Ice Fields Parkway

Monday: (06/13) Leftover pancakes and garlic sausage for breakfast. We left camp before 7am to beat the line at the dump and get on the road early toward Jasper. We wanted to get out of the park by 4pm this afternoon. There haven't been any entrance stations in any of the previous three national parks but there was as we started up the Ice Fields Parkway.

Almost immediately we stopped to watch a mother bear and her two cubs. We stopped at many places along the road to look at various lakes, glaciers, and water falls.


Another bear enjoying some delicious leaves. One of the many Bridalveil Waterfalls.


Nice scenes everywhere along the way. On the right is a glacier in the Columbia Ice Fields.


Interesting gorges.


And waterfalls.


*Leaking mountains.


And more waterfalls.


Even a few flowers.

It was interesting to see a lake still almost frozen over in mid June. Lunch was popcorn. We weren't impressed with the ice fields. They just seemed cold and dirty. We stopped in Jasper for dinner and a walk.


Lou started some split pea soup in the slow cooker this morning. We enjoyed it for dinner with toast. We walked around town checked out few shops and then continued on turning just before Hinton onto Highway 40, the scenic way to Alaska per the sign.


About 12 miles up the road we entered Switzer Provincial Park and stopped at Jarvis Lake Campground for the night.


The rock guard seems to be working.
(GPS: 53.44852, -117.8079)

Donald, BC

Friday: (06/10) We stopped in downtown Kelowna and took a walk. Nice village. We got some travel info at the visitor center, some of the local funny money at the bank and were on our way.


We continued up Highway 97 stopping at the Mara Lake Outlook (a rest stop) for a late lunch. I had a cheese enchilada and Lou had a liverwurst, feta cheese and cucumber sandwich. Shortly after that we turned onto Highway 1 and headed off to Revelstoke, Glacier Park and stopped for the night in Donald, BC.


The only campgrounds in Glacier Park were closed due to snow on the ground. We had planned on staying there. We stopped to find another possible camp in a Rest Stop about 6 miles West of Donald. The yellow flowers lining the edge of the road there were quite nice. Probably just dandelions but still nice. About two inches in diameter.


Instead, we continued down the far side into Donald, BC and stopped at the Campers Haven RV Park. What a nice name for  a "town." Lots of room here. We opted for a dry campsite. On a walk around camp we spotted this old homemade Cadillac motorhome. I put the dish up and it was being nice and connected so it was nice to have Internet again. Lou fixed salmon and corn on the cob for dinner. I had leftover rice and she had a baked potato with feta cheese.


We crossed over into the Central time zone so it sure stays light late. It's 10:20pm and still light outside.


Dandelions.
(GPS: 51.48994, -117.1642)

Kelowna Lake, BC

Thursday: (06/09) PBJ English muffins for breakfast. We drove over to the Vaseux Lake Wildlife Sanctuary for a look. There were a few ducks, geese and turtles but not too much to be seen when we were there. We broke camp and headed up the road a little ways to Penticton and stopped at a Wammart and the local shopping mall. Couldn't get an Internet connection at either place. The gods are fighting me. In addition, my anti virus software thought it was the year 2015 so it wouldn't run. It's not the computer clock but the program that's confused and I still don't know what fixes it but I think it just starts working , and laughing, after about an hour of my trying everything in the world to fix it and then it eventually works. It requires the hours effort though. Since I couldn't get any of the hot spots to work well enough to be useful, we're in a bit of a fix. We need working communications. Since I didn't get a Canadian plan for our Verizon cell phones we can't use them much either. Too costly. We had lunch from Subway at the mall. Lou did a little grocery shopping at Walmart and at SaveOn market. We then hit the road about 3pm continuing up Highway 97 stopping to check out a couple of Provincial Parks on the way but they were too costly ($33) for nothing but a parking place.


We continued on to Kelowna and stopped for the night at West Bay RV Park. $28 for the night with full hookups and working Wifi. Lou fixed a nice green salad and we shared a chicken pot pie as well. We took a walk around the park before dark. Lou drug me away from the working Internet connection. This is a nice park. They have some cute llamas in some pens in the back. Lou got a load of wash done as well.

Friday: (06/10) Leftover omelet for breakfast with pan fried toast. A nice morning, no rain but still overcast. This RV park wasn't very full but according to the owner it usually is crammed full. The lake water temperature is evidently lower than usual. We're all charged, emptied and filled as required and heading off toward Golden today then Lake Louise. We'll be incommunicado for another week.

Vaseux Lake Provintial Park, BC

Wednesday: (06/08) We thought that maybe the storm had blown over. Lou took an early morning walk and it was still dry. But, before breakfast, it had started to sprinkle again. Lou made a nice everything in the refrigerator omelet for breakfast. We pretty much succeeded in emptying all out vegetables and meats, which we understood, couldn't go into Canada. As we continued up the Yakima River Canyon we almost hit a mountain sheep. That wouldn't have made either of our days. We always wanted to see the sheep, just not that close.


We continued up highway 97 and stopped in Pateros, Washington at a bakery and each had an apple fritter for lunch. We took a walk by the lake and watched some ground hogs (woodchucks) playing. We fueled up in Tonasket, and continued on to Oroville, Washington where we crossed into Canada. We had a 5 minute wait and it took less than 5 minutes more to get through customs, not at all as bad as we had been led to believe. Just a couple of questions and no inspection.


We stopped for the day just above Oliver, BC at the Vaseux Lake Provincial Park. Tried to use the satellite dish, and of course, it wouldn't connect. So much for the professional fixers. I can make it not work more cheaply. Vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.
(GPS: 49.29782, -119.5307)


The yellow flower above was seen in the campground. The turtles are in the lake.

Yakima River Canyon

Tuesday: (06/07) With the satellite dish repaired we left Eugene heading North on I5. We stopped a couple of times to stretch. We turned East on I84 along the Columbia River and tried to stop for a quick look at Multnomah Water Falls but there wasn't any parking for something our size in the lot. We continued on to The Dalles and got fuel. A short distance further East on I84 we turned North on Highway 97 at Maryhill and crossed the river into Washington.


We turned off Highway 97 onto Highway 821 through the Yakima River Canyon stopping for the night at Roza Recreation Site. We had the campground to ourselves and enjoyed a nice campfire. Lou fixed sausage, rice and a green salad for dinner. Lots of bird sounds like an owl and some bats buzzing around. On Lou's morning walk she spotted a mother duck and a bunch of ducklings by the boat launch above right. The mother duck hid all the ducklings in the reeds so Lou couldn't see them.
(GPS: 46.76482, -120.4571)


Wednesday: (06/08) Before we left we took a short walk on a trail from camp. On the right above is a field of yellow iris in a pond by camp.


The flowers above were seen on the trail.

Eugene, Oregon

Monday: (06/06) We were up early, tried to get gas but the credit card wouldn't work. A little too much protection by the credit card fraud monitor. It happens almost every time we start a trip. We continued on, stopping a couple of times for walks and breakfast. I fixed sausage, egg and cheese McMuffins. I made a call to Don Marr, a Motosat technician in Eugene to get the satellite Internet system looked at. It's time for a professional with spare parts. We're scheduled for 10am tomorrow.

We stopped in Medford, Oregon at Fred Meyers for a nap, a walk, a little shopping, and gas. The credit card still wouldn't work so I called them and had it unlocked. Seems "our" mistake was the two full limit charges for gas in Williams. Two same amount charges from the same vendor. Next time they'll be a penny or more different. Funny folks. They don't check ID's but lock it for two charges from the same vendor? We continued up the road a little ways to Grant's Pass to stop at the Grant's Pass Pharmacy's soda fountain. It's a real old time soda fountain. We enjoyed pineapple milk shakes for lunch. After checking out a couple of nearby thrift shops we were on our way again.


We stopped just South of Eugene for the night in a rest stop. Lou made some sausage potato, broccoli, onion, mushroom, and cheese soup.

Tuesday: (06/07) We were up early headed toward Eugene a bit after 7am. We made our way to Oregon RV Satellite Service. We parked on the street down the road from the shop and disconnected the toad. The parking area by the shop is too small to allow turning around. We had our breakfast of cereal while we waited. I also played with the computer while Lou studied. Just before 10am we went over to the shop.


It didn't take the professional very long to tune it up and correct a mis-setting. I have no idea how it got goofed up. It's memory must be similar to mine. The cost of the repair was much less than I expected since no hardware needed to be replaced.

Before we hit the road I stopped to look at a Dick's Sporting Goods store we had passed which had a very conveniently located thrift store for Lou to check out. Lou then fixed olive loaf sandwiches for lunch. With all the requirements for Eugene completed we hit the road North.

North To Alaska

Sunday: (06/05)  I went  down to San Jose and installed a couple of CO detectors. The plan was to leave toward Alaska when I returned home but Lou called and said we couldn't leave because she lost some pills and there weren't any Kaiser pharmacies open until Monday. When I got home I checked their website and found a 24/7 pharmacy in Santa Clara so we will be leaving, just later. We headed over stopping for breakfast at the Country Inn in Cupertino on the way. Lou and I shared a country fried steak with Swiss pancakes.  Dawn had the Santa Fe, scrambled eggs and stuff mixed with hash browns and some Swiss pancakes. Then we were off to get the pills, returned home, hooked up and were ready to go.  We were on the road by 1pm. We stopped a couple of times for walks and made it to Corning and spent the night at the Rolling Hills Casino. Dinner at their buffet. We spent the evening chatting with our neighbors in the next parking space. David and Carol have been to Alaska so we had some questions. They spend the winter in Yuma and summer in Alaska but they usually go up in their boat. So, we didn't get too far today but we did reach escape velocity and are on our way. There was some good rain on the way up above Sacramento but mostly dry.