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“A New Season” by N&J.
Vancouver, BC (Jul 25/15) – It has been quite a while since N&J’s last post at Christmas. They have been very busy doing upgrades to their ‘city home’ in Vancouver; a new kitchen is just one of the many changes along with new LED lighting. The patio garden has been prodded & poked, a large veggie garden added in the corner allowing us to grow their own food. Jesse (the cat & reigning monarch) has settled in quite nicely, he is now exploring the outside deck of his abode under the watchful eye of his parents (servants). He especially loves to hide among the rhodos and the other foliage that…
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“Christmas at Home” by N&J.
Vancouver, BC (Dec 20/14) – Almost 2 months since N&J returned from their roadtrip… Life at home is hectic compared to living on the road in Hobbes. Certainly enjoying the facilities though… especially the shower when you want it. But life in a Westfalia camper van is very blissful, little to worry about (where is the next free WiFi ?), everything you have & need is contained within the van… and life on the road is filled with the most amazing people you meet along the way. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Re-adjusting to life at home has been fun too. The…
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“Oh! Canada” by N&J.
Vancouver, BC (Oct 27/14) – The return to Canada happened at the Roosville crossing just south of Fernie, BC (near Cranbrook). Compared to last year when Canadian Border Services searched GIZMO for over 2 hours (found nothing… nothing to find), this time the crossing was made in less than 5 minutes. Irregardless the CBS people have always been very respectful & polite as they go about their duties. After a brief shopping stop in Cranbrook, the destination was the sleepy mountain town of Kimberley, BC. where a scrumptous dinner at the Mozart Brew Pub was had. The town is definitely in-between seasons as the streets were very quiet & dark,…
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“Highway to the Danger Zone” by N&J.
Eureka, Montana (Oct 16/14) – It soon was very apparent to these travelers that something was definitely askew by the amount of white crosses along the highway. Montana has taken upon itself to install markers anywhere a highway motor vehicle death has occurred. WOW!!! The carnage is unbelievable. Astonished by the sheer numbers of crosses in such a short distance, N&J started counting and clocking the distance. Over a 100 mile stretch and losing count after 100 it was obvious that a ‘person per mile’ has died along the bi-ways. Most of the crosses would be near corners & areas with double solid lines, obviously drivers are passing where they…
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“In Hot Water… AGAIN !!!” by N&J.
Gardiner, Montana (Oct 13/14) – Traveling north through the State of Wyoming embracing the rolling hills, scenic visuals and the warm sunshine made for a pleasant drive. Tunes playing on the radio, Jesse snuggling on the co-pilot’s lap. Hobbes continuing to have ‘leakage’ (oil), nothing insurmountable but it definitely requires continuous monitoring. The long journey of the last couple days meant N&J needed some quality ‘shower’ time, so a visit to the hot springs in Thermopolis, WY was a must. Same place was visited last year, an incredible facility… free too! The Native American people who had discovered it, agreed to turn the natural spring over to the state park…
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“Land of Enchantment” by N&J.
Fort Collins, Colorado (Oct 10/14) – ‘Goodnight N’, ‘Goodnight J’, ‘Sweet Dreams Little Jesse’… the first night together there was peace and happiness in everyone’s hearts… thankful to all being together and knowing that it was ‘right’, the three fell asleep, content. Waking up the next morning to a wonderful Albuquerque, NM sunrise & huge colourful balloons adorning the skyline, the Annual Balloon Festival (one of the best small town festivals in North America) welcoming the day. Apparently ‘ballooners’ from around the globe touch down in Albuquerque every year to participate. The spectacle is to be seen, so quiet, so graceful how the balloonist manoeuvre the giant masterpieces in the…
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“A New King in Town” by N&J.
Albuquerque, New Mexico (Oct 07/14) – Traveling the open highways & byways with our Support Crew (see above tab) and their individual idiosyncrasies, the excitement on the road is never without adventure & laughs. Some would question N&J’s sanity looking over ‘the stable of characters’ who adorn Hobbes (even N&J question their sanity 🙂 ). Arriving in new towns, from state to state, eager to have some ‘kitty love’, N insisted on visiting EVERY animal shelter & pet store along the way. In her quest for ‘kitty love’, N even went so far as to program the locations into the GPS without J’s knowing of where they were going (Thinking…
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“Just Standing on the Corner in…” by N&J.
Winslow, Arizona (Oct 04/14) – You might recall that line from the 2nd verse in The Eagles hit song “Take It Easy”. No way N&J could possibly miss the drive through to have a look. While the town looked rather empty & void of activity from the outskirts. Once they reached the town centre it was obvious something was happening judging from all the police roadblocks. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery As it would happen the 20th annual Winslow Car Show was spread over 3-4 city blocks. Hobbes was parked a couple blocks away while N&J checked out the almost 100 cars…
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“Roundabout” by N&J.
Sedona, Arizona (Oct 01/14) – “The roundabout capital of the world!” Yes, other than the celestial red rock of Arizona, they certainly love those ‘roundabouts’ (you know, those traffic circles???). They are everywhere. Very likeable. It keeps the traffic flow constant and therefore no ‘idling’. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery The visit to Flagstaff was pleasantly surprising. Who would have thought Arizona would be so lush with trees & greenery. The town itself is really artsy, lots of neat shops, restaurants, and cafes. The drive into Sedona, AZ has to be one of the ‘top drives in the world’. Twist & turns…
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“Plastic Neon USA !!!” by N&J.
Las Vegas, Nevada (Sep 28/14) – The visit to Las Vegas was a first for J. Not so for N, this was her childhood home before moving to Canada. It was an honour to be celebrating N&J’s friend Pam’s 50th Birthday at the Mon Ami Gabi restaurant (amazing meal, amazing party). The Vancouver contingency of 20 plus people kept the restaurant servers and casino dealers hopping. Seeing ‘the strip’ is quite an eye opener considering the excessive ‘over the top’ marquis, the hotels, the casinos, the lights, the sounds… the HEAT!!! Staying in a hotel was a survival tactic, no way sleeping in Hobbes would have been possible. Clean sheets,…