Heading north!

[HamRad]

Hello Everyone,
Well we have changed our plans. We are just south of Portland and headed to the Astoria area for a few days. We had planned to work our way up the OR coast but after reviewing our objectives we decided we would not have time. Since we've already seen the area once we decided to simply come back some other time.

We will go on up to the Olympia coastal area when we leave Astoria. Spend a few days there then over to Dick and Toni's. Visit for a day or so and then head on up into Canada. Calgary is our destination in Canada. From there we'll drop south and visit the Waterton area and Glacier East. Then on down to Yellowstone. Eventually hope to make it to Bryce Canyon. Then home.

If anyone has "MUST SEES" please let us know. Specifics would be appreciated. We are planning to do a lot of sightseeing in the Banff area. Tunnel Mountain is on our list of places to stay. Thanks to Sharon and Bob(FireTrucker & FireTruckerWife). Thanks in advance to those who have info to share.

Happy travels to everyone and see you on down the road.

Dennis and Mary Kay

[drhowell]

Barbara will be in the Sweetgrass, Montana / Coutts, Alberta the first week of July at a family reunion. Thats on interstate 15.

I get to stay home , irrigate and watch Fuzzy.

[vickir]

Sounds like fun! When you get to East Glacier, be sure to stop and eat at the Two Sisters Cafe. Also, the Park Cafe - great pie at a great restaurant near the East Glacier entrance. (Hmmmmmm ... I'm noticing a trend here ... other people tell you about places to see, we tell you about places to eat! ;))

[jrgwdenner]

Tunnel Mountain is a great place to stay. If your satellite doesn't work for internet, there are internet cafes downtown for a reasonable price. There's also a wonderful Chinese resturant on the second floor of one of the main blocks of downtown. (We hang out with the Reigles too much!) Can't remember the name. Sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned! Safe travels.

[rlwhit]

I can see you. Enjoy Astoria. I'm sure you will check out the Lewis and Clark sites. I just started following you the other day and I don't know if that is strange or neat. Kinda spooky. You can not hide. LOL.

[sreigle]

Sounds like a great trip, Dennis and Mary Kay. Be sure to say hi to Dick and Toni for us when you see them (yeah, I know, my post is just below Dick's -- hi Dick!).

[JH Sechelt]

Hi Dennis and Mary,

You love Banff, A little comercialized ( downtown) but the mountains are spectactular. Some of the best in the world.
Tunnel mountain is a great place to camp, but make sure you don't leave your awning out if you are away from the campground. Afternoon thunderstroms are not uncommon in the area, and I've seen every thing thats not tied down blown up against the snow fences, including evey tent in the park. Other places of intrest could be Calgary Zoo and another very interesting area is Drumhellier ( Canada's own Preastoric Park) The Prarie Badlands are something to be seen and the museaum if full of all sorts of dinasors.

[foggyb]

Hi Dennis When you said just south of Portland, I was going to intice you to stop here. Wrong Portland:(. I'll wait till you get to the other Portland:D in Maine. Have a great trip. Spent last winter in Florida but heading out west again in your direction next winter. Maybe we will cross trails again. Dan

[adelmoll]

The whole area is wonderful Dennis and Mary Kay. Be sure you spend some time at Waterton Lakes. You won't have to drive too far to see the wild life. They come right into the campground. It was one of our favorite places.

I think Minter Gardens is right on your route after crossing into Canada. It is beautiful. They have a path that is very easy for you to get around.

Helen

[D and M On The Road]

Dennis & Mary Kay...... I haven't been to Banff in years but will be watching your location and satellite pictures. Looking forwards to them especially when you do get around the Canadian Rockies. Spectacular!

RLWhit..... I used to "stalk" Dennis & Mary Kay a year or so ago by satellite and made it a game to see if I could pinpoint the name of the campground or where they may have happened to have stopped at.

I named it the "Where In The World Are Dennis & Mary Kay" game. They should be scared.............[:p]:D

[HamRad]

Wow!
Thanks everyone for the info. We're now in Forks, WA. Been doing some sightseeing and today visited the most north and west point in the continental U.S. --- Cape Flattery. Very interesting drive out to the point. Roscoe and I guarded the pickup while Mary Kay hiked out to the viewpoint. It was a bit too steep and rugged for my handicap cart. :-(

The day before we visited the HOH Rain Forest. Really nice!

Farmer Don..... Wish we could work out a visit but our schedule is getting really crowded. We're not sure we're going to have enough time to do all we want..... Sure glad we're retired otherwise we wouldn't have enough time to leave our driveway!

Vickir..... Thanks for the eating recommendation. We will try to find it and take your advise. Like I NEED another place to eat!

Judy..... We have seen the pictures FireTruckerWife posted about their stay at the park. It looks really nice and we're looking forward to staying there. We hardly ever even put out our awning. If we do we NEVER leave camp with it out. Thanks for the heads up.

Steve.... We will certainly say hello for you folks when we see Dick and Toni. We are going to be there Sunday PM. Will stay a couple of days or until they kick us out.... Roscoe needs another shot and Toni has lined up a vet for us. Can you believe it has been almost a month already?

John and Dawn.... Thanks for the reminder about the Drumhellier area. That is one of my "must see" areas.

Don and Sandy..... Wish we were on your side of the world. Some day we hope to take you up on your offer. When we get out that way we will definitely take you up on staying at your CG. You notice it doesn't take much for us to take up on an "invitation".

Bill and Helen..... We certainly plan to do as much sightseeing in that area as is possible. We've had great reports from Steve and Vicki on this part of the world. You sure sound like you are having a great time on your Alaska trip. Keep enjoying it and one of these days we hope to be doing the same route.

Doug and Margee.... We are looking forward to this part of the world. It promises to be a most beautiful area. And it is always fun to have folks email us or even show up at our camp site..... having followed us on our GPS/Ham Radio computer link. It is a great deal of fun. We've met some great MOCers via this process and hope to meet even more!

Dennis and Mary Kay

[Imp]

Dennis & Mary Kay... looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday. We will be joining you at Dick & Toni's.
Myrna & Bob

[HamRad]

Myrna and Bob,
We are excited to be in this area. In spite of the rain..... ..... We're enjoying our visit to this part of the world. I hope all is well with you folks and we are looking forward to the "mini MOC rally" being held at Dick and Toni's RV Park and Resort!

See you soon.

Dennis and Mary Kay

[vickir]

Dennis ... Helen's post reminded me of our all-too-brief visit to Waterton Lakes last year. Steve convinced me that we should rent a canoe and row across one of the Waterton Lakes (don't remember which one) and it freaked me out every time the canoe rocked. But I was able to take one of my favorite pictures of him by holding the camera on top of my head and shooting ... that's why it's a little crooked.

http://i6.tinypic.com/14mqu7b.jpg

[jrgwdenner]

Nice picture! Steve looks like a pro!

[HamRad]

Vicki,
Steve looks really cute in his rowing outfit! As much as I like the idea..... I don't think we'll try that. Glad you had so much fun doing this.

We are at Dick and Toni's. What a nice place they have. If I ever find the transfer cable for my camera I'll post some pics! As we were making camp a deer strolled across the yard! What a great place.

We had a great experience taking the Monty on a ferry. Nothing as exciting as Bill and Helen's ferry crossing but still interesting. The ride across the Juan de Fuca Straits was very smooth. Talking to Toni I later learned that the winds often close the ferry crossing. But our crossing was great. And it saved us about 200 miles of driving. So we figure we came out about even with the $65 ferry fee.

We drove north up Whidbey Island and enjoyed the scenery. Very nice drive.

HamRad

[markwick]

Couple of places - the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper is spectacular (if the weather is good) be sure to take a trip up on to the glaciers - tours are available. There is a campground just south of Jasper called Whistler campground. Great spot, Elk, coyotes and bears wander throught he area. Caution - if you have a dog it must be leashed at all times.
On the way through BC visit the Okanagan (the most northern part of the Senora desert is in Osoyoos) Dozens of wineries throughout the Southern part. Also the East and West Kootenays around Arrow Lakes and Kootenay lakes are very beautiful.
The Provincial campgrounds are like the State parks in Washington and Oregon, but DO NOT have hook-ups.
Have a great trip.

[HamRad]

Markwick,
Thank you for sharing Peter. Since we will be very close to several of the places you mention we will certainly check them out. I appreciate your sharing this information with us.

Peter our plan is to cross into Canada at Sumas and hookup with Hwy. 1 and head toward Kamloops. I notice that Hwy 1 connects to Hwy 5 and that it looks like it is a toll road. Do you know how expensive it is to take the toll road or would be just as well off taking an alternative?

HamRad

[jrgwdenner]

Dennis and Mary Kay, it sounds like you're having a wonderful trip and what a special treat to meet up with those MOCers. I envy you for your trip to Banff as it was one of my favorite areas. We also saw more animals in that area that we did farther north. Safe travels.

[adelmoll]

We also saw lots of animals in that area. One of them was a black bear that Bill and I met on one of our walks. We were the only ones on the trail and it scared us to death. Scared the bear too and he climbed up a tree. We got good pictures as we were backing away with our heart down at our feet. Keep us posted on your where abouts as we will be going through that area on our way back from Alaska. Have a great time with Toni and Dick. They are great hostess' and just plain nice people.
Helen

[jrgwdenner]

Those black bears are scarey. They're more likely to attack you than the grizzlies. Glad the bear was equally as afraid of you guys, Bill and Helen. Can't say I blame him! Sorry, I just couldn't resist, girlfriend!

[HamRad]

The first Washington state MOC Rally is over. I guess the last part of this thread should have been moved to the Rally section. :) Anyway we had a great dinner at RLWhit's place (Dick and Toni)with Imp and Trebor (Myrna and Bob)along with Dave Anderson (Dave and Kelly)along with HamRad and PERetired (Dennis and Mary Kay). Thank you Dick and Toni. We enjoyed the dinner as well as the great company. Not to mention that you have a beautiful home!

In the morning Dick and Toni took us up onto Mt. Baker. It was very cloudy and we did not get to see the dazzling views of a clear day. But in spite of this it was a beautiful drive. And on our way back down the mountain we saw a Black bear along side the road. And she had a couple of cubs with her. What a sight! We stopped about 50 yards from her. But we couldn't see them very well. I turned off the truck and coasted down the road until we were directly across from them. We were amazed that Momma allowed us to get this close. We were no more than 10 to 15 feet away from her. We would NEVER have approached so closely if we had not been in the truck. But what a great view we had as the bears continued to feed by the side of the road. We were so excited about seeing the bears that we had a hard time taking pictures. We did get some and will eventually post them. (I still have not found my transfer cable!)

Everyone said to say "hello" to all the MOCers out there! So.... "Hello!".

Dick and Toni wanted to make sure everyone out in MOCland know that they are welcome to come by and see them anytime they are in the Deming, WA area. So consider it done.

Thank you Dick and Toni for a most enjoyable 3 days at your lovely home. Your home location is so beautiful that I find it hard to see why you'd ever leave! Of course it's NOT WINTER! I suspect that might be a good time to hook up the old Monty and hit the road for points south.

This mini MOC Rally will always be remembered by us. Thank you so much for your fantastic hospitality. Dave and Kelly it was so nice seeing you again.... even though it's only been a month since we had a great time at the Rally in Shasta. Bob and Myrna... Thank you for taking your time to come out and visit us. I am so sorry we didn't realize how close we were to your place as we came off of Whidbey Island. Next time we'll be sure and track you down. Don't work too hard this summer and maybe we'll see you down Texas way.

Dick and Toni, there is no way we can come even close to matching your great hospitality or scenery, but know that any and all are welcome to hookup and spend a night or two anytime you are traveling through Bakersfield.

Wednesday we take off for Canada. And thanks to Dick and Toni we have a great jumping off point. We are only about 20 miles from the border. We will check in as often as we can manage an internet connection. We were able to get a good DirecWay signal here at Dick and Toni's place.

See you on down the road.

Dennis and Mary Kay

[Wrenchtraveller]

I hope you have a wonderful trip. I also recommend a trip up the Icefield Parkway and we feel the tour on one of the big Ice Busses is worth seeing. Bring a jacket because the bus stops and lets you walk on the glacier. Lot's of informaion and the melt water from toe of this glacier is the starting point of the mighty Athabaska river as it flows north. This area is unique as it is a 3 way continental divide. Water can flow east, west, and north from this area.
If you do get up to Jasper, take the tram up to the top of the mountain. There is a nice restaurant up there and if you are lucky enough to get a clear day , the mountain view up there
rivals any place in the world and we have been told that by many Europeans on our numerous trips up there. If you are into hiking, you can walk up the mountain further than the tram station but the view is excellent right from the restaurant. Have fun and enjoy your trip.

[HamRad]

We certainly will consider the Jasper experience. Sounds as if we need to make arrangements to include that in our list of "must sees". Thanks for all the info.

We made it across the border with only one small problem. Actually there was no problem but when they asked about our dogs shots we had to tell them he was allergic to them and thus did not take them. Boy were we worried. But then the agent asked if he was an inside dog and we said yes. End of problem.... have a nice day and welcome to Canada.

We are camped just south of Kamloops in a park called Knufords RV park. Had a really hard time getting the internet going and the TV is still sort of cutting in and out.
But at least we're on..... We're going to spend a couple of nights here and then head on toward Banff.

Thanks again Dick and Toni. We really appreciate you spending so much time with us.

HamRad

[Carl n Susan]

Dennis and Mary Kay: There have been a number of great suggestions here. I was lucky enough to spend a short time in Banff two years ago and would suggest the following:

Columbia Icefield, Athabaska Glacier - As Wrenchtraveller said, worth seeing. It was snowing and cold on the day we visited and it was terrific. On a nice day I bet it is tremendous. The "bus" is an impressive vehicle by itself. (http://i5.tinypic.com/157d450.jpg)
Lake Louise - I am sure you aware, but I wanted to ensure it was listed. The lake and its color are legendary. The glacier behind it is awesome. (http://i5.tinypic.com/157de8n.jpg)
Highway 1A - 1A runs between Lake Louise and Banff (parallel to Hwy-93) and offers a more scenic view of the area. Numerous lakes, Mountain views (http://i6.tinypic.com/157cigk.jpg) and interesting landmarks (http://i5.tinypic.com/157cbhw.jpg) result in numerous stops and pictures. We encountered deer, elk, moose and bear along this route. (http://i5.tinypic.com/157db2h.jpg)
Johnston Canyon - Off of Hwy 1A North of Banff. Two waterfalls are found along this picturesque trail. The Lower Falls are only a 1/2 mile while the Upper Falls are 1 1/2 miles. The trail is improved with asphalt and bridges and should be passable with your cart at least to the Lower Falls (I just don't remember all of the trail to the Upper Falls). The canyon is over 200M deep with a quick running stream. (http://i6.tinypic.com/157d5ee.jpg http://i5.tinypic.com/157d845.jpg http://i6.tinypic.com/157daar.jpg)
Lake Minne****a - North East of Banff, yet another large lake area. (http://i5.tinypic.com/157df9z.jpg) A family of mountain goats seems to live along the road to the lake (http://i6.tinypic.com/157dkie.jpg).
(O.K. I give up. No matter what I do, something is asterisking out the last part of the Lake's name. It is M_i_n_n_e_w_a_n_k_a without the underscores)
Bunkhead - an abandoned coal mining town near Lake Minne****a. (http://i5.tinypic.com/157di7p.jpg)
Banff Gondola - Banff also has a tram (aka ski lift) to the top of the mountain. Terrific views on a clear (or even not so clear) days.
http://i5.tinypic.com/157dbu0.jpg
There used to be a coupon from the Ice Fields tour ticket that got you a free ice cream at the Banff Gondola. That was enough to suck us in.
Bow Valley - The area around Banff including the Bow River. Even more terrific scenery (http://i5.tinypic.com/15dmeyo.jpg)

I am sure there are a hundred more places of interest. These are the ones I found in my short stay. Lastly, if you happen to find your self hungry while in Banff, I really enjoyed the pork chops at the Saltlik restaurant. I had to go back a second time (on my own nickel) to ensure they were as good as I thought.

Carl & Susan Youngren

[Imp]

Yes, the mini rally was great and such fun to meet old friends and make new ones. Thanks Dick & Toni...also for those heavenly barbecued ribs. The MOC family also knows how to eat. Lots of laughs, even a campfire with mountains in the background...mmmmm good.

[markwick]

Sorry I did not get back to you sooner - yes hwy 5 is a toll hwy - cost is $10cdn for vehicle and rig - it does take about an hour and a half off the drive through the Fraser Canyon - however if you are on vacation the extra 1 1/2 hours through the canyon is worth it - lots to see - not much to see on hwy 5.
Have a GREAT trip

Peter

[jrgwdenner]

Carl and Susan, your pictures are great.

Johnston Canyon is an awesome place but the bold little chipmunks frustrated Greta half to death. They weren't afraid of her at all and we had to keep her on a tight leash because a slip off the path would not have had a happy ending for her. It was a lovely path through the canyon.

[HamRad]

Carl and Susan,
Thank you for the nice pictures. It would appear you enjoyed your visit!

Markwick,
No problem. I was surprised that it was only $10c. I had expected to pay about 40 or 50! Sounds like we missed seeing some nice country by not going up hwy 1. But just as well as my back was killing me yesterday. I was in so much pain that it wouldn't have mattered how nice it was! :-(

We will be somewhere near Revelstoke tomorrow. Wow did we have nice weather today. It was so warm I thought I must have been transported back to Bakersfield! :)

MelnJoy,
Kelly said she saw you on your boat the other day! She had her binoculars so could see you sleeping really well! ;)

See you on down the road.

HamRad

[HamRad]

Well we had a great trip from Kamloops to Revelstoke. Found a great little park right on the river. Nice park with the only problem so far being Cottonwood trees! They are shedding! There is also a railroad just a block or so away. Hopefully that will not be a major concern. It has been warm all day. And the heat continues. Actually it is almost perfect considering I just saw that it is 104 in Bakersfield! Sure glad I'm here.

Nice Wi-Fi at this park. It costs $3 / day. Not too bad. Excellent cable. So now to get out and enjoy all this beauty! Can't believe the natives have kept this stuff secret for so long!

One note of concern. We have not seen any Montanas up this way. As a matter of fact we have seen very few out of state/province or out of country license plates. Starting to feel like a stranger. That is not true, of course, we have had nothing but great treatment from all the Canadians we've met! If you ever get the chance this is a must see part of the world!

See you on down the road.

HamRad

[HamRad]

Our trip has been wonderful so far and we are excited to be visiting in Canada. We arrived at Banff a few days ago and checked into Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court. It is a National Park CG.

After getting all setup our neighbor across from us asked if we knew about the fire. The night before we arrived a rig about a quarter mile from us caught fire. After you've seen the pictures you'll understand why I'm going to get a larger fire extinguisher.

To view the pictures please click on the PictureTrail link in my signature block. Once you're in the PictureTrail site go to the Album titled "Canada 2006". You'll find the pictures.

How do you think the fire started? The answer will be posted in a day or so.

Please be careful out there so you can continue to enjoy the RVing lifestyle.

HamRad

[Wrenchtraveller]

Glad to hear you are enjoying Banff and as you might have noticed, Elk wonder through the campground and they do lie down in the grass while they sleep. A few years ago I was walking my Doberman early in the morning and right beside us we hear a moan and this big elk stands up five feet from us. The Doberman and I both jumped out of our skins while the Elk just moved away from us. I hope the weather co operates for you and you have a great trip.

[OntMont]

Hi Dennis and Mary Kay,

Those fire pictures are scary. We hope nobody was injured (or worse). As for the cause, I don't really have a clue, but I am leaning towards an outside source like a campfire or gas grill. Could also have been related to the engine/fuel or cooking. I'll be intersted to hear the real story.

What is the story on that 5th wheel that is being built? That looks like one heavy trailer!

Travel safely,

[HamRad]

Wrenchtraveller,
We did see a number of the elk. Nothing right in the CG but all around the area. Also saw a Black bear on the way to the Ice Fields. A couple of Moose near town down in the swamp land. A couple of deer and untold smaller critters. Very nice to see them in the wild. Coming upon that elk had to be a scary moment. Glad no one was hurt. Thanks for all the hints about the area.

OntMont,
No one was hurt in the fire. But the folks were sleeping and thank goodness someone alerted them to the situation and got them out. The cause of the fire apparently was because of bears! The guy had BBQed his dinner and being afraid that bears might get at the BBQ he put it in the rig! I assume he thought the coals were no longer burning. But obviously the thing was still burning. What a waste and how scary!

The 5th wheel is being built by my brother for a friend of his. And it does look like it will be heavy. Not only that but it is going to be a "Toy Hauler" type rig which will add more weight because of the tailgate...... not to mention the extra weight of the motorcycles that will be riding inside! But the guy has a big rig.... I think it is the Dodge 3500..... but I don't remember exactly. Once he gets it on the road and weighed I'll let you know what it turns out to be.

We made it to Calgary today. Big change from the mountainous terrain of the Banff area! But we are enjoying it all. What a beautiful country Canada is. I encourage everyone who has not visited this area to put it on your MUST visit area.

Enjoy and travel safely.

HamRad

[OntMont]

Hello Dennis and Mary Kay,

Thanks for the info on the fire and trailer.

We are glad you are enjoying your time in Canada. You seem to be just south of Calgary. Since today is our National Holiday, Canada Day, there should be lots going on this weekend. One thing you might enjoy is the horse competitions at Spruce Meadows. Check out this link: http://www.sprucemeadows.com/index.html. Our daughter's employer sponsors one of the events and she is lucky enough to be able to go to represent them. She says it is a marvelous facillity and the horses and riders are truly "world class".

Whatever you do, do it safely and enjoy yourselves.

[HamRad]

OntMont,
Yes. We are just south of Hwy. 2A on McLeod Hwy. about 2 miles south of the last city housing and mall.

I read something about the Spruce Meadows area so we may check that out. Thanks for the heads up. I'll bet your daughter enjoys that aspect of her job!

Happy Canada Day to you folks. As I understand it this is sort of like our 4th of July; Independence Day. Is that correct? The more time I spend in another country I realize just how much we miss in our education system. We really do not study other countries very much. Sort of puts one at a disadvantage when traveling. But we have met the nicest locals. They are always happy to share their knowledge with us. Have you spent much time in this part of your wonderful country?

Later.

HamRad

[HamRad]

Well we did the Waterton area and really enjoyed it. Lots of wind the last day or two. I mean strong wind. Blew our satellite dish down. Thankfully no damage but still a pain.

Moved on down the road to St. Mary's. We're doing the "Going to the Sun Road" tomorrow. Drove up to Many Glaciers area today. It was lovely.

Saw a couple of Monty's in the area and will try to make contact tomorrow. If any of you fellow MOCers are in St. Mary's KOA drop by and see us. We're in F-27.

See you on down the road.

HamRad

[HamRad]

We're home! Wow! What a trip. We covered a lot of territory and saw a lot of new sights. For all of you who told us Bryce Canyon was a MUST see...... you were right! What a wonderful experience. And it must be even more so for those of you who can hike down into or around the area. It was one of the most colorful and awe inspiring parks we have ever visited. Very accessible. I was able to see most all of the sites near the road. Even took a short "hike" and only had one small "episode" with the cart. On one stretch of the trail it was a fairly steep descent. For some reason the automatic brake did not kick in and I "freewheeled" for a short distance before being able to stop successfully.

We spent a warm night in Las Vegas and then headed home. Had a few small episodes on the final stretch. First the TV heated up as we ascended the long grade out of Primm. Managed to get it cooled down by just backing off the speed. Next we had a blowout on the passenger side inside dually. Absolutely no problem handling the TV and trailer. Limped on into Barstow.... we were about 30 miles out..... called AAA and they had it changed in about 30 minutes.

Lots of rain and wind from Barstow to Bakersfield but nothing to slow or stop us. Sure good to be home. Even if it is 107 or so! We met a lot of wonderful people. Saw a lot of beautiful country. Helped a couple of people along the way and received help from a couple of people. Visited an old high school/college buddy. All in all a very nice trip.
Break time and then start planning for the next one.

Happy Travels!

HamRad

[awaywego]

Dennis and Mary Kay,
Welcome back. Glad you had a great trip and small problems.
I know the heat must have been a little change after being in Canada and their cool weather.