ROAD TRIP CANADA 2014 PART IV

WILD FLOWERS IN JULY

The skies have been  hazy and overcast  for several days but nothing out of the ordinary for a hot summer.  As we head West out of Edmonton the change is dramatic.  The once blue sky turns a dirty yellow brown and there is a definite smell of smoke on the air.  Western Canada is on fire.  There are reports of fires up in the Northwest Territories as well as Eastern British Columbia.  Canada has a policy of let them burn unless they are endangering personal property.   So, it would seem we are in for a long stretch of foul air.  The weather has been dry and hot and there is no change predicted in the near future.  As we head out of the plains for the mountains the weather reports include predictions of dry lightening, not a good thing. 

Once again we are out in rural Canada, rolling hills, rape and wheat fields and the occasional stand of pine and/or fir trees.  The communities are few and far between, mostly groupings of a half a dozen or so homes, small convenience stores associated with camping and recreation sites a few lakes and lots of green and yellow.  Once you get on to Canada 16 (the Yellowhead Highway) there are only about four crossroads over the next 400 or so kilometres.  These roads take off for exotic locations like Slave Lake, Grand Prairie and Dawson Creek; ultimately reaching Alaska.   

HIGHWAY MARKER

I kept wondering why they referred to it as the Yellowhead Highway, thinking perhaps it referred to a bird.  A bird with a yellow head would not be an uncommon occurrence.  What I finally discovered was it was named for Yellowhead Pass, the pass which the highway travels in order to cross the Canadian Rockies.  The pass in turn was named for an early fur trader and explorer named Pierre Bostonais. He had yellow streaks in his hair, and was nicknamed "Tete Janune" (Yellowhead).  In the end we were not destined to cross Yellowhead Pass but I believe Frank and Carol may have traveled it on their way from Kamloops to Jasper.  


We are making our way to Jasper, definitely a tourist area.  In order to avoid artificially high prices and limited choices we choose to stop in Hinton before entering the park.  Our first foray into civilisation leads us to a small IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) which I though was American but it seems to have made it in to Alberta.  It was small and pretty limited, just what I was hoping to avoid.  Inquiries lead us back to the highway and a much larger IGA, perhaps 5 km down the road.  We stock up on perishables and Mick finds there bulk section which has some very stale sour gummies; to each their own bad taste!!

ATHABASCA RIVER

 With forty kilometers to go it hardly feels as though we are in the mountains.  The reality is we are IN the mountains, having already climbed gently all the way from Edmonton.  We travel along the Athabasca River but the sky is so heavy with smoke it is hard to get a real sense of the mountains around us.  I am going to "borrow" some images from the Internet since I chose not to take any myself.  

We find ourselves in the town of Jasper while still trying to find signage directing us to the campsite. My first impression is of high end condos and townhouses lining the roadway.  These give way to the shopping street with the railway station on one side and a large tourist information center on the other.  There is the usual assortment of outdoor stores, fishing shops, souvenir stores, women's clothing and restaurants.  People live here but the main street is obviously all about the tourist.  We try to make our escape, not wanting to pull the tent trailer through town.  A traffic light offers the opportunity for a left turn on to Hazel St., which our map indicates should take us back to the highway.  A red truck honks and flashes it lights at us, uh, omg it's Frank and Carol.  We wave frantically at them and then all progress ceases.  Yes we were supposed to meet up in Jasper, but not at a downtown intersection, talk about small world.  

PATRICIA LAKE

They take off in the other direction while we sit with eight or ten vehicles (mostly trucks) in front of us.  It appears that we have turned on to a street that has a train line crossing it and, naturally enough, there is a train going by.  This is not  a little passenger train, not even a reasonable length freight train but a giant, economy size freight train going about two miles per hour.   We wait, and wait and wait some more.  The tail of our trailer nosing out in to the cross traffic behind us.  But we have nowhere to go.  As if the indignity of having our rear end out in traffic is not enough someone pulls in behind us and then just to cap things off the train comes to a halt totally blocking through traffic.  Finally someone, a few vehicles ahead, pulls out of the queue and makes a u-turn.  Traffic creeps slowly forward but the dude directly in front of us holds his ground, he is going nowhere!  I finally get out of the car and walk forward to politely ask if he would pull forward so, we too, can make a u-turn.  I get a frown and a grumble and something other than polite acquiescence but he does move. We make the u-turn, trailer and all and head out of town.  Yes we waited probably ten minutes plus, yes I had to ask someone to move and yes we made a very poor choice.  But just to make it even more absurd . . .  the road through town took us where we needed to go  and although it had to cross the same train line there was an underpass which totally eliminated the need to be stopped by any train at all.  Suffice it to say, although we spent another four days in Jasper we never once attempted traveled on Hazel Street.  

IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE

Just in case you had imagined that when traveling in this style we stint ourselves in any way please be assured that when it comes to food we do well.  Guess I really didn't need to put that in writing, did I?  Our accommodations may be somewhat primitive, our facilities lacking in  modern conveniences but food, well that is another thing entirely.  If we do well our traveling companions manage to take it a step further.  After dealing with a long day of travel and inconvenient train stoppages we arrived at our campsite to note from Carol and Frank inviting us to dinner.   We gathered up our chairs; chairs are one of the things of which you do not carry spares when camping, and made our way over to their campsite.  

SASKATOON aka SERVICE BERRIES

We are greeted by hors d'oervre (pistachios, cheese and crackers) along with a gin and tonic, including a wedge of lime, not too shabby.  Dinner is a stir fry but it doesn't stop there.  Carol and Frank jointly prepare a cobbler of Saskatoon berries, which they have picked at their previous campsite.  Not only do they prepare a cobbler but the prepare it in a cast iron dutch oven right in the coals from the campfire.  Guess that must qualify as real camping, not exactly our version of it, which entails buying a rotisserie chicken and making a salad. 

MALIGNE LAKE

WILD ROSE - PROVINCIAL FLOWER

We did our best to keep up with Frank and Carol who are "hiking fools" but it was pretty much a lost cause.  You really need to understand I like a walk with the best of them but hiking . . . that means you have to work at it and probably get all hot and sweaty.  According to Websters a hike is a long walk especially in the country or wilderness.  That definition pretty much works for me except possibly for the "long" part  I long ago discovered that my max is about five, possibly seven miles on a flat surface.  Add ups and downs and rocky uneven surfaces and my enthusiasm drops dramatically.  Never mind, we had fun and explored Patricia and Pyramid Lakes as well as did part of the Five Lake Trail.  

One evening was spent on a walking tour of Jasper.  It was a salutary reminder of just how new a place western Canada is.  The area in and around what is now the city of Jasper and Jasper National Park was first a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading outpost.  It was a part of the the route from York Factory (on Hudson's Bay) to New Caledonia or what is now British Columbia.  Much like Fort Edmonton it was an outpost for the collection of furs and meeting place for the trappers and First Nations people.  The park was established in 1907 but the town of Jasper, originally named Fitzhugh, did not really exist until 1911 when the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway made it to the park.  Just to put things in perspective it was until September 1905 that the Canadian government added both Alberta and Saskatchewan to the Commonwealth.  

We finished our visit to the park with a boat trip on Maligne (pronounced maleen) Lake and tea at the Chateau.  The name was given to the lake by priest who termed it maligne which in french apparently means wicked.  Just exactly what was wicked about it I no longer remember but it is pretty inaccessible and often covered in ice.  The trip out there took us past the Maligne Canyon and an intriguing lake which has holes in the bottom, a Karst Formation.  The lake never quite fills and the "river" downstream is often dry, but the water pops up again as springs some 15 or so miles further down the valley.

Not to ignore the tea at the Chateau.  It was quite wonderful with a view out across the lake at the distant glaciers.  One of the items we were presented with was a multicultural delightful . . .  French bread, English Cucumber and Canadian Goat cheese and more than that it tasted good.   

Things I have learned:

1. Rape seed (Canola or Canada oil) is "Traditionally made in to salad oil, frying oil, margarines and shortenings, canola is also being used in cooking sprays and flavoured oils; coffee whiteners and creamers; cosmetics and aromatherapy oils; dust suppressants, industrial lubricants, hydraulic fuels, biodiesel, printing inks, plasticizers, oiled fabrics and as an anti-static agent for paper and plastic wrap."  Doesn't that just make you want to rush out and buy some more.  
2. "A" is for avalanche.  When you look at wooded mountainside and you see an area where there are no trees, if that area is "A" shaped it was most likely caused by an avalanche which tears down the mountain obliterating everything in its way.
3. Fire stations are built with towers so hoses can be hung up to dry.  Try to imagine using a hose that has frozen solid in the dead of winter.     

ROAD TRIP CANADA 2014 PART III

Maligne Lake Jasper

We're on the road again and the weather is still way too hot, but it's not something we have a choice about.  One consolation, since deciding on a 55-60 mph speed limit to save fuel I don't feel so bad about running the air conditioner (in the car).  There are tent trailers with air but it seems a little incongruous considering the wall are made of cloth.  Finding places to camp in or near metropolitan areas is always a difficult proposition and Edmonton is no better or worse.  The decision process ends up being somewhat arbitrary.  You start with Woodalls, a publication that lists RV sites by city,  Listing by cities are not always that useful particularly when it's the general vicinity that is what you are interested in, not a specfic place.  When Woodalls falls short, there is the internet . . . when available (we are camping after all). We track a place down with a description that says half an hour outside of Edmonton.  It is the capitol and a fairly big city after all, so we are figuring we'll be on the outskirts of town, the suburbs if you please.  Suburbs, in my mind that equals 1) easy to find and 2) not too far from a grocery store.  NOT.

Tent Trailer en-route

 We call for directions:  "From Hwy 16 take Rge (range road) 212 north 13 km to Twp (township road) 544 . Go east 5 km to Rge Rd 205.  Go south and take the entrance on your left as you go over the crest of the hill."  Let's start with we are navigating with maps and as often as not, each road, highways in particular, can have three or four numbers associated with it.  So finding Hwy 16, is not nearly as simple as it seems.  Never mind that we have been traveling on a  brand new piece of road that is not even shown on our map (thank you AAA).  We find Hwy 16 and head off East. Edmonton is disappearing behind us.  In fact I am not entirely certain we have even seen Edmonton, just vast stretches of housing giving way to even more vast stretches of yellow rape seed.  We count off the tunings, Rge 215, 214, 213. ah found it, Rge 212 and there is nothing.  We haven't seen any signs of civilization in miles and we're turning off a 4 lane hwy on to a two lane road, but at least it is paved!  So I'm thinking "Okay, we are out in the middle of nowhere, but perhaps things will improve.  It is after all 13 km ahead of us that we will make our next turn."    

You guessed it, not so.  The next turn is from a two lane country road on to an even smaller, narrower and less well maintained rural road.  Having already counted down 215, 214, 213 to get to 212, it would seem logical that we would continue that process until 205.  Our logic seems to be holding until there is a sudden jump from 209 to 204 and then 203.  We're about ready to look for a way to turn around that does not require a whole lot of reversing with a trailer in tow, when the next intersection turns out to be 205.  Boy those Canadians need some lessons in simple number theory, eh?  

Where we turned left

Yes we make it, and indeed it is "over the crest of the hill" where we turn, only to pull up in front of someones home.  Guess they had acreage and a yen to manage an RV park because there are hook-ups for water, electric, sewer and even internet, not to mention laundry facilities for perhaps 30 "campers".   As we pursue this odyssey I'm thinking there will be a town, or at least somewhere to pick up ice, fresh produce, and just, generally speaking, food.  We inquire . . ."go back out and turn right (north) and follow the road for 20 minutes and you should reach Brudenheim, they have a market."   Just to make the point,  half an hour from Edmonton is in reality half an hour to the outskirts of Edmonton and we are well and truly out in the back of beyond . . .  within a quarter of a mile the road goes from paved to dirt and I can see for miles and miles and miles and it is nothing but yellow.  Brudenheim has an auto parts store, a gas station, a post office and market the size of a 7/11.  Ice they have, but the only fresh vegetable are cabbage and potatoes, the meat counter has sausages and the frozen food case lasagna and ice cream.  Yep, sausages, mashed potatoes and sauted cabbage for dinner but there were Oreos, SCORE!!

Orthodox Church

We spend the next couple of days touring in and around Edmonton.  The Capitol Building, which looks much like any other capitol building; the Ukrainian Cultural Center and Fort Edmonton.  The Ukrainian Cultural Center and Fort Edmonton are both Living History Museum, which are right up our alley.  The Capitol Building (aka the Alberta Legislature Building) was really more about adding to our collection of "state capitols".  


Western Canada was heavily settled by people emigrating from the Ukraine.  Those settling in the prairies of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba where largely farmers, lured by offers of free land.  They were granted land for agriculture much like in the US.  If they cleared the land and made it productive it was theirs to keep.  It also served the purposes of the Canadian government to populate the open prairies with "Canadians" rather than Americans,  thus precluding the US from annexing what we now know as British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba.  
  

Sod House

The building at the Ukrainian Village that most fascinated me was the burdei or sod house.  It, unlike the other buildings on the site, was a recreation rather than one of the historic structures that were moved to the site.  Never really thought about how to build a dwelling when your focus is putting the land under crops not building a house and how would you acquire lumber out on the prairie anyway.  The simple solution, although not particularly sturdy is a sod house.  First cut some trees and create a tent shaped structure, perhaps 6 or 8 feet wide by 10 feet long. Then  go find yourself some grass with think densely packed roots, not too difficult a task on the prairies.  Next step cut the sod (grass) in to bricks about a foot wide, four inches thick and several feet long.  Lay them in overlapping rows over the tent structure making sure to leave room for a chimney, a narrow door (too small for a bear to enter) and a window (see it the door).  Home Sweet Home.

Grain Elevator

The other fascinating aspect of the museum was the research that is done on every structure.  If you speak with a re-enactor they will remain in character and not just a general character but they will have learned the history of person they are portraying.  They will converse providing details on how they arrived, the size of their families, where other relatives reside, how they came to have the particular house, or business, or job.   They are for all means and purposes real people and they have real stories.  There are store owners and hotel operators.  There was a man plowing a field with a team of horses and there are three Orthodox Churches that still hold services.  Loved the hardware store where I was able to inspect plans for several different styles of barns and the grain elevator that was on site.  If you wanted a barn you could order the whole thing, from plans to paint and have it delivered down to the last nail. Small wonder so many barns look identical.  


We finish off Edmonton with the Fort.  This time it is not original but a recreation comprised of multiple streets each reflecting a different period in Edmonton's history.  It was okay, learned a lot at the Fort which was never a fort in the classic sense.  There were no soldier and if was never meant to defend a town.  It was really just a glorified trading post operated by the Hudsons Bay Company, another of those names vaguely remembered from middle school history lessons. 

It's time to hit the road again,  Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise beckon and it is time to meet up with our traveling companions, Carol and Frank Sobotka.

ROAD TRIP CANADA 2014 - PART II

BREAKFAST IN MIAMI

I didn't really share any photos from Miami, so will take this opportunity.  We found this fun little Cuban restaurant just a couple of blocks from our hotel. One stop and it became our go to place for breakfast. There were two tables besides the stools you can see and a bar on the street front where people stopped for their morning cup of Cuban coffee, an espresso with a touch of milk and plenty of demerara sugar.  Their huevos rancheros were killer as well.  There was something a little sweet about the beans and no typical chopped tomato salsa but more like a chunky enchilada sauce and fried plantains, yum.    

Room with a View

Our stop wasn't only about food and lightening storms.  Ostensibly we were going to check out South Beach and the treasure of Art Deco buildings for which it is famous.  South Beach has a curious history.  It became prominent in the '20s as a vacation spot.  That was when all the hotels were built.  I seem to remember something about a hurricane destroying the previous community but can't seem to find any verification of that.  The long and the short of it, the area went in to decline and became a haven for the senior set and drugs (remember Miami Vice).  It wasn't until the 90s that it was rediscovered and all those SRO (single room occupancy) hotels became once again fashionable.   It is the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the west and they are doing there best rehab and renew what would have been lost to development had it not been for all those seniors living on social security in these fabulous old building which were slowly sliding in to decay.

Love the lights

       

Maybe a little more about food, I mean really, what are vacations for if not for eating.  So, we did the tour, checked out the buildings, saw the place where Gianni Versace was murdered, walked a little on the beach, visited the Holocaust Memorial and then,  time for lunch.  Saw this Art Deco Deli on our wanders and it was nearby so in we go.  The lights above were inside and you can see the exterior here.  The food, not so special, except we got as many free pickles as we could eat (3).  The waitress though, what a character.  She was 60 if she was a day, long bleached blonde hair, way too much makeup (blue eye shadow), red finger nails, hoop earrings, big colorful bead necklace and bracelet and attitude to spare.  I'm pretty certain she told us what to order all the way down to pie for dessert. 

CANADA ROAD TRIP PART II

Rise and shine.  Another day beckons and our first planned destination is within a reasonable drive.  Leaving Cranbrook behind, we head for Crownsnest Pass and the road to Calgary.  We are in the Canadian Rockies, there are ski resorts, and yet it doesn’t really feel like the mountains.  I’m a California girl, and mountains are the Sierras.  The mountains at home are so massive you hardly ever see distinct peaks, just a mass of granite and green reaching in to the sky.   At home you drive up the mountains and then you go down the other side.   The Rockies are something else entirely.  There are long green valleys and meandering streams, and enormous individual peaks capped with snow.  I guess it is more like being in Yosemite, which makes sense given both areas were carved by glaciers.  But before the mountains and glaciers we are bound for the prairies and eastern Alberta.  Our destination Crowsnest Pass and the flat lands beyond.  A quick stop at the visitor’s information center garnered us a “Visit Alberta” Frisbee and a free cup of coffee as well as plenty of recommendations on places to go and things to see.  Next stop, “Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump”.  

Buffalo Jump - Not very impressive

I’ll begin with the "Buffalo Jump" part, which has little to do with the "Head Smashed In" part.  Ever wonder how the First Nations people acquired enough buffalo to clothe themselves and make pemmican for the winter without the benefit of horses?  Back in the day, (and that day extends from 10,000 years ago, give or take, to present) when buffalo still roamed the plains from Canada to Mexico, the First Nations people gathered together to participate in the killing and slaughtering (butchering) of buffalo.  Up on the plains groups of men built cairns (stacks of rocks) demarcating an ever narrower path that directed the herd toward the cliff now called Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump.    The cairns were covered with wolf hides and “planted” with trees to discourage the buffalo from turning aside from the cliff toward which they were being herded.  Ultimately additional men lined the edges of the trail as braves in wolf skins began ushering the animals toward the cliff.  In the end, those lining the path jump out yelling, resulting in a stampede which carried the animals forward and over the cliff to their deaths.  Here, at the base of the cliff, the women and children waited and when all were assembled the process of butchering, drying and otherwise preserving the meat was carried on.  Buffalo jumps exist all over Canada and presumably the plains or the US.  Not every jump saw action every year, it was a matter of where the buffalo were found at any given time.  But this particular spot has been excavated and there was evidence of a long standing use of these cliffs as a place to entrap and butcher bison.  The site, which we visited, is about 15 miles out a dead end road with no other signs of habitation.  There is a seven story structure, built in terraces into the hillside, which serves as a museum.  You begin with a film and then are directed up to the top to view the plains and cliffs which are the "buffalo jump".   The way down is through a series of galleries that take you down the seven stories to, of course, the gift shop.   It is really quite well done and blends gently in to an otherwise bucolic landscape of rolling grass lands.  

DRUMHELLER

As to "Head Smashed In", the story is a young man, wishing to become a part of the hunting party  hid himself in an overhang under the cliff to watch the animals fall to their deaths.  When the tribe was in the process of removing the dead and dying animals from the heap at the bottom of the cliff they found the young man with his head smashed in.  Not terribly prosaic, but it tells the story.  

 We are on our third day of driving somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 miles pulling a trailer.  At the outset we discussed the feasibility of driving no faster than 55-60 mph to help with the gas mileage and more specifically, the cost of fuel.   The one advantage is you actually get to look at what is outside and may actually spot those historical markers before they flash by your window.  The Canadian government has done their part to assist us with our goal.  Before hitting Canada Hwy 2 we saw nothing but two lane roads and not once did the speed limit exceed 100 kph, which translate to roughly 60 mph.  The speeds may be more moderate than at home but there does seem to be this unwritten rule that if you really want to pass someone you wait until there is a blind curve with a double yellow line and then go for it.  Nothing like tootling along at 55 and seeing a great big pickup bearing down on you and the only place to go is in to the ditch on the side of the road.  That little burst of adrenalin, just kinda kick starts your day! 

DINOSAUR #1

When we left home our intent was to make for Edmonton, Alberta; which is,  by the way, the provincial capitol, much to the dismay of the Calgarians.  But, as is often the case, with us at least, when on the road plans change.  Seems the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drummheller, Alberta, is a mecca for those interested in Dinosaurs, especially Ceratopsians (as in Triceratops).  And, so it was we took a detour east to explore the wonders of giant, extinct animals.  Mick had a blast and I admit to being mildly amused by the stories of how the remains had been found, excavated and preserved.  Frankly though, a day is more than enough to devote to creatures which are long dead and additional time on the dinosaur trail was not in the cards.   Would I recommend a visit to Drumheller, absolutely, particularly if you have little people in tow.  It is extremely well done, with plenty of explanations, hands on opportunities and air conditioning!! Just be prepared for miles upon miles of yellow rape fields and no civilization to speak of.  Once there you can have a good giggle at the dinosaur models to be found in front yards, entrances to business establishments, in childrens’ playgrounds, and especially the four story tall Tyrannosaurus Rex at the visitors center.  

DINOSAUR #2

DINOSAUR #3

So it was we turned our sights, once again, on Edmonton.

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED


-  Canola oil is a derivation of Canadian oil, where it was hybridized and where it is grown extensively
-  Canadians measure driving distances in travel time, not kilometers travelled, oh, say 3 hours down the road
-  20 degrees centigrade is comfortable, 30 is not.
-  The roads in the rural areas don't have names, they are numbered as either Township xx, north/south (I think) or Range xx, east/west

ROAD TRIP CANADA 2014 PART I

In truth it is, as I write, the 7^th of July and we are nowhere near either Miami Florida or the UK.   But what I find as I open this document is the remnants of something I began several months ago and never finished.  Being incapable (apparently) of deleting partially completed work I shall share what is currently here, before  beginning our current road trip.  

Saturday Morning, Miami Florida

I thought I had seen a lightning storm, but I was wrong.  We are on the fourth floor of midrise downtown hotel, looking out over the Miami River and outside our window is a sound and light show like nothing I have ever seen.  The sky is alight as if someone were incessantly flicking a light switch on and off as fast as they possible.  While the intensity of the light is as though hundreds of flash bulbs were going off simultaneously. It is hard to look out the window, the glare is so intense.  A blue white haze envelopes the sky, playing off the water droplets like so many prisms.  The air is full of the sound of a hundred Indy car drivers revving their motors simultaneously, a deep angry growl.  The occasional streak of fork lightening silhouettes a metro rail train car suspended over the inky blackness of the Miami River running across an insubstantial track glowing silver in the reflected light.  The sound of the thunder, so nearby changes, it is no longer a growl but the sound of trash can lids clashing together.  The rain, which is torrenting down, is so intense our view of the skyline seems wrapped in fog, occluded by a gauzy shroud of water.  After more than an hour it seems to be moving on, I wonder what the rest of the day will bring.  And so concludes our creative writing assignment for today!!

In order to dispel severe confusion, it is no longer July 7, but in fact July 28.  This is the first internet access we have had in two weeks.  And so the saga begins. 

ROAD TRIP – CANADA

We’re on the road again.  This trip will not be one of our months’ long marathons across the US but, a five week trip up into Canada.  The plan is to travel up to Edmonton and then down through Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, Glacier and the east side of Hells Canyon, ultimately back into Oregon and home.  We took the opportunity to check out the tent trailer with a two night trip to a camp ground on the Rogue River just a little over an hour away from home.  Everything seemed to be in order.  Although after so many trips, (I reckon we have spent in excess of a year sleeping on the original foam mattress) we did invest in a memory foam topper which has made a vast improvement in comfort.

Over the years we have spent enough time in our home, away from home, that we have it paired down to bare necessities.  With the addition of perishable food and clothes we can hitch ‘er up and be on the road in under an hour.  It remains stocked with sheets and towels, warm slippers, sweats and wooly hats at all times.  Basic canned goods, plastic containers of sugar, flour and rice, hot cereal and soup are always in the pantry.  An electric heater, a radio/i-pod player and a 6”, flat screen TV round out our modern conveniences.  It has a two burner stove, so there is no need for more than three pans (small, medium and large), and since we don’t often “entertain” four plates, four knives, four cups . . . you get the idea, seems more than adequate.  We traded in our old style, percolator coffee pot, for a kettle (works for tea, coffee and the production of hot water for washing us and the dishes) and a drip cone for brewing coffee.  Toast can be made by sticking bread on a fork and holding it over an open flame.  A couple of years ago we invested in a camp oven, with two extra burners and a “camp kitchen” which is really just a stand for the oven and a flat surface for food prep and dishwashing.  On long trips you sometimes want something cooked in an oven, like meatloaf or corn bread.  Extends your repertoire immensely and better still, if the weather is fine we can cook out of doors.  The “wash kit” remains behind as well, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hair brushes, nail clippers and a mirror, all the necessities as it were. Naturally, there is a first aid kit, sunscreen, bug spray and “After-Bite”, for when the bug spray doesn’t work.   At first we were concerned about the weather (what happens to toothpaste if it freezes . . . nothing) or critters, but so far no issues.  Our latest extravagance, an outdoor carpet from Walmart.  Looks classy, keeps the dirt out and provides a surface for yoga mats. Which, yes we do occasionally do, much to the amusement of neighboring campers.  It is all just there and ready to roll.  

Getting anywhere by vehicle, from Ashland, is not a simple proposition.  First off, you need to understand that it is a minimum of a three hour drive to get to anywhere with a population in excess of 50,000 souls and all of Oregon has less population than the San Francisco Bay Area.  However, our objective was not large population centers but rural Canada.  Our normal pace of a maximum of four hours drive time when pulling the tent trailer was not going to be workable.  So instead we went for the gusto, drive ‘til you can’t drive no more.  We had a pretty good rhythm going, up over the Cascades past Crater Lake and down to Bend, changing drivers every hour and a half or so.   A quick stop for lunch out of the cooler and another to purchase cherries from a vendor on the side of the road.  It looked like Biggs Junction and the Columbia River were a distinct possibility.  We were on roads we had not previously traveled and the population is pretty sparse in Eastern Oregon.  Range land and wheat or other grass crops and carrot seeds was about all there was.  A no gas for 94 miles sign engendered a quick U-turn and a re-fueling stop.  We flew past the wide spot in the road labeled that looked like something from a grade B western and made Hermiston for our first night.

Moving north toward Spokane is an ever changing landscape.  You would expect there to be green along the river, but much of the Columbia shore is dry and barren or steep cliffs.  Into Washington you get some agriculture and rolling hills, not as verdant as the Palouse but not dry and brown.  Slowly fields and meadows were replaced by stands of conifers and the two lane road became four the closer we got to Spokane.  Spokane sits in a river valley and probably deserves to be explored, but not this trip.  We press north, crossing in to Idaho and skirting Coeur D’Alene we make for Eastport . . . and the Canadian border.  Quickly, it is back to two lane roads, rolling hills, almost mountains and trees.     

We stop for the night in Cranbrook, British Columbia.  Nice little RV/camping site right in town makes it convenient to go in to town for dinner rather than cooking.