Leslie Saturday, May 17, 2008
Spent most of today hanging out in this wonderful campground in Radium Hot Springs. The day started out cloudy so we decided to delay our visit to the hot springs until tomorrow. We did go out to explore the town.
There really isn’t town. We discovered that there is only a short business district of a bit more than one block in length. It appears that the only reason people come to Radium Hot Springs is to visit the hot springs.
We did see several more groups of mountain sheep strolling around town. Some of the sheep wear collars with large radio transmitters, others seem au natural.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296927097_sfJnc-M.jpg
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296927026_LMZ8W-M.jpg
Don’t you think that this sheep has exceptionally straight teeth? I wonder who his dentist is?
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296926921_Qgi9P-M.jpg
The town people seem so used to tourists stopping and taking pictures of the sheep so stopping on the side of the road isn’t exceptionally dangerous.
I saw one strange building.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296927161_asMLb-M.jpg
I’m not sure what the intention is but it certainly is interesting.
We are having a small problem of some concern. It appears that every picture I take with our good camera (Nikon D70) has small dark spots scattered on the field of vision. We’ve tested the camera with two different lens and the spots remain. It appears that the spots are soemwhere in the interior of the camera rather than on a lens. We’ll look for a camera repair facility in Prince George, BC next weekend. In the meantime, you’ll have to suffer spots on the pictures because I’m not doing any Photoshop processing prior to uploading pictures for this blog.
Thanks for your comments to the blog. We're really reading your impressions.
Until next time,
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Canmore to Radium Hot Springs, Alberta
Leslie Friday, May 16, 2008
We made our way from Canmore to Radium Hot Springs. Apparently Radium Hot Springs is a lot like Glenwood Springs in Colorado, natural hot springs that are captured in hot "swimming" pools. The route here was through Banff and Kontenay National Forests. Parts of the road included an 8% grade – that’s impressive when you are towing the weight we are. One of the highlights was a short stretch through a natural tunnel – you feel as if the walls of the tunnel are closing in on you.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296442046_2wCDD-M.jpg
Signs promised "wildlife on road". Along the main road we saw only a few mule deer and four mountain sheep. Then, after we had entered the town of Radium Spring, there was a herd of mountain sheep hanging out at the roundabout. The first picture was taken through the windshield.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296441865_q4UBG-M.jpg
We got the stop light so I was able to capture a few more. It appeared as if two sheep were trying to lead the herd back towards the mountains.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296441942_GmbAA-M.jpg
When we decided to come down to Radium Hot Springs Robert called the only Good Sam affiliated park in the area. (As Good Sam members we get 10% off the daily rate at Good Sam affiliated parks.) When he asked about making a reservation for this weekend, the reservation person just laughed. A bit later she noticed that she had recently had a cancellation so we were able to get a reservation. What we learned later is that this park is always booked solid for the entire summer. We just lucked out, and lucky we were. This is easily the prettiest park we have ever seen - and it has full hook ups. Mountain Shadows Resort and RV Park.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296442035_kqywE-M.jpg
We’re very happy that we’ll be here for three nights. It is the classic type of campground that we really enjoy. The people are friendly, kids are riding bicycles, and many families have campfires. Because it is the beginning of a holiday weekend and people are just starting out, I was even able to get laundry done in the camp laundry without waiting.
until next time,
We made our way from Canmore to Radium Hot Springs. Apparently Radium Hot Springs is a lot like Glenwood Springs in Colorado, natural hot springs that are captured in hot "swimming" pools. The route here was through Banff and Kontenay National Forests. Parts of the road included an 8% grade – that’s impressive when you are towing the weight we are. One of the highlights was a short stretch through a natural tunnel – you feel as if the walls of the tunnel are closing in on you.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296442046_2wCDD-M.jpg
Signs promised "wildlife on road". Along the main road we saw only a few mule deer and four mountain sheep. Then, after we had entered the town of Radium Spring, there was a herd of mountain sheep hanging out at the roundabout. The first picture was taken through the windshield.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296441865_q4UBG-M.jpg
We got the stop light so I was able to capture a few more. It appeared as if two sheep were trying to lead the herd back towards the mountains.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296441942_GmbAA-M.jpg
When we decided to come down to Radium Hot Springs Robert called the only Good Sam affiliated park in the area. (As Good Sam members we get 10% off the daily rate at Good Sam affiliated parks.) When he asked about making a reservation for this weekend, the reservation person just laughed. A bit later she noticed that she had recently had a cancellation so we were able to get a reservation. What we learned later is that this park is always booked solid for the entire summer. We just lucked out, and lucky we were. This is easily the prettiest park we have ever seen - and it has full hook ups. Mountain Shadows Resort and RV Park.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296442035_kqywE-M.jpg
We’re very happy that we’ll be here for three nights. It is the classic type of campground that we really enjoy. The people are friendly, kids are riding bicycles, and many families have campfires. Because it is the beginning of a holiday weekend and people are just starting out, I was even able to get laundry done in the camp laundry without waiting.
until next time,
Radium Hot Springs
Robert, Friday, May 16
Packed up the trailer and hit the road around 11:00 am. The route from Canmore is northwest about 30 miles through the valley where Banff National Park is located and then south across the mountains to Radium Hot Springs. Radium Hot Springs is noted as a place to go soak in the hot springs. As we drove into town we saw the hot springs off to the side of the highway. Tomorrow we will go give it a try. The campground here is one of the prettiest where we have ever stayed. Our site is in the trees and there is considerable distance between us and our next neighbors. Given that this is a holiday weekend the campground is full but someone said it is full all summer as this is a very popular tourist areas. After we set up, we did a necessary clean-up and fixed a few things that needed fixing. As we have been on the road for a week, we also needed to do laundry.
All the people we have encountered are very friendly. When we left the campground in Canmore, Leslie went into the office to find the location of the post office. While she was inside, a woman walked up to me (sitting in the truck) and started a conversation. She and I talked for 5 minutes and then Leslie came back. All three of us continued to talked for another 10 minutes. After we left, Leslie asked me where I had met the woman (thinking that I had met here somewhere in the campground). I said that I had never seen her before she walked up and started a conversation. And this sort of thing happens time after time. People will just strike up a friendly conversation. What I really enjoy is a manner of speech that we have heard both here but years ago when we visited the Maritime Provinces on the east coast. Canadians will end sentences with "aye?" as in "Lovely day, aye?" or "Town is just about 10 more kilometers, aye?"
Packed up the trailer and hit the road around 11:00 am. The route from Canmore is northwest about 30 miles through the valley where Banff National Park is located and then south across the mountains to Radium Hot Springs. Radium Hot Springs is noted as a place to go soak in the hot springs. As we drove into town we saw the hot springs off to the side of the highway. Tomorrow we will go give it a try. The campground here is one of the prettiest where we have ever stayed. Our site is in the trees and there is considerable distance between us and our next neighbors. Given that this is a holiday weekend the campground is full but someone said it is full all summer as this is a very popular tourist areas. After we set up, we did a necessary clean-up and fixed a few things that needed fixing. As we have been on the road for a week, we also needed to do laundry.
All the people we have encountered are very friendly. When we left the campground in Canmore, Leslie went into the office to find the location of the post office. While she was inside, a woman walked up to me (sitting in the truck) and started a conversation. She and I talked for 5 minutes and then Leslie came back. All three of us continued to talked for another 10 minutes. After we left, Leslie asked me where I had met the woman (thinking that I had met here somewhere in the campground). I said that I had never seen her before she walked up and started a conversation. And this sort of thing happens time after time. People will just strike up a friendly conversation. What I really enjoy is a manner of speech that we have heard both here but years ago when we visited the Maritime Provinces on the east coast. Canadians will end sentences with "aye?" as in "Lovely day, aye?" or "Town is just about 10 more kilometers, aye?"
Leisurely Day
Robert, Thursday, May 15
A picture perfect day! The day dawned with deep blue skies and there wasn’t a cloud in sight all day long. The temperatures were only slightly cool in the morning, and barely warm by mid afternoon. We slept in and had a leisurely breakfast. After lunch we went into town and went to the tourist info center to pick up brochures. We got fuel ($1.349C per liter or about $5.11 per gallon!) and walked main street. After main street we went back to the trailer and grilled steak for supper. All in all, a great day. Tomorrow it is off to Radium Hot Springs. The distance is only about 100 miles so it should be a short driving day.
A picture perfect day! The day dawned with deep blue skies and there wasn’t a cloud in sight all day long. The temperatures were only slightly cool in the morning, and barely warm by mid afternoon. We slept in and had a leisurely breakfast. After lunch we went into town and went to the tourist info center to pick up brochures. We got fuel ($1.349C per liter or about $5.11 per gallon!) and walked main street. After main street we went back to the trailer and grilled steak for supper. All in all, a great day. Tomorrow it is off to Radium Hot Springs. The distance is only about 100 miles so it should be a short driving day.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Canmore, Alberta
Leslie Thursday, May 15, 2008
Now that we’re in Canada, we’re really on travels. We get to slow down the pace a bit, at least for a day or so. Because we will be returning to the Lake Louise area after the holiday weekend, we decided to stay in Canmore today. While walking the main street we suddenly realized that we have been here before. Two years ago when we stayed in Calgary and visited Lake Louise we must have stopped for lunch in Canmore. We recognized the outdoor deck of the restaurant.
Robert – On vacation. His favorite pose.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296026363_cozCW-M.jpg
Leslie – On the main street of Canmore.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296026348_DjN8j-M.jpg
The campground we’re staying in is part of a mobile home park that, as is the case in many ski/mountain communities, is being sold and turned into ski condos. You have to feel sorry for the occupants who are being displaced. While their homes are quite modest, they have a priceless view. After displacement they won’t be able to afford to live anywhere around here. I imagine this park will be gone in just a few years. It is clear that the new office for the RV park has been designed as the sales office for the condos that are under construction. We checked out the listings in the window of a real estate office in town; there weren’t any listings under $900,000.
The current view of the occupants of this mobile home park.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296026319_NmxM9-M.jpg
Price of diesel per gallon: (I’ll have to add tomorrow because the receipt is in the truck but the total cost to fill the truck was $226.00!!!) In fact, the transaction was so large that the credit card company called Robert’s cell phone before we had pulled out of the gas station to verify that the card was not stolen. The representative was amazed that one could spend that much at a gas station. Yes, and oil reached a new high today....
Until next time,
Now that we’re in Canada, we’re really on travels. We get to slow down the pace a bit, at least for a day or so. Because we will be returning to the Lake Louise area after the holiday weekend, we decided to stay in Canmore today. While walking the main street we suddenly realized that we have been here before. Two years ago when we stayed in Calgary and visited Lake Louise we must have stopped for lunch in Canmore. We recognized the outdoor deck of the restaurant.
Robert – On vacation. His favorite pose.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296026363_cozCW-M.jpg
Leslie – On the main street of Canmore.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296026348_DjN8j-M.jpg
The campground we’re staying in is part of a mobile home park that, as is the case in many ski/mountain communities, is being sold and turned into ski condos. You have to feel sorry for the occupants who are being displaced. While their homes are quite modest, they have a priceless view. After displacement they won’t be able to afford to live anywhere around here. I imagine this park will be gone in just a few years. It is clear that the new office for the RV park has been designed as the sales office for the condos that are under construction. We checked out the listings in the window of a real estate office in town; there weren’t any listings under $900,000.
The current view of the occupants of this mobile home park.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/296026319_NmxM9-M.jpg
Price of diesel per gallon: (I’ll have to add tomorrow because the receipt is in the truck but the total cost to fill the truck was $226.00!!!) In fact, the transaction was so large that the credit card company called Robert’s cell phone before we had pulled out of the gas station to verify that the card was not stolen. The representative was amazed that one could spend that much at a gas station. Yes, and oil reached a new high today....
Until next time,
To Canmore, Alberta
Robert, Wednesday, May 14
Drove from Shelby, Montana to Canmore, Alberta today. As Shelby is only about 30 miles south of the border and we got going early (for us), we beat the lines at the border crossing. I don’t know about this early in the season but in the past we have waited in line for several hours to cross the border. Today, there were two vehicles ahead of us and the wait was only about 15 minutes. The advice on crossing the border is to remove hats and sunglasses, turn off the radio, and turn the engine off. We complied as the border agents want to be able see and hear you. The agent wanted proof of citizenship (our passports) and he only asked a few questions–why were we entering Canada, where do we live, any tobacco or alcohol, any plans to give anything worth more than $10,000 away while in Canada (HA!), when was the last time we were in Canada, and how long were going to stay. It took all of about 10 minutes and we were on our way. This was probably the easiest border crossing into Canada we have ever made. On the down side, the line to enter the US had a very long line of trucks and didn’t appear to be moving at all. Hope it isn’t like that when we return!
Besides wanting to get across the border before the crowds, we needed to get to an RV repair place in Lethbridge (the first town of any size in Alberta). The water pump would not prime so we couldn’t use it to pump water. This is not a big problem as long as we stay in campgrounds with water hookups. However, as we get further north, we expect to spend some night in places without hookups. There having a working pump is necessary to have water. The repair place took us right in and went to work on the pump. While I was waiting, I heard them tell someone that they could schedule some work to be performed on an RV in about two weeks. Fortunately, most RV shops will do jobs right away for those who are on the road. They did get the pump working but we will try to schedule to get it replaced on down the road before we get too far north. After he finished the repair guy asked me, "Does she have a twin sister?" while looking at Leslie. I told him no. Later Leslie asked me what that was all about. I explained. Maybe this is just a guy thing.
I made reservation at a campground in Canmore while Leslie drove. Canmore is just on the south side of Banff National Park. The reservation is for two nights. The coming weekend is Victoria Day in Canada. I think that is when the celebrate national independence. That means that campgrounds will fill up this weekend. I called another campground in a place called Radium Hot Springs a short distance away in British Columbia and asked if I could get a reservation for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The woman laughed but then said, "Oh wait, we just had a cancellation" so we are set for the weekend. I have read several reviews of the campground for this weekend that say it is one of the most beautiful. And there are hot springs that you can go soak in. The campground in Canmore is very pretty with mountains all around. The are close enough that you look up to see the tops. Driving across Wyoming and Montana there is not too much to see so no point in taking your time. Now that we are in scenic country, we will slow down.
Drove from Shelby, Montana to Canmore, Alberta today. As Shelby is only about 30 miles south of the border and we got going early (for us), we beat the lines at the border crossing. I don’t know about this early in the season but in the past we have waited in line for several hours to cross the border. Today, there were two vehicles ahead of us and the wait was only about 15 minutes. The advice on crossing the border is to remove hats and sunglasses, turn off the radio, and turn the engine off. We complied as the border agents want to be able see and hear you. The agent wanted proof of citizenship (our passports) and he only asked a few questions–why were we entering Canada, where do we live, any tobacco or alcohol, any plans to give anything worth more than $10,000 away while in Canada (HA!), when was the last time we were in Canada, and how long were going to stay. It took all of about 10 minutes and we were on our way. This was probably the easiest border crossing into Canada we have ever made. On the down side, the line to enter the US had a very long line of trucks and didn’t appear to be moving at all. Hope it isn’t like that when we return!
Besides wanting to get across the border before the crowds, we needed to get to an RV repair place in Lethbridge (the first town of any size in Alberta). The water pump would not prime so we couldn’t use it to pump water. This is not a big problem as long as we stay in campgrounds with water hookups. However, as we get further north, we expect to spend some night in places without hookups. There having a working pump is necessary to have water. The repair place took us right in and went to work on the pump. While I was waiting, I heard them tell someone that they could schedule some work to be performed on an RV in about two weeks. Fortunately, most RV shops will do jobs right away for those who are on the road. They did get the pump working but we will try to schedule to get it replaced on down the road before we get too far north. After he finished the repair guy asked me, "Does she have a twin sister?" while looking at Leslie. I told him no. Later Leslie asked me what that was all about. I explained. Maybe this is just a guy thing.
I made reservation at a campground in Canmore while Leslie drove. Canmore is just on the south side of Banff National Park. The reservation is for two nights. The coming weekend is Victoria Day in Canada. I think that is when the celebrate national independence. That means that campgrounds will fill up this weekend. I called another campground in a place called Radium Hot Springs a short distance away in British Columbia and asked if I could get a reservation for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The woman laughed but then said, "Oh wait, we just had a cancellation" so we are set for the weekend. I have read several reviews of the campground for this weekend that say it is one of the most beautiful. And there are hot springs that you can go soak in. The campground in Canmore is very pretty with mountains all around. The are close enough that you look up to see the tops. Driving across Wyoming and Montana there is not too much to see so no point in taking your time. Now that we are in scenic country, we will slow down.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Into Canada
Leslie Wednesday, May 14, 2008
After a very windy night we started out early for the Canadian border. We had determined that our on-board water pump was refusing to prime, meaning that we would not have water unless we are hooked up to a faucet. That situation is unacceptable because we expect that we will camp places that do not have hook ups. Robert made a quick call to the manufacturer of our rig, the representative, whose name unbelievably is "RV" said that we should have the water pump replaced and send them the bill for reimbursement. We wanted to get across the border before we called a Canadian RV dealer because one never knows how long it will take to cross.
We’ve heard of other people traveling by RV who have had their entire rig searched for contraband. (The most common contraband for RV’rs is forbidden meat or vegetables, firearms or pepper spray.) The restrictions change constantly, depending on the currently feared disease. From my research on -line last night, it appeared that we could bring up to 20 kg of meat per person. Our small freezer(on top of the refrigerator) is full but we certainly don’t have that much meat. We had decided that I would drive through customs because it can be difficult to hear the questions from the officer since we can’t pull up close to the booth. (The rig is 8 ft. 4 inches wide so it sticks out from the sides of the truck.---- the driver has to take everything WIDE)
There was no line at Canadian Customs and we cleared in a matter of minutes. The officer didn’t ask about the cats, who of course we howling loudly in the back seat. We were asked the ususal questions about firearms and cash in excess of $10k (no of course not), purpose of our visit to Canada, and when we’d be leaving. We did notice very long lines of mostly trucks waiting to cross into the US side.
This coming Monday is Victoria Day in Canada. Victoria Day is the beginning of the summer season so the RV dealer service departments are very busy. A local dealer kindly fit us in since we are traveling from out of town. They were able to do a temporary fix on the water pump and suggested where we should have it replaced further west (and after the holiday).
I ended up driving all day today. Here’s proof.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295756178_587t4-M.jpg
What the picture doesn’t show is that I drove through several construction zones (single lanes of cones) and even more impressively drove through the city of Calgary during the afternoon rush hour. That was a stressful challenge. I have now even backed up the trailer once.
The road west of Calgary heads toward the Canadian Rockies. We’re now really on our trip. The next two pictures were taken through the windshield.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295755603_iKRmQ-M.jpg
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295756327_XMi49-M.jpg
We ended up the day at a pricy RV park in Canmore, the closest town to Banff. The view is spectacular. We have a back-in campsite backing to a bubbling stream. Our site is at the left of this picture.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295755190_pvfex-M.jpg
until next time,
After a very windy night we started out early for the Canadian border. We had determined that our on-board water pump was refusing to prime, meaning that we would not have water unless we are hooked up to a faucet. That situation is unacceptable because we expect that we will camp places that do not have hook ups. Robert made a quick call to the manufacturer of our rig, the representative, whose name unbelievably is "RV" said that we should have the water pump replaced and send them the bill for reimbursement. We wanted to get across the border before we called a Canadian RV dealer because one never knows how long it will take to cross.
We’ve heard of other people traveling by RV who have had their entire rig searched for contraband. (The most common contraband for RV’rs is forbidden meat or vegetables, firearms or pepper spray.) The restrictions change constantly, depending on the currently feared disease. From my research on -line last night, it appeared that we could bring up to 20 kg of meat per person. Our small freezer(on top of the refrigerator) is full but we certainly don’t have that much meat. We had decided that I would drive through customs because it can be difficult to hear the questions from the officer since we can’t pull up close to the booth. (The rig is 8 ft. 4 inches wide so it sticks out from the sides of the truck.---- the driver has to take everything WIDE)
There was no line at Canadian Customs and we cleared in a matter of minutes. The officer didn’t ask about the cats, who of course we howling loudly in the back seat. We were asked the ususal questions about firearms and cash in excess of $10k (no of course not), purpose of our visit to Canada, and when we’d be leaving. We did notice very long lines of mostly trucks waiting to cross into the US side.
This coming Monday is Victoria Day in Canada. Victoria Day is the beginning of the summer season so the RV dealer service departments are very busy. A local dealer kindly fit us in since we are traveling from out of town. They were able to do a temporary fix on the water pump and suggested where we should have it replaced further west (and after the holiday).
I ended up driving all day today. Here’s proof.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295756178_587t4-M.jpg
What the picture doesn’t show is that I drove through several construction zones (single lanes of cones) and even more impressively drove through the city of Calgary during the afternoon rush hour. That was a stressful challenge. I have now even backed up the trailer once.
The road west of Calgary heads toward the Canadian Rockies. We’re now really on our trip. The next two pictures were taken through the windshield.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295755603_iKRmQ-M.jpg
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295756327_XMi49-M.jpg
We ended up the day at a pricy RV park in Canmore, the closest town to Banff. The view is spectacular. We have a back-in campsite backing to a bubbling stream. Our site is at the left of this picture.
http://CarpediemAdventures.smugmug.com/photos/295755190_pvfex-M.jpg
until next time,
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