Archive for October, 2009
Posted on October 23, 2009 by angela
Did someone say c-c-cold?
We headed straight from Missoula to the middle of nowhere about 1.5 hours away. We’ve seen so many deer in Montana that I’ve stopped yelling “DEER!”. That is until we saw deer legs sticking out of the back of some pickup trucks.
We stopped in one small town around dinner time thinking we might stay. But, there were just a few too many home-made billboards discouraging the use of meth for my comfort, so we plodded on.
Melissa and Mitch had pointed us to Philipsburg because of it’s proximity to sapphire mining and ghost towns. The problem with Philipsburg in late October is that it is a ghost town. It had become really cold, and was nearing dark and we decided it was time for another motel. The first was locked but had a sign to call. Problem was, we had no cell service. We found a wireless connection (the hotel’s) and used Skype but no one answered. We headed to the end of town and found another motel. No one there either, but as we pulled out the owner drove in. I sighed in relief as we were not prepared to drive another 2 hours to the next town. Keep in mind that driving times are somewhat slower in an old Volkswagen, and they are really slower in the rain with a fidgety four year old in the back.
Philipsburg is actually a pretty neat little town. There is one paved road in town – main street. At the end of the businesses on main street, the pavement ends too. Even though all the rest of the roads in town are sort of layed out on a grid – with many historic buildings – it’s all dirt. Still a real old mountain-side mining town.
All of the working sapphire mines were closed for the season (new keyword: closed), but we found the indoor version at a shop in town and it was really fun. We’ve been through a number of gold rush and mining towns, and Bode has learned that gold=money. He’s asked quite a few times to dig for gold, but we didn’t really have a resource for him. As a child my parents took me to a diamond mining place somewhere in Arkansas and I still remember it. We only found glass, but I had a great time. So this was a real treat, but I had to warn Bode that we might not find anything.
You buy a bag of dirt and rocks, they rinse and shake it, and you pick out sapphires if you can find them. Pretty cool! Bode and I were way into this, and I think we went through about every rock in the bag. They said the average bag holds about 4 cts of sapphires, but we discovered nearly 12 cts of ’gem quality’ sapphires. Plus, another lode of ‘fishbowl quality’ broken ones…and a few Bode and I threw in to test the expert.
Because of our colossal discovery, they wanted $60 to fire them and make them look pretty. I asked what they were worth- $25 as is (what we paid for the bag of dirt) but twice that fired!!!
Well, since the math didn’t quite add up, and I didn’t have $60 anyway, I decided I liked my sapphires au natural. Since then, we’ve pulled our 2 bags out at various times to impress people, though I’m not sure it’s working.
Jason’s cousin Rachel is a jeweler, so when we’re in Austin maybe Bode can convince her to do something interesting with them.
—We are currently traveling east through Wyoming on the way to Crazy Horse in South Dakota… on the way to Wisconsin. We’re headed to see some good friends, but haven’t really done our research on things to see and do. Please let us know if there is anything unique or interesting we should stop and see along the way.
Posted on October 22, 2009 by angela
It sounded as if we were dragging a huge metal chain beneath the car as we hit the brakes and pulled off the highway in Missoula. Luckily, we were less than a mile from Mitch and Melissa’s house, owners of Ludwig Camper Van Beethoven and Gertrude. We ignored the bus problems for the evening and shared that beer and pizza. We rolled in pretty late, so their daughter was already asleep, but Bode still enjoyed all her toddler toys. Especially the plastic keyboard- he’d never seen anything like it!
Bode was eager to lend a hand making selections from Mitch’s vinyl collection. Despite Mitch’s clear unease, he let Bode pick out some classic Stones (his dad’s) and a few other goodies. The “don’t touch dad’s vinyl” rules that have been in effect over the decades are still being enforced across the country. Bode had to admit he’s never seen a record player, which is probably true.
We spent the evening swapping stories… my favorite was their transmission problems in Death Valley– car stuck in 2nd gear. What would you do? Well, they decided to drive it home to Santa Barbara over 400 miles away—at a speed of about 28 mph. It took them 2 days.
The next morning the guys got to work on those brakes. We actually brought along spare brake pads, but I think getting the tires off took the longest. Tools were bent. Anyway, the old pads were worn down to the metal backing, so problem solved.
While the guys worked on the bus, Melissa and I took the kids on a walk near the river. Lots of stick throwing, duck watching and fun facts about Missoula.
Their family had moved to Missoula because it offered all the things they were looking for when choosing a place to live–close to lots of camping, mountains, good quality of life and a community spirit. Sounded good to us, and when we explored the town with them we could see why they loved it. Mitch and Melissa are hard core winter campers, so we got a few ideas on keeping warm. Unfortunately, most involved more stuff.
The famous Carousel wasn’t running, but the kids loved the park next to it and river that apparently needed more rocks added to it.
There was so much to do and they were such a cool family we wished we had more time. We are shooting to visit our good friends in Wisconsin by Halloween, and time is not on our side. Might be time for a new plan.
Posted on October 21, 2009 by angela
Glacier National Park was incredible, if not a little isolated. The last few weeks have been a lesson in the off-season. The lodge was recommended for great views and lounging, but it was the usual National Lampoon’s Vacation scene: “Sorry, closed for the season.” The park was open for hiking, but that’s about it. We drove up to the road closure and hiked most of the Avalanche Trail through old growth trees, waterfalls and awesome rock formations. The low clouds meant we missed a lot of the beautiful mountain views, but there were small piles of snow in the parking lot that were a lot more fun for the little one.
The campsites were all closed, but camping was now allowed at the picnic area – it didn’t sound like it was encouraged. We thought about it, but it was supposed to rain and possibly snow. Jason made the call to head to Missoula, about 2.5 hours south, to take Mitch and Melissa up on their offer to split beer and pizza. The latch string was out, as they say in Montana.
The scenery was mountainous and agricultural and much different than Canada. Also, there are a lot of casinos. A lot.
Posted on October 20, 2009 by angela
If you drive around in an old Volkswagen you get a lot of recommendations for hippie towns. Nelson is apparently the BC hippie-center, so we headed there. I didn’t find it particularly ‘hippie,’ but I’m coming from Northern California and this was surely one of the more Earthy place we’ve seen in Canada. I think we only saw 3 Vanagons, but we did score some soy yogurt.
The expense and cold has driven us from Canada (the parking meters are a good deal only if you have Canadian quarters)…so we headed to the Idaho border. We got the first motel we came across and then set out for the recommended truck stop for dinner. The next morning we set out for Montana.
For the past few weeks it has been hard to find kids at the playgrounds. Cold, school, or just winter I’m not sure. Bode isn’t too happy about this, so we’ve caved and started hitting Mickey D’s. Their ‘playplace’ usually has a kid or two for Bode to play with, plus he gets a toy. I’m not too sure how healthy their apple fries are, but oh well.
He spotted the golden arches in the weird little town of Libby, Montana so we headed in. Oops, no play structure. Oh well, after a few apples and french fries, he buddied up to a couple of kids at the next table and asked them about the nearest playground. It was just across the street. Bode and I headed over while Jason did his daily van tinkering. It was damn cold, so after 20 minutes we started back to the parking lot. Just as we did, the 2 boys and their mother drove up. The boys could ignore the cold, showed off their new toys, ran around the park and burned off some energy.
The mom, Nicole, and I started to talk. She could tell we were from out of town, so I explained our extended trip. She said she had traveled most of her childhood around the country with her mom. They sold stuff at free markets while running from her father who was chasing them. She found out later that he had actually died when she was much younger. She met her husband about a year ago. He was going door-to-door selling his holiday light hanging services. He annoyed her at first, but eventually they fell in love. He was from California too, but she didn’t know where. My smile and nods encouraged her to keep talking.
She seemed proud when she told me that he’d been in the newspaper and was a wanted man. When he was younger he stole cars. Once he wrecked her car and it was really hard for him not to run from the police out of habit… even though it wasn’t his fault.
There’s really no need to stop at kitschy roadside attractions. We just stop and talk to people and it’s way more entertaining.
Later, it was time climb back in the van and make our destination of Whitefish. We stopped for gas in Kalispell and our one and only credit card was denied. I was sure I paid it, but figured the company had finally noticed all the charges from five states and two countries. I called them from the parking lot and was asked if we’d made a $51 charge to “Dating and Escort Services” that morning. I gave Jason a quick glance, but knew he didn’t really have the time to be dating (and he claims he would have spent way more.) There were a few other preposterous charges, all from that day, so I feel really lucky that the credit card company caught it.
Hopefully, getting the credit new card on the road and settling the charges will prove easy as well. I’m just a little surprised that any company would actually put ‘escort services’ as their business category. Wouldn’t that send up red flags in most households and businesses? Anyway, we suspect it was one of the hotel clerks from the past few nights. Bound to happen if you keep handing out your credit card, I suppose.
A major headache settled, we finally drove to Whitefish. Our new buddy Parker had invited us over and set us up with a studio on the Whitefish Mountain ski resort. It was off-season, so again we were the only ones there. The room was fabulous – thanks Parker!
That night we met up with Parker and his friend Kristy, both VW bus owners (he’s got an early ’72 Westy and she’s got a cool blue ’77 transporter). Parker works at the ski resort and Kristy is a 5th grade teacher in neighboring Columbia Falls. Some years ago, Parker spent some time driving around the US in a VW bus – 62,000 miles worth. He said one day he was on the coast of Maine and wondered how it compared to the Oregon coast. Three days later he was there staring at the Pacific. The whole trip kinda went like that… until he realized he liked Montana enough to stay. We can relate.
Whitefish is a really cute little town. It’s full with Glacier NP visitors in the summer and ski bums in the winter, but tonight the town was ours. We kept Bode out a little later than usual and indulged in a Friday night out on the town. Parker and Kristy were really fun and we had a really great time sharing stories and talking all evening. We’re feeling pretty lucky to keep meeting such great people!
Posted on October 19, 2009 by angela
I’ve been really hoping to spot a moose. I looked all day during the 4.5 hour drive yesterday, but no moose. I did see deer and a lot of loose cows. I didn’t realize there were still free roaming cows in North America, but there you have it. Cows, walking along the highway, cows on the hillside, no fences to be found. The rain finally started just as we were set to leave Kelowna. We headed toward New Denver on a recommendation. It was quite a drive up through a mountain pass. We hit the snow there. And more cows in the snow. Luckily it wasn’t sticking to the road.
The highway literally ends at the water where you drive onto a ferry that takes you across the lake. The ferry is free, part of the Canadian highway system. It only takes about 20 minutes to cross, and there is nothing on either side of the water.
There was only one open motel in New Denver. Jason had to go and find the manager to get a room. It was definitely off-season, and we were the only ones there. The town’s only restaurant was attached to the motel, and they had no customers and Canadian prices (high). So, thinking we had a microwave, Jason went out to gather a dinner of sorts from the van.
Oops. No microwave. Jason headed out for a walk thinking we could find a store or something open… nope, after 6 pm the entire town was shut down except for the red blinking light. Not to worry. Although I was a little skeptical, Jason proved a master of coffee pot cooking. Bode got a hot dog, I got ramen, and he made a lovely red beans and rice dish. Unbelievable.
The tip we got for New Denver was that it’s location made it an awe-inspiring place to just hang out and look up at the mountains. Camping spots right next to the water. With all the rain and cloud cover we missed it. Next time, we’ll come back in the summer.
Posted on October 16, 2009 by angela
Temperatures were dropping fast when we rolled into a motel at the bottom of the Okanagan Valley. When we went to pack up the car the next morning, we found the water jug and everything else frozen solid. It had reached negative 9 degrees Celsius overnight. Good thing we didn’t camp.
Many people have asked us how the heater in the van works, and because we’ve lucked out with the weather, I didn’t really know. Now I know – not well. We bundled up and headed up to Penticton. The scenery was much better than yesterday’s interstate views. We saw lots of orchards and stopped at the first fruit stand we came across. I couldn’t believe how many types of apples they had. Must have been at least 30. They also had a very cute kitten that entertained Bode while I shopped. Jason was under the van doing something.
The beachfront park was incredibly beautiful, but man it was cold. Bode doesn’t seem to mind cold and again we had to talk him into getting back into the car before we froze.
That evening we were Couchsurfing with Jason and Meggan, a super nice couple who make the most out of all the outdoor activities Penticton has to offer. Jason is an Iron-man triathlete and Meggan’s glory day’s included being on the Canadian field hockey national team. Real athletes. Jason entertained Bode by building forts with the couch cushions and letting him raid his movie collection. Meggan was nice enough to make us all dinner. They had recently been on a trekking trip across Peru and had also gone to see some friends compete in the Olympics in Beijing – we talked all evening about travel. Their guest room walls were lined with maps and Bode made sure to go over each one and ask lots of questions… add Antarctica to our list.
The next morning most of the town was closed down because of the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday. Bode and I headed out to hike the Munson Mountain Park, with incredible views of the town.
Brett, a fellow Westy owner had very generously invited us to Thanksgiving dinner at his house in Kelowna, BC. We weren’t really sure what Canadian Thanksgiving entailed, but we were really excited to find out. I was stoked to find it included all the American favorites. Suri, Brett’s girlfriend informed us that the Canadian Thanksgiving actually pre-dates the American version. During the revolutionary war many Americans brought their traditions, including turkey, to Canada.
They were amazing hosts and treated us like family. Brett has 2 kids, so Bode played all evening and probably pulled out every toy in the house. We’re thankful for our new friends in B.C.
We stayed 2 nights in Kelowna. Weather forecasts indicated rain and snow, but that never happened. Our motel had an indoor pool and hot tub so of course Bode had to test that out. Outside, it was still really cold, and I noticed a bowling alley across the street. Bode and I went over and paid for a game and started putting on our rental shoes. I looked up and noticed that the balls were all small. I looked down the lane, and the pins were also small…and there were only 5 of them. I had to go back to the cashier and explain my dumb American status. Apparently, this is 5 pin bowling. 3 balls per frame, 10 frames. The balls are about grapefruit sized, and appear to all be the same weight. So we bowled and had a ton of fun experiencing a new game.
And speaking of new sports, last week we watched a kid’s TV show produced here in Canada called This is Daniel Cook. This kid, who’s maybe about 8 or so was learning about curling. We all watched with great interest, and Bode has been asking to go ever since. We have passed a few curling clubs now, but never at a convenient time. Now we all really want to go curling, and I’m afraid we are leaving Canada soon. I sure hope we can find a place to try it. If anyone knows a place we can go in Montana/Wyoming let us know!
Posted on October 14, 2009 by angela
We left Vancouver to head east, but that involved unsuccessful stops at 2 different Mega-marts looking for tire chains. Ugh. We also had no luck at the walk-in pharmacy for flu shots, and other various big-box store stops. This was just like being in Oakland. To top it off, it was the beginning of a holiday weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving) and we were on a highway with everyone else. No views, just traffic.
So, there were lots of uninteresting stops and I was really glad when we finally made it to Harrison Hot Springs. The hot springs were basically just a large warm indoor pool with sulfur, but the town and view were amazing. There’s also a big fancy resort next door, but we skipped the luxury for an opportunity to camp in the freezing cold. Although it was chilly, the sky was clear so we headed over to Sasquatch Provincial Park for the night.
No Yeti to be found, but we did find other bandits. At one point, I heard Jason talking outside and figured it was another camper, but then I saw him waving his arms and stomping. I finally went out to see what he was doing, and he was trying to scare away a family of raccoons. We ate in the van while the raccoons returned to tear into our garbage. After we cleaned that up, I took the dishes to wash them. I couldn’t find a faucet and it was dark and really cold. So, I piled up the dirty dishes in our plastic camping box, put the lid on it, and put 2 boxes on top of that. The next morning we saw that it was no match for a determined coon.
Bode stayed inside the van most of the evening. It was pretty cold out, and he just got a new movie. So much for his taste in music. This movie featured the 80′s classic Axel F, and he’s been humming it for 2 days now.
After his movie, Jason and I decided to watch one of our movies. We brought a ton of films, but I think we’ve only watched one so far. Jason made an interesting selection in The Mosquito Coast. It is about an inventor who moves his family to the jungles of Central America with disastrous results. Foreshadowing?
The cold morning got us up an out of the campsite pretty quickly. Washing dishes is always a downer, but doing it in sub-freezing conditions is worse. We went back into Harrison and grabbed warmed drinks while Bode played on the beach playground. The wind was carrying sand around us so thick we could barely see, but we still had to promise Bode a better playground to convince him to leave. Luckily, there was one in the next town across from a laundromat. It was still so windy that the laundromat sign kept blowing down.
Once we were on the road again we had to keep stopping for Jason to check the timing, check on weird noises, and adjust something called the dwell. I’m not sure what that all means, but we aren’t getting very far. Luckily, at this pit stop I have found a wireless connection.
We’re headed into the mountains, and it is cold (we’re in one of the blue parts of the image below!) And, now there is some sort of cricket noise coming from the back of the bus… fingers crossed!
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