Here we are in Prince George, BC, having found little time to post these last three weeks. I can’t say I’m tired of travel as I truly like living on the road, but even at the measured pace we move, it can get frenetic simply because there’s so much to see and do. There’s also the fact that internet isn’t always available, and when it is, there are two of us vying for the bandwidth – the one of us still employed naturally has priority. As we say, I’m fixed and she’s income.
The Olympic peninsula is a rain forest. The greenest and most lush jungle we’ve ever seen (with no snakes!). We camped near Forks WA on the Sol Duc River just a mile from where it reaches the Pacific, and enjoyed some great walking on beaches that are one of a kind.
Then we moved to a beautiful beach along the Straights of Juan de Fuca at Crescent Beach and watched the ships pass toward Seattle, with Vancouver Island on the opposite side 15 miles away.
Moving again, we board our first ferry of the trip at Port Townsend, WA and cross to Fidalgo Island, where my brother lives in Anacortes. Our stay there was not only a chance to catch up visiting, but being our first visit to Anacortes, we were astounded by the idyllic little town on the harbor and the pleasant surroundings. We watched the 4th of July show out over the bay overlooking the San Juan Islands from their front deck and enjoyed our first ‘home cooking’ of the trip. Later we took a whale watching cruise through and around the islands.
Anacortes has its own city forest complete with Mount Erie views overlooking the islands, two lakes, a very nice campground and miles of walking trails. While my brother Henry would like to keep it secret, Anacortes is a real jewel, and the best access to the San Juan Islands.
Leaving reluctantly, we crossed the border without incident (I left certain items with my brother, as Canada doesn’t favor barrels less than four inches long) and drove for hours up the Frazier River. British Columbia is just….well like they say in the ads it really is super natural. Some of the most beautiful cattle farms in the world; rivers a mile wide that rush along as if to imminently fall off into whitewater rapids; and the great north woods yielding timber yards that go on for miles with gantry cranes right out of Brobdingnag.
We stayed the first night at the historic Hat Creek Ranch near Cache Creek, BC, a name that was apparently borrowed by Larry McMurtry for Lonesome Dove. It was hot- they have power- we stayed cool. Our neighbors were a matched pair of draft horses willing to be petted for a little dried fruit. What a life this is.
Today we continued up highway 97 that eventually leads on to become the Alcan Highway, although we’ll turn off tomorrow bound for Prince Rupert and the Alaska Ferry. We are welcomed tonight at a spartan but roomy camping space, along with at least 25 other self contained campers. Good cell service, a grocery store, lots of like minded neighbors and a flat place where we don’t even have to unhitch – our first stay in a Walmart lot may not be our last.
Travelling SOBs 