Prince George – Doug Rutherford

August 15, 2014

Road Trip, Day 9-11

Our drive to Grande Prairie from Prince George was quite nice, although it was hot. I basically started the truck in the morning, put it in gear, and turned on the air conditioning. Shawna and Hanna arrived about 9:30 PM the night before, so we formed our own little convoy to head bravely east.

We stopped for a bit in Chetwynd for a bit of a break. Oddly enough, I met a guy there while waiting for Shawna to get gas whose children are in Whitehorse. Yes, the world can be reasonably small.

Our next stop was Dawson Creek. We ate there, and it was also still quite smoky.

Once we headed into Alberta, I cheated and took Highway 59 to bypass going through Grande Prairie to get to Clairmont. This was good, because I didn’t have the address where we would be staying. I meant I had to stop and meet Ernie at the car wash. Suffice to say, the camper needed a good scruffing.

We arrived at about 6 PM. I find there’s a huge gas mileage difference if I stick to 100 kph, and I’m quite happy with that speed. I really didn’t get time to take many pictures on the road. We stopped at two rest stops, both situated for convenience in the distance they were apart.

We took a little time to get settled the next few days. I met Devon and Charlie’s neighbours and had a few beers at their place last night. A few more than I needed, but that happens.

Today has been dedicated to decorating, which I’ll willingly concede is not my strong point. We did, however, construct a balloon arch, with me, Katrina, Ryan and Shawna tying balloons until there’s far less skin on my fingers. The finished product is quite nice, mind you.

I’ll post some pictures, but trying to do this tethered to my cell is not working well. At least, if I keep notes, I can show them after I get back to Whitehorse and have a reasonable internet connection again.

This morning did start with a small chore after I had my tea. I had to turn the motorhome around and back in. Apparently, the bylaw department does not allow you to park a motorhome driven into the driveway. It must be backed in. The alternative option is a $500 fine, so turning it around, not a huge chore, is far easier than the alternative…

August 12, 2014

Road Trip, Day 8

Posting has been a little difficult. The wi-fi has been spotty and I seem to be constantly disconnected. Posting the other day took two days to get the post up.

This is our third day in Prince George. We got in the other day and were too tired to do anything. Last night, though, I went to dinner with Mike and Ashleigh and Katie. We went to Kelly O’Brien’s. Since both Mike and Ashleigh work there, it seems like a good enough recommendation. Actually, I’ve eaten there before and it’s nice. It’s more a pub than a restaurant, but the food is good.

Now, we are waiting for Shawna and Hanna to join us. The original plan was to meet them at a slightly easier place to find than the RV park. I thought the Walmart parking lot would be a good choice, since there is overnight camping allowed there. Just park with your camper facing the front of the store and park on the right side of the parking lot.

We have made a slight change. We are staying at the park here. Having a place to plug in is a necessity, since the air conditioner requires it. Clara doesn’t like the noise of the fan, but there don’t seem to be too many complaints.

I guess I’ve been a northerner who hasn’t left the north in too long. Actually, I haven’t been south in more than two years. High 20s is my idea of hot, and this has been hotter than that. The last few days have been 32° for a high, but this is more than I like and it’s not 4 PM. The temperature here seems to climb until 6 or so. I don’t want to know where this ends. Plus, the bottom number is the inside temperature, with the AC running. It eventually made it to 36.

I did catch a cab to Canadian Tire today, to see if I could get a bug screen for the camper. It would have to be ordered, so that didn’t help. Maybe I’ll get one in Grande Prairie. I walked across the lot to Walmart, though and did pick up a few groceries. No, I did not forget the bacon this time…

August 10, 2014August 11, 2014

Road Trip, Day 6

Our starting mileage, 104,701.9. We arrived at Prince George at 6 PM, mileage 105,165.4. Our trip was 463.5 km.

We left Brian’s and Pat’s, but not Brian and Pat. We went into New Hazelton for a few things, including visiting the Farmers` Market and dumping the RV tanks. The town has one RV dump at the information centre, but it`s free use. I would rather not carry the extra weight down the road and for some reason, don`t like thinking in terms of having a wonderful vehicle that`s used to transport raw sewage.

The drive was uneventful. I did stop to get a few pictures at the Bulkley River look off. The actual location was Hagwilet, a former Carrier village.

We did stop at the SafeWay in Smithers to pick up some groceries. I went for a few staples, but managed to forget bacon. How do you do that?

The drive was nice, although there were lots of hills, but nothing serious. We did arrive at the campground, the Blue Cedars RV Park in Prince George. It was hot, and Clara hates the noise the air conditioner makes so be prepared to cook.

I called the kids to try and set up dinner tomorrow evening. When the sun and the temperature drop a bit, I’ll wander off to get a shower and cool off that way. Meanwhile, since cooking makes me think I’ll die with the heat, 28°, I think I’ll just do a sandwich and salad and enjoy the drink of rum in front of me…