Day 60 - Back in Canada and home.

The usual coffee then a quick tidy up, hooked up the RV and on our way home today. At the Silver Reef Casino Gas Bar the diesel was $2.29 US a gallon so we topped up the truck... lowest price we've seen the whole trip! 

We then had a quick thirty minute drive up to the Peace Arch Border Crossing. From the truck border turn off, we were the only vehicle on the road... it seemed a bit eerie actually. On arrival at the nexus lane, we found a completely deserted border crossing... not a soul in line. We drove up and had a great conversation with Officer Fitzpatrick, who gave us a nice welcome home to Canada, a short speech on the mandatory quarantine requirements now in place and after declaring our excess liquor, sent us on our way.  I have to say, probably one of the best and strangest crossing ever. 

Kelly made a reservation for the ferry based on the BC Ferry website... over height loads had a possible wait. On arrival it was obvious that there was no wait. About 50 cars on the upper deck and 15 vehicles on the lower deck.

Ferry...lots of room today!

We stayed in the truck and watched some video's on the iPad. The 1:35 trip went quickly and we offloaded back on to Vancouver Island. In 20 minutes we arrived home to Brentwood Bay, 60 days after our departure. 

Although we came home a month early due to COVID-19, we had a great time on the trip.  We look forward to returning to the desert next year (if the star's line up) and finish visiting a few spots that we had to pass on. We had a taste of a variety of places and will decide on just were and when we will return.

Thanks for following the blog... hope you found it of some interest.

Day one of Quarantine starts now... and yes, it's nice to be home!

KM's today: 81
Total Trip KM's:10279 plus one oil change.
Temps:Low 6ºC High 11ºC   

Day 59 - Beach House Visit

Kelly had coffee ready as I showered and then I made some lunch (sandwiches) while she showered.... team work! 

We were on the road at 9 am and quickly on to the I-5 northbound. The regular traffic was light aside from the trucks... lots of trucks! We made good time through both Portland and Seattle with several Rest Area stops along the way with a fuel stop at Tulalip Chevron.

Seattle

We arrived at the Porter's Beach House in Ferndale at 2:30 pm and set up the RV after jockeying it into the "RV" spot. It went well and we soon had a cool beverage in our hands... along with a nice agate each from the beach! 

First visit to the beach House for our new rig.

We checked out the place and everything was in good order. Dinner tonight was steak with sage potatoes & beets.  Once again very good.

Tonight's sunset capped off a great trip!!

 We watched a bit if TV with Survivor on at 8 pm. Couple phone calls and then hit the rack. Tomorrow we cross the border and head to the ferry (both will accept us... we checked!) then start our 14 days of self isolation.

KM's today: 507
Total KM's:10198
Temps:Low 4ºC High 11ºC  

Day 58 - Back to Oregon

We woke up at 6:30 and got moving... coffee, shower, toast and then packed up, hooked up and on the road at 8 a.m.... pretty good I say!

The I-5 was right next to the park so it was quick freeway access for us. The drive up went well but as we climbed up towards higher elevations near Mount Shasta, the temps dropped and the snow started to fly. It never went below 1ºC and the roads remained wet through the crossing of the mountain passes. 

Summit views!

Ten minutes after the summit view!!

 Once we got through the pass, the weather improved to blue skies and a mix of rain etc. We made great time heading north and saw some beautiful scenery on the drive.

Nice weather now!

We ended up cancelling our reservation at the Passport America RV Park in Springfield and headed farther north to the Phoenix RV Park in Salem, Oregon. Kelly was on the phone and had things sorted very quickly. This will give us an easy drive to Ferndale, WA tomorrow.

We checked in to the RV site via an "RV Package" in the mail box... no social contact at all!  It's a nice park with plenty of greenery at each site. Once set up we headed over to Walmart and picked up some DEF for the truck and a couple grocery items. Another stop for some diesel fuel to top off on the truck and then back to the RV for a well deserved beverage. (or two!)

Spaghetti is on the menu tonight as Kelly worked her magic in the kitchen. We took advantage of the data plan and Facetimed with Hartley in Sechelt, BC for an update on their adventures with the new digs. All good!  

We relaxed with some TV.

KM's today: 675
Total KM's: 9691
Temps:Low 1ºC High 11ºC  Rain, Snow... ya back in the Northwest!
 

Day 57 - Oranges to Olives

Up and at it this morning knowing the trip is coming to an end... coffee, showers, then we hooked up the rig and left Orange Grove RV Park at 8:50 am sharp! :-)

Our route took us up HWY 99 through Fresno, Modesto and on towards Sacramento, CA. A fuel stop first then we stopped at Costco in South Sacremento as the store is right beside the highway and features a quick entry & exit! They had a line up outside the store but it went pretty quick... within 10 minutes we were in the door as they controlled the number of people going in. Limits on some items but the shelves were fully stocked with the exception of toilet paper & paper towels. We stocked up on some meat items and other "stuff".  30 minutes and we were out! (it worked out to $13 a minute cdn!) sheesh!

Back on the road we jumped off HWY 99 and joined Interstate 5 for the drive northbound. The highway was very quiet north of Sacramento and at just after 4 p.m., we drove into Corning RV Park and parked amongst the Olive trees.

All settled in.

We set up and then did a quick tour of the town's main street, filling the truck for the morning departure.  We cooked up some smokies on the BBQ and then vacuum packed all the meat. Surprising how much room we have in our fridge! 

We will head to the Shamrock Villiage RV Park (Passport America again!!) in Springfield tomorrow with a stop at the Beach House in Ferndale the day after. (We had hope to stay in a state park but they are all closed in both Oregon and Washington now.)

This will split the return into equal drives for the most part. We may spend a few days at the beach house depending on weather & other factors. Not sure yet.

KM's today: 647
Total KM's: 9016
Temps:Low 10ºC High 21ºC  Windy in Corning

Day 56 - It's over - Homeward Bound

While we sat having our coffee this morning, the discussion centered on the "enjoyment factor" of the remainder of our trip. With a little over a month to go before our planned return, we considered closures of restaurants, pubs and public areas where crowds may gather.  Yes we could certainly continue "camping" but the enjoyment side of it was going to be taking a beating. The social interaction is part of the experience and it has now been removed.

We both agreed that the "vacation portion" was now over and we were in a transitional phase of increasingly unknown factors that will effect the remainder of our trip.  We both came to the conclusion that, once again, we should head towards home.

We showered, packed up, hooked up and departed the RV park in Quartzsite at 09:50. They gave us a refund for our missed days and wished us a safe journey home. Once on HWY 95 northbound, Kelly called our next couple reservation spots and cancelled, then made a reservation in Bakersfield for us. All done in 5 minutes.

HWY 95 between Parker and Needles

The weather was nice with temps up to 22ºC as we traveled north on 95 through Parker on up to Needles and then west on 40 to Barstow for fuel. On to 58 to Bakersfield where we pulled in to the Orange Grove RV Park at 4 pm.  Traffic was light for regular vehicles but there were lots of trucks on the route.

We unhooked the RV and I took the truck over and gave it a much needed bath! I then topped up the fuel and came back to the RV for dinner and a cold, and much deserved beer!

Kelly spent the time wisely and finished off her Featherweight cover. Here is the end result.

Looks great!

We are now planning our return route and stops on the way northbound. I suspect we will be up well north of Sacramento by tomorrow afternoon... not sure.  We are planning a couple days at Valley of the Rogue State Park.... if we can find space.

KM's today: 594
Total KM's: 8369
Temps:Low 11ºC High 22ºC Scattered cloud and then rain later in the evening in Bakersfield.

Day 55 - Bike/Fly/Sew

After our morning coffee, I got the bikes off the rack and set up for a little spin around town.  Our fellow Canadian neighbors packed up, hooked up and hit the road back to Quesnel, B.C. as their winter in Arizona had come to an end. 

We rode the bikes along several bike paths and quickly found ourselves in town. A quick stop at the Hi Jolly monument for a picture and then into the residential/seasonal neighborhoods that surround the north part of town. Lot's of "winter" type places that support RV's, off road vehicles and the like. I suspect the summer heat drives all but the hardiest folks to cooler climates.

Hi Jolly Monument

Details

 We cruised by the Community Center (which was closed), the main park and then the RC field. A great day to fly and not a soul in sight!  The short 10k bike ride ended at the RV as I decided to put my plane together and get some flights in. Batteries charged, plane put together and I was off to the field while Kelly went to work on her Featherweight cover.

Great flying day!

I had the place all to myself:-)

I put in some flights at the deserted Quartzsite field and had a nice relaxing afternoon all by myself.  I packed up and returned to the RV Park. Kelly was sewing up a storm so I prepped some snacks and a cool drink. A bit of cleaning work on the RV and it was time for dinner. Left over leg of lamb, potato's & asparagus.

Dishes done, some TV, a game of crib and then off to the rack. Planning a trip to Parker tomorrow and hopefully pictures of Kelly's finished custom Featherweight cover!!! 

KM's today: 4 
Total KM's: 7775
Temps:Low 11ºC High 24ºC
 

Day 54 - Palm Canyon & Covid Concert

This morning I beat Kelly out of bed and got the coffee going. A sunny day once the blinds were raised:-)

Once again the world news regarding COVID-19 is dominating the TV. Lots of closures of restaurants & businesses with whole cities locked down to combat the spread. We reassessed our situation and although we had strongly thought about returning early, once we considered the fact we would be stuck at home with no contact, isolated for 14 days, it just seemed better to stay in the heat of the desert, enjoying both the the area and freedom as best we can.

We contacted our medical insurance provider and confirmed full coverage until the end of April. We also contacted the regional park and RV park that will host us over the next two weeks and they are open and expecting us. So we will ride out the "storm" in camping "isolation" and continue our journey.... wherever it may lead.

Today we loaded the chairs into the truck, grabbed the cooler of drinks & snacks and drove south on HWY 95 to Palm Canyon Road. We then drove east on a gravel road for 10 km into the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and the base of Palm Canyon. 

Prickle Pear Cactus in bloom

Wow!

Kofa entry.

Amazing views!

More!

 It was spectacular! The pictures do not do it justice! We hiked up the trail to view the last place in the state where these native California palms grow in their natural habitat. It was a steady climb but very manageable. We passed a couple folks who were all very courteous and kept our social distancing :-)

Looking towards the west.

More great views.

Once near the end of the trail we could easily see the palms although taking pictures had it's challenges. We returned to the parking lot (only a few cars were there) and then drove 50 meters down the road to a pull out. We had our lunch/snacks right there... it was amazingly quiet and peaceful. 

Lunch in the desert. Amazingly quiet!

On the way home we topped up our water jug with fresh purified water (5 gal/$1.00). Once home, Kelly worked on her project while I studied my eyelids :-)

Leftover meatballs & rice for dinner.

Tonight's sunset

After dinner we loaded up the iPad & Laptop and headed to McDonald's to steal some fast internet. Shelley and Doug from Kelly's band put on a one hour show call "Covid Concert" from their livingroom. The wireless worked for the most part but I had to use some data for the last half... it all worked well aside from some technical issues during "production" :-) 

A big THANK YOU to them for an hour of entertainment!

Live from Victoria!

We grabbed a fudge sundae at the drive through and headed home. TV & blogging finished off the night. 

KM's today: 96
Total KM's: 7771
Temps:Low 11ºC High 20ºC 

Day 53 - Quartzsite - Cleaning & sewing

Kelly once again had the coffee going and delivered before I even thought about diving into the shower. Great service!

As we have full hookups, this gives us a few different options to cook dinners. Usually the BBQ is going but with power, we are using the sous-vide to cook our leg of lamb dinner tonight. Getting things prepped early is the key to this type of cooking.  Lamb, seasoning, garlic.. put in a vacuum sealed bag and then immerse it in our container for 8 hours at 131ºC/55ºF... then relax.

Dinner prep.

Set and forget for 8 hours

After breakfast and a clean up, Kelly plans to create a custom cover for her Featherweight sewing machine. Let it be known that I assisted with some measurements so I expect some credit for the final product! :-) 

The wi-fi in our park is slow so I went on the hunt to find a hi speed source so we can 1) update apps 2) Watch a couple video's that I subscribe to & prepare for  Shelly & Doug's "Covid Concert" on Facebook tomorrow night. 

We headed over to the library but they have limited hours and it will not be "on" when the concert is planned. (Might have to just stream it anyway!) It's only data after all.

We drove around town trying various locations with McDonalds being the only place that worked at all.. although it was slow.  We grabbed a quick drive through at Burger King for lunch. 

Back at the RV Park, Kelly got her sewing center set up and the cover construction underway while I had a wee kip. Once I got up, I washed all the windows in the RV, sprayed the rubber seals, cleaned the solar panels and checked over the roof. All good.

Hard at work!

We seared the leg of lamb on the BBQ while Kelly had the roasted potato's ready. Another great dinner!

We've heard from Hartley that the Oregon State Parks are closing effective April 3rd so that adds, or removes, another dynamic to our trip.  We had planned a stop near Medford mid April so that is now out. 

Dishes done, some TV and then off to bed. Planning a day trip south tomorrow. 

KM's today:15
Total KM's: 7675
Temps:Low 11ºC High 20ºC

Day 52 - Quartzsite - Rain Day

WARNING: Snake picture below!

A bit of a sleep in this morning with Kelly doing the coffee duties. The weather is changing today with rain & wind in the forecast.

We are watching world events unfold on TV and now they are starting to happen here in Quartszite, AZ. They have cancelled all social activities at the RV Park and the local Roadrunner Store has implemented some rationing limits on items.. three loaves of bread, three dozen eggs etc. but they are well stocked. We have assessed our needs and checked our existing supplies. We are in good shape in that regard.

We took note of the limited border closure announced today but have confirmed with the Canadian Border folks that all Canadian's are welcome back into Canada. There will be screening to ensure you are asymptomatic.  

There are a lot of Canadians down here right now and many are heading back, not necessarily because of the virus but because their 6 months (in country) limit is being reached as they come down in October.  There are also some who's medical coverage will cease due to provisions within their own Medical Travel Insurance contracts. We have double checked ours and are fully covered until the end of April so no worries there!

Enough of the gloom....  life goes on here in the desert:

The rains started at 9:30 am and have continued through the day. Kelly has been knitting up a storm while making sure the Hallmark Channel is properly monitored:-).  I took the time to go through the RV checking all the screws for tightness, hoses for security and cleaning up lots of small "construction" messes that are hidden throughout the rig. It feels good to get everything checked out and sorted to our liking.

We had a sandwich for lunch then took a drive around to check out the washes. With all the rain we hoped to see some actual water running through them. We stopped at the RC Field as there was a geocache to be had. Turns out Kelly spotted a hole in the ground and asked me if that was a snakes den... I said "No"... keep looking.  Well then she said I think there is a snake in the bush... "No" I said.... that is a leaf....  well it was a snake all curled up trying it's best to get some heat. But it looked like a big tan leaf! Kelly is now in the truck as I take some pics and get the geocache (BTW not anywhere near the snake)

Our friend at the RC field entrance.

Entrance signage

Although there were the odd pools of water along the roadways, there really wasn't much to see. We drove out to Dome Rock BLM to check it out then south, down to Rainbow Acres Subdivision. It was surprisingly neat with short brick walls separating the lots. Very tidy.

Dome Rock

Entry to Rainbow Acres... Kelly did not leave the truck!

Lovely rainbow showed up!

We returned to the RV park just after a huge rain & wind storm ripped through Main Street.

Dinner was Thai meatballs on rice with veggies... all very good! TV followed as I blogged and Kelly watched Survivor. A game of crib followed before we retired for the evening. We are actively planning some day trips over the next few days.

KM's today:54
Total KM's: 7660
Temps:Low 11ºC High 15ºCwith moderate rain with 60 km wind gusts mid day.

Day 51 - Quartzsite

Coffee and a general discussion on our travel plans going forward. Lots of negative news with the COVID-19 situation that has caused cancellations of major events, large group gatherings etc. but the State Parks and RV Parks are all still open in AZ!

We are presently in an RV Park in Quartzsite and have little or no contact with people at this point so not anticipating any real issues. We could easily head out to the BLM lands and be 100% by ourselves as well.... easy to do although at $15 bucks a night for full hook up, it's hard to beat this.

We have decided to forego traveling down to Tuscon, Benson, Tombstone and Kartchner Caverns State Park at this point.  I had reservations for a tour but CX'ed those today. We will just add those stops to next year's trip. Kelly says Tombstone isn't going anywhere :-)

We cooked up a big breakfast and then headed out to get diesel and some propane.  The ARCO had #2 diesel on for 2.65 a gallon so it was the cheapest fill we have had. We drove through town and stopped at the Roadrunner Market and got all the items we needed... eggs, Tylenol, Hamburger Buns and aluminum foil :-)

We then headed south on 95 to Burrwood RV Park in La Paz Valley. We wanted to take a look at the other Passport America sites for reference.  After a short drive around we will stick with the one we are at! We also drove through the Road Runner BLM... lots of room here!

A quick stop at Patti's RV Park and Propane for a 30lb tank fill and then we headed back to the RV park. With our plans in flux, we booked in to the park for an additional week ($114) and will call this home for now. Unfortunately the 50 amp site we are presently in is booked on Wednesday so, yep we moved a couple spots over and are now settled in. (I walked all the gear over just like Harris Beach).

A quick game of crib saw Kelly go down just a few peg holes from winning... poor gal! :-)

We had a little social with fellow RC flyer Ted Harold & his wife Sue, whom I met last month when we were last in Quartzsite. He is parked 3 sites over from us! Small world! We got caught up on the RC scene in Quesnel and surrounding area. Hartley & Pat Hughson, Gordy & Karen Jack & Steve Lyne all came up in the conversation.

Dinner was leftover ribs & smoked pork with salad. Very tasty.  We did up the dishes and watch a bit of TV before having some ice cream desert :-)

Rain is in the forecast so it maybe an "in" day tomorrow.

KM's today: 39
Total KM"s: 7606
Temps:Low 11ºC High 21ºC

Day 50 - Back to the desert!

I got the coffee and furnace going this morning as it was only 10ºC outside.... but it did warm up pretty quickly with scattered cloud and a blazing sun! Nice to see it finally!

We packed up the last of the gear and hooked up the rig. We said our goodbye's to John and Rosy and hit the road towards Quartzsite at 9:30 am. John did recommend a stop at Hadley's in Cabazon for date shakes..... so we took him up on the suggestion!

About 25 minutes later we pulled in and bought some items, including a breakfast bun... then grabbed a date shake for the road! It was good... not sure if the Windmill Market in Palm Desert isn't better though! :-)

The drive was uneventful as we headed east on HWY 10. A stop at Albertsons in Blythe for a few food essentials and then off to Park Place RV in Quartzsite. It's a Passport America Park and costs $16.50 per night with full hookups! The heat was on as the truck dash said 26ºC!! wahooo!

We got parked and set up by 2 pm for a quick two night stay. Kelly had the washing machine going and also made a few trips to the park's laundry room.  I cleaned some of the mud off the RV (from the RC field road).

We are now doing some planning for the next four days following the Quartzsite stay. We have been offered a free stay in Apache Junction at John's personal pad (he has a yearly lease) so that is on the table.

Dinner was Pork Ribs & salad after a nice sunset sky!

KM's today:303
Total KM's: 7567
Temps Low 10ºC  High 26ºC in Quartzsite.

Day 49 - Harry Gould Memorial Contest Day 2

Once again, Kelly beat me out of the rack and had the coffee all ready and delivered to my bedside table!  The sun was blazing in through the bathroom skylight so I used this "bonus" light to have a quick shower.

I put my plane together and took it out to the flight line with my other gear. A quick slice of toast to hold me over.

My iPhone alerted me to a 10% Low Propane tank on the RV. The Mopeka LP Monitors are working great but this is my first "low level" alert.  The mornings have been chilly here since our arrival so the furnace has had some additional use. I'll get it topped up in the coming week.

App view.

The flying got underway and we easily managed to get the final two rounds all completed. The awards were presented and I managed to pull off a 1st place in FAI (Silver). Although a few people backed out due to weather concerns, it was a good contest and a lot of fun to mix it up with the US guys. The chilly temps did not sit well with our Arizonian competitors :-)  A big thank you to Bill and Nancy Wallace for their great hospitality!

Flight line with EDF jets

Havoc EDF... looks good!

Flight line

FAI Silver - John, Bill and myself.

Final scores.

  We now took the time to pack up as we prepare to depart for Arizona... again! John is headed home to Idaho Falls and will depart tomorrow morning as well, although he will move to a local RV park to dump & flush tanks and then winterize his RV!!!  Heading to sub zero temps!

John manages to fit 3 precision aerobatic planes into his short box Dodge... amazing!

Nice lineup!

 Dinner was smoked shredded pork supplied by John. It was very good! Some TV & blogging and it was time for an early bed.

We will head east tomorrow on HWY 10 to Quartzsite and another Passport America RV Park. This will give us the opportunity to do laundry, dump & flush the tanks and prepare for the next chapter... maybe some more boondocking? Not 100% sure at this point. 

KM's today: 0
Total KM's: 7264
Temps Low 12ºC  High 16ºC with southerly winds to 15mph.

Day 48 - Harry Gould Memorial Contest Day 1

Up at 7:25 and managed to get the kettle started as I headed outside to assemble my plane. It goes together fairly quickly when you have done it a couple hundred times!

The guys started showing up just before 8 am and John had all the computer stuff organized and set up on the scoring table. A misty rain fell but it soon stopped and we got the contest underway following the usual pilot's meeting.

Parking lot

Kelly took a quick trip to Joann's for some badly needed supplies:-) 


With 15 guys flying and two flight lines in operation, things progressed very well. They even had a two round EDF Jet competition after the third round! The guys all took turns calling, flying and judging so everyone was kept busy during the day. 

Pit action.

Pits.

We easily managed 4 rounds and will fly, weather permitting, 2 rounds on Sunday. 

Round four scores.

A small social took place in our RV as Cheryl finished up a new zipper bag, under the direction of Kelly. I think they had a great afternoon doing crafts. 

Dinner was burgers and fries... quick & easy.

We relaxed with some TV while answering texts and messages from friends back home in Canada. With all that is going on right now, they are getting more and more concerned with our well being down here in California.  It is much appreciated but we are doing fine and have plans made up for the next couple weeks that will take us back east to the heat of the desert.

Off to the rack!

KM's today:19
Total KM's: 7264
Temps Low 11ºC  High 15ºC  with a few early rain showers & light southerly winds.