Oct 2013- Cedar Cove, White Lake
Friday
An absolute beautiful fall day today, and the forecast calls for the same all weekend. Dale had the day off and I took the afternoon off work to be able to enjoy as much of this weather as possible and to get up to our site early. This was our close up weekend, where we prep the Alto for winte...
Beefed up dolly
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The little dolly was taking a beating as it was rolled into the garage. The combination of the tongue weight and the concrete driveway took their toll on the relatively light weight construction. We have replaced these guys a couple of times now, so it was time to beef the dolly...
Extra Security
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Over the years we have stayed in a few unsavory spots. Not intentionally mind you, it just turned out that way. Looking closely at the door, it is somewhat lacking in robust security. Once inside, the only lock from the inside is a little deadbolt mechanism integral to the...
2013 Trip 10: a spectacular autumn weekend
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Murphys Point - Sept 2013
Friday
Close to the end of the season now, we are heading out for the second weekend in the row. The weather for the entire weekend is forecasted to be sunny and warm, around 70F. What a bonus compared to last weekend. It is a short drive here, and...
2013 Trip 9: a learning experience...
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Lac Philippe, Gatineau Park - Sept 2013
Friday
Looks to be an overcast rainy weekend and we are heading out to a campground we have never been to before. Lac Philippe, in the NCC (National Capital Commission) run Gatineau Park, is only about 45 minutes from downtown Ottawa....
2013 Trip 8: a river runs through it...
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Bon Echo - Sept 2013
Friday:
Long weekend, sweet. Headed out a tad early to beat the traffic. Bon Echo is about 2 1/2 hours from Ottawa, but a nice drive down Hwy 7. Traffic was moving along nicely, which was a bit surprising given it is a long weekend. The fact that it is...
2013 Trip 7: hard to get better than this...
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Driftwood PP - Aug 2013
Friday:
Heading to Driftwood PP, what may very well be now our favorite place to camp. If you can snag a site on the water, it is indeed an idyllic place. Luckily, we have done just that. Our site is awesome, with the perfect combination of sun, shade...
2013 Trip 6: how much heel is too much heel???
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Sandbanks PP, Aug 2013
Friday:
Off to Sandbanks this long weekend, our must have yearly trip to probably the best beach in Ontario, and a fabulous surrounding area. Travelled Hwy 7, 15 through Smiths Falls, then briefly on the 401 until we caught the 49 into Picton which is...
2013 Vacation Day 15: Saturday...and heading home
Well, another vacation draws to an end. We have been very fortunate that the weather for the most part has been excellent. The big storm predicted to follow the afternoon event did not happen. It must have gone around us. This morning the sky is overcast, but the clouds were high and the sense of rain is not really that strong. We got things squared...
2013 Vacation Day 14: Friday...serious R & R
Pounded down the rain again last night, with heavy thunder and lightning, as a big storm rolled right over the Adirondacks. It made for quite a light show in the trailer, with the sound of the rain on the roof, soon followed by the thunderous roar. Although we are very cozy inside, you cannot help but feel for the campers on the ground in tents...storms...
2013 Vacation Day 13: Thursday...a 4 state marathon drive
Huge thunderstorm last night, with tons of rain, and with lightning that was more sheet than bolts. The entire sky would ignite like a flashbulb, followed by a series of loud thunder cracks that would shudder all around. It was quite impressive. This went on for a few hours until the storm front moved through. It was all clear when we got up, which...
2013 Vacation Day 12: Wednesday...relaxing and exploring
Serious chillin' this morning, as it is one of the few mornings where the plan is actually no plan. Worked a little on the blog, a nice shower to freshen up, then we headed into Bar Harbou...
2013 Vacation Day 11: Tuesday...taking a shortcut
Up and out early to catch the ferry. We stayed hitched up last night, which greatly reduces the time to get going. Gassed up before reaching the terminal, and even though we arrived an hour early as requested, there were already a huge number of vehicles lined up waiting to loa...
2013 Vacation Day 10: Monday...cross country tour
Today we made our way to Digby, as the plan is to get close to Digby so that Tuesday morning we can make an early trip to the ferry to St John, which leaves at 8:00am, but starts to load vehicles at 7:00am. Our day's route was to drive the secondary roads to Mahone Bay, then Lunenberg and across the centre of the province to the Fundy Bay side....
2013 vacation Day 9: Sunday...a family BBQ
In the morning headed into local town Tantallon to pick up a few items for the BBQ. We took the shore road and the views were much better than a few days ago when the bay was socked in with fog....
2013 Vacation Day 8: Saturday...a blissful St Margaret's Bay day
Over to Don & Lynn's new home, which is right on the bay. Great views of the water, and they have a big dock extending out over the water. They had a lovely lunch for us on their deck, then we headed out in their boat for a tour of the ba...
2013 Vacation Day 7: Friday...and then there were millions
Today we headed to the Annapolis valley, around Windsor to be specific, to visit another of Dale's aunts, Bernice and her family. Dale's cousin Brian was there when we arrived and offered to drive us around all the area to visit all her cousin...
2013 Vacation Day 6: Thursday
Poked around in the morning, then went for a shower. Although older and a little tired, the comfort station was clean and fully functional. Went to Upper Tantallon to visit Joan & Gordie, who are Dale's aunt and uncle. Also visited Lynn & Murray, Lynn is Dale's cousin. Nice visit, they have beautiful new homes on tranquil wooded properties...
2013 Vacation Day 5: Wednesday...welcome to Sardinia.
Packed up and on the road around 10:00. Not our normal early start, but we have settled into vacation mindset and have been poking along somewhat. Nice drive down to Nova Scotia, as it will be mostly 4 lane all the way, but not the crazy 401 type of drive. Very scenic, as the highway winds up and over the country side, offering some great vista...
2013 Vacation Day 4: Tuesday
Headed downtown this morning to wander around a bit. Very old historic centre of town, and it is interesting to see the older architecture. In the afternoon we went over to Dale's Aunt & Uncle for another visit. Don and I headed back downtown to the City Market to pick up some fish for dinner. I also wanted to get some of the amazing smoked salmon...
2013 Vacation Day 3: Monday
Relaxed in the morning, read the paper, then a nice shower at the comfort station. This is a well maintained campsite, most likely because it is part of a large municipal park, and certainly a showcase of what a park can be in the heart of a city. There was a beehive of activity first thing this morning, lots of workers getting things sorted after...
2013 Vacation Day 2: Sunday
Up and out relatively early. We first headed to...you guessed it, a Walmart. Dale has a difficult time with the bench seating foam firmness in the Alto, which at night converts to the bed. Her back generally aches in the morning. We purchased a good memory foam topper for the bed at home, and this solved the problem there, but the Alto presents a whole...
2013 Trip 5: Vacation: Maritimes, July 2013
Day 1: Saturday
On the road a little after 6:30am, which is actually pretty good. Heading down East for 2 weeks. We headed to Sherbrooke QC, then crossed into Maine at Wobur...
2013 Trip 4: Pissin down rain...but who cares?
Rollins Pond NY - June 2013
Friday:
Off to what could be our favorite park. Two State Parks, side by each on separate lakes, nestled deep in the Adirondacks. What could be not to lik...
2013 Trip 3: Serious chillin'
Murphy's Point P.P. - June 2013
Friday:
On the road right after work. Short drive, about the same distance as Silver Lake, except you head south at Perth. Lots of campers this weekend and there was a line up at the registration boot...
An Update on the Furnace
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After using the furnace as few times in cold weather, we soon realized that its output was barely enough to warm the Alto, let alone get it to a cozy level. There is more volume of space to heat than a Westfalia, perhaps just a little too much more. Fortunately Propex does make...
2013 Trip 2: Firefly light show...
Silver Lake PP - June 2013
Friday:
Headed out after work, traffic was light and moving well. We made a quick stop and Dale popped into Home Despot to look for an outdoor mat for the boys to lay on when they are outside. Out she came with a nice one, and on sale to boo...
2013 Trip 1 - And then there were four...
Cedar Cove Resort, White Lake - May 2013
Friday:
First trip of the season, opening the cottage as we like to call it. Two new travellers with us on this trip, our furry little buddies, Taffy and Barle...
