Friday, March 21 to Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (Travel from Palm Springs, CA to Puntledge RV Park, Courtenay, BC)

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...

We left the I-10 and headed north on highway 62 through the Morongo Valley and at Yucca Valley turned onto highway 247 towards Barstow...

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...

The long road ahead...

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...

Tehachapi Pass in the distance...

As you head up to Tehachapi we leave the desert behind for good ...

The city sits at an elevation of 1210 m/3,790 feet...

Beautiful scenery...

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...

There's lots of agriculture along the I-5...

Agriculture aqueduct...

Orchard in bloom...

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! 

We enjoyed lunch and had a wonderful time catching up with them. So great seeing you both!

After big hugs, we parted ways...they were heading south and us north.

The Sacramento River...

After 51/2 hrs, 483km/302 miles, we pulled into Rolling Hills Casino and Resort around 4:00...

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...

The distillery directly behind us...

Our destination Sunday (Mar. 23) is Seven Feathers Casino Resort. Crossing the Sacramento River just north of Red Bluff...

Mount Shasta in the distance...as you can see, we have had beautiful travel weather (other than a little drizzle through Sacramento yesterday as we left Steve and Debbie)...

Our first glimpse of Shasta Lake...

Nice to see the water level so high...

There are many arms to Shasta Lake...

Mount Shasta comes into view...

Black Butte...

We stopped at the Weed Rest Area...great place to take pictures of the Mt. Shasta!

Dinosaur beside the highway... 

Beautiful scenery through the Yreka area with Mount Shasta in the distance...

Up we go!

And we're finally out of California and into Oregon!

Siskiyou Summit 4310 feet...

Coming down the mountain into Ashland, Emigrant Lake...

After 6 hrs and 434km/271 miles, we pulled into Seven Feathers Casino Resort...

We fuelled up at their truck stop and then made our way over to the RV parking lot. They also have a beautiful RV Campground. After getting settled, we walked over to the casino...

We had a beer in the Steelhead Lounge...a non-smoking area of the casino...

Our travel day on Monday (Mar. 24) started off with fog...going in and out of fog as we continued north on I-5...

South Umpqua River near Roseburg...

An interesting vehicle (Hybrid Bus) at a rest stop just north of Eugene. Looks like so many of the rigs you see in Quartzsite! (Steve here: The owner said he liked our truck, but I just couldn't tell him what I thought of his bus.)😂 

Going through Portland...the highlight of our day, LOL...

Where has all of the blue sky and sunshine gone?

Columbia River...

Entering Washington State...

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...

The Tacoma Dome...

We took the 405, bypassing Seattle but really, the traffic, combined with road construction was probably just as bad as continuing straight through. We absolutely hate driving through the whole Seattle area and had considered taking the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles across to Victoria but with the dollar exchange, it was a more costly option. After getting through Seattle, we agreed that it probably would have been worth the extra cost!

The Snohomish River as we near the Tulalip Casino Resort...

After 4 hrs, 305km/190 miles we arrived at the Tulalip Casino. Steve was exhausted after all the city driving! We were surprised when we pulled into the RV parking lot that was practically empty! Normally it's half full when we arrive...

The blue sky had returned so we went for a walk around the outside of the resort for some exercise...

...before going inside to quickly loose the free $10 credit given with the Players Card...

We had a drink at the bar and then walked to the nearby Olive Garden for dinner...yum! You can't beat the quantity/quality of the meals for such a reasonable price...

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...

The Skagit River as we pass through Mount Vernon...

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!

About a half hour later, we were approaching the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal...somewhere in that fog...

We arrived at the terminal at 9:20 and were told there was a possible wait for the 10:15 sailing to Duke Point. Unfortunately we missed it by 4 vehicles...which we are attributing to a lane closure and 15 minute delay south of Bellingham. So we now had to wait until the 12:45 sailing...bummer!

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!