Arrived and Random Impressions

Arrived! We made it all the way to Tacoma without reservations. 3 times we barely squeezed into a campground. 2 times we were low on gas. 1 time we were truly lost. LOTS of U-turns. But hey, we did it!!! And it was truly a Grand Adventure. After a respite with our west coast family we’re about to hit the road again. Time for re-direction. And time for a new theme. We did the whole Getting Lost thing. Enough of that. For the West to East leg we’re going with Hidden Treasure. Seems appropriate since we leave in the morning and our chosen route is still hidden to us! When we know where we’re going we will let you know.

The last few days in Canada we were road giddy. Everything seemed funny. Nothing seemed exactly real. And we weren’t really sure we would know how to function in the real world anyway. One day I was reading in the little guy when Steve hopped in and said he needed some alone time. Here’s how our interaction went:

Steve: Hey Debbie, I REALLY need some alone time. 

Debbie: hmmm Okay. I will roll over and not talk to you for an hour. 

Steve: Okay (dubious since their bodies are 6” apart)

Debbie: (1 hour later, rolls over toward Steve)

Oh Hi, I forgot you were there. Was that enough alone time?

Steve: Yes, just right

It’s been a great visit here in Washington state. More fun swimming, hiking, watching movies and playing with grandchildren. Speaking of movies, if you have a chance to see Marcel the Shell with Shoes, GO SEE IT!!! So good. 

I had an amazing side trip with our daughter-in-law, Rosi. Backpacking & yoga retreat at Packwood Lake near Mt Rainier. Whew!

Pickleball and Flower Gardens and Phase 10 with the gang. And one of our best camping spots ever…in their yard just a short walk to home sweet home

And from Steve….

RANDOM IMPRESSIONS OF OUR TIME IN CANADA AS WE CROSS THE BORDER

Why isn’t Canada real?

A. It’s all maple leaf.  

(Make belief)

What constitutes 50% of Canada?

A. The letter a

One of my friends wrote me that no one likes to hear about other peoples vacations. No One person wants to hear but many of us will never make the trip through the Canadian wilds with a tiny camper pulled by a Toyota Corolla with 305,000 miles on the odometer

Anyway I loved reading travel stories when I was younger and it is fun to write  one. John Steinbeck wrote Travels with Charley. And you have to wonder why did he make the trip with his  Poodle instead of his wife. Charles Kuralt televised ON THE ROAD and yes he was on the road a lot since he had a family in Montana and one back east that didn’t know about each other. Now that’s a great travel story. 

I’m uncomfortable getting lost. Anxiety creeps in. Will these mountains ever end. I didn’t know that British Columbia was a rainforest. Will we ever see a gas station? 133 km later we did.

We don’t have to go to Mars to find a new place to colonize. There are only 35 million people living in Canada and 15 million live within 100 miles of Toronto. That leaves a huge country with only half the population of California to settle in!

Yes it’s six months of good weather and six months of winter. But we saw a documentary of a home in Sweden covered by a glass bubble that created the climate of southern Italy IN A HARSH NORTHERN CLIMATE with grapes growing next to their windows.  

We are just a house bubble invention away from colonizing Canada. 

What are the four seasons in Canada?

A.  Almost winter, ,winter, ,still winter and road construction 

Some of those cheery Canadians told us they are a bit outraged by their governments handling of the pandemic, outrageous gas prices, economy turned upside down, and unfair taxation. It takes a lot to get them pissed.

How do you get a Canadian to apologize? Step on their foot

This is a nation of team players not complainers, good sports, people who care about their neighbors.  As with the rest of the world the pandemic has taken a toll here

How do you get 20 Canadians out of the pool quickly?

A.  Say “Would you please get out of the pool.”

It is a delightfully multi colors, multicultural and tolerant population. Go to the Canadian Rockies and the second largest cultural group is Japanese, in Manitoba there are eastern European groups,including lots of Ukrainians, Toronto is a smorgasbord of world culture.

The one thing you don’t see a lot of in Canada is Americans, and Mexican restaurants. We haven’t eaten Mexican food this whole trip but we have eaten some cheesy greasy slabs of French fries smothered in gravy.(poutine)

When my Canadian friend gets out of bed…

… he shaves, showers, gets dressed and eats a big plate of fries with cheese curds and gravy.

That’s his morning poutine.

Right before we turned into the border crossing Debbie threw away our funny cigarettes and gave a beautiful tomato to the friendly cashier at the gas station. When we went into Canada they asked us if we had any guns when we went into the US they asked us if we had any fruits and vegetables. Go figure!