July 23rd to 26th - MT, ND, SD

July 23^rd – Wed - Yellowstone

We got a bit earlier start today because I didn't make breakfast. Instead, I made sandwiches for lunch and we stopped at McDonald’s for breakfast. There was not as big a line getting into the park as yesterday and we headed north to Mammoth Hot Springs. We went through a construction area that we hit at exactly the right time for the northbound traffic to go through 7 miles one-way. We stopped at a few places to take a little walk and get some pictures. We were really disappointed at Mammoth. When we were here 4 years ago, there was lots of water flowing over the terraces and producing colorful ponds. This time most of the areas that we saw were dry & white and there were no elk in town.

We continued around the north & east side of the “figure 8” road in the park, got ice cream at Tower and walked out to get a not-very-good picture of the falls. The walk to the bottom of the falls was closed part way down so we didn't bother going there.

We drove though the parking lot at Canyon and took a wrong turn when we came out. Before we realized it, I heard a rattling noise so we stopped to investigate. We couldn't find anything so we turned around and got on the correct road. I continued to hear the noise and we even stopped to see if the license plate was loose. When we went past an area where we saw a bison yesterday, I looked up the hill and noticed that my visor was moving. A snap had come undone and the noise was my visor rattling on my helmet!! Terry had taken off his helmet to listen for the noise and said it was my helmet and I thought he was joking!

We stopped beside the Madison River to eat our sandwiches since we were so relieved that nothing was wrong with the bike. We fueled up in West Yellowstone and found a store to buy oil for the bike since we used part of the bottle that we were carrying.

After dinner I talked Terry into going for a little walk around the park and we ended up walking a long way along the river until we finally worked our way through the brush and back to our site. Luckily Terry was leading the way so he couldn't complain about the length of the walk.

July 24^th – Thurs

We got an early start this morning and someone was waiting for our site. Unfortunately for them, our neighbor came over last night to ask if we were leaving by the date shown on the post and paid for some friends who were coming in today.

We went through the park one more time – north, then across the middle, and then north again out the northeast entrance to the Beartooth All-American Road. Charles Kuralt called it the most beautiful drive in America and I have to agree that it is amazing. It climbs to 10,947 feet with mega switchbacks to do so. Terry was not able to enjoy the views as much as me as he was concentrating on making the corners and staying on our side of the narrow road. I charged the camera battery last night but the battery ran out part way through the drive. I plugged it into our portable battery charger (Mophy) and managed to get pictures most of the way with a few on the phone.

We stopped in Red Lodge for lunch at Subway since we didn't have any breakfast and there was no where to eat on the drive. We stopped at Pompey's Pillar which is a Lewis & Clark milestone but it was too hot to walk to the top so we settled for a picture and signing the visitor's book.

We are heading to North Dakota and I found an RV park (Big Sky) in Miles City Mt. We checked in about 4:30, set up and went for a swim in the pool near our site. It was 103 when we got here so the pool was great. Then we took the bike into town looking for KFC for dinner. We had to settle for WalMart and when we came out there was a huge wind & dust storm. We took the freeway back and had to slow down as it was so windy. Our awning was out but was OK when we got back. Terry even put down the stabilizers as we were rocking so much with the wind gusts.

Luckily the wind died down shortly after we had dinner and we could enjoy some TV before hitting the sack.

July 25^th – Fri – Medora ND

We pushed a little yesterday so we had a short drive this morning and arrived at the first campground shortly after 10. We waited through a phone call and a short power problem to have the employee tell us that she couldn't possibly tell us if they had an available site for at least an hour. Of course we immediately told her that we would not be waiting around. The Red Lodge campground was also booked up but we could get an overflow site with power only. As the lady was waiting for our credit card to complete, she answered the phone which was someone wanting to cancel a reservation so we ended up with full hookups. The people on the waiting list all wanted 50 amps. A guy hopped on his bicycle to lead us the site and, after we unloaded the motorcycle, did a wonderful job of directing Terry into the site.

After breakfast/lunch we went into town to buy tickets for tonight. More about that later. We then went to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and drove all around a big loop road. The scenery was gorgeous and the drive only could have been better without 3 miles of dust in a construction zone – which we had to go through twice!

We had time to relax back at the rig before going to the Medora Pitchfork Fondue for dinner. Steaks are actually put on pitchforks and cooked in big vats of oil. I read about this a few years ago and wanted to check it out sometime. There was live music to wait by and, since it is held every night for the summer, it is well organized. Of course people who wanted to be first in line to eat left their seats at the tables to start a line about 20 minutes before they were ready to serve. It was a fun experience but the steaks were all cooked the same – more well done than medium – and it was relatively expensive at $30 each.

From there we had a short walk to the Medora Musical which was wonderful. It is held in an outside amphitheater with reserved seats so you don't have to rush to wait in line. Before the show starts, there are large building backdrops that are out of the way on the sides of the stage to allow a view of the hills behind. These backdrops move in on rails as the show progresses. Two elk with huge antlers were silhouetted against the sky as they ate the feed provided for this exact purpose. Before the show started a cowboy on horseback herded them down the hill.

The show has been running for 50 years and each of the 5 director’s “reign” was used as a theme for the show. There was a band, 12 incredibly talented dancers/singers (6 men, 6 women), the female director who also sang and participated in short skits with a guy to provide time for costume changes and a comedian who did a very funny stand-up routine that was also enjoyed by kids in the crowd. The acts included a patriotic tribute, recognition of “Teddy” Roosevelt's part in Medora's history and a number based on WWII which included 4 horseback riders each highlighted by a spotlight making their way down the by now dark hillside.

The show started at 7:30 and finished at 10 with a 15 minute intermission. Terry was a little hesitant about attending a “musical” but he was definitely impressed with the show and we would encourage anyone who has a chance to attend.

July 26th – Sat – Spearfish SD

We pulled out at 8 and headed a bit east to the Enchanted Highway which is a 32 mile stretch of road between Gladstone & Regent that contains huge metal sculptures. We have seen them before but they are worth a second visit. The last time we visited it was in the afternoon so we we were able to get better pictures of some of the sculptures this time with the sun on the other side. We made a stop for lunch and a stop for fuel. I called a park in Spearfish (Chris' Cabins & RV) to make sure they had sites and we were set up about 2.

We got a phone call saying our credit card number was being used in Texas so we have to get a new card again. It is a nuisance but I am glad that the Bank of America fraud department is on top of things. By now Terry had the Medora dust cleaned off the bike and it was time for a ride to Deadwood. We donated to a couple of casinos and then stopped at KFC to pick up dinner.

It was hot & windy today but it cools off quickly in the evening.

July 20th to 22nd - to Yellowstone

July 20^th – Sun – Garrison MT

The wind blew all the smoke away so it was clear & sunny this morning. We had a lovely, lazy morning and I made breakfast for lunch. We made another trip into Deer Lodge and checked it all out. We toured the old prison and museums the last time we were here (recommended for anyone visiting here) so we made a stop at the grocery store and headed back. We continued into Garrison and found nothing there.

Our neighbor had been fishing and caught a 10” brook trout so we wandered down to the river to see if anyone else was fishing. Quite a few rigs were arriving and we ended up chatting with new neighbors for a while. Dinner and a quiet evening.

July 21^st – Mon – to Yellowstone

We left at 7:30 for the 200 (or so) mile drive to West Yellowstone. We are staying at Baker's Hole federal campground about 3 miles north of West Yellowstone which is the west entrance to the park. We did some checking yesterday on campgrounds in Yellowstone park and found that most did not have hookups. We stayed here in the past and knew there were electric sites but no water so we filled the fresh water tank before we left. We found a site (not many available with electricity), set up and headed to town with the truck since we needed diesel and the skies were cloudy & dark.

The first order of business was breakfast/lunch as it was nearly noon. Then we went shopping and actually bought some stuff. We stopped at the visitor center for more information and had a “snack” at Dairy Queen.

We had a few sprinkles on the way back and then the skies let loose once we were safely inside. We covered the bike & put out the awning. At one point Terry was trying to figure out what was making a popping noise and realized it was hailing. There were huge thunderclaps and lots of rain. Luckily we weren't planning to BBQ for dinner.

July 22^nd – Tues

I made breakfast before we took the motorcycle to Yellowstone Park. We stopped at the Visitor Center to see if the rain & thunder that was forecast for today was still on the menu but it didn't look too bad.

By now it was after 10 and there was a big line of vehicles to get into the park. We headed to the Old Faithful area with a few stops along the way. We have been to the park a few times before so we didn't stop at all the view areas. Also, some of the parking areas were full.

Amazingly, we didn't have to wait too long for Old Faithful to erupt. There were lots of people there and we wanted to finish driving a loop and get back before a possible rain shower so we headed for the bike & beat the crowd leaving the parking lot.

We really enjoyed riding the bike in the park. As the passenger, I can look around at everything and take pictures without worrying about bugs on the windshield and reflections in the side window. It even smells good – except for the sulfur from some areas. We didn't see much wildlife – 3 individual bison, one lone elk and a herd of elk in the distance. There were lots of cars parked where you normally see a herd of bison but everyone had binoculars or huge telephoto lenses so we didn't stop.

We stopped for a few groceries, topped up the gas in the bike and headed for the RV park – no rain! We didn't put on a lot of miles but spent a lot of time on the bike so were ready to relax.

July 17th to 19th - to Montana

July 17th – Thurs - Spokane
Terry went golfing early again with Bill but was not feeling well when he returned. He spent all day in the rig and close to the biffy. I did a couple loads of laundry – thanks for the use of the facilities, Georgia – and spent time with our lovely "campground" hosts!
Bill & Georgia's granddaughter Samantha did some chores for Georgia and then joined us for dinner. I took dinner to Terry but he only ate about half. Bill dug out a big old box of Lego's for Samantha and we all had fun playing with them!
A quiet rest of the evening with my sick guy.

July 18th – Fri
Terry was feeling quite a bit better this morning and we eventually went shopping and got the truck washed. Bill & Georgia were playing in a golf tournament. We went to Costco and ended up buying a new computer. With our tablets we felt we didn't need anything super and got an HP with Windows 7 as I didn't feel like dealing with Windows 8.
We stopped at Dave's Tavern - a Spokane Valley icon - and had a good, late lunch. I started loading stuff on the new computer - pictures & Picasa to srtart with. I found an article on the internet with the steps to load Picasa and it worked great. The smaller keyboard will require some practice but at least I can post the blog from my own computer. Just excuse typos for a while!
Bill & Georgia came in for a drink when they got back about 8 and then we went to their place for dessert - fresh raspberries again!

July 19th – Sat - to Montana
We hugged Bill & Georgia goodbye about 8:30 and headed east on Hwy 90 to Montana. We stopped for breakfast at the 10,000 Silver Dollar Bar and ended up in Garrison at the Riverside RV park. There was smoke from forest fires the whole trip.
I talked Terry into washing the trailer after he shined up the motorcycle. The guy who checked us in said we could wash the rig as long as we put lots of water on the grass - nice for a change.
We took the bike to Safeway in Deer Lodge (11 miles down I90) where we got kabobs to put on the BBQ for dinner. It was very windy and Terry said it would only be windy one way but it was sideways to us both ways. We put the chairs out beside the rig and were sheltered from the wind so it was really nice.

July 11th to 16th - Vancouver Island to Spokane

July 11th - Fri
Colin & Linda took us sightseeing today. We went to Englishman River falls where the water comes over a wide flat area and then drops off at an angle for a different effect from most waterfalls. A very high bridge provides a view of an incredibly clear pool below the falls. We went to Coombs and "Goats On A Roof" which is exactly what it says – goats living on a sod roof above a store which is great for browsing. We wandered around other stores and ended up have ice cream cones which were huge. We drove through or past RV parks, downtown Qualicum Beach and then stopped for a few groceries before heading back to our RV park.
I had put a roast in the crock pot for the 4 of us for dinner so I had time to do a couple of loads of laundry and post the blog using Linda’s computer before finishing dinner with peas, mashed potatoes and a Greek salad from Linda. Of course I had to introduce them to 321 cake for dessert. Linda had seen it mentioned many times in the blog but had never asked me for the recipe. They liked it as much as we do.

July 12th – Sat – to Victoria
We left fairly early this morning so we could meet my brother & his friend Cheryl for breakfast. Doug & I texted last night and decided on a Thriftys grocery store parking lot at Mill Bay. Thank goodness for cell phones as I couldn’t find that Thriftys in the GPS and it is off the highway enough that we would have had trouble finding it. We had a nice breakfast on the patio of a restaurant. We were happy that we got the chance to meet Cheryl and really enjoyed chatting with her.
We continued on to Colwood (near Victoria) to visit Joe & Stella who are our neighbors in Mesa. They had moved their motor home to the lawn so we could back into the driveway and hook up to electricity. We spent most of the rest of the day on the deck catching up with each other. Joe’s stepmom Joyce dropped in for a quick visit and then their friend Sherrill came to join us for a nice steak dinner.

July 13th – Sun
After coffee and toast, I posted the blog using Stella’s computer and then we went for a lovely sightseeing trip. Residents often don’t go "sightseeing" in their own area and this was the case with Joe & Stella so it was really nice that they enjoyed revisiting the same sights that we were seeing for the first time. We went up a mountain with viewpoints over several parts of the city and water. We went to Fisherman’s Wharf where we wandered along the float houses that are moored to several wharves before we had excellent fish & chips at Barb’s which has won awards for their fish. We walked out & back a man-made breakwater that is slightly over ½ mile long. The weather was perfect - sunshine but not hot near the water. The protected water inside was calm for great pictures. We then drove through several scenic neighborhoods on the way to Beacon Drive-In for the best, richest, soft ice cream cone that I have ever eaten. We stopped at Costco on the way back for some dry ribs that Terry had to get after Dar made them for us.
Now it was time to return to the deck. We taught Joe & Stella how to play Cross Crib and took a break partway through for a snack. We thought we would make 321 cake later but we were all still too full by the time we finished playing cards.


July 14th – Mon – to Anacortes WA
We left at 9:45 for the hour or so drive to the terminal at Sidney where we were to catch the 12 o’clock ferry to Anacortes. After the little loop for bigger rigs that can’t make a tight turn, we were checked in at 11. The web site said to arrive an hour ahead of sailing and we were the next to last large rig to arrive and not too many cars came in after us.
At the US customs quick check, a guy noticed that license plate on the trailer was missing. We showed him the paperwork and he told us to report it missing or stolen. Terry had actually noticed it a week or so ago but there wasn’t much we could do in Canada. The ferry crossing is very scenic through all the islands. This ferry didn’t stop at Friday Harbor and we arrived right on time at 2:00. Ten minutes to unload and 30 minutes in the line for customs. I had to show the agent the veggies in the fridge which was kind of interesting since you can only open the fridge door about 4 inches with the bike inside. Everything was OK and we headed for Tulalip Casino near Marysville. We made a stop for a late lunch on the way.
We have stayed there previously so we parked and went to the casino where it took us a long time to lose our allowance. It was quite hot so the air conditioned casino was nice. Stella picked the last of her raspberries this morning and sent them with us so dinner was berries on ice cream – yum! It is a good thing that we had the ice cream because we forgot that the fridge does not restart after the propane is turned off for the ferry ride. The ice cream was soft but everything was OK.

July 15th – Tues – to Spokane
We left at 6:30 to take highway 2 to Spokane. Yes Barb, we did drive right past your house! We stopped in Ellensburg for the worst IHop breakfast that we have ever had. We arrived in Greenacres at Bill & Georgia’s house about 1:00 after stopping to pick up our mail and get Terry’s new driver’s license. He informed me part way through the drive that his temporary license had expired a month ago and he didn’t want to tell me and have me worry! Nothing like driving with a missing license plate and an expired license! I kind of wondered why he was driving so close to the speed limit.
We hadn’t ridden the motorcycle for several days and the battery was too low to start the bike when we got here so we sat in the shade and visited while it charged up. We had time to set up before we all met Vern & Denni for Taco Tuesday at Azteca. They came back with us after dinner and we sat in the shade again – this time with an after dinner drink.

July 16th – Wed
Terry went golfing with Bill at 6 this morning, Georgia went to the "Y" for exercise class and I goofed off until the guys returned at 8.
Then we took the motorcycle to run errands. We got a replacement plate for the trailer and then took the computer to a repair place recommended by Bill. They couldn’t even look at it for 3 days so we went to Best Buy which wasn’t open until 10 so we went and got some breakfast and made a stop at Total Wine. A nice guy at the Best Buy Geek Squad counter had a look at the wifi problem and couldn’t find anything so he took it to another tech in the back room. After they spent nearly an hour altogether, the "back room" tech said we could throw money at it but he recommended buying a new computer. The CD drive quit some time ago so I guess it’s time. We have a large external drive so moving data shouldn’t be too painful. Yeah – dream on!!!
Terry & Bill found that the seemingly easy job of screwing the license plate directly to the trailer bumper wasn’t so easy. They drilled holes, broke a screw off in a hole and went for different screws. Terry ended up hammering the screws into holes in the bumper so they will have to be drilled out or cut off to replace the plate.
Georgia & I picked a large bowl of raspberries for dinner – and ate a few as we picked of course. I worked on my blog but kept joining in on conversations so it was slow going. Georgia made dinner and afterwards we taught them how to play Cross Crib. We usually play Sequence but they really enjoyed learning a new game.

July 7th to 10th - Vancouver Island

July 7^th - Mon
Doug had left for work when we got up about 7 and it didn’t take us long to hit the road after stopping for to-go coffee at a service station. It was a bit foggy with rain sprinkles but a nice drive. We were going to Port Alberni to join Dan & Robin Curtis (neighbors in Mesa) for some fishing. We found the China Creek Marina (with a campground) in the GPS but we decided not to follow the instructions when we were supposed to turn on a very narrow, steep road. I found some very different instructions to China Creek Campground in the Trailer Life book so we started backtracking to the highway. On the way we saw the first road mentioned in the book and followed the instructions. When we hit a gravel road with logging trucks I was sure it was wrong so Terry stopped at a shake mill and asked someone. He assured us we were on the right road and told us we would cross a little bridge before a big hill so we could remain certain things were OK.
We pulled up in front of the office and found Dan & Robin just checking in. They had to launch their boat with their motor home so we found our site and set up. They had a site near us but it was really little so Terry took Dan on the motorcycle back to the office and they got a nice site across the road. We went back to the office to get fishing licenses.
Now it was time for the first trip in the boat. We dropped a couple of prawn traps and then Dan set up the downriggers with 2 poles each. After washing the flashers thoroughly, we went back to pull up the empty prawn traps. Then we reset the prawn traps in a different place and headed back. The campground is a ways down Barkley Sound so you can’t see Port Alberni or the ocean.
We were hungry so we made dinner and then went over to Dan & Robin’s MH where they surprised me with a birthday cake.

July 8^th – Tues
We left at 7 for the short walk to the docks and went out in lovely calm weather for a repeat of yesterday’s excursion. Set prawn traps, wait for fish to hit the lines and, most importantly regarding the lack of salmon, avoid commercial fishing boats & seine nets. We didn’t realize that the area had been opened to commercial fishing yesterday.
Robin thought my birthday was today so she planned to make dinner for us. A few drinks, a nice dinner and choppy water prevented us from going back out in the boat.

July 9^th – Wed
We got going at 7 again this morning but decided not to put out the prawn traps as no one else was getting prawns. We tried different areas for salmon but no luck again. No Dan, we aren’t blaming you!!!! We have gone fishing before! The water got quite choppy by the time we called it quits.
We each made our own dinners but got together to eat & share. Then Dan’s brother Len, his wife Mary and their son (oops, senior moment on his name!) came out for a visit and Robin’s cousin Bob and his wife Linda also arrived. We had a great time with lots of laughs. The rest of the campground was quiet and there were lots of vacant “seasonal” rigs that were empty so no one asked us to keep the noise down.

July 10^th – Thurs
We were ready to leave at 8:45 and hadn’t seen Dan & Robin yet so we knocked on their door to get our goodbye hugs. I guess we all had too much fun last night!
For some reason, when we didn’t need it, our GPS could find roads to get us back to the highway. We arrived at Riverbend RV Park in Parksville, got a site and set up. We have friends – Colin & Linda – staying here. They read our blog and sent an email asking if we could get together when they saw we were on the Island. There are originally from Alberta, we met them in Florida and they came to see us in Desert Hot Springs a few years ago.
We were just going to find them at the site we were told they were in when they walked up. Good thing as they are in a different site than the park told us. We sat and chatted for a bit and then we had to go for lunch & grocery shopping. We considered finding a car wash to get rid of the dust on the truck but that didn’t happen.
Colin & Linda invited us for dinner along with Linda’s sister Carol & her husband Russ who were travelling with them in Desert Hot Springs. We sat around the fire pit to roast hot dogs and tell stories. It was a lovely sunny day with more in the forecast .

July 1st to 6th - to Vancouver Island

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July 1st – Tues

We played golf again with Ron & Terri.  There were slow groups ahead of us which is irritating.  The slowest group (2 ahead of us) played only 9 holes so we asked the group ahead of us if we could skip a hole and go ahead of them.  It makes a big difference to the game not to have to wait on every hole – and not to listen to loud, immature talk about how much beer can be consumed while playing golf.  It got very warm by the time we finished about 2.

We went home to shower, get some appies & the booze bag and head back to Ron & Terri’s for a BBQ to celebrate Canada Day.  Bob & Dar and Bev were also there.  Ron put a turkey on the BBQ for the basis for yet another yummy dinner.  Terri & Dar decided the occasion would also be an early celebration of my birthday so we had cake for dessert.

July 2^nd – Wed

I did laundry at the park before we left this morning.  Terry dumped tanks and got ready to go before helping me carry clothes back.  We were catching the 5:00 ferry from Tsawassen so we had several hours to kill.  Ron & Terri suggested that we could park on the street outside their housing complex but we had to make a u-turn because of a traffic accident and decided to go to the casino rather than using up more of their time.  There was lots of room to park, we had a nice late breakfast-for-lunch and played the slots much longer than usual before donating our money.

The ferry was a bit late leaving and wasn’t full.  We wouldn’t have had to make a reservation but the peace of mind was worth the $18.50 fee.  We didn’t realize that the terminal has a large row of shops with lots of food choices so I had made sandwiches to eat on the ferry.  It was probably a good idea as the prices are even higher than Canadian normal!  We had a great show with 3 groups of whales swimming & splashing.

Our friends Gary & Carie recommended the Oceanside RV park just south of Sidney so we had made a reservation.  We set up, made a drink and took a walk to the beach.  It turned out to be further than it appeared on the park map but it was nice to get a little exercise.

July 3^rd – Thurs

We were having coffee this morning – and playing computer games! – when Carie called and suggested that we might like to take the ferry from Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay rather than driving around the south end of the sound.  We thought that sounded good so we got ready and left on the bike.  We arrived early for the 25 minute ride on a small ferry.  Then we had a 25 minute drive to Gary & Carie’s house in Duncan.

We had a great time seeing their house – with a 600 sq ft detached “party room” that was a workshop when they bought the house – catching up and having lunch.  Then they took us to old town Duncan where we walked around and I took pictures of the totems around town.  Gary volunteers at the visitor center so we had to check out the nice new facility and sign the visitor book.  The next stop was the hospital as Gary had to have an ultrasound on his hand.  Carie was going to take us somewhere but we decided to wait as it wasn’t supposed to take long.

When Gary was finished, we went to Maple Bay where unfortunately – for our waistlines – the little grocery store had Magnum ice cream bars.  Then it was time to go back to their place and head for “home”.  We drove around this time with not bad traffic and not cold even at 6:00 and wearing shorts.

July 4^th – Fri

We are going to Port McNeill to see my brother Doug but decided to split the drive into 2 days as it is a bit longer than our usual drive and Doug works today.  An uneventful drive took us to Campbell River where we checked into the Thunderbird RV park just on the edge of town.  I made French Toast for lunch and then we went to find propane and some groceries.  We came back to put frozen stuff in the freezer and drop off the propane tank.

Guess where we went next?  Yup, a casino because by now it was raining and it seemed like the thing to do.  I didn’t lose any money but I didn’t make any to cover Terry.  We had to visit the tourist information to find a BC liquor store and then we headed back.  We didn’t unload the bike because of the weather so I juggled my way through cooking a simple dinner while Terry lay on the bed to watch TV and play computer games.

July 5^th – Sat

We left at 7:45 in a drizzle which soon changed to RAIN.  It was an easy drive however with very little traffic and the rain let up fairly soon.  We kind of forgot how to get to Doug’s so luckily he checked his cell phone shortly after I called and told us where we made the mistake.  We turned around in his yard and waited a short while until he returned from working on a bike rack.

I made breakfast for lunch for Terry & me and then I downloaded pictures from the camera and showed Doug pictures until his eyes crossed.  We still cannot get the PC to connect to wifi so I am hoping that my nephew Dennis can help.

Doug took us to Telegraph Cove for a little walk around.  It was fairly windy so we ducked into a couple of stores to browse.  Back home it was time to make dinner & relax – as if we hadn’t been relaxing all day!

July 6^th – Sun

We took our time getting going and into the house this morning and found that Doug had prepared veggies and put a roast in to marinate for dinner.  Then he made “loaded” scrambled eggs for breakfast.  After a bit we went next door to my nephew Dennis’s house to see him, his wife Nina and their 20 month old daughter Adele.  We also had to tour their new house.  Dennis tried to find out why my PC won’t connect to wifi but he was stumped too.

Back at Doug’s, I started removing spent blossoms from a rhody and Doug joined me.  It was quite overgrown so it turned into a large job involving a huge orchard ladder but it certainly looked better when we were done.  The weather had cleared from rain this morning so it was lovely to spend time outside.

Dennis, Nina and Adele joined us for dinner.  Doug put the marinated roast in a smoker and roasted veggies in the oven.  Dennis brought a big bowl of shrimp in the shell that we boiled and he also brought shrimp on skewers that he put on the BBQ – yummy!  - and Nina made a lemony pasta dish.

Doug started a fire in a fire pit and we enjoyed an after dinner drink in the remaining sunshine.  Then I introduced him to 3-2-1 cake for dessert.

June 25th to 30th - to White Rock

June 25^nd – Wed

We joined Bob for coffee & toast and I finished posting an album of pictures that died halfway through last night.  We enjoyed driving the sea to sky highway as we have not been on it since it was improved for the winter Olympics in Whistler.  The scenery was great as usual but unfortunately the battery on the camera gave up.

We went over the new Port Mann bridge which is now a toll bridge but there are no collection stations.  I guess we can expect a notice in the mail to pay the toll as they take a picture of your license plate if you don’t have a prepaid account.

We arrived at Pacific Border RV park just before noon and waved to Laverne before we checked in.  When we walked back out of the office, we saw Bob & Gail on their way to play golf and Don & Debbie drove up & stopped for hugs.  We got a drive thru site that is just long enough for the truck & trailer and it has a spot at the side for the bike.

We took the motorcycle to Ron & Terri’s for dinner.  Also there were Bob & Dar, Brian & Bev and Bill & Beth who are visiting from Mesa.  We had a great dinner and tons of laughs. 

June 26^th – Thurs

We did the lazy morning thing with coffee & computer games. We cannot get on the park wifi with our PC so we went to the office to use their computer to make a reservation for the ferry to Vancouver Island.  There is a special right now on Wed & Sat after 4:00 pm that reduces the rate for oversize vehicles to $2 rather than $6.10 for each foot over 20 feet.  We wanted to go to Nanaimo but the ferries on Wed after 4 would not accept reservations.  So we looked at the sailings to Victoria (Swartz Bay) and made a reservation for 5:00 pm.  It changed the cost from $300 to $165.  I think we can drive from Victoria to Nanaimo for that much!

We went for lunch & a beer at a restaurant very close to the park with Ron & Terri, Bill & Beth and Brian & Bev.  When we got back, we stopped to visit with Jaime (he & Lorraine were in Mesa a couple of years ago) and then Bob & Gail joined us and Lorraine arrived home.

Back to our rig for dinner.

 June 27^th – Fri

We finally had to unhook the trailer so we could use the truck rather than ride the bike in the rain that started last night.  I made a late breakfast and we went to Fraser Downs casino which, as everyone knows, is our favorite thing to do in bad weather.  Luckily Terry covered my losses again and we came out a few dollars ahead.

From there we went to Bob & Dar’s for dinner along with Ron & Terri and Rick & Vi.  Once again it was super food & friends.   

June 28^th – Sat

We got up a little later this morning and goofed around until suddenly we just had time stop for lunch and get to Ron & Terri’s.  But the truck had a different idea.  Yesterday we got a message “cleaning exhaust system, drive until the message goes away” three times.  Each time, the message went away.  We got the same message today and it went away.  A couple of miles further, we got a more serious message - “engine power reduced” – and it wasn’t kidding!  We stopped for diesel, grabbed a burger and limped to Ron & Terri’s where we met Bob & Dar to go to Cirque du Soleil.  We couldn’t do anything about the truck so off we went.

We took a bus and the sky train to get to downtown Vancouver.  This was a whole new experience for us & Bob & Dar.  Luckily Terri was our experienced tour guide.  We had allowed enough time to go to the casino near Canada Place which was a short walk from the train and we didn’t get too wet.  I am getting used to Terry winning enough to cover me!

The Cirque du Soleil show – Totem – was in a “big top” set up near Canada Place.  Terri got our tickets online on Wednesday and had seen that the story line of the show was the evolution of man. 

We had great seats location-wise – all seats were pretty narrow and tight for people to get past others already seated.  The show was great.  It is incredible to see circus acts that are all so different and done soooo well – including comedic acts that are not “clowns”.  Costuming & makeup are totally amazing.  The show started at 4:30 and ended around 7 which included a 30 minute intermission.

Our train showed up a short time after we arrived at the station and the bus was right on our heels as we walked to the stop.  Ron estimated that it was about 30 miles each way and the mass transit took us less time than taking a car.  It cost $1.75 for seniors and $2.75 for adults each way for the bus & train.  Fuel & parking would have cost more than our fares.

When we got back to Ron & Terri’s, Ron & Terry went to a WalMart to get DEF to see if that would help the truck problem.  Too bad the WalMart didn’t carry DEF!  Terri looked up a number and Dar called another WalMart that did have DEF so we left the truck parked at Ron & Terri’s and Bob & Dar drove us to the RV park with a stop at the WalMart for DEF – (can you say “carry-on sentence!!).  Oh yes, on the way back Ron & Terry stopped to say goodbye to Bill & Beth which the rest of us to finish our drinks. 

June 29^th – Sun

We rode the motorcycle  - little spits of rain on the way - to Ron & Terri’s where Terry put DEF in the truck to see if it would make a difference.  We didn’t hold out much hope and we were right – no change.  Terry followed Ron to a Chev dealer (where of course the service department was not open on Sunday) and deposited the keys & description of the problem through the key drop.  Terri & I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a nice chat while they were gone.

We went to the casino and had a nice breakfast before donating some money to the slots.  Back at the park, we relaxed & played computer games.  Terri came by after having lunch nearby with her daughter to pick up our golf clubs.  We are golfing tomorrow morning and it would be hard to carry them on the bike.  We found a WalMart for some groceries, had dinner and then visited Bob & Gail.

June 30^th – Mon

Terry went to the Chev dealer at 7:15 to talk to the service manager.  When he got back he said the truck would be fixed today and probably be under warranty!

We joined Ron & Terri and Dar at Sunshine Woods golf course for a 12:45 tee time.  When we arrived, Ron said our tee times were moved up so we grabbed our gear and headed to the first tee.  It is an 18 hole par 3 course without too much water.  I was very pleased with my game and even tied Ron.  The guys played ahead of the women and they had to wait just a bit on most holes but we moved right along.

Terry got a call saying the truck was done so he & I went right from the golf course to pick it up.  We had to wait a bit for the paperwork and were delighted to find that the $356 repair was indeed covered by the warranty.  It was a problem with the injector that allows the exhaust tank to clean itself.  They also loaded a new program as this problem is not uncommon in 2011 diesels.

We met Ron & Terri at the Tudor restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner.  We sat outside again and had a nice meal.  Now we were ready to kick back & relax.

June 21st to 24th - Kelowna to Pemberton

June 21^st – Sat

There was a club meeting after coffee this morning so we didn’t attend.  We took the bike to drop off some garbage and go for a ride somewhere when we saw patio sales which were all over the park.  We rode every street and bought nothing but we had a lot of comments on the bike.  We finally called it quits and had a late breakfast.

Ron & Terri asked us to join them and Bob & Dar to go to a pub.  We all went in the truck the short distance to the Turtle Bay Pub in Winfield.  We sat on the patio for drinks, a light snack for us and a slightly larger snack for the others.

There was a catered BBQ dinner at the community center with HH starting at 4:30.  Dinner was baby back ribs – a whole rack if desired – salads, baked potatoes with all the trimmings, garlic toast, corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake for dessert.  It was all very good.

Ron & Terri and Bob & Dar came over afterwards to sit outside for a nightcap until the mosquitoes sent Ron for home & cover.

June 22^nd – Sun

We joined Ron & Terri for golf again at 7 this morning.  Ron Sr and Dar also showed up so we split into 2 groups.  The guys each played 2 balls per hole but we women could easily keep up with them.  We played 2 rounds (12 holes) and then Ron & Terri went to coffee with the club.  We goofed off until they were ready to play another 2 rounds which was a different game with the dew dried off the course.

There was a final club happy hour at 4 and people brought appies that would become dinner.  Ron & Terry were all packed up and ready to leave early tomorrow morning.

June 23^rd – Mon – to Pemberton

We loaded up and left the park about 8 and headed north again to take the Duffy Lake road from Lillooet to Pemberton to see my brother Bob.  We stopped for breakfast in Cache Creek and enjoyed lovely weather all the way.

Bob wasn’t home when we got there so we backed into the driveway and went into the house to wait just a short time for him to get home.  I made dinner – in the house! – and we had a relaxing evening.  We didn’t unload the bike and had an interesting time getting the dinner ingredients that I needed.  It was raining when we went to bed – not good for the hay crops.

June 24^th – Tues

Bob had breakfast & did his few chores before we finally wandered in to have coffee and do laundry.  I was starting to make lunch for all of us but Bob decided he would have a quick sandwich and “ted?” his cut hay field as it was nice enough to dry the top and just needed to be fluffed up to dry the rest.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny so he will be able to bail the hay.

After lunch we unloaded & cleaned up the motorcycle and went to town for a ride and a few groceries.  When we got back I persuaded Terry to wash the truck & trailer.  He felt better when everything was nice & clean.  Now it was time for HH and to start dinner.

After dinner, I actually put some pictures on the blog.  Unfortunately they are from 2012 & 13 but at least I am working on them.  Bob’s internet is pretty fast but posting pictures is a long process.