One Thousand and Thirty - Five Litres

Of fuel. 

We've spent 6 days just driving and we're averaging a little more than 600 kms /  day.  This amounts to a long day in a truck camper - often 6 to 7 hours of driving time. I know it doesn't sound like a great distance - you can do 1000 kms + in a car easily, but we don't move as quickly, aren't nimble on rough roads, don't corner as quickly or climb hills as well as other vehicles. Plus, we're old, we move slowly, take our time packing up and having breakfast, make mistakes and errors in judgement that need to be corrected and accounted for throughout the day ... and quite honestly, we really don't need to do any more than 105 - 110 kms / hour to get where we're going.

We've travelled 3722 kms in total so far and passed through the states of Michigan - Indiana - Illinois - Iowa - Nebraska - Kansas - Oklahoma - Texas and we're now into New Mexico. We'll spend a day or three here before heading out on the last leg of the drive to Moab, Utah. The weathers been mostly good, dry roads, some poor road surfaces, reasonable traffic. We purposely chose a southern route over a northern one across the Rockies in order to avoid any high altitude snow or poor driving conditions across the top of Colorado. We have heard reports of other travellers being stranded for a day or two due to heavy snow accumulation in previous years. This route adds distance to the trip, but it gives us sufficient time to meet the other paddlers in Moab in time for the Green River put-in.

SOME  PHOTOS

The view from our front window on Departure Day: Tim's Lake is still frozen over April 16th.

The snow has mostly disappeared in the bush and LOAF's packed ... we're ready to head out.

BASECAMP 04.11.14 ... " Pre-trip Southwestern USA "

DESTINATION - Southwestern USA

We left early in March and flew to Cozumel Island, MEXICO for a 2 week SCUBA and snorkelling trip. We returned March 21st and we've been busy ever since with preparations for our next LOAFing Around adventure.

The rig needed some attention after sitting since March 5 following our return from the south eastern USA. The Ford had a front hub and u-joint replaced under warranty and the transmission was reprogrammed (also under warranty) to resolve a harsh shifting problem. Additionally, an oil-filter-lube service, transmission flush and a heavy service inspection. The Lance got a front canoe bar and cab-over struts installed. The struts will dampen the tendency LOAF has of 'porpoising' when driving rough or undulating highways.

Front Canoe Bar

INSTRUCTION: PADI Advanced Diver Certification: Hotel Cozumel & Resort, Cozumel Is., QR, MEXICO

Wikipedia: MEXICO

Meeting up with diving and snorkelling buddies Heather & Randy to spend time under a tropical sun and underwater in the warm Caribbean Sea is always a good time. I completed my PADI Advanced Diver Certification.

LAST Camp

Where We Are Now ... Ft. Clinch Amelia River Campground, Amelia Island, Florida

SH*T Happened

We’re travelling northeast across Central Florida now. We have one additional 6 night stay at Ft. Clinch on Amelia Island. After this last one we’ll be heading north, leap-frogging our way back to Canada ... whenever we get attractive weather windows we'll make as many kilometres as we can in a day. 

We have this planned stop tonight to reconnect with a ‘cousin of a cousin’ of Helen’s - Nancy Shepheard and her husband Jim - it should be fun.

When we left Ft. De Soto this morning we chose not to dump our black or gray water tanks because we knew we’d have a full hookup in Winter Garden and dumping would be more convenient.

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Setting up a Truck Camper to camp is ‘A Dance’.

40 Things To Do In A Truck Camper On An ALL Day Windy WIND Day

1.   Get up.
2.   Turn furnace on.
3.   Make coffee.
4.   Drink coffee.
5.   Check Email.
6.   Check Facebook.
7.   Think about getting dressed.
8.   Think about braving the outdoors to go for a shower.
9.   Put on gloves, scarf, toque, jacket, thick wool socks.
10. Walk to shower.

Birds On Welfare

Where We Are ... Ft. De Soto CP, FL

A travel day. Got away late, we don’t have far to go so we plan on checking out some potential campgrounds for next year. We liked what we saw in Siesta Key and will probably try and include 1 - 2 weeks in our itinerary for that area. Other than that, the drive was uneventful ... groceries, lunch out and camp was set up by 4:00 pm.

KAYAKING: GATOR Hunting on the Myakka River, Florida

... with a CAMERA

We had two good days paddling on the Myakka River. From our site , a short paddle intersects us with the river proper, where we can travel north or south - and we did just that. It’s a pretty river and fairly quiet. The palms and riverbank vegetation are thick along the shoreline and there are few takeouts, landings are very muddy. Most river traffic are kayakers and some fishing boats. Not an abundance of waterfowl, but enough to keep us interested. We saw several of the Herons - Blue and Little Blue and Green, Egrets, also Wood Storks and Belted Kingfishers, Osprey and a couple of Hawks we couldn’t identify. Sunday was cooler and we didn’t see any gators but Monday made up for it ... a dozen at least, one that was around 10 feet, a few 8 and 4 footers and one or two small ones. Alligators are only agressive when they are protecting their young or during the breeding season. Like any wild creature if you give them space they won’t bother you. We stayed in the middle of the river channel as much as possible and shot any pictures from a comfortable distance for both us and the gators. 

The Myakka River

Where We Are NOW ... Camp Venice Retreat, Venice, FL

A Crash

We took advantage of the cool weather and got away early on the bikes. We rode most of the day and did not return until about 2:30. Most of the day was spent in the JN Ding Darling Reserve along Wildlife Drive ... lots of waterfowl photos. 

This scene repeats itself many times along the length of the Wildlife Drive.

Belts & Suspenders and A Bike Friendly Island

Where We Are NOW ... Periwinkle Campground, Sanibel Island, FL

NAPLES

We made a one night stop in Naples to do a scheduled oil change service at Tamiami Ford. We were told the garage could handle a vehicle 12’ high ... we are 11’ 6” (or, so I thought) including a 4” safety margin ... Surprise, SURPrise, SURPRISE!!! I pulled through the approach bay slowly and it was marked 12’ clearance. BAMB! ... I nailed the bow of one of the kayaks. I stopped soon enough that no damage was done to the boats, other than a minor scratch on the nose of mine. I backed out. We were subsequently told that they could ‘now’ NOT handle us for an oil change ... so, we drove next door to the ‘Qwik Lube’.

Inside a Truck Camper On An ALL Day Rainy RAIN Day When it Rains ALL Day.

Truck Campers are really just like all of our houses, they're just a lot smaller. 

These AREN'T RV's ... we're not talking $500,000 Class A motor coaches. This is living in the back of a pick-up truck ... a little more space and convenience than a 4 season tent.

They are notoriously poor in storage space and the attention to construction quality and detail,  even from the better known manufacturers (Northern Lite, Bigfoot, Lance, Arctic Fox) is often lacking. I've made some minor modifications while we've travelled, but until I return home and get access to my shop and tools again I won't be able to complete other planned upgrades ... and, my list is long.

Most of us have these rooms in our homes. Where we are living ATM, they're just tinier and probably not as well detailed as youall have. Here, then, for your enjoyment is a TOUR of the inside of a few of the rooms in our Overland Expedition Vehicle.

The LIBRARY ... some novels,magazines, trip planning info & brochures, office briefcase

The THEATRE Room ... 13 " HDTV / DVD / CD ... & it swivels. We have dinette, bedroom and outdoor speakers. We are carrying a collection of approximately 100 cd's that cover all musical genres and are recorded from our 'At Home Music Archive.' Musical quality is good ... certainly better than listening to sound through your cell phone. 'At Home' we have a HI END  Audio & Video Theatre Room ... vintage audio gear, an extensive music collection and a room built for quality listening and viewing.

The PANTRY ... it's about 12 inches wide x 16 inches deep x 36 inches high. Our 'At Home' pantry is about 8 feet wide x 10 feet deep x 16 feet high (cathedral ceilings). We have enough food & supply at home to survive for several months if we had to. Here, we could last for a few days,, but our wine stores would last a few additional days.

The WINE CELLAR .... this one holds about a dozen bottles, a few more if you flip them over and store them with the corks wet. We don't have much of a cellar 'At Home' either, but it is an Ikea rack that holds 150 bottles (never full of course)

The GEAR CLOSET ... this is LOAF's back seat. 'At Home' we have TWO Large gear closets and additional outdoor storage for boats and other stuff. Our indoor storage there houses gear and clothing support for all our paddling, hiking, cycling, camping, SCUBA, snorkelling etc activities. The back seat of an F350 is  ... just ... inadequate!!!

I Muskie a Reely Crappie Fisher Person Bassed on What I Cod

Where We Are NOW ... Rock Creek RV Resort, Naples, Florida

We spent harf the day on a Deep Sea Fishing Charter about 15 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Naples, Florida with Mike the Captain and Johnston the First Mate. These guys work hard ... stringing line, untangling line, baiting hooks, fish on, fish off, pumping the head and listening to fisher persons like us calling out 'need bait', 'fish on', 'caught on bottom'.

LOAF Narrowly Escapes Being Toasted

This actually happened yesterday, but BLOGGER 'time stamps' the entries.

Welllll, this should be a very interesting New Years for us. The Olderlies that inhabit this RV Park have informed us that part of this New Year’s Festivities will take place in our yard ...  we were briefly included in the planning. The sites in these RV parks are designed for the Class A Motor Coaches or Park Models that need 50 feet +/- to get in. We don’t really have an RV ... it’s just a truck camper and it’s only about 23 feet long ... this means we have a lot of empty space in our spot for community activites, such as New Years celebrations. 

A firepit has been located approximately 20 feet from LOAF. Dry burnables (mostly highly sparkable cedar) have been stacked nearby and the designated firekeepers Bill and Gloria, have been into the martinis already.  I spent the day cleaning, washing and waxing LOAF ... automotive wax is highly flammable!

5:00 pm - Preparations are in full swing now. We are presently watching a slow but steady parade of partiers bringing tables, chairs, food, adult beverages and more burnables to the end of our driveway. LOAF seems nervous!

6:15 pm - I snuck out, when I thought, no one was looking and moved the portable firepit further away from LOAF and closer to the roadway. Bill & Gloria happened to bring additional burnables at the same time but thankfully the ‘early martini’ effect must have kicked in, because they didn’t notice what I’d been up to. LOAF noticed though!

RV Parks collect regulars that return each year. Most are here for up to 6 months and some are full-timers that live in park models. Only a few, like us, stay for a couple of days and then move on. But, this is a very tight-knit community. We spent a very nice evening with these folks, we stayed late but never saw midnight, as is our tradition.

... and thankfully, LOAF wasn't toasted!

A Lunch for Bonny

My First Post on the LOAFing Around blog has now been moved to my other blog About LOAF .... see right hand sidebar.

This then, is my Second Post ...

We were on the bikes for close to 30 kms today wandering around the historic part of Naples and the piers and wharf area. Even though the city is busy, it's still fairly 'bike friendly'. This is the beginning of the season, tourists are arriving from all over North America and there are times when you hear dialects and dialogues that are from other continents. There is a nice active beach area - volleyball, fishing, paddle sports, swimming, walking. Many restaurants and trendy shops for clothing and perfume. We didn't shop, but we did eat .....

Had a nice lunch at Sea Salts. I took some photos for Bonny Junkins. Here ya go Bonny! ...

TAKE THIS! ...............   grilled Grouper sandwich with Jalapeno corn relish and homemade potatoe chips

... and THIS! ... stacked Tuna salad with arugula, tomatoes and capers

AAAAAnnnnnnddddd ..... THIS! ... HANDmade chocolats .... WOWSI!

Your MOVE ;)

Canoeing the Petawawa River, Algonquin PP, ON, CANADA: Lake Travers > McManus Lake

A Repeat River Trip Worth Repeating

LOGISTICS (ON, CANADA)

Partner: Fred 

Private Vehicle: Tim's Lake > Perth > Lake Travers, Algonquin PP, ON

Shuttle Vehicle: By Algonquin Bound Outfitters from Lake Travers > McManus lake for pickup

Tandem Canoe: Lake Travers > McManus Lake - CII+ / CIII, 3 days, 50 kms

Portage: around Crooked Chute

Private Vehicle: McManus Lake > Perth > Tim's Lake

View Petawawa River, Ontario, CANADA in a larger map

Right in our backyard, logistics are easy, intermediate whitewater all mixed in with beautiful Shield country.  

The Pelicans, Amelia Island, FL, USA

The Short Version: ... beaches, nearby state parks, historic homes, vintage cars, mangrove paddling, military forts, walks & hikes, street musicians, pioneer villages, some culture, nice restaurants.

Impressions: This trip completes several now, that we have made with Earl. He’s just an ‘easy to get along with guy’ - keeps the same hours as we do, he’s mostly undemanding, he’s interested in local culture and contributes whenever and however he can. His only downside being, ... a firm belief that dessert (particularly ice cream) ... is a recognized food group.

We welcomed visits from both sides of the family during our stay here. Helen’s sister Sue and my brother Tom and sister-in-law Peggy all stayed, at different times, for close to two weeks. We enjoyed them all! 

Amelia Island is not large, 21 kilometres long by 6 kilometres wide. We were located on the central, east shoreline, about 10 minutes, by car from the old, historic downtown district.

The Pelicans, Amelia Island Photography

INSTRUCTION: PADI Open Water Certification: Hotel Cozumel & Resort, Cozumel Is., QR, MEXICO

A Spectacular Reef

Friends Heather & Randy introduced us to this spot. We first met them on a trip to CUBA a couple of years ago. They've been to this resort more than a dozen times and they say the diving is spectacular ... they were truthful! The resort is quiet and clean, food is good, the staff are friendly and costs are reasonable. I completed my PADI Open Water Certification here at an on-site dive shop. The Cozumel Reef is one of the healthiest remaining reefs in the world. There's a nice drive around the mostly undeveloped, east coastline of Cozumel Island and walking from the resort into nearby San Miguel is easily done ... restaurants that feature authentic Mexican cuisine & local wines, friendly locals, some shops and bars, a waterfront area, ferry service to nearby Playa del Carmen.

Canoeing the Thirty-Mile / Yukon Rivers, YT, CANADA: Lake Laberge > Dawson City

For the Fascinating CANADIAN History

LOGISTICS (YT, CANADA)

Designation: THIRTY MILE is a Canadian Heritage River
Canadian Heritage Rivers: YUKON (Thirty-Mile)

Van Shuttle: With UP NORTH Adventures from Whitehorse > Deep Creek, Lake Laberge

Water Taxi: With Up North from Deep Creek > (near the start of the) Thirty Mile River

Tandem Canoe: Lower Lake Laberge > Dawson City - CII, 11 days, 608 kms

Van Shuttle: With Up North from Dawson City > Whitehorse
Event: 38th Wedding Anniversary
DVD Available: Get copy from Store

View Thirty Mile / Yukon River(s) in a larger map

Madeira Beach, FL, USA

Our PLAN

We’ll drive from Tim’s Lake to Toronto, where we’ll overnight. An early morning flight on Sunday will take us to Orlando, FLORIDA and from there we’ll drive a rental car to Madeira Beach. It’s about a 2 hour trip.