DAY 21

We spent the night at an A&W/gas station in Cache Creek, BC. This was our first long run on the generator. We used it for about half the night and it worked great. We awoke to the smell of rancid grease they had just dumped in the dumpster next to us. Yummy, just in time for breakfast! Hey it was free, so how much can we complain???

Cache Creek is a little town with lots of trucks pulling though. We stopped inside the gas station and found some Nestle candy. The packaging is different but unwrapped it tastes the same. We are driving through many small towns and they all have one thing in common. There are many with old cars in the yards. The kind of cars we like too. Now we know where to shop when looking for more vehicles to add to our collection which is now down to 6.

The road we are on is twisting between mountain passes following the valley. Trees are just beginning to awake from winter, the birds are flying in the air, and the water is crisp blue. The views are spectacular. As we continue on we hit a sheet of snow. The snow is flying almost horizontal and hitting hard. You could stand on one side of the road and not a snow flake is falling. The other side is getting covered with the stuff. About 2 miles up the road it is clear again. Then it was sunny blue skies with huge white fluffy clouds in the distant.

After lunch we gained elevation and hit some rain. As we drive on we enter snow covered country. It is very calm and the stillness is relaxing as we drive on.

There are more lumber mills than you can shake a stick at (no pun intended) with logs piled for blocks or pulp. We are also in the capitol of hand made log cabins country. We can see them building the homes, taking them back down and the trucks taking the homes off to the new location.

We see a lot of Dairy Queens and A&W. Diesel is about 106.9 a liter in Canadian currency. Brad’s job has been to convert the liters to gallons and then Canadian to US currency. Each time he does he tries to walk me through it. I am hoping he gets the hint that I don’t nor do I want to understand it. He does it so why do I need to confuse myself?

XM Satellite is working but gets a little fuzzy when we are in valleys or in tunnels. We have also realized that Radio Disney plays the same 5 songs, over and over and over and over. This is the girls’ favorite station and they ask to listen to it at least once a day. We try to avoid it but have to give in as we are out numbered (Zac jumps on their side too).

We pulled into Prince George and saw a Flying J with diesel for 92.6 cents per liter. No I don’t know what it works out to per gallon. So we top off for grand total of $184 in Canadian and again I don’t know what that converts to. We are on our way out of town and guess what we see….a Starbuck’s in Prince George. Of course we gotta, so Brad whips the RV around and we journey into get our first Starbucks out of the USA. We are in a college town so everyone is young. The girl working behind the counter kept saying, “Right on” and “For sure” as I explain our drinks. AHHH….coffee and sugar.

There was not as much traffic North of Prince George. We have seen some large snow drifts and a lot of water. I mean a lot with lakes and rivers on both sides of the road. As we headed north out of Prince George most of the lakes are still frozen. Snowmobiles are very popular in this part of the country as there are tracks every where. We see some deer but that’s about it for wildlife.

We are stopping just south of Mackenzie for the night. Kenzie is beyond excited. She still remembers eating at a restaurant when she was almost four called McKenzie. We found a little gas station where the lady working is letting us shower for $2/adult and the kids free (Canadian price) so, “Yee Haw” cheap for us. It is set up as a bunk house for logging workers. It was a very clean facility and she is letting us boon dock in the parking lot for free too. If you are driving in BC please stop in and give her the business. She is very nice and even says, “Right on” too. It is called Windy Point Inn.

DAY 20- Entering Canada

We were told by our Canadian friends we met in the Red Woods that entering through Sumas is the best/easiest place to cross the border. Driving through Northern Washington was beautiful. The land is speckled with cute little farming communities with huge mountains rising just beyond the farms. We made it into Sumas about 5pm.

As we approach the Port of Entry to Canada we pulled in behind a car already with the border patrol. As we come rolling up the border patrol agent starts waving frantically to stop. As soon as the car pulls away he waves us up to the window and asks Brad to turn off the truck. When pulling the RV Rocky’s turbo builds a lot of heat and shutting off the oil supply to a hot turbo is not the best prescription for it, so Brad waited to let the temp come down before shutting it off.

The guy rolled his eyes and with a disgusted look on his face and just starred at us. The truck is really loud and in a corridor the sound just echoes louder. By the time Brad shut off the truck he’s thinking he’s going to get cavity searched. The agent was dry as a rice cake. He asked for IDs, where we live, liquor and firearms to declare. Brad declared the 6 pack of Red Hook. He asked again about firearms. Brad replied no. “Why not?” He asked. That is when I spoke up about the kids not having a NRA course training yet. That was it. No passports, no birth certificates, no health record for Thor, nothing. They didn’t even look in the RV. At least we had every thing just incase.

We pulled into Canada and jumped on Highway 1. Not sure what to expect, we find the roads very easy to navigate. We passed Bridal Falls which is a huge waterfall that was moving from all the snow melt. The mountains are all seeping water and little water falls are at every glance. The kids are unable to keep up with them. We are also noticing a lot of avalanche runs and I mean huge runs. Some have apparent recent activity as shown by tree and road damage. I am glad we are not coming through any earlier. The rivers are zigzagging next to the roadway and they are full and running quick. British Columbia is beautiful so far.

We have been surprised with the amount of truckers we have been passing…or passing us I should say. As far as wildlife, we have seen some deer and a large white “Sasha” dog, like our friends the Brinley’s Great Pyrenees, standing on the side of the road. We stopped in Cache Creek, BC for the night. Now if we can brush up on our metric conversions we’ll be doing great!

DAY 20- Leaving the lower 48

This is our last wake up in the continental USA this trip. It is kind of surreal. We are leaving the country today. I will be the farthest from an Archivers than I have ever been (HAHA). I do miss it though.

We got the last few things done and we pulled out of the FamCamp at McChord, AFB. The area is just so beautiful. We really enjoyed our stay here minus the stress of the truck and the rude camp hosts.

We made a last minute stop to the BX to get one last coffee from a Starbuck’s in the lower 48. Brad stayed in the truck to look at the route again. We have been using the Milepost to guide our agenda through Canada. If you plan on traveling through Canada or Alaska this is a must have. The kids and I ran into the BX to get the coffees. I begin the spiel of our coffee concoction when the lady said, “I remember you.” The one making the coffee also said she recognized the drink. Both had made our drinks before just at separate times. NOT addicted!! I wired Brad without his knowledge. So knowing their coffee is a little weaker than our coffees in CO I added another shot (6 total shot of espresso). Brad is driving as I am typing and he is reacting from the added caffeine. He says his hair tingles and he can feel his beard grow. I clue him in as he is about half way through his drink ;).

We will be at the border soon so this will be our last post until we make it into Alaska. Verizon has service in Canada but charges for each MB and since I have NO idea what those are we will not be using them. We will journal each day and post them in once in Alaska. We “think” we have all the needed paperwork. We will soon find out.

Good bye to all of our friends and family until we see you again.

DAY 19

We awoke with the stress of the truck still weighing very heavy on our mind. The diesel repair fairies didn’t have time to stop by last night so obviously we can not leave today. We pay for another night at FamCamp and I begin calling diesel shops to see if they can run a diagnosis on the truck. Most appointments are all a week out. The last place I call refers me to a shop just South of where we are that can fit us in today. We run down there and the technician plugged in his Snap On scanner and took it for a spin. The only code he could get out of it was a code for the air intake heater. Brad had unplugged it as a mod to get better air flow which equals more power and better mileage. This would not cause any issues except we are in a 99% humidity area and it could be causing some issues coming from such a dry climate.

So we head home so Brad can hook it back up. Easy fix if it works. Brad quickly hooks it back up and we take off for another test run. It started running really rough again so he stopped and popped the hood to look and listen. On the driver side there is a loom of wires that run over the valve cover. The Chilton’s manual calls it the engine control sensor circuit. He ran them with his hand to make sure they didn't come in contact with the exhaust manifold (grasping at straws). He pinched the connection together and the truck straightened out and ran perfect. We drove it for about an hour and it ran great. After $200 for a CPS, $12 for diesel additive, $70 for a scanner and a couple burning ulcers it just needed a little wiggle. We drove around for an hour hitting the rpm’s that were causing issue and it is running perfect now.

So we head to the commissary to stock up on food and supplies. We are planning 7-10 days through Canada so I wanted enough food for the entire trip plus 1 extra week of food in the event of a longer time in Canada. After filling three shopping carts we are ready to check out. Most of the menu is meals that can be prepared with the stove and water only. We are not sure what facilities we will find or how often we will be hooked up.

We finished everything on our list today so tomorrow we can hit the shower and we can pull out. It is amazing how little things can alter the mood of a trip and realign the pace. Even if it delays our plan it works out for the best in the end. Our spirit guides defiantly work in wonderful, mysterious ways.

DAY 18

It is Monday and we are working on our to-do list for pulling out tomorrow morning to head out of the country. We need Canadian currency, some traveler’s checks, 2 weeks worth of food and supplies and an international calling card as our cell phone roaming charges will eat us alive as will our air card for internet. Laundry again haunts us and we need to clean and pack things up. Those darn kids change clothes EVERY day!!

We head out to the bank in downtown Tacoma to get the money. We exchanged our money and headed towards the 1st Starbucks again. No we are not addicted, just gotta have it to function. By the time we pull out of downtown Seattle Rocky is really running rough. We head home so Brad can read up on the computer about what is going on. We also realized that Brad has brief bouts of turrets when Rocky is not running good.

Brad plays around with it trying different things and nothing worked. He was able to pin point the rough spot between 1200-1600 rpm. After researching on the computer we get knots in our stomach. Some of the symptoms we were experiencing were that of fuel injector or injector pump issues. The damage for just parts would start at $475 an injector and we have 8 of them not to mention the injector pump. Each has their own sensor and of course more work than possible in a FamCamp RV site to diagnose. So we are a little stressed as we head to bed. Anyone interested in a 2000 F350 Power Stroke???

DAY 17

Yeah, today we get to head towards Pikes Market which is best known for the area of the 1st Starbucks and the people that throw fish (more on that later). Yes, that is the highlight of the trip for me. We pulled out of FamCamp and it was looking pretty overcast and there was a cool bite in the air. Rocky is doing well and traffic is not bad. We turn to head to downtown Seattle and Rocky starts acting up again. Okay, nothing to panic over right, just some bad diesel working its way through. We drove around the downtown area for quite some time looking for a parking spot. We finally found a spot and we head off to get our now much needed coffee.

The area is streaming with people. We found the 1st Starbucks (The mother ship) and we heard the angels singing, bells ringing, and light shining down from the heavens. The aroma of freshly brewed espresso and sound of bluegrass singers in front of the store beckoned us in. We knew we were in the right place when we stepped to the counter, ordered our Iced Venti Americana, no H20, add a shot of espresso (now 5 total), add caramel sauce and Vanilla syrup, stirred and topped off with ice and Brads with a splash of soy milk. The Starbucks employee starts laughing saying that is her same exact drink too!!! It was so cool. The counter is L shaped so they throw the cups to get to the bar. The lines were long yet quick moving and damn the coffee was perfect. Just like our favorite Starbucks in Barnes and Noble in Colorado Springs. The only problem is the coffee went WAY too fast. We wanted to go back for another but that would just be TOO much caffeine.

We began our on our path through the market. One entire side of the market, about 2 blocks, was nothing but flowers. There were tulips, lilacs and huge bouquets of brightly colored flowers. We were walking through the gaggle of people when a booth caught my attention. I found beautiful pieces of jewelry that reminded me of the style of scrimshaw. I am my mother’s daughter ya know. The gentleman that makes the jewelry hand cast each of the different designs and then uses an acrylic polymer mixture to make copies of the hand cast mold. http://www.danielleen.com I found a Celtic Endless Knot. I LOVE it. Cindy was even taken by his talent and bought a pair of beautiful fish earrings. The style is very native for this area. He has quite a resume as he is an Anthropologist. He lived on his boat for some time and has been studying Northwest Coast art for over 20 years. His spirit is very wise and he is the type you could sit and listen to all day.

We continued on and came across the famous throwing fish stand. It was a fresh fish stand where the workers looked for an excuse to throw fish to each other. It was good entertainment. We were recommended to eat at a local fish place called Ivers by an Archiver’s customer… repeatedly. We found one right on the pier so we ordered at the fish bar and popped a squat on the pier. The seagulls were well feed and used to eating off the pier so they were swarming the area. The food was good for the price. By the time we sat down to eat the sun had made its way out and the clouds had cleared. Dan and Cindy both commented about how beautiful the day was as it had been along time since such perfect weather.

Of course we had to explore the Ye Old Curiosity shop. It is a must see as it has been around since 1899 www.yeoldecuriosityshop.com It had everything from tourist key chains to real shrunken heads. They had it all. We walked around the store and Brad was lured in by a rice writing sales man. He got Brad to tell him all the names of our kids and wrote my name and Brad’s with a heart between and all 5 kids names on 1 grain of rice. As I was passing by the guy asks me to hold out my hand and he drops the grain of rice on my hand. Just after instructing me to not roll the rice around in my hand, I rolled it down my sleeve. I did get to see all of the names but of course I can not find a flipin grain of rice in my sleeve. The grain of rice was free but the jar with the “special” solution to preserve the writing starts at $25. Yeah, I don’t think so.

We hiked over to the area of town that was built up over time so the 1st floor of all the buildings is now the basement. You can see the tops of the windows and the skylights on the sidewalk. Pretty cool looking. They even have an underground tour you can go on.

Cindy had described a chocolate drink that Godiva makes in their stores. Lucky for me there was a store in the mall 9 blocks North of where we were. So in search of chocolate we hiked to the mall. Unlucky for me not all the stores make the drinks and this one did not. Oh well, we were there so of course we HAD to buy some chocolate. Brad even won a candy bar.

As we hike back to the truck we were drawn to a couple of street performers. This was a unique pair that we had not seen yet. One of the guys was a bagpiper and the other was a beat boxer. Weird combo but it sounded really cool. We hung out awhile jamming with their little robots dancing on the sidewalk. We returned to the truck hoping that the additive has worked in the fuel. We say goodbye to Dan and Cindy as they have to work tomorrow. We had a great time with them. Both are very laid back and easy to get along with. The kids have always enjoyed their company too. They address each kid and have real conversations with them.

We started Rocky only to find the additive had not yet kicked in. In fact it got worse as we drove home. We made it over to the auto store to have codes read on it, but nothing comes up so we head home. Bad diesel, gonna take some time to work it through.

DAY 16

Red Hook Brewery is the destination today. This is a local micro brewery that Dan has discovered. Being the beer coinsurer that Brad is, he had to taste for him self before giving his thumbs up.

Brad ordered the sampler. This gives the patron the chance to sample the 5 different brews they offer. All the beers were good but the ESB and Pale Ale were the 2 that got a right arm with a slight swagger of his approval. So we bought a little of both and brought them home. Their Smoked Salmon sandwich is to die for. It is in some town, way far away from where we are staying and if I had known how to get back there, we would have gone back for another.

We spent time sitting around enjoying the busy atmosphere in the brewery and looking at the souvenirs. We got there around 2ish and the place still had a 45 min wait for lunch. I had just asked Dan and Cindy if they had found any good live music bars. They confessed to not knowing of any area bars with good live music due to their “lameness.” A few minutes later the Harmony Kings broke into song. You could not have planned it any better. A group of men in the middle of a busy as can be brewery began singing Barber Shop. They were good. They were a quirky group of about 15 or so, all singing their part and in perfect tune. The customers even had some request filled. We had a blast.

Cindy had raved about a mom and pop coffee place called Victor’s. Because Brad drank, I drove and of course the truck starts to act up. We pulled out and start down the road and Rocky starts sputtering like it is running out of gas. Not consistent but obvious. We make it to Victor’s and we believe we just picked up some bad diesel in Oregon the last time we filled up. We ordered a Java Jane and a cinnamon coffee drink with a cinnamon roll to share. The coffee was excellent with chocolate whip cream on top. The cinnamon roll was the closest to a homemade one I have ever had, very delicious.

From there we are headed to Snoqualmie Falls which is a truly beautiful water fall when the truck acts up some more. Brad rubs the dash and starts talking to Rocky like the movie Christine to no avail. We keep driving only surging occasionally (bad diesel in 108 gallons is gonna take awhile to run through). Dan and Cindy had not been to the falls yet so this was first for them too. They had driven by, but not stopped. We hiked down to the Snoqualmie Falls which was ½ mile, but it was a pretty steep grade. It was enough to work off that cinnamon roll. Kenzie definitely thought it was more fun going down than coming up. It is amazing that people do not give water the respect it deserves. The energy and force the water has running over the edge is majestic and you can feel the rush right through you. The sound of the falls commands your attention with strength as you take in the sights. Again we had found a scene from a postcard. The sunset, waterfalls, spring flowers and a great mixture of trees are breathtaking.

On the way home we stopped by the Flying J truck stop to pick up the additive to add to the diesel to make the truck run better. Diesel was at $2.85 a gallon which is the cheapest we have seen in WA so we fuel up.

DAY 15

Today (Friday) was a day we like to call PJ day. The past few months have been very hectic with preparing for the move and all, so it is nice to take a day to just veg out in PJs. We hung out in the trailer most of the day. It rained all night and most of the morning. Our RV site has a canopy of trees over head so it is always shaded. It is very hypnotizing having the rain patter on the roof with an overcast hue. It only adds to the pure enjoyment of the PJ day. But even with the PJ day we have laundry and cleaning to be done.

After we finished our chores we decided to run a couple errands. We headed over to Ft. Lewis Army Post which was just down the road. Their FamCamp is awesome and it’s right along the side of a lake with paved spots and lots of tree privacy. We drove around to check it out and found very pristine buildings from before the turn of the century. It had housing that was of royal caliber and perfectly landscaped parade grounds. It was the largest Post Brad or I have seen to date. They had the usual bowling alley, movie theater, fitness center, but they also had a roller skating rink which was packed. They offered Seattle’s Best and Starbucks, Popeye’s chicken, and Burger King to name a few.

In keeping with the true PJ day we decided to grab dinner out before heading home. We choose to dine in a restaurant called “Shari’s”. The kids thought it sounded great as Brad’s moms name is Shari. It is spelled the same and she is known for good food, especially the Kringlas. We learned it is a chain with over 100 restaurants all through out the West Coast. The food was pretty good if you’re looking for cheap home-style much better than a Denny’s but same kind of menu. I gotta recommend the Cinna-sensation French Toast…sugar buzz never hurt anyone. Also kids eat free on Saturday and Sundays.

We waddled into the shopette after dinner and rented the movie Ice Age 2. The kids thought it was hilarious and even quote the lines from the movie. I am lame and old and I fell asleep just after the movie started. I would like to see it. Maybe next time I can make it through the end.

DAY 14

Today (Thursday) our mission was the Space Needle. We trekked off towards downtown Seattle prepared to deal with the nightmare of traffic/parking. We were pleasantly surprised to find easy access to downtown w/o traffic problems. We even found parking right across from the Space Needle to accommodate our truck. We parked right next to Cindy as she met us there. We were able to get discount tickets on base so we were ready to head up to the observation deck.

The ride up is in a glass elevator up the side of the needle. It was quite nerve racking (for me) as all the kids instinctively gravitate towards the glass window up front. Not being a fan of heights I tried to avoid looking out. Once we made it to the top we were able to get a 360 degree view of Seattle and the surrounding area. The view was amazing. There were so many houses and buildings, as far as the eye can see and trees woven through out the streets and buildings. We got some great shots of the city. I was even able to find our truck below in the parking lot. The big blue tarp covering the generator made it stand out.

There were a lot of other tourists at the Space Needle. Even a Starbucks up there to get you wired before heading down. You can’t go a block without seeing a Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, or Tully’s. These are some of the major coffee houses in the Seattle area.

While shopping for Space Needle souvenirs we got the phone call to confirm the sale of our Suburban “Buzz”. We really loved our Suburban and for the time we had it, it really made traveling with our family and all my scrapbooking supplies very comfortable. The family that bought it has 3 young children all in car seats. We wish them the best with “Buzz”.

We were invited back to Cindy and Dan’s for dinner. They ordered from one of their favorite pizza places. We consumed a lot of pizza, and toasted to the beloved “Buzz” (no just kidding Mel) and relaxed. After dinner it was time for the ladies to get there chocolate fix. Cindy introduced me to Tully's, a coffee house chain. Very good coffee and even better pastries. Cindy and Dan have made the trip to visit us while we lived in TX and in CO. This is the first time we have been able to visit them. It was great to see their neck of the woods, which is gorgeous and their hospitality was the best. Brad was quickly reunited with Moose and Lowkey (retrievers) and even got a little wrestle time (w/o PB, Scott) in before saying goodbye.

DAY 13

We woke up in WA to very beautiful, tall trees and green, green grass overcast morning. Moss is growing all over the roofs of all the buildings. Even some of the RVs that have been here way too long have moss on their roofs.

We were getting ready to face the day when there was a knock at the door. The camp host paid us a visit. It wasn’t a “hello did you get set up okay, do you need anything,” visit the way our old camp host Ron did. Even if the visitor pulled in after hours as we did, they were greeted kindly. No, we were greeted with a, “did you plan on checking in this morning?” I responded, “Yes, we were just getting ready.” She proceeded to inform me that we NEEDED to be there at 9am to check in (it was 10:30am). I explained that I had in fact filled out the night check in but I had a coupon for 1 night free and was waiting until we got to the office to make sure I wrote the check for the correct amount. She was still snippy but said to come in to check in.

We headed to the office. Brad and I open the door. The woman I had spoken to was behind the desk and an older man was in a recliner. As soon as we stepped in the man spoke to Brad. “Ya know when you walked that dog of yours, he pooped and you did not pick it up.” It was a great way to be greeted, no hello, no how ya doin, nothing. Brad had run Thor on the bike and had sent Zac to pick up the poop but the guy did not see that of course.

Now I am pissed. I told the lady we are PCSing, been on the road for 12 days, just drove a couple thousand miles pulling a trailer with 3 kids and a dog. No where does it state we needed to check in at 9am and if there is a problem we need to address it. I think she realized how we were feeling cuz her tune changed and she began dancing to impress. It is a camp ground; it is suppose to be a relaxing experience. After working at the FamCamp for almost a year in CO I learned A LOT. It made me see how nice it was having camp host who go above and beyond their responsibility with every guest (Ron and Yogi).

We headed to go meet up with Brad’s sister. It is now lunch time so the kids are groaning again. Cindy mentioned a spot we might like so we decided to give it a shot. We ended up at the XXX for lunch. Get your mind out of the gutter, its Brad’s sister! It is the last XXX Root Beer Drive. (www.triplexrootbeer.com) It was very good eatin. Zac and Brad both ordered their Famous Incredible Triple XXX Burger. The thing was bigger than Zac’s hand. He finished it while Brad could only make it half way through his. I tried to get Zac to save some but he insisted on finishing it. I swear I thought he was going to get sick but he didn’t. The décor was old pieces of cars, licenses plates from all over, and memorabilia relating with cars and old times. We loved it! See Mel, I am not the only one.

After eating, we headed out to get some pics in front of the building (always a scrapbooker). Out side there was a sweet ’61 Impala with a blower sticking out the hood. Brad is peeking inside when over the speaker from the restaurant a guy starts talking to Brad about the car. “Wanna pop the hood?” He asked. Brad nodded excitedly. Then the guy spoke through the speaker, “Wanna start it up?” Brad whipped his head out from under the hood and shouts Yes, Please! So the guy comes out and tosses Brad the keys to a 700hp big block shot of espresso. WOW, let me tell ya about some power flowing through that car. The guy was explaining the history of the car and future plans and the shows he was taking it to. He also spoke about the other projects he has at home. It is so nice to see an old car in the hands of some one who appreciates the power. The owner also told us how much fun it was to show those imports what horsepower really is. I think Brad will have an ear to ear grin for quite some time.

We headed back to Cindy’s after lunch to hang out. For dinner we went to Olive Garden with Cindy and her husband Dan. A co-worker of Brads had given him a gift card to make up for the not so good good-bye luncheon his work threw together for him. The going away party started and everyone started eating while Brad was still working the pharmacy window. Pretty sad after 3 years of dedication to a squadron, but hopefully the new pharmacy will appreciate Brad for the hard worker he is. Dinner was great as was my margarita with an extra shot of Amaretto on the side.

Seattle is very beautiful. It’s a huge city and lots of traffic, but we were able to take the freeway everywhere we have wanted to go. Tomorrow we will head to see the Space Needle.

DAY 12

We spent the night at a truck stop in Halsey, OR and took the most expensive showers I have ever taken. It cost $17 for all 5 of us to shower which was after she gave us a great deal. It would have been $35 w/o discount (still cheaper than renting a room). The showers were trucker showers and it showed so NO TOUCHING anything. After 3 days in the Red Woods it was nice to shower though.

FYI: Did you know in Oregon it is illegal to pump your own gas? My dad told me that but I did not believe him. If you knew him you’d understand.

We began our search for the “Spruce Goose” after breakfast. I guess Brad and I did not drink enough coffee because both of us had a hard time following the directions. So we took the scenic route and only had to turn around twice, but we made it.

The “Spruce Goose” was a cool experience. We got there at lunch time, so we put out the slide and ate lunch. It’s so nice to have the RV with us. We were there about 3 1/2 hours and that still was not enough for Brad and Zac. Mikaela announced upon arriving at the museum that she did not want to read anything about airplanes only look at them! They even had their own vineyard. A plane with its own vineyard? Really? They were doing some wine tasting the day we were there but we said no thanks since it was without a screw top.

We saw a SR-71, P-51, P-47, P-38, UH-1, P-40, Spitfire, and a B-17 just to name a few. They even had the remains of a few propellers off the ocean floor from planes from WWII. There was a lot of history in that hangar. The most famous, of course, was the Howard Hughes Spruce Goose.

The “Spruce Goose” was huge. If you lived in a cave, like I did, and knew nothing of the plane you can watch the movie the Aviator which is about the life history of the designer, Howard Hughes. It was amazing to watch a short video that explained the history of the plane and the strange life of Howard Hughes. And to think he built this thing back in the forties. He truly was ahead of his time.

After leaving the museum we made the trek towards Portland. Luckily we made it there about 5pm, rush hour or stand stillville as we would like to call it. It’s always fun driving in rush hour with a 32’ RV following us. Imagine the looks we got when we jumped into the carpool lane with the RV. The sign said two or more people in a vehicle or a bus. We had more than 2 people and we are about the size of a bus.

We got into Tacoma about 7ish. Found McChord A.F.B. FamCamp. Much like USAFA FamCamp. Very spread out and heavily wooded. We got a great spot, kinda off on our own right by the park. Set up the RV and ran to Safeway for some basic groceries. Ok so we drink soy milk, Colorado $2.49 for ½ gallon, Washington $4.29 for ½ gallon. Pack of tortillas $1.79- CO, $4.59- WA. I figure it is just getting us prepared for AK.

Tomorrow we will catch up with Cindy, Brad’s sister to check out Seattle. We will be here for about a week before saying good bye to the lower 48.

DAY 11/ Adios California, Hola Oregon- Just for Beth

It rained all night, just amazing the difference coming from a state that has been in drought with such tight water restrictions. We thoroughly enjoy the mornings here in the park. 8:30 in the morning and it feels and looks like 5:30. There is just enough light to see around the room but not enough to see detail. Yes, we were up at 8:30am Katrina! Thank God we were not in tents. Rain is very pleasurably until you are trying to tent camp and it just won’t stop. We have been there plenty of times.

Last night Brad went out to help some late arrivals get into the site across from us. He got to talking to the husband. They were traveling South on 199 when they were stopped by the highway patrol to let him know the road was temporarily closed due to a rock slide 10 minutes prior. This is the same 199 we planned on heading North in the morning. We pulled out this morning and found the road was open but only one way at a time. As we passed the area of the rock slide we could see crews cleaning the area. There’s nothing like a rock slide to push ya over the edge of the road, down the tree speared cliff to the jagged rocky river bed. I am little on edge from the lack of guard rails on these roads, can ya tell??

The kids got to playing with the family that pulled in last night before we left. The have 5 kids, 4 girls and 1 boy. They are living in WA but will be returning to Canada very soon. They were helpful in giving tips on our trip through Canada and places to stop and explore. Good luck with your move back to Canada Ross, Sara and gang.

We crossed into Oregon just before lunch. We pulled into a little gas station. Diesel was $2.65 a gallon. You would’ve thought we had just won the lottery by our reaction! We saw the lowest price in California at $2.89 when we first pulled into CA. And it didn’t get any cheaper than $3.03 after that. When you are buying 108 gallons at a time that makes a huge difference. Propane was $1.90 which was much cheaper than we were buying in CO. It’s crazy how within 40 miles the price can differ so much.

We had to make a pit stop in Eugene for a little pick me up by the name of Starbuck’s. While explaining our detailed drink I got to talking to the espresso kings. Again, we hit the jackpot of informative people because the guy grew up in Seattle. He began listing the highlights we must see, including the 1st Starbucks and the restaurant Starbucks had. I make the comment that Brad would like to see the “Spruce Goose” in WA. Luckily, another customer recognized the name and corrected me to say that it is actually here in OR. So we stopped just shy of Portland near Salem to camp out for the night. The Spruce Goose http://www.sprucegoose.org/aircraft_artifacts/exhibits.html will be visited by the Becker Bunch tomorrow morning…okay who are we kidding, lunch time.

We wanna throw a shout out to some friends who just took a step closer to their dream of RVing. They bought a Nissan Titan, next will be the RV. Congrats, we hope to see you on the road soon.

Also to some other friends who bought 2 trailers and a hitch to fix up to sell to finance their dream to RV too. (Just don’t ask him to turn off your car alarm) See we are not the only crazy ones!!!

Next stop, McCord A.F.B. to hang with Brad’s sister and her husband. See you soon Cindy and Dan.
Hola Beth from the rojo woods, my title es bueno??? Tu gusta my skills?? Hasta, Jillbert

DAY 10

Happy Easter!!

The Easter Bunny found us here in The Red Woods. He brought the usual eggs with candy, money and the traditional spring plate, bowl, and cup to each of the kids. I guess this tradition all started back when the kids were little. The Easter Bunny was broke and the kids were in need of some new cheap dishes so he thought, “Hey, I gotta an idea!”

The kids gathered their eggs and had breakfast. The weather was a bit cool, just perfect for a bike ride so we loaded up and rode through the park. Brad takes Thor for some exercise. Thor is a built to be a sled dog as he pulls Brad around the curvy streets like nothing.

We explored on the bikes and found some hiking trails that we hiked through. The sizes of the trees are larger-than-life. We come across one that was down and it was wider around than Brad is tall.

We found another area of the river that came straight out of some perfect painting only an artist could imagine. We rode back, made lunch and returned to our water colored masterpiece for another picnic. Lunch again was a relaxed, peaceful meal. Trust me, they are very far and few between so we REALLY enjoyed the serene setting. We watched a duck fish in the river. Those boogers are quick. He would fly upstream, dive into the river and surface downstream with a fish.

After lunch we took the truck to explore farther into the Red Woods. If you are planning a vacation, you need to come through the Red Woods. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=413 I can not explain how spiritual it is to drive among some of the oldest trees in a mature forest. The way Mother Nature has perfectly sprinkled trees, ferns, bushes and flowers so precisely for thousands of years is overwhelming. We drove through the back country on a dirt road that crisscrossed the crystal clear river. If time were our friend, we would stay a couple more days and continue to explore.

We drove into Crescent City in search of more batteries. The generator works great but quiet hours start at 8pm so flashlights are a must as it is pitch black from the tree cover. Crescent City is very small. Almost everything was closed for Easter. Even the little Wal-Mart was closed. Home Depot was open, GO Tony Stewart!! So we bought our batteries and headed home.

It began to rain on the drive home. We made it home, cooked dinner and ate by candle light. What a great way to end our stay here. The windows were open with a slight breeze coming through. The candle light and the sound of rain made for a perfect goodnight. Oregon here we come.

DAY 9

We awoke in the Big K parking lot, made breakfast and headed off. For those who know us, mornings are not are thing so we pulled out about 10am. We started back up highway 101 when something caught our eye. Clam Beach was just off Highway 101 near Little River State beach.

When we pulled in we could see the ocean. The waves were huge and the fog thick. We hiked out to the beach. The fog was rolling quickly and as we approached the water we couldn’t see the RV anymore. The sand was so saturated that as I stepped next to Brad’s foot print the water was like iridescently gliding over the footprint and erased it.

We found some kewl rocks, really bad when an entire family are rock hounds and absorb most of the household weight with rocks. The sound of the waves rolling in with the cool breeze of the wind gave us North California fever. We are now hooked.

We had planned on driving straight to the Red Woods but how could we leave this sanctuary? We hiked back to the RV and made up lunch, hiked back to the beach and had a picnic. If only every meal could be this relaxing. After lunch, we began searching for drift wood. Gotta have drift wood to match the 15lbs of rock and shells.

A lady brought out her horses to run on the beach. As soon as they hit the sand one of the horses took a dust bath in the sand. He then popped up and began to buck around and dance as if he was excited to be on the beach.

The fog kept rolling and the sky cleared to a bright blue. We relaxed, centered and grounded on the beach. We headed to the RV with much hesitation. All of us had a hard time leaving.

Farther North on 101 the fog was thick, really thick and it was about 2:30pm. We followed the coast and at many points right up against the cliff with the ocean visible out Brad’s window. We entered into the Red Wood forest. We pulled into Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park with no anticipation of staying. I had been told they had no RV vacancy. As soon as we pulled in we found a RV space to fit us. Got the RV unhooked and set up. We will be here for 2 nights, forever if we could.

We hopped onto our bikes and rode around the park. HOLY CRAP this is the prettiest place on Earth. We stopped to speak with the host who just happened to live in Alaska for 25 years. So we spent some time talking to him and his wife. They will be hosting that park for 2 months. That is something for us to think about in retirement.

We rode around for a bit longer, found a crystal clear raging river. The last time we saw such clear water was in TX at the Frio River. The water in spots was turquoise blue.

We got some wood and started a campfire. We cooked up some grub and made smores.

This is truly a mystical place. Off to sleep in the Red Wood forest for the Easter bunny has a busy night tonight.

DAY 8

Guess what?? We had MORE laundry pile up on us so we worked on that for a while this morning. While we were tackling that mountain we also got the house cleaned and everyone showered…all before 11am. Just like a production line. We packed up the house and pulled out of Travis FamCamp. We had to stop at the BX to get our traditional shot glass and souvenir. It was probably the largest BX I have seen to date. Even the food court was full of different dining options. Brad had been joking with the kids about wanting to eat in a Taco Bell in California so we ate at the Taco Bell on base. It was as good as a Taco Bell can be. Then we headed to the commissary. WOW! I have not been in a commissary that busy in quite some time. Not even near payday or a case lot sale. It had a great produce section and even a Sushi deli (Ashley) next to the meat deli. And let me warn you, everyone here on base has a BMW, a Lexus, or a Mercedes. I mean everyone.

We drove through Napa Valley today. The land is gorgeous. We stopped and got a flat of strawberries. (OMG!!) that had to be the best I have ever tasted. They were red through to the center and were dripping down your arm juicy. Highway 101 is very scenic and very curvy. Trees canopy the entire road and everywhere you look there is lush under growth as land covering. Flowers are just beginning to bloom so they are very florescent in color. Shocking yellow, sweet orange and tart green burst in our eyes.

We stopped at a Big K for the night in Eureka. Fired up the generator and camped out. We got a little rain, but not very much. Just enough to make a soothing rhythm to cast us asleep after a long day of driving.

DAY 7

Well today we were prepared to head to San Francisco…again. After yesterday we felt we better knew what to expect. First lesson in a big city, expect the unexpected. I grew up in Tucson, a big city I thought so I had hopes not to stick out like a sore thumb, HAHAHA I hear ya’ll laughing, I really believe it too!

When we arrived to the BART departing depo, there was a woman reading aloud from the bible and singing “Jesus loves me and, you” repeatedly. When we returned almost 8 hours later she was in the same spot, singing the same verse. The only other time I had met some one like this was in TX at the Alamo. That depot needs some good cleansing energy so if that’s what it is to some; I hope her message sinks through.

We were again asked to donate money for people to ride on BART, I think the same couple as the day before. I find it hard to teach the kids to help whenever possible in a situation like this. What would really be helpful and make difference in their day to help them self or would we just be another sucker paying for their ride. Not sure, I am always torn in these situations. I want to teach caring but also that you help those who help them self.

We rode into the city and hopped onto an old streetcar. Those bad boys get packed. We were in there like sardines and they kept picking up more and more people. We got to the Pier 39 to travel to Alcatraz. Kenzie was not to keen on the boat idea. I think see has listened to me talk alittle to much cuz she’s not to fond of boats like her mama. Kaela was relieved to see the boat was not as big as the Titanic as she has watched the movie and is scared to ride on a big boat. We rode on top of the boat. What a great ride. The weather was fabulous and the scenery could not be beat. We arrived on “The Rock” and got a pair of headphones for an audio tour of the prison told by actual prison guards and prisoners that resided at “The Rock”. All of us thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Afterwards we hiked around the island and got some fun souvenirs. The best purchase so far has been the kid’s harmonicas that have Alcatraz engraved along with a saying that, “Music is a privilege,” a story told about the prison during the tour. All 3 kids picked it and have not put them down since. They actually sound pretty good and it’s easy to know where they are. Now Brad and I need to get a washboard and a Moonshine Jug and we’ll have a real hillbilly band.

We ate at another diner, not as good as Johnny’s, I think it was Lori’s diner. I would not recommend it for the food but it did have kewl decorations of old cars and stuff.

We walked around before catching the BART to head home. This is the most diverse city I have ever been in. It was great! We have traveled to some really one dimensional towns so it’s nice to see a place that anything goes, not just about sexual orientation either. That is what everyone automatically thinks of but the food, culture, races, music, clothing styles, and art all expressed many different influences. I think we saw every nationality represented in harmony. And within each nationality was diversity. Guess what we represented, remember the kids had their harmonicas by now:)??

San Francisco is beautiful and we would love to come back. We were disappointed with the litter and graffiti everywhere but I guess it’s to be expected with such a large population in a small city. I think next time we visit we will come without the kids and stay in San Francisco rather than commute in. It is just too stressful trying to keep track of the kids in the large crowds, even with ALL of us holding hands like the freaks we are, yes I still make everyone hold hands. Easier to make sure they are not picking up things on the ground, really! Also, being a HUGE germ-a-phobe I was constantly trying to tell the kids not to touch the handrails, doorknobs, seats or anything else hundreds of people had touched that day.

We will be packing up the house and heading North through Napa Valley next. We are in route to the Redwood Forrest. We’ll see how I handle highway 101. Mel’s Bloody Mary mix might have to be a companion this leg of the trip.

Side note: if you are planning on any kind of road trip, XM is a must. We got the unit cheap at Car Toys for $39.99 with a $20 mail-in-rebate (6 month subscription is the key), Brad installed with an FM frequencier thingy, another $20 and service is $12.95. I know, I know, paying for radio is stupid but almost 4 years of driving through TX-AZ w/o radio and CO-AZ w/o radio for 3 years no less than 3 times a year, plus all the other traveling done = willing to pay $13 per month to have completely NO breaks in service where we have traveled so far.

I am working on adding photos so check back soon.

DAY 6

So the consensus is we are not city people. The traffic, crowds, lack of parking for big trucks and rudeness is too much for us. Have you ever read “Country Mouse, City Mouse?” If you have it explains it all. The smallest truck we have out of 7 is a ’73 Jeep Wagoneer and we were driving Rocky…the biggest truck. When we arrived to park to travel into San Francisco via the BART we were informed that they do not have the “problem” of duallies to park in the city so we were on our own. Mind you we were not in San Francisco but in the BART parking lot in Richmond trying to catch the public transportation because traffic and parking in San Francisco is bad! Trying to keep track of 3 kids when you’re out numbered is stressful enough without worrying about parking a land yacht.

Riding the BART was an experience all in its own. It stands for the Bay Area Rapid Transit. It is the closest we have ever been to riding a subway. We started in Richmond, CA and ½ hour later we were on Market St in San Francisco. This was much easier than trying to drive a crew cab dually through the city and finding parking.

We then caught a cable car to the Cable Car museum. Brad and Zac got to stand on the edge and hold on just like in the movies. The girls sat with me on the bench. Once at the museum we saw how the cars are powered and how big the cables are. We even got to learn the history of cable cars, the first models and different tools needed to build them.

From the museum we headed to the Palace of Fine Arts. The architecture was beautiful; there were columns that stretched to the sky. The dome was larger than one could imagine. We then headed to the Exploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu/ to let the kids check out the hands on science experiments. When we got to the door, we learned they were closing early for a special event. If you are ever in San Francisco this is a must. We got to enter for about 15 minutes, just long enough to see what we were missing out on. Note: 1st Wed of the month is free, a savings of $55 for a military family of 5.

We saw the Golden Gate Bridge. Very cool and amazing to think how it was built. The kids got to play in the Pacific Ocean water for the first time today. The kids loved the sand as it was very soft. Kaela was even prompted to lay in the sand like of making a sand angel and rubbing the sand on her face. Zac, of course, began to dig into it making different tunnels and forts. Kenzie found some glass that had been tumbled in the water for while. She is convinced it is a rock. She headed back out to look for more “rocks” when she got drenched from a wave that snuck up behind her.

We ate at Johnny Rockets for lunch. It’s a 50’s style dinner that was small but very cute. The grill is in the middle of the restaurant so you can watch your burger being cooked.

The Becker Bunch even braved Lombard Street; “America’s most crooked” street in San Francisco. Not with the truck and RV but on foot. It seems incomprehensible but cars were driving on it while we hiked down and then back up.

There were 2 young guys in a little yellow 2 seater scooter that we kept seeing all day that were having too much fun, dancing and singing while driving the scooter thingy. While driving down Lombard St, they jumped out, dancing and switched places. They even did the Night at the Roxbury thing. The kids cracked up and waved each time we saw them.

We had a long first day in San Francisco with some crazy events, like being sworn at by a homeless man for not giving him money and punk kids trying to scare us after getting off the BART to head home. Not like we looked like tourist, with our proud Air Force hats, Keens and Camelpacks! We are heading back tomorrow to explore Alcatraz; we’ll see how many kids we leave there.

DAY 5

We made it out of NV without gambling, well at least not with money. We took the gamble of heading through Lake Tahoe instead of driving on I-80. We gambled and won. The drive to and through Lake Tahoe was beautiful. The trees were huge compared to those we saw at the USAFA. They had bright green moss that grew over the trunk and down each branch. The green was very vibrant. It was very congested around the lake and gas prices were way over the $3 mark. It was also the first true test for Rocky (our truck). There were 3 passes that we had to pull and the last one seemed to go on for about 3 miles. The grades didn’t seem to be a problem for anything or anyone but me. Driving that close to the side of a mountain was a bit stressful. There will be more therapy in the near future.

We saw first signs of spring here in CA. Big bugs… yuck! With the bad there is good. Things have been very green and lush since we crossed the border. I can see why people love this area. It is just sad that so many decided to build as much of the natural landscape is gone.

Traffic was intense as we approached Sacramento. We pulled through there at about 8:30pm and it seemed like 8:30am. Good thing we weren’t pulling a big trailer or something. Good thing for us diesel is about $.20 cheaper than gas here in California. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

We are now at Travis A.F.B. FamCamp. This park is much smaller than what we are use to but it is very beautiful.

We have lot of fun stuff planned in San Francisco so we will see what all we have time to check out. We are planning our trip to San Francisco using a book buy DK. I LOVE it, makes it very easy for me to plan our trip to the bay. www.dk.com

DAY 4

We pulled out of FamCamp on Hill AFB about 1:30pm. Did you know even on vacation you still have to do a crap load of laundry?? Our friends surprised us while we were fueling up on the way out of town. They posed so we could get a couple of pictures together. Then they crossed the line… they snuck money into the truck to try and pay for dinner the night before. We didn’t find it until we got to NV. We’ll get them back…it’s on Scott and Katrina!

I did manage to find a local scrapbooking store to visit. I did really well too. Brad was happy I only came out with a little bag. The mission was to find something about UT. I found a cute little sticker. The other stuff was just too cute to pass up.

We drove about 400 miles today and ended up at Winnemucca, NV in the Wal- mart parking lot.

I-15 takes you around Salt Lake and it was absolutely gorgeous. Huge mountains, water never ending and even some sail boats taking advantage of the beautiful day. “That is a lot of water,” Mikaela said “You could get lost in all that water”. You have to love a child’s logic sometimes. Zac wanted to drive over to the Morton salt mine we passed to dare some one to lick the mountain of salt. See previous statement about child logic.

We drove past the Bonneville Salt Flats. We thought about opening up the truck and see if we could top the world’s fastest land record but we thought Thor would probably freak in the trailer. Nevada is what we had expected so far. We plan on stopping in Reno for lunch then we should make it to Travis AFB before dinner time.

One side note:
If you are driving through WY and you find a Forrest River spare tire cover it’s ours. It seems the 55 mph winds swiped it off the back of our 5th wheel. We just figured it out this morning.

DAY 3

So today we planned on spending the day with our friends here in Hooper, UT. We got ready and began to pull out of FamCamp. At this point we are not hooked up to the RV. Two men flag us down to inform us that we were in their reserved spot. They we extremely nice and apologetic even though they did nothing wrong. Turns out, the guy that helped us park and told us to grab any open site forgot to inform us that the building across the way has a reservation sign up for the camp sites. So needless to say we had to move to an open site. Luckily Brad and I have become really fast when is comes to hooking up the RV so in no time we had the RV moved and re-hooked up. The people that we moved for were really nice and if we were not leaving tomorrow, we could have stayed where we were but the sites here are nose in. We informed them that we were glad they caught us when they did because we were on our way out and would not be back until late.

We drove through Hooper, pronounced Huper (I think) by the locals, to get to our friends. They invited us to their son’s birthday party so the kids got to run around and eat chocolate cake. I think this has been the highlight of their trip so far. We then headed to the Hill Aero Space museum. We ran out of time to walk through the different exhibits inside but we were able to walk the static display. We saw some really cool planes to include a B-52, B-1, and a C-123. As we were heading back to the trucks, an elder volunteer for the museum invited us into the chapel. He explained the history of the chapel and spoke of some of his flights and time served. When I say elder, I mean touching into the 80’s easily. He was a very spunky and kind man. Just a great little bit of information to appreciate those who served many years ago for our freedoms.

We headed over to Scott and Katrina’s for dinner. The manly men fired up the grill (keeping their eyebrows) and began the BBQ. We had great food and great company. We have been fortunate along the way to meet really great people. The kids all got along and had a great time playing on their 1 acre yard just east of the Salt Lake. The area is lush and trees are blooming already. They have a smorgasbord of animals ranging from miniature goats, a miniature horse, two dogs and two cats. Zac had a great time just digging in their huge dirt pile and with Nathan (their 4 year old son) as his side kick. Nathan followed Zac around as though Zac was his hero. The girls played with Lauren (their 6 year old little girl) while us adults relaxed and enjoyed the company. They have promised to visit us in AK and you better believe we will hold them to their word. They have a great set up and we totally enjoyed our stay here in Huper (Hooper) UT.

So we now say goodbye to some really great friends that we will miss until we meet again. Goodbye surprisingly beautiful Utah and on towards California.

DAY 2

Well we got up this morning and packed up the house. We needed showers so we drove to the Fitness Center on base. We were warned about the wind in WY but NOTHING could prepare us for what we experienced today. Trying to walk into the wind was a work out before entering into the building. We stopped at the BX for some souvenirs and asked if it was always this windy here and they laughed at us. The lady said “this is nothing”. We were amazed at the base housing. It was some of the nicest I have ever seen. It reminded me of the housing on Ft. Sam in San Antonio. We got a picture of one of the more amazing houses we say. Turns out it was a 2 star general’s house. It was hard to believe that it was one house.

We hit the road about 11am and started towards UT. The wind was constant and strong. The warnings reported 55 mile an hour winds. Pulling an RV up hills with 55 MPH head winds are not the best making for a fun road trip. Brad backed it down to about 55 and it kept the truck from pulling over 2500 RPM. It kept downshifting out of overdrive so in some areas we got low double digit gas mileage. I guess it could have been worse…like Kansas we had passed through a few weeks before.

The scenery was getting better; it was just the wind that made it slower than what we would have liked it to be. As we approached UT the mountains began to change and we saw really cool rock formations. I was expecting UT to be flat and desert like Moab cuz that’s how I remember it. It is gorgeous. The hills are turning green and look like velvet. The mountains are very close and still snow capped. Once we got to Hill AFB, our friends Scott and Katrina came over to help set up the house. It is great to see them. We are all twins separated at birth. We are spending Sunday with them then we will head out towards CA on Monday.