Cross Canada and Back Part 2

Jasper National Park, Alberta to North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

View Jasper, Alberta to North Battleford, Saskatchewan in a larger map



5:15 am we got up to get an early start on our trip across Alberta and into Saskatchewan. Looking out the window with sleepy eyes we were greeted with 7 elk checking out our Rockwood trailer... I told them quickly "it is not for sale" so they went knocking on the neighbours door instead. Wow those are big animals!

Elk checking out our trailer

More Elk. They look pretty scruffy this time of year, just loosing their winter coats.

37 minutes later we are rolling out of Jasper, out of the Rockey Mountains, into the Foothills and out on the prairie. What an incredible country we live in, it never seems to amaze me. 

Leaving Whistlers Campground in the Morning Sun.... Coffee in hand of course.

Many more elk greeted us on the way out of the park, no Bighorn sheep this time, maybe next.

Leaving Jasper National Park, heading East

Elk on the side of the road

Leaving the Rocky Mountains Behind

We smoked past Edmonton taking the by-pass with Liz (lead foot) at the wheel.

Liz at the wheel

Edmonton Traffic

Get in the left lane....

We made a quick stop in Elk Island National park just east of Edmonton. This national park is a bit different and is home to herds of Buffalos.... you just have to see it. Camping is also available in the park.

Elk Island National Park, east of Edmonton, Alberta

Buffalo Grazing

Buffalo on the run

On the road again we headed for the border town of Lloydminister. This is a true oil town and is home to the Husky Up-Grader that turns the black sticky crude into usable fuel.

The Husky Up-Grader

Black crude being pumped up in to tanks all over the Lloydminster area

We fueled up the truck and set our sights on my sister and brother in-law's farm just north of North Battleford.

Large trucks on the road passing us.

Not much to stop the wind

Arriving in North Battleford, Saskatchewan

The truck was getting a good workout with 65 km/hr head winds. The fuel consumption increased by 25% fighting the wind. We arrived shortly after 5 pm and were greeted by my sister Rose and my mom Ruth (mom lives in the town of North Battleford), Al was as usual working late seeding this years crop, 14hr plus days, makes me tired just thinking of it.

Rose cooking up a storm

Left is my sister Rose and on the right my mom Ruth.

We set up camp in Rose and Al's yard overlooking Jackfish Lake, supper and a glass of wine was served before we could blink and eye.... 

Looks a bit tired after the trip

Wonderful views overlooking the lake

Rose and Al are both superb chefs with Prairie Hospitality, got to love it.


Cheers, Anders and Liz


PS. More pictures on our Picasa web album or click below

Jasper AB to North Battlefort SK

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs from our Cross Canada Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you

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11,   12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,   22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  29b

30,   31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,

40,   41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49,

50,   51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  59,

60,   61,  62,  63,  64,  65.


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Cross Canada and Back Part 1

Victoria, British Columbia to Jasper, Alberta.

The plan for our adventure is to drive swiftly across Canada and spend most of the summer and early fall exploring the East Coast of Canada, and then work our way back west before the snow flies.

Cruise ship coming in to dock in Victoria, BC

A day before leaving on our cross Canada trip, we added our website decals to the trailer

We started our trip across Canada, leaving Victoria, BC, on the West Coast of Canada, the 15th of May 2011. As we boarded the 7 am ferry, leaving Vancouver Island for Vancouver, the fog was so thick that you could cut it in to cubes, freeze it and make ice cubes.... a real West Coast mist.



View Cross Canada - Victoria to Jasper in a larger map


The voyage across the Strait of Georgia or more recently called the Salish Sea was uneventful and calm. We arrived on time in Tsawwassen terminal on the main land of British Columbia. We drove up through the lower mainland to number 1 Trans Canada Highway.

Getting ready for the climb over the Coquihalla

After about an hour and a half drive through the Fraser Valley we turned onto number 5 Yellow -head Hwy and started the climb up the Coquihalla Highway and hit the summit around 11:30 am. The clouds started to lift as we descended on Merritt, and almost clear skys awaited us as we approached Kamloops.


In Kamloops we set direction north west to Jasper following number 5 Hwy. It is a very scenic drive, and you can be sure to see some wild life this time of year.

Town of Valemount

This drive has not yet let us down, just south of the town of Valemount a young Grizzly bear was grazing along the highway, you just have to love it. Liz snapped a bunch of pictures and off again we went.

Young Grizzly grazing by the road south of Valemount

Mount Robson Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site is another beautiful BC Park and is located just west of the Alberta border. Mount Robson Park covers 224,866 hectares or 555,655 acres, and it dwarfs me every time I pass by the majestic Mount Robson.

Mount Robson Provincial Park, BC.

By 7pm Alberta time we arrived in Jasper National Park and set up camp in Whistlers campground just 4 km south of the town of Jasper. We were told, a LARGE Grizzly bear has been patrolling the campground looking for something worth eating, and has not yet found a good snack, in other words, he is still looking.

Bear trap in the campground.

Almost ready to BBQ in Whistlers Campground, Jasper National Park

This is a massive campground with over 700 sites, well maintained and tidy. Elk wandering around every where, just a fantastic place in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Jasper National Park has over 1,700 campsites in  various campgrounds, however it is a very popular place in the summer months, so making a reservation is a must.

Elk grazing on the meadows

Time to fire up the BBQ and cook up some burgers and have a glass of wine.... Life is good, "wine a bit, it helps".


Cheers, Anders and Liz

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs from our Cross Canada Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you

 1,    2,    3,     4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,   10

11,   12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,   22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  29b

30,   31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,

40,   41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49,

50,   51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  59,

60,   61,  62,  63,  64,  65.


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Vancouver Island, BC

Campbell River to Parksville, BC

It was time for us to hook up the 5th wheel trailer and to leave Cortes Island. Anders drove carefully onto the Tenaka, the small Cortes ferry. It was low tide, and we were concerned about the angle of the on and off ramps. But we had no problems.  Campbell River on Vancouver Island, the Salmon Capital,  was busy, everybody was rushing somewhere. We realized that it was just our perception. After almost two months on Cortes Island, where the locals still wave at each other in passing, happy to see a car, Campbell River was the big city for us.

Driving South on the Island Highway

The Island Highway # 19 is a wonderful drive south from Campbell River. The mountains on Vancouver Island are still covered with snow on top. Mt. Washington the island mountain resort had a record snow fall this year. Driving south the landscape became more and more lush, spring had arrived here. We decided to camp overnight in Parksville. The Park Sands Beach Resort had space for us. it is right on the ocean. 

At the Park Sands Beach Resort

The sun came out. It was time for a walk on the beach. The almost 20 km of sandy beaches from Qualicum Beach to Parksville are shallow, warm up quickly and getting deeper gradually. They are wonderful to beach comb, to swim or to just having fun in the sun.

Parksville beach with views east to the coastal mountains on the mainland

Anders was B.B.Q.ing steaks while watching a Canuck Hockey game.

Parksville area has become very attractive for early retired Canadians looking for a small town with all the amenities. Visitors and residents love the central location on Vancouver Island. From here we have choices to hike, bike, golf, ski, swim, fish, sail, or just relax and go for a good coffee.

We dropped in at Cha Ch'a Java for a goody and coffee

Back at the beach

Evening stroll along the Parksville Beaches on the great boardwalk

Camping overnight in Parksville was our trial run before starting our trip across Canada. We are now in Victoria packing and organizing the last few things.

Liz

Cortes Island British Columbia, Canada

Springtime

We came back to Cortes Island for more of John and Ruby's homemade Loganberry ice cream. The community hall at Mansons Landing was packed. Fridays between 12:30 and 3pm is the weekly market on Cortes Island. Everybody is meeting, neighbours, locals and those semi-permanent migrants like us.

Locals and Tourists on Cortes Day

Two ferry rides away from Vancouver Island, Cortes Island has its own culture,

people, and their way of living. Fridays is one of the three weekly mail days. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays Jamie, the postmistress is the most visited person on the island. She knows everybody's box number and private life. The post office, the radio station, the library and the coffee shop are all in the same building.

Smelt Bay Park Walk

The Cortes people, mostly early retired or voluntary out of the regular job market, are selling a gamut of wares: from wild smoked canned Salmon, homemade bread for $ 7.50 a loaf, Emu salve against soar joints, homemade jewelry, Blue Jay Farm sells their organically grown vegetables, Sue is selling kamikaze hot jellies, and in the hallway there are always a couple of associations looking for donations or new members.

Kayakers

There are so many people in the hall inside, on a hot summer's day the odours and smells range from fresh pizza, to fish, to........... The fashion is at the least very colourful, from the latest of the 60's flower-power flowing skirts and hairdo, naturally by now the hair is graying and thinning or going even wilder, the young kids with all the tattoos and studs everywhere, to the city slickers' Boss slacks and Gucci shoes.

Beachcombers

We came back for the delicious ice cream, but four years has passed since the market was like we remembered, but time has changed even on Cortes. John and Ruby retired, and some of the regular market people moved on, and some new ones are setting up shop.

Change is certain, even on Cortes Island. First Nations of the Coast Salish people lived or visited Cortes Island for many years. The village of Squirrel Cove was established in the late 1800s when the Klahoosie Salish from Toba Inlet were moved here. The Klahoosie People within the last year built a brand new meeting hall overlooking the cove and Desolation Sound.

First Nations Salmon BBQ

From the 1790 Captains Vancouver and Valdes started to explore this area and they gave the name Cortes to this beautiful island. Many of its neighbouring islands have exotic names : Marina, Hernando, Ulloa, Quadra.... These first explorers were mostly charting the area. The first white settlers on Cortes were fishermen, whalers, and loggers.

Evening sun Smelt Bay Park

Today we travel here by taking the ferry in Campbell River to Quadra Island. We then drive about 10 minutes to the Heriot Bay ferry terminal to Cortes Island. Ferry service to Cortes was established in 1969. Even today the service on the Tenaka is relaxed and travelers better take a book and a thermos of tea along. In summer, the waits can be long because of the tourists. 

In winter, if the South Easterlies blows up a storm, the ferry will simply not run. In summer many visitors to Cortes are sailing here on their boats. This is the gateway to the gorgeous Desolation Sound for sailors. Cortes can also be reached by water taxis which can be hired in Campbell River or on Quadra Island. In summer the float planes have regular / irregular services according to demand and weather.

Float plane leaving Mansons Lagoon

Just under 1000 people live permanently on Cortes, mostly on the Southern tip. Most of them are fiercely independent and came here for their own reasons, be it solitude, freedom to live off the land and sea, or to live simply away from the hustle and bustle. Many have Scandinavian and British names. Then there are the semi-permanent migrants just like us. We come here, besides for ice cream, for the same reasons the permanent people came for, but we are still having an "outside" place to go to. For us it''s Victoria, for the neighbour to the right it's Campbell River and her neighbour is from Alberta.

Library in Whaletown

We newcomers learn local customs like to wave to everybody we pass in the car and trucks. We also give everybody a ride on the side of the road. There are no public buses or taxis. There are no police on the island, unless something drastic happens and the officers come from Quadra. 

We have a Health Centre with a physician on duty, but if we need an x-ray or a broken bone fixed, we have to go to Campbell River. 

We listen to the local politics and will never understand it. It is as intricate, emotional, and unique like in a little Swiss mountain village. Everybody knows everybody and their 150 year history, and everyone and their family has its spot in the Cortes grid.

Boaters in Gorge Harbour Marina

Anders and I are here on Cortes for a while. We do not know if we will stay permanently and for how long. 

In the meantime we enjoy the quietness, the great walks, the beach and its ever changing scenery, the birds, and the wild animals. Especially we love all the visitors coming to see us for a little while and spending quality time with us. We then can share this relaxing island life with them.

Life is good.

Next month we will be travelling off the island. Our plan is to take the Trans Canada Highway and to travel all the way from here the West Coast of Canada to the East Coast of Canada to Newfoundland and Labrador. During that time relatives and friends will be here at our place on Cortes adding to the mix of people. We are so exited to get to know more people and places in our great country.

Evening glow over the Royals

Greetings from Cortes Island,

Liz

Dodge Ram and Rockwood 8265WS Review Part 2

2011 Rockwood 8265WS 5th Wheel Review

Back in September of 2010 we wrote a quick review of our truck and 5th wheel trailer. We have since then had several request of a follow up review. If you are following our blogs, you know we did a review of the truck not too long ago, and now it's time for the 5th wheel trailer review.

Rockwood 8265WS Signature Ultralite

2011 Rockwood 8265WS by Forest River

Forest River is a large manufacturer of several different types of RV's and many other products. Some of the brands under the Forets River roof are: Blue Ridge, Cardinal, Cedar Creek, Cherokee, Salem, Sandpiper, Sierra, Wildcat, V-Cross, Wildwood, Berkshire, Charleston, Georgetown, Ridgeview, Forester, Solera, Sunseeker and Lexington.




The founder of Forest River is Peter Liegl. In 1996 he had a vision to create an RV company dedicated to help people experience the joy of the outdoors to the fullest by building better recreational vehicles.

First stop at the Hope Slide

Our Rockwood 8265WS

In September and October of 2010 after we picked up the trailer we went on a 5,000km trip of Western Canada: British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. This was a great trip to see how everything worked.

Prior to leaving on the trip, we followed the advice of some of the "seasoned" RV'ers on the Forest River Forum . Many of the people on the forum suggested to stay close to the dealership the first night to make sure that everyhting was working OK. Also make sure the dealership is open the next day, should you have any problems, you can just go back and get it all fixed. This is very good advice, you don't want to be 800km away from the dealership to find out that something is not in working order.

We camped 20 km from the dealership, and everything was working just fine as far as we could tell. I have to say that both my wife Liz and I were a bit tense pulling the new rig and setting it all up. 

When we picked up the trailer,a representative of the dealership did go through everything on the trailer (about 3 hours) with us prior to leaving the lot, but after about 30 minutes or so, we both had information overload. But it all worked out well.

Camping  in Golden, BC.

Rockwood 8265WS Floor Plan

If you and your partner are like my wife and I, you will have several discussions in regards to what RV and what size of RV you are going to buy. We sure had lots of them.

The Rockwood 8265WS floor plan was one that we both could agree on for the type of travelling that we planned...... Like our upcoming trip across Canada and back (Victoria, BC. to St. John's. NL.). We also hope to do many more trips through northern Canada, the USA, and maybe down to Baja California.

The size of the trailer is important if you are going  to be in many different campgrounds. When you get over 30 ft in length you start to limit the amount of places your trailer will fit into. Our trailer is 28ft 10 inches.

Rear of trailer with slides out. In Golden, BC.

Anders' opinion on the Rockwood 8265WS

The trailer is great, it is light, has all the power options, like: 3 slides, power front jacks, power rear stabalizer jacks, power awning.... All these features sure makes camping a lot easier and very comfortable.

The trailer is light, 6700 lbs empty, about 8,000 lbs loaded up. Keep in mind if you have a BC drivers license and are towing a trailer registered in British Columbia with a total weight over 10,141lbs or 4,600Kg, you are required to have a "Heavy Trailer Endorsement" on you license or your insurance may not cover you. Check with your Province, Territory or State for local regulations. See our website from more information.

The quality of the trailer is better then I expected, it feels very solid with the welded aluminium frame. Lots of storage to keep everything. The fully enclosed bathroom is also nice option and the sky-light over the shower makes the bathroom bright.


The electric fireplace is fantastic. I would not go without. It heats the whole trailer just nicely, however you have to be hooked up to at least 15amp shore power to run it. We first thought that a fireplace was "overkill" but not so, it is a must. Apparently some parks in the USA does not allow you to have a portable heater because of fire hazard.

Since I live for BBQ'ing, the included BBQ and its easy hook up is great. I can have my BBQ going in 47 seconds or less.

We had two small issues we had to get fixed after our first trip. One was a window in the bedroom that did not close properly or easily after being opened, the other was a drawer that would open during transit. Those were fixed promptly at the dealership.

There is a few things I don't like. In the bedroom it is a bit tight getting around the bed on the left (that's my side). The other issue is that there has to be a better way the sewer hose hook up is installed,so you don't have to remove the hose and store it every time. This is not unique to this trailer, all brands have yet to figure out an easier way.... In my opinion, there should be an outside compartment where the hose is permanently attached. Open the door, take it out, empty the tanks and stick it back in. In my opinion one should not have to remove the hose and store it some other place, like the bumper etc.

I know there are small pumps you can buy and attach, but before I go there I want to talk to someone that has one.... I'm sure this summer we will run into some person that has it all figured out. I am looking in to building in the sewer-hook up with only an outside door..... I will let you know if I can figure it out.

The ideal for me personally would probably be a trailer that is about 3-4 ft. longer, with extra space around the bed (King size would be nice) and a couple of recliners in the living area would be great. However it is not a perfect world.

If we plan to stay more in one spot, a bigger trailer is warranted. Overall though, I'm very pleased. 

Fireplace going and  laptop ready to go

Liz' Opinion on the Rockwood 8265WS

This trailer is a compromise between the wishes of my husband and my wishes. If it would go by me, I would prefer a 24 ft. trailer, Anders would pull around a 38 foot monster. 

What I like most on this Rockwood Trailer is: it feels very spacious with the three slide outs, the kitchen is by the entrance, accessible on lino flooring, and the washroom is a separate room and not half of it in the master bedroom.

There are other pluses:

• The slide out wardrobe with ample space for clothes
• The couch/air bed is very comfortable, not only to sleep on, but also as a couch to sit, read, or simply to laze on
• The shower stall is large enough to have a comfortable shower and wash hair
• It is bright with plenty of windows to get a cross draft going, all windows which open have screens
• Good storage everywhere
• Easy to access the electric slide out buttons
• Good lighting inside and outside
• The kitchen, including the fridge is accessible even with the slides in
• 2 big Propane bottles for cooking and heating
• Good outside storage
• Nice awning, covering the entrance and BBQ areas

Here are a few things I would like to see:

• More counter space around the sink and stove
• The extra table over the drawers is a bit awkward
• Space for shoes by entrance
• Space for coats by the entrance

Driving the trailer you certainly know that you are pulling something behind and extra caution is a must. But in curves and mountain passes it handle really well and follows our truck like it should.

The best is, I do not need a special endorsement on my BC Driver's Licence, because even fully packed the trailer weights under 9,000 pounds.

I think it is a good trailer and suits our needs. I am looking forward to travel all the way to Newfoundland and back in this rolling summer home.

Camping  in Waterton Lake National Park

Rockwood 8265WS - A Good Trailer For Us

As you can see my wife and I have some different thoughts on RV's. One thing we do agree on,  we both love to travel and explore this wonderful country of ours.... Canada.

Happy Trails,

Liz and Anders

HTC Dezier Z and Wi-Fi Hotspot

Your own Wi-Fi Hotspot with HTC Desire Z


If you are like us, you probably surf the net frequently. When we are out camping, not all campgrounds have Wi-Fi.  And if they do, often  the reception is less then good. This creates a problem if you want to stay in touch. Well, we might have solved that problem for ourselves.

What is a Wi-Fi Hotspot?

A Wi-Fi Hotspot is a place where you can hook up your computer, wireless printer, camera, cell phone and more. Like when you go to your local coffee shop, and they have free Internet, that means they have a Wi-Fi Hotspot. Check out Wikipedia for more details.

HTC Desire Z

As you probably know, I love all the technical gadgets that are available out there. I bought myself a new cell phone last November and it is the HTC Desire Z. This is by far the best phone I  ever purchased, and I have owned many of them. Check out the video overview.

As usual, I did months of research before buying.  What set this phone apart from the competition out there, it has the capability of setting up your own Wi-Fi Hotspot. When activated, I can hook up 8 wireless devices to my phone with download speeds up to 14 Mbps.


We just had the kids up here on Cortes for spring break, and we had 5 laptops running off my phone acting as a Hotspot.

Wi-Fi Hotspot set-up

Do not be intimidated by all the technical terms, setting up the Wi-Fi Hotspot is easy and will  only take you a few minutes to do so. With just a few clicks on the touch screen, you will be ready to name your Wi-Fi Hotspot (for example we call ours "WDC Hotspot"). You then create a password that any user allowed to access the hotspot will have to enter initially in order to access the Wi-Fi connection. In subsequent times it will hook up automatically.

Saving Money With Your Wi-Fi Hotspot

Most of the time I have had a data plan for my phone and likewise did my wife Liz. With the HTC Desire Z we can get away with only one data plan. If Liz wishes to access the internet with her phone, we just turn on my Wi-Fi. The second phone must have Wi-Fi capability.


Also, at our cottage on Cortes, we no longer need an Internet account, we just use the phone for our Internet access.


If you plan on doing a lot of RV'ing, the HTC Desire Z might just be the solution for your Internet access, plus you have a good phone.

HTC Desire Z Features

This phone is loaded with everything you could possibly need. One of the nicest features, besides the Wi-Fi Hotspot, is the slide out keyboard. Even with my big fingers, typing is a breeze. There are loads of apps that can be downloaded from the Android Market and many other places.

If you have any questions about the phone or it's functions as a Wi-Fi Hotspot, just contact us.


Cheers,


Anders and Liz