My First Hotel Stay in Twenty Years!

Lake Kootenai

I headed to Nelson, British Columbia, to get Big Blue repaired. This is the fourth time to Nelson so I took a different route north on highway 3A just for the fun of it. This involved another ferry ride across Lake Kootenai. Free! Beautiful!

Big Blue is needing a repair that would involve two days so I had to find some kind of accommodation. I thought maybe if I could find a free campground that was close to town, I could just set up a tent, but Nelson, BC, no longer has many free camping spots. I refuse to ever do AirBnB again after my horrible experiences in Tucson, so I thought I should scope out the various hotels in the area. There were a variety of small hotels, old hotels, hostels, chain hotels, and resorts. I visited a few and asked to see a room. What I was doing is inspecting the lobby, halls, and rooms for intolerable stink. Mold, mildew, air fresheners, chemical cleaners, pets, smoke, formaldehyde, lingering perfumes, bad air conditioning units, etc. Some of the hotels refused to let me see a room. No problem, bad customer service person! Your hotel is crossed off my list! 

Only one passed the test: Prestige Lakeside Resort. My god, I have expensive tastes! Or maybe just an expensive nose! The lobby didn't smell of anything. Neither did the room. Still I worried. Maybe it doesn't stink now, but maybe it will two months from now when I return? Maybe they just showed me the good room?

Prestige Lakeside Resort, Nelson, BC

I made a reservation with Expedia because I thought they gave better prices!? I even made the mistake of falling for the insurance scare so I bought $16 worth of insurance although I'm pretty sure if I did have to cancel, I doubt very much they would have covered anything. "Oh you didn't read the fine print? So sorry for you!" What a scam!

So stressful not knowing what I was getting into! Worried my repair appointment might be cancelled at the last minute. Maybe the mechanic would call in sick? Then what would I do? Would I be able to breathe in the hotel room? Maybe I'd end up sleeping in the resort's lobby? Or outside? Maybe this will not work!? OMG!

I arrived the day before, went to the resort to check the reservation. It was still there! Check-in isn't until 4pm and I had to drop off the van at 7:30am then walk to the resort. I asked if I could bring my luggage early and store it. Yes! And they suggested while I wait to use the hot tub! OMG! They have wi-fi and a little computer desk in the lobby so I could work while I waited.

The van appointment was perfect. The wonderful service manager even called the night before to confirm and make sure the time, date and services were correct. Everything was perfect.

I stayed the night at a rest stop that was up the highway about 7 miles and shared the space with a camper. Again, I like not being alone in these places.

The next morning I dropped off my luggage at the resort, took Big Blue to get her make-over, then hiked to the resort. They told me the price for one night was $249. I said, "When I booked it, the price was much lower!" I looked up the confirmed reservation and the price was MUCH higher, even higher than the hotel price at $289! Damn. How did that happen? Oh! The taxes, and extra fees for nothing, but still I don't remember this price difference? I was feeling really angry until I realized, Expedia gave me the USD price, but I was paying CAD at the counter. Whew! It ended up to be in USD $209. What is the point of booking with Expedia if the price is not discounted? I'm learning. I've never used Expedia. Never again!

I worked in their lobby for a couple hours waiting for the room to be ready, dipped in the hot tub which wasn't too badly chlorinated, but did stink, and swam in the pool (also slightly chlorinated). The room was finished and ready early! It had a slight sweet smell, maybe some kind of cleaner? I turned up the air conditioning, turned on the bathroom fans, and opened the one small window. It was fine!

First line of business after putting my belongings down, RUN A HOT BATH! Aside from river swimming, lake dipping, a few showers at campgrounds, and many sponge baths, this was my first real bath in seven months! It was wonderful!

This is the view from the rooms with balconies on the north side...the rooms rich people stay in:

This was the view from my window: 

Yeah...you get what you pay for! LOL! All I wanted was a great bath and a safe place to sleep! I got that! Five baths in 24 hours. Every time I went to the bathroom, I took a bath! I left the fans on, air conditioning on, and window open all night. Slept great, definitely better than being in the van. So comfy. I survived and it's good to know I can be safe in a hotel if I can find a good, clean one! However, I will do my best to avoid hotel stays in the future. I don't need the stress.

Big Blue got her "make-over" to the tune of $4800 USD! They did a whole lot of stuff and I like that they are watching out for me.

Eastward bound! I'm finally released!

Oh Canada! British Columbia on the Return and A Bit of Alberta

After the AlCan I headed east on Highway 16 toward Jasper National Park in Alberta. Beautiful drive! The scenery in most of British Columbia is a tantalizing green with such clean waters in their rivers and lakes!

The weather cleared through Prince George, but the further east it started raining. The mosquitoes were relentless. Still, all this rain makes for a very green landscape!

I saw another bear and a lot of very graceful deer. The deer here look almost like gazelles. Then I rounded a corner on the highway and came face to face with a deer with a huge rack of antlers! I really couldn't linger or take my eyes off the highway since there was a semi-truck in front of me. God, he was beautiful, a honey colored coat of fur and his antlers were fuzzy. He was like something from a dream just standing there on the side of the road!

British Columbia has signs for "Artisans". I always notice them because their decorative capital A looks like a tent. Underneath the A is what media they practice. I love it they honor their artisans. I don't know if this is done for the whole of Canada or just B.C. and I wonder what the process is for the artists to obtain a street sign?

I stopped in McBride. I still wasn't sure if I wanted to continue to Jasper and Banff National Parks. First, I don't have a Canadian pass so the cost might be too much. Second, it's raining. How much am I really going to see? Maybe I should just detour to Kamloops? But Kamloops is ugly. These are the decisions I'm faced with everyday and they often change my plans on the spur of the moment.

The McBride visitor centre had two lovely and very helpful women. They said, "Yes! Go see the icefields!" Yes, I'd have to pay but it's so worth it. Hmmm...a local woman who I met at the hot springs said she didn't think this park was very impressive.

I found a camping spot at Belle Mountain, a recreation site on a logging road only I'm tired of the dirt and parked at the base which gave me internet. It rained all night and in the morning I decided I'd drive to the intersection and decide then my plan of action. I started driving at 4am! I love driving in the morning when there is no traffic and often wildlife milling about.

I get 87 kilometers from Jasper which is about the same mileage back to McBride and I realize I forgot to get gas! There is a sign post that says the next gas station is 87 kilometers away. So I pull in to the gas station that is right there...they are closed! Most gas stations in Canada have 24 hour access and you just use a credit card. I'm in a panic. I only have 1/4th tank left. Will I make it? This was stressful watching the needle move. I did make it!

Jasper, the town, is delightful. Lots of really cute architecture and shops of all kinds, some gluten-free advertising, but I couldn't find food for the life of me. I walked around, got more Canadian cash, and then headed out on Highway 93 through Jasper National Park.

At the park entrance booth, the woman said, "There is no fee! They aren't charging until September 2nd." REALLY? She spoke French so her English accent was really hard to understand when she explained why, but I just thanked her and went on.

The first hour of the drive was through wildfire destruction, but it soon opened to greenery and the most beautiful lakes I've seen! Bow Lake, for instance, is turquoise! Some of the lakes and many of the rivers were various shades of aqua. Dazzling! When I got to the ice fields, I though the river was just dried up. Not very impressive. There was a Skywalk one could view over the cliff, but the parking lots were so crowded. The traffic at the beginning and then at the end in the lane coming into the park were bumper to bumper. I hate crowds! Every time there was a traffic jam, I assumed there was wildlife. I saw my tenth bear right on the side of the road as I slowly passed all the vehicles stopped to look. I hate tourists!

Alberta has really cool wildlife corridors over their highways.

I didn't do a lot of getting out because of the traffic. There is no guarantee I'd be able to get back on the highway! There was one pull-out with cars trying to cross to get in the opposite lane and they were stopped in my incoming traffic lane! Idiots! I didn't want to be one of those idiots so I just drove. I also didn't want to get out in the rain, and more importantly I hated opening my doors and letting mosquitoes in the van. I've been eaten alive! Canadian mosquitoes are worse than Alaskan!

I drove to the Radium Hot Springs because the visitors centre girls said they were wonderful, not crowded, and free. No, no, no. The parking lot was packed, the price was $15, and way too many people. It was a big tourist draw as was the hot springs down the road at Fairview. The drive to and from Radium was gorgeous.

I kept driving and driving through southeastern British Columbia at Cranbrook, over the U.S. Border, and back into Idaho. I was exhausted from such a long day, but I still managed to go to the car wash and clean all that dirt off the van.

North to Alaska!

It took me six days to get to Alaska. I started in southeast British Columbia via Highway 6 out of Nelson, then Highway 23 to Revelstoke via the Galena Ferry. It was a free twenty minute ride:

I continued on the Trans-Canada Highway 1 and stayed at the Frog Falls Recreation Site just west of Revelstoke. It was only 4 km along another active logging road (!), but around 9pm. alone with the darkness of tree cover and noise of the raging creek, unable to see or hear, I started feeling really creepy and moved to the beginning of the road. This gave me internet and I felt safer in the open air. I've learned to trust my instincts and they screamed at me get out of there! I obeyed. It didn't help I backed into a tree stump having no room in the campsite and dented my bumper!

The next morning I continued on Highway 1 to Kamloops. The landscape changed drastically from lush green mountains, beautiful canyons with lakes and rivers to desolate desert with ugly scrub trees. Kamloops matched this ugliness with the weirdest Walmart I've ever been in. It had a large, red unwelcoming sign that said "NO RV OR VEHICLE OVERNIGHT PARKING UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES", locked grocery carts that cost a dollar, surveillance videos with warnings, and no water refill machines! However, the town did have a glorious health-oriented grocery store.

Lots of repaving of Highway 1 with detours, finally connecting to Highway 97. I stayed at the Dewar Lake Recreation Site - the road was paved all the way to the campground. Very nice, right on the lake, restroom, picnic table, very quiet, and a lot of mosquitoes. I was the only one there, but it was bright and cheerful which was the exception for recreation sites. Usually I find them at the end of a rocky, dirt road out in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden a very fancy sign appears reminding one there is still civilization nearby! It's rather jolting yet welcoming!

Continued to Prince George on Highway 97 and the next night stayed at Swan Park RV Campground which is the city park for Fraser Lake and right on the lake with restrooms and garbage containers. Free! It was empty when I got there, but by morning filled with people even parking in the grass on the side! 

Next morning I continued along Highway 16 connecting to Highway 37. I was warned to be sure to bring a spare tire as this highway was hellish. I found it to be delightfully well-maintained with beautiful scenery. The northern half was a little potholed and some repaving construction, but I also saw a grizzly mom and two cubs at a rest stop!! I spent a very quiet night near Kinasta Lake on the side of the highway.

Cubs ran into the bushes when they heard my van door close! Darn!

Next morning continued on Highway 37. I tried to keep my fuel tank above 1/2 of a tank, but kept encountering gas stations that were closed. I finally found one with a "GAS" sign, but when I pulled up the pump was dismantled! I went in and asked and the man said because of the fires, gas deliveries have stopped which is why other stations are closed. This was worrisome! He said he had gas and pointed to a large metal container. Seeing the fearful look on my face he offered to pump it for me and after he spilled it all over the side of my van and the ground, I had a full tank of gas for a substantially increased price! What was I going to do? A full tank of gas is priceless out in the middle of nowhere!

I connected to the Alaska Highway (#1) near Watson Lake and drove to Whitehorse in clouds and rain. Very disappointing! I want summer weather! Not liking the Yukon!

I stopped in Whitehorse. The air quality from the wildfires was so bad I could hardly breathe. I visited the visitors center and the informed me boondocking in the Yukon is not allowed. She proceeded to tell me some secret spots to park overnight, but I continued on the Alaska Highway finding a spot on the side of the road at the turn off for Kusawa Lake and Takhini River parking on an overgrown dirt road behind some trees. I hate breaking the law. I have a fear of police knocking on my van in the middle of the night and demanding I leave. It was a quiet night with no knocking, but I couldn't wait until morning to get outta there!!

The next morning I continued on the Alaska Highway. I was constantly disappointed in the lack of views as the smoke haze made it really difficult to see anything. These are mountains, I think! What a tease!

In the early morning hours I saw a big-ass grizzly and two fluffy buffies. These bison were much bigger than those at Yellowstone. Later that day I passed another giant black bear. All animals totally ignore vehicles. I also saw three fox and countless big bunnies that would dash across the highway, get to the other side, then notice my van, panic and run back across in front of my van. They aren't very smart, but they seem to be able to dodge my wheels and I have yet to kill one. Lots of road kill on the highway so clearly other people (and rabbits) aren't so lucky!

Along the way I saw many RVers and vans camped at the lake just before Destruction Bay. I've heard this is a good place even though it's still in the Yukon. I reached Beaver Creek (Yukon) visitor center around noon.

However, between Whitehorse and Beaver Creek the Alaska Highway in the Yukon was quite possibly the worst road I have yet to travel. They do "gravel patches" or spread gravel all over both sides of the highway for about 100 yards, every mile, for about 100 miles. It supposedly helps to fill in the potholes, cracks, and ruts, but it only creates a whole lot of dust, fishtailing, bouncing around, and vehicle damage. I took it at 10 mph even though the maximum speed is about 50 mph. The locals went even faster thoughtlessly passing me and throwing gravel all over my van. It was hellish and I was furious! I vowed not to travel back the same way! The visitor centre in Beaver Creek said the summer is too short and they don't have enough resources to fix the road as most money goes toward fighting the wildfires. Had I known the road was so bad, I might not have made the trip.

The border officer took my passport and welcomed me back to the states. I said, "I am so glad to be back!!" I absolutely was! British Columbia was beautiful, the Yukon was cold and wet, and I was so happy to leave Canada with its kilometers, bad highways, lack of free camping and weird, unfriendly Walmarts!

Surviving the Drive

Drop Off in Dark!

I'm back in Canada. I have figured out "recreation sites" are much like BLM lands. Some of them have campgrounds that are free; others have only trailheads. They are way out in the middle of nowhere, deep in the forests, usually on really rough roads that seem to go on forever. The first one I attempted to find was 21 kilometers of rocky, dusty, dirt to Little Slocan Recreation Site. I arrived to a campground at a lake that had six sites and not one available! Darn! Since it was the weekend, I did expect this might happen, but I was still disappointed to have to drive that road all the way back!

This second attempt was a drive back to Salmo which was 40 kilometers south of Nelson and another 10 kilometers to Erie Creek Recreation Site. It boasted four campsites. The directions said the turn off was paved 200 feet then 9.7 kilometers of flat, easy dirt road. We'll see. 

I found a single lane, maybe one and one half vehicle wide in sections flat with lots of big, loose rocks, a drop off, and on the other side a rock slide. It seemed fine. Really. Maybe. What was I thinking? I kept going!! Do I have a death wish?

What gave me pause was this sign and several like it:

So what the hell do I do if a logging truck approaches? Do we have a stand off? Would I be able to back up down this tiny, twisty road to a turnout? As it was two pickups passed me and we barely fit with one pulling into a small turnout to allow me passage. I kept going, praying due to the heat, the loggers all went home early.

Near the end of the 10k road, it changed. It narrowed. It became deeply rutted with large boulders in the middle, and deep, worrisome potholes filled with dirty water. More importantly, the steeper downhill decline made me panic. We are always told, don't go down if you might not be able to drive up and out. Vans easily roll downhill, but might not have the power to pull themselves back up the hill. But where do I turn around? I don't have a choice. Many people have told me they will get out and walk down a road to check it out before driving down. How does one hike 10 kilometers to check the end of a road? I kept going. What an adventure!! Am I a risk taker or a dummy?

I found the campsite. It is in the forest along side a raging river. It might be a creek (Erie Creek), but it was wide, loud, cold, and refreshing. I even had my own beach!

Not as many mosquitoes here and much cooler with a breeze coming off the water. I was the only one in the campground. I worried all night I might not be able to drive out. Would it be too steep? What would I do? There is no cell or internet service. Do I wait for someone in a 4x4 pickup to help? Do I empty my van of towels and use them for traction? Will Big Blue fishtail right off the road into the abyss? I heard on the radio there might be rain although I found this ridiculous since it was 91 degrees all day. If it really rains and makes that steep, dirt road slick mud, I am so screwed!

There is no greater satisfaction than surviving the drive the next morning, crawling up that road at five miles per hour, at four in the morning, in the dark, and making it to the main highway! It looked a lot more foreboding going down than going up. It's such a relief as I exclaim with joy and pat my trusty van on her dashboard, "Good going, Big Blue! Well done!"

My third attempt at a recreation site was outside Revelstoke at the Frog Falls Recreation Site. It was only 4 kilometers off the highway so I thought it might be doable. The road was dirt and rock, but flat and wide...well, until the turn off for the site then it narrowed and became rutted. I was afraid I'd bottom out, but it went fine. The four campsites were scattered in the woods and the one I selected was next to a raging creek, dark and ominous. I tried backing around and facing outward which is what I do should I need to leave in a hurry, but the space was too small and I ended up denting my back bumper on a tree stump. And like so many of these dirt roads, it is an active logging road!

I arrived around 8pm and there was one logger still working up on the hill, but no trucks on the road. However, by 9pm, I felt really creepy being alone in the dark surrounded by tall trees with no internet. I all of a sudden didn't want to be there. I've learned to trust my instincts. I left, moved to the beginning of the dirt road on a large off shoot where there was internet connection. About thirty minutes later I watched a van pass me heading to the site. I wish they would have stopped and parked next to me, but we tend to respect the privacy of others. Anyway, I slept really well. The above photo was taken at 6am and the loggers started coming in with their big pickups kicking up dust around 4am.