Thursday, January 05, 2012


Cities are too big.

That's all there is to it. Vancouver -- Greater Vancouver -- is w-a-y too big, and so is Seattle. We were talking tonight about how the first day of driving is always the hardest, and we weren't sure whether it was just that on the first day, we are adjusting to our change in lifestyle, or the fact that the first part of our journey is always a matter of fighting our way through the madding crowd. I think it's the crowds, the traffic - oh my god the traffic - and the fact that no matter how tired or stressed out you are, you just have to keep going, because if you stop, someone will surely run over you.

We got a late start today. I think it was about noon when we left Burnaby. We followed my daughter-in-law's excellent directions and had no trouble finding our way to the Peace Arch. I took a photo while we were there -- but not of the Peace Arch.  It was the oddest thing -- a gigantic -- but somehow ethereal --  leafless vine surrounding a large, empty rectangle high in the air. We think that there used to be some sort of sign (billboard?) there that has now been removed, leaving the perfectly formed rectangle. Unfortunately, I took the photo with my phone, not my camera, and remembered only later that I don't have a data roaming package -- I bought some extra North American minutes, but not data, so I don't dare post the photo until I get to my sister's place, or someplace else where I can use the wi-fi. I'll try to remember to do that.

The border guard got our tomatoes, as usual. We managed to eat all the fruit we had on board and call it lunch, but we missed the tomatoes, so we lost them. We figure that at the end of the day, all the border guards get together for a big potluck supper and compete to see who brings the best goodies. Once across the border, we headed straight down the I-5 in search of a Safeway. I was secretly hoping for a Whole Foods, but we didn't find either one until it was nearly dark and we were in Tacoma. We stocked up on fruit and vegetables and drove on into the darkness, looking for a place to sleep. I was beginning to feel a little panicky by the time I spotted a sign reading "Majestic RV Park -- next exit."  Off we went, and we managed to find the park in spite of the gloom and the fact that once we were off the freeway, the signs evaporated. We are hooked up now, we've had dinner and cleaned up, and I have beaten R at rummy, so all is well. We still have no idea what the place looks like. We may wake up in the morning and find ourselves in the middle of a toxic waste dump, but we're really too tired to care. Several trains have gone by since we got here, and I've enjoyed that. I love the sound of a train in the distance -- but doesn't everybody?

6 comments:

Linda said...

I read your post to K, she says "That is so cool, We might do that some day." We've been talking about when we retire, traveling, doing family history and seeing more of the US and Canada.

However, it is good to know that you can not stock up on veggies and fruits when crossing the border.

hugs to both of you, hope you don't wake up in a toxic waste dump or have some crazy bunch of women come bang on the RV door while your still sleeping - like what happened to R in Friday Harbor a couple years ago!

mouse (aka kimy) said...

happy and safe travels! look forward to reading where your wanders take you.

i hate driving through congested city traffic in a car, can't imagine navigating it in a rv - and absolutely hate the I-5 corridor in seattle.

hope you awoke to a majestic view - considering that part of the world, it's not too difficult to imagine that!

RLM Cooper said...

I hope they don't take all those lovely fruits and veggies away from you when you get to California. Funny about the RV park. L and I often find ourselves in the same situation - pull in - pull down the shades - play a game or eat dinner if we haven't stopped for dinner along the road - and then just zonk out. Wake up the next morning and pull out again - waving bye-bye to an RV park we scarcely saw. :)

Sandra Leigh said...

LOL,Linda! No crazy women at the door,I'm pleased to say (we're all full up!)

Kimy,I just opened the curtains. The RV park seems to be your basic large gravel parking lot. Just as well that we'll be pulling out in an hour or so. This is not a scenic wonder.

AngelMay, we have never succeeded in finding a park we liked in this part of the trip. We will probably be in Sutherlin tonight, though, and we really like the park there.

Unknown said...

It really must be hellacious to drive an RV thru a city! Here's to nice RV parks.

Sandra Leigh said...

We've found one of our favourites for tonight, John. I'll tell you all about it in a bit.

Blog Archive