As we drove out of Sol Duc Hot Springs area into cell coverage, a text message came in telling us that due to a staff shortage they had cancelled the ferry out of Port Townsend to Coupeville that we were scheduled to take. Oh, bother! Taking the ferry cuts driving all the way around the big body of water and up through Seattle. Fortunately, we found another ferry at Kingston (marked with a K) that went to Edmonds and was running. It added a few more miles than we planned, and not as scenic a drive, but it saved many more stressful driving moments through the hustle and bustle of Seattle.
Bay View State Park
Originally, I was planning to stay at Larrabee State Park, but this little park was closer to the place I knew could change our oil and all the other preparation locations we needed to stop. They included:
- Laundromat
- Car Wash
- Fred Meyer….yes, all you Michigan folks, there is a Fred Meyer grocery chain that is the most similar to the Fred Meijer format as you will find out here. I miss Meijer so was glad to find this close twin! And, no Walmart is not even close!
- Dealership for an oil change and 15k checkup
- Camping world for RV toilet paper…camping gold, I’m told and hard to find. I have a brand I really love that comes individually wrapped so you can easily store it all over the place….I tried to use an Amazon locker to get it delivered, but no go. It’s too big so I had to buy a different brand. I’ll survive! 🙂
- Wells Fargo to convert USD to CAD…this was an ordeal of sorts. I have a credit card account here, but no bank account. So, because the check was drawn on Flagstar, they could not take that. Then they could not process the debit card as a cash advance, as Flagstar does not allow it. So, I finally was able to pay a $3 fee to use the ATM and withdraw the cash so I could turn around and hand it to them. Then I had to wait two days to get the CAD. I had extended a day as that was the soonest I could get the oil change appointment. The cash came in 20 minutes before my 3:30pm appointment! I was waiting in the parking lot.
- Petsmart for Dottie Supplies
Winnebago’s Infinite Wisdom!
I really have very few complaints about my Winnebago Travato. It is almost perfect in every way. But, I do have one annoyance. In their infinite desire to protect me, they placed the fire alarm directly overhead of the stove. Everytime I used the stove to cook, it goes off. I have a trick however, that has made all the difference.
Camera
You may have noticed that my pictures have been blurry and over exposed as the above. I finally concluded that my phone case was the cause. I had used some windex to clean the case, and it must have distorted the plastic that covers the phone camera. So, a trip to Best Buy and a new phone case with nothing covering the camera should result in some better pictures; and hopefully that one is the last blurry one!
Crossing the Border and our first stop..after stocking the wine.
The Canadian’s have a nifty little app called ArriveCAN to download your covid vaccine card and passport. This speeds up the crossing immensely, so after a few questions in Sumas, a stop at the liquor store for wine and we were on our first leg of the journey to Alaska! Woo Hoo!!! We were on the Milepost!
For anyone not aware of this really nice book, the Milepost has every route through Canada and around Alaska. It lists the services you will find and the sights to see. And, it is necessary to have it in paper. The cell coverage is either non-existent or with Verizon you get all of about a google search with fast data, and then it is throttled so low it is virtually unusable even with 5G! I’m speaking from experience.
So, anyone planning this trip, the Milepost is a necessity! Here is a link to it on Amazon and the website of the publication for other planning tools.
Bridal Veil Falls…our first site!
Emory Creek Provincial Park
Aside from the splendid humor and friendliness of the Canadians, I LOVE the way they do their parks. They allow some reservations, but most sites are first come, first serve and a person comes to the campsite to collect the fee in the early evening. So, you just find your site, set up camp and go about your business. Not only, do they come to your site, but they also bring pamphlets about the area! Such great customer service!
Hi Karen,
I thought I had previously posted a comment, but it may not have gone through. It’s so good to see your beautiful travels. You look great and happy! You are seeing beautiful places. Lots of coordination and not for the faint of heart, but so rewarding. I’m excited for you to see AK. I’m so glad to see that you purchased a Milepost. They are so informative and provide information you would totally miss otherwise. Ours was well tattered when we lived in AK. What are the projected dates of your visit to AK? We will be going there for a few weeks in July/August for a family fishing trip. We are still debating on whether or not to return to camp in Denali (Teklanika like we did last trip), because of the road closure near Polychrome due to the landslide. Last time, we were able to bike from Polychrome back to Teklanika, which was my second time doing that, but since it’s closed, we are debating. Still, Denali is a must see, especially for your first time! Let me know if you have any questions that I can possibly answer about any of the trip. I am excited to go along on the journey with you, virtually! Safe travels, my friend.