Archive for December, 2010

Today we make HUGE time. After our short sleep and getting the RV warmed up every couple of hours to avoid total freezing of the engine we headed out very early on.

In a few hours, we’ve finished Manitoba and head into Saskatchewan. Nothing eventful in that last stretch to report; the roads were flat and it was cold.

Saskatchewan though was quite different: it was a bit warmer. The roads were still flat and we actually saw one or two slight curves. With a break or two for beverages and lunch, we motored on steadily.

This is what Saskatchewan looks like:

After numerous hours of the above or slight variations thereof (I swear there were one or two bends!) we eventually got out  of Saskatchewan and into Alberta. Alas, by that time the sun was down so I have no photos to post. There was also not very much difference in the roads until we got a little past Medicine Hat.

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When we woke up in the Marathon, ON Tourist Info spot at about 5 am, there were a half dozen trucks all around us (clearly we picked a popular spot) and there was a light snowfall happening.

The tight sleeping quarters were a bit of a problem; we had not planned that change of bed too well. Next time: more blankets!

After taking the dogs out for a quick pee and making sure the bird was secure, we went into Marathon proper, filled up with gas at a… SPG? (Swipe, Pump and Go) station, grabbed some coffees and muffins at the local Robins Nest and headed west for day three.

A note on the people we’ve met so far: Mostly gas station attendants and coffee servers but by and large a bunch of friendly and warm folk. For example, this morning getting into the gas station. Nice lady, even if gravelly of voice (probably smokes and beer) came out to help us with the gas card. Pointing out that the cards were typically topped off at $100 automatically, and showed us how to get a second fill from the same card. Lots of hon’s and friendly demeanour, even at 5 am.

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Today we start out very early, about 6 a.m., while it’s still dark. Although there is snow in the region of Parry Sound, the roads are clear and there is no or little actual snow falling.

We easily make it up to Sudbury and zoom by it.

Our next stop: Sault Ste. Marie. We stop at Wal*Mart (yes, sorry) and I run in to grab some McFood. 45 minutes later(!!), I emerge with a couple burgers. We chomp it down and we are off again, this time heading north along Lake Superior towards Wawa.

We note a sign saying “no more gas for xxx KMs” and look at the gas gauge – we won’t make it. So after about 10 minutes, we finally find a spot to turn around and head back towards the last gas station we saw. We fill up on Premium, the only kind they had there (they were upgrading their pumps) and head back up. Word to the wise: fill up in Sault Ste Marie where the gas is a tad cheaper if you are low.

About halfway up, we stop at a lookout spot and see a striking view of Lake Superior near sunset. Read more…

Having to leave at 5 pm means we’ll be hitting a fair bit of rush hour traffic as we head up from Burlington towards Barrie, Ontario. And being November, it’s already starting to get dark. In no time, we’re (meaning Mark at the wheel) officially driving at night. After a slight miscalulated turn and detour, we finally get onto Highway 401 and eventually onto the 400 headed north.

We make pretty decent time on our way to the first potential stop, Barrie, but as we got there at about 8 p.m., Mark felt ok to carry on so we headed onward towards Parry Sound.

We went a little further past Parry Sound to a spot near Horseshoe Lake where there was a truckers’ rest stop. This is where we set up for the night. At this point, there was a fair bit of snow that had fallen, not much traffic and only a few rigs in the parking lot. Signs posted there said “2 Hour maximum” but we hung out for about 6. It was about midnight when we stopped and let the dogs have a pee. We went to bed in the back of the RV on the actual bed, although the slide was closed, and after a few hours’ sleep, started off again.

Pretty good distance for what was a half day.

It’s finally here, Monday Nov. 29, 2010. It’s closing day and the house is ready to be turned over to the new owners. We’re doing lots of last minute stuff such as selling the Cavalier at 8 a.m. (thanks Mark B, hope your daughter likes it!), the Jeep, stuffed with the bird’s big cage and the dogs’ carriers, is picked up to get shipped to Alberta, we’re getting the very last of the stuff out of the house and into the motorhome.

At 3:30, Mark goes to the lawyer to pick up The Cheque and drop it immediately in the bank. When he comes back, we are going to try and make sure all is in its place and tucked away. The bird’s small cage is Velcro’d to the shelf above the passenger’s seat, the last of the laundry is dropped on the bed, we just need to get everything organized and battened down and ready for actual movement.

However, at 4:30, the new owner’s moving van shows up and they want to start unloading. Right now. Mark comes back from the bank and we scramble to stuff the last bits in wherever we can. We still haven’t found a place to empty the black and grey tanks, there’s no fresh water in the main tank, the new owner (nice lady) arrives, apologizes for being too early but the somewhat surly movers are already at it so no sense making a huge deal of it.

We pull the motorhome out of the driveway and park it a bit further down the street. A few last minute good-byes to the neighbours (including our awesome, single neighbour Gail) and we take off, even if a little frazzled from the very quick and slightly too early exit.

But we are officially gone. On the road and heading west for a future unknown.