Vanessamus Terminus, 11,849 Miles

So having survived Canadian customs and the violation of Vanessa, we stopped next in Niagara Falls, NY.  Our first visit was to The Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine.  This domed cathedral was built in 1965, is 100 ft in diameter, and 55 ft high.  The statue of Our Lady of Fatima on top of the dome is 13 ft high, weighs 10 tons and is made of Vermont marble. PS This is a picture of the outdoor Rosary.  On the premises, there are also over 140 marble statues of saints from around the world.

At Christmas time they have a festival of light on the grounds

The Avenue of Saints directly in front of the dome

Our next stop was the obligatory ride on the Maid of the Mist to the Falls.  As touristy as it was, it was an impressive (and very wet) ride.  Due to the time of year, there were only a few other passengers on board.

757,500 gallons of water per second

Did I say wet?

We left Niagara Tuesday morning with a final stop in Westborough, Mass last night.  We arrived back in Sedgwick at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, April 27.  This will be our last post after an incredible trip. The only thing better than leaving on an adventure like this is getting home again and sleeping in your own bed.

Tired But Happy!

Final Stats:
     11,849 miles
     27 States
     2 Canadian Provinces
     Weight Fully Loaded:  8500 lbs
     22.7 Average Miles Per Gallon (Diesel)
     Lowest Cost Per Gallon of Diesel Fuel:  $1.75 in New Jersey
     Highest Cost Per Gallon of Diesel Fuel:  $3.99 in Borrego Springs, CA
     Only one mechanical issue in El Paso, TX,
     104 nights on the road
     92 nights sleeping in Vanessa
     3 Maritime Crossings for Vanessa
     Major Stops
          Garwood, NJ
          Athens, AL
          New Orleans, LA
          San Antonio, TX
          Carlsbad Caverns, NM
          El Paso, TX
          Tucson, AZ
          Phoenix, AZ
          Sedona, AZ
          Page, AZ
          St. George, UT
          Las Vegas, NV
          Borrego Springs, CA
          San Diego, CA
          Las Angeles, CA
          Monterey Peninsula, CA
          Palo Alto, CA
          San Francisco, CA
          Humboldt County (Redwoods), CA
          Gig Harbor, WA
          Bandon, OR
          Vancouver Island, BC
          Black Hills, SD
          Niagara Falls, NY
     Along the way, we visited friends and family in:
          Garwood, NJ,
          Athens, AL,
          San Antonio, TX,
          Tucson, AZ,
          Ivins, UT,
          Joshua Tree National Park, CA,
          Encinitas, CA,
          Los Angeles, CA
          Pasadena, CA
          Palo Alto, CA,
          Comox, British Columbia
          Raymond, ME
     State Parks Visited
          Hueco Tanks State Park, TX
          Government Canyon State Natural Area, TX
          Guadalupe Mountain State Park, TX
          Lost Dutchman State Park, AZ
          Antelop Canyon Navajo Park, Page, AZ
          Valley of Fire State Park, NV
          Mount San Jacinto State Park, Palm Springs, CA
          South Carlsbad Beach State Park, CA
          Dockweiler Beach State Park, CA
          Humboldt Redwoods State Park, CA
          Nehalem Bay State Park, OR
          Kitty Coleman Beach Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, Canada
          Crazy Horse Lakota Memorial, Black Hills, SD
     National Parks Visited
          Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
          Coronado National Forest, AZ
          Saguaro National Park - East, AZ
          Joshua Tree National Park, CA
          Zion National Park, UT
          Mount Rushmore National Monument, Black Hills, SD
          Niagara Falls National Park, NY
     Golf Courses Played
          The Palmer Course at La Cantera, San Antonio, TX
          The Quarry Golf Club, San Antonio, TX
          Rolling Hills Golf Club, Tucson, AZ
          Oak Creek Country Club, Sedona, AZ
          Entrada Golf Club, St. George, UT
          Los Verdes Golf Club, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
          The Springs at Borrego, Borrego Springs, CA
          Borrego Springs Resort, Borrego Springs, CA
          De Anza Desert Country Club, Borrego Springs, CA
          Palo Alto Golf Club, Palo Alto, CA
          Salinas Fairways Golf Club, Salinas, CA
          Bandon Crossing Golf Club, Bandon, OR
     Golf Courses Visited (not played but still on the bucket list)
          Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, CA
          The Links at Spanish Bay, Monterey Peninsula, CA
          Bandon Dunes Golf Links, Bandon, OR
       

       
       

    

Voyage Home, Phase 1.5

After leaving Hammond, IN we drove to Holly, Michigan not far from Flint (and, No, we didn't drink the water).  We stayed in a KOA Kampground which was barely open for the season.  OK, but nothing to write home about.  Today we drove to Niagara Falls, New York through southern Ontario, Canada. We plan to spend the day tomorrow exploring the Falls and surrounding areas.

Now to the point of "Voyage Home, Phase 1.5"  I didn't plan to post again until we reached home but I have to report on an incident today that was nearly the unraveling of Vanessa.  When we reached Canadian customs in Port Huron, Ontario, I was asked if I had any weapons, including tasers, mace or pepper spray.  Always telling the truth, I admitted to having pepper spray.  We were quickly escorted to the inspection area where we were told to vacate Vanessa and stand well to the side and front.  She was then subjected to a full cavity search by two male agents for over 20 minutes.  After confiscating the pepper spray, we were told we could leave.  But the damage was done!  She had a distinct air of humiliation on the way here today having suffered such an indignity.  All seems better tonight, but I doubt she will ever venture into Canada again.

Odometer passed 11,100 miles today with Sedgwick, Maine only 712 miles away.  We should touch down in 3 or 4 days.

Our Voyage Home, Phase 1

I write this portion of the post from the comfort of a Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Hammond, IN, again due to the gracious donation of Marriott Reward Points by Brandon and Caleigh Milton.  We have adopted a serious homing pigeon mentality.  The odometer went past the 10,500 mile mark today, and ("Bless me father!") we needed a break from Vanessa.  We still love her, but even mothers and fathers occasionally need a breather from their offspring.

I can't imagine this blog is still interesting to anyone but us, but I'm quite sure it's the only way we'll remember where we've been.

After leaving Issaquah, Washington we drove to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho on Sunday, Apr. 17.  Although we didn't take any pics of Coeur D'Alene, it was stunning, and the lake, perfectly clear, goes on for miles.  We did take a photo of the Stuart Range from Cle Elum, WA on our way there.

Our next stop was Billings, Montana.  By the way, Montana is a BIG state.  We camped on the Yellowstone River in Billings in damp conditions.

We spent two great days in Rapid City, SD taking advantage of the obligatory visit to Mount Rushmore.  We were surprised to learn that there is a Memorial dedicated to Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota war chief and primary nemesis of George Armstrong Custer, under construction not far from Mount Rushmore.  When this monument is completed, it will measure 564 ' high by 640' long. Comparing this to the average height of the Rushmore Presidents at 60 ft high, it will be an imposing structure.  On our way to Rapid City we were welcomed to Wyoming with a momentary blizzard.

This slowed us down a little.

The head of Crazy Horse is complete but much work remains.  This project is on private lands and is not supported by either state or federal funds.

This is a 1/34th scale model of the completed monument

Fighting Stallions sculpted by Korczak Zoilkowski, inspiration for the Crazy Horse Memorial, along with Lakota Elder, Henry Standing Bear

Yesterday we spent what seemed like an eternity among the not yet planted corn fields of South Dakota.  By the way, South Dakota is a BIG state. PS -Marie here. Walt could be heard saying, "Maybe when we get to the Missouri River, we'll see some trees...

Reportedly, that is Laura Ingalls Wilder's little house on the prairie.

...Not so much, corn and more corn -- stalks that is.

Then we did the unthinkable!  We camped out in the parking lot of Walmart in Worthington, Minnesota.  We shopped 'til we dropped (but didn't buy anything). PS Sister Sue, below is what Ficus trees are supposed to look like.

Today we drove 535 miles to Hammond, IN just south of Chicago with plans to stop tomorrow night somewhere between Hammond and Niagara Falls, NY.  We can smell Maine.  The next post will undoubtedly be written from Sedgwick wrapping up the trip.

PS- Marie again. Walt uses the word "we" very loosely.  He has driven every single mile of the trip.

Addendum to the Vancouver Island Coverage

I don't know how I missed a description of one of the highlights of Vancouver Island.  We spent a day at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC and it was the most incredible display of all sorts of flowers, shrubs and sculptures on a property once owned by Robert and Jennie Butchart.  Robert Butchart was the founder of Portland Cement and had gone to Victoria because of the Limestone deposits in the area.  He built a magnificent home they called "Benvenuto" in 1904 and Jennie began creating the gardens.  She continued to improve and add to the gardens for 35 years.  If you are ever in the vicinity of Victoria, BC do not miss Butchart Gardens.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, April 12 thru 15th, after 8,395 miles

Tuesday morning, Apr 12, we departed on the ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, providing Vanessa her second marine crossing.  We crossed the Strait of Georgia through the San Juan Islands, and it was gorgeous. We came a long way to see many sights that remind us of Maine. We drove to Metchosin and checked into the Pedder Bay RV Resort in rain.  This is the first real rain we have had since we left Maine on Jan 15.  The location is great, and we plan to be here a couple of days before moving north toward Courtenay.

Our campsite at Pedder Bay

We left Pedder Bay on Thursday morning, heading north toward Comox.  We stopped briefly in the village of Chemainus where various artists have painted murals on the exterior of many of the village shops.

After lunch we left again going north and arrived at Kitty Coleman Provincial Beach Park where we stayed two days free of charge because the park was to open on the following Sunday  The park superintendent told us to pick a spot and not worry about any fees.  We were right on the beach with views of the Coastal Mountains on the mainland toward the north and Whistler and Blackcomb ski areas to the east.

The tip to check out the Kitty Coleman Provincial Park came from a high school friend I had not seen in 50 plus years.  Peter Baker and his wife, Pattie, have lived in Comox, BC for 30 years and know the area backwards and forwards.  We were lucky enough to reconnect with Peter and have lunch with both of them in downtown Comox.  After lunch we went back to their house and had a tour of their property.  They have done an incredible job with the landscaping with many fruit trees and gardens, both flowers and vegetables.  It was great seeing him again and reminiscing about the days in Jackson, NH in the early 1960s.

View across the harbor in downtown Comox

Comox Marina

Lunch with Peter and Patty

Peter & Patty Baker at their home

We left Vancouver Island just this morning, April 16th, taking an early ferry back to Vancouver. Vanessa is officially an old salt.  We then drove back to Washington State and stopped in Issaquah, Washington, just east of Seattle, for the night.  After 8,395 miles, for the first time in three months we are heading east.

California Redwoods, Bandon, OR, Nehalem, OR & Gig Harbor, WA,April 4 thru 10

We spent two days in Humboldt County at a California State Park and traveled along The Avenue of the Giants and the different Redwood regions.  Very Impressive! 

A very happy "Vanessa Among The Redwoods."  This was our campsite at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

In case you couldn't see it.....

A naturally cleaved Redwood, I think!

TIMBER!!!!

Marie visits with her Hobbit friends.

A very beautiful tree

I love you this much!!

The next few pics were taken along the Oregon coast on the way to Bandon.

The next few photos are of Bandon Dunes Golf Course.  We didn't get to play here but spent time exploring and wishing.  Maybe in the next life!

Gig Harbor, Washington with nearby Mount Rainier in the background.

On to Vancouver, Canada maybe tomorrow or Monday.  We like it here a lot and hope to see Jordan Spieth win his second Masters green jacket.