Day 5, Rinse and Repeat

After coffee and a quick piece of toast, we broke camp and headed back to the RV plant. Since we learned our way yesterday, today was a breeze.  On the way, I texted my contacts to alert them of our arrival time and to find out where we needed to go.  We had been told the day before we would need to pickup the ladder at parts and then take it to where it would be installed.  But today, all we needed to do was arrive at the installation point and they would meet us there.  We found the building, no problem.  We needed to find Door 43.  Of course, we turned on the side opposite from 43 so a little tour of their area was required, deja vu.

We were met by Tim, the heavily tattooed, friendly supervisor.  From that point, we were thrilled with everything.  Not only did they replace the ladder, but also replaced our handrail with a upgrade of better quality and function AND they inspected the outside of the rig and replaced some of the trim that had started to shrink a bit creating some gaps.  Tim even treated us to a tour of the production area where they were working on a 44 foot monster!  It was lovely but golly, you would be 64 or more feet long going down the road including the truck.  It was lovely on the inside but we are very happy with our 35 foot rig.

In less than an hour, we were rolling down the road feeling light hearted and very please with the outcome.  All that work and upgrades and we did not spend a penny!!  We forgot all about the chore of breaking camp.  We felt like bandits that had just scored a bank heist.

We spent the balance of the day enjoying a peaceful, restful afternoon. We napped. We sat outside and enjoyed the breeze that was so cool, we considered sweaters. We took long walks with the girls. As we finished dinner and settled in for the night, we felt that tomorrow would be the beginning of a great trip.  Yes, we have been on the road for five days already, but each day had appointments and things we had to do.  Now, we would only do what wanted and when we wanted. So, let the good times roll!

Day 4, Off to Indiana

We were up with the chickens and on the road heading to a stop in Elkhart, IN at the Alliance Production Plant where we would get a new ladder installed on the RV.  I had been in  communication with the folks there for weeks now and was anxious to see if all our plans would pan out.  But first, we had to find the place and sometimes the GPS program takes us where we do not want to go.  Such was the case with the location of Alliance.  Following the GPS, we ended up wandering through several blocks of buildings but none was our destination.  Finally in exasperation, we made our way back to the main road prepared to start again.  As we made the turn, I spied a small sign with Alliance RV and an arrow on it.  Eureka!  Turned out, the GPS had us turn right but it was actually left.  That problem solved, we arrived at our destination.

We met Jasmine, the lady in parts I had been emailing. At this point, things started to take a turn.  The service folks go home at 2:30.  It would take about an hour to install the ladder and we arrived at 1:50 — too late.  Well golly, why did no one tell us of the time constraints?  We could have gotten up earlier.  Dang it, or something similar.  The only solution was for us to return the next day; not what we wanted to do. Our campground was 25 miles away in Michigan for goodness sake.  Oh well, what to do?  We would have to setup tonight and then break camp in the morning and then setup again tomorrow sort of like “wash and repeat”. We drove away in a huff of frustration which did not help us in any way.  We missed our turn and had to find a place big enough to turn this rig around, then found we could not get into the gas station we had chosen so we made a tour of their area to get back on the road.  Finally, we found a place and filled the tank and headed to camp.  When will we ever learn to roll with the punches and not get frustrated?  It only opens the door to further unplanned things!

 

The ride to camp was peaceful and that gave us time to calm our nerves.  We arrived at Spaulding Lakes and in no time at all, we had things ship shape.  It is a lovely camp with three ponds (although they call them lakes).  Fishing is allowed and each site can take five fish a day, nice not that we would have time to fish.  The largest of the ponds had a nice sandy beach where one could swim.  There are a number of trails through the woods and a large grassy area for the dog to run and play in.  The temperature there was in the 70s, alright!  When darkness fell, so the temperature.  Overnight it dropped to the 50s, no air condition necessary.  Knowing we needed to get up the following morning early enough to return to Elkhart, we practiced early to bed and early to rise.  Surely tomorrow will be a better day.

Day 3, Dinner with the Boys

 Our day started a bit late, ah but it was worth it to get some of extra sleep.  We lingered over coffee before doing our “chores” and getting ready to run errands.  It is quite common to “forget” things when packing for such an extended trip and this one is no different.  So, we needed a grocery run as well as filling a propane tank and filling the RAM with fuel. We found a place for propane nearby at a Tractor Supply place of all things but hey, at least it was nearby along with Kroger for groceries and a gas station too.  Easy.

Tonight it is dinner with Dan, his best friend Russell, and his business partner Jason.  We met at the Starliner Diner.  It was an interesting place that celebrated Cuban fare among other things.  It is always good to see “my boys” and share laughter and the warm feeling of love.  I feel like a Mom to them all!  Dinner was yummy and all too soon it was time to bid them farewell and head back to camp.  We sat with Dan for a while before saying goodbye.  How wonderful to see him but sad to say adieu.  But the open road beckons and we want to make an early start.

Left to right, Russell and Jason, Dan, 

Bobbye and Jim

My Boys!

Day Two, WV Mountains

We hit the road out of Princeton, WV looking forward to seeing Dan this evening.  But before we get to see him, we have to negotiate the mountains of WV.  As we joined the interstate, which by the way was a toll road, we decided it would be best to top-up the fuel tank before going too far — one can never know how far the next fuel stop might actually be.  We saw a highway sign indicating BP stations with diesel was at the next exit, great. Coming down the exit, the sign indicated two different stations, one west and one east toward Beckley.  We chose east.  Immediately we realized perhaps we had made the wrong choice.  Extensive road work was in progress forcing us to detour and head toward downtown, not what we would like to be doing.  Eventually, we saw a sign for a BP station, great!  We made it in spite of ourselves.  Jim pulled up to the pump only to find that they did NOT sell diesel fuel, rats!  Well, at least the exit from the station would turn us around going back toward to interstate and that was good.  Once we were back on the highway, signs for a Travel Center at the next exit appeared; great!

Consistent with the construction at the earlier exit, this exit also had construction.  But at least we could see where it would lead us to fuel and that was all that mattered.  Soon, our truck was full and we were back “on the road again.”

West Virginia is such a lovely place, but no place I would care to live.  As we climbed up and down the inclines, here and there we could see lovely vistas of green valleys. As we passed townships, I was ever so thankful our New Bern sits on flat ground!  I could not imagine negotiating the ups and downs every day as we went about our daily lives.  Still, it was a lovely drive all things considered.  Lots of commercial trucks on the road but for the most part, they were not a problem probably driven by the fact that there were lots of WV Highway Patrol cars beside the road and hiding in the bushes.  Each time we passed one, we were thankful for our 65 mile an hour personal restriction.

Finally, the mountains ended and we entered into Ohio.  We arrived at our new home away from home near 4 o’clock.  Alton RV Campground is a no frills place but it is conveniently located to shopping and attractions. We pulled in and stopped at the office to check-in but found the manager was out of the office for a while.  No matter, we knew that we would be in site 31 and we had a map, so off we went. After maneuvering around the close quarters, we arrived at our site.  Most of the time, hook-ups are located on the driver’s side of the rig, however this site had it on the passenger side.  So, poor Jim began the task of moving the rig around so it would point in the opposite direction putting the hook ups on the correct side.  Alas, telephone poles and large decorative rocks made the task impossible.  After several frustrating minutes, my brain remembered reading somewhere on the website that we needed to come into the park via the alley and then we would be able to pull through no problem, geez why did I not remember that before Jim lost his patience?  Never mind, he pulled back out on the main road and came down the alley and viola!  No problem.

You would think that from there it would have been a snap, but no.  Other issues came up that took us a while to solve but eventually I was inside and getting things in order.  First up, air conditioning!  Soon we were cool and ready to take a long, leisurely shower. We had been texting with Dan and expected him to arrive around 5 or so, so we needed to get cleaned up as soon as possible.

How wonderful it has been to spend time with Dan.  While it has only been eight months since we saw him; it felt longer.  We had a nice visit and then headed for dinner.  Dan wanted to try a place reported to have wonderful wings.  Now, anyone who knows my Jim knows he loves chicken wings.  Going out to a wing place was a no brainer.  The look of the place was shall we say a bit rough.  There were lots of motorcycles lined up in front and we entered through a back door.  Inside it was a typical pub but very loud and “rustic”.  No matter, as long as the wings are hot and good we can certainly blend in.  The selection of wings was quite impressive.  They have a monthly flavor that is used in everything from huge pretzels to the wings.  This month’s flavor was Cheetos; I kid you not!  I tried the pretzel and can report it was delicious if hand staining.  Alas, we did not find the wings up to all the hype.  It is the first time we have been out to eat wings when Jim did not finish his.  As a matter of fact, neither did I nor Dad either.  Well, as my friend Chui Peng would say, “don’t try, don’t know”.  Now we know.

Back at the rig, we sat until late catching up and enjoying a cocktail or two.  After Dan left for home, it was not long until lights out.  A long good day.

Day One, On the Road Again

 It has been quite a while since we took a long RV jaunt.  After a great deal of planning, the day of departure finally arrived.  Of course there were last minute things to do but finally we were loaded, the dogs in the truck nestled in their cozy travel beds and the house locked up — we were on our way.  Our ultimate destination is Colorado but between NC and CO, we will be stopping to see the sites.  It is our custom to only travel around five hours a day but our first day would take six hours including rest stops.  Jim wanted to take the first leg of 2-3 hours and I would take the second leg of 2 hours and then he would finish. Being on the road in the RV is different from traveling in a car.  For one thing, you cannot let your mind wander from your driving!  At 55 feet long truck nose to fifth wheel tail and a possible 15,000 pounds, it is just not possible to stop on a dime!  Our tires are rated for 65 miles per hour, so we adhere to that speed so our insurance would cover us in case of an accident — God forbid!  Funny, being accustomed to driving 70 or so in the car, it feels like we are creeping along at 65.  But it only takes a 100 miles or so for that speed to begin to feel fast!  Crazy.

It was a perfect day to travel.  North Carolina is a lovely state.  Everything is so green after all the rain we have gotten in past weeks.  We sailed along past the Raleigh area where the usual highway construction made driving more challenging.  I am especially nervous when we have to go through those large concrete barriers on both sides of the lane.  It feels like one small error and we would be in trouble.  But, Jim is an excellent driver and handled all of it with ease.  At the two hour mark, we started looking for a place to stop and rest and change drivers.  North Carolina is not known for having many rest areas.  Leaving New Bern, there is one but after that, nada.  As soon as we crossed the state line, bingo there was a stop, and it was a good thing too.  The girls were anxious to get out and so was I.

Our first destination for an overnight stay was Princeton Railroad Museum, Princeton, WV.  Why a museum and not an rv park you might be asking yourself.  Well, we belong to a group called Harvest Hosts.  In a nut shell, they have places where you can stop for an overnight at no cost and with none or few amenities for the camper.  So, the Railroad Museum has space in their parking area for two or three campers to stay overnight.  We arrived at the same time as another couple who also would be overnighting.  RVers are a friendly bunch and this couple was no exception.  They hail from Flagstaff, AZ; a long way from home.  Anyway, they decided to go for dinner first before settling in. We decided to go ahead and settle in and dine in the camper.  After parking, we took the girls for a walk to work out the kinks from being in the truck.  As we started to walk, I could see dark clouds moving across the sky but they seemed to be moving away so we kept walking.  As we wandered around, I started feeling rain drops.  Oh dear, we better hurry to the rig.

Now, we are not known for being the smartest at times and this was no exception.  We had failed to double check that the stairs to the RV had room to comedown between the concrete barriers marking each parking space. Just as the rain let loose, we discovered that these barriers prevented us from using the stairs safely.  We threw the girls inside and I crawled in but Jim was standing outside trying to figure out how the fix the issue.  At the same time, since God has a great sense of humor, the rain poured out of the sky in buckets!  So much rain, it also poured into the now open front door of the rig, oh dear me.  Nothing for Jim to do but close the door as quickly as possible and run for cover under the front of the RV.  The storm roared through in just a few minutes but left behind quite the mess for us.  Ah but, what would traveling be without a bit of excitement?  Jim moved us back a couple of feet so the stairs cleared and I cleared away the water and all was well.

I made us a salad with some leftover chicken on it and we dined.  The temperature was cool, so once we had the windows opened the cool night air flowed in assuring us a comfortable night’s sleep.  After taking the girls for a nice long walk, we settled for the night.  Dawn came and I busied myself with making coffee; must have coffee.  We headed out looking forward to our next stop in Ohio where our son lives.  It would be a 4-5 hour drive but driving through the mountains of West Virginia could take longer.  No matter, at the end of the day we would see Dan.  And who knows what adventures await us along the way.

Day 10, Cruising

Today has been a lazy, relaxing day.  We slept till 9!  After a nice hot shower, we headed down in search of hot coffee.  We are on day one of our cruise down Canada’s Inside Passage heading to Vancouver.  Our day will be full of optional discussions and a visit by a Tlingit native who will share more about this native culture.

The First Nations (Canadian native people) people explored these picturesque waters in hand-carved cedar canoes.  As we journey through the narrow maze of channels, passages and reaches, we hope we too will see wildlife and magical scenery. Perhaps we might even see a Spirit Bear.  What is that?  The Spirit bear is a Kermode bear that is a subspecies of the American Black Bear and lives in the Central and North Coast regions of British Columbia, Canada. While most Kermode bears are black, between 100 and 500 fully white individuals exist. The white genetic variant is known as spirit bear, and is most common on three islands in British Columbia (Gribbell, Princess Royal, and Roderick), where they make up 10–20% of the Kermode population. Spirit bears hold a prominent place in the oral traditions of the indigenous Peoples of the area.

The scenery has been relaxing and beautiful.  The surrounding hills and mountains are covered with green of all shades.  The trees are thick, old growth forest.  Along the way, waterfalls cascade down and flow into the water.  It is both peaceful and relaxing.

At one point, I went out to take a picture of a waterfall.  As I stood at the platform, one of the expedition personnel shouted, “whale”!  I rush to her side to see the familiar humpback roll through and down into the cold water.  At about that time, she pointed and said “Orcas”!  Sure enough, I spotted three Orcas rolling through the water.  Granted, I only saw the dorsal fin but no matter, I saw the Orcas.  Wow, now that was a treat!

While it is good to just relax; it is also sad to know that all too soon our adventure will end.  It has been truly a trip we will not soon forget.  Alaska calls to me, beckoning me to return.  I so hope we will be able to come back in our fifth wheel again next year.  I know that we will be back in February to see the aurora, but I want to see other places and other things like the Kodiak Island.  But, we shall see.  If not, I will never forget this special place, our Alaska.  The moon rose over the water and in the distance another vessel was sailing into adventure.  I hope their's is half as good as ours.

Day 9, Ketchikan

We woke early again today, yawn. We have to meet at 7:15 for our Ketchikan Culture and Culinary Delights at the Scenic George Inlet Lodge where we will enjoy all we can eat Dungeness Crab!  Yummmmmmmm!

Ketchikan is known as Alaska’s “First City” to northbound travelers and generally marks the first port of call for inside Passage routes.  For the Ocean Victory, this city of about 8,000 will be our final shore visit in Alaska.

We hurried ashore giving ourselves plenty of time to walk to the meeting place.  Ketchikan recycled an old pulp mill into a cruise ship dock aptly named The Mill.  The Ocean Victory is docked next to a huge Norwegian Cruise ship.  This behemoth makes our ship look like a baby by comparison!  No matter, we will take quality over quantity any day!  Once ashore, we made our way to The Mill.  The inside has been turned into a huge shopping and staging area.  Cruisers can purchase all sorts of clothing, jewelry, candies and even craft beer.  It is typical of the drive to separate vacationers from their money!  But it also organizes all the various excursions so loading and unloading is done efficiently and quickly.

Our driver arrived and we climbed aboard ready for adventure.  Our first stop, Saxman Totem Park, home of the Totem Heritage Center.  But first, we had to travel about 7 miles from the dock through Ketchikan.  Along the way, our driver told us all about the town and the area as a whole.  He is a recent transplant but has been coming up here to work during the summer for a number of years.  He pointed out to us the street signs but cautioned us not to be confused by the stair signs.  Some of the homes are built well up the mountain but there are no automotive roads.  Instead, they built a series of stairs that go up giving residents access to their homes.  The stair “streets” have names.  Guess they would give gps a fit.  He shared that he lived in one such houses when he first arrived.  It was a bummer to come home late and tired only to have to climb all those stairs in the rain or the cold.

We arrived at the park and climbed out of the bus and down the hill.  Here are re-carving of older poles, a practice that began during the Roosevelt Administration through the Civilian Conservation Corp.  Many of the poles are 30 feet or so tall and brightly painted.  Unlike some poles we had seen, these had figures right at the top and then a large section plain ending in another section of carvings.  Totem poles are made for a number of reasons.  One was the Secretary of State Pole, a classic, rare example of a ridicule pole.  It features a likeness of Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William H. Seward wearing a spruce wood hat and sitting on a carved chest.  He visited Fort Tongass in 1869 while on a tour of newly purchased Alaska.  According to Tlingit traditions, Seward was given a potlatch, (feast) and given gifts and treated royally by the chiefs.  These honors were never reciprocated.  At some point, his white nose and ears were painted black in ridicule; thus this pole serves as a reminder of the unpaid debt.  Balance and reciprocity remain important concepts in the Tlingit society.  Seward’s descendants approached the Tlingit to see what they could do to remove this shame and take the pole down.  The cost of the potlatch in modern money would be several million dollars.  To which the descendants decided to leave the pole in place.

The totem pole can stand up to 50 to 70 years before falling.  The custom is to leave it where it falls as the Tlingit believe it has “lived” its time on the earth.  Over the years, many totems across Alaska have fallen. The Totem Heritage Center rescued many of them from abandoned villages near Ketchikan.  They were reproduced using traditional tools and now stand in the park.  We visited the center and could see through the window a totem under creation.  Here, Tlingit master carver Nathan P. Jackson and his apprentices produce totem poles to be displayed all over Alaska and America.  Mr. Jackson is 80+ years old and is still a force.  The cost for a carving can be from $10 per foot to thousands of dollars per foot.  Generally, the place where a totem will stand does not carve their own totems but rather hires outsiders to do the carving for them.  When completed, they will have a potlatch to celebrate and raise it to its place.  There are many stories about the various poles explaining what the carver was depicting.  Quite a tradition.

Our next stop, George Inlet Lodge.  From the parking lot down to the lodge we had to walk down 70 steps.  This rustic and remote place is the place where we would enjoy a feast of fresh Dungeness Crab!  Yippee! Mind you, it was only about 10 a.m. in the morning but everyone was ready for the bright spot of the day.  It began with fresh fruit, cheeses, bagels and yummy salmon spread.  Next, mimosas were served or if you were not in the mood, soft drinks or water.  Then came a demonstration of just how to crack the crabs and obtain the delicious meat.  Finally, the crabs arrived steaming hot in domed containers.  Each person at the table received a section of the legs (3-6 legs per section), hot butter and a cracker for the more difficult bits.  A hush fell over the room as everyone began cracking and picking and eating this delicate treat.  It took a bit before Jim got the hang of it but once he did, look out!

All too soon, we were told that our bus would be at the top of the stairs to pick us up in 10 minutes!  What?!?  We thought it was all you can eat!  I guess it was all you can eat in 30 minutes!!  Poo!  As the saying goes, what goes up, must come down.  But for us, what goes down, must go up.  Jim and I started back up, taking our time and pausing at each landing.  Finally we arrived at the top, puffing a bit but none the worse for wear.  We boarded the bus and headed back to The Mill.

We roamed about The Mill a bit.  Looked at some amazing jewelry at one place.  I really fell in love with one piece but told myself that I did not need any more.  I have more than I wear now as it is.  We did indulge in some local chocolates.  Just a few more calories to add to our waist lines!

Back aboard the Victory, we relaxed and played some cards for a while.  We had our usual 6 p.m. wrap up discussion and headed off to dinner with our new friends.  It was a good day.  Tomorrow we will be cruising as we make our way down to Vancouver.