Friday (Mar. 21) we started our trek north...as it turned out, it took us 6 days. We said goodbye to Coachella Lakes RV Resort and got onto the I-10 west towards Palm Springs. Lots of wind turbines and solar farms west of Palm Springs...
You know you are climbing in elevation when you start seeing Joshua trees as they grow best between 1300 to 6000 feet....
Interesting spot as highway 247 took a right turn at Lucerne Valley...I believe it is called Cafe 247...
We skirted around the the main part of Barstow and got onto highway 58 west and stopped at the Boron Rest Stop. This Joshua tree is ready to bloom...
Coming out of Tehachapi Pass into the outskirts of Bakersfield. The slow lane on this highway for many miles was brutally rough!
After 71/2 hrs, 581km/363 miles, we pulled into Harris Ranch Resort just after 5:00, our destination for today. You used to be able to camp to the right of the entrance, around the gas station/Harris Barbeque but it is all blocked off now with no overnight parking signs. So the area that used to be a huge semi-truck parking area is now pretty well all Tesla Supercharging stations. No semi-trucks are even allowed in the area now. Luckily the parking lot between the restaurant and hotel still allowed overnight parking and there was room available for us...
They are building an RV Park, so I imagine once it is completed and open, there will no longer be free overnight parking in the parking lot. Steve took a couple of pictures (you can probably tell by the position of the sun, that he took them the next morning)...
Back on the road Saturday (Mar. 22) morning...continuing north on the I-5...
The condition of I-5 is not great in a lot of areas beyond Bakersfield but it was absolutely terrible through Stockton! Of course, it didn't help since the truck is much more bouncy without the weight of the 2 quads, boat, outboard motor, and our 37' Montana fifth wheel.
As luck would have it, we managed to connect with Steve and Debbie McCormack for lunch on the southside of Sacramento. Fire Taproom was located in a big shopping area which looked like a perfect spot to pull into since we were both towing RVs. Steve and Debbie arrived first and had to maneuver around a traffic circle but managed to find a spot to park. They gave us better directions to access the parking lot...thanks, guys!
After fuelling up, we parked in the back corner with other RV's. This lot fills up with semi's at night as the Casino also has a Travellers Clubhouse building for truckers complete with a TV sitting room, showers, and laundry facilities...
After getting settled, we walked over to the casino. We passed the outdoor pool beside the hotel...
We found a couple of empty chairs at the bar in the Paskenta Brewery and Distillery...
Our destination Sunday (Mar. 23) is Seven Feathers Casino Resort. Crossing the Sacramento River just north of Red Bluff...
After 6 hrs and 434km/271 miles, we pulled into Seven Feathers Casino Resort...
Our travel day on Monday (Mar. 24) started off with fog...going in and out of fog as we continued north on I-5...
After 4 1/2 hrs, 369km/231 miles our stop tonight was at the Ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, WA. We made our way off I-5 to one of the casino's huge parking lots. This was our second time here so we knew where to park...this time, though, there was no one manning the security gate at the entrance to the lot. The Casino Hotel opened 2 years ago...
As usual, we got leveled off and settled...in a light rainfall that didn't last long...then we walked over to the casino, for drinks and dinner. Our bartender was a blast!
It was another foggy start on Tuesday (Mar. 25) as we continued north on the I-5...
More fog as we left Tulalip Wednesday (Mar. 26) morning. As we are so close to the border the Casino parking lot would normally be full in the morning, but was only half full. We were on the road early, hoping to catch the 10:15 ferry from Tsawwassen over to Vancouver Island...
There was only one car from Washington ahead of us when we reached the Pacific Highway Border Crossing. Normally there would be a lineup of cars and RV's. It was evident that the Canadian boycott of US travel has begun. After the usual questions, we were back in British Columbia, Canada! YAY!
After wandering around inside the terminal for a bit, we had lunch and then returned to the truck for boarding. View from our ferry as one from Swartz Bay (Victoria) arrives...
After the 2 hour sailing, we disembarked from the ferry at Duke Point, just south of Nanaimo and made the final hour and a half drive to Puntledge RV Park in Courtenay...home, sweet home!
We pulled into a site in front of ours so we could move our car out of the way. Unfortunately, it wouldn't start...the battery was dead! Steve had left a small solar panel on the dashboard to keep the battery charged but I guess there hasn't been enough sun for it to keep a charge. Luckily, Sheryl our former neighbour (who has moved to the new sites) came by in her truck to welcome us back and was able to give the car a jump...good timing! Thanks Sheryl!
We opened up the Montana...time to get the furnace and dehumidifier going as well as de-winterise the plumbing! Steve discovered the HepvO Waterless Drain Waste Valve from the shower was leaking! It is going to be a very busy few days to get everything moved from the little trailer back in...but first, I'm going to clean all cupboards.
We enjoyed the evening sitting in our recliners in the big trailer, but slept one final night in the little trailer. Too much to do tonight to actually move back in...the work starts tomorrow!
