In Canada Speramus-Day Nine & Ten: July 20 & 21 2011

After a smooth border crossing, we meandered our way through the Canadian roads. Going through Hope, Abbotsford and landing in Cache Creek. Along the way we paralleled the mighty Fraser River. The river rivaled the Mississippi in size and brown color. Throughout history you could have created an image in your mind of how the river carved out the Fraser Canyon. Driving into Cache Creek reminded us of a hilly Nevada full of sage brush, weeds, and empty gas stations. Speaking of gas stations, we were in for a conversion doozy! We filled up for 131.9 cents per liter amounting to roughly $5.33 per gallon totaling a whopping $90 to give the Roaring Glacier a full tank of much needed juice. After quite the sticker shock we headed back to our campsite but not before stopping to grab a six pack for another round of sticker shock. We paid $15 bucks (Canadian $. Exchange rate is .95—you do the math!)  That’ll be the last one of those we get for a while…

We got back to our campsite with plenty of sunlight left to just hang out. Throughout the trip we have been collecting bumper stickers of everywhere we have visited to dress up the Roaring Glacier. This was the perfect night to put them all on. Looks pretty good (see pictures below)! We snacked on fruit and cookies left over from the Holloman’s and people watched around the campground. We seemed to be squished like sardines as a bunch of little kids ran through our campsite playing swords and tag. After taking a walk around the campground we noticed a group of boy scouts. The camp leader was quick to strike up a conversation with us and told us all about their week of canoeing and camping. Before he talked to us we noticed the troop had 2 REI Dome THC2 Tents that were put together perfectly. Ashley’s job this whole trip has been to put up the tent and she has done a great job. But there were some loose ends and pieces that neither one of us knew what to do with. We acquired the boy scouts help in guiding our guiding ropes through the tent. They gladly walked to our campsite with us (admiring Clayton’s beard the whole time). They were very helpful in teaching us what to do with the unknown pieces of the tent and for the first time we had a perfectly put together tent! Good job boy scouts. We slept wonderfully next to Canadians and the highway.

We woke up this morning rested and excited to explore Canada more but not before Clayton wanted to shoot crows with his BB gun (even though he didn’t bring one) as they kept us up all night. The drive so far has not been what we thought it would be with the exception of Williams Lake and Scout Island. We understand that we are not to the part of Canada that will leave us in awe. Driving through Wiliams Lake Clayton spotted with his own eagle eye a bald eagle flying right over our car! We pulled into Scout Island Nature Center for a leg stretch and a mile hike through dense forest and moist marsh. As we pulled into the entrance center Ashley screamed in excitement, “is that real!”. 50 feet away a mature sized bald eagle had posted up on a tree. After snapping a shot the eagle flew out of the tree displaying its wing span and flying away showing us that he knew Americans were present. The park had much more wildlife including the very well-known mallard duck, Canadian goose, beavers, buck deer, and lastly, something neither one of us had ever seen, an Osprey. The Osprey was almost as magnificent as a bald eagle, equivalent in size and prestige.

We have gotten our first round of terrible mosquitos as Clayton has even been getting bitten instead of Ashley. Not too far from Williams Lake, Prince George is our next destination to lay our heads for the night. We are staying at a lovely campsite called Bee Lazee selling their own brand of honey and offering much needed hot and clean showers and laundry. Tomorrow we head to Dawson Creek…the start of the Alaskan Highway!

Miles for the day: 316

Miles per gallon: 19.6

Starin at the border while we make our phone calls home!

Canada...here we come! The border.

We made it in! This is the Canadian country side.

Major rockslide area down the side of a mountain.

More Canadian countryside....doesn't get old.

Our campsite! Felt like we were in the backyard. The grass sure was comfy!

A little taste of home.

The boy scouts hard at work helpin us with the tent.

The jazzed up Roaring Glacier rocket boxes.

Ditto.

God Bless America.

You can read.

The view of Williams Lake from a footbridge.

Look closely...she's touching a buck.

Velvet antlers!

I spy with my little eye an Osprey...can you?

Buck's hungry friend, Doe.

Mucha amare civis parvus-Day Nine: July 19 2011

“Clayton Clayton…. Wake up what’s that?”  “I don’t know what are you talking about? They’re people walking by our tent”. “ Ok and? What are they doing? “ “Going to the bathroom”…. Well that’s how exciting the night and morning at Mount Rainier was. We left quite early and got on the road at six in the morning.  We were in Seattle by 8 am to hit the world market. We caught the hustle and bustle, seeing fresh fish being thrown around and the starting stages of the farmers market. The world market was located on Pike street and 1912 Pike street was the location of the very first Starbucks. We both picked up a cup of Joe; well a cup of Joe and a fancier drink.

After taking in the atmosphere for a while we needed to find a wi-fi hotspot. Once again we googled (Ha Microsoft Word tells me Verb Confusion) McDonalds and the nearest one was just a couple blocks away. This McDonalds was ridiculous, equipped with a bouncer who guarded the front door like a pit-bull. The whole time we were there he was chasing away any trouble makers and vagrants. Even though it may sound a little uneasy we felt very comfortable in there, after we bought a 69 cent cookie to get the pit-bull off our watch so we could use their internet.

We were off the see the Seattle Space Needle, a major tourist attraction. The needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. It is 605 feet tall and bolted to the ground with 72 bolts 30 feet long. Also, it’s made to withstand 9.1 magnitude earthquakes and two-hundred mile an hour winds. The three elevators quickly rocket people up to the top and drop them gently to the bottom all day long. From the top of the needle the views’ are magnificent. You can see Puget Sound as far as your eyes will allow, you are eye level with the Seattle Skyline, and the height enables’ you to play an intense game of eye spy.  We finally spotted the Roaring Glacier from the top of the Space Needle and we were very excited about that.

Lynden, Washington next stop. Pulling into town we decided to stop at Foxy Brown’s (No, not a strip club) to surprise Sherri (Mark’s sister). Sherri has a great little boutique in the middle of Lynden. We were really excited to see her…and a big thank you for the new pants! What a great time as we pulled further into Lynden. We found ourselves waiting in traffic on a beautiful country road. That’s when we realized we could actually throw a rock to Canada as we were stopped in the customs line (they live right on the border of Canada and the US). We decided to turn around and take a new route to our amazing host’s for the night: the Holleman family (Carri’s boyfriend , and our friend!,Mark’s Family). Mark set us up by through contacting his family and they spoiled us rotten. We immediately felt at home with warm hugs and welcoming smiles. Their beautiful home sits on the breathtaking country side of Lynden surrounded by berry farms, horse land, and views from all directions. As we got to visit with the Hollemans we realized how lucky were to be surrounded by such a great family. Mark’s nephews, Peyton (10) and Boyce (4) immediately made us feel at home and kept us laughing all night! They even sent us out with a couple of toys for the rest of trip (see picture below!) Sadie, Mark’s mom, made us a wonderful dinner (we miss home cookin!) of chicken enchiladas, rice, fruits & veggies, and chips and salsa—YUM! We ate dinner surrounded by the rest of the family (Mark’s sisters, their husbands & their kids). What a wonderful time! We now know why Mark is so awesome! He comes from an amazing group of people. After dinner, Matt, Mark’s brother in law, took us on a tour of his berry farm-the Curt Maberry Farm! What a treat (literally, we got to eat raspberries right off the farm!). The farm was started by Matt’s great grandfather and has stayed in the family ever since. Matt was a great tour guide as he took us through the processing department. We felt like serious VIP! It was really an amazing sight to see, something we both felt like we took for granted. Now whenever we pick up some raspberries in the store we will know how they got there. The tour was a great way to end such a wonderful day. As we woke up this morning Clayton took the Roaring Glacier to the Lynden Lube where Brett, Marks other brother in law, took a peek to make sure it was ready for the next ½ of the trip. We were grateful for him to take time to look at it and even more grateful that it is in good shape! Sadie made us a wonderful breakfast and we got to visit more with Peyton, Boyce, Rick, Sherri, Michelle & little Maryn. Before we headed out of town Rick and Sadie took us on a tour of Lynden-what a great place! We got to see where the rest of the family lives, where the boys go to school, and the shops that line the down town area. Sadie packed us with a wonderful lunch for the road (fresh raspberries!) before we headed to the border. They helped us pack our car back up and practice going over questions for the border…Rick has some seriously good advice! As we waved to the Holleman’s  on our way out of town we felt like we were leaving family again. They are a superb  bunch and we are so lucky to have them as friends! Thanks again for the wonderful stay!

The border crossing went really smooth. Luckily, the Hollemans live about ½ mile from a crossing with NO line! We pulled right in and immediately got quizzed by the border patrol. “Where are you from? Where are you going? How long will you be in Canada? Do you have more than $10,000 with you? What’s your purpose on coming through? Do you have somewhere to live in AK? Are you brining in any fruits or vegetables? How bout firearms?” were some of the questions they asked us…that part went  smooth. They asked us to pull aside so Clayton could declare his bear defense weapons. We walked into the border patrol station and anxiously waited while the patrolmen searched through the Roaring Glacier. After about 15 minutes of waiting the search-man came back in, cleared us to go, we paid the fee for bringing in firearms and we were off! Easy as that. We were officially in Canada! We cruised down the roads and didn’t feel like we were really in a foreign country as a Best Western, McDonalds, Burger King, and Remax office lined the streets. Speed limits and gas prices are another story as we figure out what the conversion is. Since we are in a foreign country Clayton’s phone is officially on airplane mode which means we will not be able to receive calls or texts without paying at&t lots of money. However, we will be running into a lot of free wi-fi so you can reach us through email & the blog!

Thanks for following us and keeping us in your thoughts…Canada here we come.

 Miles for the day: 311

Miles per gallon: 19ish

Lots of love in a litte town.

From the top of the Needle! I spy with my little eye....

The Roaring Glacier! Nice camera zoom.

Stunning view. Of Pugent Sound.

If you are ever in Lynden, WA make sure to stop by-super cute stuff!

Thanks again for being such great hosts!

 Ashley playing the castle game with Boyce! She was the princess and he was the knight in shining armor.

The beautiful home of the Hollemans.

Ashley and Peyton about to visit the berry farm. Lovely hair nets, we felt like old ladies!  

Fresh off the farm. All of these berries have to be processed before the night ends.

When we were there at 9 pm they were going through about 12,000 lbs of raspberries per hour. At this rate these workers will be there until sunrise!

Breakfast with the boys! (Peyton & Boyce)

Peace out Lynden...we will miss you guys!

Sadie & Rick....what a cute couple!

Our stroll through Lynden to see the town!

 Canada O Canada

Inside the first ever starbucks....sorry for the head tilt :)

These raspberries go through liquid nitrogen for 2 seconds for an "instant freeze" before they get boxed.

Seattle Seahawks stadium in the background!

Downtown Seattle.

Inside of the fresh fish market...sure smelled fishy!

First ever Starbucks.

The hustle and bustle begins early!

Are we really going to the top!

At the bottom.

You can read this one.

"O Deck" here we come!

The biggest gift shop ever! It circles the entire bottom of the Needle.

We could see for-ev-er!

The logo from back in the day!

Boyce and Peyton-Thank you for these! They are comin with us!

Vita Est Donum-Day Eight:July 18 2011

Aww, La Quinta Inn. Free Breakfast (well all inclusive I guess.) Good thing, we have quite an agenda for the day and needed some carbs. If anybody was wondering Ashley just quit her job as a pharmacy tech at Walgreens. That’s a small fib she told so we could get a mucho discount with the company’s promo code. Shout out to Mr. B. Thank You. Filling up a Styrofoam cups full of coffee, wait a second, Oregon the greenest state? Shouldn’t Styrofoam be outlawed? We ran out to the car and grabbed our coffee mugs to be filled with Salem’s best coffee. Your welcome Oregon. We were exactly 60 miles over the oil change, and that’s priority number one. Salem had a Toyota dealership and they got us taken care right away. No major problems with the Roaring Glacier, just some heavy weight on his shoulders. Alright one car errand done. One to go. Not even a mile down the road Costco. Cha Ching! They checked the tire pressure and shot a little nitrogen into those bad boys. Good to Roll!

Alright off to Portland, OR. Wow!! Is that Mount Hood no no it must be Mount St Helens. Ah, at least we could agree it was a mountain. Portland is a structurally sound city and the highway system is impeccable. The traffic flow was so quick in the heart of rush hour it seemed the city was dead. A nice change compared to California’s apparently strapped for cash highway system. Off to Washington Park. Washington Park had a lot of attractions to it including an Aquarium, Zoo, Forest Research Park, Japanese garden, and oh yea the Rose Research Garden. All these places connected by over 50 miles of hiking trails and a shuttle system. We quickly were able to eliminate the Forest Research Park as we have done our own forest research over the past week. Zoo? hmm……… Really cool, but nothing beats the San Diego Zoo which we have both seen. The Aquarium? Ah no thanks the Japanese Garden is way cheaper and like California we are strapped for cash.

The Japanese Garden Irasshaimase (Welcomed) us after hiking about 1.5 miles to it through an amazing forest. The forest had many different species of trees. The trees not normally found in the United States but maintained by the grounds crew. However, the Japanese Garden outnumbered the exotic species found in the forest by the hundreds. A Japanese Garden is a very peaceful place. No Cell Phones. HA HA mom I was talking to you remember? It’s okay the plants weren’t disturbed just the parks personnel. The Garden was a large circle enclosure with settings tucked into every nook and cranny. Bamboo and stone fountains were multipurposely used as art, irrigation, and photogenic backgrounds. There were large and small Japanese trees, didn’t want to try and pronounce them and I’m defiantly not going to attempt to spell them. Later on we found out that this is the best Japanese Garden in the world excluding all of Japan. Next stop Japan. Oh, we can’t drive there. Hmm someday. The Japanese Garden left us feeling calm and peaceful especially after spending time in the meditation garden. As well as a great view of Mt Saint Helens, the mountain we saw coming into Portland. One of us was right.

Roses are Red, Roses are White, and Roses are not blue. Clayton really wanted to see a blue rose. Those don’t exist but we did find a blue Hydrangea Bush in the Rose Garden. The Roses were spectacular and spike-tactular. They defended themselves from the unlawful rose pickers. There were around 600 different types of roses in all different sizes, shapes and colors. The best way to describe the Rose Garden is in pictures, and we loaded them up on this blog so check em out.

Alright, hike back to the car and grab a bit to eat. Voodoo Donuts a place that’s proud to be politically incorrect. The names of the donuts are offense to some but hilarious to most. The line was 45 minutes to get a donut and it was 2:30 in the afternoon. Ashley picked out a donut with vanilla icing dipped in Captain Crunch Cereal. Clayton’s Donuts was a Maple Bar with two strips of bacon. Weird but delicious. This was honestly the best donuts we have ever had, and a very cool local spot to check out. Dessert before lunch. Headed off to a local pizza shop which is haunted. We didn’t see a ghost but the restaurant was creepy in its own right. It was very dark and gloomy. The basement was connected to the Shanghai Tunnels. They were used to kidnap unsuspecting laborers and sell them as slaves to the awaiting ships at the water front.  

Next destination: Mount Rainier National Park. Mount Rainier is above 14,000 feet and an active volcano. Just a week ago the mountain experienced an impressive rock slide sending boulders tumbling down the mountain a little over two miles! Our Park Ranger assured us the camp ground was safe, but the signs clearly stated camp at your own risk. Y’all have a good morning, afternoon, night, or anything in between. Peace Out.

Total miles for the day:  177.7

Miles per gallon:18.44

Life is a gift.

The road/trail to the gardens wrapped us through Washington Park. A much needed mini hike! Our legs were happy.

Sweet bark!

The Portland Japanese Garden is proclaimed at the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. The garden is a 5.5 acre haven of tranquil beauty.

It was so quiet and peaceful....no cell phones allowed.

This strolling pond garden is the home to tortoises and crane stone, common symbols of longevity. 

Coi fish lined the ponds.

Waiting for an afternoon snack!

Standing meditation.

This sand and stone garden features weathered stones rising from a bed of sand. It is raked to suggest the sea. This garden style is typically found in Zen monasteries.

The International Rose Test Garden is the oldest official public rose test garden in the U.S.

There are over 600 different varieties of roses found with in the park's gardens!

From inside the Japaenese Garden, a peek at Mt. Saint Helens.

We followed the "yellow brick road"!

Every type of rose in the garden has a name.

Don't forget to take time to stop and smell the roses. YUM! This whole park smelled delicious.

Clayton's favorite, "double delight".

MMmmm you smell good, or is that the roses?

Ashley's favorite, "gift of life".

So many flowers, so little time.

Not a rose, but just as pretty.

The big poppy of all red roses...called the "beefhead".

Depending on the weather the roses usually last until mid-October.

Pruning and weeding the gardens is a non stop job through out the summer.

Clayton decided to use his own personal pruners.

oops!

The garden spans 4.5 acres.

The hybrid tea rose is the most popular, blooming from late spring until the first frost.

The Blue Rose (Hydrangea Bush)

We are doing our best...! Speaking of weird...

Voodoo Doughnuts! We heard this was the place to check out in Portland.

The near 45 minute wait at 2:30 in the afternoon was well worth it!

After scanning the weird menu we picked...

The Maple Bacon Doughnut --yep that's 2 strips of bacon!

and the Capitan My Captain Doughnut (dipped in Captain Crunch).

Both were delicious!

The big city with a small town feel, our favorite city so far!

We dined at Old Town Pizza for dinner, an apparently haunted eatery located in the heart of downtown Portland.

Drove into camp at Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington (camp at your own risk! it's still an active volcano).

Sleep tight!