Last Day Sad Day

Jim on the ATV

Every one is sad, it's our last day of vacation and tomorrow we will head back home.  I'm a little bit sad, but I had so much fun that I can't say that I'm really all that sad. Sure, it would be great if we could just keep on going,  I kinda miss my own yard and all the toys I left back home and I can't wait to have a professional grooming again. But, I know that Kathe is already planning the next trip! In our eight weeks away we have seen oceans, mountains, lakes, forests and lots of great things. Can't be sad about that now, can we?

Today, our last day here in Pismo Beach Jim went for an ATV ride on the sand in Pismo, and he had a great time. Get out the Advil, because tomorrow it might not seem like it was such a great idea to bounce around for two hours on the sand.  Kathe spent the day sitting in the sun visiting with her girl friend who was knitting while Kathe finally finished her needle point project.

Laetitia Vineyards

Yesterday, Kathe and Jim discovered a great local winery, Laetitia, where every Pinot Noir they tasted was excellent.  Guess that will be the souvenir that they bring home from this trip.

We had a great campfire both nights here with our Komfort Kruiser friends but tonight they all went to dinner at a restaurant in Arroyo Grande. Layla and I sat with everyone while the sun went down during happy hour.



Kathe, Jim and I love to travel and really can't wait for the next adventure in our RV.  

At the Beach

The dunes are really fun

Sorry I didn't post anything last night.  I was having too much fun visiting with my friends here in Pismo Beach.  My BDF, Layla is here with her people and a whole lot of my people best friends are here too.  I have been going from lap to lap getting as much loving as possible and it's been really fun. I have a lot of really great people friends!

This is our last stop on this trip and we are camping at the Pismo Dunes RV Resort.  There is lots of things to explore here including about one million holes in the dirt that smell like squirrel.  Layla and I have been sticking our noses in all the holes hoping that something will pop out, but so far no luck.

As far as I can tell, all the humans here are just eating, drinking and laughing.  Guess that makes them happy, but I prefer walking the dunes and sinking my paws into the sand.  It's best in the early morning when the sand is cool and there are fewer people around.  Kathe and I went up to watch the sunset tonight, but there were so many other people and dogs that we didn't stay long.  Sunrise is so much better,  I hope I can get her up early enough tomorrow to watch it.

I'm inside now,even though the party is still going strong outside.  Some idiot is shooting off fireworks and you know how I feel about that.  I came inside and got my thunder shirt on and took a calming pill and as soon as I finish writing this I'm going straight under the bed for the rest of the night.

DEJA VU

Donner Pass

Tedious familiarity.  We are back in Los Banos KOA.  I think we are even in the same site. It wasn't great when we stayed here in June, and it's still not great.  At least we stopped driving for a while!  We left Truckee this morning around 10 AM, but we didn't get here until after 4 PM.  There are fires in the Sacramento area and Google re-routed us away from the I-5 to the 99 for part of the way.  This added time to the drive but avoided the fires. We were all hot and tired by the time we got into our campsite.

The first 50 miles or so was all downhill!  We were at over 7000 feet in the Truckee area and we traveled down to an altitude of less than 1000.  There were 5%, 6%, and 7% grades down, down, downhill, past trees, trees, and more trees!  My furry ears were  popping!

We are going to miss the trees!

We had a few minor disasters along the way. First, a huge bump on the freeway caused the wine cooler to pop off the wall again.  This time with three full bottles of wine flying across the room. The cooler landed with a bang on the counter top and two bottles of white landed unbroken in the kitchen sink.  A bottle of red rolled under the counter and got wedged under the slide out but was also unbroken.  The only casualty was my ceramic water bowl.  It got chipped by the wine bottles and spilled water all over the place.

And then, the guides on the slide out in the bedroom broke again and Jim had to jack up the slide and replace the glides.  Wish that wouldn't happen, it's so dangerous to fix.  Jim got it back in working order once again.  And one of the windows in the bedroom wouldn't lock this morning.  It's a good thing Jim knows how to fix these things!

Well, everything is fixed now and even the wine cooler is working again, so  it's time to relax and have a long cool drink of water and a couple of dog biscuits. Now that's a happy hour!

Dining in Donner Pass

Jax's at the Tracks

We woke up this morning to clear blue skies and a cool nip in the air.  It was a beautiful day for exploring Truckee.  I got all my exploring done early when I took Kathe all around the resort. There are sites here for sale as well as the nightly rentals, but everything is so close together I don't think we will stay here again. Especially since Jim had to rewash the whole passenger side of the coach when the sprinklers sprayer all the way up past the windows.  Boy, was he upset! (swear words, again)  He got all the water spots off, but now the skies are looking cloudy.  I'm keeping my paws crossed that it doesn't rain tonight.

The Donner Memorial

Kathe and Jim went exploring in historic old town Truckee this afternoon.  All the old brick buildings are restored and there are all kinds of shops and restaurants down the main street.  They had lunch in a place that Kathe had seen on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, called Jax's at the Tracks.

Jax's is a 1948 Kullman Diner that was built in Newark, NJ and  shipped here from West Chester, PA in 1995. The owner spent over a million dollars to restore it.  It's the only authentic East Coast Diner on the West Coast. The lunch was delicious.  Jim said it was the best Rubin sandwich he ever ate, and Kathe had the crab cake eggs Benedict with a homemade English muffin just like Guy Fieri recommended on TV.

After lunch Kathe and Jim went to the Donner Memorial State Park which has recently opened a new Museum and Visitors Center.  In addition to the exhibit on the Donner Party and the Emigrant Trail there were exhibits about the native Washoe people, and the Chinese who built the railroad through the Donner Pass.

Tomorrow will be another long drive all the way to Santa Nella.

Into California

Brown is the new green

We crossed the border into California this afternoon.  We drove over 200 miles on Interstate 80 across the state of Nevada we pulled into Coachland RV Park in Truckee. The drive was an easy one but the scenery wasn't so great.  Lots of sagebrush and sand, and nothing else to see for miles and miles.  At least this highway was 2 lanes in either direction so we didn't have to pull over the let cars pass us like we had to do yesterday on the 95.  Let's just say, brown is the new green in Nevada, everything is so dry.

We listened to a Clive Cussler audio book yesterday and today to help pass the time on these long driving days.  Only trouble was that today Dirk Pitt was underwater about to run out of air and his ship was about to be rammed by the bad guys just when we pulled into camp.  Now I'll have to wait two whole days to see if he makes it out alive.

The view from the Dog Park

Coachland RV Resort is really nice, but the sites are really close together,  We can practically touch our neighbor's slide out.  But, there are lots of large, beautiful Sugar, Ponderosa, and Lodge pole pines throughout the park.  And the doggie area is out on the edge of the forest.  It smells so fresh and the wind is whispering through the trees, it's really very nice.  We are going to take a break from driving and stay here for two nights.

I'm glad we are in the trees tonight, because I get a little sad thinking about the fact that we are heading south now and will be back home soon.  I'm not too sad, we still have a whole week left and more places to explore!

Lucky in Winnemucky

The long and boring drive

We arrived safely in Winnemucca, Nevada late this afternoon.  As I predicted it was a long boring drive through Idaho, Oregon and into Nevada.  We were very lucky as an 18 wheeler carrying a load of hay had a rear tire blow out right before our eyes.  The trucker was traveling in the opposite direction facing us. We saw some smoke and then the tire blew and flew across the highway in front of us. Luckily, Jim swerved a little and avoided hitting any big pieces.  Still the best driver ever!

There's not much to say about the drive, there were a few small towns with some very large farms along the way, but mostly everything out there looked hot and dry for the whole 237 miles.  It's been over 100 degrees all day, so I'm glad Jim kept the air conditioning running.

The dog wash

We were pleasantly surprised at the changes made here at the RV Park.  We stayed at this park a couple of years ago and I don't think it was a KOA then.  Well, they have really cleaned the place up, moved most of the old trailers out, and moved the tenting area into the back of the park.  They also added a second dog park and a very cool dog wash area.  Good thing I got a bath in McCall or I would have to take a bath out in front of God and everybody. A poor German Shepard was headed in that direction tonight!

After we got settled in Kathe and Jim made a quick trip to one of the casinos in town.  Kathe left all of her money there, but Jim brought home 3 extra dollars! Not too lucky, but they had some fun. They got home just as the dark clouds moved in and now we are starting to hear some rain drops on the roof.  I hope that helps to cool thing off tomorrow.  We will head to Truckee, California tomorrow for two nights.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday we were having so much fun in McCall that I forgot to write my blog.  So I will try to catch you up tonight.

The one in the back does all the work

Kathe and Jim rented kayaks yesterday morning with Darlene and Richard and went up to Payette River for a little adventure. The river was so calm and peaceful and there were lots of beautiful trees all along both banks. They paddled up the river for about an hour and had a lot of laughs. There were people of all ages on paddle boards, canoes and kayaks on the river. Then after the kayak trip they went to North Shore and found a picnic cove to enjoy lunch on the banks of the river.

Later that day they went to Darlene and Richard's condo for a delicious dinner and to play cards.  It was our last night in McCall and we've have such fun with our friends that it was hard for Kathe and Jim to say goodbye.  In fact they didn't say goodbye until almost midnight so I couldn't get Kathe to turn on the computer for me last night!  All she wanted to do was hop into bed!

Payette River

Today we left McCall really early (10 AM) and headed down to Caldwell, Idaho to the Ambassador RV Resort.  We wanted to get here early enough to visit with our friends from Los Angeles who moved here three years ago. Bob and Carol now live in Meridian, a town about 15 minutes down the road from this RV Park.

Since they had never seen our motor home I gave them a tour and showed them how to make all my toys squeak. I sat in Carol's lap while the people were talking and catching up on all the news.  By the time they left I was ready for my nap, so I didn't mind that they didn't take me out to dinner with them.

We are only here in Caldwell for one night and must get up early again tomorrow for the long, boring drive to Winnamucca, Nevada.

Bad Dog

View from Osprey Point

I am a bad dog.  I've been having so much fun here in McCall, Idaho that I haven't even been worrying about my blog. Heck, I haven't even wanted to turn on the computer till tonight, and it's way past our bedtime.

Yesterday morning I went to a real groomer for my first professional bath since Levenworth, Washington, and that was a long, long time ago. Of course I look beautiful now.  Perfect hair and nails and I smell terrific too!  Kathe did laundry, went to the Farmers Market and to the Grocery store while Jim cleaned the whole motor home inside and out.

We had to get everything ready for our friends, Richard and Darlene to visit and see our motor home for the first time yesterday afternoon. We played ball and had a lovely afternoon together.  When Jim, Kathe and Darlene left to take a walk around the Lake they found out that the door to the motor home locked behind them and wouldn't unlock. Jim had to climb in the window and open the door.  He spent about an hour and took the locking mechanism apart and found that a spring needed to be tightened. We left the window open just in case it happened again, but so far so good!

City Park in McCall

Today Jim went for a 22 mile bike ride around Payette Lake and Kathe cheered him on from the sofa! He had a great time, but he was so tired when he came home he had to have a snack right away, I know what that's like, I like have to have a snack when I exercise too!  Well truthfully, I'm up for a snack anytime.

Later today Kathe and Jim took a scenic drive up to Osprey point, the highest point on the Lake. Then they drove around the Ponderosa State Park camping loops and reminisced about the times they stayed in the park when they first came to McCall.


Well, it's way past my bedtime so I better post and say goodnight!

Over the Pass

Idaho Farms

When Kathe and I woke up this morning, or rather when I woke Kathe up this morning it was 49 degrees.  Didn't bother me much, but I had to hear her grumble and moan for the whole walk around the park.  I've got a nice fur coat to keep me warm, but I guess nothing makes her happy at 5:30 in the morning.


We hung around Winchester this morning while Jim cleaned some of the rain spots and bugs off the motor home. Kathe cleaned the inside and tried to get rid of my pine needle collection. She ran the vacuum all around me and most of my pine needles went up the tube.

White Bird Pass

We drove south today on Highway 95 past many large grain and seed farms.  The most beautiful part of the trip was driving over the White Bird pass.  It was 4.429 feet in elevation and a 7% grade for over 7 miles. I wish my pictures were a little better because it really was a spectacular view of the valley below. White Bird was the site of a famous Nez Perce Battlefield,  so you can check out the area on the Internet and even see a video of the drive we took. Google white bird pass Idaho.

We checked into the McCall RV Resort late this afternoon and now we are on Mountain Time which means you are supposed to get up even earlier than usual, I think.  Or maybe it's later, anyway Kathe's not going to like that one bit.

Payette River, McCall Idaho

We didn't get a River view site but our site has a beautiful patio and a nice green lawn. It's a short walk down to the river which is okay by me.  The park host warned us not to leave our shoes or dog leashes outside at night as there are foxes in the area that like to chew them at night.  Imagine that!

Raining with Wolves

There's a wolf in there somewhere

It's our last day in Winchester and it's been raining off and on all day.  Not a good day to hike, bike or even go fishing.   Every time we think the rain has stopped, it starts to sprinkle again.  I've taken Kathe for a few walks around the campground and managed to stay fairly dry. You don't see many chipmunks or squirrels out in the rain so it's been a pretty boring day for all of us.

Kathe and Jim read about The Wolf Education and Research Center that is near the campground on Nez Perce Tribal Land and decided to investigate it today.  The website made it sound like there were wolves running all over the place and that it was a 300 acre refuge for two wolf packs.  When they got there and spoke to the naturalist at the visitors center they found out that the original pack of wolves (the Owyhee Pack) have all passed away after long and healthy lives.  There were only two wolves in a 2 acre enclosure within the 300 acres and because of the rain it was not possible to see them.  I guess they were cozy and dry in a den somewhere and not feeling social.

There was a great deal of information about wolves in the visitors center and it was interesting to find that there are more wolves in Idaho (over 700) than there are in Glacier National Park.  The future of this research center is in question as the land is leased from the Nez Perce and the Tribe will decide if they can continue their research and obtain more wolves in the future.

Last look at Winchester Lake

After lunch Kathe and Jim just HAD to go to the Casino!  The Clearwater Casino was about 30 miles North of Winchester and so they decided to try their luck.  Jim tried playing Wolf Run in honor of the days earlier excursion, but left with his pockets a little lighter than when he began.  Kathe doesn't even want to talk about her casino experience!

Tomorrow it's on to McCall, Idaho.

Sunday Funday

The other side of  Winchester Lake

Last night the rain came down in buckets. Thunder, lightning and a constant rat-a-tat- on the roof. It's a wonder anyone got any sleep. The Internet said that there was a 2% chance of a thunderstorm, I guess they got that wrong.

By the time we had breakfast the sun was trying to come out, and it looked like good "fishin" weather to Jim.  He and Kathe went down to the lake and set up chairs on the dock. Jim caught a nice sized rainbow trout on his first cast.  He caught a couple of small perch and a tiny bass, but nothing else was big enough to keep. We cleaned and froze the trout in case he catches something big when we are in McCall next week.  Hoping for a nice fish fry!

Our site #C-49 in the trees

After lunch Kathe and Jim decided to take a hike around the lake on the Lakeside Trail.  It was about a 3 mile hike and they found out that the lake was a lot larger than it appeared from the campground. There are docks all around the lake and there were people fishing on every single one of them.  They don't allow gasoline powered boats on the lake but there were several kayaks, canoes and even an electric boat floating around.  Jim is thinking that he might ride that same trail on his bike tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

After the storm last night the campground cleared out.  It's not fun to camp in a tent or a pop-up trailer in the the rain.  There are only about four other campers on our loop tonight where  last night all twenty-two sites were taken.  It's so quiet that you can only hear the wind in the trees.
Good sleeping tonight.

Back Into the Woods

Amber Waves of Grain

Hey, this is great!  We are at Winchester Lake State Park and in only a few hours I have been chasing chipmunks and terrorizing the robins and ducks!  We have a great site in the trees and Jim is really happy because we have 50 amps, water and a lake with fish in it.  All this in the middle of nowhere.

We had a very pretty drive today down Highway 95 through Moscow and Lewiston, Idaho.  We saw miles of amber waves of grain and passed through the Coeur d' Alene and Nez Perce reservations. Beautiful farmland.

Winchester was originally a company town for the Craig Lumber Company.  They constructed a dam in 1910 across Lapwai Creek to form a long storage pond that is now Winchester Lake.  After all the mature timber was cut in this area the saw mill was closed, the land was given to The Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  In 1969 the Department of Recreation developed it into the State Park it is today.

Welcome to Winchester

We walked down to the Lake this afternoon and talked to some fishermen on the dock.  They were catching perch, trout, and catfish.  Jim decided to buy a one-day license and some worms so he can try his luck tomorrow. I was hoping for steak!

I just got back from my evening walk and it started to rain.  Now I'm hearing thunder and lightning so I'm going to stop writing and get under the bed.

Windy Day in Coeur d' Alene

While Jim and Kathe sit on the couch counting their mosquito bites, I'll tell you about our last day here in Coeur d' Alene.

A Sea Plane lands in the middle of the kayaks

It was very windy when we woke up this morning, and the flags were all flying straight out.  It was way too windy for Jim and Kathe to rent a canoe or kayak today and play around in the river like they planned. So they decided to take me down to the dog beach and we sat in the Adirondack chairs and watched the jet skis and motor boats go by.  The only people in the water were dogs, kids, and Canadians.  It was just too cold for us Californians.

At lunch time Kathe and Jim went for a drive out to Wolf Bay to have a meal at the Wolf Lodge Inn. Unfortunately they weren't open for lunch and it was time for plan "B".  Driving back into town they found their way to the Moon Time Pub where they ate so much lunch we almost didn't get dinner tonight.

They made a quick stop at the North Idaho Museum where they learned about the history of Coeur d' Alene and how it's grown from a trading post to the tourist attraction it has become.  They only spent about an hour in the museum before they decided to take a walk to the city park.  There were so many

Sight seeing on the Lake

people there enjoying the lake.  Swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and boating all in the middle of town.  A sea plane landed right in front of them and a sight seeing boat cruised by a few minutes later.  A real fun place.

This is our last night here and tomorrow we head down the highway to Winchester State Park.  I'll be glad to get back into the trees again and maybe even see a squirrel or two.  I liked this place but the only wildlife here are a few ducks and about a hundred kids on bicycles.

A Better Day

As I predicted, today was a better day!

Lake Coeur d' Alene

First off we had some "Gold Dust" Flapjacks for breakfast!  Jim received the mix as one of his many birthday presents and he decided to try and make them this morning.  Kathe put some blueberries in the ones she made, but Jim is a traditionalist and ate them just plain.  I like the plain ones too! With lots of butter!

Jim went for a bike ride today on the Centennial Bike Trail which runs from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane.  He didn't ride to Spokane but went about 20 miles along the river and down to Coeur d' Alene Lake. He rode for almost 2 hours and had a great time.

While he was gone Kathe and I went for a nice long hike on the trail around the Resort.  It was a windy day and the mosquitoes couldn't catch us while we walked along the river and through the trees.

What's for dessert?

Everyday we watch the changing of the motor homes at the RV park.  By 11:00 the place clears out and by 4:00 we have new neighbors.  It's amazing how many different kinds of motor homes, trailers, and 5th wheels there are in this part of the country.  And almost everyone is traveling with a dog.

I met a great Golden Retriever in the dog park this afternoon.  Harley was 2 years old and reminded me of my cousin Charlie.  All jumping around and trying to get me to play with him and his yucky, wet tennis ball.

Tonight Jim and Kathe went out to dinner at Beverly's in the Coeur d'Alene Resort and had a really nice meal.  Jim brought me a big piece of steak, because he loves me!

The Waiting Game

Waiting till tomorrow for some fun 

Today I spent most of the day with my people, Jim and Kathe, but most of the day I was waiting for someone or something.

First off this morning I waited in the car with Kathe while Jim dropped off the motor home to Erickson's RV Repair for our new transfer switch and surge protector.  They wouldn't let me wait in the motor home so it was the back seat of the car for me.

Then I waited while we went through the car wash.  I was looking out the window and these big blue brushes came right at me spraying blue goop all over the place.  Then there was the water spray and a blowing machine nearly rocked me off the back seat.  The drive through car wash in not my favorite thing, but that's all they have in this part of Idaho.

Next, I waited in the car while Jim went to get some Starbucks coffee for them and a nice cold water for me.

After that, Jim and I sat in the car for over an hour while Kathe finally got a prescription for some antibiotics at the clinic.  She's been keeping Jim and I awake for two weeks with her coughing, so we didn't mind that wait.  Then we waited for her while she went into Walgreen's.

Then when the motor home was all fixed and ready to be picked up, there was a short wait in the car with Kathe.

I was glad to finally get back home, but then they left me waiting while they
went out to get haircuts and to shop at the farmers market.

I waited for my dinner and now I'm waiting to brush my teeth and go to sleep.

Wait till tomorrow, it's got to be more exciting than this!

Coeur d' Alene

Relaxing at the Spokane River

Here we are in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho and boy have things changed since the last time we were here.

This is now an big city with luxury hotels and all the stores like Macy's Kohl's, Staples, and my favorite, Petco.  The Blackwell Island RV Resort has tripled in size to over 180 sites.  It's still on the Spokane River but our site is eight rows back from the riverfront this time.   We have a little real estate and there was a beautiful sunset tonight out our windshield, so it could be worse.

The only wildlife I have encountered so far has been a very tame swan and about a zillion mosquitoes! Kathe made me run back from the dog park and she was slapping herself all the way. Guess we won't be going there at dusk anymore.

Couer d' Alene was named by the French traders in the early 1800's and mining and logging fueled the economy until recently when tourism took over.

My new best friend, Swanie

Tomorrow I have to get Kathe and Jim up early because they have an appointment to get the motor home serviced. Hopefully, they will be able to fix us up with a new transfer switch so we can run our air conditioning again.  It's been so hot these past few days and we have only been able to run a fan.

I better sign off now, if I look real cute they might give me one more treat before bedtime.

It's a Wild Life

An Osprey Nest

First, I would like to correct myself for something I wrote last night.  The big big bird in the nest outside our window turns out not to be an eagle but an osprey.  We did a little research and while there are eagles in this area around the lake, this is definitely an osprey.  Still pretty neat!  There are young birds in the nest that make a racket waiting for breakfast. Sushi, ick!

The deer are still hanging around our campsite in the early morning and evening.  Tonight there were two does and a young buck right next to our site.  The buck ran away as soon as he heard the camera click.  The does just looked up and went on eating the grass.

My dear deer

Yesterday we were in fat city running two air conditioners and watching TV at the same time, we were congratulating ourselves on our good fortune to have 50 amp power for the first time since we left Oregon. Well, that all changed today when our transfer switch started acting up.  The transfer switch controls the shore and generator power to the coach.  It's a big problem and must be replaced as soon as possible.  We have an appointment in Coeur d'Alene to have it taken care of on Wednesday, if I don't melt into a puddle before then.

Right now we are only able to run our fans and the refrigerator and it's over 90 degrees inside. All three of us spent most of the day outside in the shade drinking ice water. When we couldn't stand it any longer, we went for a drive. We drove into the nearby town of Sandpoint with the air conditioning blasting and my head out the window.  Doesn't get any better than that! Jim saw a sign for U-pick blueberries we stopped and bought a giant bag of them.  Wonder if they ever have a U-pick dog treat place, now that would really be something I could go for.

Beyond Hope

Lake Pend Oreille

We crossed the border this morning and we are glad to be back in the good old US of A.  We had a better experience with the US Border Patrol than we had going into Canada.  We only had to give them a grapefruit and a lemon, and they didn't even come inside to check me out.

Just beyond Sandpoint there is a little town called Hope, Idaho.  We are at a campground just a little beyond town and that's called Beyond Hope Resort. Really!  The resort is right on the banks of Lake Pend Oreille (pon-der-ray) which is the largest lake in Idaho with a surface of 148 square miles.

Our site backs up to a game preserve and there are dozens of deer all over the place.  I have already spoken to several of them and now find them quite boring.  They just eat grass, look up at me, ignore me, and continue eating grass.  I am now acting very cool when I see them, two can play this game.

One really neat thing; we think there is an eagle's nest right outside our kitchen window.  At least it looks like an eagle's nest and we can see a BIG bird with a white head moving around in the nest.

I thought that when we got back to the United States all our phone and Internet issues would be resolved- not so! Jim's pictures are somewhere in Verizon limbo and I'm still using the Park's WIFI to post this.  If I have this much trouble tomorrow night I might just give up and wait until we get to the city!  I'm buying Kathe a cell phone booster for her birthday.

It least we have Direct TV for the first time twenty days, so I can watch my Animal Planet.

Last Night in Canada, Eh?

Kootenay Lake 

It was another sunny day Creston, BC.  The weather is so nice that I didn't even mind getting a bath this morning.  I was really looking kind of scruffy and I was a little self conscious about being stinky too!  Now I'm all beautiful again and ready for crossing the border tomorrow.

Today Kathe and Jim did some sight seeing in Downtown Creston.  First they went to the weekly Farmers Market and saw all the beautiful produce grown here that they can't take back to the US. They did find a lady selling homemade caramels and they might eat them all before they leave Canada, just in case.

An old time permanent wave machine

They took a stroll down Main Street which took all of 15 minutes (both sides) and decided to visit the historical Creston museum.  They enjoyed the guided tour which consisted of lots of antique farm equipment, a one room school house and a fur trappers cabin.  In one exhibit they saw antique veterinarian tools and an antique beauty parlor in another.  Sounds like a whole bunch of old stuff to me. Jim enjoyed seeing a pipe machine that made logs into pipes to carry water, and Kathe had fun looking at dresses and hats in a 1908 Sears and Roebucks catalog.

They came home to have lunch with me before heading out for a drive to Kootenay Lake.  The lake was formed in 1931 when a dam was built on the Kootenay River creating one of the largest lakes in British Columbia.  The lake originally seasonally flooded a marsh to the south of the lake, but that area has now been diked for commercial agriculture.  That's why there are so many delicious cherries, apples, peaches and berries grown in the Creston Valley.


.

Pair A Dice

Pair A Dice

Kathe has found us some pretty interesting spots on this trip, but tonight she has out done herself! We're in Creston, BC, on the way to Idaho and we are spending two nights at the Pair A Dice Resort. Resort? Maybe not so much, but it is a place where the sun is shining and we have hookups!

We are all pretty tired of rain, so the blue sky and sunshine is a welcome change.  It rained so much in Lake Louise and Radium Springs that bathing me was pointless.  My hair kept getting wet and curly, so I had a reprieve for well past time for a grooming.  Kathe called a groomer in Creston and they said they were booked up into the middle of August.  Looks like it's going to be the kitchen sink for me soon.

This Creston area is known for all the fruit that is grown here and there were at least 10 fruit stands along the highway in town. Even though the fruit looks delicious, Kathe is afraid to buy too much for fear they will take it away at the border when we cross the day after tomorrow.  We will still have to eat a whole bag of cherries and a half dozen peaches if they do.

Tonight Jim barbecued the long awaited steaks.  At least I was long awaiting them, and my wish was granted!  I got a real big juicy piece all to myself!

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

When I woke up this morning it was pouring.  I had things to do so I made Kathe put on her windbreaker and her furry slippers and take me for a trip around the park.  After we got back and dried off we both went back to bed and listened to the rain bouncing off the roof of the motor home.

I wasn't feeling tip top this morning, I had a stomach ache and stayed in bed all morning.  I didn't even get up when Kathe offered me some of her scrambled eggs.  And you know I'm really sick when I turn down a chicken treat.

Site 110  while the sun was shining

Later in the morning I went out to looked for some clean green grass to eat which considering it was still raining was a pretty easy thing to find.  Kathe and I got soaked again.  After we dried off, I went back to sleep in front of the fireplace.  I started feeling better after that and was able to force myself to eat a chicken treat and play a little ball.

The best part of today was that Kathe and Jim stayed home most of the day. Not because I wasn't feeling well, but because of the rain. It rained off and on all day long and even hailed for a short time. All three of us are pretty sick of being wet and cold. That's what we get for complaining so much about the hot weather in the beginning of the trip.  But this rain is really weird, it's sunny one minute and pouring the next. You think it's over and it's safe to go for a walk and then the sky opens up and you get drenched.

Kathe and Jim had to go out for dinner tonight instead of barbecuing the steaks they promised me. It's a little hard to grill steak under water! They tried an Austrian restaurant that was recommended by the people in the park and really enjoyed themselves.

A crazy woodworker built a house in the center of town.  There are always a bunch of tourists hanging around it taking pictures of it.  It's the only tourist attraction.  Jim took a picture of it for me.

In the Canyon

Goodbye to our Mountains

Last night after I finished my post I went out for a bit of fresh air before bedtime and as soon as I got back in it started to rain again.  That makes four consecutive nights of rain.  Oh, it rained every day too, but we still managed to have a lot of fun in Lake Louise in between the showers.  But, it really was time to move on to another adventure.

The last pass into town

Driving back down on Highway 93 through the Kootenay National Park was almost as exciting as it was in the opposite direction, but it was hard to say goodbye to our beautiful Mountains.  After the mountain passes and the 6, 7, and 8% grades we were happy to arrive in Radium Hot Springs and locate the Canyon RV Resort.

Our site is great, we're deep in the canyon in a deluxe site and we back up to a beautiful creek.  I've already walked the whole park and I think we have the best site in the park.  I wish we were staying here longer than 2 nights.

We just chilled out today.  Tomorrow Kathe and Jim will try find something interesting to do here.  I guess yesterdays killer hike took a lot out of them because they are just sitting in the lounge chairs watching the water in the creek flow by.  Fine by me,  I'm chilling in the green grass.

The view from our site

We passed a huge mineral hot springs pool on the way into town, which is the town's claim to fame, that and the 10 golf courses.

A Hot Spring sounds too much like a bath, so
count me out!

Uphill all the Way

Lake Louise

The plan this morning was to wake up early and drive up to Lake Louise to take a hike before the crowds packed the parking lots. Well, I did get Kathe up early and out for a walk, but then it started raining and that was the end of that. Everyone crawled back into bed.

When they finally left the house they noticed that the rain did keep a lot of people away.  So, after a several loops of the parking lots, they gave up and found a spot on the street leading up to the Lake. That only added about  another 1/2 mile to the planned hike to Lake Agnes and the Tea house.

The Ranger told Jim it was a moderate hike, but this is Canada where a moderate hike is more like a mountain climb.  I know some dogs would like a hike in the woods, but count me out on this one! It was up, uphill all the way with no flat spots or downhill.  It was switchback and more switchback till they finally got to the top of the mountain.  It seemed much longer than the 2 miles but they made it, just as it started raining again! They found a couple of seats in the Tea house and had a snack while they waited for the rain to stop.

Lake Agnes

The hike was equal to climbing 123 flights of stairs and over 15,000 footsteps. The view from the top was magnificent, and almost worth the climb.  Views of the Lake and the Ski Resort from way up high.  The best part? It was down hill all the way back to the car!

I'm having fun in between the rain showers chasing rabbits and squirrels and sticking my nose into everything.  A whole bunch of dogs arrived here last night with their people on the way to Alaska. It's been fun meeting and greeting, but they are leaving tomorrow in a caravan of 24 rigs.

View of the Ski Resort

As for us, it's on to Radium Springs tomorrow where we will once again have all the comforts of home.

A Day in Banff

Fairmont Banff Springs

Note to Kathe and Jim:  If you want to take a hike around Lake Louise don't stay in bed until 9:45 in the morning! By the time you shower and eat breakfast it's too late!

There are so many tourists here in the town of Lake Louise that as of this evening Jim and Kathe have not actually seen the Lake. For the past two days all of the parking lots have been full and there have been hundreds of cars parked everywhere on the roads and sidewalks leading up to the Lake. And yet it's been overcast or raining everyday.

So after another attempt to find a parking space late this morning, they gave up and decided to drive to Banff for the day.

Look out the hotel window, dear 

That turned out to be a great idea because Banff was sunny and warm when they got there. The town is a real tourist town with lots of gift shops and restaurants but it's in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. They walked the streets with the rest of the crowd and stopped for nice lunch at the Maple Leaf Grill.

After lunch they walked up to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel where Jim stayed once when he came here on a ski trip many years ago. It's a really beautiful property, and it would be fun to stay there sometime if dogs are allowed.
If they allow deer, why not!

Nice Ice

Last night after I finished my blog it started to rain.  I wanted to go out after dinner just like we always do but Kathe kept trying to convince me that we didn't have to go.  Well, maybe she didn't have to go, but I sure did.  I love the rain, I ran around and stuck my head under all the wet plants and ran through puddles until I got dripping wet. Unfortunately, so did Kathe.  Then it was time for the towels and the hair dryer to come out, as she wouldn't let me in bed until I was warm and dry.  It rained all night long and more storms are predicted.  Today it's cool enough to put on the fireplace.

I sat at home and twiddled my paws today while Kathe and Jim drove the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Glacier Center.  Now that was a real adventure!  The Columbia Icefields are the largest ice mass in the Rocky Mountains, it's main bulk, about 10 by 15 miles straddles the Great Divide.  The ice covers about  130 square miles to a depth of over 900 feet.

Kathe and Jim took in an Ice Explorer vehicle right onto the Athabasca Glacier.  From the Glacier Discovery Center you are able to see three glaciers, Stutfield, Athabasca, and Dome.  It was a breathtaking experience being able to walk on a field of moving glacier ice formed by snow falling as long as 400 years ago.

They came home as soon as they could, but it was a 120 mile round trip and they were gone so long I was afraid they wouldn't get back in time for my afternoon walk.  I am such a good girl, I waited six hours until they returned.  TREATS please!