San Fransisco

Oregon was outstanding for scenery. California just was better.  We followed the coast road down along the Redwood Highway and camped in a national park....did it get very dark?  Dark and very quiet. After baking potatoes in the open fire pit, a bottle of wine we were off to bed by 8pm!

Every tent pitch has a metal cabinet to place ALL food stuff which locks so Biffo cant get a free lunch. So all night I heard Biffo moving from pitch to pitch bashing the cabinets trying fatten himself on leftovers.  Lyn slept in the van!

The Redwoods were pretty spectacular with most over 2000 years old. One had been hit by lightning some 300 years ago and caught fire hollowing the first 50 or so feet and had been turned into a gift shop.

So now we are in an hotel for a pit stop. We all needed a bath and a bit of pampering, not putting up the tent was a bonus. Tomorrow we should cross the Golden Gate bridge to the south of San Fransisco and Carmel for a three day rest before heading inland for more visual treats as we head back north for Vancouver which should take about 4-5 days.

USA facts

Its against the law to serve yourself petrol at fillings stations in the state of Oregon, maximum fine $500, but marijuna in any form is allowed for recreational and medicl use. The sale of the drug is taxed and spent entirely on schools and hospitals within Oregon. The first three monthe raised $25M for these causes.

Oregon & the Pacific coast

Washington state is the home to some of the most amazing countryside. Mountains, orange hills and lush green fields surrounding beautiful lakes. We followed the Columbia river into Oregon which is just as beautiful...I thought. We suddenly arrived at the Pacific coast and watched whales cruising up the coast to the north.

One of the "must do" things on my list was to pay a visit to the Howard Hughes monster airplane the "Spruce Goose" housed in a hangar at Long Beach California. Imagine my surprise when I learned someone had bought it and placed it in a museum right here in Oregon? Also actually on our route through to the coast.  Another surprise was to learn that the whole airplane had been built entirely of wood because toward the end of the second world war, the US government denied Mr Hughes any aluminium or other metals to built his monster as aircraft grade metals were in short supply. 

The plane was actually called the Hercules but the press at the time called it the Spruce Goose although it was built from Birch.

Stopping enroute for breakfast at a highway diner, we were all shocked at the sight of a man with his family of small children. He was armed with what looked like a 9mm Glock pistol in a side holster completely open to view. Apparently side arms worn openly is legal in Oregon..............

So right now its 10pm, totally dark in a forest of very tall pine trees. We are sitting around a big fire pit having enjoyed a camp kitchen cooked chilli and beer listening to the roar of the Pacific ocean somewhere over there.  Tomorrow is a non driving day so time to explore Newport town and beaches.

Seattle

Seattle is one fine city.  Driving into the city is one thing, getting out again is another. Four lanes of Freeway at 60mph gets you in, not necessarily to where you wanted to go but after a tour of the fish market and a hearty lunch we told Doris inside the Satnav where we wanted to be next. Problem is those nice people up in those satellites lost contact with Doris because the high rise buildings blocked out all lines of communication. So she says "Turn left.........signal lost, we turn left and carry straight on until Doris wakes up saying we should have turned earlier...blah blah.

As marijuana is legal in Washington state there is a weed shop on every corner...weird.  But not as weird as the Brownies Archie came back with.....say no more!

Oh Micky........

As some kind of navigator I pride myself on being able to plan a trip from a map, using logic and a few tried and tested methods of calculating time & distance whether in the air or on the road. That being said, the trip from Golden in Canada to the US border at Osoyoos, overnight stay and then on to Seattle took forever!  So I dispensed with Twatnav and bought a Satnav.

Now in the woods just outside Seattle, tent up, food and beer on the go just before dark. It seems considerably warmer down south so probably stay a couple of days to chill.  One of Boeings aircraft factories is nearby where tours of the facility are conducted. ✈️ 🤔

On the way through to the border we stopped for lunch in a small town called Rossland where in a cafe we all enjoyed a fabulous fare, so much delicious food, too much to handle so we took half the sandwiches and salad in a box to enjoy dreckly.  Later at Osoyoos Lyn was munching the remains of her salad and suddenly stood up shrieking and spat out the rear half of a dead mouse!  Well, we all lost our appetite from then on.  So we are now trying to contact the cafe owner to see what they have to say before we produce post mortem Micky to the public health department. Watch this space. 

Luckily we had antibacterial mouth wash handy, I just wonder what became of the front end of the rodent?

On a separate note of concern, Archie has taken off in the car on a self tutored driving lesson around the campsite which is huge. My main worry is that all the beer is in the fridge in the back.

 

Kicking Horses

On the road again, (Willie Nelson) from Nelson we drive for 3 hours along a valley of the most awesome proportions. Everything is vast, the mountains on either side are now snowcapped, the valley floor is so green and full of wildlife. We saw bear, skunk, caribou and heron. The Columbia river flows along dictating every twist and bend of the valley with a rail track and the highway along its banks.

Next stop is the Austrian themed town of Radium which has a natural hot spring at 42c to soak in. Being out of season we manage a motel deal for the night, lunch on the balcony, 2 hours soaking in the hot spring, down the pub for open mic night....well, what a laugh.  The resident band was a 30 stone dad who had to play his guitar seated, his 20 stone son on guitar and whoever wanted to step up and sing, dance or play any instrument.  16 year old Stacey came up and belted out some country numbers, she was good.  On the last song she stumbled on the lyrics for a second which was the cue for the very pissed old lady to join Stacey and sang like a cat being strangled then fell over, excellent comedy act.

The next day after a hearty breakfast still going north we finally hit Golden and the mountain that Archie has made his home. We haven't seen him for over 5 months so hugs all round.

Being way up in the mountains the air temperature at night is close to freezing so camping is no longer an option. Lyn had found a hostel on line which is down a back road next to a railway yard of massive proportions. The hostel sits alone and at first glance I decided maybe a Holiday Inn would be preferable but Lyn insisted we get out. We were met by Tania, the proprietor who welcomed us in a broad Scottish accent and instantly I felt at home. She is one of those can do people and has a plethora of amusing stories. We sat around an open fire out back eating from the barbecue and drinking beer with her four cats well into the night. At regular intervals a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train would thunder past either east or west bound and the track about 20 metres away. Most trains would have two huge engines pulling, another engine in the middle with another as tailend Charlie. Tania says on average the trains are a mile long!

In the morning we drive up to Kicking Horse Resort where Archie works and as a perk he arranges free passes to ride the Gondola ski lift to the summit and the highest restaurant in Canada. Snow on the ground we enjoyed hot chocolate and the most amazing views I have ever seen.

We then took an open chair lift to an electric fenced enclosure of 20 acres which is home to Boo, a captive grizzly bear. Boo was orphaned ten years ago when an illegal hunter shot and killed Boos momma. The two cubs were rescued and the enclosure was built to ensure they survived, sadly one cub died soon after but Boo flourished in his private forest. At this time of year he is on an 8000 calorie per day diet just before he hibernates for the winter. The hunter received a $50,000 fine for failing to produce a $50 hunting permit.

The daytime weather is still glorious with temperatures up to 28c but dropping to freezing at night so we are staying at the hostel until Sunday by which time Archie finishes his final shift for the season then we pack up and head south for Washington state, the Oregon coast down to California and hopefully some warmer camping type weather.

As Im sitting here by the fire pit at midnight writing this, a truck pulls up and three Irish guys spill out to book into the hostel. One of the fellers comes out and shares a bottle of red with me. We actually solved the Northern Irish situation in about half an hour. I hope I can remember the details so I can let Boris know.

Nelson

Four days & nights in Nelson and I want to live here!  Three of the four days it rained which was miserable, however, today the sun came back and all is well again.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9jjiWS__Mp0&autoplay=1 

The town is not like most BC towns in so much that they all seem to be temporary. The buildings are all timber framed and centred along a strip which becomes Main street.  Nelson on the other hand is all over the place mainly stone fronted buildings giving the appearance of some kind of history.

Walking through the town everyone without fail will smile or say hi. 

On the street last night we asked a couple if they knew the whereabouts of the Canadian legion, a good source of cheap food & beer and music. So we ended up in an hotel bar with Tom & Beth from Vancouver, had a drink and a good laugh with them. He is a consultant at some big hospital and she is a nurse. They invited us to spend the weekend at their cottage in New Denver!

The cottage is a five bed mansion in 5 acres on a lake with a family of bear in the grounds.  Unfortunately we are headed in the opposite direction to take advantage of such an offer. 😕

Getting back to Nelson, the main street, Baker street, is awash with coffee bars, beer bars and Lynda type shops........nick nack things you never thought you needed. Always able to turn a boring shopping trip into a good day, I sat at a few bars along the way.  Did I mention the airstrip in the middle of town?

Tomorrow we break camp and begin the trek north to meet up with Archie stopping at a few provincial campsites along the way. Nelson is a municipal site in town which means its cheap ($25 per night) but no open fire pit. Provincial sites are like National Trust, in the woods with fire pits also Biffo the bear lurking about.

Along the way are a couple of natural mineral spring spa jobs which are volcanic water outlets into a pool ranging from 38 to 42c. Heavenly!

So just now Ed comes over and offers popcorn in a bag. He looks like a hells angel, bald head and long goatie. I offer a tin of beer in exchange for the popcorn, he accepts. Turns out he owns three retired Greyhound buses , one converted to live in, one as a mobile movie theatre and the other a project in waiting.     We do the tour of the living one, king sized bed, 50inch plasma, fireplace, bar etc.......he wants 40 grand Canadian for it......slightly tempted.

Almost forgot, just over the lake by ferry we found a small wooden workshop where a couple were hand making wooden broomsticks. Their claim to fame is they made the all the brooms for the Harry Potter movies!  They really have cleaned up!