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“Overlanders” by N&J
North Sydney, NS (Sep 14/19) – The internationally famous Cabot Trail that snakes it’s way up & around the hilly terrain on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island is calling… a beautiful sunny day, no rain, warm wind and blue skies… the road ahead is beckoning, inviting N&J onwards & upwards 🙂 click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Small petite communities dot the western coast of Cape Breton, gorgeous ocean views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, tiny harbours with fishing boats & huts abound. It was here that N&J found the best ‘freestyle camp spot’ to date… Margaree Bay. Set beside a small…
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“Three Provinces in as Many Days” by N&J
Pictou, NS (Sep 11/19) – Upon deeper reflection after leaving Quebec, left N&J with an impression of a class of perfectionism; honour and pride of belongings and property. Each township showcasing finely manicured homes & properties, without a fault, massive expanses of carefully mowed lawns, perfectly happy flowers, nothing out of place. Driving the secondary roads allowed N&J to witness the Quebec countryside at a leisurely pace, in “Hobbes style”… to see up close what rural life is like in ‘la belle province’, the slow pace, the quiet beauty and relaxing nature of it all. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery While leaving…
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“la vie est douce comme le sirop d’erable” by N&J
Mont-Joli, QC (Sep 08/19) – N&J’s cross country trip would be incomplete without a visit to friends Rick & Judy. Long term Whistler locals who it seems everyone knows and could always be guaranteed to be enjoying ‘apres’ somewhere in the village after a day of skiing bliss. Having left Whistler 2 years ago, they currently live in the quaint village of St. Lazare, QC on almost 9 acres that has a fabulous french-style farmhouse, complete with a barn (for their two horses), riding ring, numerous trails & a sugar shack. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Like stepping back in time or…
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“Brake-down” by N&J
St. Lazure, QC (Sep 04/19) – The drive from the ‘Soo’ in search of a suitable overnight was somewhat ‘dull’, as this part of the highway (which runs north of Lake Erie) is void of any… points of interest. It would seem whereas, the Lake Superior section had plenty of unrestricted rest areas, the Lake Erie portion was opposite. So finding a ‘welcoming’ candidate to overnight was difficult. Eventually settling on an unremarkable alcove off the highway (near Blind River, ON) …where hikers park. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Driving east brings Manitoulin Island situated to the south in the North Channel…
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“A Lake Most Superior” by N&J
Sault Ste. Marie, ON (Sep 01/19) – The first stop after leaving Thunder Bay was at the Terry Fox Monument commemorating the ‘Marathon of Hope’ run to raise awareness & funding for cancer research. It was here that N&J become aware of the immensity of this young Canadian’s courage, his unselfishness & tenacity to push through the pain he was experiencing (his cancer had returned), to capture hearts worldwide…. his ‘marathon a day’ (in 143 days of running; 37.5 kms average per day on 1 leg!!!) ended a few kilometres east of here. While standing in reverence to this remarkable person, you can feel Terry’s spirit live on. click on…
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“Zoom, Zoom” by N&J
Kakabeka Falls, ON (Aug 29/19) – When fleshing out this cross country journey of Canada, N&J took into consideration the immense distance to be traveled, the ever-changing weather & what lofty goals to be achieved from such an almost ‘insurmountable’ challenge… a trip that entails the world’s second largest land mass. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Looking at the 15-20,000 kms round trip, it is obvious the 2 month travel window could be strained; weather in the Canadian autumn can be anyone’s guess (sun, hot; rain, cold; mud, really really slippery snow conditions) can make or break your travel plans; making travel…
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“CANADA …going on the inside” by N&J
Saskatoon, SK (aug 26/19) – Hobbes is all packed, all N&J affairs in order, Jesse (in his harness), perched in his new travel perch, purring ready for take off, last minute good byes to Whistler and the neighbourhood, Oh wait?? Did we forget anything? anything? check, double check… finally on the road!!! 🚐 click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Literally 35-45 minutes along the Duffey Lake Road (east of Pemberton; towards Lillooet), there was a communal sigh in the van, relief to break the bonds with what ties one down. The rhythm of the road soon overtakes the vibrations of the spirit, and…
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“MIA – Missing in Action” by N&J.
Whistler, BC (Aug 23/2019) – I imagine some have wondered where N&J have been hanging, no postings on Westfalia Journal (WJ) for such a long time… The reason for the ‘radio silence’ is due to the ongoing legal issues of the tragic accident involving N&J, and the loss of Emily (N’s mom’s dog) & Gizmo (N’s beloved Westfalia) back in November of 2013. Yes it has been that long. On the advice of the lawyers representing us, they suggested it would be better for us to ‘shut down’ the WJ blog until the situation was settled. WJ still exist, but it was hidden behind a password to prevent ‘unwanted’ parties…
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“Thought This Was a Travel Blog???” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Aug 23/19) – Yes it is a travel blog, that is how it all started from N&J’s original thought way back in 2013… but sometimes other stuff gets in the way. Other stuff??? RENOVATIONS!!! As reported earlier N&J had bought & renovated a condo in Vancouver before deciding to move to Whistler where they bought a ‘fixer upper’. N&J loved to renovate, whether that be house, condo, Habitat project or our Westfalia camper van HOBBES click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Needless to say, the past 3 years have been filled with reno projects galore… rental suite, kitchens, bathrooms, sundecks, landscaping,…
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“Rocky Mountain High” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Jul 03/19) – Well that was FUN!!! Just returned from a 2 week roadtrip in HOBBES… nothing better than relaxing & grooving to the rhythm of the road. N&J’s first stop was in Barkerville, BC (east of Quesnel), N has never been here before, it was fun to see the wonderment in her eyes as we strolled back into the 1860’s. Billy Barker’s town is the measure for all other historic parks in the world to gauge their success. It is absolutely amazing how this piece of history has been maintained & restored to reflect the ‘real feel’ of those times of years past. N&J loved how the…