Canadian Buffoon's Back to Front Vacation - Update! 05/18 - Falling Down

[pkondz]

Awww, shucks

Music to my ears

Which will turn into the
theme from Jaws, I'm sure.

Went for it anyway, didn't ya?!

Did you expect anything less????

Oooh, so jealous!

Of course! So glad you enjoyed it

I really did!!

I'm sure I'll be back here before you go, but I cannot believe you're SO close to your trip!!! So excited for you!

Soon!
Last weekend!

 

[pkondz]

The bedbugs were at a Microtel in the middle of rural Kansas - it's been so many years I don't remember exactly where. (I may have also blocked it out! ) I know that bedbugs can happen anywhere, but I don't think I'll ever be able to stay at a Microtel again!

<studiously scratches "Microtel"
off the list of places to stay...>

The massive spider was at the Super 8 in Muscatine, Iowa. There was a huge golf tournament in town so we were unable to book at the Hampton Inn, my usual go-to hotel. I think this was just bad luck, as I've actually stayed at several Super 8 motels that were just fine. (In fact, I escaped to the Super 8 after the bedbug hotel - it was a great improvement!)

<is very conflicted about whether
or not to scratch Super 8 off as well...
Feels caught in a web of indecision.>


Don't say "web"!!!

My travel included a lot of small towns so we often had to take what we could get in terms of hotels. There were not many fancy hotels to be had in most places we went - the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Country Inn and Suites were always treats when we could book them!

You know which is my
go to hotel.

Yes! I posted it several years ago so who can remember?

You can find it in the middle of this post. It was a lovely garden!

Wow! It obviously didn't register
the first time... I didn't even know
you could actually scale that!

 

[pkondz]

that's hilarious. Pretty much the same concept. Someone sees someone doing something...doesn't want to miss it...then others join in...then rumors start flying.

 

[franandaj]

Sorry I've been a bit AWOL
last few days.
Been pretty busy either at work
or at home.

That's OK. I keep seeing all my friends posting new updates and I still can't even keep up with the older updates!

Got a trip coming up in a few
days apparently...
Should think about getting
ready for that too.

Perhaps you should, you don't want to forget anything. Or worse, show up in your long johns!

 

[buzzrelly]

Sorry I've been a bit AWOL
last few days.
Been pretty busy either at work
or at home.

Got a trip coming up in a few
days apparently...
Should think about getting
ready for that too.

Have a great trip!

I made an attempt to try to go back and find your itinerary with no luck. If you have time, point me in the right direction or repost it. I have decided to fly in a couple days early so I'll be there on May 1st. We'll be busy most of the day on May 2nd but then I'll be spending the evening at the MK. I wanted to see if our plans crossed at all now. If not, have fun! Can't wait to read all about it when you get back!

 

[Tracy161]

Got a trip coming up in a few
days apparently...
Should think about getting
ready for that too.

Yeah, probably

Which will turn into the
theme from Jaws, I'm sure.

Hey, I didn't specify what kind of music would be playing in my ears...

Did you expect anything less????

Nope!

Have a wonderful trip!!! I (and at least 3/4 of the entire Dis) cannot wait to hear about it!!!!!

 

[pkondz]

That's OK. I keep seeing all my friends posting new updates and I still can't even keep up with the older updates!

I feel your pain!

Perhaps you should, you don't want to forget anything. Or worse, show up in your long johns!

You remember that?!??!?!?!

 

[pkondz]

Have a great trip!

Thanks, Kelly!

I made an attempt to try to go back and find your itinerary with no luck.

It's here:
A Dream Within a Dream

If you have time, point me in the right direction or repost it. I have decided to fly in a couple days early so I'll be there on May 1st. We'll be busy most of the day on May 2nd but then I'll be spending the evening at the MK. I wanted to see if our plans crossed at all now. If not, have fun! Can't wait to read all about it when you get back!

Okay, let me know.
You can just PM me
and we'll see what's what.

 

[pkondz]

Yeah, probably

Hey, I didn't specify what kind of music would be playing in my ears...

Oh, dear.
I shudder to think
what it could be...

Nope!

Have a wonderful trip!!!

Thanks, Tracy!

I (and at least 3/4 of the entire Dis) cannot wait to hear about it!!!!!

Oh? Did you want
me to write about it?

 

[docsoliday1]

Sorry I've been a bit AWOL
last few days.
Been pretty busy either at work
or at home.

Got a trip coming up in a few
days apparently...
Should think about getting
ready for that too.

Considering I'm planning on meeting up with you again, you better!

 

[pkondz]

Considering I'm planning on meeting up with you again, you better!

May 3rd...
Sometime after 4pm.

 

[pkondz]

Where There's Smoke...

Guess what time I
woke up this morning?
Again... no clue!
No notes!
I'm going to go out
on a limb and say...

Sometime between
5am and noon.

Narrows it down a bit.


I broke down the tent,
packed up my stuff
and headed out.

I was very near the
Canada/US border
so that was first up.

By now, you know the drill.
Lather, rinse, repeat, repot.
Poop... you know how it goes.


As I drove to my first stop
of the day, I saw a coyote
crossing the road.

Why did the coyote cross
the road?

To get to the Acme store
of course.


Some things are obvious.


I pulled over to take a quick
photo of him before he
hurried off to buy rocket
propelled roller skates
or the like.

(sorry about the quality. took it through the window.)

About an hour after leaving
camp and crossing the
heavily fortified 49th parallel
(There was a guy there...
I presume he had a pistol...)
I arrived at my first stop of the day.

I parked the car and
set out on foot.
The walk wasn't overly
strenuous, but if you had
mobility issues, it might be.
For me, it was about a 15-20
minute hike through some
nice scenery.

Eventually, I arrived at the
falls, themselves.

Well worth the hike, I think.

You can certainly see how
it got its name.
Beautiful falls.


After spending a few minutes
just taking it in...
I hiked back to the car
and headed out.
I still had some driving
ahead of me today.

3 hours later, I stopped
at one of the more curious
sights in Canada.

Spotted Lake.

Why is Spotted Lake
such a curious sight?
Well because it's a
saline endorheic alkali
lake, of course!

Why else?

Now that you know...

What?
You have no idea what
that means?

Well, neither do I, really.
But that's what Google
told me.

The lake is highly concentrated
with various minerals.

(If you're interested, according
to the all-knowing internets, they're
magnesium sulfate, calcium and
sodium sulphates, with high
concentrations of eight other minerals
and lower amounts of silver and titanium.)

What happens is that as the summer
progresses, the water slowly
evaporates, leaving colourful
rings, or spots, on the water.

Unfortunately, this was still
fairly early in the summer
so the "spots" were just
starting to become visible.

If you look closely at the
following photos I took,
you can just make out
the rings on the water.

I didn't stay long.
The lake was on my way,
so I wasn't disappointed
overly much.
But I'm glad I didn't drive
too far out of the way
to see it.

Well... okay, it added
about two hours to
my drive...
But luckily, I had another
stop that was just
twenty minutes
down the road that I
would have missed
had I not gone that way...


The Okanagan Valley
in British Columbia
is one of Canada's
wine growing regions.
I'd had wines from there
before, so making a stop
here was a nice diversion.

Soon, the forests gave way
to mile upon mile of
grapes growing on vines.​

I arrived here:

I parked in the parking lot
and set out on foot.

Mmmm… blueberries...
I picked one and...

Spat it out.

Blech!
Not blueberries.
Or if they were, they weren't
ripe yet or something.
Sour.
I have picked blueberries
before and they were very
low to the ground, so...
Maybe these were something else.

A botanist, I am not.


I came to the end of the path
and found the winery/restaurant.​

I ordered a tasting
of three different white
wines and headed out
to sit and sip.

After tasting the wines,
I bought two bottles of
ice wine.
I gave one to my Dad
as a gift.

I left the winery and...
Well... I don't care for
insults or insensitive
comments.
Nor do I like seeing
cruel comments
posted for all to see.

So when I saw this,
I was quite dismayed.

Just because they're not
the most intelligent marmots
in the world, doesn't mean
you have to call them slow.
And to tell everyone!

Inexcusable.


Shaking my head,
I drove on.
But just a few minutes
later, a sign caught my
eye (a different one)
and I made a slight detour to...

Medici's Gelateria.

Well worth the stop.
No idea what I had, now.
But I'm betting it was
probably two scoops.
And... if I had to guess...
Maybe the lime and the mirtillo?
No idea what "mirtillo" is...
but it appeals to me, so...

I sat and enjoyed my
gelato.
One more push until
stopping for the night.

I had three hours to go,
but almost exactly
halfway in between
was a Harley dealership.
I was quite surprised
to see these two bikes
on display.​

Maybe not so much the '46,
but the 1913... both with
original paint???

Wow.

I grabbed my pokerchip
and drove another
hour and a half to
Monte Lake Campground.

(sorry again. front windshield this time)

Nice enough little place.
It was close to the highway,
so not overly quiet though.
Still, I'd stay again.

My view down from my campsite.
I'm showing you this to give you
an idea of how the campsites
were laid out in tiers, or terraces.

I had finally got myself all
ready for the evening
and thought, since there was
a fire pit and wood available,
that I would relax with a nice
campfire.

Ahhhh….
This... now this is what
I've been waiting for all day!
Nice weather... beautiful evening...
crackling fire...

"EXCUSE ME!"

Jus wish I had some marshmallows
or hot dogs to...

"EXCUSE ME!!!"

I looked up the hill.
A woman was standing
by her RV and calling down
to me.

"Didn't you know there's a
total ban on campfires?"

Oh.

I sadly and reluctantly
put out my fire.

I crawled into my tent
and called it a night.

Later, after the sun went down
and the sounds of the campground
faded into slumber,
I crept out from my tent
to take a photo of the starry night.

And I think that's a good
place to leave off for now.

One more update and this
portion of the TR will be over,
I think.


Keep your cheering to a minimum.




Map over the last day:

In case you didn't see it
in the last chapter:

Did you see it in this chapter?


Coming up: The final push! (I think)

Chapter 21. Falling Down​

 

[Tracy161]

Oh? Did you want
me to write about it?

Poop... you know how it goes.

Well, at least that made for a less constipated-looking border crossing?

For me, it was about a 15-20
minute hike through some
nice scenery.

Nice scenery!? I think you undersold it Absolutely GORGEOUS photos! (and even the blurry ones weren't bad)

One more day!!! Have an amazing time!!!

 

[missjackiemcg]

BEAUTIFUL photos!!!! I really love the waterfall pictures. Did you do any editing to make the water look so perfect?!

Maybe not so much the '46,
but the 1913... both with
original paint???

That is pretty incredible!! I couldn't help but noticed they spelled original wrong on the sign....that's just the teacher in me!

Just stunning!!

 

[pkondz]

Well, at least that made for a less constipated-looking border crossing?

No... that was after.
Sometimes those things
scare the sh... heck
out of me.

Nice scenery!? I think you undersold it Absolutely GORGEOUS photos! (and even the blurry ones weren't bad)

Thank you!

One more day!!! Have an amazing time!!!

Thanks, Tracy!

 

[pkondz]

BEAUTIFUL photos!!!! I really love the waterfall pictures. Did you do any editing to make the water look so perfect?!

Thanks!
Most of the work was
done in camera.
I slowed my shutter speed
and closed down the aperture
to compensate.
(Sorry, don't have the specs
with me right now.)

In post, I did minimal editing.
Mostly adjusting the curves
a teeny bit and bumping up
the saturation by about 7%
or so.

I don't remember now,
but it's also possible I either
darkened or lightened some
trees if they were too light/dark.

That is pretty incredible!! I couldn't help but noticed they spelled original wrong on the sign....that's just the teacher in me!

Oh, no.
That's how they spelled
it back then.





And... I couldn't help but
notice... my mom was a teacher...
that you wrote:
"I couldn't help but noticed they spelled..."

Then again, maybe "noticed" is the orignal
way of spelling "notice".



(You know I'm teasing you, right?)

Just stunning!!

Thank you!!

 

[vamassey1]

(sorry about the quality. took it through the window.)

He's a pretty good size.

For me, it was about a 15-20
minute hike through some
nice scenery.

Very nice scenery.

You can certainly see how
it got its name.
Beautiful falls.

Yest they are Beautiful and your pictures are pretty great too.

If you look closely at the
following photos I took,
you can just make out
the rings on the water.

I can just see them.

Blech!
Not blueberries.
Or if they were, they weren't
ripe yet or something.
Sour.
I have picked blueberries
before and they were very
low to the ground, so...
Maybe these were something else.

A botanist, I am not.

Hopefully not poisonous too.

Everyone of these look good. I would have had a hard time choosing.

Maybe not so much the '46,
but the 1913... both with
original paint???

Pretty cool.

"Didn't you know there's a
total ban on campfires?"

Oh.

You're such a rebel.

I didn't see it this time.

 

[pkondz]

He's a pretty good size.

He's had a steady diet
of roadrunner.

Very nice scenery.

It was! I enjoyed
the short hike.

Yest they are Beautiful and your pictures are pretty great too.

Thanks Vanessa!

I can just see them.

Not easy.
It was easier in real life.
In the photo, you could
mistake them for waves.
Except they didn't move.

Hopefully not poisonous too.

Oh, they were.
I died.
Tragic.

Everyone of these look good. I would have had a hard time choosing.

I know!
And I did!!!

Pretty cool.

You're such a rebel.

Burn baby, burn.

I didn't see it this time.

I'm sneaky some times.

 

[pkondz]

Okay peeps.​

​

This time tomorrow​

I will just be touching down​

in Orlando.​

Elle and I will be anxiously​

awaiting to get out and​

see what warmth feels like.​

​

Guess what?​

It's flippin' snowing here again!!!​

​

​

​

So if I don't reply for a few days...​

That might be why.​

 

[vamassey1]

He's had a steady diet
of roadrunner.

He's been eating good. It's nice to know he finally caught a roadrunner.

Oh, they were.
I died.
Tragic.

You make a really good ghost, which makes sense since you like HM so much.