Days 2,3 & 4 - Nelson to Spokane

We woke up to a ton of snow in Cranbrook and it got worse and worse...we debated to go straight south and fast.  In the end, we decided to go on to our cabin at Nelson...there were times the snow was so bad that I couldn't look, I was so scared.  I have a whole new respect for truck/bus drivers (and John).  But, it didn't last too long and we were on our way.

We were warmly welcomed by our friends at the lake and had a wonderful night of catching up and a great meal.  

We spent Sunday at the lake, walking along the beach & doing a few errands.  Jack caught up on some much needed nap time and then we had another delicious meal cooked for us by our friends...the last great homemade meal of the trip I'm sure!  Jack has tons of fun with our friends there and will have a great time this summer...sounds like he'll have about 3 little boys his age to hang out with in August.

Gus remains a pain in the butt.  He keeps escaping...he has chewed thru 2 leashes (he's now on a steel cable) but can sometimes get his stake out of the ground and drag the whole thing around with him.   He is actually a great traveller but I think he gives even Jack a run for his money in the energy dept.

Today we headed south.  Apparently, we look like criminals.  We spent approximately 1 1/2 hours at the border crossing and there was no line up!!  They had 3 guards and the drug sniffing dog search every nook and cranny of this beast.  We were quite shocked.  We had to spend the entire time in the building (because it was snowing and cold) but they were nice to give us 2 chairs in the 5 foot by 5 foot area we had to stay in.  That was so much fun with a tired child and a hyper dog.  The whole ordeal ended with two huge dog prints on our bed linens.  Welcome to the good ol' USA!!  They thanked us for being so patient and mentioned it was such a good opportunity for them to get some training done on such a big vehicle.  We are happy for them.  Grr.

By the way, all that they found was an illegal orange and a few illegal strawberries!  

We are now in the outskirts of Spokane and there is still a ton of snow on the ground!  We are heading to the coast as fast as possible to start our trek south down the Oregon coast.  

Day 1 - Cranbrook, BC

The now infamous duct tape held and so we got to Cranbrook without much incident.  Highlight was the world's largest truck in Sparwood.  Jack now says "truck" every time we pass one!  And..he gets a first hand view since the only place in this palace that he can sit forward facing (safest for the baby seat) is in the front passenger seat!  Mom gets to fend for herself somewhere in the back with Gus.  He looks pretty darn cute up there anyway!

After laughing at Johnny reading the manual while trying to get us running water...I realized it was already past Jack's bedtime so I whipped up a gourmet first meal on the road... cucumber, strawberries and peanut butter sandwiches.  Who's laughing at who now?  

And...I figured out another computer first...wireless internet (wifi) - with an Apple computer, it was one click and here I am.  This is the way to camp...they have cable, wireless internet and a contained dog park right beside our site.  We might not leave!  Stay tuned to find out.

March 28, 2008 - We're Off!

WE'RE OFF! Like a herd of turtles!

Happy to be leaving the snow behind. Off to Cranbrook, BC today. Just need to get everyone used to being on the road.

The adventure begins...