Good Morning, Bay of Fundy. Cape Split, Nova Scotia
Dear Ms. Caperton, Because of the long time since your last post, I’ve concluded that you have taken a turn off the open road life toward something else. So, I wanted to thank you for sharing your adventures, and for letting us (me) learn about your remarkable family.
I had hoped (I’m an accomplished procrastinator) to trade trail-craft with you and learn more about your kit and kaboodle e.g.
why do you use a trailer rather than a van (one less axle)? –do your dogs sleep in the trailer or outside? –what’s your experience with mosquitoes? –what are your absolute travel necessaries? (mine are back scratcher, kept within reach esp. while driving; flyswatter; night-time water bottle). I was also going to plague you with questions about your electrics.
But onward. Happy trails.
New Wheels, New Roads, New Watersheds
Several of you have written me emails over the past six months, wishing me well and wondering what I’m up to these days. I’m still at it, living the dream, all day, every day. I have been taking a break from blogging, but I’m still living the life. I’m just focusing my time and creative energy elsewhere, on other endeavors. Right now, my copilots and I are in New England, having driven a Volkswagen Eurovan from Montana to Nova Scotia on the Trans-Canadian Highway.
Nova Scotia D.O.G.
I’m still learning new lessons every day too: the road is all fun and games until your ride decides to break down in Nova Scotia and you’re 4,000 miles from home with two dogs and a borrowed van with a dying transmission. It seems my good car karma has run out, temporarily. There’s no easy way home, no easy way out, no easy way down, but we’re figuring it out one decision at a time. Van or no van, we’re moving forward, enjoying the hell out of life on the open road.
Bay of Funday, Alma Harbor at low tide
High tide, 6 hours later
To answer your questions: I bought a trailer because I had a good tow vehicle at the time (my 2004 Subaru Impreza, the Raven) and I wanted to stick with it. Right now I’m traveling in a borrowed van because we’re on the east coast, visiting friends and families in major cities and we don’t want to be towing or parking a trailer in east coast traffic. We can sleep in the van anywhere – on our 3 week journey across Canada we didn’t pay for a single night. We stayed in the van every night and had no trouble finding places to park safely and legally for free.
Our VW van “Stella Jo” parked in a free campsite in the blueberry bushes on Cape Breton.
The dogs sleep inside, always, of course. Bowie’s 12 now and one of his favorite hobbies is being comfortable. He’s all about the memory foam, sleeping bags and pillows. He’s earned every feather. Dio usually sleeps on the floor in the trailer or under the bed. We all fit just fine in the van too.
Part-newfie King Bowie getting a glimpse of Newfoundland in the distance from Cape Breton
Mosquitoes are only bad in certain places at certain times of the year. So I don’t go there then. Or when I do, I keep on the move – those suckers can only fly around 2 mph so I hike at 3 and they can’t keep up.
No mosquitoes here now.
Not a one.
My absolute travel necessities can be boiled down to a good pair of shoes. And I’m no longer in need of Ruby slippers. My Ruby ride didn’t make the cut. After a summer of check engine lights and mysterious overheating, we parted ways. My next pair of shoes will need to be a bit wilder! Happy trails to you all, too!
Another Rover? Why Not!
