Wednesday 17.04.13: We had no real set plan this morning, we're basically just floating around waiting to pick up our mail, so we decided to stay an extra night at Camperland RV Park. We did some laundry and pretty much hung out inside as it was overcast & rainy for most of the day. I kept trying to upload the blog, but the wifi here was having dramas & just did not want to play the game. Since we're leaving tomorrow, Ben checked out the engine, topped up the oil & also discovered that we need a new air filter. To even get to the air filter he had to pull off the whole dash so that kept him occupied for a while. Late in the afternoon there was a break in the rain so we went for a walk up to the shop to grab something for dinner - it was nice to get outside in the fresh air for a bit. Thursday 18.04.13: Happy Birthday Chris :) xx In our last email from Su she said they were going in to the apartment on Thursday, so today we're basically just killing time waiting for a phone call about our mail. If it's arrived at the apartment we'll head in to pick it up and probably stay at Capilano again, otherwise we'll find somewhere nearby to stay tonight (we're still about 1.5hrs out of Vancouver). We checked out of Camperland this morning and headed into nearby Chilliwack for a look around. First up we drove out to have a look around Cultus Lake, just outside of Chilliwack. It's a really well set up recreation area with heaps of shops, eateries, golf course, water park, playgrounds & bicycle tracks all near the lake. You can see that it would be hugely popular with families during summer, but not much was open yet as we went through. Ben really wanted a go at the waterslides.... Only one of the five campgrounds was open for the season so we had a drive through & it was really pretty - most campsites backed onto the lake. It was really shady with all of the tall trees which would be nice in summer, but on an overcast & rainy day like today it was really cold in there. Further around the lake were some residential/holiday home areas - wow there were some beautiful places in there, definitely a rich area! We headed back into Chilliwack and found a Canadian Tire which is a bit of a mix of Bunnings/Supercheap Auto/Camping World. They didn't have the air filter that we needed so we went to Walmart but no luck there either. By now it was getting late in the day & we hadn't heard anything from Su so we decided to find somewhere to stay nearby. The closest RV park sounded good and looked good on their website, but pictures can be deceiving lol. We drove past & it just looked kind of overgrown and like some of the motorhomes had been there for years - pretty dodgy. So we kept going up the highway and after a few more duds we found Alderbrook RV Park in Aldergrove. It was now around 6pm, raining & we were well & truly ready to call it a day. After the last 4 dives we'd looked at this place was clean, tidy & quiet so we decided to give it a go & it actually turned out to be a good little park. We settled in for the night & kept trying to upload the blog, but the wifi here was worse than the last place so no luck. And then it rained all night long.... Friday 19.04.13: It was still raining this morning when we checked out of Alderbrook so we headed into Abbotsford to do some shopping. We had lunch at a little British Cafe that was all decked out in British memorabilia & only served British food - very cute and lunch was yum too. Next door we ducked into Canadian Tire but they also didn't have our air filter in stock. To escape the rainy & miserable day we thought we'd go to the movies for something to do. We found Towne Cinema Centre and I felt like I had stepped back into the 90's when we went inside. It was a great little cinema, just hadn't had a revamp in the last 20 years - kind of refreshing actually - it reminded me of going to the movies when I was a kid. Plus it only cost $13.90 for BOTH of our tickets... I don't even remember the last time it was that cheap just for one person! Turns out we showed up just before most of the movies were due to start - good timing - so we picked Olympus Has Fallen & it was great - a very intense movie. There were about 4 of us in the entire theatre haha. The rain had stopped by the time we came out & we hadn't had a phone call from Su, so we decided to find somewhere to stay tonight. We checked out a couple that looked pretty "trailer-trashy" from outside so we kept going & found a place called Fort Camping at Brae Island Regional Park. It's just outside the village of Fort Langley on the river and it's beautiful. The whole park is very clean and natural & each campsite is nicely maintained with lots of trees around - it reminds me a bit of a provincial park campground (like our national parks). Saturday 20.04.13: Happy Birthday Jem :) xx This morning dawned overcast (but not rainy) so we had brekky then walked across the bridge into Fort Langley for a look. It is the cutest little town I've ever seen, I feel like I've stepped back in time here. We browsed the shops up & down the main street - there was the best little antique store that had such interesting pieces - and then had lunch in a little 50's diner. The burgers were huge and I had the yummiest cappuccino here. They sprinkle cinnamon on top of the froth instead of chocolate - so simple, but I've never had it before & it was delicious! We both ate waay too much so we took the long way home along the river to walk lunch off. There are some really beautiful homes here - the architecture is just so different to at home, I find it so fascinating to stroll the streets just looking at the houses :) Once we got back home we were sitting around outside and along comes a bunny just playing around in the grass right beside Toby - there's lots of wildlife here (no bears though lol). We bought some firewood to have a campfire tonight (first fire of the trip!), but it wasn't till we tried to start it that we realised we'd need an axe to split the wood - we just hadn't even thought of it... The bundles of firewood you get only have huge pieces in them - no kindling to get the fire going. And you're not meant to take branches/leaves etc off the ground for the fire, but even if you did they're too wet to burn anyway. So our first fire was a bit of a fizzer but we'll be right once we get an axe - lesson learned ha :) It was probably a good thing the fire didn't get going anyway because when we gave up and went inside the rain set in for the night... Sunday 21.04.13: Happy Birthday Cam :) xx We got up this morning to more rain & still no word from Su, so after sending her a quick email to touch base we headed into Fort Langley where we had baguettes at Beatniks Bistro for lunch. By the time we'd finished the rain had let up a bit so we wandered up to the Community Hall where a British Car Club had a display/meet today. Once we got home we had a reply from Su and it turned out that she'd gotten her dates mixed up in her email - she had meant that they were going to the apartment to check the mail this coming Thursday, not last Thursday. That's all good though, now that we know what's going on we can make a plan - so we're going to go up to Porteau Cove Provincial Park for a few nights. The day was slowly clearing up and the sun was trying to come out so it was almost pleasant to be sitting outside watching the bunnies & squirrels play in the grass - right outside our door. We did some laundry and went over to the 50's diner to grab a coffee (as our propane gas is almost empty). On the way back the sun came out and it was almost hot, I had a big thick jacket on & I was sweating (first time since we arrived haha) and had to take it off on the walk home. It was soooo nice to feel warm for a change!! Once we were home Benny checked the oil & engine etc so we can get an early start in the morning - and I put my jacket back on before long lol.... Monday 22.04.13: Happy 18th Wedding Anniversary to my mum & dad. We love you lots & hope you had a fantastic day :) xxx Oh my goodness, this morning was so cold.. We packed up camp early and I swear we almost snapped our frozen fingers off in the process.... Brrr, i couldn't feel my hands till about half an hour down the road. We're off to Porteau Cove Provincial Park today. It's about 90km north-west from here - between Vancouver & Whistler. First up we headed into North Vancouver to pick up some supplies - Walmart for groceries & Canadian Tire for our air filter (although they didn't have one so we ended up ordering it in). We also had to stop and get gas and fill our propane tank so we didn't arrive at the park till around 2pm. Usually the park ranger will be at the gatehouse and can check you in when you get there. However when we arrived he wasn't there, so you just have to check the list of vacant sites pinned to the board at the gate & choose your site. Then you go and set up camp and the ranger will come around later to collect your fees. Easy peasy! He came around about an hour or so after we had set up and was so nice. A real chatter - turns out he was originally from New Zealand - so we ended up talking to him for a fair while. The whole campground is beautiful - so private, natural, lush and green - so much better than the private campgrounds! Our site backed onto the ocean and it's just so peaceful & pretty here. It was pretty windy when we first arrived (and cold) but the wind died off as the sun started going down & then it was much more pleasant outside. We lit the campfire around 5pm - after Benny chopped the wood with our handy dandy new axe - and sat around soaking up the sun and the views. The sun hasn't been going down till around 9-9.30pm so there was plenty of time for that. There are heaps of birds, squirrels and seals here. Yes, seals! I was so excited when we spotted our first seal playing in the waters offshore. I can't believe we can sit at our campground watching birds in the trees, squirrels running around the ground and seals playing in the ocean... So awesome!!! :) Tuesday 23.04.13: As today is our first day at a new site Ben is dead keen to jump on the bikes and go explore haha. So we started off with a ride around the campground and down to the pier/jetty at the entrance to the park. It was so windy down there that even though the sun was fully out & shining it was still really cold. But the views were worth it - Benny got some great photos again. There are a few artificial reefs off shore (sunken ships etc) that are meant to be quite popular with divers but I think it was too cold for them? We saw a few fishermen out in their boats, but no divers. We had a pretty cruisy day, sitting around reading books, relaxing and seal spotting in the afternoon. I could get used to this... The only downside to this park are the trains. You know the saying 'feels like a freight train running through my head' or 'feel like I've been hit by a freight train'? Well now we can totally relate...The train tracks are about 10-15mtrs from our campsite so when the trains come though you can sure feel them - and they usually come through in the middle of the night! We were lucky because we'd read reviews online where people warned that the trains come through at all hours and that it feels like they're coming through your tent, otherwise I would've thought we had some kind of x-files scenario happening the first time haha. So last night we were fast asleep when at 1.30am Toby starts shaking & rattling and there's the awful squealing noise of the train on the tracks - we both just rolled over and went "oh yeah there goes the train!"haha. Ben got it on video so take a look & listen yourself - make sure you have the volume up ha... It's honestly not that bad though, I can't believe how quickly I got used to it and went straight back to sleep. People (in reviews) have said that they'll never come back because of the trains but I didn't think they were that bad. To be honest the ones that came through during the day bothered me more because I had to listen to all the horrible screeching till the train had gone past, whereas at night I heard it but then tended to go straight back to sleep. It's a beautiful place so one or two noisy trains per day isn't enough to put us off :) Hoping all is well at home & sending our love to you all. Till next time, Loz xxxx