Hey blog followers, I have a bigger better blog going now, check it out at:
LoveYourRV.com
Follow our North American travel adventures. 2 vagabonds, 1 beagle, 1 truck, 1 fifth wheel trailer, and a dream to see all the beautiful places this land has to offer.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Off to find the Sun!
Finally November 1st came and time to head south for our winter snowbird adventures in the US southwest. Plans are to spend most of our time exploring Southern California and Arizona. I think we waited a little too long to leave though as the weather has turned ugly, rain rain rain and fog and cold. Oh well at least we are heading toward the sun now. We took the Victoria to Port Angeles Coho Ferry and had an uneventful crossing into the States, Yay!
First stop on the way south is the Oregon Coast. Its a nice scenic drive along Hwy 101 and very low traffic this time of year. We had nice stops in Seaside and Newport for a few nights each. Unfortunately, I picked up a bad cold as a going away gift in BC so I didn't get out too much but did have a nice walk with Anne and Angie on Canon Beach. We missed our big old Beagle Oscar a lot as it was his favourite place. RIP buddy :(
In Newport Anne and I spent an afternoon touring the historic old waterfront. Started with a great lunch at a local seafood eatery, OceanBleu@Gino's ,we were very impressed with the quality. Anne had popcorn shrimp and me calamari, yum! While walking amongst the busy fishing piers we came across a pile of California Sea Lions. awrk awrk Awrk!!!
After a couple quick overnighter stays in Cresent City and Nice,California we find ourselves in the California hills south of San Jose, very rural and quiet. We are in a big Thousand Trails park with at least 500 campsites but maybe 100 are occupied. BUT! it is sunny! The last few days its been nice and warm. I've had a chance to wash the rig and big baby blue and now working on getting a good coat of wax on each.
We plan on visiting Pinnacles National Monument and Big Sur but now Anne has the bad cold, augghh. Hope she gets rid of it faster than I did.
First stop on the way south is the Oregon Coast. Its a nice scenic drive along Hwy 101 and very low traffic this time of year. We had nice stops in Seaside and Newport for a few nights each. Unfortunately, I picked up a bad cold as a going away gift in BC so I didn't get out too much but did have a nice walk with Anne and Angie on Canon Beach. We missed our big old Beagle Oscar a lot as it was his favourite place. RIP buddy :(
In Newport Anne and I spent an afternoon touring the historic old waterfront. Started with a great lunch at a local seafood eatery, OceanBleu@Gino's ,we were very impressed with the quality. Anne had popcorn shrimp and me calamari, yum! While walking amongst the busy fishing piers we came across a pile of California Sea Lions. awrk awrk Awrk!!!
After a couple quick overnighter stays in Cresent City and Nice,California we find ourselves in the California hills south of San Jose, very rural and quiet. We are in a big Thousand Trails park with at least 500 campsites but maybe 100 are occupied. BUT! it is sunny! The last few days its been nice and warm. I've had a chance to wash the rig and big baby blue and now working on getting a good coat of wax on each.
We plan on visiting Pinnacles National Monument and Big Sur but now Anne has the bad cold, augghh. Hope she gets rid of it faster than I did.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Vancouver Island Summer 2012
This summer we stayed at The Living Forest Campground and made it our home base to work part time, me at my electronics business and Anne at her online endeavors. http://annemckinnell.com/blog/
But we did manage a couple great trips to explore what awesome beauty this area has to offer. A week was spent in Strathcona Provincial Park, where the highlight was the waterfalls powered by a heavy summer runoff.
A month later saw us on Quadra and Cortes Islands exploring the beaches and enjoying the sunshine.
But we did manage a couple great trips to explore what awesome beauty this area has to offer. A week was spent in Strathcona Provincial Park, where the highlight was the waterfalls powered by a heavy summer runoff.
November 1st we depart for a six month adventure touring the South West US Desert!
The trip ends
Well all good things come to an end and so does our fabulous year long odyssey around the US and Canada. We left Utah late May as the desert heat began to turn up. We made a bee line for the coast settling for a week or so in the Northern California foothills near Monterey.
After that we meandered our way home to Vancouver Island up highway 101. Highway 101 is like an old friend now as we have travelled it may times and love the scenery and rving along the Oregon coast.
It was a bittersweet end to an amazing journey. Anne's longtime companion Oscar the beagle succumbed to his many ailments and left us in Seaside, Oregon after a great time on the beaches of Crescent City, Ca and Canon Beach. RIP old buddy.
We have decided that the RV trip was so much fun we are going to continue this winter and head down and explore the US SouthWest, so stay tuned. :)
After that we meandered our way home to Vancouver Island up highway 101. Highway 101 is like an old friend now as we have travelled it may times and love the scenery and rving along the Oregon coast.
It was a bittersweet end to an amazing journey. Anne's longtime companion Oscar the beagle succumbed to his many ailments and left us in Seaside, Oregon after a great time on the beaches of Crescent City, Ca and Canon Beach. RIP old buddy.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Goodbye Utah
We ended our time in Utah with a swing down the South East taking in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks then down to a great free boondocking campsite in Goosenecks State Park. We then bid farewell Utah with a drive through Monument Valley.
Monument Valley was memorable not only because of the neat landscape but because we were witness to a bunch of old cars zooming by! They were all from Europe and involved in a New York To Alaska Ralley. Anne and I just parked on the side of the famous road and watched all the vintage autos cruise by and wave, it was a fun afternoon.
Since Utah we have been driving everyday to escape the heat!! Ever since we came down from the higher elevation of Utah it has been baking hot. So hot we have had to get up at 4:30 am and drive until its too hot for the truck to lug our trailer up the hills at the same time as blasting the AC which is usually by 10:00 am. One stop at in Needles California just south of Las Vegas it hit over a 100 degrees and the trailer AC couldn't keep up so we had to head out for milkshakes to cool down.:) After four long hauls we have made it to the California coast near Monteray and Santa Cruz beach and the weather is nice and cool again, yay!
Monument Valley was memorable not only because of the neat landscape but because we were witness to a bunch of old cars zooming by! They were all from Europe and involved in a New York To Alaska Ralley. Anne and I just parked on the side of the famous road and watched all the vintage autos cruise by and wave, it was a fun afternoon.
Since Utah we have been driving everyday to escape the heat!! Ever since we came down from the higher elevation of Utah it has been baking hot. So hot we have had to get up at 4:30 am and drive until its too hot for the truck to lug our trailer up the hills at the same time as blasting the AC which is usually by 10:00 am. One stop at in Needles California just south of Las Vegas it hit over a 100 degrees and the trailer AC couldn't keep up so we had to head out for milkshakes to cool down.:) After four long hauls we have made it to the California coast near Monteray and Santa Cruz beach and the weather is nice and cool again, yay!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Scenic Highway 12
After Bryce Canyon which is located at the start of Highway 12 in Utah we moseyed are way down to a little State Park , Kodachrome Basin State Park to check out the cool rock formations and colors there. The campground has a awesome view and it's a very pretty location. There were many hiking trails and even allowed pets so Angie got in some good hikes.
Next stop was another beautiful national park called Capitol Reef. Wow more terrific Utah scenery was served up! During sunset the cliffs light up.
Finally at the other end of highway 12 and a little way up highway 24 is a really cool state park called Goblin Valley. It's named that for all the interestingly shaped rock pillars and blobs the valley has. Anne and I had a good time walking amougst the goblins.:)
Next stop was another beautiful national park called Capitol Reef. Wow more terrific Utah scenery was served up! During sunset the cliffs light up.
Finally at the other end of highway 12 and a little way up highway 24 is a really cool state park called Goblin Valley. It's named that for all the interestingly shaped rock pillars and blobs the valley has. Anne and I had a good time walking amougst the goblins.:)
This One Looks Like Oscar
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Enjoying South West Utah
We have left Arizona behind and made our way North to Utah. First stop was Coral Pink Sands State Park for a few nights. It's a bizarre landscape of orangey pink dunes surrounded by red rock cliffs. Angie got to roam free and run and run as much as she wanted. She had a blast!
Next we booked a week in a great RV Park right near the entrance to Zion National Park. The park shuttle bus stopped right outside the campground so it was super convenient to explore the park, and man what a park. Everywhere you look is one spectacular view after another. The canyon contains a beautiful river valley with towering sandstone walls on each side and many hanging canyons. Hiking and canyoneering are the main activities here. Not having the equipment or the bodies for canyoneering we did a ton of hiking. Most of the hikes were easy along the valley floor and the Virgin River but several were a little more intense up into the mountain canyons with some decent elevation changes.
After our week at Zion we decided to head up to Bryce Canyon National Park next and then we can drive down famous Scenic Highway 12 towards the other National Parks in the South East of Utah. Bryce sits up at over 7700 feet and some of the park is as high as 9100 feet so it gave our old Big Baby Blue truck a workout dragging the trailer up, but we made it! The Bryce Canyon is made up of very cool looking hoodoos that at sunset and sunrise glow red.,orange, pink. There are also trails down into the hoodoos but no elevator up, ack, it's a chore coming back up especially because of the high elevation. Luckily there is a road that follows the canyon rim with many pull outs to take in the amazing views.
You can tell from the photos Utah is gorgeous country. We are looking forward to more as we head east to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks as well as many State and National Monuments. Utah is just loaded with stuff.
Next we booked a week in a great RV Park right near the entrance to Zion National Park. The park shuttle bus stopped right outside the campground so it was super convenient to explore the park, and man what a park. Everywhere you look is one spectacular view after another. The canyon contains a beautiful river valley with towering sandstone walls on each side and many hanging canyons. Hiking and canyoneering are the main activities here. Not having the equipment or the bodies for canyoneering we did a ton of hiking. Most of the hikes were easy along the valley floor and the Virgin River but several were a little more intense up into the mountain canyons with some decent elevation changes.
After our week at Zion we decided to head up to Bryce Canyon National Park next and then we can drive down famous Scenic Highway 12 towards the other National Parks in the South East of Utah. Bryce sits up at over 7700 feet and some of the park is as high as 9100 feet so it gave our old Big Baby Blue truck a workout dragging the trailer up, but we made it! The Bryce Canyon is made up of very cool looking hoodoos that at sunset and sunrise glow red.,orange, pink. There are also trails down into the hoodoos but no elevator up, ack, it's a chore coming back up especially because of the high elevation. Luckily there is a road that follows the canyon rim with many pull outs to take in the amazing views.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)