My grandson Silas is napping so I have a minute to write. I can check on him using the video/audio monitor. It is ultra cool and even has night vision so he is visible in a darkened room. What a joy to be with him and his parents! They work so hard and are such good parents. I will be sad to move on, but they head to Denver for vacation and I have to start thinking about crossing into Canada.
My plan is to move on to Grand Coulee Dam/Lake Roosevelt Recreation area, on the Columbia River. That is only about 85 miles northwest of Spokane. Campgrounds there stay open all year, so I will have time to do some last minute preparations and regroup before crossing into Canada.
My good travel mojo put a couple from British Columbia right next to me at my current campground. This morning over coffee I asked them about travel in BC. Where they live, about 2 hours straight north, the snow is still 2 feet high. They assured me that where I will cross, near Oroville, WA, is milder and warmer already. The area is called the Okanagan Valley as is described online this way:
“The Okanagan is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It’s known for its wineries and fruit orchards. The main city of Kelowna, on the shore of huge Okanagan Lake, is surrounded by pine forests and provincial parks. Kelowna’s downtown area incorporates waterfront City Park and a lakeside cultural district. The area around the cities of Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops is home to several ski resorts”
So, that is where I head first. If I feel like it and the time is right, I may stop by downtown Kelowna for lunch. I am eager to at least see one of the provincial parks. It may be too cold for them to be open at the moment but I like the sound of this area for future trips, maybe with my little family!
Okanagan Valley Pics from online:
I had one semi-distressing development. I bought a butane stove before leaving, which I love! I was not sure how long a butane cartridge lasts so I only bought a few, with the plan to stock up when I get to Washington state. Turns out, I will need several of the cartridges ($2.50 each) each week. I have looked for them at Walmarts, where I found the stove and other cartridges, but I cannot find any. Even this morning, I tried a familiar Walmart in Spokane Valley. Nothing. Darn. My son offered to loan me his 1-burner Coleman stove, which I gave to him years ago. Those operate using propane canisters, which I have packed away already for my Little Buddy Heater. Of course, I will need to obtain more propane, but they are plentiful at Walmart. So, that is only a minor problem in the end.
Despite the beautiful sunny day when I arrived in Spokane, the weather is more winter-like than anything. The second day was rainy and today is cold and overcast. Yeah, it is a late spring, everyone tells me. Oh well. The first year I came through, with my brand new RV, spring was early. That is how it goes, just about everywhere.
Friends tell me that Deming is ultra-windy but the RV is doing fine. One guy put another rope around the whole set up to keep the RV cover from flapping too much. I am thankful for that. I don’t think the cover fits well, so the wind loosens it up a bit. High temps hit after the windy season and then the summer monsoons pass through. The RV will be subjected to the elements, but not much I can do from here.
Life is good in Spokane but the sadness will set in when I leave Silas, Kerry, and Meghan. And, I see through the baby monitor that he is awake and ready for Grammy kisses! Time to get back to being a grandma.
When I flew from Houston to Anchorage that year (I still plan to email you, just haven’t gotten around to it) I found plenty of butane at REI. Problem with butane as opposed to propane is, it doesn’t like cold. I had no problem there in July but on Labor Day here in CO a year later, I left it outside the tent one night and had some difficulty getting it lit the next morning. You can pick up wood scraps along the highway to build fires in campsite fire rings, too. Do you have a camp saw along with you?
Good advice about the butane and cold weather! I am so happy that I have a propane stove too! I do have a smallish hacksaw with me and some extra blades. If I you think I should get something more substantial, I have a Walmart stop planned in Omak, WA before I cross into Canada next week! Thanks so much. I need all the help I can get!
Welcome to Canada in advance, Jane! You are early, as far as weather goes, I’m afraid. It’s still cold and very wet. It’s a late spring, as everyone says! Glad you are giving a lot of thought to being warm. Warm weather can come anytime, though. After all, it will be May soon!
Yes, just my luck…a cold wet spring everywhere. I am learning how to have good days anyway!!