E-bikes and go for a ride along the lake. He shows Mike how to get down to the path and off we go.  We have never ridden on e-bikes before so it takes a little bit of time getting acquainted with how they work, then we are off. Joanne is very intimidated by the weight of the bike, the grade of the hill and the traffic we have to ride beside but once down to the lake path it is good and we enjoy the ride.  The lake is beautiful and the path is not crowded. At one point the Ford service area calls Mike to say the coach is done and we are just so happy to know we will be back on the road again!  We sit and talk for a few minutes and decide that given the time we will stay one more night and get an early start the next morning.  As we ride home Mike takes a small detour to pick up a few bottles of wine for the evening while Joanne watches the Osprey in the nest near the lake.

Once home we find Guy and Wendy just relaxing and we are anxious to tell them our news about the RV and we will be able to leave tomorrow morning.  We love their balcony and move outside with some wine and those beautiful views from their deck.  After dinner we head back out and reflect on our time here and how we all got to know each other better as friends.  We thank them for their gracious hospitality and make sure the drive we have to do tomorrow is set.  We have made such awesome friends at DSRV since 2019 and are so very grateful for the people that have come to our aid in time of need. We can’t thank you enough Guy & Wendy!

Our first vineyard in The Okanogan (just around the corner form their home…)

Wednesday 8/2/23

Travel Day 

As we say our good byes, and head out we know we will hit some mountain passes on our drive today so we are happy that we have new brakes!  We get out of Kelowna and head back to Pinticton to pick up the RV.  That part of the drive is about 90 minutes and not a bad drive.  No issues with the RV so that is easy pick up, transfer chairs, clothing bags… and off we go.  As we get closer to Osoyoos we can see the smoke from a wild fire that has just started a day or so ago. It is not scary to drive through but it is scary to see how close it is to some of the wineries and houses. In spite of the fires we see people just going about their daily business, not seeming to be worried or care about the fire being so close. 

The fires are close to the road…

The fires are close to the road…

As we travel for the day we end up going over about 5 mountain passes, some of which are very steep.  We do pull off to rest and allow the brakes time to cool off as well as the engine.  We had a plan to try to get to Cranbrook to boondock for the night so Joanne finds two possibilities. She looks online (iPad) and finds a rest area right past Yahk (about 30 minutes south of Cranbrook) and another one about equal distance just past Cranbrook.  We decide we will stop at the first one and if that one won’t work we will move on to the next one. As luck would have it, the first one worked out just great!  The rest area has a fairly long driveway so we weren’t sure if we would get caught in a dead end, but not so!  The area was large, had a circle to drive around and one pull through in the middle of the circle. We both agreed this would work great and it reminded both of us of an actual campground!  Although there was a sign that states “please limit your time to 8 hours” we knew we wouldn’t be too much more than that and since it wasn’t crowded we should be just fine. Our plan was to have dinner, sleep, then be on our way.  Around 10:00 two camping families (traveling together) pulled in and set up for the night. That always makes Joanne feel better (safety in numbers!). We had a peaceful, quiet night sleep.

Thursday 8/3/23

Travel day & Calgary

We awoke early to get on the road, as we know this will be a long travel day.  The other campers (more had joined us through the night) pulled out before us, but no one bothered us about how much time we were there.  We had to find a spot to dump our tanks, take on some water, and get gas,  but Joanne will research that once we get on the road.  We also know we will be driving through Banff and we are not sure if we will stop at all as we travel through.  We are able to find gas and a dump station in Mexican Hat at the Visitor Information Center, about half way to Calgary.  We have several mountain passes to travel through and this adds a bit more time to our travel today.  The Costco and dump station work out awesome. Both are easy (in and out) and right off the TransCanada Highway.  Highly recommend if you have those needs in that area.  Unfortunately right after we get back on the highway Mike hears something dragging along the road . He knows it is us but we can’t find a place big enough to pull over for a bit of time. It is the exhaust pipe that was dragging after the bracket holding it to the RV broke.  Mike scootched up under the RV to try to “band aide” it until we can get a better fix.  He was able to zip tie the bracket back up and fingers crossed this will hold until we get to Calgary.  Once finished we begin the drive through Kootenay National Park then on through Banff National Park. We had driven through Kootenay before on our way back down into the lower 48 in 2019 when we returning from Alaska, but we only drove through. We said then that we must come back as it was so beautiful!  Although we are again just driving through it again, it is still beautiful! 

Mike fixing the exhaust along the highway…

As we get closer to Banff we are disappointed because the wildfire smoke is in the air and preventing great views of the majestic mountains in Banff NP.   Although the drive along the Kootenay river is beautiful, we don’t make any stops for photo’s because of the smoke in the air.  Even with just driving through, we don’t arrive at Debbie Balazs and Garnet’s home in Calgary until almost 6:00pm. They meet us at an amusement park just down the road from their house, where we can unhitch the MINI, and they can escort us into their development.  Their driveway works out awesome for us to “mooch dock” in.  Garnet has dinner just about ready for us so we pour some drinks and sit on their back deck overlooking the golf course and the view of the city of Calgary in the distance.  We have dinner and catch up on DSRV gossip and how we all are doing before we say goodnight. We had already said we would decide on a plan for the day tomorrow in the morning at breakfast.

Parking in Debbie & Garnet’s driveway outside of Calgary…

Friday 8/4/23

Calgary, Alberta

We always sleep better in our own place, in our own bed and with the surrounding area being very quiet we both slept very well.  Garnet already had breakfast going when we got in for the morning. The final decision for the day’s plan is to head to a state park with a waterfall (Elbow Falls) and then to head over to a newer development on the other side of Calgary where Debbie’s mom lives and where she and Garnet plan to live once her mom is no longer living there.  The planned urban development is quite impressive, with all kinds of amenities (including a lake) and beautiful landscaping.  It appears to be a great plan but the two of us decide it would not be for us.  We wander around the grounds before getting a tour inside and then going to meet Debbie’s mom. She greets us at the door and is terrific.  She is 88 yrs old and still living on her own (independent living).  She is very mobile, still cooking, baking, putting jigsaw puzzles together, gardening with the gardening club…. She shares pictures and her story growing up on the farm which is very interesting. She is a gem!

Although it was short we really enjoyed our time with Debbie and Garnet in Calgary but it is time to push on!

Thanks for the hospitality Debbie & Garnet…

The Calgary Olympic Ski Jump is still a landmark over looking the city…

8/5/23-8/9/23 

 Glenbain Saskatchewan 

We are able to depart early from Calgary and head towards our next stop in Glenbain, Saskatchewan and our good friends Karen and Murray Russell. Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the only 2 places in North America missing from our map and we are excited to get them done this next week!

Welcome to Saskatchewan…

 As we head on down the road Mike notices that again the exhaust pipe is loose- not dragging, but some of the zip-ties have come loose. He is back under the camper tieing things up again.  It’s a long drive day and we pull in around dinner time. Karen has the table set and drinks are soon poured.  As Karen and Joanne get the final things set for dinner, Murray has Mike pull the RV into his shop to check on things. As a Master Mechanic, Murray (in my opinion) can fix almost everything and has the tools to do so. His workshop building is immaculate and unbelievably organized. Upon inspection, Murray assures Mike that he can weld or somehow fix the exhaust problem.

Parking at the Russel’s in Saskatchewan…

Karen prepares a terrific dinner before we head out for a local “Crop Tour” for the Sunset/evening.  Murray shows us the crops of  Canola, Durham, Lentils, and Chick Peas. He explains the farming seasons including: tilling, equipment maintenance, seeding, weather challenges, crop insurance, spraying, and then the harvest.  We find the entire tour fascinating! Farmers are incredibly good business people. They have to understand commodity prices, projections,  economics, how to manage risk, expenses, workload, and equipment. No question this is a High Risk/Reward proposition. When it’s good they are well rewarded though when it’s bad, and here in Saskatchewan weather is a big part of that equation, it can be really bad.  So much to understand and many of our friends are multi-generation farmers that love the lifestyle and working the land. We also found out many of  our friends had other jobs in addition to the farm to offset some of the financial risks. Some were Electricians, Plumbers, Mechanics, Farm Equipment reps, or you name it….  The bottom line is they all worked hard, understand life is not a short-cut, help out friends/neighbors, and are appreciative for their respective lands which provides so much.  All of this is so refreshing for us North Easterner’s with little farm experience or understanding. Many farmers (it appears) have done very well and they deserve all of those fruits for their labors…

The crop tour…

Damage from a recent storm…

Damage from a recent storm…

Our first Sunset in Saskatchewan…

Farm families work as a team with wives typically making meals then delivering it out into the fields for all the workers.  Apparently the combine doesn’t stop….   Murray introduced us to several other farmers and one that he actually “crop shares ” his land with. A win-win situation. He makes plans for us to ride the sprayer and combine, and empty a grain cart. We are psyched about the experience he has planned.

8/6/23

This morning we awake early and have breakfast (Mike cooks) then we head out to ride the sprayer over the lentil fields.  Murray’s friend BJ is very informative and it’s a pleasure to ride along with him in the sprayer while he continues educating us on crops, spraying , farm life, & crop insurance…

Riding on the Sprayer…

Riding on the Sprayer…

Once we finished with BJ, we get a tour of “downtown” Glenbain, Saskatchewan – which includes the  Co-op store (run by new DSRV owners Joanne & Norm),  the one room school house their kids attended, and the post office. There isn’t much to the downtown but the Co-Op is clearly an important resource for everyone in the area. Pretty much everything you need for the farm or home can be had at the Co-op.  Afterwards we head back to the house for lunch and for the guys to work on the RV.  Farmers eat three hearty meals a day!

A big surprise for us was is other Saskatchewan friends (about 4 hours farther North Saskatchewan) arrive after making the drive South to Murray’s to surprise us just before lunch. We are so appreciative that Lawrence and Lil Georget who “snowbird ” also at DSRV on our street, would make the trip. The Russels were in on the surprise and it was Super! – Again – We really do have such awesome friends!  We spend most of the day catching up with Lil and Laurence & Murray and Karen.

8/7/23

Glenbain

This morning we (again) have a hearty breakfast before heading out for a ride with BJ on the combine.  

We get to the field to meet BJ around 10:00 (to allow the crops to dry out some) and each of us (including Murray) get an opportunity to ride along. It is very interesting to see how computerized it has all become. BJ did not even have his hands on the steering wheel!  Once each of us had our turn, BJ headed off to another field for more work.

All of us got a turn in the Combine with BJ….

All of us got a turn in the Combine with BJ….

Joanne with BJ …

Dumping the grain cart… There combine doesn’t stop!

Dumping the grain cart… There combine doesn’t stop!

Murray & Karen educating Mike on the crop…

Our morning on the combine was such a memorable couple of hours. We continue to be in awe of the technology, efficiency, and farming lifestyle. We head back for a quick lunch at the Russel’s before getting ready to visit Sylvia and Armand Dorais and then Garth and Laverne Gringell, (more DSRV Saskatchewan farming friends).

I’ve said it once and I’ll continue to say it; we have so many friends since starting this full -time adventure and our DSRV friends are a big part of that. If you would have told us back in 2018 we would be driving a combine in Saskatchewan on August 7, 2023 and have so many Saskatchewan farming friends it would not have been in our wildest dreams. We all got together for drinks first at The Dorais’s, then continuing at The Grinnell’s, before all heading out to dinner at their favorite restaurant. When we get together with this group the laughter goes on and on, the drinks/cocktails are plentiful, the food and snacks never stop, and we just have FUN!!!

Dinner with all our Saskatchewan Farming Friends…

Sunset on the farm…

8/9/23

Travel through Manitoba

As we get on the road departing Saskatchewan we talk about our adventure in Saskatchewan…  As we head down the road one of the couples we had hoped to see here (Denny & Judy Sneider from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) called. The Sneider’s full-time RV’d for years, like us, and only recently bought a condo. They winter too at DSRV as snowbirds and still travel a lot in their Motorhome.  They had also hoped to be at the Russel’s with the RV though had some unfortunate issues that they were awaiting parts/service for in Manitoba.

They called us just as we were starting down the road and asked what our travel plans were. We told them we had planned on driving East into Manitoba and crossing the border into North Dakota the following day. Luck would have it they are stuck right by the North Dakota border crossing we had intended to use. We told them we had to stop in Moosejaw to have a windshield chip repair on the RV and then would continue towards them. They said they had checked with the owner of the Service facility where they were parked awaiting parts and he said we could stay the night next to them if we wanted. We hadn’t made any reservations so the plan worked for us and we were going to get to see them for dinner. The town is about one hour from the border so perfect for us.  As we continue down the road we realize the distance to them wil be farther than we originally thought but they are willing to wait for us for dinner and to show us where to park in the lot. We also hadn’t taken into account another time change as we head East.

Welcome to Manitoba, Canada…

By 9:00pm we finally arrive and they help us get parked. Great to see Denny & Judy. Although it’s late we still pile into their jeep/tow car and  head out for dinner. This late at night in the thriving town of Winkler, Manitoba there are few options for dinner. We all decide dinner will be at Tim Horton’s; a place we have never eaten at!  The time goes by quickly and before we know it Judy says it is almost midnight!!  Great to catch up with our friends and share our mutual RV stories…We head back to the service area for a good night sleep.

The Sneider’s and Nunan’s in Winkler, Manitoba…

So that completes our visit to Canada 2023… Over the last couple of weeks we have driven through some spectacular scenery including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.  We have had a few unexpected issues, like new brakes, repaired exhaust system, fixed windshield , and several other unexpected challenges. Those last 2 provinces (Saskatchewan & Manitoba) complete our map of North America on the door of our RV.  We have now visited and camped in every state, province, and territory in North America.  We chose the name “Revolutionary Journey” rather then “Revolutionary Goals” for a reason. It’s the journey to new places, meeting and seeing friends and family,  and creating memories.

Completing the map is nice, though we know this “Revolutionary Journey” continues….

Our completed map…