Traveling tidbits at Dawson Creek, BC

Day 5 & 6:  Lovely excursion in Dawson Creek

The sun teased us just enough for us to walk around the famous Dawson Creek yesterday.  Then she ditched us.  The October-Seattle weather has deteriorated to December-Seattle weather.  "Whose idea is this again?"  Should've gone south...  

Made it to Dawson Creek on Day 5

Mile 0 at Dawson Creek is exactly what the Milepost Guide described.  We quickly located an internet cafe and got two double-shot 12-oz Canadiano, and a bakery opened by a Swiss - the zopf with raisins was delicious.  Refined white flour always has a place in my heart.  

Cynthia is a wonderful CS host. Her beautiful home is nestled in the valley of 226 acres, with the Pouce Coupe River running through the property.  I cannot seem to visualize how much land is in 226 acre.  I believe it goes until the end of the earth.  

Pouce Coupe River

It never stopped raining, so any hope for a hike has evaporated.  Instead, Cynthia took us around her 'hood in her Ford truck, with Spyro the Dog riding in the cabin.  We visited local places a tourist will never find:  Diamond Willow Retreat - a wonderful "restaurant" opened by the most energetic 67-year old grandmother named Karen McGowan.  The proprietor is warm, welcoming, and wicked funny.  I am always drawn to funny grandmothers, perhaps because I have little memory of my own grandparents.  Both sets passed away when I was very young.    

Eric and I had Karen's famous fresh biscuit, hot from the oven, and chicken soup for lunch.  It was delightful!  Karen has a magnificent and soothing voice.  I can listen to her sing for hours.  Before we bid our goodbye, she invited us to make some art & craft to hang on her friendship tree.  How could you refuse an invitation like that? 

Diamond Willow Retreat
Sun Room and Guest House on left
Kitchen & "Silo" (water tower) on right

Inside the Sun Room

Karen, the proprietor

My "craft"...

Fresh biscuit & chicken soup

We journeyed on and drove to the Old Alaska Highway towards Fort St. John.  At Historic Milepost 21 over the Peace River stood the old Kiskatinaw Curved Bridge, a 70-year old timber bridge built by Dow Construction Company, following the pioneer road that was built for military traffic.  I am amazed by the spirit of pioneers.  

Kiskatinaw Curved Bridge

 

We sojourned on with Cynthia, our tour guide extraordinare, to many more local spots. On our way home, several curious deer were feeding on shrubs merely 50 feet from the house.  At last, wild life sighting other than some household cats.  

Supper was filled with more delicious food and gut wrenching laughter.  Two of Cynthia and Randy's friends, Bill and Linda, joined us - more people, more wine, more jokes, more laughs.  I shamelessly gnawed on the bones of two pork chops, licking my fingers - I am already feeling very comfortable with these folks.  Bone gnawing is not poor table manner in this household; no wonder I feel right at home.  We finished the meal with Eric's famous rhubarb crisp. As  delightful as I remember, especially the rhubarb was picked from Linda's garden just hours ago.  

Picking rhubarb at Linda's

Eric making his famous rhubarb crisp.
More butter, please!

We got lots of tips from Bill on the ALCAN - the guy used to travel on the ALCAN for work all the time and knows the highway like the back of his hand.  We got information on the "must go", "must see", and the "why bother".  It beats any AAA tourist recommendations.  

The 48 hours experience at Dawson Creek and Riley's Crossing was rich and entertaining.  Cynthia made me moose roast; it was delicious.  I met local artists and musicians.  Learned about the history of the Alaska Highway.  Tasted some damn good single malt Scotch whisky, lit sambuca in a shot glass, and some Tequila Aha Toro that comes in a really pretty red bottle.  A rained-out day ended with lots of jokes, lots of laughs, and wonderful memories.     

Wicked good times at Dawson Creek.  Wicked good times. 

One-Pot-Gourmet

My mom thinks I dine on boiled potatoes and plain water on road trips. I do not know what mothers typically worry about their adult children; I do know though regardless of their children's age, mothers always worry about something.  In my case, my mom "worries" that I do not have enough to eat, or I will get eaten by a bear.  Either case, I am most certain it is not going to happen on this trip. 

I patiently explain to Mother the best I can that we eat very well while on road trips.  Not T-Bone-Steak-and-Lobster-Tail good, but Wholesome-Nutritious-and-Finger-Lickin' good.  My one-pot-gourmet rocks the house.  More appropriately, it rocks the van. 

Homemade sausage, mushrooms,
celery, carrots, and soba noodles

It was definitely Soup Season camping at Heart Lake last night - it was raining as if I never left Seattle. I decided the gourmet du jour shall be sausage soup with soba noodles.  We sneaked across the border (shhhh!) some vacuum packed homemade sausages - it flavored the soup base.  Added some carrots, celery, mushrooms.  Fifteen minutes later we got a pot of steaming soup that any black bears would envy.  Thankfully, none of them visited so we slept through the rainy night.  By the way, mother, I did not get eaten by a bear either.  

Steaming hot soup.  Let's eat!

Free WiFi!!

At Prince George, British Columbia, now.   570 miles north of Seattle, and another 245 miles before we would arrive at Dawson Creek. Getting a caffein fix at Zoe's Java House in downtown Prince George while using her free WiFi.  Along the way, wildlife warning signs are abundant: bears, moose, deer - although, there has not been any actual sighting except maybe a couple of household cats.  

I shall remain patient and hopeful.  

I diligently followed instructions and created
cacophony to scare off any ursine creatures 

The drive so far has been mild, with pleasant conversations and intermittent naps at the back of the van. We didn’t even bother with downloading any music to the iPod.  What a leisure way to travel.  

Tourist shot:  119km to Lytton

  

Outside of Fred's home

Fred hosted us at Lytton on the first night and had chili simmering on the stove when we arrived.  It smelled delicious.  His humble mobile home crammed with stuff, and bustled with warmth and hospitality.

A world traveler himself, I later found out Fred’s wife Kat immigrated from Slovakia years ago, and has relatives and friends there.  I wonder if I would decide to make a side trip there in September.

# # #

We continued our journey northbound and settled in at McLeese Lake for the night.  Good thing we got there early and claimed a flat spot for ‘Tross.  We quickly slathered on the poisonous Bug Juice before we got eaten alive by the blood sucking nemesis:  Thank god for DEET.  An afternoon storm greeted us with a roaring and thunderous “Welcome!” as Eric prepared for the one-pot gourmet.   As quickly as the storm arrived, she departed, and left us with a magnificent and luminous double-rainbow.  The little girl in the next campsite announced with much excitement and authority:  “Deux!  Deux arcs-en-ciel!” 

Her dad charmed in, “maybe there is a pot of gold there!”  The little girl corrected  promptly and sternly, “there is no gold there, dad!” 

That’s right.  Sorry, sir.  There is no gold at the end of the rainbow.  The only free cheese is in the mouse trap…  

For those interested, Albatross has been traveling at an impressive 35 miles-per-hour despite the headwind, the hills, and the intermittent road construction. Comparatively, her previous gasoline engine probably would have traveled at merely 20mph, under the same driving conditions.  May be I will feed her another banana peel when it is available.  

I can almost see Alaska from my backyard!

• Passport:    Checked!
• Bug juice:  Checked!
• Binoculars: Checked! 
• Coffee:      Checked! 

The propane tank is topped off.  The van gassed up.  'Tross went through a final suspension check yesterday.  Every squeak and tiny leak is fixed.  There is nothing much to do but to pick up a hat with the mosquito-net at REI today.  We are off to visit the Last Frontier on Monday: Bears and Eagles and Wolves, oh my! 

4,000 miles

The map shows our rough itinerary.  Although the roundtrip from Seattle (the pink fuzzy) to Juneau (the green fuzzy) adds about 4,000 miles to 'Tross by the time we return, we would "bearly" (!!!) scratch the surface of Alaska.  

We will take the Alaska Highway, The Alcan, up - partly indicated in pink, above, where Happy Van is traveling.  After a 2.5 hours ferry ride from Skagway to Juneau to admire the glacier, we return via the Green Road, the Cassiar Highway, currently roamed by Happy Cow.  Despite the destination, we will be driving on Canadian soil 95+% of the trip. It's a bit of a pro-cess, aeyyyyy?  

Week one combines Couch Surfing and "roughing it" in the van.  We found a Couch at Lytton off Highway 1 - Numero Uno on the map. Prince George (#2) is our second Couch, and finally - probably by Day Five - we will get to Dawson Creek which is the start of the Alcan.  An interesting couple will host us at Dawson Creek.  We may stay and explore the area for couple days before we move on.  By then, I am certain I will be dying for an Americano.  

Not many Couches are available beyond Dawson Creek, so we will rely on Good 'ol Tross to provide comfort and joy.  We packed enough VIA and provision to last for days without seeing a grocery store; I am not worried.  

8 boxes of 12 VIA will give us a ration of 3 per day.
I hope we find some Starbucks along the way.  

Gladly trading a family size sunblock
for a family size bug repellent

I hope the sun graces us with her presence for more than two days. Otherwise, I could probably safely return the family size SPF30 sunblock I just got from Target. 

Making connection one Couch at a time

For every random reason I can muster up to not visit Jan Patrick and Kristyna in the Czech Republic, there is a reason I should.  One reason I should go is quite plain and simple:  Because I can.  

Life doesn't wait.  Neither should I.  So, I booked my flight to the Czech Republic.  Prague, here I come.  

What I am most proud of and excited about my decision is not merely the physical visit to Central Europe, a land unfamiliar to me.  The far greater sense of satisfaction is how this decision came about.  

My decision to visit the Czech Republic is a direct result of the non-profit international network called CouchSurfing.org.  My story is a testament of what this online network is meant to do:  Connecting travelers with locals where people can explore and create meaningful connections with others they encounter.  

Connections are not always meaningful, of course, but when people "click", it is downright awesome.  

Jan Patrick and Kristyna have been traveling in the US and have "surfed" with us for two nights ("surfing" as in staying with a local as a guest in their home.)  You may find pictures of them on another blog entry, "Sabbatical Day One".  We shared a meal, went for a bike ride on Alki Beach, told dumb jokes, had great conversations about stuff.  I would say that we all "clicked".  They are some of the most down-to-earth, genuine people I have met.  I was sad to see them leave, and wished that they would join us camping at Mt. Rainier; instead, they headed west to the Olympic national forest.  So we bid our farewell.  Before they left, they extended their warm invitation and welcome for a visit to their homeland.  

Until their visit a week ago, I could hardly name the four countries that share a border with the Czech Republic, let alone understanding any meaningful history about her.  The truth is, I probably would not think I am missing an awful lot if I never visit Central Europe in person. Jan Patrick and Kristyna changed my paradigm.  This small, landlocked country suddenly comes alive because I now have the human connection. I feel like I am a tourist with a purpose:  To visit my new friends and to explore what their life is all about, in their native country.  

Surely I will still visit historical buildings and roam the streets for souvenirs.  More than that, the Czech Republic has stepped out of the postcard and become, meaningful.  

Thanks to CouchSurfing, my world has just become a little smaller.  A bit more manageable.  

A quick trip to the fifth national park in America

View of Mt. Rainier from the south

The big mountain was cool.

I remember watching a Ken Burns film on PBS three or four months ago called The National Parks:  America's Best Idea.  Not only am I a nerd, I am a nerd with PBS membership status:  I "heart" PBS shows.  

So I guess it makes me feel pretty smart when I make the following announcement:  "We took Albatross for a systems check "fam trip" to Mt. Rainier National Park, an active volcano, and the fifth national park created in America after President McKinley signed the bill then passed by Congress in 1899."   

We entered the park from the southwest, the Nisqually Entrance, and camped at Cougar Rock between Longmire and Paradise.  Johanna, a Couch Surfer from Singapore who stayed with us a month ago and now working at the Paradise Inn for the summer, joined us for a one-pot-gourmet and camped with us for the night.  

One-pot-gourmet tasted extra good when you cooked it in the van. 

A quick 24-hour turnaround gave us a glimpse of some wildlife, a short hike up Carter Falls, a perfect bluebird sky.  Not a bad practice run leading up to the grand departure next week.  

Johanna setting up her tent

One of several foxes we saw in Paradise

On the way to Carter Falls

Deer feeding just several feet from the van

Below Mt. Rainier

Man does not live by bread alone...he also needs butter!

I adore making bread the old-fashioned way.  I did not always feel that way, of course.  I'm Chinese; I didn't grow up watching mom bake bread in the kitchen.  In fact, I didn't grow up watching anyone bake bread in the kitchen.  But I love the evil carb.  I might as well have been born an eastern European with black hair and brown eyes.  

I have an excellent bread machine, but I have not used it for years.  "It takes away the realness of bread making," I lament to my husband.  The elbow grease is what makes bread tastes...real. Eric used to be the bread maker of the household, but I claimed it as my birthright when I discovered the feel of bread dough in my hands.  I love kneading bread dough.  Perhaps because my skin is allergic to clay and play-doh, I have always wanted to shape doughy things with my hands.  In fact, I like it kneading dough so much that I don't even bother with the KitchenAid anymore.  It's an all-afternoon affair.  Like a hermit crab, I gladly clear my social calendar in exchange for solitude.  I guess it's a little bit like having Happy Hour by yourself...?  OK, that sounds strange.   

I start with some yeast and a little honey.  The nuttiness of the loaves comes from millet, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and rolled oat.  Salt makes everything tastes better, as does butter.  So I add a little bit of each.  Twelve cups of whole wheat, all purpose white, and rye flour later...

I stand on Eric's Seiza bench
which elevates me couple more inches above the counter

...and I start my upper arm workout

 

I spray some bench flour and gather the dough like a pro - actually I've never watched a professional baker kneading bread dough.  I imagine it must look exactly like what I've been doing...  

Then I patiently wait for nature to work its magic.  And it always yields four loaves. 

My good friend Andy has been known to eat a loaf of this deliciousness in one day. Others are equally happy to sink their teeth into a slice of this nutritious jewel.  Slather in butter or jam, it is as good as it gets. 

As I make four loaves of this beauty - some to share, some to keep - I always remember the origin of the recipe with gratefulness:  a prized and proprietary recipe very generously shared with me by an acquaintance Dana.  The only way I can share this with you is through pictures. Please try not to slater butter all over your screen.  


Sorry, fresh bread aroma not included.  

It looks a little bit Martha Stewart

Poppy seeds, oat, and sesame seeds

Please refrain from slathering butter on your screen