The Adventure of “Rattletrap”

As of August 2013 we are off on our next adventure. This time though instead of taking motorcycles to some strange place – does the Arctic Circle and Central America seem strange because it used to for us – we are taking a motor home and driving across Canada. And we are bringing the dog !

We decided that instead of heading off to a foreign country or continent that we should really get a chance to see our country first. So Karen spoke to her superiors at VIHA and ended up with nearly 3 months off work this fall. I think they felt guilty for her not getting her holidays in 2012 and wanted to make it up to her.

But instead of doing the normal thing and buying a new or late model RV we purchased a 1988 Toyota motor home. It is small enough to park in a regular parking stall, narrow enough to navigate city streets and just big enough for the 3 of us. It is not what we started off looking to purchase for the trip but in the end we are really pleased with it.

She has been christened, if that is the appropriate term, “Rattletrap”. As any of you who have owned motor homes know they make all kinds of noise from the appliances, wind, personal items stored on board and try as you might you just never seem to get all of them quite at the same time. Therefore we call it “Rattletrap” due to the din she makes when we drive her.

So we leave on August 12 to see friends in Burns Lake, then off to Nakusp for the annual Horizons Unlimited event, then east to Edmonton to see Karen’s brother. After that we will head east to Newfoundland and home again by mid November. There are really no time lines, no reservations other than we have to be at the Miramichi River New Brunswick prior to October 15 because that is when the Atlantic salmon fishing season ends. We have been reviewing the various provincial travel sites, maps etc and have a rough idea of where we are going but as I believe that too much planning ruins a trip we are letting things work themselves out as we go.

We are looking forward to seeing Quebec and the Maritimes in their fall colours and spending time in Ottawa and Quebec City. We are trying to avoid the larger cities like Toronto and Montreal as much as possible just due to their size, complexities and the fact that we are not big city people.

Also we are trying to fish in each province. So if you know a favourite fishing place or someone along the route who might be able to show us a good spot, please let us know.

Keep an eye here on the blog for stories and photos.

Cheers

Kevan, Karen and Ryanne

Another couple of fine days in Phoenix.

We went to the Mesa Swapmeet. For those of us who used to go to the swap meet at the old drive in theatre let me tell you this is nothing like it.

It is 55 achres, 1600  boths covering from cheap shit you would find in a Dollar store to higher end southwestern furniture, rugs, painting etc. Although I am not a shopper I still bought a bunch of stuff to bring home.
Up

Updated photos here: http://photoshare.shaw.ca/view/11854270272-1360939594-87750/

Tomorrow we are heading off to see the Biosphere 2 science experiement and then we are home on Wed.

TTYL

K & K

Just back from a very cool old ghost town near Apache Junction. We went on a mine tour, a walk through the old town, Karen got spooked looking at the reptile farm and we toured a bordello.

Gotta love Phoenix !

Have a look at the photo share as we added some more photos to it

Kevan and Karen

Having fun in the sun in Arizona

Arizona

We are here in Gold Canyon Arisona visiting our good friends Dale and Rosi. They have a winter home down here and were gratious enough to envite us down for a visit to get away from the cold and wet back home.

So far we have visited a local artizans town, downtown Scotsdale (very cool) saw a middle aged man act like an asshole and get arrested by 8 cops, and been to Boot Hill in Tombstone.

Here are a few photos to tell the story:

http://photoshare.shaw.ca/view/11854270272-1360939594-87750/

We are in Southern California for a week.We  have seen Disneyland - one more day of that to come - plus we have been to the Petersen's car museum, a Zoo, an airplane musuem and the science discovery center.

Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

http://photoshare.shaw.ca/view/11854257578-1354720503-12260/

Cheers

Kevan and Karen

Nakusp 2012

I was able to attend the Horizons Unlimited Canwest 2012 Travelers Meeting in Nakusp last weekend. It was a weekend of amazing travel stories, photos, meeting new friends and seeing a lot of old ones. This is one of my favourite weekend get together.

Highlights were:

• Acting as MC for 210 of my best motorcycling friends. Apparently they did not realize how nervous I was standing up there talking to them.
• Doing a tire repair course with Grant Johnson, founder of Horizons Unlimited and one of my motorcycling heroes.
• Riding some of the best roads in BC, possibly Canada !
• Watching Tom Mamic’s presentation on Africa. I gotta go and see it for myself.
• Presenting my Road Side Repair seminar to a huge crowd who seemed to really enjoy it.

Here are some photos of the weekend http://photoshare.shaw.ca/view/11854287720-1346368234-56740/

If you are a motorcycle traveler and have not gone to a Horizons Unlimited event I encourage you to go. If you have not traveled to the Kootenay area of British Colombia, go, go now. Put the computer away and head off to Nelson, Kaslo, Nuskusp area. You will not regret it.

Cheers

Ibby

 

Adventure versus Vacation

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines adventure as:

• an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks b: the encountering of risks adventure>
• an exciting or remarkable experience adventure in exotic dining>
• an enterprise involving financial risk

Vacation is defined as:

• a respite or a time of respite from something,
• a: a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended b: a period of exemption from work granted to an employee
• a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation “had a restful vacation at the beach”

Now riding a motorcycle to Alaska and back to ride a steam train may not exactly be a vacation it certainly was an adventure. We did not reach our original goal of Denali Park in Alaska due to various factors but we certainly did have an adventure. Actually Mark is still on his.

You see we were just coming through the Fraser Canyon and had passed through China Tunnel just south of Boston Bar. Having taken a short rest period, nee pee break, we took off again. I looked back in my mirrors and noticed Mark had pulled over – we both quite often forgot to plug in our electric vests – but did not take off again. I did a u-turn to see what was up.  When I rode up I saw what I thought was a snake on the ground by Mark’s bike. But what it actually was, was the chain drive for his motorcycle.

The chain had separated at the master link. When this happened it also broke part of the rear chain sprocket. This was one of those repairs that could be bodged but is better fixed by a professional with new parts.

This is one of those times where having BCAA coverage paid off. BCAA dispatched a towing company that showed up with a truck and trailer and all the proper strapping. Ten minutes later Mark was on his way to Chilliwack to get the bike repaired and I was on my way to catch a ferry.

I spoke to Mark this afternoon. The repair was completed this morning and he was on the ferry heading home to Nanaimo. It was expensive, over $500 with parts labour and to replace the worn rear brake pads, but it could have been a lot worse. Many times when a chain breaks it also comes forward, jams up around the front sprocket and can break the engine case. So instead of $500 it could have been many thousands.

The good thing about all this is that we would take off again tomorrow and due a trip again. Even with the shitty weather (13 days of rain – sometimes biblical downpours), multiple day delays and both being sick we enjoyed – or possibly endured – an adventure that we will be glad to tell the grandkids someday.

Have a look at the photoshare as I have added some more photos to it. http://photoshare.shaw.ca/view/11854267794-1338778639-67525/

 Cheers

Ibby