Back Home - the end of this Journey

Today we will leave Sunshine Valley and return home.

We left home 55 days ago and it has been a long and interesting time away in the RV.  We have never been away for this long so it was quite the test for us.  We both found the trip worth the time and money but definitely found things we liked and things we didn't like. 

Travelling almost every day during the convoy was tiring and we prefer to set up for more than just one night at a time. This allows for a little sight seeing, shopping, laundry and not feel that we are constantly on the go.   

We also don't like having a set time that we have to 'hit the road' each day.  As we usually wake up early anyway, we like to have a relaxing breakfast and then get ready to go without being rushed.  We generally hit the road between 8 and 9 am.

Being with a group, we usually tried to stop for a short break after about 90 minutes of driving.  This allowed for a stretch, snack and a potty break.  We found that was a great thing to energise us and we continued to do this on our way home after leaving Dawson Creek.

Booking campgrounds in advance is quite restrictive.  While travelling with the convoy it was fine because everyone stayed at the same place.  While travelling on our own we decided that sometimes we would want to travel farther than originally planned so not having a reservation while on the road is better for us.  We definitely will continue to make reservations for our final destination to guarantee our space.

One thing we both strongly agree on - We Don't Like Dirt Roads !!!

The Fraser Canyon and back to Sunshine Valley

We left Fir Crest RV Park, Lac La Hache at 8:00 on Sunday morning and stopped briefly in 100 Mile House to flush out our fresh water tank.  Back on the road heading south we were making great time until we headed into the Fraser Canyon and found quite a bit of traffic.  We came up on a line of traffic and were down to about 45-50mph for a few miles until we came to a passing lane.  As we picked up speed we found that the front of the line was a Military Vehicle heading back home from the Convoy.  We honked, waved and kept on going.  After a while we pulled off into Shaw Springs for a brief rest and who should come in too but the MV. 

It was Willie & Willie heading for California.  One Willie through-out the Convoy I called "Grumpy Bum" so it was kind of fun to run into him and have a laugh.

After a brief rest and potty break we were back on the road and continued on down through the Canyon.  We did see some River Rafters but weren't able to find a place to stop to capture some photos.

A train tunnel on the other side of the river.

Nice shot of the rapids.

We pulled into Sunshine Valley RV Resort around 12:30pm and were on site and hooked up by 1:00pm.  It feels good to be back on home turf.  The campground is packed with RVs and lots of ATVs.  This is the last long week-end before school starts back so many families are out enjoying the beautiful sunny week-end.  Kari & Brandon drove up to visit with us and we shared some Convoy stories and enjoyed dinner together.

Heading for Home

Saturday September 1st, we said our good-byes to Muriel & Terry and pulled out of Dawson Creek at 8:00am.  We drove to Chetwynd where we stopped for a quick breakfast at A&W and then it was on to Prince George where we stopped for fuel.

Beautiful wood sculptures along the road in Chetwynd.

Prince George

Back on the road we made a rest stop in Quesnel and who should pull in beside us but Herb & Doris who had left Dawson Creek at 5:30am but had spent the last couple of hours trying to get a tire fixed on their motorhome.  We chatted for a bit and then both of us hit the road heading for William’s Lake.  They went towards downtown and we pulled in to top off with fuel and decided to keep going a little farther on to Lac La Hache. 

We pulled into Fir Crest RV Park at 5:00pm and although the park is difficult to get around in due to all the large trees, we did manage to find a site we could spend the night in with hook-ups.  We made some soup and a sandwich for dinner and then spent the evening reading and playing computer games.  Bed time was 9pm as I was hoping to catch up on some lost sleep.

A day in Dawson Creek to catch our breath.

We woke up early this morning without an alarm clock but had a much more relaxed time to enjoy our morning coffee and tea.  At 7:30 we walked across the parking lot to the hall where the local Rotary Club was hosting a breakfast for us of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages.  Terry shared the story of the convoy including the planning and then the Rotary conducted their morning meeting.

I took some time to clean out some cupboards and organize all of the Convoy 'stuff' while Lou went and did a few loads of laundry.  It was nice to be able to get things organized again in the RV and pull out some clean sheets and towels etc.

We joined Muriel and Terry for lunch at "Stuies Diner".  It is an old style Diner that we learned is constructed in Alberta and serves great food.

After lunch we took a drive out to the Kiskatinaw Bridge which is about 21 miles  from Dawson Creek.  When the Convoy left town on August 4th, the Military Vehicles detoured from the main highway over to a part of the 'old alaska highway' and drove over the bridge.  Because the bridge is curved and narrow, the RVs didn't take that route and missed the bridge.

Information about the building of the bridge.

Mile marker on the highway near the bridge.

The wooden bridge.

Another view.

A butterfly came to visit.

For dinner the convoy participants that were still in Dawson Creek all went for dinner at Boston Pizza and then said our good-byes.  We met some wonderful people and saw some amazing scenery.



Fort St. John to Dawson Creek

Thursday August 30th, we left Fort St. John at 9am for the shortest journey of the entire convoy.  We only had 53 miles to go and pulled into the Mile "0" RV Park at about 10:00am.  After checking in we took the RV and trailer over to the truck wash and probably rinsed off about 20 lbs. of dirt.  It still needs a good scrubbing but it's much better than it was.

Lots of dead BUGS!!!

We chose to skip the luncheon and went to the White Spot for lunch.  In the evening we attended the wind-up banquet which was held at the George Dawson Inn and they put on a lovely buffet dinner. 

The Convoy totalled 4109 miles.  We left Dawson Creek on August 4th and returned August 30th.  There was one head-on collision, one jeep roll-over, many flat tires and lots of other mechanical 'adjustments' but no one was hurt and everyone kept rolling along.

Fort Nelson to Fort St. John

Wednesday August 29th, we pulled out of Fort Nelson at 6:45 heading for Fort St. John.  The roads were good so we made good time even with a delay at a construction area. We made a couple of short rest stops and a stop for lunch at a little coffee shop in Pink Mountain and pulled into the Rotary Campground in Fort St. John at 12:30pm.  What a great campground.  We had nice roomy sites and even were treated to grassy areas.

It was a peaceful afternoon and a quiet nite.

At 7:00am we headed out of the campground and over to the Legion for a really nice breakfast.  There was a short driver's meeting before we all pulled out at 9:00am for our last daily drive of just over 50 miles into Dawson Creek.

The Fort St. John Legion.

A cool statue in front of the School District Office.

A line of support vehicles ready to go.

Liard River to Fort Nelson

Tuesday, August 28th we pulled out of Liard River at 6:50 after a brief driver’s meeting.  Our first break was at Toad River Lodge and fuel was $1.69/Litre so we only added $50 worth.  We stopped for lunch at Steamboat Mountain Rest Area and just made a sandwich. 

Lots of wildlife were out today.  We saw quite a few Bison, Cariboo, Mountain Goats and some Deer.  At times they were on the road and we had to come to a stop before they would leave.

The problem with being the advance team and on the radio - I couldn't stop and take pictures so I borrowed this one from Janet D.

We arrived in Fort Nelson about 11:45 and went straight to the Blue Bell Motel and RV Park.  We fueled up at $1.50/Litre and went and hooked up the RV in the ‘dirt parking lot with hook-ups’ they called RV sites. 

At 5pm there was a Military Vehicle parade down the main streets lead by the RCMP.  It was raining off and on so we chose to remain in the truck on the side of the road and watch. 

After the parade, the town hosted a bar-b-q of hamburgers and hotdogs but we decided to join another couple and hit the Boston Pizza instead.  I think it was a good choice because when we came out after dinner – it was pouring and the Bar-b-q was outside under large tents.

Back to the RV around 7pm and enjoyed a quiet evening listening to the rain on the roof with the fireplace on.