Jun 21, 2021
Second road trip, time determined by a variety of issues
The twins were not too concerned about the prep with us going back & forth loading.
This was taken either this past Tuesday or Friday.
If you look at the previous photo and to the left of the 3 tall windows you will see the three tiny window opening. Perfect for doxies, this is Carlie.
They were so relaxed that we had to step over them to get to the steps. We were late leaving, not that we had a fixed schedule but for the first time the girls did not get us up shortly after 6AM. We are figuring out how to travel with two puppies and everything is taking longer than anticipated.
The girls refused to pee before we left – finally we just decided to go. We were hooked up and driving out the gate at 10AM. Here is our first stop about a mile down the road for a red light.
As you can see they are losing teeth rapidly.
Colin set up with a pee pad behind the ramp within a pen so that if they had to go they could. Our first stop was at 10:15 just as we got onto the highway. Fortunately there was a bus stop right there to pull over into. Something was beeping from the car tow brake. Easy fix and so we got under way again. We also discovered that the bedroom Fantastic fan that Colin had just repaired was not working. It became obvious that Carlie was unsettled and became more so. I figured she needed to pee. So we kept an eye for a place to stop that has grass and space for us to turn around, not an easy task. We pulled over at 10:40 and it took forever before she peed and then Ciela went right away. Finally on the road again at 11:00, we had progressed to West Kelowna.
Next stop was at 11:20AM – as you can see we weren’t getting anywhere fast. This stop at the Trepannier Road exit was to check the RV engine. Colin had a concern with it getting so hot so fast. We hadn’t yet even started the ascent to that first big hill on 97C. That also got sorted and finally we were really driving by 11:30 AM. The road to Brenda Mine was as bad as a Mexican road can be.
These wind turbines were near the Pennask Summit ( 5660 feet ). New to us.
I image that this has something to do with these turbines. Difficult to see but they are on the top of the highest hill to the left of centre.
They were sound asleep by 11:45. We drove through Merrit at 12:35PM and found that the rest area is closed, likely due to Covid.
This is the big rest area about an hour further heading west. Of course they did not want to pee even though it had been three hours since their last pee stop. They did want lunch and a few frozen carrots. We are on the road after a 25 minute stop.
Beautiful drive but the girls did not like the snowshed tunnel, just around the bend. They both cringed and ducked their heads.
We got to Hope around 2:25 and were hoping to get here at the RV park in Fort Langley no later than 4PM. In the end it was right on 4:30PM before we pulled in. It was only a 235 mile drive but it seemed like it took forever. We slowed right down just before Chilliwack, in fact we spent the last 90 minutes driving between 20 – 30kph. Traffic has become insane. Glad we moved away from the lower mainland in 2003. There were a few fender benders plus the fact that it was Father’s Day which may have had an effect. As we were inching down the road I realized that we would come to a rest area. As it was almost 4PM we stopped to pee the girls. It had been six hours and fortunately they both did what needed to be done.
The Bradner rest area looked very rough as we drove in, even the roads were falling apart. I counted 2 -3 tents and at least 12 RV’s who are very much living there despite the sign that says no overnight. This RV and his trailer had stuff, a generator and so much other junk on the pavement between the two vehicles. There were numerous cars parked in the shade as well. Colin was concerned taking the girls out. Obviously a Sunday drug exchange location.
Finally we were just a few blocks from the turn off to Fort Camping on Brea Island.
You can click here to see where we are camping. We are in site E ( eagle ) 30, top left the dark purple,
Click here to see the campground map.
There are even bunnies to tease the girls.
It was very hot, 30C/86F with 40% humidity when we arrived. We were in full sun until about 7:30PM when this was taken. It was too hot to do much of a set up earlier.
The grass and clover are always sweeter on the other side of the fence.
6.5 hours to drive 235 miles. It would normally take 4 hours in a car and we figured 5 hours in the RV but the extra 90 minutes was a bit much. However we are happy to be here. More adventures to come.
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Ugh, don’t you hate days like that! We had a day like that recently that just did not seem to end. Luckily the pups were troopers and made it through without a problem.
Our return home was a tad shorter but less chaotic. Fortunately our fur kids learn quickly.
Hey, I want to duck my head in tunnels too….I’m with the girls. I was alarmed at the photo with those various settling ponds being associated with with wind farm. There are lots of wind farms around here, and I’ve never seen anything like that. It looks more like some kind of mining operation, but I dunno.
Glad you are all set up, and I look forward to seeing/reading how it goes!!
It was my assumption that the tow were related as they were so close together. Could be a mining operation.
Glad you finally got there! The rest area at Merritt has been closed for several years now.
Enjoy your trip!
Know I know.
Have fun at Fort Langley – my husband has been there and told me it’s beautiful. We have a client in Langley and they always go to Fort Langley for lunch when he goes there.
It is a beautiful area, however we were doing so much visiting that we had no time for a walk in the town. Next time.
OK.
This is an important question, based on what I read this week, that dogs usually pee in standing/squatting north-south oriientation, I observed the only dog I see very often, a golden retriever, and she faces north. So what do the twins do??
I do hope you are settled in by now and all has gone well. I did here it is to be unusuallly hot up there…
argh.
The twins do what they have to do when they decide to and I have seen them in all sorts of directions. But I will see and eye out for a pattern.
I absolutely love the dashboard shot the girls look so comfortable one on you the other has found the perfect napping spot ??The visitor centre in Merrit has been closed for a couple of years now,some friends of ours said the town doesn’t have the money to keep it up and running, just what we’ve heard I’m not 100% on the accuracy of it ?