On the twelfth day of travel...

...my true love said to me:  "Honeymoon's over. Take out the garbage!!" 


Well, thank god the honeymoon is not over yet but I do my share of taking out the garbage. Over the last twelve days on the road I have captured the following: 


(BTW, do you know you can click on the pictures and make them really big?)


Simple things excite me: 
- Wild life hanging out along the road
- Fellow travelers waving back when I wave at them
- Dishing out delightful one-pot-gourmet 

Caribou grazing
Somewhere between Point A and Point B

Roadside grizzly

Herds of stone sheep licking mineral off pebbles

Fellow VW travelers

These occasions made me very nervous:  

Picture does not do justice
to these man-size potholes...

- Driving through the pot-holes laden construction zone while it was pouring - felt like I was driving through a land mine 

- Passing 18-wheelers on a winding two-lane highway 

- Hearing the clanking loud noise from the front left wheel of Albatross on Day 10 of trip.  Turned out the culprit was a small pebble that got stuck between the brake shroud and the rotor.  Eric and I removed the tire, performed the necessary operation to remove the rock, and 'Tross is fine.

Daisy driving like a girl
through the construction zone...

What I appreciate the most:

July 18, Day One of trip
Seattle, WA

- Spending lots of quality time with Eric and truly enjoying it - yes, 24 hours a day, everyday

- Meeting warm and generous people along the way:  CS'ers at Lytton, Prince George, and of course Cynthia and Randy at Dawson Creek.  Karen at Diamond Willow; Linda and Bill.  Larisha at the visitor center in Fort Nelson.  Once again, the world becomes just a little bit smaller and more manageable, when the warmth and connection is present

- The tremendous help from Sonja, the lady at the Watson Lake Info Center, who patiently made all sort of arrangement so I can receive my battery charger for my camera.  Although I never received the charger in time for the rest of my trip, Sonja generously offered to send it back to Seattle, free of charge.  

Eric enjoying homemade biscuit and chicken soup
Diamond Willow Retreat

Kiskatinaw Curved Bridge with Spyro the dog

Counterclockwise:  Linda, Bill, Randy, Cynthia, Eric

Karen's Stage
Diamond Willow Retreat

Things that annoy me: 
- Plastic bottles and roadside garbage left on hiking trails
- RV generators running in the campground when it is clearly "quiet time" at night
- Mosquitoes 

Daisy's extra protection from
helicopter-size blood sucking mosquitoes

What I learned about myself: 

- I am a fun, self-sufficient, and low-maintenance travel companion 

- I don't stink even after three days of no-shower

- I have lots of creative energy and must unleash and make good use of it

Hiking to the summit
Summit Lake, Stone Mountain Provincial Park

Daisy practicing the Bear Averse Conditioning Program

Washing away all the worries
Liard Hot Springs

What I am most thankful for: 

On the way to Fort Nelson

Endless canola fields
Outside Dawson Creek

- My senses to see, to hear, to smell and to experience nature at one of the most magnificent places in the North America continent

- My most loving and wonderful husband Eric who has worked tirelessly for months to ready Albatross, our camper, for this trip; and his perseverance through it all

Eric doing light maintenance on 'Tross
Fort Nelson

Laundry Time!
Fort Nelson

Good morning!!
Charlie Lake

- My family, friends, and bloggers who show their love and interest in my journey in their very own ways, such as reading this Blog