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From Manitou Beach we headed to Maidstone. We were actually going there this time because we picked it off the
map as a town to which our mail could be forwarded. We had no idea that we would end up spending 3 nights
waiting for our mail which took 11 days to get from South Dakota to Maidstone. While we waited, we camped at
Silver Lake Regional Park about 11 miles to the north. We got to camp free because it was so late in the season
and they were ready to close down for the winter. We camped right on the lake and every evening several
hundred thousand Canada and snow geese would come in for a very noisy splashdown for the night and then
noisily head out just before dawn each morning to forage in the grain fields.
When we checked at the post office each day for the mail we would use the internet at the library, pick up
groceries, get a haircut, and just enjoy being temporary residents of a small town. We took a side trip to the
Shiloh Baptist Church which remains from a black settlement of the 1800s. We also put the kayak into the
Saskatchewan River where we paddled a mile or so upstream and then floated back to where we put in. Our mail
finally arrived and off we went toward Edmonton.
Colleen had read about a huge mall in West Edmonton so we parked in a parking lot across the street for the
night and wandered around the mall. Now this was a mall to end all malls!!! Inside it there was a water park with
waves, an ice skating arena, an aquarium complete with a porpoise show, an amusement park with a rollercoaster
and dozens of other rides, 800 shops and dozens of restaurants. This mall was the antithesis of all of the small
towns of the previous weeks. One night was plenty!!!!
From there we headed west and spent the night at the ubiquitous WalMart in Hinton just on the edge of Jasper.
The next morning we entered Jasper and were awed by the majestic mountains and all of the wildlife which
actually poses a hazard for driving. It was the rutting season for the elk and we could hear the bulls bugling all
around our campground. We did a side trip to Maligne Lake where we unloaded the kayak and our picnic lunch.
As we brought the kayak down to the lake, a woman saw us, got very excited and came running over to find out
where we had rented it. We explained that we hadn’t rented it, but were going to eat our picnic lunch before
paddling across the lake and that she and her husband were welcome to go for a paddle while we ate. She was in
total disbelief and thrilled. It was fun watching her joy.
We stayed 2 nights in Jasper and then headed south to Banff and the famed Lake Louise. After finding a
campsite we unhitched the Jeep and headed up the mountain to see the lake. Colleen had a long-time dream of
canoeing on Lake Louise and our kayak would serve just as well to fulfill her dream. What we hadn’t reckoned on
was the lack of access to the lake – the access is hogged by a huge lodge – and the fact that the wind was still
howling. We found a small access road to the lake with a sign that said Official Vehicles Only – put on our best
official faces and headed up the road with our 15’ long bright yellow banana on the roof. The road/path was
crowded with mostly Japanese tourists who were wondering what the heck we were doing. We unloaded the kayak
and returned the car to the parking area. We launched the kayak at the edge of the lake and started to paddle
out into an incredible headwind coming directly off the glacier that sits at the end of the lake and feeds it. We were
shipping water like crazy, Dinah the dog was sitting unhappily in a puddle of ice water, and 7000 Japanese
tourists were looking on from the comfort of their parkas. I figured that this might be my last adventure and within
a few minutes we put in to shore. Colleen has now paddled on Lake Louise and, miraculously, neither of us
caught pneumonia.
From Lake Louise we went to Salmon Arm, British Columbia where we camped for 2 nights in a large, sandy lot
behind the shopping center. We used the library and shopped for groceries…no one has ever said anything
about our choices of camping spots…yet. When they do, we’ll sweet talk them or move.
Off we went west to Cache Creek where we camped behind a Husky gas station with 3 gazillion trucks who came
and went all night…not one of our best choices!!! Then from Cache Creek we headed through Lillooet where we
stopped for lunch and Colleen left her purse in the restaurant (not to be discovered until the next day). The road
down to Squamish entailed grades of from 9-15%…that was scary to contemplate, but the execution of it was a
piece of cake…you just start over the hill really slowly (about 10 mph) with the exhaust brake engaged and enjoy
the spectacular scenery. You hardly have to brake…pretty amazing!!!
In Squamish we parked in the pouring rain next to a ball field (a large lake formed in the parking lot by morning)
and then headed for the border crossing into Washington. We were going right through Vancouver, but decided
that we didn’t have enough time to do it justice and would save exploring it and Victoria for another time.
We got in line for the border crossing, Colleen started to look for her wallet and discovered that her purse was
missing. Pretty quickly she figured out that it was back at the top of those incredible grades in Lillooet. As we got
to the border we were told to park the motorhome and go inside. We had to wait inside while our motorhome was
searched for contraband and convince the federales that we were really Americans. We were asked for our ID
and Colleen had to fess up that her ID was in Lillooet. One of the federales heard about the purse and told us
that she and her husband were headed there for a motorcycle ride the next day if the weather held. We
exchanged phone numbers and headed to Bellingham, WA where I had an appointment for a root canal the next
day. We actually ended up camping in a parking lot at a casino near Anacortes and then drove up to Bellingham
for the appointment and to pick up the purse. The lost purse was another example of our very good fortune.
From Anacortes we were headed to see old friends of Colleen who live in Tenino, WA. On the way we stopped for
2 nights at the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, WA. They have free electrical hookups for RVs and while we were
there we enjoyed a free evening show, some great food and a day trip to Seattle for the requisite visit to the Pike
Place Market, the Art Museum for Colleen, and a movie at the IMAX theater about an expedition up Everest. In
Tenino we visited with Colleen’s friends for the evening and then south we went to Eugene, OR for some more
warranty work on the motorhome…none of the repairs are major…they are annoying things like noisy water
pump, loose molding, and other minor adjustments. We were also scheduled to have solar panels installed. With
three 98 watt panels we now have enough power we won’t have to run the generator to charge the batteries when
we are boondocking for days at a time. The batteries also charge when we are driving, but we tend to sit without
driving for up to 10 days at a time.
At this point I must diverge to tell you what lies ahead. In August, while we were in Michigan getting our oil
changed (this puppy holds 22 quarts of oil), I found a travel magazine and discovered an ad in the back for a
group forming for a trip to Panama. Colleen and I had been saying that someday when we had some fulltime
Rving miles under our belts we would like to attempt a trip throughout Central America. We started corresponding
with the group leader and, guess what, we are headed to Panama!!!!! We meet up with the group in Gila Bend,
AZ on December 26th for a week of preparations and cross the border at Sonoita on January 2, 2004. The trip is
scheduled to last for 10 months – 5 months down and 5 months back up. We are a little apprehensive about the
trip because of the size of our rig, but we can always stop and turn around or take an alternate route if necessary.
So, some of our time and travel at this point is aimed at getting ready for this long trip.
We left Eugene after 3 days of camping at the repair facility in their parking lot and crossed into California.
Twenty-one years ago I moved away from a small town called Hornbrook just south of the Oregon border where I
had taught elementary school for six years. This was the first visit back since a visit 14 years ago. We stayed in
the driveway at Rosemarie and Bill’s house (Rosemarie and I taught together at Klamath River Elementary
School) and visited with old friends. It was great to see my friends and catch up on one another’s lives and
reminisce about things we had done together. It was also an opportunity to visit my son Dustin who moved back to
Siskiyou County and lives in Yreka just south of Hornbrook. Seeing Dustin and my grand-daugter, Kyliegh, was
one of the highlights of the trip for me so far.
Colleen and I also went with an old friend, Goldie, to the Irongate fish hatchery where they were capturing
spawning salmon and collecting their eggs for the hatchery. I got to help and ended up smelling a lot like a salmon.
From Hornbrook we continued south and now a bit east to visit Colleen’s friends Vicki and Joelene in Reno, NV
where Colleen lived before moving to New Mexico about 15 years ago. In addition to visiting friends in Reno, we
were also dropping off 90 large reels of 16mm movie film from Colleen’s growing up years. The movies span the
time from her parents wedding in the early 40’s to not too many years ago. Joelene is going to copy all the film to
DVD and set it to music from the appropriate years. What a treasure that will be!!!!
We will receive trick-or-treaters in Vickie and Joelene’s driveway where our motorhome is parked and then head
off to Santa Fe. Originally we were going to LA from here, but LA is on fire and too smoky; we will make a side trip
from AZ before we leave. It will be great to see friends and family there in NM. Justin and Amanda will be keeping
Dinah for us while we are gone to Panama so we have to say goodbye to her for the next many months. She is a
great traveler and we will miss her.
map as a town to which our mail could be forwarded. We had no idea that we would end up spending 3 nights
waiting for our mail which took 11 days to get from South Dakota to Maidstone. While we waited, we camped at
Silver Lake Regional Park about 11 miles to the north. We got to camp free because it was so late in the season
and they were ready to close down for the winter. We camped right on the lake and every evening several
hundred thousand Canada and snow geese would come in for a very noisy splashdown for the night and then
noisily head out just before dawn each morning to forage in the grain fields.
When we checked at the post office each day for the mail we would use the internet at the library, pick up
groceries, get a haircut, and just enjoy being temporary residents of a small town. We took a side trip to the
Shiloh Baptist Church which remains from a black settlement of the 1800s. We also put the kayak into the
Saskatchewan River where we paddled a mile or so upstream and then floated back to where we put in. Our mail
finally arrived and off we went toward Edmonton.
Colleen had read about a huge mall in West Edmonton so we parked in a parking lot across the street for the
night and wandered around the mall. Now this was a mall to end all malls!!! Inside it there was a water park with
waves, an ice skating arena, an aquarium complete with a porpoise show, an amusement park with a rollercoaster
and dozens of other rides, 800 shops and dozens of restaurants. This mall was the antithesis of all of the small
towns of the previous weeks. One night was plenty!!!!
From there we headed west and spent the night at the ubiquitous WalMart in Hinton just on the edge of Jasper.
The next morning we entered Jasper and were awed by the majestic mountains and all of the wildlife which
actually poses a hazard for driving. It was the rutting season for the elk and we could hear the bulls bugling all
around our campground. We did a side trip to Maligne Lake where we unloaded the kayak and our picnic lunch.
As we brought the kayak down to the lake, a woman saw us, got very excited and came running over to find out
where we had rented it. We explained that we hadn’t rented it, but were going to eat our picnic lunch before
paddling across the lake and that she and her husband were welcome to go for a paddle while we ate. She was in
total disbelief and thrilled. It was fun watching her joy.
We stayed 2 nights in Jasper and then headed south to Banff and the famed Lake Louise. After finding a
campsite we unhitched the Jeep and headed up the mountain to see the lake. Colleen had a long-time dream of
canoeing on Lake Louise and our kayak would serve just as well to fulfill her dream. What we hadn’t reckoned on
was the lack of access to the lake – the access is hogged by a huge lodge – and the fact that the wind was still
howling. We found a small access road to the lake with a sign that said Official Vehicles Only – put on our best
official faces and headed up the road with our 15’ long bright yellow banana on the roof. The road/path was
crowded with mostly Japanese tourists who were wondering what the heck we were doing. We unloaded the kayak
and returned the car to the parking area. We launched the kayak at the edge of the lake and started to paddle
out into an incredible headwind coming directly off the glacier that sits at the end of the lake and feeds it. We were
shipping water like crazy, Dinah the dog was sitting unhappily in a puddle of ice water, and 7000 Japanese
tourists were looking on from the comfort of their parkas. I figured that this might be my last adventure and within
a few minutes we put in to shore. Colleen has now paddled on Lake Louise and, miraculously, neither of us
caught pneumonia.
From Lake Louise we went to Salmon Arm, British Columbia where we camped for 2 nights in a large, sandy lot
behind the shopping center. We used the library and shopped for groceries…no one has ever said anything
about our choices of camping spots…yet. When they do, we’ll sweet talk them or move.
Off we went west to Cache Creek where we camped behind a Husky gas station with 3 gazillion trucks who came
and went all night…not one of our best choices!!! Then from Cache Creek we headed through Lillooet where we
stopped for lunch and Colleen left her purse in the restaurant (not to be discovered until the next day). The road
down to Squamish entailed grades of from 9-15%…that was scary to contemplate, but the execution of it was a
piece of cake…you just start over the hill really slowly (about 10 mph) with the exhaust brake engaged and enjoy
the spectacular scenery. You hardly have to brake…pretty amazing!!!
In Squamish we parked in the pouring rain next to a ball field (a large lake formed in the parking lot by morning)
and then headed for the border crossing into Washington. We were going right through Vancouver, but decided
that we didn’t have enough time to do it justice and would save exploring it and Victoria for another time.
We got in line for the border crossing, Colleen started to look for her wallet and discovered that her purse was
missing. Pretty quickly she figured out that it was back at the top of those incredible grades in Lillooet. As we got
to the border we were told to park the motorhome and go inside. We had to wait inside while our motorhome was
searched for contraband and convince the federales that we were really Americans. We were asked for our ID
and Colleen had to fess up that her ID was in Lillooet. One of the federales heard about the purse and told us
that she and her husband were headed there for a motorcycle ride the next day if the weather held. We
exchanged phone numbers and headed to Bellingham, WA where I had an appointment for a root canal the next
day. We actually ended up camping in a parking lot at a casino near Anacortes and then drove up to Bellingham
for the appointment and to pick up the purse. The lost purse was another example of our very good fortune.
From Anacortes we were headed to see old friends of Colleen who live in Tenino, WA. On the way we stopped for
2 nights at the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, WA. They have free electrical hookups for RVs and while we were
there we enjoyed a free evening show, some great food and a day trip to Seattle for the requisite visit to the Pike
Place Market, the Art Museum for Colleen, and a movie at the IMAX theater about an expedition up Everest. In
Tenino we visited with Colleen’s friends for the evening and then south we went to Eugene, OR for some more
warranty work on the motorhome…none of the repairs are major…they are annoying things like noisy water
pump, loose molding, and other minor adjustments. We were also scheduled to have solar panels installed. With
three 98 watt panels we now have enough power we won’t have to run the generator to charge the batteries when
we are boondocking for days at a time. The batteries also charge when we are driving, but we tend to sit without
driving for up to 10 days at a time.
At this point I must diverge to tell you what lies ahead. In August, while we were in Michigan getting our oil
changed (this puppy holds 22 quarts of oil), I found a travel magazine and discovered an ad in the back for a
group forming for a trip to Panama. Colleen and I had been saying that someday when we had some fulltime
Rving miles under our belts we would like to attempt a trip throughout Central America. We started corresponding
with the group leader and, guess what, we are headed to Panama!!!!! We meet up with the group in Gila Bend,
AZ on December 26th for a week of preparations and cross the border at Sonoita on January 2, 2004. The trip is
scheduled to last for 10 months – 5 months down and 5 months back up. We are a little apprehensive about the
trip because of the size of our rig, but we can always stop and turn around or take an alternate route if necessary.
So, some of our time and travel at this point is aimed at getting ready for this long trip.
We left Eugene after 3 days of camping at the repair facility in their parking lot and crossed into California.
Twenty-one years ago I moved away from a small town called Hornbrook just south of the Oregon border where I
had taught elementary school for six years. This was the first visit back since a visit 14 years ago. We stayed in
the driveway at Rosemarie and Bill’s house (Rosemarie and I taught together at Klamath River Elementary
School) and visited with old friends. It was great to see my friends and catch up on one another’s lives and
reminisce about things we had done together. It was also an opportunity to visit my son Dustin who moved back to
Siskiyou County and lives in Yreka just south of Hornbrook. Seeing Dustin and my grand-daugter, Kyliegh, was
one of the highlights of the trip for me so far.
Colleen and I also went with an old friend, Goldie, to the Irongate fish hatchery where they were capturing
spawning salmon and collecting their eggs for the hatchery. I got to help and ended up smelling a lot like a salmon.
From Hornbrook we continued south and now a bit east to visit Colleen’s friends Vicki and Joelene in Reno, NV
where Colleen lived before moving to New Mexico about 15 years ago. In addition to visiting friends in Reno, we
were also dropping off 90 large reels of 16mm movie film from Colleen’s growing up years. The movies span the
time from her parents wedding in the early 40’s to not too many years ago. Joelene is going to copy all the film to
DVD and set it to music from the appropriate years. What a treasure that will be!!!!
We will receive trick-or-treaters in Vickie and Joelene’s driveway where our motorhome is parked and then head
off to Santa Fe. Originally we were going to LA from here, but LA is on fire and too smoky; we will make a side trip
from AZ before we leave. It will be great to see friends and family there in NM. Justin and Amanda will be keeping
Dinah for us while we are gone to Panama so we have to say goodbye to her for the next many months. She is a
great traveler and we will miss her.
Copyright - All Rights Reserved
2005
2005
October 2003
Around the World with Kathe and Colleen