Steve here:
Fifteen years ago in June of 2010 we began our Fulltime RV lifestyle. We’ve basically spent 6 months in Canada and 6 months in the US with the exception of the winter of 2023/24 and COVID when we remained in Canada. In April of 2023 we settled at a long term RV site in Courtenay, BC and have decided it’s now time for a change. We will now be part time campers spending more time with family and friends.During those years we’ve crossed Canada as far as Prince Edward Island, gone to Alaska and travelled the eastern, southern, and western states. However with our continual low Canadian dollar it’s gotten too expensive to travel in the US. This last 6 month stay we were bleeding money with the exchange rate costing us an additional $9,346! Travel medical insurance for that period was $2,710 for us both and will go up again when we reach 70 this year.
We’ve met so many fabulous people south of our border over the years, and many are now lifelong friends. I hate to get political because we have friends on both sides of the political spectrum, but since Trump has continually disrespected our former Prime Minister by insisting on calling him Governor, and wanting to annex Canada, threatening our sovereignty making us a 51st state, as well as adding tariffs, we’ve joined the Canadian boycott of US products and travel.
With that being said Trump has actually done Canada a favour. Never before in my lifetime have I ever seen such patriotism and unity in Canada. And it’s been a major boom for Canadian businesses with Canadians buying Canadian only when possible and foregoing travel to the US.
Unfortunately even after Trump is long gone I’m afraid the damage has been done, and it will be a very, very long time before Canada and probably the rest of the world for that matter will forgive and forget!
We did some of my bucket list items in 2016 by doing an African Safari and visiting Tanzania and Rwanda, as well as Amsterdam, Paris, and all the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy. Dianne’s bucket list starts with a cruise which we’ve never done. There’s a big wide world out there to explore in the limited time we have left on this earth.
Safe travels to all that continue the lifestyle. It’s been a great ride…Elbows up!
You have had a wonderful life and as one of those friends I say Welcome Home…meeting you both was one of the highlights of our travels in the States.Thank you for sharing your story with us….it was truling amazing. Good luck in your new chapter in the book of life❤️❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words! We wish we knew who you are though. 😉
DeleteI am so glad we got to spend some time together this past winter but also very sad to read this post. While I understand the rationale I'm so darn mad at what our president has done and the damage he's inflicted on our relationships with great neighbors. We've talked with other Canadian friends / RVers and it is so frustrating.
ReplyDeleteWe will miss seeing you but I guess there's yet more reasons for us to plan trips north of the border!
You guys are always great hosts and we were so glad that we got to see your new place. So many of us have been slowly moving into the next chapter of our life’s over the last few years. Hopefully we do see you north of the border!
DeleteYou’ve done and seen so much! I hope we can follow your path. Pls continue it’s the blog as we all love to see where you go and what you do. I know we’ll cross paths again as hope to see more of beautiful BC!
ReplyDeleteWe certainly have seen and done a lot. We’ve forgotten a lot too so will probably have to start reading our blog from the start! 🤣 Sure wish we knew who you are though. 😉
DeleteI'm sorry we never met but I look forward to your future adventures.
ReplyDeleteI guess unknowingly we were close enough for a meet and greet at one point this last season. You’ll have to head north of the border. 😉
DeleteI don't blame you one bit. I hope you keep blogging. I enjoy keeping up on your adventures.
ReplyDeleteThanks for continuing to tag along Kyra! For now we will continue to blog. Hope all is well with you.
DeleteI’m sorry for your decision but I do understand. I hope you don’t hold us all to blame for the crappy decisions of one man. No I didn’t vote for him. Hopefully we’ll see you sometime in future travels. Maybe, at a bar that doesn’t speak our language, eh? John and Laura Elliott
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely don't blame Americans. We remember getting acquainted in 2018 at that bar in Quebec. We know you visit family in Alberta and so do we, so maybe our paths will cross again. Cheers!
DeleteVery easy to understand your decision-your blogs & video will always provide many great experiences to reminisce with.All the best in your next adventure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for tagging along! The blogs and videos will keep us busy when we’re in an old age home. 🤣
DeleteIt was nice meeting you both in Arizona, but like yourselves, we'll be staying in Canada for years to come.
ReplyDeleteHoping to read about your new adventures when you can
Stay Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
It was nice meeting you two as well and thanks for tagging along on our adventures all these years. Maybe our paths will cross again.
DeleteThis is a sad post to read but as many of the full time Rv folks that you started with are switching to different lifestyles so are you. It’s not like you aren’t traveling anymore just a different method. Sometimes change is a good thing and these next few years might be the highlight of your travels! Let’s see what happens. In the meantime have fun, play safe and maybe have a beer lol.
ReplyDeleteCheers guys.
D&L. Hopefully see ya soon.
All very true. Most of the full-time RV’ers we’ve met over the years have now either purchased property and settled down or have a home base and are part time RV’ers during the winter. I can only think of one or two other couples that are still true full-time RV’ers. We really want to get back to wilderness camping like we used to with family and friends and some foreign travel. We’re looking forward to what the future brings. Looking forward to your visit'
DeleteWe retired two years after you did - bought a pickup and travel trailer - and embarked on our travel list of visiting great state parks, national parks & monuments down south - and our prov & national parks here in Canada. We discovered your blog which we avidly followed for destination ideas & travel trips. We wintered in Canada - but spent 4-6 months every spring/summer/fall on the road. Glory days!
ReplyDeleteThat all came crashing down this year. We are both Canadians, however my spouse is not born in Canada. We now worried about bored border guards & over-zealous & overly political state patrol. We were choked about the continual bullying talk about annexing Canada as a state, and senseless tariffs to cripple our economy. Yes exchange rate sucks, but we always economized elsewhere to afford travel.
Although we had three more years worth of trips planned in the US, we pulled the plug on the lot and sold our trailer. We are campers and our old tent and gear will suffice for BC trips, and our travel money will now be spent on non US destinations.
This is a Thank You! for all your time and effort to publish this blog - you have no idea how appreciated and helpful it was. We have family on the Island, so if one day two strangers wave at you in passing, well it could be us. Safe travels - and again our thanks!
P & K
It’s always so nice and greatly appreciated to hear such kind words from a lurker! 😉 Blogs are a lot of work but for us is more of a journal. If you are ever in our area we would love to meet you and swap stories. Safe travels and happy camping!
DeleteWe've also avidly followed your travel blog since it's inception and thoroughly enjoyed your write ups on friends, family and your travels. Been RVing since 1999 and decided to go Full Time last May 2024 for a couple or so years was the plan. Alas, it looks like that will be cut very short, as with all the disrespectfulness to our great country and disparaging comments by one man (supposedly!), we feel very disillusioned about everything South of our own border right now. Sad, as we were also hoping to check out Baja Mexico but again with recent issues going on down there and having to cross another country to get there and back and not knowing what's likely to come down the line whilst away either as a threat, BS or whatever it's now a non-starter. You wrote how many of us Canadians feel Steve in a very eloquent manner. Here's to many happy years of other travel in your futures. PS: Tell us about the travel medical coverage rates especially with any deemed pre-existing conditions and their escape clauses!! Hugs and again a huge thanks for such an inspiring account this past decade and half. Look forward to reading about your other travels to come. H&P Alberta.
ReplyDeleteAs I said in my above reply to P&K, it’s so nice to hear and is greatly appreciated to hear such kind words from a lurker! 😉 As a matter of fact one of our best friends now was a lurker for 4 years and finally reached out to us. We took a chance on his invite and met him on the side of the highway and had a fabulous time with him and his wife and friends ATVing and many travels together since. Sorry to hear your plans south of the border are on hold too. We don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions but have found the Travel Insurance Companies ask many different questions that affect your rates so research and quotes area must before committing. We have used Manulife through Costco and TIME (Travel Insurance Made Easy)
DeleteThanks for tagging along…take care!
Well, it looks like we will have to explore more pubs and distilleries north of the border next time we get together!
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like a great tour! I’ll pm you.
DeleteHi Steve and Dianne ,Bill and Janet here,sorry to hear of your change of travelling plans ,but I can see the writing on the wall as well ,we missed going south this past winter ,and dont know if going south will be in our future with the political setup running the US .We’ve always enjoyed following your blog ,even trying different areas to camp that you had blogged about !As well as joining your “Happy Hour “friends for a game of log crash .We will be doing more Island exploring and keeping busy ,and I’m sure we will cross paths at a lake or atv camp on the north Island ,Take care !
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill! It seems there’s a change of travel plans for many Canadians and others around the world. We hope to do much more camping as well on the north end of the Island once we get Buster sold and get a pickup.🤞I’m sure our paths will cross at some point. Cheers!
DeleteYou’ve done so much! Always bittersweet to make a lifestyle change but even more cool adventures to come. We’ll be up there after Steve’s treatments end. We’ve enjoyed meeting you and camping together!
ReplyDeleteWe are looking forward to what the future may bring in the way of travel. We have great memories of past with you guys and really enjoy reading your blog on all the fabulous places you’ve camped. Hope to see you guys soon! Safe travels!
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