Home!!! 73 days, 18,363 kms (11,410 miles), 30 States and 3 Provinces...

We stayed Saturday night in Connell, WA.  Got there after dark but took the cats for their evening walk nevertheless (with flashlights!!).  The next morning we were able to see where we had walked, and it was a lovely field of scrub brush and tumbleweeds behind the RV park. Lovely scenery around here.

Sunday was a long drive.  John winterized the trailer before we pulled out - emptied all the fluids and put anti-freeze in the lines, then we set out for Montana.

It was sad to pack up the trailer for the last time this trip.  We organized all the things we were planning on taking into the hotel with us and battoned down the hatches for the rest of it.

The cats were very restless with such a long drive.  Sammy spent part of the afternoon "helping" John drive, something he hasn't done this entire trip.





As a matter of fact, Tawny has taken to co-piloting from the front seat the last couple of days... she sits on the console between John and I for hours at a time.  No one seems to like their kennels anymore!  It was very "busy" in the front seats the last couple of days.  And it made it hard for John and I to eat our snacks, particularly black pepper triscuits and ham pieces!  Tawny had her face in the middle of our food whenever she heard containers coming out of the pack.  Funny.

The drive to Kalispell, MT was dreary; sometimes wet and then of course it turned to snow as we got higher into the mountains.

We got to Kalispell in the dark (again) and the cats were ready to be out of the vehicle!!  Unfortunately, the parking lot at the hotel was sheer ice (John had the truck in 4-wheel drive!) and we couldn't keep our footing enough to walk the cats that night.


We brought in all the things we didn't want to freeze and then spent the evening with the kitties in the room.  Tawny had never stayed in a hotel before, and she was a big freaked out at first, but settled in when she found the big fluffy bed and large window sill to look out of.  Sammy is a seasoned hotel traveller, and so John took him for a couple of "hallway walks" on his leash.  He enjoys that.  I couldn't get Tawny into the hallway, so we just hung out and I compiled our list for Canadian customs.



Monday morning we pulled out of Kalispell without a cat walk as it was very windy and cold.  Unfortunately, we didn't find anything any better along the road and so we just headed to Glacier National Park and Marias Pass.

The roads were snow covered with icy patches, but it wasn't blizzarding, so we were grateful for that. We've had worse trips through that pass!

We got to the Summit about 12:30 pm and headed down into Browning with still no suitable place to walk the cats.  It is ALWAYS windy and cold in Browning...





We crossed the Canadian border about 2:00 pm.  Ahhhhh.... good to be back in Alberta.  Then stopped in Fort Macleod before it got dark to get the poor cats outside.  They had a great walk around a church, and though it was windy, it was the best temp of the day and they didn't want to get back into the truck... but they did.

We got into Calgary about 6:30 pm and home about 7:30.

The cats were confused!  I'm not sure they really understood where they were.  Sammy just wanted to walk around the outside of the house, and didn't want anything to do with it until he heard the gate creak open.  Then he ran over and rolled on the driveway and went in the back yard.  Tawny ultimately figured where she was and ran to the back door and waited with her face in the door jam for John to unlock it... she was ready to be home! Sam took a while to want inside, and then spent about an hour wandering around the house, trying to get his bearings.


So... the adventure ends.  We had a wonderful holiday.  We were on the road for 73 days and toured through 30 states and 3 provinces.  We visited 2 Portlands! - on opposite sides of the continent: one in Maine and one in Oregon.  We visited with my Uncle Jim in Washington, DC then his wife in California, 6 weeks apart!  We saw my cousin Kim in Chicago in September (for her birthday) and then again in Denver in November (for my birthday).  We stayed on cousin Julie's driveway in Pennsylvania in October after she moved to Colorado, then saw her beautiful new home 7500 ft up a mountain near Boulder, CO in November.

We witnessed the most amazing displays of colour in most of the places we drove through.  We couldn't have hit some of the states at better times for maximum autumn foliage; we were extremely lucky in that regard.  We had wonderful visits with many family and friends along the way, who showed us great hospitality and warmth.  It isn't easy to host a 36 ft 5th wheel trailer with 2 people and 2 cats!  So thank you to everyone who made this trip possible.

18,363 kms (11,410 miles) later... we are home again.  Safe and sound.  Love and hugs to all who have followed our adventure on this blog.  Thank you for the well wishes and support in our journey.

xo John and Dawn, and of course the real travellers... Sammy and Tawny...  >^..^<, >^..^<

Oregon to Washington

It's been raining since we left El Dorado Hills on Tuesday (Nov 18th).  We left Rogue River on Friday morning (Nov 21st) and stopped in Rice Hill to walk the cats.  We picked a small motel with covered walkways and the cats literally "jogged" the sidewalks around the whole complex!  They were thrilled to be dry and walking on dry ground!

We've been plagued by wind the last couple of days.  It was so windy when we got to Silverton, OR last night (Nov 21st) that the cats were out for maybe 5 minutes before scrambling inside the trailer.  This morning when they went out, between the wind, the huge puddles and dogs and people, neither cat was out more than 10 minutes.  It's been a challenge to have "good outsides" lately.



We've decided there are a lot of sheep in Oregon!!  Fields and fields of sheep, which is a very pleasant change from corn...  We had more rain today (Nov 22nd) as we followed the Columbia River.  As a matter of fact, we went through such a torrential downpour that we couldn't see the road for a couple of seconds - TWICE!  Scary moments, but we drove through it ok and were relieved to see the break in the clouds and daylight again.  We're staying near Connell, Washington tonight.



Sammy is acting like he has a cold (who can blame him after 4 days of pouring rain and wet feet!) and Tawny is just plain restless.  She howled in the vehicle most of the day today, which is very odd for her.   We had to make 2 stops to let her out to do her business.  She has figured out that she can get in a good walk before she pees, to maximize her experience.  Smart girl, but makes for long kitty stops!   Despite that, both cats are feeling the difference in the weather and not being able to get or stay outside as much as they have become accustomed to.  We're a little concerned about what happens when they get back to Calgary and have to deal with Winter!!!

We're going to drain the trailer tomorrow and make a run for home. We will be staying in a hotel tomorrow night - likely in Montana, and we hope to be home Monday, before the snow storm hits on Wednesday.

The trail from California to Oregon

Tuesday night (Oct 18th) we got together with cousin Jared, his wife Dawn and their two girls, Kaylee and Sydney. We had a wonderful dinner and visit in Roseville.

Kaylee, Aunt Lisa and Sydney

Dawn, Jared, Dawn and John 

We sure enjoyed our stay with Lisa.  The colours are so pretty around her house... and seriously, it's like staying near a zoo.... between the cats and the peacock...  then the llama and sheep next door!!

Tawny with her Sheep friend

The colours (and trailer!) on Lisa's driveway

We pulled out Wednesday morning (Oct 10th) and headed north.  The weather had turned to rain, which is much needed around these parts! but made for kind of nasty driving on the I-5.  The autumn colours continue to be gorgeous.  (Who knew we would still be hitting the peak of colours 2 months after the first great colours we saw.)  We made it as far as the Redding area - Bear Mountain to be exact, and got set up before dark. It was still raining but the cats had a good walk nevertheless.  Shasta Lake is the lowest it has been in 8 years; Bear Mountain resort is normally 3 miles away from the lake, but 4 this year!

Tawny, surveying the dry creek bed

One of the rental cabins with autumn leaves behind it.

We pulled out of Bear Mountain and headed north towards Oregon.  It was absolutely pouring rain, and foggy.  We just about hit a deer near Dunsmuir, CA. Scary couple of minutes, but no one got hurt!

I love the "truck village"  near Weed, California
with multi coloured semis all lined up...

We got into Grant's Pass, Oregon about 3 pm.  We have stayed in this park before - with Seeber, but Tawny and Sam have never been here.  It's really lovely - right on a bend of the Rogue River... Sam was mesmerized by the water.  

Sam, looking out over the Rogue River.

Technical Difficulties...

We left Wellington, UT on Wednesday (Nov 12^th) headed to Salt Lake City.  The colours were absolutely gorgeous, particularly through the Provo area – beautiful reds, browns and oranges.  We drove through Salt Lake City and stopped at Ogden about 2 pm.  It was cold, but not as cold as Denver got!  The cats went out briefly as there really wasn’t a good place to take them – there were a lot of dogs running around loose in that community!  We left the cats in the trailer and ran errands, got some groceries and wine, then headed back home. 

 

It was COLD in the trailer – with 2 heaters going, plus the propane furnace running – so John headed back out and bought 2 more heaters!  Ahhhh.... much better...

There's lots of snow in the mountains...

That night, my computer crashed.  I had no track mouse on my laptop at all and was trying to trouble shoot the problem with keyboard commands – to no avail.  I called my nephew, Nathen, and he talked me through some diagnostics but really couldn’t do much without being able to see what was going on.  I contacted a web-based company called Thumbtack that sends out service requests to computer gurus around the United States, depending on their specialties, and crossed my fingers.  I received 2 replies and contracted a fellow out of San Diego, CA.

Thursday (Nov 13^th) we awoke to snow.  Sammy was not happy, but Tawny took it all in stride and had a good romp through the campground.  

John was more in Sammy's camp... he was not happy to see the snow we've been trying to stay ahead of.  We are now dry camping - no water in the trailer at all (other than in jugs).  It makes for a whole new experience!

 I spent most of Thursday trying to fix my computer, with help from my online Techie, Jeff.  He was not able to take remote control of my computer due to the lack of mouse and the difficulty in navigating through icons on the desktop and drop down boxes using keyboard commands!!  I finally borrowed a wireless mouse from the campground office, backed up my computer and then promptly lost control of my keyboard!  I’m not kidding!!!  So I had a mouse but no keyboard!!!!  Somehow I finally restored the system to 2 days previous, prior to a major Windows software upgrade… and got my keyboard back but still no mouse (other than my borrowed external mouse, which worked great). So, off I went to Wal-Mart to get my own external mouse and keyboard, in case the laptop keyboard died again.  I have not been able to connect to the internet since then, but the computer itself seems to be working fine… for now...

 Along with the laptop crash, our GPS (lovingly referred to as "the Bitch") died.  The charger piece on the back of the GPS broke and we were no longer able to charge her.  We were unsuccessful sourcing the piece online, so I called Garmin who informed me we were off warranty (duh).  Nevertheless, the help lady (named Dawn!) took pity on us and agreed to send the part out to us (for free!) if we could give her an address to ship to.    Hmmm.... not wanting to stay in Utah while the storm caught up to us, we made an alternate plan....

Our new GPS - Tawny!!!  She's a very vocal co-pilot!!!
"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Utah was getting colder and colder, and heading north to Idaho was not a good option to get home due to the Canadian cold front still giving them grief, so we left Friday morning (Nov 14^th) and drove a long day west to get to Battle Mountain, Nevada for the night.  It was MUCH warmer there - and no snow!  

Gorgeous Nevada sunset

We loved our overnight stay in Battle Mountain.  The RV park had the most amazing pet area - it was a whole field behind the campground, really, and the cats loved it. We'll have to remember this place...

Saturday (Nov 15th) we continued our trek west, stopping in Lovelock, Nevada for a kitty walk.  It is the coolest place - the central square near the Court House has multiple chains covered in metal locks.



As the tradition goes, lovers go to Lovelock to forever "lock their love".  They fasten a lock on one of the chains, throw away the key and thus unite their love for eternity.

Lovely fall colours in Lovelock, NV

We drove through Reno, NV and then South Lake Tahoe, enjoying the beautiful autumn colours.  The road was very windy, however, and Sammy got car sick... only the 2nd time that has ever happened.  Poor fella...

We really missed the Bitch!  Apparently we could have taken another route that wasn't so windy - it didn't look that bad on the map!

"What do you mean this is the end of the property??"

We crossed over into California and got into El Dorado Hills, near Sacramento, just after dark.  We’re staying with my aunt, Lisa (uncle Jim is back in Washington where we saw him in early October!) and I have computer privileges here (!) so I can finally catch up on blogging.  The weather has been glorious and warm since we got here; it’s hard to imagine it can be so beautiful and warm here and so cold everywhere else!  The cats are thoroughly enjoying this stop.

Sweetie, the Peacock, aka Birdzilla

There are 10 or so feral cats that roam the property, but they leave Sam & Tawny alone (and vice versa). We have seen wild turkeys, large deer and Sweetie, the resident peacock… he is gorgeous!!  Sammy is terrified of the deer, but quite intrigued by the peacock.  Tawny wants to chase EVERYthing she sees... we have to keep a tight leash on that little one.

The cats spent a couple of hours every day outside, exploring the property.  There is no cactus and no snow here... they are loving California!

Kerry and Tiff

Monday (Nov 17^th) my cousin, Tiffani, and her hubby, Kerry, came up from Sacramento and had lunch with us in the trailer.  We had a lovely visit with good food and California bubby!  

Tonight we’re having dinner with cousin Jared and his family near Folsom, CA.  And tomorrow we plan to head north to continue our trek home.

If I have to blog from my phone, there will be no pictures, but I'll catch up when we get back to Calgary.  The adventure continues...

Colorado to Utah

We left Centennial (Denver area) Monday morning (Nov 10th) after a quick visit with Kim, and a lengthy internet search of weather between Denver and Calgary.  We decided we needed to get out of Dodge/Denver before the snow storm hit later in the afternoon.  Unfortunately, the weather forecasters were a bit out on their timing and the cold front blew in about 10:30 am vs 4 pm.  We nevertheless pulled out and took the cats for a walk at Bear Creek Lake park just west of Denver.  By the time we got up to the 2 mile Eisenhower Tunnel, however, I-70 was closed due to multiple accidents and just all-round nasty driving conditions.  We sat on the highway for over 3 hours, turning the truck on periodically to clear the windshield, and also, running the furnace in the trailer to keep the water lines from freezing.  John put a small litter box in the truck for the cats, but we also put them in the trailer every so often to see if they needed food or their large litter box.  Sammy pawed at the door to the bedroom... he just wanted to go to bed on his cat tree!!!  Poor fella...

Brutal driving weather on I-70 west of Denver

Sitting still on I-70; with a LOT of company doing likewise...

Tawny & Sam, hanging out with John

We finally started moving about 5 pm, and it was a slow go up the Eisenhower pass and back down then up to the Vail pass and back down.  There were a lot of trucks and vehicles that were having issues with the grade.  Our truck did wonderfully, however, and we got to Grand Junction, CO just before 10 pm.  A long day, but we were out of the snow before we went to bed!  I was very bummed that we passed thru Vail in the dark.  I would have LOVED to have seen that scenery... next time.

Tuesday (Nov 11th) we further planned our route, based on the latest weather forecasting, and we decided to stay west of the mountains for the next several days.  We took I-70 west towards Salt Lake City, then headed north on Hwy 191 and stopped for the night at Wellington, Utah.

We made a stop at the Utah visitor centre about 40 miles west of the Colorado-Utah state line, and the cats had a good hike up the hills (and back down the other side) for over an hour before we picked them up and put them back into the truck.  We were worried they would still be there when it got dark!  They like Utah!!

This part of Utah is very "desert-y"; lots
of scrub brush and sandy soil

The landscape is vast... and the kitties loved it!
See them out there on the trail??

Kind of reminds me of  the Drumheller area in Alberta

The scenery along I-70 and 191 is absolutely beautiful. Quite different than what we've experienced so far on our trip.  The setting sun gave me lots of opportunities for exquisite shots....

Our truck & trailer, silhouetted on the rock
by the setting sun.

Hwy 191, south of Wellington, UT

Tomorrow we head to Salt Lake City.