Author Archives: Sharron Grodzinsky

THE BEAUTIFUL, YET TERRIFYING ALASKAN HIGHWAY

Posted on by under Alaskan Highway, Epic Road Trip, Rv to Alaska

After completing the drive from the stunning Cassiar Highway, we started our journey to the great Alaskan Highway.

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The first stop was Dease Lake where we dry camped at Waters Edge RV Camp.

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Does a bear cross the road in the woods?

It rained all night and we prayed we could get up the dirt hill in the morning.   Next stop Watson Lake.  The Baby Nugget RV Park called our name, and we got an early start setting up.  (Allowing Lennard to clean the RV and car) We were lucky enough to see a bear crossing the road as a big wheel truck honked it’s horn along the way.

A short stop at Jade City was mandatory.  They actually export their jade to China and have it imported back after it has been designed into jewelry or art.  Who knew a lot of China’s jade comes from the Yukon?

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Can you believe this?

The next day we arrived in Whitehorse in the Yukon.  Our site was the narrowest we have ever seen at the Hy Country RV Park.  Lennard did a great job backing in… with my help of course.  P1000540

Dinner was at the famous Klondike Restaurant serving ribs and salmon. It is an eclectic place with crazy décor and smiling waitresses.  Along with the dinner fare they serve the largest deserts we have ever seen.  Did we share one?  YES!

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The next day we started sightseeing at Miles Canyon, which was a beautiful canyon with a river running through it and a bridge to the other side.  I stayed behind with the dogs and was lucky enough to have a chat with the world renown travel writer, Rosemary McClure.  She was there working on an article for the Los Angeles Times.  Her photographer had the largest lens I have ever seen. I’m looking forward to reading the piece and seeing the photos. She did ask me a few questions.  Will our story get in her article? I hope so. Never the less, it was a real pleasure talking with her.

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An old paddle wheel ship is located downtown.  The SS Klondike was used to transport goods and people in the  late 1800’s.  You can take a tour, but we just viewed it from the outside.

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After seeing the historic downtown, we ended the day with a trip to Walmart where the parking lot was crowded with RVs.  There must have been 50 of them  of all shapes and sizes, taking advantage of the free parking.  There was hardly room for cars to navigate.

The Yukon Wildlife Preserve is about 20 minutes out of town.  We opted for their 6 kilometer walk through the preserve the next day.  Our first stop was next to the bison area, where a mama bison was protecting her calf near the fence.  She rolled in the dust and  roared and grunted as we passed by.  After we passed, they did not let anyone down that pathway.  What? It was scary.  The rest of the park was calm and it was a great day.

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Mad Mama Bison and baby.

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Moose in field

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Elk

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We were surprised to find that the Alaskan Highway was really a pretty good road without any pot holes, gravel or problems all the way to Whitehorse.  We were thinking about all the stories we had heard about it and wondering where the bad parts were.

Ha! we would soon find out the real truth next day on our trip from Whitehorse to Tok, Alaska.  But, that’s a story for another day.

VANCOUVER TO HYDER ALASKA AND FOOD STAMP THE 500 POUND GRIZZLY

Posted on by under Alaska, British Columbia, Epic Road Trip, RV Travels, RV Trip

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Sorry to have been so long, but we do not have the availability of internet everywhere. And when there is you can’t count on it. Beginning our journey from Vancouver we decided to take the Cassiar Highway towards Fairbanks and Anchorage rather than the usual trail beginning in Dawson Creek.  We were told this is a spectacular highway and so far it has proven to be true.  It has been one beautiful scene after another.Williams Lake Stampede Grounds was our first stop after Vancouver. They have an annual stampede there in June. Lennard was thinking he could get a job there in the cow chute. From there we went to Prince George and stayed at Mama Yeh Campgrounds outside town in the woods. That’s where we learned if you even dare to step outside without mosquito protection, you will be attacked in seconds. We have the ankle bites to prove.it. After a day of reorganizing and going to Walmart, and some Tim Horton coffee, we headed for Ksan RV Park in Hazelton, with spectacular views of the Kitwanga Mountains.P1000310 - Copy

The next day we began our journey on the beautiful, spectacular Cassiar Highway 37 through the Cassiar Mountains to Alaska. We took the 37A cutoff towards Hyder, Alaska as an extra stop. P1000314The drive was one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. Every turn was a new and breathtaking vista. We made a pit stop at Bear Glacier to take photos. P1000343 P1000346And… We saw a black bear on the highway. He just watched us drive by. As we neared the border, I got the passports out to cross the border and there was no border stop going into Hyder. What??? There was coming back into British Columbia.

Hyder is a town of 87 people with one general store, run by Wes who was super friendly, a post office, two bars, no police, no taxes and NO gas station. There also is no cell service for 280 miles. We parked at Camp Run-A-Muck for two days we liked it so much. The local 500 pound Grizzly Bear is called Food Stamp. Fortunately we did not meet him.P1000399

On the first night we had dinner at the “bus”, (an old school bus made into a restaurant) where Diana cooked fresh halibut her husband caught. It was delicious and we sat outside on school bus seats. It rained while we were having dinner which just added to the atmosphere under the awning. Diana and her husband married about 36 years ago after a whirlwind 17 day courtship. Then he brought her to Hyder!IMG_0397 IMG_2090

After dinner we drove to the bear viewing station outside town on the Salmon River, but it was too early in the season for the running of the salmon.

The next day we took the beautiful, but terrifying (for me anyway) drive up the mountain to Salmon Glacier. I finally refused to go any further and the road was even worse after I got out of the car. Lennard got caught in fog at the top, and I was standing on the road waiting with Bella and Gypsy all alone thinking “Isn’t this bear country?” We got the boxing gloves out after that. So far that is probably the stupidest thing we have done. By the way, Salmon Glacier is the fifth largest glacier in British Columbia.P1000381 P1000392

That evening Lennard got Hyderized at the local Glacier Bar. That means you drink a shot of 150 proof moonshine. If you can’t drink it, you buy everyone a drink. He made it of course. Dave, one of the locals, was sitting next to me and it was his birthday, so Lennard bought him a drink anyway!IMG_0394 IMG_0401 IMG_0410

Later we met Sam and Ben and their friend George at out camp site. They are moving from Fairbanks to Arizona. Some local gentlemen and ladies showed up with guitars and a drum and we had a campfire jam-fest till almost midnight. Hyder is one of the most unusual places I have ever seen. Gorgeous scenery, local characters and NO traffic. Counting the people we met while there, bar tender, Diana and husband, Wes, Sullie (our RV host), David, and the young people at the campfire, we now know about 1/5th of the town. If you ever get the chance to go, don’t miss it.P1000377 P1000376

SALT SPRING ISLAND MARKET

Posted on by under Epic Road Trip, Market, Salt Spring Island

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BC FERRIES

We were lucky enough to have one day to go to Salt Spring Island while we were in Vancouver.  Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada and Vancouver Island. You have to take the ferry to get there and that is about an hour an a half ride if you get the non-stop ferry. Saturday is market day with lots of vendors and artists.  Some lovely people we met in Coronado told us about it…so we went.  It is a beautiful island and we wish we could have spent more time there.

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Bugs!

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These two are favorites at the market.

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The weather was perfect so we had lunch outdoors at the Burger Bar 537.  The burgers, by the way were terrific! At days end we took the milk run ferry home and stopped at several islands, so we got to see some spectacular water scenery. We were really lucky to have this great day.

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SEATTLE PIKE’S PIER AND VANCOUVER, BC

Posted on by under Astoria, Cannon beach, Epic Road Trip, Pikes pier, Sky Train, Vancouver
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Astoria Column

Our last stop in Oregon was Astoria.  We traveled the winding, narrow Highway 101 up to Astoria and settled in for two nights.  The famous Cannon beach is just south of there, so we took a day trip to walk on the wide, sandy beaches after viewing Astoria Column and seeing downtown historic Astoria. The column is an artful summary of the trials and tribulations of settling the Pacific Coast. From the Chinook and Clatsop Indians to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, to the railroad connecting the land, the settling of the Oregon Coast is depicted in art on the column.

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One of many bridges we crossed.

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Cannon Beach

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Cannon Beach where there is a bird preserve.

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You may have to wait in line for 30 minutes to an hour to get these famous fish and chips.

Lennard had Albacore Tuna fish and chips from this landmark little ship.

Seattle is a vibrant, bustling city.  We spent two days there and got to go to the famous Pikes Pier on Memorial Day.  It was crowded, but so much fun people watching.  We did observe the “throwing of the fish”.  As in any city, there was a mixture of locals, tourists, and homeless.  Unfortunately, we did encounter a few addicts shooting up right on the sidewalk.  Nothing you, as a onlooker, can do about it.

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What?

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By chance, we had lunch at the Biscuit Bitch, which has been on the Travel channel.  They have marvelous, unique offerings like biscuit, maple syrup, bacon and eggs.  Or grits, gravy, eggs and sausage.  All healthy of course.

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Biscuit Bitch (The restaurant I mean, not Lennard!)

We made it into Canada without getting thrown in jail for having an extra bottle of wine on board. We were worried about the wine and we should have been worried about the space allowed to get through the border. We literally had inches on either side of the RV going through customs!  It was terrifying.  I’ve got my head out the side window and see the concrete barriers right next to us. Our RV park is in the woods of Tynehead near Jerry and Benita’s place. We will be spending five days here visiting Vancouver and our friends.

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Lennard taking a wrong turn at Pier 7

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Benita and Jerry took us on the sky Train and Ferry to North Vancouver.  It was a gorgeous day and we had lunch at Pier 7, taking advantage of Happy Hour of course. That night we had a BBQ at our “house”.  Steaks brought from Costco and Greek salad from Benita’s kitchen. Some nice wine, a few beers and great friends.  What more could you ask?

Moving up the OregonCoast

Posted on by under Epic Road Trip, Hiking, Oregon Coast, RV

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After a wonderful visit with my brother and sister-in-law, we headed over to the 101 via the 20. Oops, a little winding and narrow and harrowing.  We managed to get up the coast to the Willits KOA campground where two men helped us back into the narrow site. Lennard made beer drinking friends and played “Corn Hole”. (Something like horseshoes only with beer)

On Sunday we drove through the Avenue of the Giants in the redwoods.  Absolutely stunning. The redwoods are sentinels of time, withstanding fire and tree plagues. They can live for thousands of years, grow to over 300 feet and can be as wide as 20 feet.  The famous drive thru tree is 17 feet wide.

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On Monday the plan was to stay in the Jedidiah Smith State Park.  What was I thinking?  We almost got stuck in the entrance. The road was so narrow I had to get out to make sure we didn’t hit anything leaving.  We found a lovely campground just down the road…The Hiouchi RV resort.  We spent the rest of the day hiking through the spectacular Stout Grove of magnificent redwoods.
On the way to the redwoods, we drove along the coast and stopped at the Mystery Trees Visitor Center and took their one mile hike through the redwoods.
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The next day we drove back  Klamath to go to the drive through tree.  It is one of three in the world, all of which are in the redwoods.
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The rest of the day was spent back in Crescent City at the absolutely beautiful Battery Point Lighthouse, perched high on a hill.  It was first lit in 1856. You can only go over to it when the tide is at its lowest.  It was one of the first lighthouses on the Oregon coast. Dogs are not allowed, so don’t tell anyone we took them up anyway.
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On Wednesday we had Norwegian fish and chips along the highway.  They were fabulous.
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We arrived late at the Whaler’s Rest RV Park.  This is a Thousand Trails Encore Park and is set in the woods along the coast.  We love it here and got the Passport America discount too! They have a trail that leads to the beach which we took a walk along this morning.
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Just in case you were counting. We have now made it over two weeks, over 1,000 miles and seen three states.
On Thursday we went into historic Newport over the historic bridge and saw the harbor.
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Newport also has the oldest, wooden light house on this coast, set in the Yaquina Park.
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We also saw the Yaquina Head Lighthouse made of brick, which has been standing sine 1873. It was originally known as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse as the fog was so bad on the coast.  We had a lot of foul fog today too! The lens was made in Paris and shipped to Oregon.  At least it made it! It is now operated by the Coast Guard and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Since we didn’t have lunch, we stopped for dinner at a fresh Crab place on the highway. Lennard had oysters and fresh  Halibut.  I had chicken tenders.  What a wimp I am.
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By the way, we saw an example of some type of natural or environmental oddity on the beaches all along the coast.  We were told it was the largest dying off of jellyfish that has been seen in years.  Maybe we should rethink our environmental policies.
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A late Happy Birthday to Frank and sorry we missed the party!! Keep track of us on Life 360, Right Rich?
Take care!

OH LORD, STUCK IN LODI AGAIN

Posted on by under Epic Road Trip, RV Trip, Sacramento

King and Kristen plus us 2For those of you who are old enough to remember, Credence Clearwater recorded this song in 1969.  Well, things have changed since then and Lodi is a bustling agricultural town that mostly grows grapes and produces wine.  We parked in Flag City RV Park, which was nice and clean with good sized pull through spaces.  We have learned that pull through is a good deal for us.  RV DriverParticularly if this one is driving.

My brother, King and his lovely wife, Kristen came over for BBQ.  King is a professional expert at it, so he taught Lennard a few things.  (Like how to turn it on)  We had a great evening talking, laughing and sharing stories.

The next day we went to visit the cemetery where my father is…Beautiful spot.  That night we met King and Kristen in Old Sacramento.  It’s a state historical park with about 50 old buildings from the Gold Rush era around 1850.  Great place with lots of good restaurants and located on the Sacramento River.  We had appetizers and then moved on to dinner at the Ten22.  Great pizza and salad right from the nearby farms.

On Friday we decided to try to do laundry.  Actually it turned out good.  Then, off to Walmart for important supplies like a sewer hose cradle.  If you are an RVer, you will know this is important to keep the “flow” going easily.  Lunch was at a dog friendly Panera Bread for Tuscan salad and Quinoa soup, and then we stopped at the Michael David Winery for wine tasting.  It was fun, but why do they charge more for the wine at the source than they do in the store or at Costco?  Doesn’t make sense.  We got a nice bottle of Earthquake Petite Syrah for King and Kristen. Dinner was at their home and KIng made a great BBQ of beer can chicken, ribs and shrimp, along with a fabulous rice salad.  We were very grateful for the time they spent with us and look forward to more times with them in Las Vegas.  All in all, we had a great time there.

Today we traveled to Willits, CA. via the 20 and it was a learning experience for Lennard.Not too bad, but it was a winding road.  Willits is the gateway to the giant redwoods, which we should begin seeing tomorrow.  Staying in a KOA campground tonight with a lot of families.  The dogs are happy!

FUN IN FRESNO CALIFORNIA

Posted on by under Epic Road Trip, RV Trip, Tiffin

So to those of you who have bets on how far we are going to make it, we have made it to Fresno Ca.  No major problems, but we did have a couple of “tense” moments when we got lost in Costco parking lot.  Lennard almost took out a light pole getting out.  Just part of the overall experience!.

After driving through Barstow, we took the 58 through windmill country.  We should all have windmills generating electricity. Edwards Air Force Base is a place we have been before with the Corvette club to see the airplanes on display there.  Thanks to all the military men and women out there protecting us.

The first night was spent in Bakersfield in a nice RV park.  Tonight we are at Millerton Lake State Park just outside Fresno California. It is beautiful here and there is hardly anyone in the park so it is quiet, except for us of course. We will be hooking up with my high school girlfriend, Linda, tomorrow night and visit with her and her mom, Ruby, now 98 years young.

It is $38.00 to park here with a hook up.  And…another ten for the tow vehicle.  Quite expensive really.  But, it is lovely.   We almost lost one of the girls (Gypsy) when a BIG hawk came swooping down over her and gave her the onceover like she would be a good dinner.  Bella was under my feet, so she was safe.

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I’m sharing some photos just before we took off and at our two nights stays so far.

We are missing you all already!!

Epic Road Trip

Posted on by under Uncategorized

I couldn’t wait!  We are almost to Barstow Ca.  We started early this afternoon and so far everything is holding together including me.   Lennard is doing all the driving. We don’t trust me yet. Had one gust of wind that was scary.  But gusts of wind are usual for this desert area.   

Thanks for all the good wishes from our friends and family.  Happy Mothers Day to all of you who are Moms!  

ZION SHAKEDOWN TRIP

Posted on by under RV Caravans, RV Travels, Tiffin, Travel, Zion National Park, Zion River RV Resort

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I guess it would be more exciting if I wrote that we had lots of problems and then miraculously solved them on our own. Fortunately, that was not the case.  We actually had a great time with few problems.  We went with our Sun City Anthem RV Club, so there were lots of people with years of experience to give us advice and help with any problems.

We took off in a mini-caravan (just two of us) with our good friends, Scott and Donna and had am uneventful drive to the Zion River RV Resort. This is one of the best resorts in the country, offering full hookups, pool, store, camping, and…. Ta Da… it sits right on the Virgin River just a few miles from Zion. What more could you ask for.  The Resort was amazingly serene, except when our group was singing and partying till the late hour of 9PM.   The people working there were extremely helpful and just plain nice.  I would go back in minute.

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We spent a great day hiking in Zion and took the easy path up to the Narrows.  The day was splendid and the river water was crystal clear. The photos above of the wild flowers were taken on the hike among the rocks near the river path.  The next day we walked around the town of Springfield and browsed the galleries and craft stores.  There were some magnificent pieces of art by local artists displayed in the galleries as well as breathtaking photos of Zion. By the way, dogs are not allowed the shuttles and only on one of the paths, so the girls spent the day at Doggie Dude Ranch just outside of Zion.

The only problem we could not could not solve on our own was the sun panel over the shower was stuck in open position.  (Not a major disturbance to life) but a little aggravating, as when we are in Alaska in the summer and it is open 24/7, we would get light in the bedroom most of the night. So, when we got back…off to the service department.

Also, my husband learned we need a more substantial sewer hose.  I did not ask any questions about that.  All in all, it was a lovely adventure and we are now feeling a lot more confident about the Epic Road Trip coming up in a few weeks.

DATE SET TO START THE EPIC ADVENTURE

Posted on by under Alaskan Highway, RV Travels, Travel

We have finally set the date to start our epic adventure.  We leave May 10, 2015 and hope we will make the entire planned journey, which should take 5-6 months and 18,000 miles.  We are headed to the north-east coast and then to Alaska and the Alcan Highway first! After that, we traverse across the US into northeastern Canada and then down the east coast and to the Great Smoky Mountains.  Next we drive down to the Florida Keys and then back through the Midwest and home. Yes, I admit is it very ambitious for new RVers, but hey, what the heck? If you don’t choose to live life to the fullest you miss out.  What is the worst that can happen?  We  change the itinerary or we come home early.  So, then we sell it or start out again.  (Depending on how we fared and if we are still talking to each other. We do have boxing gloves courtesy of  our friends,Vickie and Thayne.)

The RV is in the service department again for all those minor cosmetic repairs and to have some after-market stuff put on.  One is a stabilizer and the other some type of stabilizer tow bar.  Okay, I might have to check with my husband to let you all know what they are really called.

We will be making a trial trip to Zion this month, with the Sun City Anthem RV Club. The trip should show us if everything is in good shape before we leave on the big trip. If not, then we will have a week or so to fix or adjust. It is also a trial for our two loved, happy, but yappy Pomeranians to see how they do.

Photos from Zion to come after the trip!