-
“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…
-
“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…
-
“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…
-
“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…
-
“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,…
-
“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…
-
“New York City!!!” by N&J
New York, NY (Oct 23/18) – Traveling in the USA has not been top of mind for most Canadians considering the ongoing political shenanigans down south (agent-orange-in-chief), but if you were to venture below the 49th parallel… New York City is one of those places that you should visit. It feels like a different country, one where liberal values are alive & well, where you feel welcome (still) no matter what your skin colour, your authenticity, your birthplace. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery N&J’s journey started at YVR (Vancouver’s airport) where N surprised J with a treat, no longer to be ‘imprisoned’…
-
“Go North, Young Man (and Lady)” by N&J.
Whistler, BC (Jul 25/2016) – N&J have been residing in their downtown Vancouver condo for just under 2 years, major renovations have been completed (kitchen & bathrooms, interior painted, outdoor deck garden rejuvenated), all mainly done by themselves (with some assistance from their most competent friend D)… when they decided time for a new challenge. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Thinking a house with a backyard, something that was NOT strata. Living in Vancouver on the westside was definitely not within the budget. Maybe Victoria or Oak Bay, a place to moor the sailboat, close to family… but alas not a lot…
-
“All Aboard!!!” by N&J.
Vancouver, BC (Mar 13/16) – As chance would have it, N was offered an opportunity to speak at a medical conference in Montreal in February. So it was decided to take advantage and have a mini vacation out east. Of course HOBBES was not included in this adventure, but he was always in N&J’s thoughts. Consider this a reconnaissance of a future road trip across Canada. Sadly JESSE the cat could not be along for the ride, fortunately some friends volunteered to stay with the ‘King’ while we were away. This was a difficult separation for N&J (and JESSE too). Thanks to M, and to D for stepping in as…
-
“Itchy Feet” by N&J.
Vancouver, BC (Dec 20/15) – For those who keep tabs on N&J through this blog, it is very apparent they didn’t travel too far in 2015. Yes indeed they had a few local camp trips. But nothing like the long journeys from the previous two seasons, travel encompassing multiple US states & a few Canadian provinces… click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery They returned to the site of last year’s honeymoon for N&J, on Ross Lake in Washington State. This time enjoying the summer heat for three weeks, it was incredible weather. Luckily avoided any conditions brought by the drought-like weather patterns, forest fires…