Mid-July to Mid-August 2022 From Whitefish, Montana, we headed east into North Dakota. We stopped in Rugby, which is the geographical center of North America. It seems odd that this small town holds this distinction, but it does. In the 1880s, this was a junction stop on the Great Northern Railway. Today, it’s the Pierce County seat and home to about 2,500 people, but the cairn marking its location may be the biggest attraction. We camped on Devil’s Lake at…
Mid-June to Mid-July 2022 We headed northeast from Vancouver, British Columbia, on Highway 99 toward Garibaldi Provincial Park. We spent our first night of this journey at Whistler Campground, on the edge of the Park. From the looks of things, these parks are busy year-round. Most of the rigs in the RV section had permanent shelters alongside their trailers for ATV and snowmobile storage. The folks in this section were definitely regulars; they seemed to know each other and happy…
June 2022 The Coho Ferry from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria on Vancouver Island, drops you right in the center of town. We arrived late afternoon. From the docks, we drove along the inner harbor, past the elegant Hotel Fairmont Empress and Government Plaza, to Douglas Street – the main street through town. Urns and hanging baskets of flowers, rose gardens, and landscaped parks with green lawns line the harbor walk. Immediately, we were impressed with the old world charm…
Mid-May to Mid-June 2022 We crossed into Oregon, and found ourselves in familiar territory, both weather and location-wise. We stayed at several parks that we enjoyed last year. The chilly rains travelled with us. Locals are so used to being damp, that they don’t notice a drizzle – or even acknowledge that it’s raining. They just call it heavy mist or fog and go on about their day. Our first stop was Humbug Mountain State Park, where we had stayed…
Pacific Coast, California, Spring 2022 The drive along the Pacific coast is hard to beat for scenic beauty. Every twist and turn of Highway 101 opens onto another vista of rocky cliffs dropping down to meet blue-green waves and foamy surf. Add spring flowers and towering redwoods to the mix, and it’s unbelievably stunning. Last year, this was some of our most memorable scenery and we were looking forward to a repeat visit with more time to explore the redwood…
Arizona to CaliforniaMid to late April 2022 From Albuquerque, we dipped into Arizona to spend a few days at Lake Havasu. We camped at the state park, which turned out to be a much better location than Cattail Cove, where we stayed last year. This park was much closer to Lake Havasu City, with better amenities and things to do. We got the van serviced at the Ram dealership, did some trip planning, and relaxed near the water for a…
Texas to Utah and ColoradoMarch 2022 We left Louisiana and headed west toward central Texas. The areas around San Antonio and Austin have lots of history to explore. Potter’s Creek Corps of Engineers campground on Canyon Lake is a good base for visiting nearby San Antonio missions. The Potter’s Creek campground has lovely views of the lake with places to stroll and some very colorful sunsets. There are several breweries nearby. (Always a good thing.) One afternoon, we drove to…
Mid to late February 2022 Care-A-Vanners We had been mulling over the idea of volunteering during our travels. Most of the opportunities we had come across required a commitment of several months – a bit too long for us. We read an article in Escapees magazine about Care-A-Vanners, which is a Habitat for Humanity program for travelers like us. The Care-A-Vanner builds require a shorter commitment, usually two weeks. Sounded good to us. We applied and signed up to work…
Early to Mid-February 2022 From Carrabelle, we went to Florida’s Panhandle, returning to Fort Pickens campground in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. We’ve stayed here before and it always feels like coming home. This time around, it was a bit chilly, with rain and wind that cut down on our beach walks and bike rides. But it’s still Fort Pickens, with its old timey feel, great sunsets, and lovely shore birds. This time, we were fortunate to meet up with…
January 2022 We took a break from the road to regroup and make some travel plans. It’s been cooler here than we’d expected, but we’ve managed to do some van maintenance, get a jumpstart on campground reservations, and see some local sights. This is off-season on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. Our Airbnb is a condo in a marina complex. In the summer, I’m sure it bustles, but it’s quiet in January. Frequently, we’re the only folks around and our van is…