Spoffords Travel

Meziadin Junction British Columbia to Dease Lake British Columbia 207 miles

We woke up to very cloudy skies and light breeze. I don’t think there were other guests because things seemed rather quiet. Rob bought a bag of ice that weighed two kilos and cost four dollars Canadian. He dumped the ice in the cooler and then looked for a trash can. None seemed in sight. As we pulled out Rob saw two big bear proof trash cans right in front of us. Obviously we should have had a second cup. The car started just fine this morning so that is good. The road is still a good two lane paved road. Lots and lots of fire weed is blooming along the side. The big mountains are much closer now and still have patches of snow. The road follows close to rivers, creeks and lakes. Unfortunately they aren’t readily visible due to all the trees. The road was very much like a roller coaster with ups and downs and lots of curves. You need to watch out for the pot holes. Some are very deep. The worst ones are surrounded with orange paint. Most of the traffic is composed of recreational vehicles in varying sizes and shapes. From time to time we encounter a semi. We had gone about 30 miles when Rob realized he had not turned in the room key. We opted to keep going and try to mail it back. A ways further down the road we spotted a mother bear and her cub. The mother just looked at us but the cub scurried off. A few miles further and we saw a bicyclist. Sure hope he doesn’t encounter the bear. Next is a gas stop. We have decided to fill up whenever we come to one. The gas was $6.51 USD a gallon. We were also cold so we had a cup of hot chocolate. Helicopters were coming and going from an open spot nearby. According to the ladies in the lodge the choppers are supporting gold mining operations. One of those ladies offered to return the room key tomorrow. Sure hope that works. Another biker is outside trying to repair her air mattress. Back on the road again we spotted another bear as it went into the brush. Road construction is underway in several sections. Most had flaggers and some also had a pilot car. We crossed numerous bridges but two types were a bit more unusual. One had metal grates that made the car wobble back and forth the entire distance. The other had a wooden floor. The first of those had several new boards. We ate our cheese and cracker lunch at one of the rest areas. The mosquitos were terrible. Later we pulled into a lodge thinking there might be gas. They didn’t sell it but the station was three kilometers further down the road. The car made quite an impression with the locals. It rained very lightly a few times but not much. It was a good time to test the windshield wiper. We arrived at the lodging at 4:30. A common area kitchen is available for use so we went to the grocery store. The store manager inherited a model A pickup so he had questions for Rob. We haven’t had any cell coverage for two days now.

Prince Rupert British Columbia to Meziadin Junction British Columbia 248 miles

We have much to do today. Rob worked on getting reservations for our next two nights because Internet access is very expensive where we are staying. Then he went out to retime the woodie. He also moved it to a better location. Meanwhile Connie did laundry and updated the blog. A McDonalds is on the way out of town so we stopped there for breakfast. Then a fuel stop. We are more aware of filling up after nearly running out. We finally got on the road about 10:30. The road is a good two lane road that follows along a body of water. The forest continues to be a dense mix of evergreen and birch with ferns and brush down low. Various wildflowers are mixed occasionally. The mountains are still small. We reached one summit that was 525 feet above sea level. After the road left the water we still saw rivers, lakes and ponds. We came to the town of Terrace where we fueled and got lunch at the grocery store. After leaving town we could occasionally see taller mountains that still had some snow. Another gas stop where we turned onto highway 37. This road is more narrow. A large sign warned of moose and bear in the area. For once the sign was correct. We soon spotted a young black bear beside the road. Now we sometimes see even bigger mountains with lots of snow. A highway crew is cutting brush along a 2-3 mile stretch of road. We had to wait for a pilot car to escort us. The truck driver behind us came up with his dog Roadie to talk a bit. Our accommodations for tonight are in a modular trailer with a shared bathroom. The room is approximately 8’x10’. The check in clerk says we were lucky to get it. We had a hard copy reservation but nobody told her. A gas station, convenience store, cafe and motel make up this spot in the road. No mosquitoes yet.

Port Hardy to Prince Rupert 299 miles

We got up at 4:30 in order to get to the ferry on time. Luckily it’s only a couple of miles away. Even though we are well ahead of the suggested time, some vehicles are ready to load and several are in the check in line. They finally open a second check in line. By the time we got through the line was significantly longer. Unlike the big ferry terminal to Victoria this one is much smaller with few options. Seems like the coffee vendors are missing a great opportunity since coffee is NOT available. The loading process is much slower but the ferry is also much smaller. We got parked at the front of the ferry so we should be among the first off. Then its upstairs to the purser’s office to get our cabin key. We have an inside cabin so space is limited. We do have a private bathroom including a shower, two beds, a chair and a small desk. The beds have nice big comforters. We quickly settle in for a nap. After the nap we checked out some of the ferry. Various seating lounges are scattered on parts of three decks. All seating has leather seats. Two eating areas are on opposite ends of one deck. A really nice seating area is at the front of the ferry. Seats in there cost an additional $40 Canadian. Limited seating is also available outside. If you stay out of the wind the temperature isn’t too bad. The day is cloudy so we couldn’t see the top of even the lower mountains. We are in a channel with small islands everywhere. All are covered with extremely dense forest. No houses anywhere. An occasional fishing vessel can be seen but not even many of those. A couple of maps show the route and a few highlights. At lunch time we went to the cafe which serves hamburgers, soup, chicken strips and fish. A cheeseburger combo is about $10 US so it is just like home. The burger was large and messy but by far the better deal than the chicken strips Connie had. For fifteen minutes every two hours passengers could go to the car deck to get items or be with their pets. Movies played occasionally but we didn’t watch any of those. We spent most of our time sleeping. The cabin rental was well worth the cost for a 17 hour ride. A stop was made at the village of Bella Bella at 1:30. The ride is nice and smooth. Average speed is twenty miles per hour. Then in late afternoon we slowed way down. One of the engines was having trouble. The engineering team got on the problem but we lost nearly an hour. Finally the announcement came to go to your vehicles. We still had to wait while the finished securing the ferry and lowering the ramp. Time to start your engines. Only problem was that woodie’s engine wouldn’t start. It took Rob numerous tries but the car finally started. We arrived at the hotel about 1:30 am. We got the last parking spot in the lot. It was a horrible spot for both ingress and egress.

Victoria British Columbia to Port Hardy British Columbia 315 miles

We got up a little earlier this morning to get going. We have a longer driving day today. Rob was unable to get the virtual Covid testing working last night. The web site on the box isn’t the right one. You need to use the instructions taped on the box. The site is not user friendly but he does eventually get it done. Now it is to be delivered to a FedEx store or one of their labs. Luckily one of the labs is not too far away. We arrived where the GPS took us but didn’t see the address. Rob asked a lady cleaning/blowing the sidewalk who pointed upstairs. Off he went. When he got there he had to wait in line and then sign a form which they had trouble finding. Our early start turned into mid morning. We head out on Canadian highway 1 which is somewhat like a freeway but has stop lights. The further north we go the more narrow the road gets. Eventually it becomes a two lane road. The scenery is beautiful. Lots of mountains covered with extremely dense forest. That opens up occasionally where they have clear cut a strip. Occasionally we see glimpses of the coast line. We drove nearly two hundred miles with no houses, towns or gas stations. We were nearly out of gas when a station appeared. We put 10.73 gallons in a ten gallon tank. We came to the hotel about 20 miles further down the road. After checking in we went to the grocery store to get frozen meals and some yogurt. We must have looked pretty tough because a very nice man in front of us bought our groceries. Early to bed because we have to get up early to go to the ferry.

Bellingham Washington to Victoria British Columbia 100 miles

The morning is beautiful with clear skies and no wind. You can hear different birds singing. Several varieties of boats are on the water already. We ate breakfast on the deck and then took their three cats on a cat walk around the yard. The two male cats get vests with a leash and the female gets just a collar. All have bells. Then we go outside where the cats go in different directions to explore the yard. Great opportunity to look at the different plants, shrubs and rocks. About 11:00 it’s time to load up and head north. A fuel and hot dog stop at Costco and then on to the Canadian border. The crossing was uneventful but slow. Rob got randomly selected for an at home Covid test. About 45 minutes later we reached the ferry terminal. Check in was quick. We waited in line about thirty minutes before loading the ferry. Once on the ferry vehicles are to stop 24 inches apart. The ride takes a little over 1.5 hours and is very smooth. Everyone takes off as fast as possible to head for their destination. Whenever we come to a stop light traffic slows for several lights. You would think we were back in Seattle. However, there are only two lanes not five. We found the hotel without much effort. After checking in we went to a nearby grocery store to buy frozen entrees for dinner and breakfast. We are thrifty travelers. The frozen breakfast options were various waffles so we bought turnovers from the bakery plus some yogurt. We chose shepherds pie for dinner. They had an entire frozen aisle full of Asian foods. The shelves across the aisle were full of Asian foods. Obviously there is a large Asian population in the area.

Renton Washington to Bellingham Washington 101 miles

Today is a short drive but on very busy freeways. We checked in with Connie’s cousin Darlene. We will meet them for lunch in Bothell. Out to the car which had to stay outside. Well it rained last night and the car didn’t want to start. Rob finally got out and dried off the engine block. Then it started after a few more attempts. First stop is for fuel at one of the Costcos. Directions off the freeway are turn right and then left at the nearby light. The only problem is you can’t get in the left turn lane because a concrete barrier blocks the way. We had a nice visit with the cousins before heading on to Bellingham. We arrived at friends David and Barbara Ann’s mid afternoon. Rob’s daughter Amy and grandchildren Meagan and Merik arrived later and we all had a fabulous dinner on the deck overlooking the lake.

Hermiston Oregon to Renton Washington 250 Miles

Just on the edge of Hermiston we saw a pickup that had just hit and killed a deer. Not a good start to that person’s day. The skies are blue and the temperature comfortable. Connie has on a light jacket and Rob is in short sleeves. We were listening to an audible story and not really paying attention to the gps so we missed their suggested turn. Well in this section of freeway the exits are quite far apart. Needless to say we didn’t turn around but just kept on the freeway. This follows along past the Tri Cities of Pasco, Richland and Kennewick. Then on to a major farming area for fruit, hops and grapes. Numerous wineries are just off the freeway. Two hours of driving brought us to Union Gap Washington which happens to have a Costco for a fuel stop. We had to navigate at least three round-a-bouts just getting off the freeway. Gas here was $4.699. Soon we could see Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. Both are dormant volcanos with snow covered tops. Just out of Yakima Washington the road goes up a steep grade which does slow us down. But once we got over that we could see Ellensburg with the snow capped mountain back drop. Unfortunately the wind really picked up. Rob had to work much harder keeping the car in the lane. Another two hours brought us to Cle Elm which has a wonderful bakery. By now we were both cold from the wind so a stop at the bakery felt good. We bought cinnamon bread plus day old cinnamon rolls and chocolate/maple bars. We normally have cheese and crackers for a picnic lunch but the weather wasn’t cooperating. Instead we ate at a McDonalds. We both put on heavier coats before heading out. The freeway is now bumper to bumper but still moving. Luckily it did open up eventually. Once that happened we got even colder. The wind didn’t quit until we were nearly to Renton. We saw another road kill deer. This time the vehicle was a small car that was in really bad shape. Hopefully no one was seriously injured.