On the road again
Trip Start
Jul 27, 2009
1
8
12
Trip End
Aug 14, 2009
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Weather: Sunny
Ugh, another day in the car, at least that is what we thought as we placed the last of our bags in the car and departed from the lovely town of Coeur d'Alene. We knew we had approximately 9.5 hours of driving time to our destination, but what was weighing on our minds was the fact that we had a border crossing into Canada, which could in fact add numerous hours to our arrival time at our hotel in Whistler.
The ride ended up being delightful, through the lush areas in the state of Washington. We made it to the border by 3:30 pm and although there were no lines, we were drilled by the border patrol as to the contents of our vehicle and the "suspicious looking" old military trailer we were towing
Scenic view
. He threatened to search our vehicle but when we gladly obliged, he backed off, realizing this would entail him actually getting off his ass. His personality changed to a friendly guy filled with curiosity and interest in our travels. He then proceeded to inform us that there are several areas in Canada with roads and towns closed due to the forest fires that are occurring across the region. He encouraged us to visit the information center for more details. We did indeed stop and found that we would not have any problem making it to Whistler tonight, but that once we left there was a strong possibility that we would not be able to make it through on the route we had planned. It is too far out in advance to know what the conditions will be Friday morning when we depart, but as of now, it does not look good. What this amounts to is adding approximately 4-6 hours of driving onto our already 10-hour drive on Friday. We are keeping or fingers crossed for the best.The hotel and surrounding area in Whistler is top- notch. We were so pleased to arrive at such a luxury hotel for such a rock bottom price. The only issue we encountered upon checking- in was the fact that our truck, being as large as it is, with a tent mounted on top, would not clear the entrance to the underground parking garage. Left with few options, Jason went to park at the municipal lot, which was free
Scenic view
. Free indeed, but loaded with crime. Broken glass from car windows being smashed in, littered the lot and made us feel completely uncomfortable leaving our car, with all of our belongings, in such a place. After pleading with the hotel manager, she was nice enough to call around to a few neighboring hotels and secured us an incredible spot just outside the Hilton, where the bell boy can watch our truck, 24 hours a day.Relieved, but needing a drink after our stresses, we headed out for dinner and some libations. We walked around until we found a great spot with outdoor seating in Whistler Village, looking out over the cobble- stone pedestrian stroll. The hostess sat us at a great table, with a heat lamp situated above us that we later utilized as the temperature dipped. All in all, we had great dinner in a great location where we could see all the action without being in the thick of things.
Comments
I love living your trip w/you through your blog
Hey you two! Your latest update made me feel like I was there; wish I could have been at the border w/you :) I am getting ready to travel to Denver (via Alanta) tomorrow and I can't even think of complaining about the drive and flight when I read about your many hours of travel... Miss you both and wish you safe travel and good luck with the roads! Love you, Jil.
Re: I love living your trip w/you through your blo
glad to see that you are checking out the bolg. did you see Jay stylin his new cowboy boots? If not, they are under the Jackson entry. Hope all is well and safe travels to you this coming weekend.
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