RV Home Yet?

Hard times in an RV- hardship or adventure?

David Walters and Laurel Sprague are living and working in a KOA in Berilillo, NM two days a week for a combined income of $900/month plus free site rent. They are going in the hole, though, and will have to give up their health insurance.

David and Laurel left Georgia after David's remodeling business basically stopped. Laurel quit her job that she didn't like and they relocated to New Mexico, hoping for a better future. They were living in a pop-up trailer owned by Laurel's parents.

After arriving, their luck did not change much. They got the job at the KOA and then David did get a job at a Wal-Mart and Laurel worked at a pet store that ended up claiming bankruptcy. Things were looking pretty grim when they went back to Georgia for David to do a remodeling job for Laurel's parents. After that was over, they gave back the pop-up, bought a travel trailer, which Laurel's parents helped finance since Laurel couldn't get a loan, and are now back in New Mexico trying to start a remodeling business here in addition to the KOA work. Laurel is still looking for another job.

Despite the lack of income, this young couple chooses to look at their life as an adventure rather than focus on the hardships. The economy has been rough, affecting many people. Most do not relocate, but as this story indicates, relocation doesn't always help. Does the Albuquerque area have better prospects than Georgia? I don't know.

In Palmer, AK, I met a young man at the RV park laundromat who had left Idaho where he could not find work and headed to Alaska. He had heard there was an extended building project up here. He was staying in a small trailer, not having any luck getting on. He said they hire locals first. His trailer was not the well-insulated kind for Alaskan winters so I don't know how long he'll hold out for a job before traveling back south. In that case he will have spent a lot of money on fuel going up and back.

I do have to admire David and Laurel - and the young man in Palmer. They are looking at things positively and actively working to better their lives rather than being victims. I'm sure they will look back on this time as a blip in the road and one of their memorable adventures. You can read the article about David and Laurel at TheAtlantic.com.

RVers are mobile. We are more likely to relocate to find work or a better place to live. Resources like Workamper News can help us find work, though pay is not usually enough the highest for jobs in RV parks or for other seasonal work. We also have a different mindset than those locked in to house payments. "Home is where you park it," is the Escapees RV Club's motto. RVers see relocation as a choice, where often others don't consider that as a possibility.

How about you? Do you admire David and Laurel or think they are foolish? If this had happened when you were younger- would you have considered relocating in an RV? Or did you prefer the known? If this happened to you would you look on these circumstances as a hardship or an adventure? Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Through Hell's Gate back to the U.S.

Once we arrived at Prince George, we had a two-day drive south to the border and our crossing at Sumas. We pretty much followed the course of the Fraser River, named after explorer Simon Fraser, the man who fully traced the river in 1808.

We spent a night in Cache Creek where we left Highway 97 to follow Highway 1. The fires to the west of us made the air smoky.

 South of Cache Creek, the Fraser's descent becomes steeper and it has gouged out a series of rock gorges at it passes between the Cascade Mountains on the east and the Coastal Range on the west. We decided to stop at Hell's Gate, a tourist attraction that offers an air tram ride down to a particularly narrow spot. It was the perfect time to stretch our legs.

The tram descends about 3000 feet to facilities and a suspension bridge at the bottom. Hell's Gate was actually formed when a building a railroad tunnel. A blast of dynamite caused a rock slide that changed the course of the river. According to a travel Web site, "At peak spring levels, over 200 million gallons of water surge through this 35 metre (110 ft) wide gorge. That is twice the volume of Niagara Falls!" As we watched, one of the jet boat rides came up and zoomed around the treacherous whirlpools formed by the raging water. The U.S. and Canada teamed up to build several fish ladders so salmon could continue their migration.

After Hell's Gate, it was all downhill! Soon we were in Hope, where we spent some of our last Canadian dollars on lunch. We had a very easy border crossing at Sumas and headed to Mt. Vernon to park at a friend's property. We may be stuck here a few extra days.... Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Cloud painting

As we escaped the rain, the mist and clouds did lovely things to the mountains. Here are a few photos going out the Glacier Highway.

We also saw some lenticular clouds on the way to Prince George, but the photos out the truck window did not come out very well. So, click here if you'd like to see what they are and some photos.

It wasn't until we got to Prince George that we finally had a full day of sun. We could open the windows and dry the RV out. At Cache Creek, we even broke out the shorts and took a dip in the pool at Brookside RV Park. I get cold very easily but, after a month of cool, wet weather, the 70s feels almost hot! Next, we go through Hell's Gate to get back to the U.S. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

RVing to find a new home

People full-time RV for different reasons. At a recent poll conducted at RVLifestyleExperts.com, we asked the question, "Why do you live the RV lifestyle (or want to)? " The results were:

21% -Freedom
21% - Adventure
21% - Love of travel
14% - Save money/cheaper
14% - Follow the good weather were 14% each
4% - Curiosity
4% - Run away from home
2 1/2 % - Ability to visit family

Occasionally a couple or family will sell everything, become full-time RVers with the express purpose of finding a new place to live. Such is the case of Streett family. The four family members took a 14-month, 31,000 mile RV trek. They left their home in Chino, CA knowing they wanted to find a better place to live. After 28 states and 71 overnight stops, Sequim, WA became their new home. They all learned a lot from the experience and have no regrets.

When we sold our home in Pennsylvania before hitting the road, we did not know if we'd ever settle down again. We did know we would not want to return to Pennsylvania. However, we have met other couples became full-time RVers who had in the back of their mind that they did want to relocate.

Our second year on the road, we worked with a couple who had sold their house in North Carolina, bought an RV and began workamping in Minnesota. They ended up selling the RV and staying.

Another couple from Colorado ended up settling in the funky town of Bisbee after only a few months on the road. We camped with them at a couple of different small gatherings and could tell that they were not RVers at heart. They were looking for a permanent place.

And, a third couple, originally from back East, fell in love with Strawberry, AZ as they came down Highway 87 off the Mogollon Rim. Then they moved to Payson where winters were a tad milder. Finally they bought a house in Florida, then Arkansas, then last I heard, were back in another house in Florida. I don't know what they are looking for or if they have found it yet. An RV would be easier to move!

Sometimes RVers become immobilized by finances or illness, settling down to deal with that issue. That's a different situation all together.

It's all good, however. The RV lifestyle is a "vehicle" for living out your choices, whether that be for the adventure and love of travel like most people, or to find a new life. The RV lifestyle is fluid and accommodates changing choices. If you do RV for a while and then decide on something else, it doesn't mean your original choice was wrong. It's just a new choice. It can also be an effective way to decide on an area to settle in if you are looking for a new home.

Here's to your travels! May they fulfill your dreams, whatever those are. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Don't like the weather? ... an RV has wheels

Rain, rain, rain! On the first part of our trip, we had wonderful weather. Starting around mid-July we've had many more days of rain, or at least clouds and off and on drizzle, than sun. We've still been able to do things, though occasionally we've postponed plans. After a month-plus, though, it's time for sun.

We drove down Highway 16, the Yellowhead Highway, from the end of the Cassiar to Prince Rupert on the coast. It's another beautiful drive. I hoped we could somehow get out to the Queen Charlotte Islands from there. The islands are beautiful and have Haida cultural and historic sites. However, with it actually raining most of the time in Prince Rupert and more of the same forecast for both locations, we left today. Yesterday, we had lunch and walked around Cow Bay, the waterfront area, and that was about it. Too wet to do any hiking and visibility too low to go out on a boat. They only schedule native dancing when a cruise ship is in town on Thursdays.

But that's the beauty of this RV lifestyle. Had we wanted, we could have stayed until we got a nice day since we aren't on a time schedule. We also have the option to move towards better weather and that's what we chose.

Tonight we are in Smithers. Clouds are high, we've had a couple of sprinkles, but not the low fog and rain of Prince Rupert, Stewart-Hyder and the other coastal towns. Tomorrow we'll head to Prince George, do laundry, get the oil changed and hit the supermarket before heading south again. If we're lucky we might even see the sun! As RVers, we aren't locked in and can change our plans as conditions warrant.

Another funny thing that happens with RVers. We run across RV friends in the unlikeliest places! Ron and Ginny Norton also have a New Horizon 5th wheel. They traveled to Alaska in 2003 and George crossed paths with them several times. They came back this year, taking a different route than us. However, we found them at the same RV park in Whitehorse on the way up and then met in Soldotna as they were heading off the Kenai. I gave Ginny a book written by an author in Haines, Alaska where they were headed. The day before yesterday, we came out of the RV park office in Prince Rupert after checking in and they were pulling up! They had taken the Alaska ferry from Haines to Prince Rupert but had cut their trip short by 4 days because of major rain. What are the chances?! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

A most unusual breakfast

After seeing Mira again it was breakfast time. I had read about a toaster museum in Stewart. The RV park manager told us the owner will let you see his collection if you purchase breakfast. The Toaster Cafe hours are 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and we were within that range. It is housed partially in a building built in 1920 for Klondike Kate.

It was a most unusual breakfast. How many of you have eaten breakfast surrounded by antique toasters? It's a first for us! The owner was not on duty so we might have been able to look around without eating. We were tempted after the woman on duty told us they only served "fast food." That meant egg dishes that were nuked or Danish rolls. We figured that breakfast was a small price to pay to see the collection. George ordered an egg wrap, I ordered the cheese omelet. They tasted about as expected.

Looking at the toasters, coffee pots, child's oven and many more antiques was so much fun. At one point we had an  improvised toaster to use on our propane stove in the RV to toast bread, but these inventions were much more elaborate. Several toasted up to four slices at once, with a lever to swing open the toast holders and move them back to the heat source. Another unusual piece was a hotdog cooker (below).

I also got a kick out of a child's stove (above) with a working electric burner. Now that would never be permitted today. Another invention I had never seen was a Heinz Soup display and precursor of the microwave. You picked your flavor, then put the can in the holder at the bottom left for two minutes. Voila' - soup's on!

We found out that the Bitter Creek Cafe across the street was owned by the wife of the Toaster Cafe owner. She was the chef and offered an eclectic menu plus had more antiques on display in her restaurant. We showed up for dinner, the only meal served, and were not disappointed in either the antiques or the food. We both chose chicken curry and a smoked salmon entree that were delicious. We spotted a six-slice toaster but what was most intriguing to me was snowshoes for horses! If you sat at the one table in the back room, you'd be right next to an old Pontiac fliver sticking out of the garage into the room.

Oh, the interesting things we see on our RV travels. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

What's so special about Hyder, AK?

(Oops- this should have been published before "More About Grizzlies")

Bears, that's what's so special! Brown bears or grizzlies can be seen fishing for salmon up close without paying $500 or more for a flight out of the Kenai or Anchorage. Stewart-Hyder is only about 40 miles from the Cassiar Highway and well worth the side trip.

Fish Creek is about three miles out of Hyder. The Tongas National Forest has a ranger station there. A permit for a person is $10/day or $20 for three days. If you have a national recreation pass or a senior or disabled pass, it is free. A deck has been built along the creek, raised safely out of reach of bears. Bears often travel under the platform as they come from the woods or from a beautiful pond on the back side.

We checked out Fish Creek the afternoon we arrived - stayed for a couple of hours. Nada. Two bears had been there that morning. We came back after we ate dinner. Two bears had been there while we were gone. Finally, one black bear (photo to left) sauntered by behind the long observation deck, not at all interested in fish. No grizzlies.

We came back the next day around 8:30 a.m. Two bears had already come and gone. We waited, stood under leaves while it drizzled and waited some more. Finally around 11, a dark bear appeared at the end of the pond (pictured). She looked dark like a black bear, but we soon saw she had a hump. It was a brown bear or grizzly! She munched on leaves and grass, then waded in and took a swim. She scratched herself on a partially submerged tree and finally left the pond. For a while we could see bushes move but did not seem headed to the creek or back to the pond. We left for lunch, deciding to have come back around 4 or so. Around 6 the same bear came sauntering down the stream, down the whole length of the observation deck, down around the corner and then back up the entire length until going under the bridge and around the bend out of sight.

This bear was called Mira. She was a young female, old enough to bear cubs but had not done so yet. In fact, probably due to the fact that there were almost no salmon last year, none of the females in the area had had cubs this year.

Mira was a very dark brown and had a scar on her right hip, making it easy to identify her. She ate a couple of dead fish, stripping off the skin and flesh. We found out why she was choosing dead ones. She wasn't very skilled at catching a salmon; she'd chase and pounce and come up empty. Some dead ones still had the desirable roe and heads so she made do with them. Periodically she'd wander into the bushes for greenery or berries. On her return trip up the stream, however, Mira finally caught her own salmon! Hooray! By then she was full and only ate a few bites. (photo carrying her fish) The seagulls were happy for scraps and dead fish!

When George had come out to see the bears in 2003, he came twice. Both times he saw a bear within  a short period of time. It wasn't quite that easy this year. I was expecting to see more than one bear at once. One of the rangers said about 12 brown bears fish here but at most four or five appear on any one day. I had begun to wonder if I'd see one at all. 

It was thrilling to finally see a grizzly bear so close, actually catching salmon. You are only about 15 feet from the edge of the stream so, at times, you are very near to the bear. She seemed pretty nonchallant, taking her time, not at all bothered by her audience. However, we were not a threat - at least as long as we stayed up on the deck - and no other bears were about.

On the road out to Fish Creek, we happened to see a black bear cross the road. Out on the broad graveled river bed on the way out there we saw several bald eagles, including some immatures with their parents.

You can camp in Stewart or in Hyder. We stayed at Bear Paw RV Park in Stewart. It had excellent WiFi and nice sites. There is also a municipal park in Stewart that is less expensive, though it is totally under trees so it is dark and damp. In Hyder you can stay at Camp Run Amok, dusty if it hasn't been raining since the forest road out to the bears goes right by it.  

There is no U.S. Customs to go through as you enter Alaska. Coming back into Canada is pretty informal. We showed our passports, were asked if we had weapsons and that was about it. I guess they figured you had been checked coming into Canada elsewhere because you cannot get to Hyder without going through Canada. 

One time seeing a grizzly bear wasn't enough. Since they usually saw a bear or two quite early, we made plans to come back the next morning about 6 a.m. More next time about that. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

More about grizzlies

Wanting to see another grizzly, we dragged ourselves out of bed at 5 a.m. and were at Fish Creek a little after 6. It was drizzling harder today. George took a photo of the same pond shrouded in mist as the sky was lightening up a bit. We watched two beavers swimming with fresh-cut branches back to their den in the bank. We glanced back and forth between the pond and the stream. Bears could come from both directions.

One of the volunteers spotted a bear! It was a black bear that came out of the woods from the road, grabbed a dead salmon and hightailed it back into the woods. That was typical of black bears, we were told. They do not want a confrontation with a grizzly.

About a half hour later, a grizzly began working her way up the stream. It was Mira again. Her distinctive dark brown and hip scar gave her away. She immediately caught a fish and stripped the best parts off as we watched. The night before we saw mostly her hind end; today she was in profile.

She tried for more salmon but missed (below). Even though the stream had lots of salmon, they scurried away whenever the bear came near. Those ripples are all salmon scrambling for their lives. This was their spawning spot, but the ranger said they were here for a couple of weeks before spawning. You could see females darting out of the deeper depressions to shallower spots, briefly flailing their bodies around and darting right back into the deeper water. The male salmon stuck close, chasing other males away. Whether they were getting closer to the time, I don't know, but a couple of males seemed very aggressive about driving the female up to the shallower part. Most seemed to be waiting. I joked to George, who is always ready to go somewhere before I am, that a male's job is to wait for females -even the salmon prove it!

I would have liked to see a different grizzly but seeing Mira repeat her performance this morning was satisfying. And, did I mention it was raining?! We decided it was breakfast time. Next, an unlikely place for breakfast. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George Bruzenak

Glacier Highway to Stewart-Hyder

At the Meziadin Junction on the Cassiar or Highway 37, we took Glacier Highway 37A west down to Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK. The two towns are at the end of the Portland Canal, a 70 mile-long fjord which forms a portion of the US / Canadian border. Hyder is just 2 miles from Stewart. No Alaska ferry serves this area so it is only accessible by road.

The Glacier Highway winds down through rugged mountains and scenic canyons through the coastal rain forest from up in the mountains down to sea level. One of my favorite trees, western hemlock with its soft droopy branches, dominates the forest. The Stewart-Hyder area gets tons of  precipitation; its snowfall record is 27 feet of snow! Glaciers and snow patches pepper the mountains.

Bear Glacier is the largest and pull-outs allow you to view it from the highway. The outflow - which is a roaring stream -from this blue glacier joins the river flowing down the canyon. Bear Glacier is large enough to calve and we could see what looked like small chunks of ice. Though they looked small, we were high above on the roadway so the chunks were larger than we perceived. Also, you have to remember that only ten percent of an iceberg is visible.

We were lucky to have a sunny day for our drive down Glacier Highway. That was not to last.

Tomorrow, you'll find out why you should not miss Stewart-Hyder. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Should you take your RV down the Cassiar Highway?

Back in 1998-99, when I worked in Skagway, Bill would not even consider driving the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. RVs came off the Cassiar covered with mud. George had driven it in 2003, loved it and was eager to drive it south. All right!

The Cassiar - Highway 37 - did have quite a bit of construction and one very muddy stretch, but otherwise, it wasn't quite as bad as our southbound stretch of the Alaska Highway from Northway Junction, AK to the south end of Kluane Lake. Some construction is to be expected all along any northern highway due to rough  winters and the short window of time to do upgrades and repairs; some are worse than others.

What the Cassiar has is scenic beauty. At the northern ends, you pass through the Cassiar Mountains. Further south you drive between the Alaska Coastal range and the Stikine Mountains, an extension of the Rocky Mountains. It is mid-August and yet there are still patches of snow high on the peaks. Bare rock extends well past tree line; swatches of treeless areas mark avalanche paths. Sometimes a pile of dirt, trees and ice fan out at the bottom like an alluvial fan in the desert.

At times the road follows the valleys, other times it goes up and down hills like when it skirts Dease Lake. The scariest section was shortly before Iskut where the road not only winds up and down grades, but it passes through a slide area covered with slick, wet mud.

We had camped at Junction 37 at the turnoff south before starting down the Cassiar. Iskut was halfway to the turnoff to Stewart-Hyder  so we stopped for the night there at Mountain Shadows RV Park. It is one of the nicest private parks we've stayed in on the trip. Very quiet, near a lake and framed by mountains.We hiked down to the lake, hearing the call of a loon. We spotted him, with his beautiful black and white markings, out on the lake.

I am so glad we took this route back and I'm looking forward to visiting Stewart-Hyder where we will hopefully see brown bears fishing for salmon.

Like the Alaska Highway, on the Cassiar you need to be mindful of frost heaves, potholes  and other rough spots. You'll need to wash your RV at the end, but, again, that is true of the Alaska Highway. If those minor details bother you, I recommend you skip driving to Alaska! Otherwise, I highly recommend you take this one of the ways on your trip. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak