There she (or is it a he??) was, all shiny and eager to get on the road. My sister Trudy had helped me get it insured and registered earlier that day then Matt, John, and Sarah from Canadream led me through the final processes: lots of paperwork, apply the plates and check the rig inside and out.
With 6 new Michelin tires and a full tank of gas, I was all set to head back to Trudy's and move my things in.
She surprised me with some champagne and dessert to celebrate my new life and the next morning I began my journey.
I decided to drive back to NS via northern US as have never seen that area and the distance is similar.
First, south to Lethbridge for dinner and a fabulous concert with friends, camping at a small campground with no hook-ups but at least they had showers and only $20 for camping. I have a shower in my RV but it's easier to use a campground shower in order to conserve water in case there is no hook up the next night.
It felt strange as I was the only one camped there but was too tired to be concerned. It will take a while to get to know how everything works inside and I have several manuals to refer to.
whyknot? is a 24ft class B+ motorhome: "2011/2010 Forest River Lexington 235CDS "
So 2011 is the coach or home part of it and 2010 is the chassis or truck ( a V-10 Ford ) It had 78760km and handles very well.
It also has one side slideout which I wasn't sure I wanted at first but am now very happy I have it as it makes it much more spacious when parked somewhere.
Because this motorhome is relatively small, there is no permanent bed set up. I can walk back to my living area from the driver's seat without having to go outside. Behind the "cockpit" area, there is a couch on one side and a table with bench seats on the other side (both areas can be made into beds), then some closets and drawers across from the fridge/freezer, and finally, the bathroom and kitchen. The backdoor is beside the stove.
I'll try to take some photos with my smartphone.
On Sept 26th, I drove south and into Montana with no problems at all at the border, stopping at a McDonald's to use their WiFi, only to discover I couldn't connect to the internet. I also checked into getting a cell phone for the US but the plans seemed super complicated. I could have up-graded my smartphone to a very expensive plan but since I'm only in US for a few days it wasn't worth it.
On to Shelby and their tourist office to get some info re campsites.
They also had problems with the internet! I was, however, able to use their phone to check on camping and spent that night in Havre, Montana, a town with a Wallmart where I got a few supplies before settling into their RV park. It was more expensive at $42 a night (that was a discount as I'm a member of the "Good Sam" club.)
There were hook-ups but....you guessed it...their internet wasn't working!!! OK, so now I was starting to think I was jinxed.
Luckily, a hotel they also owned did have internet we could use, as well as a hot tub and pool which I put to good use.
Today, Sept 27th, I continued east to Wolf Point, a native reserve which has a pleasant campground with hookups and a great deal at $25/night. Once again, the internet was not working initially but they fixed it so I can relax.
The drive has seemed long even though I have gone only 900km in 3 days. The countryside has been prairie-like with few trees and huge undulating grain fields, like ocean waves, as far as I could see.
Hway 2 is an amazingly busy 2 lane road and in quite good condition. Once in a while, I passed small villages, often with only 1 small store and occasionally a gas station. I must remember to fill up before going on.
At times there were small mountains on the horizon and the sky seemed to go on forever.
The weather has been sunny and in the 20's C but the nights have been getting colder, about 15Cor so, and today it was raining on and off.
The road runs near train tracks and I've seen many trains consisting mostly of oil cars or else containers. Oil must be transported from the oil fields nearby (I plan to find out more about those)
As for cooking: the kitchen is very tiny with no counter space except the top of the stove or sink.I remember someone telling me "Be careful of what you wish for" and I have often said I wanted to live more simply. This is a good way to practice!
It will take some time to adapt to such a small space but I love the challenge and freedom of living with less.
Once I figure out how to deal with photos, I'll post more.
It will also take some time to develop this blog.
Let's see what tomorrow brings!
