Beautiful Dunedin – March 1 – 27, 2024
In fall 2022, at the end of baseball season, we started brainstorming about a trip to Spring Training in Florida. Finding a place in Dunedin (home of the Blue Jays in March) is tough as many Canadians make the pilgrimage to Dunedin to experience baseball at the very start of the season. We couldn’t find anything for 2023, but 2024 was already taking bookings so we jumped on the opportunity.
We found a cute studio apartment in a house only four blocks from the TD Stadium, one block away from the Pinellas Trail, and an easy twenty minute walk to downtown Dunedin. As Dunedin is right on the Gulf of Mexico, just north of Clearwater Beach, the weather and the ocean water is much warmer than the east coast of Florida. We planned on enjoying the heat as much as possible.
We had six Blue Jays games booked, and added an extra one in Bradenton to see the Jays play an “away” game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Many of the Major League Teams have their Spring Training stadiums in Florida, so it’s never too far to go to check out the other ballparks. We met up with a lot of friends in Dunedin who travelled to see their Blue Jays in action, and enjoyed afternoons at the park watching baseball, enjoying beverages and catching up on each other’s lives.
Although baseball was what brought us to Dunedin, we were pleasantly surprised to find amazing paddleboarding opportunities! Just north of Dunedin is a causeway that connects the main land with Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Park. Accessing the Gulf from the south side of the causeway, we found free parking on the beach and a perfect launch site for our SUP’s. On a few lucky days, we saw dolphins swimming in the area, lots of jumping fish and pelicans enjoying the shallow sandbars. The dolphins weren’t as friendly as the manatees of Blue Spring, but still incredible to watch.
Having a base in Dunedin, we were able to have a few adventures in the area including an overnight to Orlando to cheer on our Toronto Raptors, a few pool days with our family in Gulfport, and our final day we spent enjoying the ocean on Pass-a-Grille beach. Dunedin has so much to offer to visitors to the area…great restaurants and shops, festivals and events almost every weekend, and a friendly and welcoming community base that is inclusive and diverse. A perfect place to finish off our 6 month adventure. One of the best parts of travel is the renewed appreciation of home. We were super excited to see the sign for Mushaboom on our return. Looking forward to getting back out on the water, and hoping to see both some new and familiar faces on the Eastern Shore this summer.
Back to Modern Conveniences – February 5 – 29, 2024
Despite so desperately longing for simple luxuries like our own bathroom, a place inside to do yoga, and sleeping in a bed bigger than a large twin, our final morning camping was bittersweet. We could hear the rain falling softly on the canvas, we were warm under the covers, and Sirius, the biggest bed and blanket hog there is, was snuggling next to us still snoring after a good night’s sleep. Did the moment feel sweeter knowing it was our last night camping? Or was I going to miss camping more than I realized. No matter the answer, I was excited to start moving again and seeing what February had in store for us. Beginning our transition back into modern civilization, we spent the first couple nights in Stuart visiting friends Gail and Andrew.
Stuart is on the east coast of Florida, about 90 minutes north of Fort Lauderdale. We love the shops in Stuart, the amazing restaurants, the waterfront, the fun local bars, and most of all, catching up with our friends. After Stuart, we continued north up the east coast to our AirBnB in a small town called Palatka, about 30 minutes inland from St. Augustine. We had never been to Palatka, and weren’t sure what to expect. From a search online, we read that Palatka was on the St. John’s River, and was described as very Old Florida. A new experience for us, as we didn’t know the area well, nor what Old Florida meant. We’d soon be reminded of the benefits and the drawback of city living.
Old Florida is beautiful. The street our house was on was still made from the original red bricks, and many of the houses in Palatka had been build in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. There were many grand old homes, with massive yards full of ancient live oaks trees covered in spanish moss. Our Airbnb was about 2 miles from the river, in a rougher section of the town. The house itself was over one hundred years old, and not quite as grand as the ones found closer to the river. Our neighbourhood gave us very little desire to walk, especially at night, when the random gunfire and sirens were the prominent soundtrack. Many of the houses in our area were boarded up, or in various degrees of falling apart. Some were well maintained, but most had an assortment of broken down cars on their lawns, garbage gathering on the sidewalks, and dogs left out on chains all day to guard the property. Although happy to be in a house, I’d be lying if I said we didn’t reconsider a jump back to campgrounds more than once or twice. But the uniqueness and hidden beauty of Palatka grew on us. The downtown area is decorated with murals, attracting visitors to this small town from all over. The waterfront paths along the St Johns River are well maintained, and there is a gorgeous garden just south of town that was blooming with colourful azaleas. We found an ideal running trail that was once a railroad line just a 4 minute drive from our house, which we used both for runs and shaded walking with Sirius at least 4 or 5 times a week. The shops and restaurants along Palatka’s Main Street were fun to wander through, and they had a fantastic brewery that offered weekly yoga, live music and other events almost every day of the week.
What made our stay the most enjoyable was having a base that was so close to other places we wanted to visit. We drove to the coast more than a few times to get back to the ocean we were missing so much. We spent some time exploring St. Augustine, as well as a few small towns in Florida’s interior, filled with small antique shops, diners and beautiful country roads. We spent more than a couple nights watching television. It was at first tough to shake the guilt of spending vacation time watching TV, but these 6 months on the road have been a mix of adventure, vacation, and just living. A balance of all three was exactly what I had been missing. I say with both pride and embarrassment, we got through all 5 seasons of Breaking Bad in 3 weeks. Despite being south for the winter, we found our bodies and our minds still needed to hibernate. That is exactly what our stay in Palatka allowed us to do. March’s calendar was pretty full, so taking a few weeks to regroup was a good decision. And showering without flip flops was just as glorious as I imagined.
Highlands Hammock State Park – January 30 – February 5, 2024
Our final State Park on this crazy adventure. This was our first time staying here, and we were surprised to have even scored a reservation as it is a popular park in south central Florida. Highlands Hammock also has the distinction of being Florida’s first State Park, opened in August 1935. Despite the name, Highlands Hammocks campsites did not allow hammocks, as there were barely any trees in the campground area to support them! The word “hammock” is a term often used in the southeastern US to describe a forested area, usually consisting of hardwood trees, that is typically higher in elevation than the surrounding areas. The word itself was derived from the Indigenous word “hamaca” meaning a shady place.
Despite the lack of trees in the camping area, the park itself had various hiking trails that provided lots of shade from the hot Florida sunshine. It was easy to see why this park would be very popular in the warmer months, as the temperature difference between the exposed open areas, and the shaded trails and roads was significant. This was my favourite park to run in, as the ring road that most of the hiking trails started and ended from was shaded almost 95% around, making it an oasis in the afternoons.
The campground itself was crowded, offering little if any privacy, and sound carried easily from one side to the other. Yet, it was one of the friendliest parks we’ve ever visited. Talking to a few of our neighbours, we learnt that many locals come back year after year to camp at this park, meeting old and new friends, and turning it into a reunion for many. The hiking trails were a highlight, especially for our dog Sirius who loved the coolness of the shade, and all the smells the previous dogs and other wild life had left for him to find. A few trails were closed due to storm damage and general repair and upkeep, but that seems pretty common in Florida.
In the 1950’s, tram tours started in the park, meant to showcase the 4 major ecosystems that the park contained. We took the tram tour to see wild alligators…I suspect we weren’t the only ones taking the tour for this reason. At first, we had hesitated taking the tour as it felt a little touristy, but I’m so glad we did. Much of the park is closed off to the public, except for the tram, which is allowed on the private roads. The park is over 9,000 acres, and the campground and trails are such a small part of it. The tram tour rewarded us with a much better perspective of the vastness and uniqueness of the park, and included great storytelling from our driver. We also saw at least a dozen alligators, some with babies, that paid us no attention as we drove past them resting by the side of ponds or small rivers. Our 6 night stay at Highlands Hammock went by surprisingly fast, and as we packed up our camping gear, we left the park feeling satisfied with our decision to say goodbye to the wilds of Florida. Little did we know the different kinds of wild Florida we’d experience next in our AirBnb in Palatka!
Hillsborough River State Park – January 16 – 30, 2024
American actor, comedian and singer Danny Kaye is quoted as saying, “To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” It has taken me a few days to decide what I wanted to write about the last couple of weeks. It is easy to blame the cold temperatures much of North America has been experiencing to make the journey a little more bumpy than originally hoped. The idea of gray days, filled with rain and cold temperatures is what inspired us to book a winter in Florida in the first place.
Within a day or two of arriving at Hillsborough River State Park, I had reached my limit of not just cold weather, but of travelling. Homesickness hit me hard. We were in our fourth month of this journey, and the idea of having to stay in a park with almost no privacy, with horribly outdated and drafty washrooms, knowing that we still had over a month of this type of living to go, was more than my heart and my brain could handle. Starting the van and driving north was becoming a real possibility. I struggled to write this for a couple of reasons. First, it is tough to admit when you have reached a very low point. Second, I was not sure I wanted to relive it even through writing. But this travel blog we created was meant to both inspire, and to be sincere. Sometimes travelling sucks. I was frightened I would not be able to shake this dark cloud that both figuratively, and literally crept over my head and refused to leave.
We had camped at Hillsborough River before, a few years ago. It is one of the oldest state parks in Florida, but with its proximity to Tampa and its beautiful hiking trails, it is also one of the most popular with locals and snowbirds alike. The last few years have brought a few serious storms to the area, including destructive hurricanes that have caused significant damage. As a result, the pool at the park has been closed for maintenance for a couple of years, and is unlikely to reopen. The park is on a flood plain and repairing it might be too costly. The Stationary Bridge that crosses the Hillsborough River was damaged, and has not passed any of the safety or environmental requirements for it to be reopened. The outdated washrooms have been slated for replacement for a few years but any progress on that has been halted for more environmental reasons. The general up keep on these washrooms has been seriously neglected. Out of order signs on many of the toilets and showers have been up for months, and the showers that are in service have less water pressure than a light sprinkling of rain. Hot water eventually appears, most times, after a few minutes wait. It would not have been such a big deal if the temperatures were not so cold to start with. There is very little greenery separating the sites, and privacy became a luxury I had started to miss terribly. I missed my home, my friends, and the comforts I rarely thought twice about. I even started to miss the snow…I knew I must have been losing my sanity. I needed to escape, and needed some hope that there would be better days ahead.
On a positive note, the camp hosts were amazing at cleaning the campgrounds and washrooms and trying their hardest to make the best of many bad situations. We attended a Meet and Greet event on a Thursday morning, where coffee and donuts were offered to the campers and the park rangers came to give a brief talk about the park and answer any questions any one had. The talk was quite informative, but offered little hope to the future of the park. A large subdivision is being built north of the park, that borders the river, and the pollution has made the river not fit for swimming, or even paddleboarding. Kayaks are available to rent for the park store, but in the two weeks we were there, we did not see a single person on the river.
We did get in a few beautiful hikes, using the suspension bridge to traverse the river, spotting deer, water birds, colourful mushrooms and countless squirrels. Donuts and gorgeous walks through the forest helped, but I needed more. So we came up with a plan.
First, I needed a change of scenery. Life on the road for the past few months could be equally as uncomfortable at times, but we were always moving, and I needed to move. We went to visit my sister and brother in law at their newly purchased condo in Gulfport, only about an hour from the campground. We spotted some pelicans, went for a walk in town, visited shops and restaurants and enjoyed the sunshine, even if the temperatures were still chilly. We went for day trips to the local botanical gardens, and to see the manatees at the Tampa Manatee Viewing Centre. I ran a 5K race to support the Manatees by raising money to replant the sea grass, one of the manatees favourite foods. We went out for lunches, went antique shopping at a store that specialized in Disney World memorabilia. We went to Barnes and Noble more times than I want to admit. I booked a day trip to Epcot with my sister in law, and ate and drank my way around the Epcot World Showcase.
Most importantly, I recognized that if I was going to be able to continue this journey, I needed some comforts. Living in a van for half a year sounds romantic, adventurous and intrepid. But the reality it is, it is also tough, uncomfortable and scary some of the time too. We made the big decision to cancel most of our campground reservations for the majority of February and book an Airbnb. The cost was a major consideration, but feeling like I hadn’t been able to tough it out was even more difficult to swallow. How could I not love travel? Wasn’t that a big part of who I was? If travel wasn’t bringing me joy, would anything be able to? But as I hit confirm and pay on the Airbnb site, a weight lifted and I could start to see some hope. I could cook in an indoor kitchen. Shower without wearing flip flops. Shower with hot water! Booking an Airbnb does not mean I will never camp again, never travel again. It means I need some comforts, and four months living in a van is a long time. We have met so many people who have sold their homes and live full time in their campers (although most have a slightly larger living space than a Vanagon provides…and a full size bed, television and their own showers). But even with those luxuries, I don’t know if that life is for me. I miss my home. I miss Mushaboom.
I am out the other side of this storm, and happy to report we are still in Florida. The sun is out today, I am wearing a t-shirt, and we have some wonderful events planned over the next two months. I have not been paddle boarding in a few weeks, but plan on fixing that very soon.
Tomoka State Park – January 2 – 16, 2024
What I really should have titled this post was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. As the rest of North America suffers extreme cold temperatures, Florida has been “lucky” to have temperatures at least above freezing. There has been a tremendous about of rain and gray skies, making these past two weeks less than ideal. We still have our flannel sheets on the bed! I also wonder if the memories one has of a place sometimes outshine the present day experiences, unfairly so, as you tend to only remember what you want to remember. I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll start with the Good at Tomoka State Park, located on the east coast of Florida, just north of the very popular seaside city of Daytona Beach.
THE GOOD. To start with, the drive into Tomoka is one of my favourites – a two lane road with lots of trees and bushes lining the sides. Many times the forest comes over the road making an archway of branches and leaves. Another highlight of Tomoka is the location, as the park sits on the banks of the Intracoastal waterway. We had a site that backed onto it, allowing easy access for our paddle boards directly from our site. (I won’t post the sites that offer this special hidden feature on the website, but if you are looking to make a reservation, reach out and I’ll share these details). There are 100 campsites at the park, and numerous bathhouses with laundry facilities, so there is rarely any wait for the washroom. There is a lot of greenery throughout the park, a few trails to explore and great places to run or hike. There is a wonderful Outpost on site, offering craft beer on draft, a small selection of food, both prepared and for camping, some clothes, fishing supplies, and firewood. They offers boat and kayak rentals, as well as boat tours. The camp hosts go above and beyond their regular cleaning and maintenance duties, offering fun programs during the week like parachute cord bracelet making, magic wand making, art classes as well as a coffee meet and greet and a live music get together on the occasional Friday night. One of the best features we’ve discovered at Tomoka is that although it is about 70 miles north of Cape Canaveral, the rocket launches are visible if you are out on the Intracoastal. Unfortunately this visit, both launches were after dark so although we could hear the rockets, we didn’t venture out onto the water to watch the rocket lights. All in all, our stay at Tomoka had a lot of positive experiences. But that’s not the whole story.
THE BAD. As Tomoka is located so close to urban areas, some that are very well known for their spring break parties, bike weeks, and raceways, the weekends tend to be very busy, full of people looking to party rather than to enjoy a peaceful campfire. A risk you take at any campground, I found this visit much louder than normal. Which sadly led to more garbage left on campsites and throughout the campground. The sites have little greenery between them, and sound tends to carry quite well. One night we listened to a boisterous group of motorcyclists come into the park at 2am, and fight loudly with each other until about 2:45am. Not one Ranger appeared on site, and the rules for quiet time were not enforced at all. When I asked the next day at the Ranger Station what campers should do in situations like these, I was told to call the police, as it wasn’t their concern. I might have just had the unfortunate luck of talking with a Ranger that didn’t want to deal with any issues, I’d like to think that he was the exception rather than the rule. Also, each state is different with the laws and rules…which leads into my final point…
THE UGLY. I get that the gun laws are different in the US than in Canada. We knew that coming into the US, so seeing guns, gun ranges and gun shows wasn’t a surprise. Hearing gun shots too many times to count while at the campground was NOT expected. I’m hoping it was hunters, which feels weird to say as I’m not a huge fan of hunters on the best of days. But every single morning we were at Tomoka, gun shots were going off at an alarming rate, and quite close to the campground. Another ugly truth to not just Tomoka, but to much of the US, is the way the country both portrays and respects Indigenous Peoples. As I mentioned, we had camped at Tomoka before and knew that within the park there is a huge statue of Chief Tomokie…looking more like the formally named Cleveland Indians mascot, than a leader in the community. Listening to the locals, as well as visitors talk about Indigenous Peoples and using racist language to address others reminds me that the US isn’t as inclusive as I hope one day it will be. I didn’t mean to get political with this post, gun laws and racism are not points I like to bring up, but both of these were tough to ignore and added to the uncomfortable feeling we experienced at Tomoka. I won’t even mention the number of Trump flags, and confederate flags we saw. As we pack up and head out of the park, I want to come back to the good experiences we had here. The paddling was wonderful, on the days without heavy winds and rain. We were able to take lots of walks in beautiful areas, and enjoy some great beer at the outpost. The camp hosts were wonderful, both welcoming and friendly throughout our stay. And on the days I didn’t feel like cooking, we were only a 10 minute drive to Domino’s Pizza. Fingers crossed for sunnier skies, and less gun fire at the next stop on this journey.
Blue Spring State Park – December 19 – January 2, 2024
Instead of writing about each week of this adventure, we’ve switched gears as we’ve switched to a different style of travel. Rather than a new destination every day or two, we are staying at some of the best Florida State Parks for the next two months, for up to 2 weeks at a time. This is our summary of our 2 week stay at Blue Spring, a state park about 30 miles northeast or Orlando. We booked this park 11 months in advance, as the spots fill up quickly. Starting in 2024, out of state residents can only book 10 months in advance, so if you are planning to go, make sure to book as soon as possible. Blue Springs is open 365 days a year. It is located on the St. Johns River, a place where hundreds of manatees call home over the winter months.
In 1971, an episode of the Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau was filmed here, highlighting the importance of Blue Spring as a winter refuge for manatees. The state bought the land and established a park in 1972. There are 51 campsites located within walking distance to the spring, and there are 2 bathhouses with full services for the campers. During the summer the spring is open for water-related activities including swimming, scuba diving, tubing and boating. But in mid-November to March, when manatees travel down the St. Johns River seeking warm waters, the spring closes for their protection.
The park is open to the general public from 8am until dusk every day, so as a camper, the best time to visit the Boardwalk that travels alongside the spring is first thing in the morning before the park opens. The Boardwalk starts at the Blue Spring Boil, where warm waters from an underwater spring work their way up an underwater cave to the Blue Spring Run. The Boardwalk runs through trees and over small creeks, allowing guests an overhead view of the run below. On the busiest day, we saw over 700 manatees swimming, sleeping and grazing along the side and the bottom of the run. The run connects with the St. Johns River, where boats, kayaks, canoes and paddle boards are allowed to enjoy the river and catch glimpses of the manatees moving in and out of the run on their way to feed in the river. It is important to remember that manatees are protected under Florida State Law, and it is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy, or molest manatees. Even touching a manatee is punishable under the Manatee Sanctuary Act, with a fine of up to $500 and/or a jail term of up to 60 days. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have any amazing encounters with them. Manatees are very curious by nature, and many approach the boats as they are curious about them. Sadly, this curiosity has led to many injuries and fatalities to the manatees, as they often are struck by fast moving boat propellers.
There are signs up where manatees tend to migrate asking boaters to operate at slow speeds with minimum wake. All throughout the park, there are information signs telling the story of the park, and the manatees that call it home during the winter. Save the Manatees is an organization that was established in 1981 by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and former US Senator Bob Graham to protect manatees and their habitat for future generations. They participate in manatee research, and assist in rescues and rehabilitation of manatees worldwide. They also focus a lot of time on public awareness so that everyone can watch out for these amazing mammals. Sometimes in the mornings, you can see the researchers out with their notepads in a red canoe in the Blue Spring Run, tracking the manatees, and providing a daily count. The park also does a daily count with a ranger walking the boardwalk each morning, and manually counting the manatees.
I can’t say enough good things about the staff at Blue Spring. The rangers and the volunteers are kind, patient, and always happy to answer any questions about the park, or the manatees. There is a terrific general store for any souvenirs or snacks you might want on your visit, and boat tours and canoe and kayak rentals are available if you don’t have your own equipment. During the busy winter season, expect delays getting in and out of the park as the lineups can be up to a 3 hour wait to get in. That is definitely why I recommend camping here!
Week Twelve, The Longest Road – December 17 – 23, 2023
The week started off with a trip to the airport. Our plan was to bring our car down to Florida so that when we camped for a week or two in one campground, we’d have a car to get groceries every few days. It made sense instead of having to pack up the van every time. Also, Flair Airlines offered cheap and direct one way flights from Orlando to Toronto, so I bought a single ticket and made my way back to Toronto to pick up our car that we had left at our sister and brother-n-law’s house. I didn’t realize how tough it would be to leave the sunshine in Florida, even just for a few days. A snow storm decided to hit while I was in Ontario for one night, and it was a great reminder of why I wanted to skip the cold and snowy winters.
I didn’t stop to take too many pictures, my goal was to make it back to Florida in 3 days or less, avoiding traffic, not driving after dark, and hoping not to speed too much. I did make one stop at the New River Gorge in West Virginia to take a short hike to see the bridge. During Covid, it became a National Park, and it’s visitors centre upgraded to attract more visitors to this area. Bruce and Sirius had settled into Blue Springs State Park while I was gone, which will be our home for two weeks. I arrived into Florida early Thursday morning, and made it to the State Park by mid afternoon. This park is one of our favourites because in the winter months, hundreds of manatees come to enjoy the warm waters of the Blue Spring. We have camped here before, and knew that we wanted to celebrate the holidays here. The opportunity to see manatees from the boardwalk is amazing, but paddle boarding with them in the St Johns River is incredible. We had hoped to paddle more during our road trip, but the weather and timing never seemed to work out in many of the states. Which made our first paddle out even more special.
Did you know the closest relative to the manatee is the elephant??? Manatees come inland every winter as the ocean water temperatures become too cold for them, so they seek out warm spring waters, where they enjoy sleeping for up to 12 hours a day, and eating for 8 hours each day! They are herbivores, and eat mostly freshwater and seawater plants – up to 15% of their body weight every day. They are gentle creatures, who are naturally curious and playful. It is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, annoy or molest manatees. Even touching a manatee can be punished with a fine up to $500 and/or a jail term of up to 60 days. Passive observation is the best way to view manatees, and many times, they will approach you to check out your kayak or paddle board. Most of Florida follows these laws, with an unfortunate exception in Crystal River where snorkeling and swimming with manatees is allowed. Hopefully these grandfathered laws will change and catch up with the rest of the state. Despite sharing the river with alligators and other predators, the manatees only enemy is humans – many are killed by boat propellers and water pollution. The state is trying to protect the manatee habitat by encouraging “no wake zones” in manatee areas, and educating people about ways we can help protect this incredible mammal. We hope to get in many more paddles over the next week, and hope some of the manatees in the spring find us interesting enough to come check us out. Stay tuned for many more pictures!!
Week Eleven, Into the Sunshine (State) – December 10 – 16, 2023
We started the week off in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the home to Bessie in the song Up on Cripple Creek by The Band. There is also a song called Lake Charles, sung by Lucinda Williams. We meant to stop at the Visitor’s Centre but it was closed on Sundays. We checked out some of the local murals and enjoyed some beignets for breakfast – a signature food for Louisiana. For lunch, we found a cajun style restaurant, and I ordered an oyster po’boy sandwich. Louisiana is known for their delicious food, not necessarily for their healthy food.
Our final Harvest Host for this part of the journey was at a plantation in Louisiana called Houmas House. It was on the banks of the Mississippi River and had a beautiful mansion on it surrounded by well kept gardens. We of course slept in the van in the parking lot, but bought the pass to tour the garden as it was decorated for the holidays. A wedding was taking place that evening in the gardens which happens frequently according to the staff there, as there is cute cottages for the guests to stay on site. The plantation also serves as a museum, and a popular place for the Mississippi River Cruises to stop.
I couldn’t leave Louisiana without having my favourite meal, red beans and rice. We found an amazing vegan soul food restaurant in New Orleans and stopped for lunch. Bruce had jambalaya with sweet potatoes. I paired by red beans and rice with spicy cauliflower. We continued east, stopping in Mississippi for the night at Shepard State Park, just outside Biloxi. Finally back to campgrounds surrounded by trees, we can definitely feel the climate change as we approach the humid south east coast of the US.
We didn’t stop at all in Alabama…not because we didn’t want to, but it takes up such a small amount of space squeezing itself between Mississippi and Florida as it touches the Gulf of Mexico. Plus we were excited to get to our final state of this stage of our trip. We took the smaller highways again, crossing into Florida, and followed the coast until we arrived at St Andrew’s State Park. We had a wonderful campsite right on the water, where we caught glimpses of dolphins playing in the waves. We were hoping to get out of the water on our paddleboards, but Mother Nature wasn’t kind to us. The winds picked up and the clouds rolled in, and it would have been dangerous to get out on the water. The winds were so strong we would have needed our passports as we would have been blown to Mexico in no time at all. Frustrated we couldn’t get out safely, we took a few walks along the beach, did some yoga and had a nap or two.
We had to carry on east and stopped in another KOA near Perry, Florida, before getting to Rainbow Springs State Park to finish off our week. We were surprised at the number of vacant sites when we arrived, but when we checked in, the ranger said we were in for a bit of weather. He wasn’t lying. It rained and rained and rained, so much so that flood warnings were issued for the area. We also discovered a small leak in our roof, that kept us up during the night as we tried to stop the indoor puddle from growing into a lake with our already damp beach towels. The sunshine state needs to work on living up to it’s name, but I think there are brighter days ahead. It’s warm enough to sleep without a heater, we just need to see some of that Florida Sun!
Week Ten, BIG love for a BIG state – December 3 – 9, 2023
Texas. I wasn’t certain what to expect…I suspected there might be lots of cowboy hats and boots, fields and fields of cows, and countless saloons in every town. Although we definitely saw a little of all of that, we were surprised with the beauty and diversity that this amazing state has. But before Texas, we made a stop in Las Cruces New Mexico, home to the World’s Largest Chile Pepper. Starting this week BIG.
We did our first overnight in a rock climbing base camp. No, we have not taken up rock climbing, but it did offer cheap and cheerful overnight camping for $5 a night. And the State Park up the street was closed for emergency maintenance work. Compared to California, Texas felt like a bargain on many levels. The gas prices alone were super cheap…usually $2.39 a gallon! Compared to almost $6 a gallon in California! The next day we headed for Marfa – a great artsy town our friends Christian and Julie recommended visiting. Most famously known as the place where the classic film Giant took place, it is also home to the quirky Prada Marfa, an art installation along US Route 90 that looks like a real Prada storefront. There are beautiful murals all over the town, and it made for a great detour off Interstate 10. We stopped in an RV park in Fort Stockton for the night, surrounded by massive RV’s but one of the cleanest parks we had seen. Texans take a lot of pride in their businesses, a continuing theme we noticed all throughout the week.
Our next stop was a Harvest Host in Bandera, the Bandera Brewery which featured trivia on Tuesday nights! We couldn’t resist a night of trivia, so we made a full day of driving and arrived in time to grab some dinner and settle in for the night. When we stopped we noticed a small pool of coolant turn into a larger pool pretty quickly, so we opened up the engine to find a cracked coolant expansion tank. Thankfully the cracks were small, but enough to know we had to start looking for replacement right away. We tried all the local mechanic shops, and all the auto parts stores, and the best we could do is have the new tank delivered in 2 days time. We placed the order, and planned out the next couple of nights knowing we wouldn’t be able to safely travel too far. I blame the stress of the breakdown for our dead last finish in trivia that night, but we still had a fun night losing to the local crowds.
There isn’t much to say about our day at the Motel 6 in San Antonio, just over a mile away from the AutoZone store that promised our part by Thursday. Laundry, napping and walks around the area to pass the time…Tom Petty was right, waiting IS the hardest part. But Thursday afternoon, we got the text…our package had arrived! Bruce ran over to pick it up, installed the new tank, and we were on the road again by 3:45pm! Excited to get anywhere but where we were, we drove to the other side of San Antonio and checked into a KOA – the nicest, cleanest, friendliest place we could have hoped to find! Luck was on our side again. The next morning we realized we were only a 10 minute drive from the Alamo, and the San Antonio Riverwalk so we backtracked and went into the city to see what we could see. Dogs aren’t allowed in the Alamo, so Bruce dropped me off so I could take a quick photo, and then dropped me off again and circled the block so I could take a quick picture of the Riverwalk. It was morning, so not much was open yet on the Riverwalk, but both of us have put San Antonio on the top of our must return to list – a beautiful city full of lots of great restaurants, shops, art galleries, and parks!
We originally planned on trying to get through Texas as quickly as we could along the interstate, but we decided to add an extra day or two by heading south towards the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston Island State Park had a last minute cancellation, and we snagged the spot knowing we’d be close to salt water again. The detour was just what we needed to de-stress from our short breakdown, and the smell of the salty ocean air and hearing the waves crash on the sandy beaches was all that we needed to put big smiles back on our faces. We decided to keep to the shore line as much as possible for the rest of our journey east.
Taking the scenic route east from Galveston, we opted for the ferry to Port Bolivar so we could stay on the coast. We had to eventually turn north, as we ran out of roads that followed the shore. We said goodbye to Texas, our week stay there not exactly as we had planned, but one full of great experiences and only one little challenge. Louisiana greeted us with more warm weather and we camped just north of Lake Charles at the Sam Houston Jones State Park. From desert into the bayou, we have nothing but big love for the Lone Star State. (Minus the politics…we try to keep that out of travels as much as possible!)
Week Nine, Highs and Lows in the Desert – November 26 – December 2, 2023
This picture incorporates California (foreground), Arizona (land across the river), and the Colorado River which acts as a natural divide between these two amazing states. The time we spent in California was so incredible, we found it difficult to leave…so we found this great campsite at the start of the week just north of Blythe, California. The campground allowed us to still be in California, and see Arizona before we crossed the border the next morning. I had GRAND expectations for Arizona, as there was a big bucket list item we planned on checking off. But it was going to take some sacrificing to get there. First, we had to climb up into the mountains again, which meant cold temperatures and thinner air. It would also add at least 2 days to our journey across the southern US.
We first noticed the saguaro cactus when we first entered Arizona. Native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, this tree-like cactus can grow to up to 12m tall, and live to over 200 years old! It grows quite slow, only reaching a few inches tall in the first decade of its life. It takes between 50 and 75 years for a saguaro to grow its first arms, and it is illegal to cut down a saguaro cactus as it takes so long to grow! I had no idea of how beautiful the saguaro cactus would be to see in person and my camera roll can attest to how much I fell in love with this crazy plant. On our first full day in Arizona, we travelled up to Williams, a town established in 1881 and a great (and cheap!) place to stay when visiting the Grand Canyon. Motels are at least triple the cost in the Grand Canyon Village…even campsites close to the Grand Canyon would double the cost of a motel in Williams. Also, the temperature was dropping quickly, dipping down below freezing at night with a good chance of snow. We opted for warmth, and hoped the snow would hold off.
The Grand Canyon. If you’ve been, you know. My first glimpse over the rim, and I couldn’t stop myself from crying. It’s vastness, it’s beauty was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I don’t know why a giant hole in the earth can bring someone to tears, but I also know I am not alone with this reaction. Almost everyone I’ve talked to about being here feels it too. Pictures don’t completely capture it, but it doesn’t stop people from trying. Or painting it. Or buying something from the gift shop to remember this visit. So many gift shops all around the area. It almost gets ridiculous, and takes away a bit from the experience. This will not be my last visit here. Go see it if you haven’t before. Go again if you have. It’s more magical than Disney. I promise.
We woke up to snow in Flagstaff the next morning. Just a dusting, but enough to make us want to hurry south. Our first stop was Sedona, it’s red rocks and unique landscapes bringing visitors from all over the world to see and experience the area’s energy and splendor. At a slightly lower altitude, it missed the flurries we had a little north. We found a hike that included some great saguaros so stopped to check it out.
Happy to be back south enough to camp again, we found a great campground called Cave Creek, where we had 2 saguaro’s on our campsite…how perfect! Our final stay in Arizona was at a Harvest Host location, called the Cattle Rest Saloon. They had electrical sites available but we got there too late to lasso one, so we hitched our horses in the front parking lot and sauntered on up to the bar to enjoy a few Friday night beers. In the morning, we wished we had called ahead for an electrical site…we woke up with ice on the inside of the windows! The sun was bright the next morning but it took us a while to warm up. Not at all what I imagined being in the desert would be like, especially in early December! We headed into our next state, New Mexico, and hoped for warmer weather. Our last stop this week was at the City of Rocks State Park. It was recommended to us from good friends of ours, and it was a wonderful stop in a state we knew very little about. The City of Rocks was formed by a volcanic eruption 35 million years ago, and the rocks that make up this unusual area in the plains of the desert were originally one gigantic rock that has slowly eroded away over time. The rocks remaining can stand up 4 stories tall. Dry camping is available next to the rocks, but we chose to stay in the electrical sites beside the “city” as another night trying to sleep through the cold was too much. We took a few hikes through the rock city, amazed at all the different shapes the rocks have taken and how precarious some of the rocks sat on narrow ledges. Next up is Texas, over 773 miles wide…lots of ground to cover before Florida!
Week Eight, From Ocean to Desert – November 19 – 25, 2023
The California coast is full of beautiful state parks, both for day use and for camping. However, with the approach of the American Thanksgiving weekend, the campsites are full as many families take the entire week to celebrate, and camp! We managed to find a spot at Leo Carrillo State Park, which was in a valley tucked in between two mountains right beside the ocean. They had a spot available for 2 nights, so we decided to stay and enjoy the park and the beach. After the rest, we continued south along Highway 1. We slowed down to check out the beautiful houses along the coast at Malibu, and stopped at the Santa Monica Pier for a walk up to the end of Route 66. We were happy it was a dog friendly place!
We stayed at another Harvest Host, a winery called Belle Marie which looked like a castle with a gorgeous courtyard to enjoy their wine tastings. The winery was a little inland so we journeyed back to the ocean to visit a city called Oceanside. If you like the movie Top Gun, you might remember the scene when Tom Cruise drove his motorcycle to a coastal house to visit Kelly McGillis. That house has been restored and is now a Pie Shop. We stopped to watch some of the surfers on the beach, then turned inland, not realizing it was going to the last time this trip we would be seeing the Pacific Ocean.
We ended up booking a campsite for 2 nights mid week, as we were worried the sites would be booked up with the holiday. We travelled over the mountains and into the desert, both of us never having been to the desert before. As soon as we crested the mountain, the view left us both speechless. The desert has a beauty that is difficult to describe, nor capture in photos. We chose a spot at the Salton Sea State Park. The Salton Sea is a salt water lake that is located below sea level. It is also incredibly toxic due to a variety of factors, but even though we could not go close to the water, it was still a very cool place to be.
A couple we met at the campground recommended visiting a few communities down the coast of the Salton Sea. Once a very popular tourist destination, since the sea became harmful, the towns in the area quickly became ghost towns. Since then they have become areas full of desert art, usually done by the local bohemian community. Bombay Beach, Slab City and East Jesus were the places we hoped to see.
Bombay Beach looks like a post apocalyptic town, with houses and cars all in various states of disrepair. Art has become a big part of the community, and murals and sculptures are all over the town. Salvation Mountain is located just west of Slab City, a 50 ft tall monument designed by Leonard Knight, who dreamt of creating a monument to God. Slab City and East Jesus are populated by squatters, and many snow birds bring their trailers down and live in random spots throughout the area. There are numerous sculptures and displays in the community, definitely worth the visit. In the afternoon, we headed up to our friend’s house near Palm Springs. They live in a beautiful community with it’s own pool and community centre. They live in Canada during the summers and California in the winters, and know the area very well. They took us up to Joshua Tree National Park, to sample our first (but not last) date shake, and watch the sunset over the mountains. We love staying with locals, as they know all the best places to go.
Week Seven, California Dreamin’- November 12 – 18, 2023
We left Highway 101, and headed to California’s Highway 1 – arguably one of the most scenic highways in the world. The first 20 miles or so twisted through the forest, up mountains and then down again. But at the end of the roller coaster road, the Pacific Ocean greeted you with its gorgeous blue water, cliffs and crashing waves. We had planned on stopping just to use the outhouses we noticed from the highway, but realized this incredible spot was a campground overlooking the ocean, so we decided to call it a day and set up the van for the rest of the day and night. The next day we let whatever caught our eye determine where we stopped, and we stopped a lot – at beautiful viewing spots, fun art displays, or cool bridges.
The highlight of the week was driving over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We found a few fantastic stops before the bridge to take some pictures, then we headed over the bridge and into the city. Although we would have loved to explore more of the city, travelling in a van with a dog limits the areas where we can explore with ease. We chose just one area to make a point of seeing and that was the Castro district, once the home of Harvey Milk. (If you haven’t watched the movie Milk (2008), starring Sean Penn, I’d highly recommend it). We stayed just south of San Francisco in another State Park, this one called Half Moon Bay. The State Park campgrounds in California are a bit more expensive, starting at $35 for no services, but the views are tough to beat. Showers are usually coin operated, in an attempt to conserve water use as there have been many months of drought over the past few years.
We drove as far south on Highway 1 as possible, and camped at Pfeffier Big Sur State Park, which was in a forest of redwoods, without an ocean in sight! But just south of Big Sur, Highway 1 had been washed out by a landslide in June 2023. It will take months to make the area safe to travel through again. A good reminder of how volatile it can be living so close to the ocean, on a giant fault line, that has many of its forests clear cut for lumber, resulting in high risks of natural disasters such as landslides. We backtracked our steps, and drove around to rejoin Highway 1 near Morro Bay. We stayed 2 nights in Morro Bay State Park, which was in a Marine Protected Area, allowing for amazing wildlife to flourish without the area being over fished.
Although we are trying our best to escape the bad weather, we didn’t mind the rainy day when we went to visit Pismo Beach. On a Saturday I guess it would normally be super busy, but the rain kept away a lot of tourists, so we had the beach and pier almost to ourselves. All the locals were celebrating the arrival of rain, to help replenish the water levels. For the good of the planet, a day or two of rain is alright with us.
Week Six, Pacific Northwest 101 – November 5 – 11, 2023
Back in the US, we decided we’d stick with the 101, and went out to the coast through Olympic National Forest. The weather was overcast, but created an atmosphere one would expect driving through a rain forest! The 101 took us past lakes and through lush green forests, with very few towns to stop in. We did make it to Forks, the setting for the Twilight book and movie series.
We stopped in Aberdeen, Washington to see the Kurt Cobain Memorial Park, as the lead singer of Nirvana grew up in this little coastal town. We decided to stay for the night at a Harvest Host just outside of Aberdeen, with the International Mermaid Museum attached! Obviously we had to take the tour and it was surprisingly very informative. The next day we crossed out of Washington into Oregon over the longest continual truss bridge in North America, the Astoria-Megler Bridge. It crosses over the Columbia River and acts as a natural divide between the two states. We stayed at the Fort Stevens State Park on the Oregon side of the bridge, choosing to stay 2 nights to get some rest from the driving.
From Fort Stevens, we continued south along the 101 to Cannon Beach. This has been my favourite beach so far, as it stretched on for miles, and had some beautiful rock formations called haystacks. We decided to try out another Harvest Host, this one called the Blue Heron French Cheese company, that could accommodate up to 50 campers at one time. It had a small cafe, wine tastings, and a petting zoo too.
The Oregon coast made it tough to travel anywhere quickly. We found so many parks, beaches and highway vista points that encouraged us to stop even for a few minutes to take in the beauty. An important stop we had to make was to the Sea Lion Caves, near Florence, Oregon. I had been there twice before, once when I was 21 and travelling on my own, and a second time with my Mom, when we came out to visit a close friend of ours. I was so happy to share this place with Bruce, and although there weren’t any sea lions in the cave that day, we did see them down the beach enjoying the sunshine. We did manage to make it into the north part of California before the week was out, where we were met by the stunning Redwood Forests. We were able to camp in the forests, drive through (literally!) some massive redwoods, and finished off the week driving down the legendary Avenue of the Giants.
Week Five, Exploring BC – October 30 – November 4, 2023
A lifetime ago, I called Vancouver home for about 2 years. I had only been back once since then. Vancouver has become a completely different city, booming with both population and infrastructure. Although the main purpose of visiting BC was to see family and friends, I also took some time to explore old haunts, and some tourist attractions. My cousin Deanna and her husband Craig met us for a walk around Stanley Park. We spent Hallowe’en with my cousin Julie and her wife Tammy, taking a walk around their neighbourhood and checking out all the decorations, including a tricycle the size of a house that went to Burning Man last year. The visit to Vancouver was long overdue and I loved spending time with family.
We left Vancouver on November 1st, and headed to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to catch the 90 minute ferry over to Victoria. Bruce’s cousin Cindy and her husband Dana live just west of the city and we called their beautiful house home for two nights. The rain had been threatening for a few days, but both days we were there it cleared by noon and we had lots of sunshine to do some exploring. We visited Esquimalt Beach, which had wonderful driftwood sculptures all along it’s shore. We visited downtown Victoria, walked along the waterfront, visited Mile 0 of the Trans Canada Highway, walked the entire break wall out to the lighthouse, walked through the Empress Hotel and checked out Canada’s oldest Chinatown. Bruce and I headed north after our visit to Victoria and stopped in at Butchart Gardens, one of my favourite places so far on this trip. Autumn was a perfect time to visit, avoiding the crowds but getting spoiled with colour with the changing leaves. We took the Brentwood to Mill Bay ferry across to meet up with Highway 1 and made our way to Nanaimo to visit our friends Dennis and Alexandra, who have a summer home in Mushaboom! Our pup Sirius had a great play with their dog Obie, and we enjoyed a night in catching up.
Continuing with the theme of “best laid plans”, our original idea to continue on to Tofino and camp, was cancelled. Rain in the forecast changed quickly to an Atmospheric River predicted to dump so much water that landslides were a possibility. We changed our route last minute and booked a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington. On the way south to the ferry we stopped at the Malahat Skywalk to enjoy the views.
We made it to the Coho ferry in time to check in with US customs before boarding. A quiet and easy ride over back south of the border, we said goodbye to Canada for a few more months. With a few weeks to make it to our next “scheduled” destination with friends in Palm Springs, we have a some places we’d like to see, but no fixed agenda. The road and calendar are open, and we are ready to explore, hoping the rain and cold temperatures are in the past.
Week Four, Idaho to Vancouver – October 23 – 29, 2023
I-84 winds through Utah, Idaho and Oregon and is generally an efficient but dull drive through the northwest states. We turned off the interstate and towards the town of Twin Falls, Idaho to find a campsite for the night. Hansen Bridge didn’t stand out on the map, but driving over it on our way into Twin Falls made us pull over immediately and examine the gorgeous cliff faces and admire the river running 400 feet below us.
We needed this change. Feeling a renewed sense of excitement in discovering the unexpected, we began looking for new attractions that would catch our eye. Snake River starts in Wyoming and flows into the Columbia River. It is also an incredible 1,735 kilometres long. In 1974, the daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls, Idaho and we visited the site where this exciting event took place. Further along the Snake River, which acts as a border between Idaho and Oregon, we found a place to camp along it’s shores. Winter weather was biting at our heels, so we kept going and as quickly as we could manage over the last of the Rocky Mountains and towards the Pacific coast line.
We headed up into the mountains, aware of a winter storm warning expected just north of us. We managed to miss it, but was able to enjoy some of the snow that drifted through the sky and landed at the top of some of the Oregon mountains. Winter is going to be a tough season to escape, but this little taste of it was pretty. The snow disappeared as quickly and quietly as it appeared, and we made it safely to the shores of the Columbia River. The Columbia River originates in British Columbia before moving south and forms most of the border between Washington and Oregon. The river is 2,000 kilometres long and empties into the Pacific Ocean.
We stopped to hike up the Multnomah Falls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, 189 metres in height. It is a beautifully tiered waterfall and an iconic bridge allows for breathtaking views between the levels. Knowing we only had a few hours of driving left before we reached British Columbia, we stayed just south of Seattle and made our final push for Canada on the Friday morning, a day earlier than expected! For the next few days we are staying with family, catching up and celebrating my cousin’s birthday. The highlight of the week was getting our boards off the van and finally into the ocean! My cousin Craig took us out to Deep Cove, where the three of us paddled from the beach up along the shore line, looking at the incredible houses that lined the banks of the cove. We saw some seals, many birds, kayakers and rowers out enjoying the sunshine, despite the single digit temperatures. On Sunday, 11 of us gathered at my cousin Deanna and Craig’s house to celebrate my second cousin Ethan’s birthday. I know how incredibly lucky I am to have these people in my life, and seeing them has made all the roadblocks we have had so far on this journey worth every tear.
Week Three, Mississippi River to Salt Lake – October 16 – 22, 2023
I didn’t buy this sticker. Maybe because it was way too accurate this week. No paddling, and a breakdown so bad we considered turning around and going home. To jump to the end of the story, we are still westward bound. But my goodness, it was close. We began the week in Missouri – a morning at a laundromat (the less cool side of living in a van), then a night at an amazing Harvest Host called Arcadian Moon, a winery that had great wine AND amazing live music. We passed the 100th Meridian in Kansas (honestly, the highlight of Kansas…Interstate 80 is the dullest road in the history of roads), checked out the World’s Largest Easel, before entering Colorful Colorado. Then our luck changed.
We stayed our first night in Colorado at another Harvest Host, this time a farm called Tuff’s Animal Rescue. See cute pictures below, I can’t resist a chance to cuddle with alpacas, emus, and any other animal we share the planet with. But the morning we went to leave, Morrison our van would not start. After an hour of trying to figure the starting issue out, it finally turned over, and we were back on the road.
We started towards the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver, and Morrison was continuing to lag, making any chance of climbing any tough hills almost impossible. We turned around and started calling around looking for a VW mechanic that could help us out. After a few phone calls, we lucked out and found Keith, the owner of Painter’s Grinding VW Repair shop. He was able to fix a few of the issues we were having including fuel pump issues and a seized brake caliper. He took us in right away, knowing we were stuck without his help, and stayed after closing to finish the job. Without this complete stranger, I don’t want to even imagine where we’d be. We were able to stay at another Harvest Host in Denver, a tavern with a large parking lot called the Front Range Inn. The next morning, Morrison wouldn’t start again. Afraid that this could mean a much more costly repair, we sat in the parking lot and broke down ourselves. Unsure if we wanted to continue, we weighed up the pros and cons of what to do next.
We tried a few different ways to get the engine to turn over (unplug the fuel injectors, plug them back in…it worked). We figured we’d let the engine run, and see how it performed on the highway for a few hours before making any final decisions. We headed north to Cheyenne, Wyoming – only a 2 hour drive from Denver. This would give Morrison a chance to prove that he was capable of continuing, or letting us know that he was ready to go home – either on his own struggling power, or on the back of a U-Haul trailer. In Cheyenne, this mural greeted us as we successfully pulled in, having the smoothest ride of the trip so far.
We were nervous about breaking down again, but decided we wanted to try and make a go of this adventure. We spent the day in Cheyenne – a lovely city, and the capital of Wyoming with a population of just 65,000! We visited the Botanical Gardens, and checked into a hotel to do laundry and re evaluate our route west. Our mechanic Keith suggested Interstate 80, the less hilly option over the Rockies, so we plotted our course west. The next day our first stop was the Vedauwoo Park, a stunning place to hike, rock climb and boulder. In need of some fun, we parked the van and hiked into these unique rock formations, reminding us that we need to explore and enjoy the scenery as much as we needed to get some miles under our belt. We passed over the Continental Divide (there are two in Wyoming…Google the Great Divide Basin if you love geography!), then crossed over into Utah. Salt Lake City is the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so we checked out the multiple buildings that the Mormons own and opened up to anyone interested in learning about their religion. A fantastic look into a religion we know very little about, we balanced out the day by heading to the SaltFire Brewery for our Harvest Host stay for the night. A week of beauty and despair, I’m glad we decided to continue our journey west. There has got to be a paddle in our future, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Week Two, Ontario to the Mississippi River – October 9 – 15, 2023
With a clean bill of health (no more Covid symptoms!!) we hit the road and headed west to Owen Sound to visit Bruce’s son Reid who is attending Georgian College for Marine Navigation. Before we left Ontario, we had to stop in to see our friends Gail and Andrew, who live in Niagara Falls for half the year, and enjoyed a dinner and a few pints catching up with them before spending our last night in Ontario.
Tuesday morning we joined the line of traffic heading into the US via the Fort Erie bridge. We spent our second night using Harvest Hosts at a winery called Heritage Wine Cellars, right off the Interstate along the shores of Lake Erie. A few samples of their delicious wine, we picked up a couple of bottles to enjoy later. We stayed a second night further west along the shores of Lake Erie, at the East Harbor State Park. Hoping to get in a paddle, the weather was not cooperating and the rain and wind made us decide to head south and chase that sunshine we needed to see. We headed south to a small town called Morrow, Ohio, where we stayed with another Harvest Host, Valley Vineyards Winery and Brewery. We woke up to sunshine, and headed out to find a place to paddle. In Harrison, Ohio, we stopped along the shores of the Whitewater River. I’m guessing the name was given to the river in the spring as the river was quite shallow but we decided to try to squeeze in a paddle just the same. We travelled up-current to start, finding it getting too shallow to paddle about a kilometre in. We portaged a couple times before deciding to head back. Down-current was a different story and much more fun as we were able to kneel at the front of our boards, keeping the fin out of the water and rode the small currents back down to the beach we started from. River SUP can be much different than ocean SUP, each with it’s own set of challenges and rewards.
Needing another day away from driving, we booked two nights at Raccoon Lake State Park, just west of Indianapolis, Indiana. We grabbed the last spot available, October weekends being a very busy time for camping in Indiana! Our spot was perfect, quiet and backing onto one of their hiking trails. The rain and cold caught up to us, so we spent the day off hiking and enjoying a campfire in between the showers. On Sunday we got up early, hoping to make it to St Louis on a less busy day downtown. We got slightly sidetracked in Casey, Illinois – home to a dozen or so “World’s Largest” attractions, including a mailbox, rocking chair and a pitchfork. Finally we made it to St Louis, and to the famous Gateway Arch.
We had to try the local specialty, frozen custard, concrete style, from Ted Drewes. It was similar to a Dairy Queen Blizzard, thick so that it wouldn’t fall out of the cup if it was turned upside down. We crossed over the Mississippi River again, to stay at Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois as it looked to be the closest campground to St Louis. The weather has started to warm up, so the options when deciding on what direction we should head to next is opening up!
Week One, From Nova Scotia to Ontario – October 1 to 8, 2023
We chose October 1st as our departure date, as it felt like the start of the journey should begin on a day 1. As you’ll see, the best laid plans usually end up being tossed to the side, yet we were ready to go and we were on the road early. We arrived at our first campsite just before 6pm. Using the Harvest Host app, we checked into the Big Axe Brewery which is located right on the St John River. Perfect for paddling, we parked and camped right beside the boat launch, and went for a paddle the next morning. A perfect fall day, we SUP’d 6km in total, 3km down to the World’s Biggest Axe of Nackawic, NB and back. The autumn colours were out in full force, making for perfect scenery all around us.
Day 2 led us to the shores of another river, the St Lawrence. We camped in a private campground recommended to us by our friends Christian and Julie. The winds had picked up and the temperature dropped, so paddling was out of the question. We also were in a bit of a hurry to get to Ontario, so we left early and got to Charleston Lake Provincial Park just inside the Ontario border from Quebec. Arriving just as the sunset, we unfortunately didn’t get to see much of the campground. Bruce started to get a sore throat, so he carried onto his sister’s to rest and look at the van, which had been drinking a lot of gas, more than usual. I stopped to visit my aunts and uncles I hadn’t seen in awhile, then made it to Cathy and Ian’s for dinner.
The next morning, Bruce tested positive for Covid. This definitely was not what we were expecting, although we knew the number of cases were on the rise. We know how lucky we are to have had a safe space to isolate, and Bruce stayed on the lower level of Cathy and Ian’s house while I hoped I hadn’t had the same exposure he had. We were able to get some fresh air on some walking trails close by, and got used to the masking and 6 ft social distancing again. Day 5 into our 3 night stay, Bruce seems to be over the worse of it, and we are hoping to get back on the road on Monday morning. It’s been a good reminder to go with the flow, expect the unexpected, listen to the universe when it tells you to slow down and be so thankful for the love you have from family and friends.