Trip log: RV Trip to Alaska 2014 |
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5/8/2014 Day 1 Prescott to Cathedral Gorge, NV; 410 miles
We left Prescott at around 6 AM and ended the day at Cathedral Gorge in Nevada, about 150 miles north of Las Vegas. This was simply a get-past-Las Vegas leg of the trip. Nothing to see here. We’ve stayed at Cathedral Gorge before. It’s dry and sere, but beautiful in its own way with the towering sandstone cliffs full of passageways. We saw a coyote disappear into one of them last year; no such luck this time. Lots of jackrabbits, though.
Right: An oasis along the road in Nevada near Cathedral Gorge. |
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5/9/2014 Day 2 Cathedral Gorge, NV to Glenn’s Ferry, ID 420 MI We ended another long day at Three Island Crossing in Glenn’s Ferry, Idaho, one of our favorite stops. It’s the exact opposite of Cathedral Gorge – lush green everywhere, and the big, lazy Snake River flowing through it. The pioneer wagon tracks are evident coming down the hill across the river where they used the three islands to float the wagons and the swim the oxen and horses, with great difficulty, across the river. We both ate fabulous dinners of broiled trout with dill sauce at Carmella’s, a winery and restaurant adjoining the campground.
Since this is a weekend in a very popular campground, we had to make reservations here and we got the very last site, a double at double price for only one night. We had planned on staying two nights here just ‘cause we like it, but there was nothing available. Just as we got to the campground kiosk to check in, however--literally just as we drove up--a cancellation came in and we got a single site that we could have had for two nights, but by then we already had set our plans set to visit relatives in Vancouver. |
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5/10/2014 Day 3 Glenn’s Ferry, ID to Emmigrant Springs, OR; 240 Mi A shorter and easier day on the four-lane highway to Emigrant Springs, Oregon, just south of Pendleton. We’ve stayed here before too. It’s just a small campground right next to I-84 with electric and water. Nice but noisy and you have to work to find a level spot. |
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5/11/2014 Day 4 Emmigrant Springs, OR to Vancouver, WA;308 MI
From there we drove to Biggs, Oregon, crossed the Columbia River and took Washington 14 down the north side to Vancouver, Washington. WA-14 is a twisty, scenic route with many tunnels along the way, some as low as 12 feet and narrow. Not recommended for large trailers or RVs. We took a campsite at Paradise Point State Park just north of Vancouver and spent the rest of the day visiting Donna’s niece.
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5/12/2014 Day 5 Layover day in Vancouver, WA
Spent the morning researching the microwave/convection oven problem. It seems that the control buttons have ceased to function, thus preventing micros from waving and ovens from convecting. But not all the time. Sometimes it works. We determined that it is covered by our very expensive warranty, but getting it replaced is going to be a challenge. We decided to purchase a toaster oven to fill in for the convection oven part of the device and to do without microwaves. We will address this when we get to Anchorage where we will be staying around for a while. More later about this, I’m sure. Spent the remainder of the day with Kim and Steve and had pizza late afternoon. Photo right: Donna, Kim, Diamond (in wagon), Steve.
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5/13/2014 Day 6 Vancouver, WA, to Port Angeles, WA; 210 miles
A fairly short day to Heart o’ the Hills National Park campground about 6 miles south of Port Angeles in the Olympic National Forest. This is a really primitive campground – over 100 sites in total but only one of the five loops is open with about 20 campsites, all very small and very un-level. They mean it when they say it is only suitable for small RVs or trailers. $12/nite, but only $6 with National Parks pass. Glad we don’t have the monster 37-footer any more. Gigantic trees surround us. Many have fallen and some of the campsites are closed due to “dangerous trees.” It’s great! Tomorrow the vacation officially starts with passage on the Port Angeles Ferry across to Victoria, BC. |
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5/14/2014 Day 7 Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC via Ferry; 20 Mi
We took the BlackBall Ferry Coho across from Port Angeles to Victoria, BC, and camped in Goldstream Provincial Park, site #21, just up Canada #1 from Victoria. We separated the RV from the Jeep for the trip. Cheaper that way by about $60. Total was $150 US. Passed customs with no problems. No fruits or vegetables questions, only liquor, tobacco and firearms.
Comedy of site selection at Goldstream Provincial Park resulted in moving about from one site to another because of prior, but not marked, reservations. In the process I scraped a low red steel box along the starboard side of the coach making a gouge in the gelcoat. We have a lovely site, though, once settled. $30 CDN/nite, dump site and water available, no hookups.
We visited Earl Fields aboard the 54’ Krogen Sea Lark in Canoe Cove where he is refitting the boat after a 20 month hiatus due to a broken Travelift that prevented launch all last season. Had dinner with Earl at the pub in Canoe Cove. Filled the jeep with gas and found that it costs $5.25 CDN per equivalent gallon, or about $5 US. Bank exchange rate is about 0.95 US/CDN. |
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5/15/2014 Day 8 Layover day at Victoria, BC
Spent the day wandering around Victoria culminating in lunch at Shanghai Restaurant for Dim Sum in Chinatown. The BC Museum had nothing of interest to see and the IMAX was closed. Stocked up on groceries and very expensive wine – Menage a’Trois that we buy in the US for <$10 is $21 CDN! |
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5/16/2014 Day 9 Victoria to Nanaimo, then via ferry to Vancouver, BC, on to Pemberton, BC; total driving miles 140 not counting ferry
Arose at 4:45, dumped the tanks (for which Goldstream Park charges $5 via a locking arrangement on the sewer) filled the water and got on the road a little before 6 for Nanaimo to catch the BC Ferry from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver. Got there at 7:30 for the 8:30 ferry, Queen of Oak Bay, and it was nowhere near full so we got on without unhooking the Jeep. This was an OK idea for this particular ferry as it is straight on, straight off, but in general the towed car should be unhooked for maneuverability within the ferry. It also reduces the cost somewhat. Total cost was $227.50 for RV + Jeep + the two of us. Had a pretty good breakfast in the White Spot restaurant on board. |
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5/17/2014 Day 10 Nairn Falls to Lac la Hache Provincial Park; 200 Mi
Today was a long slog for relatively few miles. Leaving Pemberton the road becomes steep and twisty almost all the way to Lillooet. From 500 feet you climb to 4200 then back down to 750 in 40 miles with many hairpin turns, single lane bridges and 11-13% grades. Average speed for this 60 miles was 30 and burned 11 gallons of fuel. About 5.5 MPG! Impressive! But it sure is worth it. Fuel, interestingly, is slightly less $$ than Victoria. The towering peaks were still 2-3 thousand feet above us even at the summit and the valley was about that much below us. This actually is a very good road. Milepost describes it in less positive terms than I would. It is a wide, smooth well-maintained surface with well marked curves and grades; better than most rural highways, I think. No problem at all for us.
After getting lost in greater downtown Lillooet (hard to do) we got back on 99 north and from here to the Cache Creek junction the road is much faster. At the junction we headed north on Canada 97 which will take us to Prince George tomorrow, about 188 miles, and maybe beyond. Camped at Lac la Hache Provincial Park for $16. It has water and a dump site; no hookups.
Oh, and I should mention it’s been raining since we went through Lillooet before noon, all the way to the campground, and it’s still raining as I write this at 8 PM. Steady, unrelenting rain. Well, this is a rain forest after all. With mosquitoes. |
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Nairn Falls |
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Along the Sea to Sky Highway |
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Lighthouse at Victoria, BC |
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Met two Canadians (Blaine and Rich, eh?) hauling the eviscerated remains of a 1961 Ford pickup on a trailer, in line behind us waiting to board the ferry. Blaine enthusiastically explained, “A great bargain, eh? ‘tousand dollars, eh? No rust!” Well, not much anyway, and no engine either, but enthusiasm and optimism trump reality any day.
Took Canada route 99 north from Horseshoe Bay, the “Sea to Sky Highway.” Boy, is that spectacular – highly recommended! It goes up and down about 1000 feet every 20 miles or so and ends up around 500 feet by Pemberton, 80 miles north. Great road as far as Pemberton with lots of passing lanes, wide shoulders and smooth pavement. Slow, though, with lots of twists and turns, steep grades and several small towns to go through. We learned that when you see a gas station, stop. There’s usually only one in any town.
We camped at Nairn Falls Provincial Park for the night just south of Pemberton -- $20, lots of sites. Walked up a mile each way to see the falls on the Green River which were … well, spectacular. (That’s going to be an overused word on this trip, I fear.) We learned about the “rubber boa” a snake indigenous to this area which looks like a large fat worm; solid light brown, no markings, blunt on both ends, about 18” long and it’s a constrictor. Sounds creepy. Didn’t see any, fortunately. |
