So many people react to our trip with a sense of envy. “I want to do it too,” they say. Really wanting to get out there is half the battle but once you’ve decided to take the plunge, where do you start and what do you need to be aware of to successfully launch your new nomadic lifestyle? I’ve been writing about just this recently for the webzine Transitions Abroad. Read on to find out more about achieving your long-term travel dreams and getting the most from long-term travel.
Archive for June, 2009
Dreaming of going nomadic? Read on…
Posted June 26th, 2009
Posted in Random Ramblings
Hello… taxi service?
Posted June 23rd, 2009
253km Cochrane to Winfield and a ride to Edmonton
To call or not to call. We sat under a picnic shelter, hiding from the pouring rain and wind, in the hamlet of Winfield, debating this very question.
A few days ago, Andrew’s sister Marlene, who’s been the most dedicated member of our support crew since Day 1 and who we’ve probably given more grey hairs to than anyone else on this trip, had sent us her phone number along with the plea to “please, please do not hesitate to call no matter where you are”.
Now we were 140km short of her home. The weather had turned. We’d promised to be there in 2 days and the forecast wasn’t looking good. Headwinds. Rain. Thunderstorms. It was a pretty compelling argument to pick up that phone. On the other side of the coin, we wanted to cycle everything we could across North America. (more…)
Back in Canada. Eh?
Posted June 18th, 2009
630km Lakeside to Cochrane
The Rocky Mountains loom in front of us as we pedal up the western side of Flathead Lake to the tune of a steady stream of jumbo-sized RVs rumbling past. There’s no doubt about it. North Americans like their cars big and their campers even bigger. Motorhomes the size of a large bus are commonplace, almost always coupled with an equally oversized vehicle like the gas-guzzling Hummer being towed behind them.
In campsites, we are more often than not the only tent around, save for the occasional youth group and as we sit around the campfire, we ponder just what it costs to buy and run one of those big rigs. Later someone tells us that they can easily cost over $200,000 and you can get 30-year mortgages on them! This staggers us. For the same price, surely you could travel in a nice car and stay in upmarket hotels or rent holiday accommodation for many years? We just don’t get it.
What we do get is the fabulous scenery. The road climbs gently out of Big Fork and swings around the bottom of Glacier National Park, where the rumble of traffic is now put to the back of our minds by gushing waterfalls, elk crashing through the forest and white mountain goats licking minerals off the exposed rocks. The snowy mountains are always in view, framing this area of outstanding natural beauty.
It’s a day for celebration in other ways too. It’s June 12th and Andrew is turning 35 today. He is surprised to wake up to a few presents on the picnic table along with his morning coffee! “Where did you get those?” he asks, forgetting just how much you can buy at the supermarket these days. Inside the old tourist brochures he finds a new dish cloth to replace our dirty rag of a thing, a big bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups and some spicy chili peppers to put on his pasta. We also stop at a nearby deli for some luxury lunch fixings and wine to toast many more happy birthdays to come. (more…)
Over the Continental Divide
Posted June 14th, 2009
It’s Sunday morning and after a fine breakfast of sourdough pancakes and sausage (kindly supplied along with much camraderie from our new friends Sam and Jo), we’re making a dash for the border. There’s no time for a longer update now. We’ve got about 80km to the border and much of it hilly, but we did want to share a picture with you of us crossing the Continental Divide yesterday. It’s such a beautiful part of the world we’re in. If you ever get the chance to visit Glacier National Park, don’t miss it. The landscapes must be among the best in the world.
Llamas run amok in small town America
Posted June 11th, 2009
Greetings from small town America.
For your reading pleasure, as we pedal towards Glacier National Park, here are excerpts from the crime report, as published in the local Flathead Beacon newspaper.
No, we’re not making this up:
- 12:30pm. At a Hungry Horse laundromat, someone took clothing that was not their own.
- 1:08pm. Someone thought that several checks had been stolen from his billfold. Come to find out, he had actually written the checks himself.
- 1:39pm. Several llamas were running amok near the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Authorities assisted in a hasty round-up.
- 4:17pm. The Columbia Falls Fire Department responded to a flaming port-a-potty at the local baseball field.
- 4:32pm. Someone called to report a fire in their oven. Responding officers found no flames but evidence of a bubbling pie.
- 7:06pm. Someone in Lakeside found an injured bird, possibly a robin. The individual has made arrangements to care for the creature.
- 7:51pm. A man was wandering about in a pair of G-string underpants near the Old Steel Bridge, much to the dismay of passers-by. Authorities were unable to locate said individual.
- 4:54am. A man was seen hiding in the bushes near a Columbia Falls residence. Upon further investigation, it was found that he was the homeowner.
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