Harley wants you to check out his new video from the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada! Find it HERE! Enjoy!
Busy in Barcelona
To follow up our relaxing time in Tamariu we jam packed our adventure in Barcelona. To be quite honest though, we really did not start off on the right foot. The two of us took a taxi from our seaside oasis to the train station in Girona (super clean) and headed down to the big city. We had a bit of time to kill so we wandered around with our huge backpacks on. Ended up taking a seat in España Industrial Park. It had the sweetest metal dragon slide! It was massive! I truly regret not giving it a try.
So while were just chilling this odd guy comes up to us… he seemed friendly at first but got increasingly upset as he tried to communicate with us and I had no idea what he was saying. I could not tell weather he wanted my shoes or backpack, but he was pointing at them both? A few other people watching this go down. He sat across from us in a huff muttering to himself. It was quite uncomfortable and not a very good first impression. We just went back to the station to find out what train we needed to take. Trying to get to Terrassa, we ended up at the beach in Badalona. In case you might not be familiar with the area… this is in the complete opposite direction! Our mistake corrected, (even though I really was tempted to just stroll the sandy shoreline) we arrived on time to meet our neighbour’s cousin. She was graciously hosting us for two nights. In the hustle, I ended up losing my ticket to swipe out of the underground. While frantically searching my Fit Bit came off. Matt and I had both gone through the gates on his ticket before I realized. I looked back and could see it on the seat. I made eye contact with the only person seated there and started pointing like a crazy person. Thankfully the young guy noticed and brought it to me. My faith was restored!
So, enough of my whining! After a late evening of sight seeing suggestions, Matt and I got an early start the following day. My ever precious fitness tracker tells me we had over 30,000 steps by the end of it. We started of with Park Güell. It is one of the major displays of Antoni Gaudí’s work in Barcelona, boasting over 100 years of history. Although the architecture is very over the top, it was definitely something to see. The colourful mosaic work was stunning.
A funny little story about the park… and I apologize if it is one of those “had to be there” kind of things. There were a few musical groups and individuals selling souvenirs along the many pathways. The rows of salesmen had all of their trinkets placed out on blankets. A few on the ends had earrings on umbrellas. After walking a good deal of the park, we took a quick rest in a picnic area with a great view of the different tiers. Some upbeat tunes in the distance. It became apparent that the merchants were not supposed to be there. About twenty of them had snatched up their sheets by the four corners, tied them up and tossed them over their shoulder in a hurry. The whole scene resembled a fast paced Charlie Chaplin style film as they quickly scattered throughout the area in different directions. Two community police officers in quick pursuit, never quite catching any of them. Music still playing in the background! It was just one of those fantastic stand out moments. I don’t even know which side I was rooting for!?
From there we walked, what felt like, the entire city! We checked out the infamous construction zone that is the Sagrada Familia, cruised by the Cathedral of Barcelona, strolled the streets of Old Town and perused the Picasso Museum. Though I can’t say I was a huge fan of the mythological print collection, I really enjoyed some of the paintings from the Blue Period and a lot of his earlier work. At some point we ate lunch, made our way to the harbour front and back up La Rambla. We viewed the city from the top of the Arenas shopping centre. It was converted from an old bull fighting ring. So cool! We ended our day watching the sunset from the Catalan National Art Museum with hopes to catch the beginning of the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. So did everyone else! Needless to say, were we happy to take our shoes off at the end of the day. A good nights sleep and off to the airport (it could honestly put all of our shopping malls to shame) in the morning.
Catalan National Art Museum
Cathedral of Barcelona
The Magic Fountain show is about to get started!
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
Pillars at Park Güell
BONUS! Can you spot the owl?
Tranquil Tamariu
So our next stop on the grand Euro-adventure was Spain. To ease the stress of our arrival Matt hired a driver to take us from Girona to Tamariu. Fantastic idea! Even though we miscalculated our arrival time by an hour due to a zone change our guy was there name sign in hand. Now… every time you get off a plane there’s a bunch of people with those signs waiting for their lucky passengers. I always look for mine just to pretend I am cool enough to have a driver. This time I WAS… except it was actually Matt’s name, same difference. The little things, right? He seemed a bit surprised when we approached him… our backpacker look and super casual clothing probably caught him off guard. He loaded our stuff, we hopped in the Mercedes and enjoyed the ride.
BEAUTIFUL! This little costal cove village was absolutely beautiful with it’s white buildings, rust coloured cliffs and turquoise waters. I am pretty sure we had the best balcony view in the house at Hotel Hostalillo. Check it out!
We started our first of three nights off with a bang. And by bang, I mean, I drank too much and was nursing a wine fever well into the afternoon the next day. Blah… I hate wasting days! Unfortunately, I was unconscious while Matt was having beers on the balcony with his feet up. There was no one to remind him that sunscreen is a thing. By the time awoke he had a wicked short burn from the knee down.
Things seem to be a lot more relaxed here. It really jives with my inner clock. I enjoy starting my (non-hangover) days at 8-10 as opposed to 6-8 in the morning. And dinner at 8:00 PM is status quo! Though we quickly accepted this new mentality, it did throw us for a loop when we never received our dinner bill. After our dessert and coffee and over an hour of waiting… we ended up just paying at the till. We kept trying to flag a waitress or make eye contact to no avail. We didn’t want to be rude, and maybe there was a language barrier. Maybe this is normal? Anyways, it seemed to be the case at a few different destinations in the coming weeks, so whatever.
Our perfect beach day happened on day two. The coolest thing about the shoreline was the sand. It wasn’t really sand at all! It was tiny rocks. If any stuck to you, they could easily be brushed off. It was awesome! Strolls along a cliff side trail, walks along the beach, relaxing with a book, swimming in the sea and a topless lady partaking in a game of badminton. We were sad to say goodbye to the little town of Tamariu.
Shipped to Shropshire!
Over a month ago we began our busy and exciting Eurotrip. Sadly, our precious pup Harley could not come. Though he was missed, we made sure to have an excellent time with lots of stories to share with him upon our return.
Note: The Air Transat plane was a comfortable upgrade from some we have flown on in the past. I was pleasantly surprised. Definitely the best one of the trip.
Our first stop took us back to England for Matt’s second and my third time. Cask ales, castles, charming British accents, history and of course, long lost family… what’s not to love? Something always feels like home here. I am not sure if it is the always warm welcome, the comforting level of Stirk crazy, the thankfully familiar language or the delicious dinners but I am glad we chose Shropshire as our first destination.
We managed to squeeze in a rest day before heading out to see the sights! Enjoy!
Ludlow is an 11th century castle ruins with a rich history. It was built by Walter de Lacy, William the Conqueror’s second in command, to secure his newly aquired lands along the border of England and Wales. It was also the principal seat of Richard Mortimer, Duke of York in the 1400s. He went on to lead the Yorkists in the War of the Roses. His son, Edward IV as well as his grandsons, the Princes in the Tower, were all brought up within the walls of Ludlow Castle. Prince Arthur, Henry VIII’s elder brother died here during his honeymoon with future queen, Catharine of Aragon. His heart was buried at Ludlow.
So, yeah… there is your quick history lesson. Today the castle ruins are a wonderful example of man vs. nature. Walking through, I couldn’t help but notice all the beautiful ways in which the plants here are taking back their land. Along with the vegetation, Ludlow Castle also hosts many festivals and educational programs throughout the year. Most notably the Ludlow Food Spring Festival with food, classic cars and lots of CRAFT BEER! How could we have missed it?! Next time…
Beginning its life as a medieval fortress in the 1200s, Powis Castle eventually became the home of the Herbert family. Each generation added to the collection creating a very unique accumilation of art and historical items.
There were literally sooooo many things! It reminded me of an episode of hoarders with really interesting, historical and expensive stuff… in a CASTLE! Among my favourite things on our tour was the pietre sure table (#2). Legend be told, a gift from the pope! Because these marble and semi-precious stone tables are so heavy, it is very rare to have the top as well as the stand together like the one at Powis. Though I did not take any photos inside, I did manage to snap some of the gardens and the exterior of the castle.
Wightwick is an Old English style Victorian Era manor built under the influence of the Art and Crafts Movement in 1887. Though not nearly as old as the first two places, there was still a significant amount of historical architecture, art and artifacts.
A couple of things that stood out to me were the William De Morgan ceramic fireplaces, the woodwork in the grand parlour, and the secret stair from the drawing room to the bedroom. I had to ask to see it! If Lady Mander saw there was company coming she could sneak off to fix herself up and greet them by coming down the grand stairway. So cool!
FAMILY!
Home Sweet Home
I cannot believe we are nearly at the halfway mark of our six month long adventure! So many things have been done! So many places have been seen! Unfortunately I haven’t been sharing any updates over the last month (Instagram only). The PLAN was to travel with our iPad and update as we went. The PLAN was not to drop it into a lake at Banff National Park only a month in. And the PLANE to Europe, could not accommodate the additional weight of my laptop… nor could my back. Actually it was mostly my back. Anyways… There’s the excuse.
So… I have got a lot of work to do! Over the next four weeks From the comfort of my home sweet home, I will take you on a tour of Europe from your home sweet home. There may be an appearance from Mount Revelstoke National Park, Banff National Park and Dinosaur Provincial Park as well!
Happy Summer!
West Coast Hospitality!
There is so much to love about the West Coast of Canada and as wonderful as the sights (and beer) have been, the best part for me is the people. Friends, family and family of friends, it didn’t matter. Whether it was planned or, like most of the trip, spur of the moment, we were welcomed with open arms to each place we visited. Everyone knew we were coming out but not exactly when. A day or two before arriving I would message to let them know we were going to be in their area soon.
YAHK
Our first stop was, Yahk (pronounced Yack), a tiny town close to the US border. Coming from the states it was a natural initial destination. Here we stayed at my long lost cousin and her husband’s place. Though their handsome German shepherd-husky, Remi, and Harley did not hit it off as well as hoped we had an absolutely great time.
We enjoyed a show by the Northern Lights (sorry, no pictures) while sitting around the fire on a Saturday night. We went, unsuccessfully, panning for gold and learned a great deal about the BC claims. We also took a hike out to Perry Creek. It swung by an old mining shaft, rich with history. The real sight, however, was the waterfall at the end of the trail. My cousin and I, always adventurers, wanted a view from the top. The incline was steep, the branches were dead, the rocks were loose and the rope was worn. After reaching the top, (as far as we decided to go) with absolutely no view whatsoever, we quickly realized that getting up was the easy part. The decline ended in a mini-rock slide, initiated by a poor footing choice on my part, resulting in a boulder launching itself towards Matt. His lightning fast reflexes allowed him to lift up his foot with precision as the rock rolled under and into the river. I will add this to my list of poor life decisions.
SQUAMISH
Next stop… Squamish! For a couple of nights we lived the dream! One of my best friend’s Aunt and Uncle have the most beautiful home and property on a hill overlooking the mountains. There were spectacular walking trails, literally, in their backyard. We were absolutely grateful for our stay with them and even hit up some suggested day trips while we were there. We checked out the Wonderland Hiking/Mountain Biking Trail and Anderson Beach on the Squamish River. Just a small sample of what the area has to offer. Their sweetheart of a dog, Maggie, kept the cougars and bears away while we all had a campfire. Harley pretended that he was being useful by following her lead. We were able to make it out to our first puppy free dinner and even dropped $10 at the casino. I know… I know… big spenders! The star lit hot tub topped it of. Life goals! Definitely could have just spent the rest of our trip here but, alas, we needed to move on. Our trailer stayed in the driveway and we headed over to Vancouver Island where we were greeted with more outstanding hospitality.
COWICHAN BAY
Our next host was the daughter of a good family friend. Her paintings graced the walls of a B&B that is very close to my heart. Having seen many photos and hearing warming stories of her personality it was as if we had already met. I was excited for the chance to finally do so. We visited her and her husband at their organic farm on Vancouver Island. As an artist and activist she and her partner have been creating an environment and gallery display to encourage native bee conservation. Their acreage was a habitat blooming with flowers, herbs, and trees with a greater purpose to bring the bees back to the island. They are truly talking the talk and walking the walk. It was absolutely inspiring. Not to mention the amazing woodworking projects on the go! Dinner out at Craig Street Brewing Co. in Duncan had the best burger. Red Hot and Blue for the win! (Matt’s meal… but I had a bite, and it really was fantastic.) We spent the night in a two-bedroom trailer with pull-outs! – A nice upgrade from our bachelor. Spoiled with a patio-top pancake breakfast, garden grown strawberries included, we were sad to leave so soon and have promised to be back again!
COMOX VALLEY
Our last stop before heading out to Tofino was in the Comox Valley. And old friend from Sea Cadets has found himself in Courtney. We were grateful to have someone share all the local places with us on our short visit. It’s hard to say what the best was. We strolled through Stotan Falls and had delicious pizza at a local brew-pub. Enjoyed the Ripple Rock trail in Campbell River and desperately found lunch at the only place open on a Sunday. With great food and drinks, the White Whale did not disappoint. The patio weather was spot on and I even found a pearl in my raw oyster. Three cheers to a tasty, thirst-quenching, wheat beer, Forest Fog, by Cumberland Brewing Co. On our way back through (from Tofino) he met us for a stroll though Cathedral Grove and a visit to Goats on Roof, market in Coombs. There was a goat… however… he was not on the roof.
A huge, heartfelt, thank you to those who helped make our trip amazing!
More of Makoshika!
A bit of backtracking here but we have finished our Harley’s Tale Makoshika Video. Check it out! If you look real closely you can see the ticks jumping onto Har as he travels the trail… Just kidding.
I also dug up a few photos from our cameras that were not uploaded before the TICKed Off! post. Enjoy!
The campsite! Makoshika State Park – Montana
Cap Head Rock (top right)
Cap Head Trail – Makoshika State Park – Montana
Harley and Matt on the Cap Head Trail
Tick City
Harley and Angie on the Cap Head Trail
A peek at Matt sneaking some GoPro footage. See if you can guess which shot it is from the video. Should be pretty easy.
Best dog ever! (I may be biased in my opinion.)
What would have been and excellent shot if not for an epic fail on the part of the photographer…
Cap Head Trail – Makoshika State Park – Montana
Textures!
More Textures!!!
Spring has sprung!
Just managed to get of shot of this on the way out of town. I want it.
AS
What happens in Waterton…
Next stop, West Glacier KOA! When we arrived, after a long enough drive, I made the mistake of requesting a site with full hook-ups (sewer + electric + water) on the first night when all we really needed was the latter two. I am still getting used to this trailer thing but the price (I thought it was for two nights at first) was quite a lot. Needless to say, the wallet wasn’t pleased so we switched to a cheaper site the following day. It was a bit farther from the dog park (fit for a puppy ¼ Harley’s size – no great loss) and was a little more private and, in my humble opinion, a much better spot.
A quick call out to Erika who really made our swap and stay pleasant experience. She was more than accommodating when I let her know which site we wanted to switch to, gave us some tips on visiting Glacier National Park/Going To The Sun Road and personally helped us out with printing some border forms we needed for Harley. Thumbs up! You win at customer service!
Given our new knowledge regarding no dogs on all US National Park trails we decided to take a day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada – The Land of the Free… wait a minute? Where dogs are welcome!
Just a little background info on the two parks… They are actually one! Waterton-Glacier was created in 1932 as the world’s first International Peace Park.
The drive north of the border and back again was a bit much for one day but totally worth it. We got some exceptional hikes in with exceptional views. A couple quick trails we were able to do in our short time were Red Rock Canyon, Blakiston Falls and Bears Hump. (I know it changes everything… but there is officially no apostrophe in that last one according to the Parks Canada website… so… yeah.) The three of us were able to wine and dine on a restaurant patio for the first time this trip. How romantic! It went surprisingly well. Good job Harley. He was so pleased he thought he might sneak a kiss on our post dinner hike up the Hump.
There was no shortage of wildlife on the drive. Still no sign of the elusive grizzly though! (Even though one was sighted in the park earlier that day.) I think I might be okay with this. Great weather, great hiking, great food, great views, just an all around great day. Yay!
Earthquake Lake – Hedgen Drive – Just outside of West Yellowstone
Red Rock Canyon – Waterton Lakes NP
Blakiston Falls – Waterton Lakes NP
Blakiston Falls – Waterton Lakes NP
Bighorn Sheep – Waterton Lakes NP
View from Bears Hump – Waterton Lakes NP
Another view from Bears Hump (with rocks) – Waterton Lakes NP
Lake McDonald – Glacier NP
Drive back to West Glacier
Ab baby black horse!!! Best day ever!
The following day we thought we might set off into Glacier National Park for a bike ride. Word on the street was that Going To The Sun Road is closed part way through but to vehicle traffic only. Great news for us! We found a loophole! Harley is allowed on the roads! We packed up the bikes and headed into the park. Harley was all hooked up to his Springer and ready to go!
Pedalling, pedalling, happily pedalling! Just past the road closure sign, we were stopped. NO DOGS ALLOWED! Whaaat!? Alas, there is no loophole. The road is currently considered a “trail”. GAME OVER. We stopped so Harley could get a drink, and I politely requested and received our $30 seven-day entrance fee back. We packed up the trailer, headed to Canada, again, and never looked back!
BONUS! Harley doesn’t quite understand the difference between a chair and table.
AS
Yellowstone, Yellowstone, Yellowstone…
So, funny story… I thought “Old Faithful” was a dog… Apparently I was thinking of “Old Yeller” and somehow got things super mixed up. Honest mistake. Turns out there are no dogs here at all and Old Faithful is actually a hole in the ground that frequently erupts boiling water. An old geyser you might say.
We decided that we would set up our home base in West Yellowstone, Montana at the Rustic Wagon RV Campground. It had everything we could ever dream of… hot showers and electricity! Turns out the West Gate was an excellent, uneducated decision on our part. Many of the roads from other access points were still closed for the winter. It seems as though we came out a bit too soon. PRO: There weren’t as many people as there are in the summer. CON: Some of the trails were not open for us to enjoy because it was still early in the season.
A fun fact… everything in West Yellowstone is at the same intersection according to Google Maps (the RV Park, the pet store, the Veterinarian’s office etc.). Eventually we were able to find most places. The vet is only open on Monday and Wednesday from 8 – 12 but we fit the window and were able to get the much needed tick medication for our pup.
The drive into the park was quite spectacular! Buffalo everywhere! Just walking along-side the car, stopping traffic. No big deal! Headed south toward Old Faithful on the first day, we quickly discovered that dogs are not very welcome. A sad day for our four-legged travelling companion. Luckily for every trail Harley wasn’t allowed on, there was a group of foreign travelers that wanted a photo op with him. Paparazzi! Tons of attention! Matt and Har will be gracing the pages of many photos albums that I tried desperately to stay out of.
After finding out that dogs are actually seen as predators in the US National Parks and can disturb migration patterns of elk and other animals we took turns on the short trails. I did a couple longer ones with the camera so Matt could see what he missed. Not an ideal way to see explore but ah well. It was pretty scenic either way. We saw tons of Buffalo, the geothermal areas, Old Faithful’s eruption, Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon and a massive swarm of photographers with camouflage zoom lenses. It turns out there was a mama grizzly bear with THREE cubs. Very rare indeed! (Also not many kilometres away from an earlier solo hiking spot of mine… Eeee! Terrifying!)
As cool as the wildlife traffic jams were the best drive was between the Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs junctions. The variety of terrain and views were golden. Anyways… instead of telling you, I might as well just show you the colours of Yellowstone. Three categories… The Classics, The Critters and The Colours. In closing before the photo show begins, and in case anyone was wondering, we found Harley a place to stretch his legs in the form of an old grassy airfield around the corner from our temporary home. All in all, I would consider this stop a success. Enjoy!
The Classics!
Buffalo Roaming!
Harley with the Old Faithful Sign.
Old Faithful Erupting!
Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon
Mammoth Hot Springs
The Critters!
Harley’s Nemesis
The Colours!
Bonus! An alternate take on “HAM” Adventures!
TICKed Off!
What an amazing (yet exhausting) trek across the country!
Before getting into the dirty details, here are some some stats from the journey across America. We have arrived at our extended destination, Yellowstone National Park.
- 3,170 kilometres
- 46 hours (including gas and rest-stops)
- 5 days
- Average of over 9 hour per day
- 13 hours were driven on Day Three
But don’t worry… We still got in a little exercise.
- Nearly 60,000 steps over the 5 days
- Almost 60 kilometers walked
- Close to 150 floors climbed
- Averaging over 11,800 steps per day
- 17,300 steps were taken on Day Three (coincidently the same day we made it to a ‘real’ Wal-Mart)
However, rules WERE broken
- Don’t set an alarm (unless catching a plain/train)
- No bread or pasta in the camper
- Never arrive to a campsite after dark
- No more than 8 hours of driving
- Never feed after midnight
- Stick to the designated trails
Our journey in photos…
Our first night across the border was spent at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan. We did not get too much exploring in before the sun set but were up bright and early in the morning to catch the sunrise before hitting the road. It was amazing! A couple of downed trees on the way to the Lower Falls but the larger Upper Falls trail was very well maintained. A few stairs, but totally worth it!
We drove through Christmas and were thoroughly entertained by the podcast Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids.
We couldn’t help but notice the clever names of hotels on the way through Wisconsin and area. The favorites were “AmericINN” and “C’mon Inn”. Super cheesy! Right up my alley!
Upon nightfall, we found ourselves at Crow Wing State Park. During our early morning stroll Harley just HAD to take a dip in the Mississippi River. Who were we to deny him? We couldn’t quite tell was going on at our next scheduled pit stop, Buffalo River State Park, so decided to pass. I hope it is okay.
Matt had officially declared North Dakota the most boring state ever so we decided to have a little fun in Jamestown. We swept through the Frontier Village, home to the World’s Largest Buffalo! Super tacky tourism at it’s best AND Harley’s reaction was priceless! Unfortunately the GoPro battery kicked it a few minutes before and due to my terrible video skills I managed to botch the one I tried to get with the camera. Just take my word for it! It was awesome!
The sun set over Theadore Roosevelt National Park which absolutely changed our minds about this state. It was stunning. We did not have a chance to stop for photos during our race against time but would have liked to see more. We woke up the next morning in Makoshika State Park, Montana.
Makoshika = totally cool! We loved the short hike we took on Cap Rock Trail. (Yes, Matt is wearing a toque… Eh)
Even our alternate mascot, HAM left the truck to check it out. We drove through as much of the park as we could but some of the roads were closed. Too early in the season, I suppose. But seriously… the weather we have had! Thumbs up!
Back on the road again we noticed that we had picked up a hitchhiker! A TICK! I found it on my neck and it had indeed bit me but was not embedded! Dfgjjngyfsaerykljngt! Naturally, I spent the next 4 hours in the truck scraping what information I could of the Internet using an ever fading cell signal. So here goes my important TICK INFORMATION plug for anyone who loves to spend time outdoors. Our tick count is up to 8, all three of us involved in the catastrophe. We have now heightened our prevention protocols and are on alert for any serious symptoms. And of course, Harley’s pricey meds were on that lovely list of things we left at home…
When we arrived at our destination, hot showers and laundry facilities were overly welcome. But… the most exiting thing… “we don’t HAVE to drive in the morning!”
Be sure to check out the instaham.adventures Instagram account for regularly updated photos. (You do not need an account to view them.)
I assure you there will be a video posted this week! Sorry for my monstrosity of a blog. A long post for a long drive!
AS
The Adventures of HAM 