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“Bright Light in the Sky” by N&J
Whistler, BC (May 28/22) – Leaving the Wild West Coast behind, this trio yearning for further off-road exploration traveled inland through mountain passes along rivers and lakes found themselves back in the Port Alberni region. Upon arriving at Sproat Lake, N&J took the first right turn off the main highway (Hwy 4) onto Taylor Main Forest Service Road (FSR) that leads to the south side of the lake. After 4kms they came upon a ‘freestyle’ camp area along the Taylor River, about 6kms from the mouth of Sproat Lake… click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Nothing formal in these ‘pop-up’ campsites, no tables,…
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“Wild Wet Coast” by N&J
Qualicum Beach, BC (May 22/22) – Time slows down and the calmness of ‘just being’ takes over pretty quickly while on the road in Hobbes. Modern comforts and connection with the World are within a finger tip of reach but are as far removed from the mind when one is ‘within, and present’. After a most restful sleep at Miracle Beach Provincial Park, this trio (NJ & Jesse) headed south on Vancouver Island enroute to the West Coast. Finally a bit of a respite from the continuous rainfall made for a nice drive. Excited to visit a former Whistler resident & ceramic artisan Penny Eder of White Dog Studios in…
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“Pitter Patter….. let’s get at ‘er” by N&J
Oyster River, BC (May 15/22) – Anxious to try out the newly converted ‘Syncro’ Hobbes (4 wheel drive), N&J packed up the van for a roadtrip to the Sunshine Coast & Vancouver Island hoping to escape to better weather… hmmmm… fat chance of that happening! One would think by the constant rainfall that the ‘Sunshine Coast’ moniker is wishful thinking, but weather records show an average 241 days of sunshine annually (slightly less than southern Vancouver Island’s +300 days; but less rainfall than Victoria)… click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery The drive to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal along the ‘Sea to Sky’…
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“SYNCRO-nicity” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Apr 17/22) – N&J have always had a yearning to go off-road… really, really OFF-ROAD. Wherever HOBBES happens to be along any highway, the opportunity to explore further, deeper into the landscape always beckons whenever a dirt trail, a gravel surface wandering off into the trees presents itself. Where does that go? Wonder what is at the end? a lake? a freestyle campsite? Heaven on Earth? But the other question they ask themselves, is what challenges can be expected …is the terrain too steep? too many potholes & creek beds traversing the pathway? Will HOBBES get stuck, unable to extract the ‘exploratory team’ to solid ground? All those…
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“One Down, Eight to Go” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Apr 10/22) – Some say cats have nine lives. Well it would appear that Jesse (N&J’s seasoned Westfalia traveler) may have used up one of those lives over the weekend. Late Friday (Apr 1st) night N&J noticed that Jesse was acting a bit out of sorts, meowing incessantly, in/out of his litter box, wondering aimlessly around the house. At one point he approached J who was sitting on the couch, meowed softly, tapped him with a paw… then laid down on the floor looking rather lethargic. N quickly checked Jesse out, feeling his abdomen for firmness, this Jesse did not like, it would seem he was having a…
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WELCOME …to the ‘NEW’ Westfalia Journal !!!
Mar 13/22 – After almost 9 years living on the old WJ platform (westfaliajournal.wordpress.com), this blog has gotten ‘too big for it’s britches’… so an update was in order to increase the performance & speed, plus more space for post, pics & videos. There are many new features added… larger pics, links to places of interest, better functionality with all devices (laptops, tablets, phones, etc…). It has taken two months to transfer all the data from the old website & incorporate into the new website, it has been tested, tested & tested some more. But something may have been missed, if you notice an error or problem please send N&J…
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“Happy Christmas 2021” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Dec 25/2021) – Well almost another year has passed, another year of abbreviated ‘pandemic’ travel and gatherings. Tough times bring tough choices, but considering the plight of many others who are less fortunate than those of us who live here (whether that be in the Village of Whistler, in the Province of British Columbia, in our Canada) …we are all truly blessed. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Christmas time is always a special place in Whistler, surrounded by mountains coated in snow, frozen lakes. clear star-filled skies & a village loaded with the seasonal spirit. N&J have decided to forgo…
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“Sh’room Tales & Bike Trails” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Dec 15/2021) – With the Covid-19 mindset continuing, forests in BC literally ablaze all summer and autumn rivers & streams flooding over …meant digging deep to the challenge that ‘we don’t always get what what we want’. Feeling lost but still wanting to go in the right direction, N&J keep active while exploring new and exciting areas close to home. Spending more time at home rather than ‘on-the-road with Hobbes’ doesn’t mean all is boring… click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Whistler & the surrounding area is blessed with loads of recreational ideas and opportunities. The multitude of endless hiking &…
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“Halloween-eee” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Nov 02/2021) – Oh the weather was perfect for ghost & goblins, cold and clear, the stars twinkling overhead …and enough candy to bring a smile to dentist everywhere!!! click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Jesse dressed in his Halloween Pumpkin attire, not happy to be encumbered by extraneous outerwear, helped set the tone with his menacing glare, Jesse managed to ‘scare off’ the ghouls who dared to approach… BOOOOOOOOO N&J having never participated in HDS (Halloween Decorating Shenanigans) up to this point in their lives decided to get in on the act. The preparations started early in the week –…
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“Boys Camp-out” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Oct 08/2021) – Originally the plan was for N&J (and Jesse) to join fellow Westfalia friends Chris & Olivier (C&O) for a week traveling in the in BC’s Cariboo. But plans changed after N’s mom who is waiting for a hip operation needed some TLC, this of course was best provided at N&J’s Whistler home. So after much insistence from N… it was decided that J & Jesse would set out on their own first ever (after N replenished Hobbes’ food cache) …all ‘Boys Camp-out’ excursion!!! (Ok, Chris has been declared an ‘honourary boy’ for just this outing only) 😉 Leaving Whistler with an empty seat was difficult…