We had quite a few different tasks to accomplish between Spokane, WA, and Banff National Park, where we are now. In Spokane, we had a very productive day of errands. Within a few hours, we used a dump station and filled our water tank, dropped off Nic’s bike for some service, hit two auto parts stores, filled up on gas and ice, picked up a few groceries, got cash at an ATM, topped off our propane tank (so much cheaper than we guessed!), and got some much-needed Starbucks liquid heaven. After such heat in southeastern WA, we were just glad to have the AC turned on while we drove from place to place.

We renewed our love for camping in casino parking lots in Spokane. Northern Quest Casino’s parking lot was huge, and even though we placed ourselves on the outside perimeter, we still got free and decent wifi! This casino didn’t require us to gamble to stay. Their parking lot provided Nic a clean and level spot to work on the generator. He changed the fuel pump successfully, but he was stumped when the generator powered up just fine but did not send electricity to the rest of the RV. He quickly figured out that he had removed a small metal piece that did the magic of changing generator power into RV power. It took some fiddling to get that piece into the right place, but in typical genius form, he figured it out. Our generator is at last running smooth as butter. We haven’t had any issues in the five days since he whipped it into shape, so we shouldn’t have to worry about it again!

We filled our second day in Spokane with a few more errands and some fun – a routine doctor’s appointment, an awesome swim session at a gorgeous 50-meter outdoor pool for me (haven’t been in that kind of heaven since my days at UF), lunch at Pita Pit (our favorite take-out), a quick stop at Trader Joe’s, and picking up Nic’s bike. We had another great parking lot experience that night at Cabela’s in Post Falls, ID.

Once we got to the border of Idaho, we were retracing old steps. We were in this part of Idaho two years ago when we did some early reconnaissance of the area. We drove from Wisconsin then to explore northwestern Montana and northern Idaho, hoping to find a place we could see ourselves moving to. On that trip, we really enjoyed our time in Sandpoint, ID, a small town on beautiful Lake Pend Oreille. This time around, we camped at the same quiet campground on the lake and enjoyed the same beautiful views we had loved so much two years ago. With the thunderstorms and downpour we got this trip, we were happy to be in the comfort of our RV instead of a tent like last time. While in Sandpoint, we had two tires replaced and our alignment fixed up. We are happy with the result, but we had to wait four hours longer than the shop initially promised – so annoying! The shop also damaged my rear bicycle tire rim, giving me some extra wobble when I ride. At least we found another Pita Pit for lunch.

Beautiful Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, ID

Our border crossing into Canada that evening was so much easier than expected. The drive through northern Idaho to the border lulls you into a peaceful trance, with such verdant green valleys appearing between the mountains. You show up at the border slightly dazed from the gorgeous scenery. I’d put money on the fact that the customs official in Eastport, ID, have much more peaceful interactions than at many other border checkpoints due to the soothing effect of the landscape. We made a quick stop at US Customs first to register our firearms with them. It will be easier to come back into the US after doing that. We expected the Canadian officials to have questions for us about firearms, food, and the dogs and their food. We were fully prepared to stand around while someone inspected every inch of the RV. We did have to park and go inside the building to complete paperwork related to Nic’s firearms, but the border officials did not inspect anything. We didn’t have to show our dog’s vaccine records or how much dog food we had brought (had to be no more than 20 kg, which is not much for two dogs). We didn’t have to go over a detailed list of our food inventory. And they didn’t even take a look at our firearms. They confirmed to us just how boring we are – not even worth a second glance.

Canadian rest stop lunch break overlooking Columbia Lake

The beauty of northern Idaho continued in Canada as we drove towards Cranbrook. We drove past lush forests and rushing rivers, the mountains slowly growing in magnitude and height. Just before driving into Cranbrook, the Canadian Rockies came into view, looking too magnificent to be real. They tower over their surroundings, still and silent and captivating. We have seen some beautiful scenery so far on this trip, but this is what we have been waiting for: the rocky spine of our continent.

We spent our first night in Canada parking-lot style in front of Home Hardware Building Centre. The next morning, we tackled our first big grocery trip in the nearby Real Canadian Superstore. Error numero uno: no dollar coin to get a shopping cart. We had let our food supply get low to make the border crossing easier, so we had quite a few items to lug around in our baskets. We went from aisle to aisle converting: from grams to pounds, from US dollars to Canadian dollars (a very favorable exchange for us right now), from familiar staples to sometimes lame substitutes (tortillas, for example). Most items were more expensive for us in Cranbrook, especially meat. Only Laughing Cow cheese and California raspberries were an amazing bargain. Our favorite find was Icelandic skyr (like Greek yogurt). We could eat pints and pints of the stuff, and the store’s generic brand of skyr was so delicious. We wish we had bought more, and we already found the next Real Canadian Superstores on our route just for the skyr. We of course forgot to bring our reusable grocery bags with us, so the awkwardness of carrying a huge load of groceries with four hands followed us into the parking lot. At least our credit card is working in Canada; we also managed to withdraw some Canadian cash from an ATM. We’re in business now.

We are surrounded by mountains.

Surrounded by mountains, we drove north to Kootenay National Park. We spent a scenic day driving through the park with a few beautiful stops. We love hot springs, and we visited the ritziest one we’ve ever frequented in Radium Hot Springs. We typically try to find off-the-beaten path and very natural hot springs, but this experience was closer to a sleek European resort. We soaked in the mineral-laden water (the perfect warm bath temperature) as we took in the views of Sinclair Canyon. We have a few more opportunities to visit hot springs in British Columbia, and we will do everything we can to get to more of them!

Hiking Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park – see me on the bridge?

We are in Banff National Park now, and we are thrilled to be collecting my little sister Hannah later today. We will adventure together for the next week. We will of course be taking pictures of our beautiful surroundings, but I can’t promise much – views this big just can’t be captured on camera.