Alaska and Yukon Bound, Part 3 – Smithers, BC.

Smithers, British Columbia

Wonderful landscape around Smithers, British Columbia

We had a nice drive from Fort Fraser to Smithers. Nice vistas and pretty good roads.

As we got closer to Smithers the mountains started to show. So nice

What can we say, we loved Smithers, how can you not?

We stayed two days at the Riverside Municipal RV Park and Campground located directly on the Bulkley River. It is very nice.

We booked in for two nights. The campsites are fairly good size, full hook ups, but only 15 amp electric. The price was just under $30.00 per night. Firewood was free!

Camping on the Bulkley River

We set up camp and then head off to the tourist office, the museum which was flying a Swiss flag and the art gallery.

The exhibit there was by the First Nations artist Arlene Ness www.arlenes-art.com It was excellent.

She had everything from prints, paintings, carvings and sculptures. She combined traditional native with modern art..... very nice.

We walked up main street and visited the stores and chatted with the merchants. Everyone was very friendly.

Outside the Sausage Factory in Smithers

Time for Coffee

Liz at the campsite by the Bulkley River

One promoted the Northern Music festival, the other talked about the mining and construction on the Cassiar Hwy., and the third even knew late John Schibli.

Lots of Swiss people had settled in Smithers.

Walking down main street, we stumbled on the “Sausage Factory”, and I had to buy some sausages of course.

There were lots of “Help Wanted” signs, the economy seems to be pretty good in Smithers. Apparently fishing is really big here in late summer and fall.

Many people from all over the world come here to fish. There are so many lakes and rivers in the surrounding area.

There is also a fair amount of new construction in the area. New homes are selling in the $400,000 range.

We drove up to the ski hill. There too, construction of homes that offer fantastic views over the valley and other mountains were going on.

Back at camp we had a nice evening with a campfire.

Tomorrow morning (Saturday) we will take in Smithers' Farmers market. It is the largest in Northern BC.

More pictures here.

We love Smithers!



























>>>NEXT>>> post in this series.

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs post from our Yukon and Alaska 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,  30

31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40

41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,

Yukon and Alaska Bound, Part 2. Fort St James

Fort St. James National Historic Site of Canada

Fort St. James, British Columbia

It was wet and windy

The main storage building

It was June 19th, and we left Prince George on Hwy 16
toward the west.


Our main goal for the day was to visit Fort St James National Historic Site of Canada in Fort St.James.


It was a grey and rainy day as we headed out, with OK traffic. In no time we came through the town of Vanderhoof, it looks like most little towns.


The surrounding Nechako Valley with large farms looks very nice and well tended to.


We turned north on Hwy 27 to Fort St James. Fort St James is mostly a First Nations village.


The historic site looks good and the staff greeted us with a big welcome.


In the entrance building is a small museum that is very interesting. In the theater next door the staff will show you a short 15 min. video, just ask to see it, if it is not offered. The information in it is very interesting.


The main building has the only washrooms on the entire site, so do your thing before you head out.


Once out on the grounds there are several original buildings with interpreters in each building.


They were all very knowledgeable and willing to answer our questions. The Carrier people in this area were rather poor, and often malnourished, and were therefore of short stature.

Inside the storage building

Other buildings

Inside the dining room of the Hudson Bay Factor's house

The fort was established by the Hudson Bay Company in 1806 and the currency was Beaver Pelts.


To give you an example, you could buy a medium sized cast iron pot for four beaver pelts.


In the early days this area did not have any Moose. They came as the railroad cleared their path to this area.


There is a restaurant on the grounds and the view is spectacular from there.


The food was not to our liking, maybe an off day for the cook? We had ribs and salmon...... Coffee and pie would have been a better choice.

We enjoyed our visit to this Fort with the reenacted history.

We left the Fort and drove back south to Hwy 16, then west through Fort Fraser to Beaumont Provincial Park.


This is a very nice park right on Fraser Lake. The camp sites are large with fire pits/rings. The fire wood is expensive.


More pictures from this part of the trip and the Beaumont Provincial Park, check out our on-line album.





>>>NEXT>>> post in this series.

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs post from our Yukon and Alaska 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,  30

31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40

41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,

Yukon and Alaska Bound, Part 1

Cortes Island to Vancouver Island

Leaving our home on Cortes Island

Finally, I do not have anymore excuses not to write the first blog. Our three month trip will take us through British Columbia,  The Yukon a small part of  the North West Territories and the state of Alaska.

On the 12th of June we left our home on Cortes Island, BC and stopped in Campbell River (on Vancouver Island) to pick up the last few things.

We then pointed the truck south and checked in at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park  just south of Parksville. More pictures here.

Camped at Rathtrevor Park

Rathtrevor is an awesome park, the camp sites are very large and private with wooded spaces between each site.

They even deliver camp fire wood to your site, only pay for the wood.

We cooked up a prime rib roast on the BBQ. We felt that we started our holiday trip for good and enjoyed the first evening with a glass of wine.

The roast got a bit burned, my excuse was the "New BBQ".

View from West Bay Marina and RV Park

Sarah, Linda, Lisa and Ryan.

Mark, Liz and Sarah

Linda and Mathew

The next morning we drove down to Victoria and checked in at the West Bay Marina and RV Park.



This RV Park is right in Victoria on the water.



The sites are very tight, but it is well worth it, if you want to stay right down town.



We stay here every time we go to Victoria with the camper.



If you go, make sure to have a reservation, otherwise you will more then likely be out of luck.



We stayed in Victoria for two nights and visited with our kids and grand kids.



We said our good byes and collected a lot of good hugs. Victoria pictures here.

Jenny, Josh and Isla

Anders (Morfar) and Amber

Jenny, Liz (Mormor) and little Isla

Sunday the 15th, we took the ferry across to Vancouver and drove over to Fort Langley and Brae Island Regional Park.



This is a really nice park. We stay here often when visiting the Vancouver area.



We had a great day with more kids and grand-kids and more hugs, just wonderful. More pictures from Brae Island



Monday the 16th, we were on the road bright and early. Heading east on the number 1 Hwy.



Driving along the Fraser River, we stopped in Hope. A plaque in the park told us that we will travel a long time along the Fraser.



The stretch between Hope and Cache Creek is windy, but beautiful. Once we turned onto the # 97 north, the landscape changed from lush and coastal to dry and ranch land.

Camped at Hat Creek Ranch

Our stop for the night was at the intersection of highways 97 & 99 at the Hat Creek Ranch.

The campground is OK it is in an open field, good for one night stop-over.

Hat Creek Ranch is an historical ranch and they offer guided tours.

You could even ride on a stage coach or take a trail ride if you wanted. Some food, drinks, souvenirs and ice-cream can be purchased at the ranch store. More picturesfrom Fort Langley to Hat Creek.

Female Big Horn Sheep

Chasm Provincial Park

Next morning we continued our journey north bound to a little town called Hixton, just south of Prince George.


On the way, we stop in at Chasm Provincial Park. Chasm is like a mini Grand Canyon.


It is only 4 km off the Hwy 97 on good gravel road. If you have time, it is worth the side trip.


At the Chasm we saw a bunch of Big Horn Sheep.


Those animals can just about walk straight up and down rock cliffs.


The heard we saw were only females and little ones. The male only come around in breeding season. Pictures.

Packed ready to to go, Yukon and Alaska, here we come!

Back on Hwy 97 north we enjoyed the views and the drive along Lac La Hache, and we stopped in at the information centre in Williams Lake. A funny display shows how Anders likes to pack!


We arrived early in Hixton and the Canyon Creek RV Park.


Canyon Creek is a well run park. It was time to do some laundy. Their laundry room has older machines, but is spotless.


Later in the day some friends stopped in, and we had happy hour together. Life is good.


Wednesday, June 18th we left  Hixton behind in search of the Blue Cedar RV Park just west of Prince George on Hwy 16.


We checked in early around 11 am. The manager must have stepped out off bed on the wrong side, he did not seem too happy to see us, smiles were at an extra cost.


The park looks a bit tired, but is acceptable for a nights' stay. It is very convenient and close to downtown Prince George.

Once our camp was set up we headed into Prince George. We visited the Railway Museum which was interesting, but it needs more money to make it more exciting. Probably would be great for kids, they have a mini train they can ride.

We had lunch at the Twisted Cork on 5th Avenue. The food was good and tasty with great service.

Liz at the Two Rivers Gallery

University of Northern British Columbia

After lunch we went to the "Two Rivers Gallery" with a couple of exhibitions. The architecture of the building is great.


Then we drove up to the University of Northern British Columbia.


It is just out of town a bit, high up and has a beautiful campus with tons of residences for the students.


Back in camp we talked to our new neighbours, Amy and John, from the state of Oregon. More pictures from Prince George here.


They had sold their house and are RVers full time. Really nice people. John is researching "Forts" in Canada and the USA.

Thursday we left Prince George and drove up to Fort St James National Historic Site. More on that in our next post.

>>> NEXT >>> post in this series.

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs post from our Yukon and Alaska 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,  30

31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40

41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,

The Little Things, Make The RV Life Easy

Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.

There are a lot of little things that many of us create to make the RV more comfortable and easier to work with.

Here are some of the things we have done:

Motion Sensor light in cupboard

Motion sensor lights in the cupboards.

This is so nice! It is a must, we have even put some in our house is some of the places that did not have any lights.

An RV often has small deep storage places that are hard to get to. Installing one of these lights, and being able to see, makes such a difference. 

Here is a tip; attach the light vertically with industrial (from Canadian Tire) Velcro on the wall of the cabinet, it will stay in place on rough roads ( the Velcro provided with the lights are not substantial enough!).

Coat Rack

You would think that this is a no brainer. Very few RVs have coat racks where you can hang your coat, hat, scarf..... 

You just can't have too many of them. Another tip: be careful when attaching the rack, especially on outside walls, if the screw is too long guess what????? Right, you will be swearing for a while, I talk from experience, not funny!

Key Rack

Key Rack

Shoe Rack

This is also something so easy but saves so much time and frustration. Have it close to the door and you will always remember to hang your keys there when you enter the RV. 

Tip: have two set of keys of everything, one for your co-pilot and one for you. Having two identical sets make life so much easier.

Shoe Rack

Tidy and so convenient: as you are aware, all the shoes always pile up at the front door. 

Pick up a narrow shoe rack from IKEA and screw it to the floor. 

This is a super investment. It adds some weight, but is well worth it. No more stumbling over a bunch of shoes. Again, be careful if you attach it to the outside wall.

Attach a light with industrial Velcro

Use some Velcro

There are so many uses for Velcro. 
We have a free standing light at the rear of the trailer that is attache to the desk with Velcro. 

My alarm clock by the bed is attached with Velcro. The mug that holds the tooth brushes in the bathroom is attached with Velcro to the wall. 

Indoor cell phone booster antenna is attached this way and the list goes on. I'm sure you can think of many more.

Hanging Organizer.

Separate tools attached to RV wall in storage.

Storage rack for canned goods.

I think this actually is designed for ladies shoes. This organizer that fits in the closet is super for storing t-shirts, undies etc.

Separate RV set of Tools.

I got tired of always moving tools around. With the limited space I decided to have a permanent set of tools for the RV, the problem was to have things handy. What we came up with, was to attach hooks on the walls in the storage compartment and hang the tools there. Works fantastic.

Less strain on your RV coupler with this elbow

Storage Racks for Canned Goods.

As we all know, space is limited in the RV. Find a storage compartment with an accessible wall to add some wire racks or canned goods. Keep in mind canned goods are heavy.

The Water Hose - Coil Retractable

For exactly two years I was fighting with the unruly water hose. When it was a bit cold, it was so hard to work with and coil up. Solution: get a "coil retractable" water hose. Just make sure it is good for drinking water. A 50 ft. hose is dead easy to handle. 

At the same time make sure to

Coil Retractable water house with pressure valve
and 90 degree elbow with shut off valve.

have a pressure reducing valve and a 90 degree elbow with a shut off valve on it. It is easy to handle, and when storing it, attach end to end so no bugs or dirt gets in. 

If you can not find the hose in an RV store, try a marine store.

Solar Night Light in Bathroom

RV Solar Night Light installed in Bathroom Sky Lite

Adding a solar night light in the bathroom is very easy and your partner will thank you for it. It will only take you about one hour and cost you $1.00. 



I have separate post on how I installed the solar night light. Anyone can do it.



These are just some of the things that we have found helpful and makes the RV life easier. 

We have some more pictures in the clouds, have a look.


.

Custom Made Generator Box For Our RV

The Generator Box

Generator Box in place with generator

Box closed, note vent/electric cord hatch on left side.

Close up of box, note exhaust hatch on right.

Generator fits just nicely.

The Generator Box for our fifth wheel trailer is now up and running.

We had it custom made by CR Metal Manufacturing LTD in Campbell River, BC. 

They really are true professionals and very accommodating and helpful. 

Like with anything that is custom built you should expect to pay extra.

CR Metal Manufacturing LTD did a super job, fantastic quality and exactly what I wanted. 

I dealt with Jeff and Randy and it's hard to find more helpful people. Enough said!

The Generator box I installed with Carriage bolts from below and self locking nuts on the inside. 

I have two tie-downs inside the box holding it down so it will not bounce around.

Further I made up a 10 ft long cord to reach from the generator to the plug-in on the trailer, just around the corner of the generator.

All works fine.

You may also want to read my post about how I extended the bumper on the trailer to accommodate the generator.

Cheers,

Anders

Added some lights and reflective tape to bumper.

Maintaining the Roof on Your RV

Incredible Tape and Sealant

Incredible Tape and Sealant

Tape laid down on the RV roof.

Maintaining the roof on the RV is one of those things that often is overlooked.

It's not because we ignore it, but because it is out of sight for most of us.

Unless you climb up on the roof and do a visual inspection it is not easy to see the cracks that develop in the seams.

Most of the time we have used caulking to fix the cracks.

This time around we put down a heavy duty Tape & Sealant.

We put it down in all the areas where it is not really visible and we feel this will be stronger and last longer.

The tape is 4 inches wide.

It goes down fairly easy and once it is down it does not come back up,

Tape laid down over roof cover where there is a joint under the original
roof material. This is to prevent a leak if it would wear through.

so make sure you take your time to figure out where and how you are installing it.

Once installed, I have a silicon roller that I roll over the tape to get air bubbles out.

This is a good project for a cloudy afternoon. On a warm sunny day it would get to hot up on the RV roof.

This tape is not cheap. I paid about US $60 per roll, when we came through Oregon last fall. I see they charge about $100 here in Canada at some of the RV places.

You may want to check out some roofing supply stores for prices and availability.

Till next time,

Cheers,

Anders and Liz