Day 80 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 7/31/14 - Back In the Lower 48 States

This morning we left Golden Trail RV Park at around 8:30 a.m.  We were unable to get in the park that we initially were going to, so we drove another hour to Arlington, Washington staying at a park that is being built right now but has some sites with electric, water & sewer. Arlington is located north of Seattle. ($27.00 Full Hook-Up).We traveled 275 miles today.  Bob filled up with diesel ($4.029 x 27.302 gal = $110.00 AB

We are getting anxious to get home to see family and also found out yesterday that our new 2015 DRV Mobile Suite just arrived at the dealer's....so we are very anxious to get in our new home as well.  We are estimating being back to Indian Creek Campground in Missouri around Aug 22 (which is 2 weeks earlier than we had anticipated).

Our plans are to go to Yellowstone sometime in the future and when we do that, we will tour the northwest area of the United States at that time.

I had another uncle pass yesterday morning with cancer.  That makes two uncles in the same side of the family pass since we started this journey.  Our sympathy goes out to Uncle Harold's wife and family.  May he rest in peace.

I took a few pictures today, not many, as I have had muscle spasms in my back for a couple of days and am medicated so I snoozed some of our road trip.

we went through several tunnels through the mountains

US Customs

New state to add to our RV map!!! 

spending the night in Arlington WA

Have a great day!!!

Groc $52.70 AB/

jl

Day 79 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 7/30/14 - Travel (British Columbia)

Today is another travel day.  We left Dave's RV Park in Vanderhoof, BC at 8:50 a.m. and drove a Total of 315 Miles.  I drove the rig about 2 hours today to give Bob a break.  We arrived at Gold Trails RV Park in Clinton, BC at approx 2:50 p.m. ($20 night, 30 amp-full hook-up, Pull Thru,WiFi Csh)

The campground had a buffet meal so we ate dinner there.  It was good and the cook entertained us. 

Some pictures we took today while traveling:

Mary Poppins or Dorothy???

Bob filled truck up with diesel ($5.37/gal x 32.58 gal = $166.00 Cap).  We should be in the state of Washington tomorrow late afternoon so will be making some calls home then.

Have a great day!!!

Fd $46.00 Csh/

jl

Day 78 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 7/29/14 - Travel Day (from Stewart, BC to Vanderhoof, BC

Today is travel day.  Bob filled up truck with diesel in Stewart ($5.05/gal x 28.09 gal = $141.45)  We got off around 8:50 a.m. on this rainy start of the day.

We got back on Hwy 37 (also known as Cassiar Highway) and stayed on it until we got on Hwy 16 (Highway of Tears) at Kitwanga.  There are billboards posted at the intersection of 37 & 16 advising females not to hitchhike due to many unsolved disappearances/murders with the killer unknown.  Several have disappeared or murdered between Prince Rupert, BC and Prince George, BC (Hwy 16).  It has been estimated that approx. 40 women have become missing or murdered since 1969.  We saw several postings of missing people at the rest stops and city streets as we traveled through them. So sad, for the family and friends of these people.

I took a few photos along the way.

wide, rushing waterfalls just below a glacier

a glacier not too far from Stewart, BC

statues in Smithers, BC

World's Largest Fly Rod (70 feet) in Houston, BC

freight cars full of wood shavings/chips

---logging is big industry in this area

church in Moricetown, BC

Houston, BC

We stopped at Dave's RV Park in Vanderhoof, BC at 4:45 p.m. to stay the night. ($38.85 Full Hookup/Cable/WiFi  Cap).  Total Miles Traveled = 380 miles.

Bob filled truck up with diesel for tomorrow's travel ($4.80/gal x 40.62 gal = $195.04 Cap)

Have a wonderful day!!

Fd $34.55 Csh/

Groc $29.99 Cap/

Day 77 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 7/28/14 - Last Day in Stewart, BC & Hyder, AK

This is our last day in Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK.  Bob got up early this morning and went to the observation boardwalk at Fish Creek in Hyder, AK.  It was raining hard but that didn’t stop him.  He got there at 5:48 and waited until 5:58 for the boardwalk to open.  The Ranger told him to look at the lagoon area because a grizzly had crossed the far parking lot and could be approaching  or at the lagoon.  Bob stopped to take a look at the lagoon area and there was no sight of one.  At around 8:00 a.m. a wolf came out of the wooded, brushy area down the stream quite away on past the end area if the boardwalk.  Bob watched the wolf try to catch fish (with no success) as the wolf walked upstream and downstream (back & forth) until he was out of sight at about 9:00 a.m.

After I got up and ready to do something, Bob & I went to Stewart and Hyder to  go to  the store & take a few pictures of the buildings, etc. in the quaint little villages.  I really enjoyed Hyder’s surroundings.

I suggested we go to the boardwalk to see if there was any action there.  When I paid to get in, the Ranger told me that down at the far end of the boardwalk there was a grizzly and a wolf that the people were watching.  By the time I got to the end, the grizzly and wolf were no longer in sight.  Bob & I stood around watching for a while to see if they would come back out, but they didn’t.  That would have been a neat sight. 

As we were going back to Hyder, I caught glimpse of a wolf walking down a stream on the other side of the trees & bushes along the highway.  I snapped several pics. 

We took a few more pics of buildings, and stopped and shared a sandwich and fries at a cute little Bistro in Stewart.   We hadn’t even gotten our food yet, and Jesse & Ginger pull up and come in and order some lunch.  We visited, ate, and left when their order was being served.

There are some other unique eateries in Hyder.

There was a grocery store in the area so we picked up a couple of items we wanted.

After we got back to the RV, I went through all the pictures we had taken so far today, deleted some, cropped some, etc.  I am the cook tonight so I started preparing a pan of goulash when it was time to cook.  I fixed garlic bread to go with it and called it a meal.  I’ve been hungry for goulash ever since my daughters were talking about fixing goulash lately.

I had planned to go to the boardwalk after dinner with Bob but since we are leaving out tomorrow I figured I best stay home and get the dishes done, some more laundry done, a shower and the blog started.  Bob got to the boardwalk at 6:30 pm and told me the grizzly was downstream when he got there.  The grizzly worked his way upstream trying to catch is dinner, splashing, lunging and finally caught one with his mouth that he had chased up against the bankof the stream.  After catching the chum salmon,  he managed to skin the fish, ate the skin and probably spent 1/2 hour or so eating the rest of the fish.  After that, the grizzly walked up towards the bridge, walking underneath and soon was out of sight.  Bob came home with pictures of the grizzly bear and was able to get a picture of the grizzly with a salmon in his mouth after catching it…..that made Bob's day complete; seeing a wolf up close and a grizzly with a fish in it’s mouth.

grizzly adorned in moss

Just another day in Alaska!!!

Have a great day!

Fd $21.37 Cap/

Groc $ 5.50 Csh/

Adm $10.00 Csh/

jl