Have Van, Will Travel

ROUTE 1 – Days 10 & 11 – BC Rockies, Grand Forks, Osoyoos, Cascades, Seattle

Day 10 – Lethbridge, Alberta to Grand Forks, BC – (Johnnie’s Motel $67.00)

(For days 1-3 of this trip click here: https://wandersome.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/route-a/ )

On the morning we left Lethbridge, it was foggy with a bit of snow on the road. We headed west on the #3 and as we approached the Rockies and Crowsnest pass the weather cleared to another beautiful blue sky winter day.

Crowsnest pass entrance — Crowsnest Pass Entrance

The drive from there to Grand Forks BC was full of amazingly beautiful mountain scenery. The pictures I have were mostly taken from the car window as we had a lot of ground to cover. When the scenery is that grand and you’re just driving through it, you kind of stop bothering with the camera and just enjoy looking.

Grand Forks (apparently the marijuana growing capital of BC) was a snowy wonderland. It started to snow big soft flakes just as we drove into town. We actually ate at Gilly’s, a local restaurant with a Chinese and Canadian buffet. It was pretty good food, good value and great hospitality. We walked through a fluffy snowfall, back to our room at Johnny’s Motel right along the river. I liked Johnny’s. Nice room, nice location. It was our most expensive overnight on the trip at $67.00, but there wasn’t much competition.

Grand Forks leaving — Leaving Grand Forks, Snow and Fog

Day 11 – Grand Forks to Seattle

When we left Grand Forks the next morning, continuing on the #3, it was still snowing lightly but the roads were plowed. I confess, I don’t remember specifics of this drive except for lovely scenery, but the roads were not the best, so that must have been taking my attention. I would love to drive this route in the spring or autumn. It would be beautiful and not so nerve wracking. However, the mountains did have a wintry beauty, with armies of snow covered pines blanketing the slopes. It really was stunning scenery and rare to see, at least for me, as I don’t think I would ever drive over a Rocky mountain pass in winter again! I am a wimp when driving on steep mountain roads in any weather really.

Around lunch time we descended into the beautiful Okanagan Valley and the town of Osoyoos. There is a spectacular panoramic view of the valley just before the road descends. It was a bit foggy at that point , so no great pictures. By the time we pulled into a parking lot in the town for a break, the sun had come out again and it was quite pleasantly warm. It seems impossible that I am Canadian and have never heard of Osoyoos before our trip. It is situated in the beautiful Okanagan valley, in Canada’s only desert region, which is actually the northernmost end of the Sonora Desert. Who knew? That late February day it felt like a March break holiday to come down from the snowy Rockies into the pleasantly warm and sunny valley. Spectacular scenery and very nice feng shui. This would be a great Canadian destination for March break or any holiday. You can enjoy the sun, play on the lake, and experience desert flora and fauna. There area is full of fruit orchards and wine vineyards as well. Here is a good page for general information on the area http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=3441

Unfortunately we could not stay in Osoyoos for long. We headed south on the 97 and crossed the border just south of Osoyoos, continuing through Northern Washington through similar scenery of semi-arid valleys set between foothills. (It’s great that geography is not interrupted by political borders) The scenery was more like California than Washington State. Mostly brown grassy hills and orchards and vineyards everywhere. We had dry weather except for one wild hailstorm that blew up quite suddenly and disappeared just as quickly.

washington state Mountains and mist — Washington State – Cascade Foothills

At some point, in order to get to Seattle (again to visit family) we had to cross the Cascade Mountains. We decided on Stevens Pass as it was the nearest. If it had been my decision, I would have stopped for the night in the quasi-Bavarian town of Leavenworth, which looked pretty intriguing and is situated just before the entrance to the pass. It was getting to be mid afternoon and a bit iffy for making it over the pass before sunset. However, Don was anxious to get landed at his sister’s place, so we carried on. Steven’s Pass was probably the most beautiful and the scariest yet. Of course, we made it, and I’ll never forget coming down from the summit with Sarah Brightman’s Classics CD playing, driving through a winter wonderland of snow covered trees. I was very relieved to be finished with mountain passes for the day.

Steven's pass 2 — Snow Covered Steven’s Pass

The scary driving was not over, however. We spent about an hour looking for Don’s sister’s house (this was before we succumbed to the whole GPS thing), driving in the dark, with snow falling, during Seattle commuter traffic. We finally reached our destination and quickly learned that there had been a massive pile up on the Snoqualmie pass, the road we had chosen not to take. I just read an article about it here – http://www.komonews.com/news/6172841.html – and I didn’t realize until now just how lucky we were. The article also says “Falling snow during the evening commute in the Everett area (exactly where we were driving) led to at least 60 collisions there, and prompted the Everett police to ask people to stay home if possible.” Don definitely has good road travel luck!

Steven's pass 4 — Winter Wonderland on Steven’s Pass

That eventful day over, we were finally landed on the west coast and very glad to be ensconced in the cosy and welcoming guest room of Don’s sister Judy.

ROUTE 1 – Day 7 & 8 – Billings and Helena, Montana

Day 7 Gillette WY to Helena MT (Motel 6 $45)

I love Montana. It even has a great name. It conjures up visions of ‘big country’ – rolling hills, buttes, mountains and cowboys.

We left Gillette on another fair weather winter day and followed the I90 to Billings. The drive into Billings is quite impressive as you follow an escarpment called the Rimrock all the way into town. Billings is the largest city in Montana with a population over 100,000, but the old downtown area had the feel of a town, and an Eastern town at that. I remember being surprised to see typical 19th century brick buildings in such ‘wild west’ surroundings. We parked and had a walk around. Lots of ‘culture’ and a good place to have a coffee, visit the Yellowstone Art Museum and do some window shopping. The lucky inhabitants also get to enjoy nearby Yellowstone National Park, Little Bighorn battlefield National Monument and the Pictograph Cave.(We visit Yellowstone on another trip.)

Billings -Me at the Yellowstone art museum — Billings, Montana – me outside the Art Museum

We continued up the I90 to about 10 or 20 miles before Butte where we turned north on the 15 toward Helena. We were taking this northern route as we were on our way to Lethbridge Alberta to visit family. By the time we got to the 15 it was getting dark. That’s an annoying thing about a winter road trip – the days are too short. I’m sure we missed some pretty good scenery during that last hour, between the I90 and Helena. I have to say I was a bit nervous driving on an unfamiliar road after dark and in winter – but we finally made it to a Motel 6 at Helena.

Helena downtown view — Helena downtown street

Day 8 Helena MO – Lethbridge Alberta

If Montana is one of my favorite states, Helena is one of my favorite towns. What a setting! The town is nestled into mountain foothills to the west, looking out over the Helena valley and the Missouri river (yes, way up here in Montana) to another range of mountains. The main street is still called Last Chance Gulch, reflecting it’s history as a gold mining town and it’s first, if short-lived, name of ‘Last Chance’. Apparently it was almost called Pumpkinville or Squashtown – thank heavens for small mercies! Those would never have matched the grandeur of the setting as ‘Helena’ does.

Helena mo from legislature — Helena – view from the Legislature lawn

We walked around the main town in the morning and visited the State Capitol Building (Helena being the state Capitol.) You can just walk in and take a free self guided tour during office hours. The following pictures can speak for themselves of this architectural gem. It makes you realize that the people settling the west were after all easterners moving to new pastures and they brought their culture with them including architectural style.

Helena Legislature — Helena – State Capitol Legislature

Helena legislature interior — Helena – Capitol legislature building interior

Helena govt bldg. int. 2 — Helena Capitol building interior

As we drove out of Helena we saw a sign saying ‘Gates of the Mountains’ and decided to take a look. We drove a couple of miles down the road to what I thought was a lake at the time, with steep mountains on the far side. I took some pictures of the stunning scenery, then we had to move on. I have since discovered that the body of water we saw was actually the Missouri, and that we were standing at one end of a stretch of the river that runs through magnificent limestone cliffs. It was named The Gates of the Mountains by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition west. Just another example of the number of historic, and otherwise interesting places we drive by on the highway everyday without knowing.

Landscape near Helena mo — Near the ‘Gates of the Mountains’

The scenery is ‘canyonesque’ for a half hour or so out of Helena, then becomes flatter towards Great Falls. We carried on up the 15 to the border through very flat prairie scenery. The only highlight for the rest of that day happened at the duty free at the Canadian border. I had just bought a 1.5 litre bottle of wine, put it in the back of the van and pulled the door closed. A few minutes later, when something else had to go in the trunk and the door was opened, I remember watching in horror as the bottle rolled out and smashed all over the pavement! It was such a dissappointment, not to mention embarrassing! I am just a social drinker, honestly, but the prices of wine in the U.S. make me feel like a kid in a candy shop at the beer and wine store. I had actually picked out 4 or 5 bottles, but then Don pointed out a small matter of customs limits! I guess I could have bought another, but that would have defeated the purpose really.

For the next two nights we visited family in snowy and wintery Lethbridge. Then at the end of February headed for the Canadian Rockies.

For the last two days of this trip click here: https://wandersome.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/route-1-days-10-11-bc-rockies-grand-forks-osoyoos-cascades-seattle/

ROUTE 1 – DAYS 4-6 Prairies, Wall Drug and Mount Rushmore

DAY 4 Hamilton ON to Joliet, IL ( Budget Inn Express $37.00)

I must apologize to southern Ontario and northern Michigan for just driving through without having time to take much notice. Day 4 is really a blur. We drove from Hamilton west to cross the border at the less busy Sarnia / Port Huron – a pretty town and a better border crossing choice if you want to avoid the busy cities of Detroit and Windsor.

We drove onward on Highway 69 through Flint, around Lansing and down to the 94 which heads west to Lake Michigan and south to Gary Indiana. The shores of Lake Michigan would definitely be worth a trip in the summer.

At Gary we picked up the I80 and did the dreaded drive by Chicago (very busy for about an hour) just before dark. I will say right here that I would love to visit Chicago, but with really large cities I would prefer to fly in, attend a trade show or conference to get a good hotel rate and not have the hassle of a car.

We ended up stopping in Joliet, our last chance for a coupon hotel that evening. Joliet is a bit rough and I would avoid timing our overnight stay like that again. We stayed at the Budget Express Inn, possibly the worst overnight choice we have made. (See my budget tips – accomodation article.)

Day 5 Joliet IL to Sioux Falls SD (Microtel $51.00)

Corn palace — The Corn Palace in the town of Mitchell South Dakota

The beginning of the great, flat mid west. This is always the most monotonous part of the drive, because it is flat and it goes on for a long time. I am sure, in fact I know, there are lots of interesting places to go visit if you get off the main road. It would be especially interesting in the summer or fall to explore the byways for small towns and get some photos of old abandoned homesteads and rusted out vehicles and of course, fields of golden crops. However, it was winter and so we just drove. Or Don drove and I stared out the window, drinking coffee water (see my food tips) and eating dark chocolate.

We followed the I80 to Omaha and then turned northward on the 29 through Sioux City to Sioux Falls where we stopped for the night at another Microtel- still my favorite chain. This was right by the highway, so we didn’t see much and, cringe, didn’t even see the falls – next time.

Day 6 Sioux Falls SD to Gilette WY (National 9 Inn $63.00.

We had seen a few flurries just before stopping in Sioux Falls, but once again it was quite clear and dry roads for the day.

Corn palace detail — Yes, they really are corn cobs

To make up for missing so many things on route I will tell you about the Corn Palace. Not too far out of Sioux falls we came across the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. First built in 1921, it is a community building entirely clad in corn cobs to celebrate the bounty of the local agriculture. Apparently (as I learned after checking it out on the internet) the corn cladding design is completely redone each year!

One thing that kept me interested for the duration of the long prairie drive was the Wall Drug billboards along the highway. I’m not sure how many there are, or how far ahead of the town of Wall they begin, but we were seeing the signs, I believe, for about a day and a half before reaching the by then mysterious destination of Wall Drug. I really appreciated the entertainment of seeing what the next billboard would say – each a different style and with a different humorous slant. I started to take pictures too – here is the only one that came out really clearly.

Wall Drug sign london buses — One of the more subdued Wall Drug signs

I found myself counting down the miles. Any business that could come up with such a variety of entertaining billboards for hundreds of miles was worth a visit. So finally we reached the small town of Wall and took a few minutes to drive off the highway and see what all the fuss was about. Wall Drug is your typical self made tourist attraction, selling everything from fudge to native artifacts to jackalopes (look it up – just another interesting story). It is worth visiting their website here to read the history of Wall Drug which opened in 1931. It is a great ‘beat the odds’ story and in the current economic climate, very relevant I think.

Shortly after Wall, we came to Rapid City and did manage to drive up to Mount Rushmore (about a 20 minute drive from the highway as I remember). Unfortunately, much like Stonehenge in England, it is a bit of a disapointment because of the visitor centre which is positioned right in front of it. As we drove up the winding approach road there was a stunning view of it from one curve, but nowhere to stop. We were the only ones there on that cold day in February, but they were still charging to go into the visitor centre – I think even to park in the parking lot – so we only stopped long enough to get a quick picture with the visitor centre in front of the main attraction.

The whole area from Rapid City to Gillette would be a great place to explore, with the Black Hills and Badlands National Parks to the south and southeast of Rapid City and the Devils Tower national monument north of the I90 between Rapid City and Gillette Wyoming. Remember ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind? The ‘mountain’ that Richard Dreyfus is obsessed with is for real and it is called the Devil’s Tower. We didn’t make it on that trip, but we will definitely make the extra drive next time.

Montana near Helena — Headed for the hills – Montana highway

All I remember about Gillette Wyoming was that the hotels were busy because of oil workers. Hence we payed a bit more than usual at the a National 9 Inn. They had a nice western style lobby and the rooms were okay. The next day we headed for the hills – of Montana that is.

For the next installment of this trip click here: https://wandersome.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/route-1-day-7-8-billings-and-helena-montana/

ROUTE 1 – DAYS 1-3: Through New England and New York State, Niagara Falls

ROUTE 1 Halifax NS – Waterville ME – Baldwinsville NY – Hamilton ON – Joliet IL – Sioux Falls SD – Gillette WY – Helena MT – Lethbridge AL – Grand Forks BC – Seattle WA -Victoria BC.

DAY 1 Halifax, NS to Waterville, ME ( Econolodge $50)

On Feb. 17^th, 2007, my partner Don and I set off on our first road trip together, from Halifax Nova Scotia, heading for Victoria, BC. Yes, we aimed to drive across the northern states and parts of Canada in the middle of winter. It seems a bit foolish, but one thing I have learned about travelling with Don is that he has amazing luck with weather on road trips.

We set off on one of those blindingly sunny winter days with bright blue sky and sparkling snow. The main highway from Halifax up to Moncton (part of the Trans Canada) is a good road and then from there to St. John New Brunswick it is even better. We didn’t leave Halifax until about 1 pm but we made good time and arrived at the border at St. Stephen’s NB between 6 and 7 pm. St. Stephen’s is the home of Ganong Chocolates and their shop is right across from the border crossing – definitely worth a stop.

Snowy road in Maine

We filled up the tank in Calais, Maine on the other side of the border (see Budget travel tips – Gas). Then we switched drivers and I headed down highway 9 towards Bangor – not a drive I would normally do in the dark in the winter, but the roads were so clear and dry, we decided to push onward. Highway 9 is probably one of the hilliest roads I have ever driven. It is constantly up hill and down dale, with some spectacular views across wooded hills and blueberry fields when you reach the highest points of the area. Normally there are quite a few trucks and it requires patience if you get behind a slow vehicle as there are only passing lanes on the steep hills. But on this night in February I don’t remember much traffic and of course, I couldn’t see much scenery. I remember lots of trees and a few houses in the headlights going down hills and around bends with the radio playing an exceptionally good variety of oldies, and Don fast asleep beside me. It was great! We were on the beginning of our adventure.

Somehow we made it to Waterville that night at about 9 pm. We had been very lucky with the weather and made great time. We stayed at the Econolodge in Waterville which was fine, with, as far as I remember, a light continental breakfast and coffee. It cost about $50.

DAY 2 Waterville, ME to Baldwinsville, NY (Microtel $40)

Day two was a bit more leisurely. We took the 95 / 295 through Augusta and Portland , then the 4 to Concord, NH. From there we jogged over to the 9 for a leisurely dirve through Keene, Brattleboro, Wilmington and Bennington. This is a very scenic drive and each of these towns if worth a stop and walk through. Who would not love New England? Bennington has some very typical New England saltbox type of houses but bigger – white mansions with pillars etc. You will notice these especially as you drive out of town towards Albany. One of these houses is sad and neglected, all weathered wood – a poster child for the fixer upper or haunted house. Every time we drive through there I expect it to be demolished – or even better, renovated.

Bennington Mansion

‘Fixer Upper’ in Bennington

Our scenic drive over, we headed west around Albany and up to Syracuse on the I90. It began snowing around Syracuse and coincidently just as it was getting dark, so we ended that day in Baldwinsville, just past Syracuse, at our favourite hotel chain, Microtel. They have the comfiest beds and pillows, cosy rooms and good breakfasts, often waffles.

DAY 3 Baldwinsville, NY to Hamilton, ON

Cobblestone Building in Upper New York State

We woke up to another sunny day with snow melting everywhere. And there had been a lot of snow. We were near Oswego, an area that had reported 30 feet, yes feet, of snow over the previous few weeks. As we continued on the 370 to the 104 we definitely saw some of the remainder draped over farm house rooves and covering old vehicles. Many of the buildings in this area of New York State are constructed from cobblestone. There are many old farmhouses and quite a few town halls and churches preserved in this style. If you have time, the 104 is almost as efficient as the I90 and much more relaxing to drive.

Snowed In

We returned to the I90 and skirted Buffalo to head up to Niagara Falls to the border crossing. I don’t know which is more impressive, Niagara Falls in summer or winter. After crossing the border, we drove along by the falls, with, unfortunately, no time to really stop as we had to get to Hamilton, ON for dinner. But it was worth just seeing briefly – it was a sparkling ice wonderland on both sides of the falls, with all the spray freezing on ever branch and bush. The icy spray looked like steam rising everywhere and rainbows came and went. If there is ever a time when I regret not stopping longer to take pictures, it was that afternoon. I have included one photo taken on the fly. Even though it’s not the best, it gives you some idea of Niagara Falls in winter!

Niagara Falls in Winter

We continued to Hamilton and stayed with Don’s family for a few days before heading back over the border into Michigan.

For the next installment of this trip click here: https://wandersome.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/route-1-days-4-6-prairies-wall-drug-and-mount-rushmore/

Las Vegas

Vegas rooftops

The Venetian, complete with ‘Bridge of Sighs’

I arrive at the Halifax airport early. It is 8 o’clock and the plane doesn’t leave until 10am. It is the third week of March and we are in the middle of an ice storm. Everything is coated and sheets of icy rain are still pouring down. It is absolutely miserable outside. I think I am the only person in the airport for awhile, but finally my travelling companion arrives – and more people too – are we optimists to think we will get off the ground?

Apparently not, as we actually board the flight. We sit. We wait. They bring the de-icing machine over. We get sprayed and sprayed, first one wing, then the other, and then back again to the first wing as it has frozen again. Finally, an hour later, we taxi up the runway. The weather is so bad I wonder if we will freeze up again as we taxi. Luck is with us and off we go up into the grey sleety yonder – our destination, sunny Las Vegas!

When we land about 7 hours later and I step into the gentle sunny afternoon air, the weight of that winter world melts away.

Las Vegas is the glittering jewel in a predominantly brown desert landscape. It lies on a wide flat plain surrounded by distant mountain ranges. Although the city is one of the most rapidly growing in the United States (since then things have changed!) it is not large. On the contrary, as you taxi down the runway you have an uninterrupted view of the Luxor and the Mandalay Bay casino glittering gold in the sun along with the outlines of other casinos on the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard or ‘The Strip’.

The Luxor with monorail in front

The air here is, well, different. There’s no humidity in it. It doesn’t even feel like a dry day in Nova Scotia. Dry days in Nova Scotia are bright and sharp and there is still an intensity to them. The air in Nevada is soft and gentle and there doesn’t seem to be much wind. We have weather in Nova Scotia. As far as I could tell, there is no weather in Las Vegas, except maybe for a couple of days a year. The proof of this lies in the walkways that span the Strip at it’s busiest intersections. There are escalators leading up to the walkways that are completely open to the elements – not even a perspex roof over them for heaven’s sake! I just couldn’t get over this fact, coming from a place where weather is constantly changing and often a challenge.

And what fun- what sleaze, but what class! And what excess! The new casinos have 3000 rooms minimum. They all have shopping areas to outdo each other. My personal favorite, the Venetian, has a canal complete with gondolas and water – all on the second floor, above the casino level! As you climb the palatial marble staircase to this level be careful of tripping while gazing upwards, marvelling at the reproduction of Italian ceiling paintings above. At least three of the casino ‘malls’in Las Vegas have painted curved skies for ceilings complete with perpetual evening lighting. The Paris boulangerie feels like the real thing. The staff are from France. You can sit out on the cobbled terrace (indoors) under the lamplight and enjoy your morning croissant. Later you can lunch at Zefferino Ristorante along the Venetian canal side with elegantly authentic decor and real Italians serving real Italian dishes. Save some appetite for dinner though, at any of the famous casino buffets, where the food is fresh, varied and plenty for a very reasonable price. We tried the Luxor, where you eat in the burial chamber of the pyramid, complete with Egyptian style carvings and held up by pillars with carved palm capitols. The food was all delicious wherever we went.

Outside, along the Strip, enjoy the lovely Roman style gardens in front of Caesar’s Palace and their mall for elaborate carved fountains and more painted sky. Next in front of The Mirage, you can admire a waterfall and pool by daytime which turns into an erupting volcano every twenty minutes after dark! Enjoy a pirate fight at Treasure Island every 20 minutes or so complete with ships and canons firing- and all of this is free. Just the lavishness and quality of casino architecture and furnishings is a real treat. It may be tacky in some peoples minds to try to reproduce Venice or Egypt in the middle of the Nevada desert, but they sure do it in quality and style.

Caesar’s Palace and gardens with the Bellagio behind

But the real show stopper is the Bellagio fountains. Being diagonally across the strip from our hotel, we visited them every evening. We stood along the Parisian style balustrade under a row of trees festooned with white lights. And the air – oh, the air! Think of the most lovely summer night you’ve experienced – like a soft caress on your skin, soft, pleasantly mild and still. We’re standing before a small lake that lies in front of the impressive Bellagio Casino hotel. It’s not just a building on the other side of the lake, there is a mini Italian hillside village with the Bellagio rising above it, all beautifully created, dotted with lights in the evening, revealing facades of mediterranean colours. The only warning of the delight to come (every 15 minutes or so after dark) is a double string of white lights appearing just under the surface of the water.There are two sweeping curves of jets, intersecting along the center of the lake with three circles. The music starts, broadcast throughout the whole area with my personal favorite, Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing ‘Time to say Goodbye’. The fountains slowly bubble up. As the music builds and the liquid voice of Andrea fills the air, the fountains swell upwards, matching the tempo of the music. The song is in full swing, the sprays of water sink and shoot upwards, sway and virtually dance to the music, describing it just as you would follow it in your mind. At peaks in the music the jets shoot straight upwards, 20 stories high, blocking out the Bellagio in the background. As the music comes to a close, so the jets sink back to bubbles and then lights under the surface. All is quiet for a moment as a collective sigh is felt at the beauty of the performance; then an appreciative round of applause before the crowd moves on, strolling down the avenue, or remains, leaning on the parapet, waiting for the next show. There are great Youtube videos of the fountains if you would like to check them out.

The Venetian with awaiting gondolas

While in Las Vegas we stayed at the Flamingo Hotel which is one of the older Casinos on the main part of the strip. I enjoyed its classic style and great location. It has lovely rooms, 8 restaurants, shopping, and a real treat of 15 acres of tropical gardens enclosed within it’s U-shaped plan. The gardens have a section with strange but delightful combination of flamingos and penguins. There is a lovely little heated oval pool with flamingos spouting water into it, 2 outdoor hot tubs and a large wading pool with slides from one level to another. As hardy Canadians who had to attend training by 9 am, we were out there first thing in the morning enjoying the hot tub and a pool dip when there was still a bit of a dessert nip in the air. Later it was busier, but always pleasant. The daytime temperatures when we were there for the third week in March averaged about 75 fahrenheit or 20 Celsius.

Driving toward the Stratosphere and Old Downtown

Don’t try to flag down a taxi in Las Vegas – they aren’t supposed to stop for you. Instead, line up at the drive-in entrance any hotel to catch one of the endless stream of taxis there. Expect to be scuttled in and out quickly as it’s big business in Las Vegas. We didn’t encounter any layed back drivers ready to enjoy a leisurely chat here. My travelling companion, who is from Cape Breton, managed to squeeze the life stories out of most of them, but it wasn’t easy.

Also note that hotels are very expensive from Friday to Sunday nights. The prices drop dramatically from Monday to Thursday, so choose accordingly. Oh yes -and you don’t have to gamble! I took fifteen dollars US down to the slot machines one evening and made it last for about 20 minutes – that satisfied me. Las Vegas is very entertaining without ever gambling a penny. There is also plenty to enjoy for free. You may be staying at one hotel, but you are free to enjoy the entertaining sights and sounds of any of the others for free. However, you may spend a lot on shopping. If you like designer shops, this would be a heady journey into candyland and you could end up in a high priced shopping frenzy. I thoroughly enjoyed looking, but managed to find a fairly normal level mall to purchase something for my teenage daughter and was very happy with a pendant of Venetian glass and a Flamingo T-shirt for myself.

Drive Thru Wedding Chapel

One thing that must be pointed out about Las Vegas is that most hotels are layed out so that you have to pass through the casino to get to any other of the hotel facilities, including shopping areas, restaurants and your room. The casinos are smoky, so this would be a major problem for anyone with asthma or an allergy to cigarette smoke.

Excalibur Hotel and Casino

During this visit shows were not in the budget, but that seems to be a must with most visitors who go. All in all Las Vegas is a bizarre and fascinating world unto itself. These days, you can get some pretty good package deals as well.

There is nothing politically correct about it though- just go to have fun.

ROUTES AND ROADS – Highways or Byways?

I’ts often a quandary – do we take the freeway or go the slow route?

Oregon coast — Definitely a Byway - Hwy 101 down the Pacific Coast, Oregon

The most important question to ask is ‘How far are you going and how long do you have to get there?’ – you may want to consider the following when making your decisions:

Do you hate driving for hours in the car at a time? – Don’t set unreasonable expectations as far as daily mileage – try planning to drive a four hour distance or less (just the driving part) to your end destination for the day, leaving you lots of time to get out and do things other than driving.

Christmas parade Niceville fl. — We happened upon Niceville Florida and their Christmas Parade

Once you get in the car are you anxious to just get to your destination? – plan interesting stops ahead of time, for once a day or every two days, because you know you’re not going to stop otherwise.

Petrified forest — Ancient petrified trees scatter the landscape at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona

Do you hate driving on fast highways? Choose a smaller area, like one state at a time, to cover. That way you can stick to the smaller roads.

Wigwam motel 1 — Wigwam Motel - we happened upon on the way to the Petrified Forest

Do you want to travel a long distance and see everything, but you don’t have time to do both? Do what we usually have to do. Mix fast highways with an hour or two of slower roads and choose specific destinations to visit each day. Experiencing one city, town, park or hike per day is better than nothing. It can also be the town that you stop in at night. Explore that, either in the evening or early in the morning before taking off again the next day. Or, just stop in a small town when you get gas or whatever and take a half hour walk. Some places we have truly enjoyed in these ways are Galveston and San Antonio, Texas; Green River, Thermopolis, Greybull and Cody, Wyoming; Boulder, Colorado; Flagstaff, Arizona and Wallace, Idaho (where we witnessed and Elk’s parade and chatted to a silver mine tycoon, just closing up shop- all serendipitous events.)

Hot springs at Thermopolis — Hot Springs at Thermopolis, WY

Buffalo bill's hotel cody — The Irma, Buffalo Bill's Hotel in Cody, WY

Why is it that the unplanned experiences are the best? We wouldn’t have even stopped to San Antonio if our GPS hadn’t been up to date on new highway exits. We ended up driving right through the downtown area and were so impressed that we came back the next morning to tour the Alamo and enjoy the beautiful downtown Riverwalk.

Alamo collage — The Alamo - beautiful old stonework, and what history!

San Antonio river walk — San Antonio Riverwalk - Venice in Texas?

As for an idea of time frame, we are usually going across the country and our time frame up until now has been 12 to 14 days. That is driving as described above. We could have done it faster by driving 10 hours a day and sticking to the freeways, but I would rather fly than do that.

Holiday atmosphere in Boulder — Colourful Downtown Boulder

As far as quality of roads, we have found the highways to be excellent. In the east it is often worth paying the tolls to get around busy cities, like New York, Boston and Washington. If you’re driving west, you’re home free after Chicago. Those divided highways in the west with the big scenery are an easy drive in comparison.

It would be great to hear about any ‘jewels’ you have found by happenstance…..

BUDGET TIPS – GAS

GAS PRICES

If you’re Canadian, travelling in the US, you should know that gas prices vary wildly there. We’re not used to this in Canada, where you can drive around a city and see the exact same price everywhere. In the U.S., gas stations on opposite sides of a street can have very different prices, up to ten cents and more. Of course gas is also about two-thirds of the price that it is in Canada anyway, so you are getting a deal wherever you go, but depending on the exchange rate on your dollar you may be more or less inclined to keep an eye on the local prices before choosing a station. Gas tends to be cheaper in oil producing states as well. A great website to check out, for prices in Canada or the U.S. is Gas Buddy. Here you can find out all you need to know about gas prices.

If you are an American travelling in Canada, you guessed it, gas is more expensive than you are used to and the prices will vary slightly between city and country and between provinces, but not like at home.

BUDGET FOOD – or – COFFEE WATER AND BABY CARROTS

Eating Healthily on the Road without Breaking the Bank

We don’t eat in restaurants much. I really missed this at first because my family are big on eating out. But I have gotten used to it and actually now prefer not to waste time and money eating the type of food you can get on a typical highway drive, which is usually fast food and chain restaurants. What I liked about restaurants is stopping to enjoy the scenery, but you can do this even better from a picnic table, even at a rest stop. When walking around a destination in a smaller place or a big city where the cuisine is real, then a meal in the local diner or specialty restaurant is well worth it.

Lunch at Hurricane Ridge with Benna — Lunch at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, with my daughter

However, I am here to write about budget tips, so here is how we eat healthily and inexpensively on the road.

We bring our own food and buy easy to eat things in grocery stores. This works so well – the food is simple and is actually very tasty – also you don’t gain weight and get ‘irregular’ from eating in restaurants every day. Add whatever snacks you need – my favorite are chocolate or nuts – baby carrots are a great thing to snack on in the car when you are bored and don’t want to eat something worse. Occasionally we will eat at a buffet as detailed below.

Food & Related Things That We Bring From Home:

A box or plastic bin with 2 mugs, glasses, large and small plates, bowls and cutlery – include corkscrew, can opener, bread knife or at least a vegetable / cheese cutting knife . I keep this bin between us in the front of the van or at least nearby, along with another bin with snacks like rolls, cookies, fruit etc.
A cooler
Salt and pepper
Tea and coffee
Condiments like ketchup, mustard and salad dressing (it’s really annoying and expensive to have to buy these new when you have them already at home)
Margarine or butter
Muesli cereal that I put together myself, so I have my flax seed etc every day.
Other cereal
Canned salmon (that we probably bought on special)

Food we Add Along the way we buy:

Milk
Cheese
Bread, usually rolls for sandwiches
Bag of prepared salad greens
Baby carrots or fruit (if you’re Canadian and crossing the border, they can be quite picky about bringing fruit into the US, so we wait until we are over the border to buy any excess fruit)
Cooked whole chicken (cheapest from Walmart, but most good grocery chains have them)
Any other snacks we fancy like crackers or a bit of dark chocolate!

Those are the basic food items we need. If the continental breakfast is only pastries, I have my cereal in the room. For lunch we usually have some of the cooked chicken on a roll. Then for dinner we have the prepared salad with more cooked chicken. Change up the chicken for a tin of salmon with the salad (try it with creamy cucumber dressing – my favorite meal) or tuna if you like.

This may be a good time to admit that we are popcorn junkies. We have a hot air popper which we take along and a large bowl and bulk popcorn. So if we’re still hungry after our salad, all we have to do is plug in the popper. We use olive or grapes seed oil, so we don’t need to melt butter.

Also, Don is a coffee junkie. I’m more of a tea person and sometimes I bring a thermos of hot water and add a tea bag. However, often we only have the one thermos with us and it somehow ends up with coffee in it. One day, I can’t remember how it happened, but the coffee was half hot water and half coffee – so we sipped on what I call ‘coffee water’ all afternoon. I know that sounds gross to any coffee lover out there, but it worked well. If it had been normal coffee I never would have slept that night, plus I don’t like black coffee – but this was something warm to drink with a nice coffee flavour – yah – I get pretty bored as the passenger sometimes, especially when crossing the plains.

A couple of other value food ideas – Walmart has huge subs for a good price that could provide two lunches for two!

We got an 18” pizza at a Costco (we were having new tires put on) for about $6 or $7 and had it for dinner and lunch the next day.

If we want a treat, we stop at good buffet. To be honest, if it was up to me I would try and Olive Garden or other restaurant sometimes, but Don really likes to get value for money. The two best buffets we have found are:

The Golden Corral. These seem to be mainly in the South east, but I just looked on the internet and they seem to be expanding to other states. Amazing home cooked real food for about $24 for two including coffee and desert – all you can eat! That’s the bad part. You just eat too much. If you go for lunch, I think before 3:30 or so, the price is even cheaper, by a couple of dollars per person (except no steak) and let’s face it, you need the time to digest all that food!

Sweet Tomatoes. They also seem to be expanding – check the website for locations. Bright cheerful surroundings, but not for the meat lover, as they have mainly a great fresh salad selection along with soups, macaroni and deserts. They are a bit more expensive than Golden Corral.

ROAD TRAVEL TIPS – ACCOMMODATION

To Book or not to Book

So far, we have travelled between the months of November and April. Even in Florida during these months we have never booked ahead. There are some instances where it may be wise to do so. We did book ahead for Las Vegas. Obviously if you want to stay in a Disney hotel in Orlando, you should book, but for just overnight stops along the road, it usually isn’t necessary. The only other time where this might be a problem is if there is a big convention in town (ie. Tucson during the January Gem Show or Carlisle PA during the car shows.) Florida Note: These days you can get rooms near Orlando in Kissimmee without booking, even in season. We have done this twice and there are lots of empty rooms – sad in a way, but it does make it easier to be spontaneous.

CAMPING :

We only camp occasionally and only in the south, as we are not travelling at the warmest time of the year. However, tenting is a great and inexpensive option. One of our best experiences was camping at St. Joe’s Penninsula State Park near Port St. Joe in Florida in December. Our tent was nestled in the pines and we and about 10 other people had the glorious stretch of white sand and shells to ourselves. Have a look here.

There are so many beautiful state parks and national parks along the way, you’re hardly ever without an option in this department. I prefer parks because you more or less know what you will get and the surroundings are wonderful, but there are always private campgrounds as well. Some parks also have cabins and yurts if you prefer not to tent.

Camping is obviously more effort than a hotel room, but keep it simple. Choose an easy to set up dome tent. Carry a good thick airbed with an electric pump preferably. Add at least a bottom sheet, a warm duvet and even your pillow from home if you are picky about soft cosy comfort as I am. You will already have any food necessary and the dishes etc. to eat with. You may also want a kettle and anything else you need for a hot drink if that is important to you. Matches and a newspaper also come in handy here if you have an opportunity for a fire. If you have room, I would also throw in an extra blanket for putting underneath the bottom sheet, just to keep the damp away. Oh yes, always a reliable flashlight of some sort.

HOTEL / MOTELS – COUPONS A MUST

Most of the time we stay in motels / hotels as we are using hotel coupons. The lowest range in coupons is from 29.99 to 49.99. My ratings below refer to hotels available within that budget. You can get coupon booklets at rest areas in some states, or almost always at the state information centres which are usually combined with the first rest stop as you cross state borders on the major roads. Also larger gas stations and truck stops often have them. Two common ones are Room Saver and Hotel Coupons. You can also print out coupons on their websites, www.roomsaver.com and www.hotelcoupons.com. I usually do this before we leave on the trip just to cover the first couple of nights until we can pick up a booklet. Coupons eliminate that awkward bit of not knowing what the price will be and having to bargain for the best rate etc. when you walk up to the desk. As far as I can tell, they also get you the cheapest price available. You may get as cheap with other discounts, but no cheaper. If anybody out there knows differently, please leave a comment! We usually go for the cheapest coupon for the area, but you could always choose the Hampton Inn and be happy to get it for the cheapest rate if you prefer.

Make sure to check the small print on the coupon. Often the price quoted is for Sun.- Thurs. with added fees for weekends. Also pay attention to the number of people included , ie when the price is especially low, it is often for one person with an extra person fee. You also can’t book ahead with a coupon – they are walk in only, but we have yet to be turned away. The coupon pretty much always lists amenities, so you know ahead of time if you will get in room coffee or a guest laundry. I haven’t been in a hotel or motel lately that doesn’ t have wifi, so that’s a given.

The other thing you have from a coupon is directions. Our routine is to choose a coupon from the book once we have a destination, or alter our destination slightly according to coupon availability, then as we get close, I enter the address (which is on the coupon) into the GPS. If you don’t have a Gps, there are directions on the coupon as well. I recommend a Gps – the cheapest model will do – it’s a godsend when trying to find a hotel in an unfamiliar area in the dark, and saves you hours of ‘driving around looking for things’ time on a road trip. In fact, put motel coupons and a Gps together and you have probably the most efficient and worry free way of finding a place to stay every night.

As far as quality, for the most part we have found the coupon rooms to be just fine. They are usually clean. Sometimes they are the ones that haven’t been renovated, or a couple of the lamps don’t work or they may need painting, but mostly they are like any other motel room and often come with fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Coupons save us $25 to $40 per day, so it’s worth it, especially when it’s really just a place to sleep at the end of a driving day.

HOTEL CHAIN RATINGS (WITHIN OUR BUDGET)

THE GOOD

Microtel – my favorite in general. I love the cosy rooms, the beds and pillows are amazingly comfortable and they have an extensive free breakfast, usually with waffles. No fridge or microwave in rooms, but free coffee at the desk.

America’s Best Inn and Suites-Nice rooms, bright and clean, good free breakfast, often with waffles and the Lincoln City Oregon one has a lovely breakfast room.

Rodeway Inn – the two we have stayed at are older, but adequate rooms and a good breakfast with waffles as well. It’s all about the waffles it seems!

Best Western– is great, but usually above our budget. We stayed in one in Williams, Arizona and really liked it.

|We have stayed at other independent motels and they have been okay. The one thing that puts them above my ‘Okay’ category is that they often they have a fridge, microwave and in room coffee. I really like to have my own hot water and tea / coffee in the room and since we carry or food, it is convenient to have a fridge to keep things cool. The continental breakfast in this type of hotel is almost always a packaged cheap brand of pastries and muffins, or donuts.

THE OKAY

Super 8 – they are okay – they have in room coffee and a continental breakfast including sugary cereal. They are similar to Microtel in that you have to park and use the main entrance to lug your stuff through the lobby (all your food boxes and cooler and beer and maps and computer etc.) – but they just aren’t as special.

Motel 6 – very clean and sparse rooms, free coffee in the hall and that’s all you get. Usually the cheapest price though, which is often advertised out on their road sign. Though they are not my favorite for atmosphere or extras, one did save our bacon one evening during a snowstorm in Nebraska. Also, there’s always one around.

Econolodge– also okay. Quality varies by location.

THE BAD

The worst place we have stayed was in Travelodge in San Antonio. The room and the hotel itself was dirty, the lamps and other things were broken and they overcharged my visa. They did have waffles, but that wasn’t enough to make up for the shortcomings!

The other worst place was the Budget Inn Express in Joliet, just west of Chicago. It has many bad reviews on Tipadvisor.com

Knights Inn in Norcross, Georgia – falling apart. We’ve never stayed in another one.

That’s all for accomodation for now. If I think of anything else, I will add it. Read my other tip sheets Food and What to Pack, and Roads and Gas.

Welcome to my blog about the American Road Trip

Hello and welcome. This blog is for those of you who would like to take that great American road trip from east to west, north to south or anywhere in between, but haven’t yet – Those of you who think you never will ( but you might) or would like to but are a bit daunted by it – Those of you in the east who have never been west, the west who have never been east, the north…. etc.

Over the past three years my partner and I have driven across the continent 5 times. I will be giving helpful information about prices, places to visit etc., but mostly I will be describing the inspiration of it all – the beautiful scenery and incredible changes in landscape, and the details about places that make them different from where you are right now. I hope to make it interesting and most of all to inspire you to take your own road trip or even to contribute thoughts or facts from one you have already enjoyed.

But first a little history about me and how I eventually arrived at this blog. I am female, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and as for most Nova Scotians no matter where they live, Halifax is still home for me even when I live elsewhere.

I am an artist who usually has to take other jobs to earn a living. My website is here: www.artcollage.etsy.com

When I was young, we moved away from Halifax to Ontario. Every summer my dad, being a road trip lover himself and also a true Haligonian who needed to go home at every available opportunity, would pack all 4 of us and my mom in the Oldsmobile or the Ford and drive us the 1000 miles back home. Sometimes we took the Canadian route, but more often the American route, through upper New York State, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. We just loved it. I don’t know how he afforded it, but we stayed at motels and cabins (I still remember those cute little cabins in the Catskills!) and we ate at restaurants and fast food places – Howard Johnsons was our favorite. Kids don’t really remember the scenery so much, just the experiences, like going to Santa’s village and Frontier town in New York State, ordering a brown cow at Howard Johnsons and watching heads turn as the huge mountain of ice cream and chocolate is brought across the room and placed in front of a scrawny 10 year old, embarrassed at all the attention. Anyway, my point is, this is where my wanderlust began.

Up until about 8 years ago my travelling focus was on Europe. People around me were taking inclusive holidays to exotic locations, but all I was interested in was the rich cultural experience of European travel. Then one day, looking for a new business idea to support my artistic endeavours, I went to a small business / franchise show and was drawn like a magnet to a ‘sell travel at home’ booth. (Don’t worry I don’t sell travel) The selling travel thing never did work out for me (although it has for other people, don’t get me wrong). However – I ended up on a plane to Las Vegas on my way to a training conference. I didn’t want to go to Las Vegas. I wished it was in London or Paris or at least Bermuda. I don’t have much tolerance for heat, and I burn easily, so I didn’t have the same desire as others to go somewhere hot and lie in the sun. I like to drop $20 at the casino as much as anyone, but I’m not a gambler and I thought Las Vegas was tacky. Anyway, I had to take the training, so Las Vegas it was.

We left Halifax in the middle of and ice storm in mid March. It was iffy even to get to the airport, never mind flying anywhere. But somehow, after at least an hour of de-icing, we managed to take off. All I remember about the flight was flying over miles and miles of brown mountains and plains – scenery I had never seen before. We landed in Las Vegas on a gentle sunny afternoon. Even the light breeze felt calming after the weather we had left behind.

My Las Vegas trip is when I first learned why people go on warm weather holidays – I also learned that it spoils you for life. It’s not the heat (well, it is – up to about 78 F for me). It’s really about the sun – and the light – and the soft air. I had come to a place with virtually no ‘weather’. The woman from the travel company who booked our flight was from Georgia – she was worried about us having to walk two blocks for the first few days from our cheaper hotel to the Flamingo for our meetings. She thought, since it was March, it might be a bit windy or cold. Well….. not to someone who would normally be standing in freezing slush, shoveling the heavy wet snow out of their driveway at that time of year! I had lived all my life in places that have real seasons. Most of the time in places with, lets face it, 5-6 months of winter. And in Nova Scotia anyway, a summer that could be half filled with rainy days – and half filled with glorious ones too, and that’s the dangling carrot that keeps us living in those harsh climes.

So even though I knew the weather was different in other places, I had never experienced how it felt until then – and no one ever really described it to me. That is partly why I am writing this blog. Everywhere I have travelled there have been small and larger things about the place that I had never heard about before. Travel articles tell you about hotels, restaurants, sightseeing, but leave out what sometimes is the most fascinating information – the details of what life is like in a place, how it feels to be there. That is what I hope to convey in this blog, along with practical information as well, of course.

I thoroughly enjoyed Las Vegas (for more about that trip, see the Trips / Places menu to the right.) but the Grand Canyon blew me away. We managed to have a couple of free days before our training, sowe hopped on a bus for a 5 hour journey there and a 5 hour journey back – but it was worth it. We drove through mainly brown rocky and hilly landscape right out of a cowboy movie. Technically it should be called barren, but it seemed beautiful to me, like an ocean is beautiful- big sky and openness. I really wanted to get off the bus and hike over the landscape to examine the desert plants closer up and see what was out there over the next hill. |Unfortunately, bus tours don’t allow for that kind of spontaneity.

Eventually we entered Grand Canyon National Park where the scenery was sparse pine forest. It reminded me of the yogi bear cartoons from childhood. Not what I expected after all the brown rocky landscape beforehand. Since we came in from Tusayan to the south, we had no visuals as we approached. The bus pulled up beside some of the buildings in Grand Canyon Village. We disembarked and the driver showed us where to walk between two buildings toward the rim as we still could not see anything.

Twenty steps later it opened up before us in jaw dropping beauty, silent and sublime. The colours and the sense of space were amazing. What I found incongruous was the fact that even here, up high on the edge of plateau lands before a gigantic cliff and open space, the air was so gentle and still. Where I come from, if you are somewhere like that – it is at least a bit windy and a nippy. I guess it’s not always that gentle by the canyon. We must have been lucky with the weather for March? The spring colours were varied and rich. There were soft greens and mauves along with the more usual ochre and terracotta. I have been there since, in June when the colours were hotter and more monotone.

We had about an hour and a half before we had to be back at the bus – hardly adequate, but a fact. Aside from a brief look in the gift store, I just picked different vantage points and tried to imprint the feeling in my memory. I took lots of pictures too.

So this is how I fell in love with the west – and I must admit it, to escaping winter weather if at all possible! It also reawakened the wanderlust in me – the pure enjoyment of seeing new places and the trick of how they are almost never quite what you expect them to be.