The Last Post, No. 17, 27 October

27 October, 2017, Post no. 17, The Last Post!

In the interests of full disclosure, we must confess we are writing this last post six weeks after we got home from our trans-Canada travels. We are presently in NZ, nearing the end of our trip to NZ, after departing for NZ on 11 Oct.

13 Sept, Started off from Millers Camping Resort at Portage La Prairie.

We bypassed Portage La Prairie, pausing only at a Smittys for Cobb Salad for lunch. Due to smoke from wildfires in Saskatchewan, the blue prairie skies faded to white and merged into the horizon. Driving was difficult, there was nothing to focus on beyond the immediate stretch of road, (flat and straight!). Passed two interesting farming ventures, a massive wind farm and an elk farm.

Visited the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina to see the recruits drill. K tried the virtual reality Musical Ride, while seated on a genuine RCMP saddle. The museum was beautifully done and of course we had our picture taken with a Mountie in splendid crimson.

Cruise control and frequent changes of the sensory numbed drivers then took us all the way to Ponderosa RV Park, Swift Current, Sask, 434 km after a late start.

14 Sept, drove to Bow River’s Edge Campground, Cochran Alberta

Woke to cold rain and were delighted to find a rare diner right beside the highway open for breakfast. Checked with homebound Albertans on the prospect of snow and the prognosis was not good. While consuming a surprisingly good breakfast. Phil tried to write up this café on Trip Advisor, it was a real find in the wasteland of fast food emporiums, but for some reason Trip Advisor rejected the submission, without giving any understandable reasons. Might try again. While dining we spotted a miserable looking cyclist approaching in the cold drizzle. Turned out to be a young woman who had left Vancouver 16 days ago. This was her first day of rain also. She had camped out the night before but realized she may have to resort to hotels/motels if this weather persisted. As she was fully kitted out in MEC equipment, we assumed she was an experienced cyclist. But no, she had only taken up cycling in Victoria this past summer. She also told us she had encountered en route a man who had cycled across Canada 11 times. Some people never seem to learn!!

The Bow River’s Edge Campground was exceptionally clean and well appointed, adjacent to an excellent off leash dog walk area on the river banks. Perfect for the furkids after a rather closeted day while we were checking out the RCMP. Luckily the banks were high and steep, if they had got into the river we wouldn’t have caught up to them until we reached the Rockies.

15 Sept, Drove to Fairmont Hotsprings RV Park

We planned to drive the Banff-Jasper Hwy, maybe both ways since we were ahead of schedule. However by the time we reached Canmore, the clouds had settled in leaving zero view and sleet was hitting the windscreen. We pressed on to Banff without any improvement in weather or visibility, so reckoned that Banff Jasper would be a bust, if not actually hazardous, and decided to turn south on Hwy 93, through Kootenay National Park. The weather immediately improved and we were able to get peekaboo views of some impressive bits of the Rocky Mountains. Great excitement as we drove thru Radium Hot Springs, where a huge 50s vintage car rally was gathering. Crowds seated on deck chairs were lining the streets to welcome the participants as they drove in. So as not to spoil the party, we waved politely as we drove thru. Good to be back in BC. We can now be assured that “Beautiful British Columbia” on our license plates is no idle boast. Tourism was booming in the Kootenays, there were impressive hot pools at the RV Park, with impressive prices to match, ($12 for a single swim !!). Long gone are the days when Phil used to jump into the hot pools in the Kuirau Reserve in Rotorua for no charge other than the acid waters dissolving your swim trunks over a few week’s exposure.

16 Sept, drove to Mk’nip RV Park, Osoyoos, BC

More lovely mountain views, foothill valleys, but we first encountered the smoke from the summer bush fires on reaching Creston. Found Kirsty’s beloved weekend edition of the “Globe and Mail” at the normal price, (as opposed to import prices on the way from the east), even if it was the Alberta edition. Startled to encounter two deer on the road at sunset at Rock Creek. Checked into the very glamorous RV campground, an initiative of the Osoyoos Band, which also has a winery and a hotel attached. The winemaker learnt his trade in NZ. The camp was nicely sited and the weather was warm. We chatted to a Quebec couple (we admired each other’s dogs) who were making the RV Camp their western headquarters. The micro climate stays surprisingly mild, they had their trailer winterized and were abandoning Quebec, planning to make forays south during the deepest winter. We immediately thought of ways we might take advantage of the Osoyoos site also.

17 Sept, drove to Capilano RV Park, in West Vancouver

Sampled the fruit and produce while passing by the many fruit stands offering the range of fall products. Wonderful peaches, apples, huge arrays of pickles, jams and sauces. Drove over the Princeton- Hope Road thru Manning park, as soon as we left hills at Hope it started to rain. Welcome to the wet coast. It rained and rained so heavily the windscreen wipers could barely keep up. Usual delays on the Trans-Canada around Surrey, for no apparent reason apart from too much traffic. The local crazies drive far too fast on semi-flooded surfaces, many cars would be close to aquaplaning. Took the Second Narrows Bridge to arrive at the RV park just under the Lions Gate Bridge. Almost home! An excellent campground, 15 minutes from DT Vancouver provided traffic is moving on the Lions Gate Bridge, well equipped and laid out, quite expensive for a single night but we discovered it is relatively empty over winter, we can stay there close to Xmas for a mere 300/week, an enormous bargain vis-à-vis Vancouver DT hotel rates, which start at the 300/day. We immediately decided we could do our Vancouver Xmas social visits from our motor home parked at the Capilano RV Park, We can even take the dogs, do our laundry and dine sumptuously at the “Whole Foods” prepared meals counter in Park Royal, within easy walking distance of the campground.

18 Sept,

A relaxed departure from the RV Campground to the Ferry Terminal at Horseshoe Bay. Had a one ferry wait to catch the 1515 ferry to Nanaimo. The ferries seem to be under a lot of pressure these days. Why there should be a one ferry wait on a very ordinary, Monday pm is surprising. Even the ferry attendant handling parking couldn’t understand where the crowd was coming from. Home tucked up safely in our own bed after some 77 days on the road and covered 20,400 km total mileage.

Thoughts on Completing the Journey

1. 1. Canada truly is a vast country. We have driven the wide open spaces of Argentina, end to end and all the way across outer Mongolia from Ulaan Baatar to the northwest border with Siberia and both these trips are dwarfed by the width of Canada. And we have only seen the little strip along the Canada/US border. All of the North still awaits our camper van.

2. 2. This really is a very ethnically diverse country. Philippinas in services and retail stores, Sikhs in gas retailing and convenience stores, NZ and Australian waitresses, middle Europeans, Middle Easterners in all of the provinces we visited,. It appears that new Canadians are prepared to make a living wherever the opportunity offers and introducing new ways of doing things. We conversed with a couple of Sikh brothers who were prototyping an automated truck filling station which could also serve regular motorists with normal credit cards.

3. 3. Wonderful, healthy food is available everywhere if you are prepared to look beyond the fast food stadiums. We were buying the last of the seasons cherries in Osoyoos when Phil noticed a sign for home made vegetarian samosas. “My wife is just getting them out of the oven” said the young Sikh owner. We took two and regretted we didn’t take two dozen. Fresh fish in the Maritimes is sublime, lobster was of course wonderful but Atlantic cod and haddock, not to mention East Coast mussels are wonderful delicacies. Fresh corn on the cob in early fall, beef, all great, In the Gaspe the best French bread we have eaten anywhere in the world.

4. 4. Canada is at least 5 countries! The West Coast, the Prairies, Quebec and the Maritimes, plus Ontario which is so vast it really is like a country on its own. This trip has taught us a lot and also made us realise how superficial a lot of our knowledge of Canada is. We really have a much better feel for the country and can take a much more informed interest in news stories from across the country.

5. 5. Travelling with the dogs was great for our social life because everyone was interested in them and we met lots of people as a result. Our best French conversations were initiated with people intrigued by the dogs. For them I suspect it was a mixed experience. Not enough time off leash and Tintin especially made some alarming bids for freedom! They are delighted to be home again and were positively angelic for the first few days and are probably starting to forgive us.

6. 6. We are now enthusiastic gypsies and already we are planning a trip to Northern BC and perhaps Alaska next year. This time we’ll take our bicycles as well.