As in other lifestyles, the RV life is often not predictable. Something came up and I had to be back in Sydney, Nova Scotia by July 21. Instead of exploring British Columbia this summer, I had to drive back across the country to the east coast. Since I will be in Nova Scotia for the rest of the summer, I wanted my RV there. As a result, my winter plans of visiting Yosemite and other wonderful national parks in the west will have to be changed. I will now be going down the east coast to Florida and other eastern states for the winter.
It was disappointing at first but then I remembered that no matter what life hands you, make the most of it. Who knows but this winter may end up being the best one yet.
And so, I pointed my RV in an easterly direction but first, I spent 3 days at the RV seminar held at the Okanagan college in Kelowna. Over 100 people showed up and the days were filled with lectures on various aspects of RVing. I thought I knew quite a bit but discovered many things I didn't know. Amongst other things, I now know how to use a multimeter to check all the things that are using electricity in my RV. My multimeter was a gift from a dear friend I met in Calfornia and is a valuable tool to have.
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| multimeter |
It was fun connecting to many other RVers and sharing info or talking about camping experiences. Most of them live in British Columbia and some are full timers like I am, including several women.
The seminar was fun and very worthwhile. There is always more to learn and seminars like this one are good to go to as often as possible.
We were able to "dry camp" at the college parking lot for the 3 days, so that made it very easy to get to the classes.
On June 28, I left Kelowna for the very long drive back to Nova Scotia. I gave myself 3 weeks to cover about 5800 km!
The drive along the Okanagan Valley was beautiful.
My route made a very big curve north-east past Vernon, Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, and Golden where I spent the night at a motel camping area.
Golden was a friendly town where everyone I met said hello. It was a hot day and I walked to a hotel to ask if I could use their pool. The woman at the check in noticed how hot I looked and got a glass of water for me. You don't come across kindness like that too often. For $8, I was given a towel and able to use their pool. I love swimming, and having access to a pool is always a treat, particularly on a hot day.
At Golden I had to make a decision: continue on hwy 1 east to Banff and Calgary or take # 95 south to Cranbrook then east. I chose going south as had not been on that route before, and completing my big curve or " bend".
Scenes along the way:
Love those mountains!!!
At Cranbrook, I turned east on hwy #93 to travel over the Crowsnest Pass.
It was a low mountain pass that crosses the Continental Divide of the Rockies and took me through the town of Crowsnest Pass.
In the early 1900s, this area suffered many disasters including mine explosions, a forest fire, and a rock slide killing 90 people.
Now this area is a popular tourist destination. Some energetic hikers aim for the top of Crowsnest mountain, altitude just over 9000 ft.
After the pass, I crossed the border into Alberta, leaving the Rockies behind and
reaching more of a flat landscape and large farms.
I camped at a community park and met up with a good friend who lives nearby.
Long hours of driving can feel isolating and it is always a pleasure to visit with someone I know. Instead of a community of people I knew when living in a town, I now have a more disperse community throughout North America. The distances are greater but the connections are just as rewarding.
The drive across the prairies on the trans-Cabada hwy was long and sometimes tiring. Even though I have been across Canada a few times, I still marvel at the immense size of our country. This time of year there are huge fields of grain as far as the eye can see.
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| the vibrant colour of canola |
The weather was quite unsettled for some time, hot and sunny with periods of light rain initially. I spent the nights at rest stops or Walmarts. Driving for about 4-5 hrs/day was enough for me.
On July 1, Canada Day, I arrived at Regina , Saskatchewan, in time to see the fireworks that evening. The drive into the city wasn't too bad but parking was a challenge given the large celebration. I finally found a spot for my RV about a 20 min walk from a large park along the river where thousands of people were already gathered. The mood was festive and I could hear much laughter. It was wonderful to be reminded that most people are peaceful and fun loving.
The fireworks were fantastic and I had a clear view from the side of the river.
After leaving Regina, where I had parked at a Walmart, the sky gradually darkened. There were tornado warnings on the radio and when I saw these clouds, I was tempted to turn back but it was not possible. Soon I came into very heavy rain but no sign of a tornado. It was a relief to get past all that!
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| scary clouds! |
My next stop was another Walmart at Brandon, Manitoba and then, finally "The Pine Tree RV park" ,near Winnipeg, a very pleasant park along a river and a great place to catch up on laundry and dumping the RV tanks.
The days of driving continued as the flat terrain of the prairies gradually gave way to the rocks of the "Canadian Shield", a large area of exposed precambrian rock covering about 1/2 of Canada. Manitoba flowed into Ontario and it was difficult to keep track of the time changes.
I stopped at Kakabeka Falls just north of Thunder Bay, then continued my journey over the top of Lake Superior.
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| Kakabeka Falls, Ontario |
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Lake Superior
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I spent the nights at rest stops or scenic outlooks, sometimes meeting tourists from other countries, as far away as Australia. No matter where we live, we often want to experience other parts of the world and the various cultures of the people there.
At the tourist centre in Wawa, I came across this large monument of a Canada goose, a definite symbol of Canada. It was created to commemorate the opening of the last link of the Lake Superior section of the Trans-Canada highway in Sept 1960.
Because of my time constraints, I was unable to visit some friends along the way. Driving long distances always takes longer than I expect.
After Lake Superior, the landscape became much more familiar as I had been in this part of northern Ontario many times. My route took me along hwy 17 east to Sudbury where I stayed at a Walmart, then south to Wasaga Beach for a wonderful swim in Georgian Bay ( part of Lake Huron). It is a popular beach and quite crowded but the sand and water felt good after all my driving.
A couple of hours from there, I reached Kitchener for a visit with a brother and sister living there. The drive took me past many farms: wheat, corn, canola, soybeans and also other crops. I stopped at a Mennonite farm to buy some fresh produce. They live very simply and still use a horse and buggy to drive to town. They are often seen driving along the roads in that area.
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| A canola field and wind turbines in the background |
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| Mennonite transit, environmentally friendly! |
It was muggy and hot as is usual in parts of southern Ontario in the summer.
After a good visit, I got back on the road for my journey east. I would have liked to stop for more visits in Toronto and Ottawa but my appointment in Sydney, NS was coming up in a few days. And so, I drove the 401 with few stops. One stop was to a friend I had met while camping in California and who lives in Quebec right near the highway. Alane made me lunch and we enjoyed sharing travel adventures. Perhaps we will hook up somewhere this winter.
From there, it was a pleasure to take the new bypass route around Montreal.
I used to dread driving through that city, often getting lost when taking a wrong exit. Now, you barely know there is a city nearby. Instead of the heavily trafficked 401, the #30 and then 20 passed by fields and trees, with brief views of some of the suburbs. It was a relaxing drive all the way to Riviere-du-loup near northern New Brunswick where another Walmart was welcoming.
The drive from there south to Moncton, New Brunswick seemed to take forever and I was happy to park at my niece's place there. She had just bought a house and was thrilled to show me her new home.
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| On the way to Moncton, NB |
On to Nova Scotia and finally to Sydney, a small city on the east coast of Cape Breton island. The casino there offered free parking which was handy as it was downtown. I was able to take care of appointments, business, and get some rest after my long drive. I even went to see the new Star Trek movie but was disappointed as there was almost nonstop action. These days most movies seem to focus on action scenes. I would rather watch an old romantic movie!
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| "The big fiddle" meets cruise ships visiting Sydney harbour |
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| sculpture at the welcome centre in Sydney |
I have been to Cape Breton numerous times but there are still many areas I haven't seen. I decided to spend much of the summer exploring this beautiful island and visiting 2 other sisters who live here.
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| The famous Mira River in Cape Breton |
You can find songs about the Mira River on Youtube. A beautiful rendition is of Anne Murrey singing "Song for the Mira" while walking along my favourite beach at "Cabot landing" in northern Cape Breton.
Another version of the song is by Foster and Allen.
My Cape Breton adventures await!
"Uncertainty is the spice of life"
--- Linda Scott
Did you know... " An 8 yo boy Aman Rehman of Dehra Dun, India is the world's youngest college lecturer. He is a computer genius who teaches digital animation classes at a local art school."
--- from "The weekly Bean" newsletter
And a bit of humour....
"I got an A in philosophy last semester by proving that my professor doesn't exist." --- from "Coffee news"
" Two men knocked on my front door and asked if I would kindly donate to the new local swimming pool that is being built, so I donated a bottle of water."
--- in an email from a friend
Stay cool!
Maria
whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com
