Sep 27, 2018
On the road again
Our very long day started at 7AM with packing up the odds and sods. Ed the plumber was 25 minutes late and it took longer this year to do the blowout. By the time we pulled out and met up at the exit area to hook up the Jeep it was getting on in time. Then of course being the first time since April, Colin was extra careful to make certain that it all was done properly including setting up the Brake Buddy. So it was 10:10 before we pulled away. It was not a nice morning and cool at that. Once on the road I bundled up under a few layers of fleece. I was really cold and it took a few hours for me to warm up.
Adios dear house, see you in the spring.
We saw a lot of different scenery today. First time I have ever seen grapes ready to be picked. I had no idea that the grapes hung at the bottom of the vines. Not a great photo from a moving vehicle, the grapes are the black things at the bottom of all that greenery. I missed getting a photo of apples being picked at an orchard.
We had no problems getting across the border. They never even asked how much alcohol we had 😎 Of course we were boarded by the agriculture people and this agent was more thorough that others have been. She checked under each sink cover to see if I was hiding anything and even opened the two closets in the bedroom. She checked the fridge and opened the crisper drawers to see what I had. The freezer was so full that things started to fall out once the door was opened. She mentioned that the only meat not allowed at this time was lamb for those of you who are coming behind us. Next stop was just a few miles down the road to the shipping store. We had several packages sent to this pick up location.
Our good friend Grant who lives in Osoyoos, drove across the border to meet us and help up load all this stuff into the RV. Those two very large and very heavy boxes on the bottom are our new RV roof air conditioning units. They weigh 100 pounds each.
They barely got thru the door and into the bedroom. Rather a tight fit. When the slide out is out we will have walking room in the bedroom but no access to my dresser and closet. The AC units will be installed on the Isla. We saved a huge amount of money doing it this way. Thank you again Grant. Both he and Janet will be flying to Mazatlan and will end up on the Isla before we get there.
Shortly after Oroville we headed East on Highway 20 at Tonasket. This was a new route for us but it was a very winding road and slow going at times.
Established May 22, 1900. We stopped here for a quick lunch. From here we climbed even higher, the Sherman Pass was 5585′. At one point we had a 6% grade downhill for 10 miles.
We didn’t see much other traffic. Yes those are dog toys in the girls bed on the dash. Colin likes to see it there as we travel.
It was a surprise to cross the great Columbia River at yet a different area.
A lot of logging in this area.
As well as agriculture. We certainly did see many different vistas today.
About 20 minutes before we got to our destination for the night I realized that we were on the wrong road. Colin had found the Walmart we were to stay at and it was on Hwy 2 and we were on Hwy 2/395 but it was not the same road! So where were we going to spend the night. We were less than 12 miles before hitting that huge freeway system in Spokane. It was already 5:30PM and we were both exhausted and I knew that we could not get caught up in the freeways as it would be a long while before we found a place to spend the night.
Fortunately I had three very old travel reference books with me. I used the Walmart Locator book to find that there were two other Walmart’s somewhere. Then I used a 2001 Exit Source Authority that told me that I90 and exit 281 would bring me North on Hwy 2/395. Well we were traveling South on that road and I quickly worked with the directions from the Walmart Locator book to pinpoint those two Walmart’s. However suddenly there was a division in the road with Hwy 2 going to the left and Hwy 395 going to the right. We had a split second to make the choice and chose right which meant we missed the first Walmart as it was on the #2 split but I knew we could still get to the last Walmart but it was not a superstore so it might be crowded.
Heading West with the sun at eye level. It was most difficult to see out the window because of all the bug splatters not to mention the sun in our eyes.
But we did find the Walmart and yes there was room for us. It was a close call and we are both very tired. We were parked by 6:15PM. A very long day and a full 277.6 miles on the road. I was too tired to cook so after buying some wine at Safeway, we picked up a Subway for dinner.
Sunset from the Walmart lot.
Colin managed this selfie last night. Yes the sky was that color.
Well here it is 11PM. Time for a hot shower and bed. I think I will sleep well.
Our route today. 277.6 miles.
Sorry for any typos…to tired to do a final proof.
Oh and just to be clear, no we do not have GPS in the RV nor am I using my iPhone here in the US, too expensive. We are using Colin’s old flip phone Blackberry which is only costing us $20.00CAD per month for unlimited calls and texts. I will however use the smartphone while in Mexico. So I think I did a grand job of sorting this Hwy 2 mess out without any electronics.
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Nice that you are back on the road again and moving right along. nothing like using and good old map they have always worked for us. Suzie has microsoft streets and trips on her computer a great map program that we do not nee the internet for.
SO GLAD YOU GOT ON YOUR WAY, EVEN IF IT WAS LATER THAN YOU WANTED. AT LEAST YOU FOUND A WALMART, ANOTHER GOOD THING. NOW YOUR TRAVELLING HAS STARTED AND YOU TWO CAN RELAX A BIT AND ENJOY YOUR NEW ADVENTURES.
You did a fantastic job without any GPS. Even with my whole life on electronics it seems, I agree with George … I’ve always liked using my McNally or DeLorme maps. There is just something about holding them in your hand while planning your routes.
Since I drive alone, GPS is a necessity. I got my Garmin at Costco, and named her Dora (the explorer). I study maps ahead of time as a backup. She works in Mexico, but her pronunciation of Spanish can be very amusing.
Looks like you got off to a new start. I am surprised you have never seen the grapes before. We have always seen them when we visit the many wineries in your area. They are also very delicious! We also purchased a Gramin at Costco years ago and would never travel without it. You can just update it on line every couple of years. Can even be used in Europe if you are renting a vehicle. Safe journey!
We have Navmii off line maps (USA and Mexico) loaded on our small iPhone as well as our android phones. No data needed and works great. We also have a Tomtom that works for Mexico. I do my planning on Map point on the computer. Lots of paper maps too. Overkill…we think not. PS didn’t you see my blog post of the grape vines when we headed south and I teased that there were so many for making all your wine! Safe travels.
I too keep a reminder of our late dog (and my father) on the dash of The Van
Am a relatively new follower of your wonderful blog and I look
forward to each of your postings. Wishing you a wonderful trip.
Contessa and Colin on the road again – that sounds so nice. We were wondering if there could be any issues importing the AC units for your RV into Mexico? Quite sure you have researched this. SandyM
On the road again!!!
Safe Travels!!
Looking forward to traveling along with you…