Seattle, our last port of call

So that’s it then. After 10 glorious weeks of adventure and fun we reluctantly hand back the keys to the van. 

I know it’s only a silly old campervan but we’ve formed a ridiculous emotional attachment to Rocky …see, we’ve even given her (it!) a name. Wend was in tears this morning and I think I might have had a speck of something in my eye too.

She (it!) has served us well with no mechanical hiccups or tantrums despite a fair bit of abuse (because as most of my friends like to remind me, I’m a lousy driver).

We covered 6823 miles in total. Which is a long way in a vehicle that struggles to go faster than 60 mph. It’s actually further than if we’d driven from London to Cape Town. 

We still have three days in Seattle before flying back though, so still lots to look forward to.

Seattle ticks a lot of the right boxes. It reminds us of a slightly less hilly San Francisco with maybe just a dash of New York grunge. It’s big too. The wide streets and large deco buildings in downtown giving it much more of a big city feel than say Portland or Vegas. 

Much of our first day is spent doing touristy stuff on the waterfront and moseying about in the historic centre. 

It’s pleasant enough, but as Wend reminds me every 5 minutes; “It’s not the same as being in Rocky”.  

A rather shocking observation is the number of homeless folk we see. Far more than back home and noticeably more than in less affluent cities we’ve visited such as Bogota, Medellin and Quito. Sadly there seems to be no safety net in the US for the have-nots and I guess their welfare is not top priority for Trump and his tawdry acolytes. It’s desperate stuff really and makes you question where we’re headed in western society.

 

The next day we head out to the town’s famous ‘museum of flight’, which is a fabulous van-free way to spend 5 or 6 hours. There are hundreds of aircraft on show and tens of hundreds of plane-spotter blokes with massive cameras taking photos of them from every conceivable angle.

Vintage bi-planes are suspended from an enormous glass-roofed ceiling, there are weird and wonderful helicopters, Heath Robinson style gliders and lots of military jets with big bombs and guns and shit.

But we prefer the stuff in the huge open-sided hanger outside. We get to go inside one of the world’s few remaining Concords, follow in the footsteps of Nixon, Kennedy and Reagan on the original Airforce One and climb aboard the first Jumbo ever to enter service.

What really blows us away though is the special exhibition marking the 50^thanniversary of the moon landings. 

Meticulously curated it features all sorts of crazy stuff like the Eagle space capsule, a moon buggy, one of the huge rocket blasters from Saturn 5 and the trumpet Neil Armstrong played when he was a schoolboy.

Yes, we could happily have stared at that trumpet all afternoon. 

Day 3 in Seattle is an odd one. It’s Wend’s birthday… Hurrah! But also the last full day of our trip… Boo!

We visit the artsy Fremont and Georgetown neighbourhoods where ordinarily we’d have had a blast. These are our kind of places – quirky shops, cool bars, interesting locals etc. but there’s a huge shadow hanging over proceedings...

...we know we’re going home tomorrow and much as we’re looking forward to seeing our lovely friends and family we’d really really like to sign up for 8 more months.

I was going to write one last post for the blog to try and sum up the utter fabulousness of the adventure but I honestly don’t have the words.

Suffice to say the trip has surpassed our expectations in every respect. If you haven’t been to any of the countries we’ve visited and the blog has tickled your curiosity then don’t dawdle; sell the car, auction your dog or send your kids out to sweep chimneys, and just go. 

Life’s short. It’s not a rehearsal. You only live once. Seize the day. …so many clichés all saying the same thing. But you know what? They all ring true.

Thanks for reading, it’s been a bit of a chore at times to keep the thing updated but your comments and feedback have made it all worthwhile.

A heartfelt thanks too to Phil & Fran, Erin, Andy & Luella and Steve & Anna who invested precious time and no little money to hang out with us for different parts of our journey – these are definitely the bits we’ll remember most fondly.

And finally the biggest thank you to Wend. Lover of life and love of my life. It would have been rubbish without her.

Pt 24. Cascade Mountains, Washington State

We have to drop the van in Seattle early on Sunday so rather than risk getting stuck at the border we head into Washington State a couple of days early.

We stay at a campsite quite unlike any other we’ve ever been to. No camping for a start! The owner/manager, Reg, bought the land 7 years ago and is slowly transforming it into something very special. Using materials almost entirely reclaimed from derelict houses/farms/boats etc. he has built 3 quirky little cabins, a washroom and is almost finished a large communal dining/bar shack.

As well as being one of those infuriating blokes who can turn his hand to anything he’s quite the raconteur and entertains us with some hair-raising tales of when he lived in Colombia in the late ‘90’s. He paints a very different picture to one we experienced when we were in the country 3 months ago. Violent, unpredictable and very dangerous  - yet through his youthful eyes, hugely thrilling and exciting. Fascinating stuff.

There’s some good hiking in this northern corner of the state and today we take the trail to a disused gold mine. 

Reg later tells us it’s disused because there was never any gold in the first place. It was an elaborate hoax that involved fake gold dust being blasted into the mine walls with a shotgun to fool unwitting investors.

A lovely walk though with a superb view at end of the rolling Washington countryside.

No photo of Reg I’m afraid, but here’s Arlo the resident hound.

Pt 23. Hedley, Hope, British Columbia

Sadly and annoyingly our time in Canada is almost at an end. What a ride it’s been. Huge distances, freezing cold nights, crisp bright days and a constant backdrop of jaw-dropping scenery.

We spend our last 3 days hugging the American border on the drive west to our US crossing point at Abbotsford.

Firstly, after 8 hours behind the wheel we strike camping gold at perhaps the prettiest site we’ve stayed on in the entire ten week trip.  I can’t tell you the exact location because it doesn’t seem to have one. The best I can do is: in a field close to the tiny hamlet of Hedley on Route 3.

It’s basic but blimey is it gorgeous, we’re on a lush valley floor beneath towering mountains, there’s a fast-flowing river keeping the bears out on one side and pine trees behind us muffling any noise from the highway. And yet again because it’s so early in the season we’re the only ones here. 

The owner, Anita, is a real sweetheart and bonds with Wend immediately. Her husband raises cattle on the neighbouring land while the campsite is her little side project. It’s obviously a labour of love with colourful shrubs and flowers planted everywhere, loads of room between pitches and a portrait of Elvis in the toilet block (naturally). 

There’s no electricity, no internet and nothing to do except sit on our backsides, read our books and build a fire. Bliss.

Then, for our last night we head to the little town of Hope. Yes folks, for 24 hours we are living in Hope both figuratively and metaphorically.

The movie Rambo was shot here in 1982. Which is noteworthy I guess (the tourist information centre certainly thinks so as there are countless images of Sylvester Stallone glaring at us as we enquire about somewhere to eat – fair puts us off our food it does).

A bigger draw (for us anyway) is the nearby network of train tunnels that snake their way through the surrounding granite hills. Built at great human cost at the turn of the 19^thCentury they’re an incredible feat of engineering. A combination of volatile high explosives and pick-axe wielding navvies ensured the successful completion of what was then the most expensive stretch of railtrack ever laid.

As more freight moved to the roads the line was decommissioned in 1961 but survives today as a dark and dramatic hiking trail through the Coquihalla Canyon.

In the evening we get chatting to our campsite neighbours Michael and Anita (yes, another one!) a smashing couple from Arnhem who invite us to share the contents of their well-stocked booze fridge. 

Michael also produces a bag of peanuts the size of a 50lb sack of potatoes. We slurp Heineken, scoff nuts and swap campfire travelling tales long into the night.

A memorable and fitting way to end our time in this most incredible country.  The dog's not real by the way, he's a painting. But we like him.

Pt 22. Nelson, British Columbia

We say farewell to the Rockies and drive south to the Kootenay lakes region. It’s still beautiful here, but it’s a different kind of beauty; less dramatic but more verdant and the lakeside towns are proper little charmers. 

The weather gods suddenly start smiling on us too; someone flicks a switch and we go from sub-zero temperatures to gorgeous summer afternoons.

The largest and prettiest of these towns is Nelson. The local police officer - who is dating our campsite host - tells us it was recently voted Canada’s most desirable city to live in (‘city’ means something different over here by the way – to our eyes Nelson is a small town, to someone in British Columbia it’s a bustling metropolis).

We love it and stay at the municipal campsite for a couple of days.

Check out the High Street. Cherry blossom in full bloom, an artisanal ice cream parlour and a couple of micro-breweries. It doesn’t get much better than this.

The local ale is superb. Named after a local mountain apparently and not a psychopath from Leith.

Do you remember that Steve Martin film ‘Roxanne’ based on the Cyrano de Bergerac play? It was set and shot in Nelson. 

They’re rightly proud of this and have painted a large mural depicting Steve in his Fire Chief’s garb.  It’s funny. If you haven’t seen it already treat yourself and get hold of a copy. 

They also have a beach. And their own version of the Forth road bridge.

It's a liberal place. Anyone with an open mind would surely love a town that promotes a ‘Sparkle & Sass Soiree’? Yes, if we could navigate our way through the choppy waters of Canadian immigration we could easily see ourselves living here. 

Even the insects are interesting.

Pt 21. Banff, Alberta. Yoho National Pk, British Columbia

Our last day in Banff is spent hiking up Sulphur Mountain on the edge of town. It’s a lovely walk but quite a challenge as we’re in thick snow for the duration and of course we have no crampons or walking sticks.

For the more affluent tourist there’s a gondola that whizzes to the 7486ft summit in under 5 minutes. It’s an eye-watering $60 for a return ticket though, so sod that. 

You can’t put a price on the views from the top though.

Cheekily we hop on the gondola for a free ride to the bottom. Needs must. We’re knackered and skint.

We then make our way back across the border to British Columbia to take in our third and final National Park in the Rockies, Yoho NP.

Yoho is less touristy and less busy than the bigger parks in Alberta but we reckon it’s the pick of the bunch.

A circuit of Emerald Lake as it begins to thaw is magical. We see lots of birdlife…

A couple of show-off loons.

And this beautiful grouse who isn’t in the least bit put out when I poke my camera in his face.

Then a couple of wonderful walks. Firstly to the Yoho Hoodoos.

These eerie formations are formed when lumps of hard rock are left stranded atop softer clay that’s been eroded by thousands of years of rainfall. They look like something out of a Star Wars movie.

And finally out to BC’s Niagara, the mighty Wapta Falls.  Wend got properly soaked here, bless her.

Our campsite is a beauty too.

Here's us in the afternoon...

.

...and here's the sunset.

Nice.

Pt 20. Icefields Parkway, Lake Louise, Banff, Alberta

The National Geographic magazine once described the Icefields Parkway as the most awe-inspiring, beautiful road in the world.

That’s some statement. But you know what? We think they were probably on to something.

An incredible feat of engineering it carves its way through 140 miles of the Canadian Rockies connecting Jasper and Banff National Parks. The route has everything; frozen lakes, fast-flowing rivers, waterfalls and of course mountains. Lots and lots of mountains.

Most of the highest peaks in the Canada are here, and thankfully, after 3 days of low cloud we’re blessed with a relatively clear day on which to enjoy them.

Highlights? 

The Falls just south of Jasper where the thundering waters make us feel the tiniest bit vulnerable.

There’s Wend on the left, give her a wave. 

Then 50 miles further south, the Athabasca Glacier.

Glaciers are always cool (groan) but this one’s a corker. Cascading down from the Alberta plains for tens of thousands of years it has sculpted the surrounding landscape into something very special indeed.

We hike up to the lip, which is quite a challenge but just as we’re congratulating ourselves on being so brave we spot three blokes skiing down the central section.

Look closely and you can see two of them finishing their descent. Extreme! 

First stop at the end of the Parkway is Lake Louise, which is probably second only to Niagara Falls on the list of Canada’s most iconic attractions.

Rightly so too. It’s impossibly beautiful. We have the whole ‘4 seasons in one day’ scenario while here; bright sunshine, murky rainfall then a full on blizzard to top things off.

This is a good thing. Changing light means changing perspectives so in a way we get to see a different lake every few minutes. 

We also get to meet Paul, a smashing chap who is having one last walk around the lake before returning home to Edmonton. 

No photo of Paul I’m afraid but here’s the badge he kindly gives us. A First Nation salmon design, pretty cool eh?

Paul personifies the many Canadians we’ve met on the trip – not just here but throughout Central and South America. Smart, extremely friendly and always interested in our story.  They’re rightly very proud of their country but not in a vulgar nationalistic Trumpy/Brexity way. 

They are genuinely intrigued by the whole Brexit shitshow, with views ranging from bemusement to disbelief to downright pity. Much as we appreciate their pity it does little to cheer us up. What a mess.

Anyway, rant over, onwards to Banff.

Just before we reach town I take this photo. Quite pleased with it. Someone then tells us this exact image used to feature on the Canadian $10 bill.

Fancy that!

In a nutshell Banff is like Jasper but a bit bigger. Bigger town, with bigger mountains, and much to our delight bigger and better pizzas.

We like it here a lot.

Pt 19. Jasper National Park, Alberta

I won’t lie, there are pros and cons to visiting Canada so early in the season:

Cons.

1.   It can be very cold. Minus 2°C last night. And it’s just started snowing while we have our cornflakes. But that’s what campfires were invented for and wearing 2 pairs of pyjamas and hats and socks in bed isn’t too much of a hardship. 

2.   Some of the campsites are closed. But that’s fine, the ones that are open are half empty.

3.   It’s the culmination of the football season at home and the 8 hour time difference messes with my head.

Pros.

1.   No crowds. We drive for miles and don’t see another vehicle. We enjoyed a couple of hikes yesterday and didn’t see a soul.

2.   The winter landscapes are stunning (it’s early May, but in at these elevations in Jasper National Park that still means it’s winter).

3.   Stuff is cheaper. Most campsites have high and low season pricing and 5 months into the year it’s still low season.

4.   No mosquitoes.

5.   We’re not at work!

Another long drive south takes us across the border to the province of Alberta. We’re amongst the big stuff now – the Canadian Rockies. After 500 miles behind the wheel it’s time to drop the anchor so we book into the only campsite in the park for 4 days. 

On the journey down we encounter no fewer than 9 bears by the roadside (I know this because Wend keeps a tally).

We particularly like this fella’s attitude. He looks up, yawns then does a big poo right in front of us. Good lad.

Jasper lives up to our expectations. Huge and dramatic. And although many of the hiking trails are impassable there’s loads of it still accessible.

Most of the lakes are frozen. Here’s me proving that Jesus doesn’t have the monopoly on miracles – I’m walking on water.

Frozen lakes are one thing, but frozen rivers? That’s how cold it is here.

The waterfalls have been switched off for the winter too.

Not that the resident elks seem to mind.