On the Road Again - test drive!

Hello again - it has been almost 5 years since the blog has been updated!  Mexico continues to be our winter destination most years and this summer, we are heading in the completely opposite direction - North to the Arctic.  Yes, you read that right - to the Arctic.

We will be travelling in our truck camper - last time you saw that we had it down in Lo de Marcos getting a paint and polish.  It worked well for that trip, so no reason things should be any different going north.  It is actually the perfect vehicle for this road trip.  Our routing will be Carstairs to Hwy 16 (Yellowhead) via the David Thompson highway and the Columbia Icefields Parkway.  From there we will travel West to New |Hazelton then North on Hwy 37 (Stewart - Cassiar). We will be making a side trip to Stewart, BC - and a short jaunt over to Hyder, Alaska before heading up the Stewart - Cassiar Highway to the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse.  Looking forward to spending a few days in Whitehorse visiting and touring around, and then north to Dawson City for another few days of fun!  Then it's all new territory as we venture on the Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk and the Beaufort Sea.

Click here to see Our Route North  (3,933 kms - give or take)

The plan is to be in Tuktoyaktuk for the summer solstice - June 21st - no sunset that night!!!

Because we hadn't used the camper in a few years, it seemed prudent to do a little test trip to make sure everything was working as it should before we hit the road.  We went to a small village about 40 minutes east of Carstairs - Linden, AB.  What a great find!!!  Linden is a nice little village of about 700 people - a grocery store, bakery and bistro, liquor store, pharmacy, bank and that's about it.  Linden and the surrounding area was originally settled by members of the Mennonite church - there is plenty of evidence of the heritage in the village today.  The campground is centrally located in the coulee right beside a nice little park and pond.  It is small - only 7 sites and  we were lucky enough to get one backing onto the fountain. 

A visual walk around Linden . . .

So, test drive was successful - a leak under the kitchen sink - no biggy but something to be fixed and a note to bring better pillows!  Other than that, we are good to go!

The camper is loaded, the house sitters are ready, and we will be on the road in the morning. 

Until next time -  Art and Bev 

Grey Cup, Turtles and spit and polish!!!

Week 3 (and a half)

Sunday was Grey Cup – and Art’s team, the Calgary Stampeders, took home the trophy.  We watched the game in our little TV tent – and our neighbor, Al from Arizona, peeked over to see what all the commotion was about!  He came and enjoyed a couple of cool ones as he learned a little bit about the game of Canadian football!  Congratulations, Stampeders!

Grey Cup Sunday - Mexican style!

 

We are all settled in to Lo de Marcos life now.  Somedays we have to take a long walk on the beach and stop at Olivia’s for lunch – and a cerveza.  This week, we are really glad we did because we heard about the turtle release . . . . as we have posted in the past, sea turtles make their way to the beach and lay their eggs in the sand (Tenacatita) . . . unfortunately, they are an endangered species now because the eggs are considered a delicacy so are harvested by poachers.  Conservationists dig up the egg (Manzanillo) and move them to a secure location until they hatch.  Tonight, they were releasing the hatched eggs back to the sea – it was really amazing to be able to link all the pieces together.

Bev had to take a trip to the local vivero (plant nursery) to pick up a few things to spruce up the site – such beautiful plants!!  She picked up a gardenia and basil plant for special guests coming in January . . . . but look at the Poinsettias!!!

We also hired a local crew (Santos) topaint and spruce up the old camper.  These guys are great – and did a first class job, don’t you think?  They said they would make it like new again, and I think they came pretty close.  We are lucky that they can come to us . . . and work right at the RV park. 

Not a bad looking 1998 Citation Camper - too bad they don't make them anymore!

 

 Bev is also working on her “tan line” . . . until next time – cheers from Arturo y de Beeb!

 

 

Week two . . .

Week two is now in the history books!

We are in Mexico now – and had a beautiful trip so far.  Last Friday, we left Casa Grande early in the morning and headed for the border.  After the four previous trips across, you’d think we’d have all the paperwork and information ready . . . and tada!!!  We did it!  No wrong turns, all the correct paperwork – ½ an hour and we were back on the road.  First stop, as always, is San Carlos, Sonora.  The Totonaka trailer park was probably about 1/3 full – and we recognized a lot of travellers heading to Lo de Marcos as well as some of our winter friends – so that was great. 

 

Totanaka RV Park - San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico

 

San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico

 

Long haired Kipper at the beach in San Carlos - hard to drag all that wet fur from the water!

 

Beautiful shells on the beach!

 

We had to set up the satellite dish to watch the CFL Western Final - Edmonton against Calgary.  Tere was a couple of Edmonton fans in the park, so we invited them over to give Bev company!   Gordo and Nicole are on a two year trip through Mexico and down to Panama - check out their facebook page .    Midlife Siesta . . . two adventuresome people and a St. Bernard in a van . . . should be an interesting two year!  Always great o meet people on the road!

We ake Kipper to get his Mexican haircut by Manuel (the dog whisperer) – he is such gentle man and Kipper really seems to be happy once he’s got some of that fur gone.

Kipper - clean shaven!

A favorite stop is JJ’s tacos – we had some time to kill while Kipper was at the groomers, so we went to JJ’s.  It’s a new location this year – but same great food and cold beer.

Camerone tachos - soooo good!

JJ's new restaurant - inside

JJ's new restaurant - outside

JJ's - drive right up!

From San Carlos we travelled a bit south, and then headed inland to Alamos, Sonora.  Alamos is an old silver mining town – we’ve been before there before so this was just an overnight stop. 

Alamos - we were the only one's in the park!

Alamos - beautiful old colonial structures

Flowers, flowers . . . Alamos

More flower - Alamos, Sonora Mexico

 

It wasn’t hard to find a spot to stop – we were the only ones in the park . . . we walked around town a bit, had a bite to eat and then early to bed for another day on the road . . . not before another successful round of crib for Bev tho ;).

Alamos-church
 

 

On the road to Celestino . . . I’ve said it before, but the roads in Sonora are just the worst in places . . . no shoulders, rough, lots of truck traffic.  We did pass a semi roll over – it had just happened as the other vehicles involved were still there, and so were the police.  No ambulance, tho, I really don’t think it was needed if you know what I mean.

Toll booth ahead - yes, we pay to travel on these roads  ;)
 

And then crossing into Sinaloa – shoulders, better roads, lush fields of every kind of vegetable you can imagine.

 

 

Celestino Gasca is a small town of about 100 people just a short drive off the Mex 15D.  We pulled in to the Villa Celeste RV Park – and we weren’t the only people there – there were three rigs this time.  And wouldn’t you know it, we knew one of the couples from our last two trips to Lo de Marcos – Lloyd and Marilyn.  They are staying at Celestino for the season – I’m not sure that they will stay the whole season … it would get pretty lonely being there all by yourselves. 

 

The park is well maintained, and we were able to park looking out on the palms and the ocean. 

The sunsets at Celestino are stunning!

The owners of the park, Noe his wife, are lovely people.  Noe took Art, Lloyd and Marilyn to some petroglyphs nearby.  Bev and Kipper stayed back and relaxed by the ocean.

 

Two nights in Celestino and then, next stop Lo de Marcos.

Our winter home
 

Tonight is taco night – so must go and get ready – which really means putting on bug dope, getting a few pesos in the pocket, and maybe putting a jacket in the back pack – it has been 30 degrees in the day, but as soon as the sun drops, it really cools off – well to about 17 degrees – but that’s perfect for sleeping.

 We are having the camper all spruced up with new paint and polish next week!

Huasta Luego - - -- Arturo y de Beeb