Scenic Drive Movie - Col du Petit St. Bernard, Italy & France - Oct. 2012

Better late than never (yes, I am way behind in my posts but now that we are sequestered away in our charming Paris flat, I should begin to catch up!) 

A scenic drive across the Col du Petit St. Bernard from Italy into France, including a quick look at a mobile milking station!

-K

DITL - Cinque Terre Hike, Italy - Oct. 8, 2012

Well we did it:  We visited two other Cinque Terre towns and saw one from a boat, so that makes four out of five.  They are interesting but crowded; if you are ever in the area and miss an American accent, just hop into one of the towns and you'll be happy.

By far the highlight was the hiking from Corneglia to Manarola, up and through and down the hills.  (The coastal route remains closed due to landslides.)  For this we have a Day in the Life video - a little long, but there was so much beauty it was difficult to cut.

-K

PS:  This posting finds us in Courmayeur, Italy at the base of Mt. Blanc awaiting the first snowfall of the season!

Scenic Drive - Slovenia

Despite sitting outside Cinque Terre (in the lovely town of Levanto), thought I'd throw-back to August and post a short scenic drive video filmed as we entered Slovenia.  

-K

DITL - Tour de France (Stage 11) - July 2012

A Salt & Pepper Adventures! Production - join us we as catch Free Stuff while waiting to see the riders zoom by during Stage 11 of the Tour de France.

-K

DITL - Sounds of Granada, Spain - June 2012

A short movie featuring various street artists in Granada, Spain.  

-K

DITL - Backpacking (Wild Camping) Etang de Comte, French Pyrenees

Spend two days with us on our backpacking (wild camping) trip to Etang de Comte in the French Pyrenees. Gorgeous scenery and some almost-wild horses!


June 15-16, 2012

-K

Ax Les Thermes, France, Part Deux – June 17-24, 2012

More (stunning) pictures here!

Fearing that the memory of a place is often better than a renewed experience, it was with some trepidation that we returned to Ax Les Thermes; but it was only the tug of the Aventura that made us pull away after sixteen days.  Our final days here were filled with awe, in particular the hike to Etangs Noir and Bleu off of the Col de Pailheures and a chance bonfire celebration in the town center.

The hike, well documented in the picture link above, was simply stunning.  I sat at our first break, gazing across the valley to the numerous peaks and said to SP, “Surely this is one of the most beautiful spots on Earth.”  We have seen some stunning scenery on our various hikes in various countries, but for me, none tops the view from the pass down to the Etangs Noir and Bleu.  Definitely a Must See if you are in the area and in reasonable shape.  (The hike from the parking area to an excellent view spot is only 1.5 miles but took us an hour—I am a slow hiker.)

Our second awesome experience started as a long-hike day but sadly we couldn’t fulfill that goal as the Orlu National Reserve does not allow dogs on the trails.  Heading back through town, we noticed a stage being constructed and some chairs being set outside in one of the main squares.  So that evening, too lazy to make dinner, we opted to head back toward all that activity.  It turned out to be the Feu de la St. Jean, clearly a festive occasion for the locals.

When we arrived for dinner, there was a DJ playing great dance music (at least half of which was American, including Prince [!] and MJ) and we watched as people cut loose.  In particular, we watched one couple who was clearly doing the Texas Two-Step to a number of songs (and, amazingly, tempos.)  At a break, we approached them (OK, I dragged SP over) assuming they were from Texas and we might actually be able to have a conversation.  In addition to the Two-Step hint, they had on blue-jeans (real ones, not the faded, lined and ripped “fashionable” ones), the lady sporting cowboy boots and the gentleman wearing a Route 66 t-shirt.  I was giddy with anticipation.

Turns out they were from Paris.

Fortunately, their English was much better than my French and we learned that they had visited various places in America, including Texas where they learned to two-step.  On a holiday themselves, they were thrilled to have happened upon this celebration and a chance to work out their moves.  They were a delight.

During dinner we also made note of the numerous men walking around in long-sleeved black shirts, occasionally sharing nips from a leather wrapped flask.  But during the dancing, they were nowhere to be found.  When the DJ music ended (or so we thought) people began moving toward the Casino and, thankfully, SP suggested we head over. 

Turns out there was a giant pyre being prepared for lighting and, lo and behold, the men in black were at the top of the stairs singing glorious spiritual songs.  (Yes, my French is bad, but my Italian, which is what it sounded like, is even worse.)  All I know is that they sounded wonderful.  There was a short break in the singing while they lit the pyre and the bonfire shot sparks up into the dark night.  What an incredible sight!  You would never see this in California (where most towns don’t even trust the people with sparklers on the 4^th of July); a giant open fire with children playing not 20 yards away, and only a flimsy barrier to separate.  The fire was so large and so hot that I had to keep backing away.  The chorus returned to singing as we all gazed at the flames, a short video of which can be seen here:

Thus ended our last weekend in Ax-les-Thermes; it was one of the towns that we discovered during the Great Recon Mission (see previous postings for more details) and one that made us sure we wanted to do the Aventura so we could “stay as long as we want in one spot.” 

How wonderful that occasionally new experiences outshine even great memories.

-K

DITL - Amado Beach Hike, PT - May 13, 2012

Finally uploaded our next Day in the Life video (a strong enough Internet connection is difficult to come by.)  Start a day like we do (with a Nose in your face) and follow us on a gorgeous beach side hike.


The pictures are much more beautiful than the cover thumbnail . . . I didn't care for any of the three YouTube options.  If someone knows how to get YouTube to select more thumbnails, please let me know!

In other news, we have stopped for however long in the gorgeous area of Guejar Sierra, Spain, just outside the Sierra Nevada National Park.  Full hook-up site in a lovely mountain setting.  More on that later!


-K

DITL & Scenic Drive - Hondarribia, Spain & Fundao, Portugal, April 2012

Better late than never, I guess!  A combination scenic drive and day in the life video from three weeks ago.  (It is difficult to find a good WIFI connection from which to upload these gems.)

-K

Scenic Drive - North York Moors National Park, England, UK

Finally had enough bandwidth to upload a movie!  A scenic drive while in our rental motorhome, Curry, (hence the bumpy and loud ride) through the North York Moors National Park in England.  Filmed in March 2012.


Better late than never, I guess!

DITL - Fishing Ingleside, TX, USA

Finally a look at our fish!  A Day in the Life of Salt & Pepper Adventures brings you to Ingleside Cove in Texas for some fishing (and catching!)

Hope you enjoy - it is a bit long, but covers three days and three fish!


-K

DITL - Sailing Corpus Christi Channel

Starting 2012 right with A Day in the Life movie!  Sailing in Corpus Christi Channel with Clark, Michelle, Mark, Christi & Bart.

-K

DITL - First Time Driving in Snow Chains

Also known as the First Time Alan Speaks!

Enjoy!

B.C. to Alberta, Canada - Dec. 9-11, 2011

More Pictures!


Fortunately, our longest drive day yet (340 miles!) was also one of the most beautiful.  Unfortunately, Bloggie ran out of juice half-way through the trip!  But here's a quick scenic drive, Nelson, B.C. to just before Banff, Alberta:

Our lessons are coming in handy now -- as long as we remember to practice them!  But we did on this trip; calling the SpringHill RV Park in Cochrane on our way to make sure that they were open.  "Indeed we are!", replied the very helpful Bonnie, but they need 24 hours notice so they can clear a site.  


This information came to us in about hour 7 (and 300 miles), I'm sure Bonnie could hear disappointment in my voice.  But she was a doll:   She went outside in the dark, cold night to see if one of their sites might be cleared of snow thanks to the wind--and sure enough it was.  So we headed her way as fast as we could. (By the way, this was the last time we gave thanks to that Cochrane wind!)


We arrived just as she was locking up for the night, but that didn't stop her from welcoming us, showing us around and making sure we got settled into our pitch.  A warm welcome like that after so many hours on the road was delightful.  (Please visit the campground page at the top of the blog for specific information about the park, but click here for a photo of our pitch, and here for a photo of the park--remember it was December!)


Our time in Calgary was family related so we didn't do any tourist-y things, although we did enjoy a nice walk along the river in Cochrane, where everyone let their dogs run free.  Also, if you happen to be in the Marda Loop region, check out Phil and Sebastian Coffee (unbelievably good coffee in a great setting) and the wine store in Mac's shopping center (helpful staff and tons of great wines.)


What we did was spend an inordinate amount of time trying to keep Salt from freezing.  The Airstream comes with heated tanks, so they were o.k. but the lines exiting the coach (oh yes Kim, I wrote "coach!") are unprotected.  Further documentation of our freezing and de-frosting will be covered in the "Great Falls, Montana" posting.


-K

DITL - Cross Country Skiing in Nelson, B.C.

A Day in the Life movie - short but funny with lots of dogs working out how to walk in their new snow boots and just a little skiing . . . 

Holiday Greetings!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Castlegar, B.C., Canada - Dec. 4-6, 2011

Our visit to Castlegar was primarily to share in the joy of opening the Melbra Estate, which was indeed delightful, evidenced by the movie which you can view from here or via our Movies! page.


However, the Melbra Estate wasn't yet open for visitors so we booked three nights at the Twin Rivers Motel & RV Park.  Except for a short fence, it was like staying in someone's backyard, although far be it for us to complain as they were the only RV Park open this time of year in Castlegar--and they had excellent WIFI.  (Of note though, they only had one full hook up site for visitors [the rest of the small area is full of full-timers] and although they said they had water at the pitch, it was frozen so we had to borrow the spigot next door.)  


But we weren't concerned with what we could or could not see outside of Salt, especially when Deborah & Mel arrived as our first Cocktail Hour visitors!  After cocktails, they treated us to dinner at the Cuisine of India restaurant which was quite good with authentic and tasty food--the garlic naan especially was a delight.


Our first full day in town Alan & I stopped in at the Visitor's Center (yes, we are finally learning to use all of our resources!), and received some (turned out to be bad) directions to start our hike up the Brilliant Overlook Trail.  Despite the poor directions, we eventually found the trail head parking and set off.  A nice hike, hilly and rocky (and this time of year it was a little snowy and icy in spots), but they warn you at the start that it is not a hike for beginners.  It felt great to work up a sweat and we logged just over three miles before heading back to Salt.


Our main goal for that day and the next was to get some heat tape installed on our exterior pipes as we had been in below-freezing weather since leaving Grand Forks.  (OK, my main goal was to get Alan to install some heat tape.) So Alan headed off to four different hardware stores while I did a thorough Salt clean-out.



I spent the following day with Deborah visiting my cousin Sarah and her two beautiful children in Trail - a movie of Sadie and Sarah's dancing lessons and class at Steps Dance Center will be coming out soon.  It was great to see my incredibly talented cousin (her impressive dancing career includes teaching at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver) sharing her talents with earnest young dancers in tow.  


That evening we enjoyed a picnic dinner in Salt with Deborah and Mel.  It was a cozy and delightful time during which Mel promised to meet Alan for the Mongolian leg of the Aventura.


Hope he remembers.  


I will not forget.


-K

Scenic Drive - Coulee Corridor, WA, USA

A brief look at portions of the "Coulee Corridor" along Highways 17 and 155-N in Washington, USA.

Also posted on our Movies! Page

DITL - Hiking Potholes State Park, WA, USA

A Day in the Life movie!

Moses Lake, WA, USA to Grand Forks, B.C., Canada – Dec. 1-2, 2011

Such amazing scenery!  We have travelled from Seattle to Canada many times before but never have we come this way—it is highly recommended!  We selected this route in anticipation of 1) enjoying the sunshine of Eastern Washington and #2) seeing the Grand (emphasis intended, as Alan keeps reminding me) Coulee Dam.  What we didn't anticipate was the beauty of the drive from Moses Lake to Grand Forks.

Starting out in Moses Lake, we hopped on the “Coulee Corridor” (Scenic Drive Movie coming soon!), Highway 17 North toward Soap Lake.  The beauty really does start at Soap Lake—driving through the coulee (which Alan learned is an ancient river bed formed by melting ice from the Ice Age) is quite impressive.  Just open, rolling hills above you as you drive near the bottom of the coulee—it’s like driving through the bottom of the Grand Canyon but on a smaller scale.  A must stop is Dry Falls, and you all know me, I am not fond of tourist-y stops, but it really is something to see.  (It is filmed as the ending of the Scenic Drive, but the light was getting low so I don’t know how much of the grandeur made it through the lens.)

After all this natural beauty, the Grand Coulee Dam, although enormous, was a bit of a let-down for me.  It is not pleasing to the eye like Hoover Dam, having at least four different sections with variable-looking concrete finishes.  Not pleasing to the eye at all.  But the Visitors Center is worth a stop to see all the photos from the 1940’s and the equipment used to build the behemoth.

After that man-made marvel (ahem), we set out along Highway 155 north to Nespelem where Simon (our GPS unit) directed us onto a questionable looking road:  The cut-through to Highway 21 (cuts through the Colville Indian Reservation.)  This stretch was sketchy—a nice road, but this time of year it held a bit of ice and snow so it was slow going.  But I love, love, loved the area leading out of Nespelem:  So gorgeous with their soft amber hills beautifully defined by the occasional copse of pine trees. 

Once we joined up with Highway 21 North, it became quite tree filled (i.e., can’t see much) until you leave the Reservation, then you are treated to some of the most gorgeous river-side farm land I have yet to come across.  There is not much in terms of services up this way, so make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave the Grand Coulee Dam area.

Our second day (Coulee City to Grand Forks, B.C., Canada—my homeland!) we drove 120 miles, arriving around 3:00 p.m. at the Victorian Motel and RV Park, whose highway-front sign promised, "The most friendly staff.”  They did not disappoint (although try finding an unfriendly Canadian!  Even the border patrol was nice.)  The water is turned off at the pitches this time of year but the electricity, showers and bathrooms, as well as the fly-fishing store, are open year-round.   

Since we left Coulee City with a full tank of water and an empty grey tank (yes, we are learning!  See Carpe Diem posting) we were good to stay with just electricity.  We pulled in (over the ice and snow berm), turned the heater on, took the dogs for a short walk (along the Trans-Canada Trial in which Alan refuses to believe--yes, despite signs--won't he be surprised by that link!), then returned to a toasty Salt for sun-downers and chips to celebrate Salt's foray into a foreign country.

I do love my homeland.  I’m just saying.

-K