The Last Post, No. 17, 27 October

K2 and Tintin

Phil & Kirsty

In a few weeks we depart on a journey across Canada in our brand new Forest River Class C motor home.  Every possible amenity that a couple of sissy learner travelers could want.  We plan to take our two keeshonden along, K2 and Tintin and to spend about 3 months on the road.   We plan to avoid the big cities and to spend as much time as available in the Maritimes.  More posts when we are closer to departure, including pix of the motorhome. Sorry about the style, my blog skills are very rusty, but should improve with practice.  We will endeavor to sign up family and friends so they can keep in contact during our travels over the next few months.  Attached is a youtube video of the vehicle.

https://youtu.be/x5alfEV2YUE

This is a you tube add for a rental company, but the video and description are very good.

 A la prochaine ! ,  P & K

 

5 July, breakfast in Naramata, then on the road to a Pinegrove camp, just north of Kamloops.  We then took the Yellow head highway, not the shortest route, but the most scenic, and were rewarded with a magnificent view of Mt Robson/Terry Fox. 

7 July, 2017, Blog Posting No.2

3 July, we took the Duke Point ferry as planned at 10:15.  This is the worst of all the main route ferries, maybe the BCFCorp believe that truck drivers don’t deserve the best facilities.  Bit of excitement as we left the ferry terminal, the door wasn’t properly latched and flew open.  K2 thought this was all part of the excitement and came close to leaping out onto the road at 20 kph, NOT a good start!  Made it without further incident to Chilliwack where we were met with generous hospitality by old friends Andy and Louise Kirkness.  They have a beautiful house with a fabulous view out over the valley, constantly changing as the crops are sown and ripened.
4 July, off at 10:15 to visit our dog breeder who is now very comfortably located in Hope.  Small riot as Esther’s many dogs greeted our two who were former kennel mates. Note K buried in grey fur.

Arrived that evening at the Lighthall winery and country estate, to enjoy the Okanagan wines and a delightful steak dinner with other guests Fern and Howard.  We hadn’t seen the Lighthalls for a couple of years, so what with Trump and the BC elections it took us an hour or two to solve the world’s problems before bedtime.  When I looked out the window in the early morning the whole grass lawn seemed to be moving; it was alive with quail, adults and many chicks.  Not enough light for a pic.

6 July, very early start, hard charging all the way, 110kph on cruise control.  Saw beautiful elk stags in velvet, fat and glossy, sure to make some hind happy in a month or two.  Alta border at 1300 hrs (1400 Alta time).  Traffic was OK, but we had a short delay to top up with diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).  I had never heard of DEF, it is an additive to help scrub the diesel exhaust. If you try to start vehicle with the reservoir empty the vehicle computer gives you a brief free ride, then it limits vehicle speed to 5kph until you top up! These new vehicles are so bossy! Another useful thing learnt.   Couldn’t find a supermarket in tourist-stuffed Jasper, wall to wall RVs, so pressed onto Hinton.  Stayed the night at a delightful little provincial camp “Hornbeck Provincial Park”.  Glitch with grey water tank, gauge doesn’t seem to register correctly.  Note to self to fix. Now on to Wabamum Lake tomorrow to visit with Sheila Wynn and Pieter.

A la prochaine ,P & K

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