ROMP Tour - Conclusion

We had a sunny Saturday in Vancouver and it was delightful.  I was able to sleep in, run a few errands and make it back in time to have another couple of visitors.  Delphine and Phoebe came by to say hello and check out Miss Perception.  After a little visit Phoebe got a little bike ride in as well.  What a great, relaxing day.  The perfect way to spend a Saturday before heading home.  I had time to putter about, play a bit more with my hot water heater (I think I have it figured out now).

Here are two shots of the Lions Gate Bridge, one from above and then later, one from underneath.  I've been underneath this bridge on the south side (in Stanley Park) but this was the first time from the north side.   

Sunday came quickly after a relaxing evening in the trailer.  I made dinner, had a glass of wine and enjoyed the flowers Betty had given me.  The evening consisted of a few episodes of ABFAB while crocheting, very relaxing, cozy and perfect.  For me, the best part of any weekend is sleeping in and so I had a lazy Sunday morning.  When the time finally came I was puttering and sorting and cleaning up a few things and then I started the 1 hour countdown to departure. 

Admittedly I haven't figured everything out yet but I have a wonderful checklist from my friend Barb which was a great starting point.  I will have to create a Miss Perception checklist.   I had a few misses but none of them were too terribly detrimental.  These are great things to spend a bit of time on while I'm not traveling.  It will take time until everything comes naturally and automatically but I feel like I'm not doing too bad.  I was able to get the car lined up in about 5 tries which isn't too bad as far as I'm concerned. 

Finally it was "all systems go" and Ella pulled Miss Perception slowly out of our lovely space #42 at the Capilano River RV Park.  I found an easier way in/out of the park, I had originally come in off Taylor Way which was ok but a bit of tight turn into the park, I asked about it when I left and took the other exit under the Lions Gate over to Capilano Road (a lot of speed bumps but we made it).  We had an easy ride out to the ferry terminal in Horseshoe Bay the whole time enjoying Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe on CBC.  I will be going to see him with my mom and friends a week from today when he'll be performing in Powell River.

The ride up to Powell River was uneventful in a good way.  The rain stopped for most of the way between Langdale and Earls Cove.  A drizzle started while waiting for the ferry but the time passed quickly with a wonderful chat with my music teacher Cam and another local who was interested in the Airstream. 

Life is exciting  when you get to do one new thing but for Miss Perception, she got to squeeze two first ferry rides into one day.   I'm happy to say that the ROMP tour concluded today.  Arriving safe and sound in the Townsite around 6pm I was unpacked and tucked Miss Perception into her new spot by 7pm.   It makes me happy that I can look out my window and see her, happens to be my bathroom window but she's within sight nonetheless.   

I have enjoyed every moment of the ROMP Tour and I'm extremely grateful for Ella being the star Dodge that she is, making the trip with Miss Perception a smooth one.  Cars and trailers, technology (GyPSy) and roadways... all make for great road trips but these things are like the flour and baking powder in a recipe, required but not very interesting on their own.  The spice of life is really the people - the supportive, helpful, interesting, friendly, unexpected and sometimes unpredictable encounters that make a day an experience.  Thank you to all my friends that helped me on my way, it's made this long haul and Chapter 1 of my Airstream Adventure  incredible. 

Things I figured this past week :
Where the water bleeder stops are for direct water connection (still need to dig into finding the one for the on-board water tank, it's under the bench seat).
Hot water heater (and the correct valve openings and plug closings)
My first full hook-ups
The awning without a step-stool (awesome!)
Moisture levels inside the trailer - they're not too bad.
The thermostat - there was a lot of hotter...colder...hotter...colder going on but finally I found the right setting.

Can you spot Miss Perception through the trees?     

                

There she is !!

ROMP Tour - Layover Playover

I've been having a lovely time at the Capilano River RV Park in Vancouver.  On Monday morning the local  mountains were in gorgeous view with no low clouds.  Although I was about to leave for work, I went back inside and grabbed the camera.  Glad I did because I haven't seen those mountains since.

Tonight was my "Open House" and it was nice to get to share my dream with friends.

I did have some "early" guests that came Monday night.  Mike and Lynette were the first of my Vancouver friends to take a peek inside Miss Perception after we had a lovely dinner together.  Later that evening Dennis and Andrea dropped by and settled in with a bottle of wine and good long chats over all things that make good conversations around a kitchen table.  I'm glad that visits have been broken up over a few days because I've really enjoyed spending time and being able to have relaxing conversations in my Airstream with my friends.

Tonight started with Denise and Terry who brought a chicken dinner with coleslaw, potato salad, olives and mixed vegies - yum, yum, yum - and thank you.  I provided plates a knispork - KNife, SPoon, foRK combination, awkward but got the food from our plates into our mouths.  Note to self:  you really do need to find that bamboo cutlery this weekend!!

Betty brought a bouquet of blossoms.  Thank you Ms. Betty!  You looked beautiful in your bold red jacket and colourful scarf.  Betty found a springtime collection of red and white tulips surrounding a yellow/red tulip blend that was cradling a deep purple peony.  What a lovely punch of colour for the table.    Although the Airstream didn't have a vase, I found a silver coloured travel mug that did the trick.

Fiona treated me to a fabulous bottle of Prosecco - what a lovely housewarming idea.  It was bubbly, light, tasty and hard to stop drinking.  Great conversations ensued; laughter and getting to know things that I previously didn't know about Fiona.  What a great opportunity to learn about your passions too!  Thank you.

Bill and Karen brought chocolate - and not just any chocolate but two amazing selections from Denman Island Chocolate.  Cocoa Loco (Dark Chocolate) and Holy Mole (Dark Chocolate with Chipotle and a hint of Orange).  Karen was happy to share in some Prosecco with me so we tapped our plastic wine glasses and enjoyed a cozy chat filled with smiles and stories.

Thank you to everyone who came - I do appreciate the time you took out of your evening to pop in and say hello, take a look around and share my joy; it means a lot to me. 

Tonight was fantastic.  Everyone's timing was perfect, the trailer accomodated everyone and I had lots of time to visit and catch up with people before they had to leave.  At one point I even got about a 5 minute break. Played ukulele until the next knock on the door.   Perfect.

It's been "namesake weather" here in the Lower Rainland but it's still considered winter so it's expected.  Today we did get a break in the clouds and a few bright rays of sunshine towards the end of the day.  I threw open the curtains and let the light come in.  I actually worked from "home" today so thanks to free wifi and my cellphone I was ready for work bright and early and able to work until moments before my guests started showing up this evening. 

Here's a reflective picture with the bathroom window providing the perfect canvas to capture the bit of light that brightened our day. 

I've extended my stay here at the park, I'll be staying until Sunday morning when I'll be checking out and heading back up to Powell River.  I've had a very social time during my stay, every evening has been full of good friends, good food, drinks and great conversations.  I have a few errands I'd like to still run in the "big city" before I head home so they will have to happen Saturday. 

Today I turned on the hot water heater with mixed results.  Some hot water, but not much, followed by cold.  There was some air in the lines but it seems to have cleared now with still sporadic results.  I haven't had any free time to tinker and read and figure things out fully so I'm not terribly worried.  I use the facilities here to shower each morning so it has little impact on me.  Otherwise everything works perfectly and is in great shape. 

As I've learned through my journey on the ROMP tour, sometimes there's nothing wrong, it's just me that's missing something rather obvious.  I'm learning - and living in comfort during the process. 

ROMP Tour - Say hello to the new Canadian

I used to have a t-shirt that Canadian Girls Kick Ass.  The last couple of days have felt kick-ass to me.

I left Powell River on Friday morning under the cover of darkness, I watched a beautiful sunrise on the first ferry and drank in the lovely scenery that only the Sunshine Coast can provide.  Calm waters meeting shorelines that sprout trees and mountains shrouded in thin wisps of low clouds.  A clear view to the distant mountains (maybe the Knuckleheads) were washed in early sunlight that made the snow glow an almost golden colour until they gleamed bright white with the spot-light of an otherwise hidden sun.  I'm not typically a morning person but I really enjoyed this early view of the coast waking up.

The drive down to Covington, WA was relaxing and beautiful.  The sunshine just kept getting brighter and eventually the sunglasses came out, the car got warm and it felt like summertime.  What a perfect day to play hooky and be on the road, I was delighted.  I made it to the dealership by about 4pm.  Miss Perception was ready to go but unfortunately we couldn't get the electric hitch to work, good news is I learned how to do it manually which I didn't know before... I was a bit worried that there was something wrong with the wiring and maybe the brakes, just a bit of paranoia really but I called Ian who talked me through a few things and got me on my way.  Thank you Ian!  It's all new again but after about 10 minutes I relaxed into the drive and felt like things were ok. 

I made my way to my friend Jen's house.  I was fortunate to spend a wonderful evening and next morning catching up with Jen and playing "Where's my Monster" with Sofia.  Thank you for your hospitality, yummy pizza and beer Antonio.  It was fun to share Miss Perception with Jen and Sofia, thanks for all the love.  Makes it hard to leave. 

Saturday afternoon I headed north for the border, Miss Perception in tow and paperwork in hand the Canadian border was my next stop.  I kept great positive thoughts seeing myself driving into Canada without any problems.  It worked, things went well.  The Border Guard doing the paperwork was surprised at the price and after I paid the Cashier the taxes and headed out he was standing outside the door.  He wanted to see the inside but tried to act like a visual inspection was needed - haha!!  I called him on it and he just smiled as we walked over.  He checked it out, was impressed with it's "form and function and modern interior".  I got in the car and giggled as I came to the sign that showed US (left) Canada (right) and off we went to the right.  Then there was hooting and hollering and "Welcome to Canada!!" for Miss P.

I pulled over and called my Mom, she needed to know that things went smoothly after keeping me in her prayers for the past 2 days.  Thanks Mom!!  Now I was on my way to my friend Theresa's place.  I got my first chance at backing my trailer into a driveway, not great but not bad.  I did sleep inside the house that night.  I was tired and didn't feel like setting up.  Theresa and I went out for dinner and enjoyed a little shopping together as well. 

Sunday morning was relaxing and I spent a while cleaning the inside of Miss Perception, surfaces needed some wiping and once everything was clean and organized I decided to play around with the awning, I've now figured out how to do the awning without a step-ladder.  Great progress. 

Rod was my hero, he fixed the electric hitch in about 3 mintues - loose connector.  He cleaned things up a bit, added a lock washer and presto, all was well.  Another loose screw was manipulated to cooperate on the awning.   

When I was getting ready to head out a chatty little blue jay came to send my off my way along with Theresa, Sarah and Rod.  Thanks for a lovely stay and Theresa, thank you for your generosity - you are amazing. 

Sunday afternoon had me heading into Vancouver.  I will be staying at the Capilano River RV Park for the next 6 days.  I'm in spot #42.  I went for a little walk tonight and there are 2 more Airstream's here.  A new 19' model and another older 25' model that looks somewhat permanent here.  There's quite a few RV's here for the off-season, a jacuzzi, lounge with TV, Laundromat, lots of great washrooms/showers and free WIFI.  I'm quite enjoying myself here.  It's located right underneath the Lions Gate Bridge and I have to say it's quite quiet. 

The shelves are stocked with groceries, there's a Whole Foods just down Marine Drive and there is every restaurant and store you could imagine at Park Royal.  I'm a 10 minute walk from the bus stop and will be off to work in the morning. 

I'm enjoying the conveniences of my new camping experience... this is the life !!

I want to say a great big thank you for everyone's support, kindness and encouragement.  Like anything in life, it's sweeter when shared so I'll be having an open house on Thursday evening after 6:30pm.  If you want to come by for a peek come on over.   (Capilano River RV Park in Vancouver, space 42).

ROMP Tour - Final Countdown

A few days ago I got the Title for Miss Perception in the mail

Yipee, happy dance !!
Finally.

There were 3 rejections that took over 6 months of back/forth with the DMV but that's all in the past now.  I have my Title.  I find the California Title pretty so I had to take a picture for posterity (with a bit of photoshop) as I'll be leaving it at the border during the "import".  I'm looking forward to the "Do you have anything to declare?" question.

My Airstream Dream started many years ago, a love affair with an ideal, socking away money for about 10 years, falling in love with one specific model.  The dream was realized when I found everything I was looking and exactly what I had fallen in love with several years ago in a 2008 - 16 foot International CCD Airstream Travel Trailer located less than an hour from where I once lived in California.  So with my friend Ed's help I bought her in  May 2012, named her Miss Perception and a few months later headed south and started my ROMP (Retrieval of Miss Perception) Tour north.  My travel has included a small cast of characters, Miss Perception (my Airstream), Ella (short for Dodgerella, my Dodge Durango) and GyPSy (my GPS).  You can enjoy some of the tales of my trip in previous posts and get to know some of the wonderful friends who helped me on my way.  We made it to Washington State where Miss Perception has been at summer camp, which has turned to fall camp and now winter camp at the Airstream Adventures Northwest dealership.  What a great bunch of people!  She's been patiently waiting for me to come back and get her.  I'm hoping this is the last countdown to her final homecoming.

T minus two days for departure!

I've taken Friday off work and will be setting out from

 Powell River that morning.  Typically I'm not a morning person but this IS a big dream come true so we'll see.  I'm about an hour's drive from the first ferry leaving Saltery Bay.  There's a 5:45am and a 7:25am ferry, I'm thinking 7:25am but if by chance I wake up excited at 4am, well... that's highly unlikely.  

I'll be off on the journey that starts a thousand journeys.  Living in Powell River every trip starts the same way.  A storybook gives you "Once Upon a Time" and Powell River gives you "Welcome to BC Ferries". I'll enjoy my 2 ferry rides and my drive-time as well.  Although it will be a long day, with ferries, driving, border crossing etc. I couldn't be happier, I love being on the road.  With a 7:25 start I should be able to make the dealership before they close at 5pm - maybe between 4:00 - 4:30 in optimal conditions.

Now the last minute lists start.  Paperwork for the border, passport, Nexus card.

Work clothes (pretty things) and work clothes (gettin' dirty)

Schedules and confirmations... meetings and dinners, is it too much to try and drop off my tax information next week too?  A flurry of organizing, packing, sorting and loading up Ella.  I'm glad I've got lots of room to pack whatever tickles my fancy.

I'll be staying in Vancouver for a week, I've got some work-related meetings and I'm hoping to catch up with some of my friends in the city as well.  I've made reservations for the week at the Capilano River RV Park right under the Lions Gate Bridge.  I chose this location because it's close to the city, allowing me to take the bus in for work.  I will have an open house aka open trailer for one or two nights while I'm there so anyone who's interested can come by and say hello.  I'll hit the road with Miss Perception heading back to Powell River on the following weekend bringing me back home to Powell River for the last 4 days of February.  

I have been patient.  I am ready.  I will take every moment as it comes.