FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/18/11

Sunday, 9/18/11  - OUR 12^TH ANNIVERSARY

It has rained all night.  We arise early and enjoy the pitter-patter of the rain as we sip our coffee.  The sun is trying to break through and it looks like the day will be sunny on Canada’s Sunshine Coast.

We lock up the RV and head the VW north.  We realize we haven’t actually prepared for entering Canada as we had originally planned on spending these days in the San Juan Islands.  Do we need special auto insurance?  Is our health insurance good in Canada?  How do we get a Canadian ferry schedule?  We convince ourselves none of this is alarming and before we know it we cross the border into Canada.

Is it our imaginations or does the air feel fresher?  We even imagine the VW bouncing along the highway lighter, a spring in her rhythm.

We enter the beautiful city of Vancouver.  The skyscrapers tower over us and we feel as if we are in the shade of a deep forest surrounded by towering pines.  The streets are lined with grass and flowers.  Everything smells clean and fresh from the recent rain. 

 We take a turn off to Stanley Park.  It is such a magnificent park.  Miles and miles of roadways and walking paths.  People are jogging, riding bikes, and walking dogs.  Sailboats glide along the bay past gigantic freighters.

We take a side trip to English Bay.  The old Sylvia Hotel is still there and still covered in ivy just like she was in 2005.  Logs are scattered along the beach, the perfect benches for watching the evening sunset.

 We drive down Denman Street looking for lunch.  The only problem is deciding on which little café to eat lunch, there are so many.  We pick Cosca and share a late breakfast dish of eggs and potatoes with a side salad.  It’s really quite good and the people are very friendly.  Our waitress is from Australia and tells us about her travels to Europe and Canada.

If you are ever in Vancouver on English Bay and find yourself driving down Denman Street, you MUST stop at  “Cupcakes The Original”.  The most mouth-watering cupcakes you will ever eat.  EVER.  Moist, fresh, and scrumptious.

It’s time to head out of town and begin our travels up the Sunshine Coast.  We head northwest out of Vancouver up Highway 101.  We reach the ferry about 4:30 and get in line only to  discover it is a TWO HOUR wait.  We get out our books and wait.

 At last we board.  It is a huge ferry and we stroll the decks to take in the view.  What a marvelous “ship”.  The sun is getting low and we enjoy the cool air.

After much confusion by GPS Jill, we at last find our campground, “Langdale Heights 3 Par Golf RV Resort” in Gibson.  We get a lovely spot overlooking the bay and the 9-hole golf course.  By the way, golf is free with your campsite.

Fred builds a fire and I make tacos for dinner.  We sit by the fire and sip our margaritas.  We share our traditional anniversary celebration:  one funny card and one mushy card.   I think I picked the best funny one.  Husband reading newspaper says to wife, “Says here married people live longer than non-marrieds.”  Wife says,”Nah…(open card)…it just SEEMS longer.”

 

 It’s a beautiful clear evening on the Sunshine Coast as we watch the fire turn into coals….lights out around 11:30.

FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/17/11

Saturday, 9/17/11  -  Washington to Canada

We eagerly awaken to a day filled with excited anticipation.  We are going to Canada!  We have decided to forego the San Juan Islands and their restrictive ferry schedules.  Instead, we will head north to Canada and the Sunshine Coast.

We begin transferring the necessary food and clothing to the VW.  A Washington State Park Ranger stops by to question our “extra recreation vehicle” – the Volkswagen.  Evidently we are allowed only one  “recreation vehicle” per campsite.  At first I think he’s kidding, but immediately realize by his tone of voice that he is not one to kid about something so serious.  We explain the VW is our tow vehicle.  He checks out the tow bar on the RV to make sure we aren’t trying to pull a fast one on him.  He seems satisfied and pronounces it is “ok”. 

 

We casually tell him we are packing for a few days to visit Canada, being sure he will be happy for us.  The look on his face tells us we are once again in trouble.  He informs us that all campers must “occupy” their campsite - which in ranger-speak means you can’t leave an RV in a space and take off in another vehicle to have fun for a few days.  Evidently it’s just not fair to other people who might want your space.  After all, rules are rules.  He says he will be happy to refund our money if we want to take our RV somewhere else.

Fred and I confer.  Let’s get out of this place.  We didn’t like the stinkin’ campsite anyway.  We get on the internet and find an RV campground further north.  After a forty-five minute drive we find ourselves at the “Hidden Valley RV Campground” in Lunden, WA. 

Tomorrow will be a better day.  We have great memories of our 2005 trip to British Columbia and are looking forward to once again visiting the beautiful city of Vancouver and exploring the “Sunshine Coast”.

Lights out around 10.

FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/16/11

Friday, 9/16/11  -  Anacortes, WA

We begin our day with our familiar bowl of Raisin Bran.  But this is no ordinary day.  Today we the join the crew of Island Explorer and stalk the wild Orca with Island Adventures, one of the local Anacortes whale watching outfits.

Rain is predicted for the next few days, but there is a break in the weather today and we wait at the dock in filtered sunlight.  We are introduced to Brook, our naturalist for the day.  She takes roll call and reads us some sea faring rules.  A harbor seal greets us as we ascend the gangplank in anxious anticipation of the day.

Captain Mike meets us at the bow and introduces Tyson, the deckhand/galley cook.  Ok already, let’s get this barge moving, I’m ready to encounter the great killer what, the Orca.

Our naturalist Brook describes the islands of the San Juans.  We are most impressed by the fact that Paul Allen of Microsoft fame has his 25 million dollar island up for sale.  It is a steal at 13.5 million.  Evidently he has been hit by the economy as well.  But BUYER BEWARE:  there is no water on the island.

Seabirds float around us, but no whales.  We are now an hour into the trip.

We spot our first Orcas about an hour out.  The male is “Mystery” and the female is “Lulu”.  They are identified by their dorsal fins, just as you might be identified by your teeth xrays.  Lulu does some fancy spinning and jumping and the passengers cheer.  Unfortunately I seem to always be looking in the opposite direction and miss the show.  This happens frequently and I start to get frustrated.  I put my camera down and decide to just enjoy the trip, to be in the moment, to experience the moment through my eyes and not my camera lens.  It’s a good decision.  I cheer as Mystery breaches near me and sprays water from his spout.  I hear the unmistakable sound of a whale breathing.  It is exhilarating.   

Naturalist Brook tells us there are three pods of Orcas in the San Juan Islands.   They have the unimaginative names of “J Pod”, “K Pod”, and “L Pod”.  I mean come on, these are killer whales man, can’t we at least refer to them as “Killer Pod 1” or Killer Pod 2”?  But, as most of you already know, the “killer” thing is a myth.   Nonetheless, they are impressive.

We spend a couple hours floating amidst the whales.  A few come close to the boat, but most are in the distance.  They are foraging and hanging out.  Fred and I are somewhat disappointed as we recall the last time we were whale watching in the San Juans and an entire pod swam around the boat and we followed them for hours.  But today we are grateful for every privileged encounter.  They are so magnificent.

It is time to head back to port.  Everyone settles in for the long ride home.  Some head for the galley and hot food, others take naps.  This is what Fred decides to do:

We arrive back at the dock around 5:00 pm.  We return to the RV to prepare a quick dinner of COSTCO roast beef, mashed potatoes, and fresh asparagus.  Not one of our better evening meals, but the asparagus is good.

We spend the rest of the evening trying to figure out what we are going to do for the next eight days while the RV is parked in this campground.  We make an attempt to read the ferry schedules and are frustrated.  Who the heck writes these things?  Surely it doesn’t need to be that complicated.

We settle on a route up the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia that only requires two ferry crossings.  Besides, we have always loved BC and it will be a treat to explore an area we’ve never seen.  So, we shall see if we stick to our plan tomorrow.

Lights out at 9:30.

FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/15/11

Thursday, 9/15/11  -   Anacortes, WA

I’ll spare you all  -  this day is not worth blogging about!  Unless you are interested in going to Wal Mart, putting propane in the VW, picking up wood at Home Depot, and lunch at the Brown Lantern Tavern in Anacortes, which was as ho-hum as the rest of the day.  So, that about sums it up.  Tomorrow should be better  - tomorrow we are going whale watching and hopefully that will be more exciting.

FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/14/11

Wednesday, 9/14/11  -  Destination:  Burlington, WA

HOORAY FOR JACK!  He didn’t make the blackberry pie for dessert last night, but he MAKES  IT FOR BREAKFAST THIS MORNING!!!  It is mouth watering.  A flaky rustic style crust, sprinkled with sugar, surrounding tender sweet blackberries.  I revert back to my childhood and put mine in a bowl with half-and-half.  All at once I am ten years old again, sneaking into the kitchen early in the morning and cutting a delectable piece of left over blackberry pie, all the sweet dark juices oozing onto my plate.  Grabbing a spoon I would smother my secret treasure in sweet half-and-half and devour it before anyone stirred.  Ah, what bliss.

If I were to rate B&B establishments, I would give this one an A+.  Until this morning.  This morning the illusion of perfection is shattered when we are awakened to a screeching alarm accompanied by a calm, serene voice whispering , “Fire, Fire, Fire.”  I turn to Fred and say, “I hope it’s just because of the bacon.”   We already know the fire alarm doesn’t like bacon because yesterday she did the same thing.  Evidently this morning she doesn’t like blackberries bubbling over into the oven.   But all is forgiven when we sit down to that gorgeous blackberry pie.  What do you think?   Yes, definitely an A+.

Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to our good friends and head north.  The time has flown by all too quickly as it usually does.  We pack our things, hug goodbye, give Rex one last scratch, and head back to our campsite to pack up the RV.

Surprise, surprise.  I discover wild blackberry bushes growing near the river and pick a large bag full to freeze.  We will definitely attempt our own rustic pie sometime soon.  I will have to ask Jack for his recipe.  We eat a quick lunch of left over fried chicken (thank you Jack) and leave town.

Tolt River

We head towards Anacortes in the San Juan Islands.  We arrive at Bay View State Park around 5:00 and settle into our campsite.  We eat a light supper of garlic bread and canned chicken soup.  No more gourmet dinners for a while, darn.  Tomorrow we will explore the area and hopefully find a boat that is still offering  whale watching excursions. 

Lights out around 10:00

  

FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/10/11

Saturday 9/10/11 – Tuesday 9/12/11:   Seattle, WA

Saturday Fred and I spin our wheels looking for a good food truck for lunch (we are to meet Jack and Sarah for dinner at their house in the evening).  We go on a wild goose chase to downtown Seattle looking for a parking lot filled with food trucks only to discover the web information was wrong.  We eventually track down a food truck that was featured on the Food Network’s “Eat Street.”  It is  the Maximus-Minimus pulled pork truck.  Yum.  I think it is delicious, Fred thinks it is just ok.  He is disappointed and expecting something “different.”  We spend the rest of the afternoon shopping and looking for stuff for the RV.

 
We arrive at Jack and Sarah’s just in time for dinner.  They have prepared a feast of slow cooked ribs, fresh corn off the cob lightly sautéed in butter, crunchy coleslaw.  All of this is topped off with Grater’s blackberry chocolate chip ice cream.  This is just the beginning of four days of fabulous food.  We spend the night at their condo and enjoy visiting and catching up on the past 18 months.

Sunday morning we return to the campground to move from space #11 to space #8.  Evidently someone has reserved our current space, but this is not a problem.  We move the RV and set up camp.  Jack and Sarah arrive with Rex The Wonder Dog around 3:15.  It’s a gorgeous bright sunny day and we all stroll down to the river.  Rex is ecstatic – water, kids, sand, sticks - what more could a dog ask.    

Rex The Wonder Dog

 Before dinner we take a walk over the bridge to the other area of the campground where they have lovely yurts for rent.  It’s a balmy autumn.  We return to our campsite and decide to grill hamburgers.  Sarah uses my new French fry cutter and Jack fries them outside on our portable butane stove.  Fred grills the burgers.  We experiment with some of my homemade pineapple vodka and create a tasty cocktail.  Dessert is strawberry shortcake on lemon pound cake with hand-whisked cream.  


We say goodnight to Jack, Sarah and Rex around 11:00, waving goodbye as they disappear into the dark.  Next thing we know they have returned to our campsite.  The park gate is padlocked and they are locked in.  Fred goes with them to ask the camp host to let them out.  Mr. Camp Host is not happy and begrudgingly gets the key to let them out.

Monday morning we meet Jack and Sarah at their condo.  Our mission is to have an early lunch at our favorite dim sum restaurant the Jade Garden in Seattle’s Chinatown.  We love to pick and choose the mouth-watering delicacies from the little carts they push hither and tither.   The food is as good as ever.

The Jade Garden

 

 After lunch we head downtown to visit one of the Things To Do In Seattle:  Waterfall Garden Park.  We arrive to find a breathtaking waterfall tumbling over boulders and spilling into a waterway that winds around the edge of the park.  The space is captivating.  How I would have loved this as a lunchtime retreat from the office.

We decide to do one other thing on the Things To Do In Seattle list:  the Kubota Garden, a 20-acre Japanese garden.  A public park since 1987 when the City of Seattle bought the garden from the Kubota family, it was started in 1927 by Fujitaro Kubota, a Japanese emigrant.  There is no entrance fee and you are free to explore the many paths and trails winding through the landscaped garden.  Put this on your list of things to see and do the next time you are in Seattle.

For dinner, Jack and I are determined to recreate the corn fritters we knew and loved at the
Twin Inns Restaurant in Carlsbad, CA.  Somewhere Jack has the recipe I emailed him last year.  Luck is upon us and we actually find the recipe.  I start to mix up the corn fritters batter and it calls for 3 TABLESPOONS OF BAKING POWDER – what?  That seems like too much.  Jack and I confer.  Could there be a mistake in the recipe?  My typing?  We decide to just put in one tablespoon and see what happens.  Fred laughs at us.  We have looked desperately for the recipe and once we find it we don’t even to follow it!  He thinks we are crazy. 


Our first batch of fritters is too gummy.  We add more baking powder.  Jack adds some frozen corn kernels.  The fritters turn out perfect, just as we remembered.  The three tablespoons was correct.  We pour maple syrup over them and smack our lips.  So good and yummy.  Here’s the recipe:

1 can creamed corn

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

3 eggs

3 tablespoons baking powder           

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

            Mix together corns and eggs; mix in baking powder.

            Add flour, salt & sugar.  Mix.

            Drop by ice cream scoop into oil heated to 325 degrees.

            Bake for 10 min. or until deep brown

Jack prepares the oven-fried chicken, and Sarah makes her wonderful potatoe-poblano casserole.  Fred naps on the couch and Rex snoozes beside him.  Dinner is a feast and we retire stuffed once again.  Obviously the four of us love to eat.

So, you are wondering how my Weight Watchers Program is going?  Need I say?

Tuesday morning we take the VW to Loranger’s Automotive to check out a peculiar electrical burning smell we noticed in the parking lot the day before (did I forget to mention we started the morning with bacon, gravy, fried eggs, and slied fresh peaches?  Silly me, how could I forget that.) 

View from Jack & Sarah's balcony

The four of us drive to the local Ace Hardware store so that Fred can search for a gadget he is trying to build for the RV.  It’s something that will securely hold all the stuff on the kitchen sink…a dream he has.  Fortunately we all love exploring the aisles of Ace Hardware stores and we spend a great deal of time discovering new gadgets.  I buy a salt bowl with lid.  Fred buys some hardware goodies.  Jack and Sarah leave with empty hands.

We drive to one of our favorite spots:  Snoqualmie Falls.  The falls are as magnificent and a heavy mist clings to us.  This time we take a quick tour the lodge.

 

We think about bowling or miniature golfing.  Not enough votes.  How about the zoo?  No takers.  What about the tamale vendor?  YES!!!!  First time I’ve ever purchased tamales out of the trunk of a guy’s car.  Not only do we visit the tamale vendor, we also hit the Mexican food bus.  You won’t believe this place, but here it is:

The tamale stand

Mexican Food Bus

We call the auto repair guy and he can find nothing wrong with the VW – of course.  We pick it up and return to the condo.  I put on my stretchy pants.  We kick back and wait for dinner time to heat up the left over fried chicken and casserole.  Thank heavens for my stretchy pants. 

Jack is threatening to bake a blackberry pie but I’m hoping he is not serious (just kidding, I actually hope he makes it).

FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/9/11

Friday – 9/9/11:  Destination Seattle, WA

A quick breakfast of raisin bran and sliced peaches and we are on the road by 10:20.  We are heading for Tolt-McDonald Campground in Carnation, WA just outside Seattle.  We will park the RV there for 5 nights while we visit our good friends Jack and Sarah Knudsen.

Flat land all around us.  Hawks circle over freshly plowed dirt.  Vineyards snake over rolling hills. 

We uneventfully pass through Salem, OR.  More miles, more farms, more vineyards.  Fred reminds me, “Remember, our mission is just to get there.”  “There” being Seattle.

Portland, OR, is the first real traffic of the trip - bumper to bumper, but fortunately only for a short distance.  We pass over the massive Columbia River.  We are both amazed at the size of her.  She’s quite impressive.

Our friends Jack and Sarah are not expecting us until tomorrow, so tonight we are on our own.  We reach our campground around 5:30 pm.  We are staying at the Tolt-McDonald Campground in Carnation, WA.  We are tired and decide to take a chance at the local Mexican food restaurant Ixtapa.  It's ok and we take our left overs back to camp.

The campsite is Oregon-green with lots of open grass area bordered by thick forest.  We change our routine and decide to watch the DVD "Burlesque".  Lights out at 11:00.

FALL VACATION 2011 - 9/8/11

Thursday – 9/8/11:  Destination Junction City, OR

We are on the road again.  The landscape has changed drastically.  Flat land has given way to high mountains and tall pines.

We are only three days into this trip and already Fred has gotten two Big Honks and a Finger while driving the motor home.  However, Fred gives a Big Honk to a kid who is driving while talking on his cell phone.  So I ask you, does that cancel out one of the Big Honks at Fred?  Is that how balance is created in the universe?

We pass Shasta Lake.  Lots of big trucks on the highway today.  We stop for gas at Manfred’s Fuel Station in the little town of Dunsmuir, CA, an obvious throw-back to the hippie era.  The 2010 Census says the population is 1,650 down from 1,923 in the 2000 Census.  Not enough hippies I guess.  The main attractions here are trout fishing, mountain climbing, and skiing.  Dogwood Daze and Railroad Days “draw people from far and wide.”

We unceremoniously cross the border into Oregon.

We look for lunch in Ashland, OR.  This is a town of tree lined streets and neatly mowed lawns.  Their claim to fame is the annual Shakespeare Festival that began in the 1930’s and today sells more than 350,000 tickets and attracts over 100,000 tourists – or at least that’s what their chamber of Commerce wants us to believe.  But back to our hunt for lunch.  We had hoped to provide some revenue to a local eatery, but Ashland is not RV friendly and we can find no place to park this big rig. 

And thus we learn a most valuable RV travel tip:  lunch has to be in a rest stop or a fast-food joint that has a large parking lot.  Quaint local cafes will have to wait for explorations in the VW.

We stop at a Fred Meyers in Medford and Fred looks for a new pair of sweats.  This is the most exciting thing we’ve done all day which doesn’t say much for this trip so far.  

We continue down Highway 5, snacking on Pop Chips (my newest addiction) and roasted almonds (remember Casa de Frutta?).  We have tired of Sirius radio and listen to the constant humming of road noise.  The odometer continues to tick off the miles.

Fred makes the comment:  You know it’s a long, boring road when GPS-Jill says, “Continue for 312 miles and I’ll talk to you when you get there.”

We take the turn-off to Junction City and our campsite for the night.  “Hmm, it didn’t look that far on the map” I tell Fred.  After 12 miles and several turns we arrive at Richardson County Park.  Like most of Oregon’s campgrounds, it is set amongst a forest of towering trees.  We set up camp and take a short stroll to the lake.  The sun is setting and the lake is at rest.  Birds call to one another.  The water laps gently at the shore.

A quick dinner, a quick shower, and a not so quick blog.  Lights out around 10.