One Last Look

Yes, it has been over a month since we have been home, but if you would like to hear about our journey ended, read on!

Our original plans of heading through the major California parks was foiled by the cold fronts that seemed to be chasing us west. Instead, we headed straight for the coast, sleeping at a Walmart in Bakersfield and hitting the coast around Morro Bay, California. We passed through the sleepy coast town of Cambria, past Hearst Castle and onto the stretch known as Big Sur. To be honest, we had no idea what we were getting into. We just knew that we wanted to drive along the pacific coast and enjoy the view. However, Big Sur is one of the worlds most memorable strips of coastline, with craggy mountain peaks jutting out of the ocean, and roads that probably shouldn't be driven while towing a trailer. The views were mind boggling, and we were awestruck by the sheer brilliance of this creation.

We had planned to keep driving to San Fransico to go over the Golden Gate bridge, but the sun had set and we were ready to be home. So we cut over to the I-5 and sped through the rest of Northern California.

We spent the night in some strange hippy RV/Trailer park and everything was going swimmingly as we approached Mt. Shasta the next day. Again were in awe of California's natural beauty.

With snow covering the ground we slowly made our way up Mt. Shasta's highest pass. Suddenly the Pajero slowed to a crawl, and we heard a grinding sound coming from behind. The car behind us was flashing their high-beams, so we pulled the truck to the shoulder and got out to find the cause.

It was another flat, but nothing compared to the last one in Texas. This time the tire had literally exploded leaving a gaping hole in the side of our trailer. The tire had shredded, and like bear claws, tore out the wheel well, grabbing the wires from the stove and the fridge and wrapped them around the axel of the trailer. Initially we didn't think the damage was that bad, but we didn't have a jack so we called the AAA guy to help us put on our spare. Lucky for us, a cop had witnessed our bad luck and rushed to our aid, hanging out with us on the side of the road in hopes that one of the many semi trucks speeding passed didn't hit us.

From the inside looking out. 

 We got set up with a new spare in the next town and continued on our way. As we drove, the reality of what has happened began to set in. We couldn't sleep in our trailer because it was nearly freezing that night, and even if our furnace was still working, the hole in the side would have brought in way to much air. I guess we could have stayed at a motel, but for some reason in that moment our only option was to make it to Salem, Oregon that night. In Salem we could stay with our friend Caleb and we would be that much closer to home. So we drove, and we drove, and we drove. It felt like the longest stretch out of the whole trip. We drove about 400 miles that day, getting to Salem around midnight.

Just to recap, Caleb is our friend who we visited on the second day of our trip. As we pulled into his familiar cul-de-sac, we felt like it had just been a few days since we had been there. However, after we had said our hello's, Caleb looked at us and said, "You guys have been gone a loooong time." Oh yeah..I guess we were.

We enjoyed a warm sleep in a warm house and felt so lucky that our truck and trailer hadn't been through worse times on the other side of the country. I couldn't bring myself to even look in the trailer the next day, just knowing the amount of dirt and mud that had probably been kicked up inside it. That one lousy tire has taken our home and ripped it to shreds.

However, it was time to go home. It was American thanksgiving, and as we drove our final stretch of the I-5 there was almost a somber, quiet feeling in the air. Most stores were closed, and the threat of snow still hung in the air. As we crossed into Canada with yet again no inspection we both breathed a sigh of relief knowing that from then on we did not have to worry about finding a place to sleep, or if the truck would make it home, or if we were safe or not. America had been good to us, but it was better to be home.


A short time later, Luke had the brilliant idea of taking our trailer to ICBC to see if the insurance could fix the damage. Luke told me on the drive there, mud had spewed everywhere on the inside even on the curtains and the ceiling. As it turns out, the trailer was considered totaled, and ICBC honored us with a handsome check that exceeded our expectations. Sometimes it's worth it to invest in a piece of junk I guess. Saying goodbye to the trailer was bittersweet, but it had definitely served us well.

Sometimes it feels like the trip never happened, but most of the time we say things like, "Remember that time in Boston when...remember that rainstorm in New Orleans....remember that diner in Oregon?" And the list goes on. In closing, here is something we whipped together that pretty much sums it all up.

I had a dream I'd seen it all,

The Oregon coast to New York's sprawl.

Boston, New Port, Cape Carnival,

East Coast, sea ports, leaves of fall.

Harvard intellect, southern drawl,

Midwest plains are plainly dull.

Parking lots, road trip lulls,

Hours spent, make long hauls.

I walked the south in search of gold,

Bayous, cowboys, towns of old.

Vegas, canyons, sand and tolls,

A scenic mashup, truth be told. 

Watched business men in cities run,

How country bumpkins had their fun.

Bikers, booze hounds drink their rum,

Senior citizens enjoying sun.

I blazed the west coast, bluest shores,

Eateries, chain malls, big box, galore.

Hills and valleys to explore,

Some I groaned, some adored. 

Lonesome roads, interstates,

A thousand cars, read their plates.

Pull in here, sleep in late,

Australians, they never hate. 

My heart and lungs came back to me,

When I woke, I was home it seemed.

 Breathing fresh air, felt good to be,

In the best, beautiful B.C.

Thanks for the all the readers, and all the support. It was a once in a lifetime trip and we definitely felt all the love and prayers.

Until next time!

Lukas and Natalie

Sailing the Forsaken Desert Plains

     Hello again friends. It has been some time since we last spoke, so this may be lengthy. There are still some interesting stops near the end however, so if you can make it that far, enjoy.

     As Natalie and I drove the blustery rolling plains of the desert, I determined that there are noticeable similarities between driving a truck and trailer from the boxy auto era and sailing. Up hill and down dale, for one, is akin to the massive rolling swells of where a straight meets a river mouth or pass. Also, an even more obvious similarity is how the direction of the vehicle vs. the wind is comparable with the art of adjusting sails and bearings to fill your sails. Only in my situation, my sails do not adjust and the wind is always headstrong. Very headstrong. Thus limiting our progress to a slow crawl. Good thing we have the engine to help us putter along.

     Back to the timeline, however.

     After we left N’yorlians we swung by the Oak Alley plantation in Baton Rouge. As the Golden Gate is to bridges, Oak Alley is to plantations. There are many massive old oaks on the property. In one area, two long rows of oaks reach their thick limbs out to meet each overhead, making a picturesque ally of oaks. Hence the name. This is one of the few plantations on the great Miss. that made it unscathed through the civil war and the great Mississippi floods. Being as impressed as I was with the outside, I didn’t feel the need to go in. So Natalie went on the tour, while I relaxed. I had a great time. Ooh yes, I also tried my first strip of legit gator jerky. It’s like beef but more tough.

Gator Jerky!

Oak Alley

     We left the plantation around 3, and while the rains poured down, Natalie and I drove on. Out of Louisiana, straight through the southern points of Alabama and Mississippi, into Texas, through the impressive tangle of freeways in Houston and finally seeking rest at a Walmart in the town of Sealy. Very tired. This length of driving however, was very enjoyable for me because we listened to Treasure Island the whole way. Thanks Librivox.

     The next morning we made our way into Austin and walked around. Natalie and I both enjoyed this city quite a lot, but we found ourselves surprisingly eager to get back on the road. So we grabbed some legit Tex-Mex, where they also happened to be playing Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (odd choice for Tex-Mex) and hit the road again.

     This eagerness for the road lasted for about 10 minutes, where we happened upon an Ikea. They have their Christmas business going, so this resulted in Natalie and I spending just a little too much time in there. We eventually found our way back to the road and head out.

     Around this time is where we really started battling the wicked winds from the west. The predicament I spoke of earlier. Plus, because of the wind and the trailer weight, we're making around 200km to a 50L tank so we need to stop and fill up a lot. This caused us to gradually make our way through the dusk until we reached a state park in Jacksboro. The wind, however, did not rest for the night, and continued to batter us until it became more like the subtle rocking of a crib, and we fell asleep. The morning sunlight revealed the park to be quite an appealing place. For the desert, that is. And once more, we hit the road.

Making the trailer feel warmer for the night.

You can't really tell, but this a mirage of Mickey in the distance

When I finally caught up with him, he didn't look quite as cartoony

     That night we found “Texas.” This, of course, is said with the most stereotypical intent. The Texas that a couple Canadians were searching for was found at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. For those of you who have seen The Great Outdoors, this is the home of the Free 72 oz Steak Dinner*.  This place satisfied everything I expected, nay, required of Texas. We’re talking a folk band composed of three old-timer cowboys, innumerous stuffed heads on the wall, a gift shop with live rattlesnakes, a fake shooting gallery, a giant boot, and trust me, the list goes on. I ate a meek 12 oz steak, while Natalie got the Six Flags of Texas platter consisting of fried chicken, fried shrimp, rack of ribs and fried catfish. This, of course, was after we had eaten the massive soup, salad and fries that came with it. Needless to say, we had leftovers. I guess you can’t go to a place like that, in Texas, and anticipate modest portions. I almost forgot. Outside there was a motel made up like an old town, but in pastel colors, a pool shaped like Texas and of course a statue of a big Texan.

* If you finish it in an hour with a salad and baked potato.

                                       

Every request they got was either Cash, Willie Nelson or Happy Birthday

     On our way out of Texas we stopped by the infamous Cadillac Ranch. To sum it up, a rich artist bought 10 Cadillac’s and buried them in the ground. The cars ascend in years, starting from some time in the 60’s, showing the evolution of the taillight "wings." There are spray paints cans everywhere from years and years of kids “tagging” the cars. So I couldn’t help but leave a lasting mark of our journey.  

Making Chris and Nick proud

     Next we entered New Mexico. There isn’t a whole lot to say about this length of trip. We passed Native gift shops, saw legit tumbleweeds roll across the freeway, mastered the art of “semi-truck wind blocking,” and saw some rocks. Also, because there is literately nothing for miles, truck stops become tourist attractions. No joke.

A truck stop tourist trap in the desert. Actually kind of cool

     This also happened to be the length of the trip where things finally started going wrong with our caravanning duo. We got our first flat, which I was oddly enthusiastic about. Then Patches decided not to start one morning. That was sorted after a few hours of fiddling. Then the lights to the trailer went out on a dark freeway and after being honked at a couple times, we got the message and pulled over. That just happened to be a faulty ground. We finally sorted out the system needed to plug in at campsites too. This means we can turn our fridge now. But on the down side to that, it doesn’t want to stay on using propane anymore. Also, the furnace works only went it chooses to. And lastly our faucet in the sink broke off. All in all, I’m actually quite pleased with how everything has gone and how far we made it without a hitch.

     Finally out of New Mexico and into Arizona, Natalie and I figured that we were pretty close to the Grand Canyon, so we might as well go.  It was strange because people had traveled from miles and miles around solely to visit this exact spot, where as we went on a whim. But then again, this whole trip has been one big series of whims. We camped at their “thrifty” campsite and went hiking in the morning. We were pretty lucky I suppose, because in the morning we had enough sun to enjoy a couple hours of tromping down into the canyon to Ooh-Aah point. However, by the end of the day, it began to snow. Not light and fluffy either, more sharp and icy. I thought the site of the GC was definitely something to see, but call me snobby, I couldn’t get over the way it was catered to every tourist with a pair of shoes on. It took away a sort of raw nature charm. They don't even have a low season, it's "busy and busier." However, I hear if you want to go all out, you can sign up to stay at Phantom Ranch. It’s an all day hike in, and another out (or on donkeys) and you sleep in an old ranch that is right by the river in one of the deepest parts of the canyon. Natalie have decided we should come back, and do it right. Also, we were speaking of heading out to Zion national park, because I've been told that is where the real beauty truly lies. But upon reports of snow there, we decided we’d have to come back for that too.

For some reason all these photos look like we're in front of a fake backdrop

Easy down, tough up.

It was sooo windy. We dressed accordingly.

This little buddy started eating Natalie's hoody 

     Now, the Grand Canyon is pretty close to Las Vegas, but we weren’t planning on anything more than merely driving through. However, our bus driver at the GC told us that since “Vegas has more hotel rooms than all of Canada,” you can stay in the nicest hotels for dirt-cheap in the low season. This got us thinking and by the time we found some wi-fi, we had booked a room at the Rio for $50. Unfortunately, this meant I had to drive through Vegas with the trailer in tow and even worse, find parking. We arrived in Vegas and slept at a Walmart again, then had to kill some time till the room was ready. After some shopping and what not, we drove back to the Rio and Natalie checked in while I found parking. Sounds easy right. First off the RV and bus parking was taken up by a temporary all week go-cart competition, go figure. So I thought the parking garage will do. No such luck, the max height was 7’6” where as Hobby reaches 7’9” with the air vent. I was told not to push my luck. So, I was finally directed to the buffet parking lot to find two spots that I could pull through. It was Sunday however, and that's peak time for buffeters. Plus, they were hungry and eager to gorge. Little old ladies turn into vicious predators in Vegas parking lots. I sat there waiting, feeling like a guppy while the sharks swam around snapping into stalls without the slightest remorse for my sorry looking kit. If you have ever seen Vegas vacation, I felt like Eddy, the red-neck cousin, because I was at this swanky hotel with my beat down truck and trailer, both filthy from nearly two months of travel. Eventually, I gave up and drove across the street to a different hotel. Later I was told that that may not bode well for me, but I had stopped caring at that point.

Shaq's paws!

     With the prettiest gal in Vegas on my arm, we hit the town and boy did we paint it red. We ate at the glamorous Rainforest café, ordering the finest appys and soup with their finest waters. Then we went nuts and gambled away a whole $1. Later we talked about getting a drink, then didn’t and were back at the hotel by a staggering 11pm. It was cool to see the place, mainly because Ocean’s 11 made me want to follow a life of ripping off casinos. They made it look so simple and stylish. I’m not going to lie though, I may or may not have pretended I was Brad Pitt leaning on the railing at the Bellagio water fountain. Natalie was George Clooney. I was glad to get out of there.

Once again, looks like a fake back drop.

Typical Vegas photo op

Prettiest gal in Vegas

     We’re almost at the West Coast now! And we’ll probably be just past San Fran by tonight. So wish us luck and God’s speed getting home. We’re almost there, just less than a week I’d say.

Love

Lukas and Natalie  

A brief vacation...from our vacation.

The funny thing about Florida, is that we never had any intentions of even going to Florida. However, after consulting our travel book, we decided that we had to see what all the fuss was about. That being said, we did not bring adequate clothing for it’s tropical climate and I think I ended up wearing the same dress for about 4 days straight. The climate during this trip has been interesting, about a week ago we were shopping for scarves and gloves in New York and now we are wishing we brought cooler clothes! Anyways, the great thing about a warmer climate too is that campsites are open all year long!

Disney World was a blast. There are actually 4 different parks that make up Disney World so we decided to go to the original called the Magic Kingdom. We toured the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, got soaked on splash mountain, floated over Neverland, and sang along with the Pirates of the Caribbean. The great thing about going to Disney World in Florida was that a lot of retirees have taken part time jobs at Disney World. So you have the nicest old people walking around making their ridiculous Disney costumes/uniforms look totally cool. Even better, Main Street was decked out for Christmas and we watched as Cinderella’s fairy godmother lit up the castle. The night ended with Tinkerbell’s flight and of course, fire works.

Swiss Family Tree house.

Disney World tired us out so much that we took the next day just to do nothing. We went down to check out Cocoa Beach and spent most of the day horsing around in the pool at our campsite. Yes, a pool at our campsite, or should I say RV site. RV’ing is a big business in Florida and it is totally normal, if not required to have a pool at an RV site.

We had been told that we absolutely had to check out the beaches on the Gulf side so we booked a campsite on Pensacola Beach and hightailed it out of Orlando. On our way, we stopped in a little town called Seaside, otherwise known as the filming location of the movie The Truman Show. This town was incredible! Other then the snooty vibe we got from it, it was as cookie-cutter as cookie-cutter can get.

As we got closer to our  beachfront RV site, we began to have doubts about our little trailer. All the RV’s we had seen around Florida seemed brand new, massive and shiny. What if the other RV owners didn’t think we were good enough to stay at their site? It was the first time on our trip that we began to feel insecure about our living quarters. However, our fears were put to rest when we realized that retired people living out of their RV’s in Florida are probably the nicest people out there. We met Graham and Gail from Alberta, and our neighbors Lewis and Betty were sad to hear that we were only staying one night. Those people have got it figured out! It is true what they say, the beaches on along the gulf of Mexico are just spectacular.

It was time to leave our vacation paced lifestyle in Florida and head west. We passed through Alabama and Mississippi to reach a campsite in Mandeville, Louisiana. We dropped the trailer and headed in the Big Easy, or New Orleans. New Orleans has been described as America’s "most interesting city", and is it ever! We almost felt like we were in another country as we wandered the iron wrought balconied streets of the French Quarter. Live Jazz and Blues music came from almost every restaurant and bar as we were mesmerized by the lights and people on Bourbon street. We stopped for some food and decided to get straight up Southern Gumbo, Jambalaya and Crawfish. As we continued down the main strip things got pretty seedy pretty quick so we headed over to Frenchmen Street, away from the big crowds and tacky shops. It was there that we found “The Spotted Cat – Music Club” and tapped our feet to some incredible Blues. Turns out that some of the guys in the band are from Seattle and therefore Luke found he had a mutual friend with one  of them. Go figure.

We were so glad that we stopped in New Orleans, it is definitely worth a visit!

Heading west. Texas is next!

Love,

Natalie and Lukas Olson