The south end of the beach at Hua Hin, Thailand.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Hua Hin, Thailand.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Maldives on March 23rd.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Travel deals

January is typically a slow month for the travel industry. Most people took time off at Christmas, and they will go back to work on Monday when their children go back to school. And they spent a lot of money at Christmas and don't have any left to spend on travel.

And so the January deals start.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Rest stops while on a road trip

When we're in the motorhome, we don't often travel on the major 4 lane highways. Usually, we're not in that much of a rush, and we enjoy the scenery and the slower pace of the secondary back roads. But during our recent road trip to Nova Scotia, we used secondary roads while going there, and the main 4 lane highways coming back.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Party

We all went to a party last night. It was kind of another celebration of Lindsey and Justin's wedding from October 3rd...mostly for relatives of Justin's Dad's and stepmom Jane's side of the family who couldn't make it to the wedding back in Ottawa.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Bald Eagles

About a 20 minute drive from here is a really good spot to see bald eagles. The eagles normally go south during the winter, not because the cold bothers them, but because it's easier for them to find food when there's no snow on the ground.

Laptop stuff

We don't do Christmas presents, but my mother gave us each some money to buy something for ourselves to put under the tree at Lindsey and Justin's.

So I bought myself an external DVD drive. Here's why...

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Well today is going to be a coasting kind of a day for us!

We made it to Lindsey and Justins place around 4:30pm yesterday. Relaxed for an hour or so, and then went to Justin's Mom's place about a half hour away. More driving! But at least I didn't have to do it. We had supper there, and then sat around and

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Made it!

So we made it to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia!

Some very variable weather along the way...

Nova Scotia today

Up early again today...probably another 8 hours in the car ahead of us, and then we can relax for a few days.

Looks nice enough outside though...temperature has warmed up to about 0C (32F).

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Made it to Bangor!

After 12 hours in the car!

We were an hour late picking up Alex in Plattsburgh. Made it through the border into New York State and hit a blizzard. It snowed pretty hard for a couple of hours, and so between the snowplows and the overly cautious drivers, it was pretty slow going.

We're off...destination for tonight is Bangor, Maine

Up at 4:15am....ugh. On the road by 5:00am!

We'll try and put a post up tonight to tell you about our drive.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

House sitting

We are currently house sitting here in Kingston, Ontario for 4 months while the owners are away. They wanted somebody to live here and look after things until they get back. So we shovel the snow, and bring in the mail, and generally make the place look "lived in"...because it is being lived in!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Driving to Nova Scotia...the trip plan

Well, 2 more days until we head for Nova Scotia!

The plan is that we'll leave here at 5:00am Wednesday and head for Plattsburgh NY to pick up our son Alex. We should arrive in Plattsburgh about 8:30am. Then we drive through Vermont and New Hampshire and the White Mountain National Forest, into Maine and to our overnight stop in Bangor where we are staying with a couchsurfing family.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Bought a new camera

I love getting a deal, which is why we always try and buy used instead of new. By buying used, you know you're going to save at least the 13% tax here in Ontario.

But I had been looking for a good used digital camera for a couple of months and hadn't been able to find what I wanted.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Ferry service to Nova Scotia

I see that they have discontinued the ferry service from Maine to Nova Scotia.

Ferry service cancelled

This particular route ran from Portland or Bar Harbor Maine, to Yarmouth NS.

Bay Ferries operates several other routes, including one from St. John, New Brunswick to Digby, NS.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Internet and wi-fi security...or lack thereof

We've been going over two years without any "anti virus" program running on our laptop. I've decided that there is very little possibility of having a virus problem, provided you use a little bit of common sense. I would certainly never pay for one, and I find that the free ones slow down my system.

First of all, never open an email attachment if you're not positive as to what that attachment contains.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Dreaming of Mexico

Today is the coldest day we have experienced in over two and a half years! I'm guessing that the last time we felt this kind of cold was in March of 2007.

This morning, the temperature here in Kingston Ontario is -16C (3F). Fortunately, Kingston is on the shores of Lake Ontario, and it doesn't get quite as cold here as it does in other nearby areas. Ruth is visting her Dad today, and she tells me it's -21C (-6F) there, and that's only a two hour drive away.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Free wi-fi internet access

Good news for motorhome travellers!

There are 14,000 McDonalds restaurants in the U.S., and 11,000 of them offer wi-fi internet access.

Starting in mid-January, internet access will be FREE. Canada is following the American's lead, however the rollout to Canadian locations will be sporadic, apparently starting with Metro Vancouver.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Buying an RV in the United States and bringing it back to Canada

We bought Sherman (our motorhome...he drives like a tank!) in New York State.

When we started shopping, I quickly noticed that prices in the U.S. were much lower than prices in Canada. How much lower? Well it depends somewhat on how much money you're planning on spending, but I'll use our experience with Sherman to give you a real life example.

Monday, December 14, 2009

How did we become motorhomers?!

In July 2007, we had never been in a motorhome. By October 2007 we were living and travelling in one!

How did all that happen? Here's the story...

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Restaurant food

We don't eat out very often. The main reason for that is that I can't justify the cost, however we also happen to like our own cooking. Far too often, we have had a restaurant meal out, have paid the bill, and said to each other, "well, that was just okay...".

If we're in the mood for something different, or it's a special occasion, we would much rather buy something we don't usually buy in the grocery store, and cook it ourselves. Usually, this would be a good rib steak on the barbeque!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

I smell a rat!

The house that we are sitting does have a clothes dryer in the basement, but Ruth prefers to hang the clothes to dry. We never had a dryer at home, and they are expensive to operate. Anyhow, one day a couple of weeks back, Ruth noticed that a sock had disappeared from the lower drying rack. She found it around the corner behind some boxes. She kind of shook her head, but didn't think anything more of it.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Canada - Part 2

Despite the fact that I don't want to live here, I do agree that Canada does have some fantastic natural scenery, and for that reason it would be a nice destination to come on vacation. Here are some of our favourite places, coast to coast...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Canada

I've got it figured that Canada is NOT such a great country. And it's possible that I'm thinking this way because of the rotten weather the last two days...but in general comparison to most other countries, they are better. And please don't bring up our "free" health care...that is a subject better left to other forums.

We have terrible weather for 5 months of the year, and no where in Canada to go to avoid it. Don't talk to me about Victoria...their winter weather sucks too! Canadians have nowhere to go but south...and of course many do.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Snow

Well, there's a big snowstorm happening in Eastern Ontario today, so we are missing the warmth of Mexico and we were reminiscing a bit. Last year at this time, we were parked in a farmers field among the palm trees.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

We don't watch TV

At least not much. Occasionally we do tune in to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!

However we do watch a lot of movies. When we settled the motorhome into the Kingston KOA last May, we signed up at http://www.zip.ca/

This is an online movie rental service available anywhere there is mail delivery in Canada. We find it so convenient! You make a list of movies you'd like to see from their 74,000 online titles.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Sunday afternoon drive





We went for a nice drive Sunday afternoon. I was born in Belleville, Ontario but my parents moved to Ottawa when I was two, so I don't have any memories of it. And, we wanted to do the Loyalist Parkway from Kingston to Belleville, and go across the Glenora-Picton ferry. This would be a very nice drive in the spring and summer, with lots of choice spots to stop for a walk or a picnic along the way.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Couchsurfing

Last night, we went to a pot luck dinner. We didn't know anybody there, but the event was hosted in a private home through a website all the attendees were members of. There were 18 of us there...people from Australia, Sweden, Ireland, and some from other parts of Canada.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

What have we been up to...

We stopped writing our last blog because it was a trip journal...and our 18 month long motorhome trip was over. You can still view it here:

http://www.mytripjournal.com/kevin_ruth

So we decided to settle in Kingston, Ontario for the time being. Ruth got a part time job at the Kingston KOA, so that's where we lived in Sherman the motorhome.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Last Minute Travel from Canada


We haven't done a last minute trip for quite a while, but whenever we need a quick week or two away, we like to book at the last minute. The main benefit is that you can get a great price. For example, today you can book an all-inclusive trip to Varadero, Cuba from Toronto for $435 CAN per person and that's TAX INCLUDED. That's your airfare, meals, hotel, and drinks...all included!

You book today...and leave tomorrow. How great would that be?!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Welcome to our new cyber home!

We'll be posting here every day...even when we're not travelling. If there's something going on in the world, we're probably going to comment on it. You may not always agree with us, but that's what makes the world an interesting place. Sometimes, Ruth and I don't agree with each other! And feel free to leave a comment or send us an email...we love hearing from the people who follow our travels.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Staying in Kingston for the winter

I apologize for not posting for a while, and we appreciate the concern from all who have sent us notes.

Ruth's Mom had been suffering from Alzheimers for the last couple of years and we didn't expect that she would make it through the winter. So we made plans to stick close to home for this winter. We've been lucky enough to come across a nice house sitting opportunity in Kingston, so will be spending the winter here. Unfortunately, Ruth's Mom passed away a couple of weeks ago, but now that we've made the plans we're going to follow through and stay here. Sherman will be parked for the winter.

The bright side to this plan is that we hope to head to Yukon and Alaska in May of 2010, and spend the summer exploring the north!

Oh, and we've been living in the motorhome full time for 2 years, as of this week. And, loving it...

Sunday, July 19, 2009

New job

Boy, I have been lazy with the updates!

We continue to wait for summer to begin. Well, we’ve been getting the odd nice day, maybe highs of 23C (75F) or so, but certainly not as warm as it should be, and too much rain as well.I started a new job, while adjusting my hours at the RV place. First time in my life I think, that I have worked two jobs at the same time! But between them, they only add up to 36 hours per week. I enjoy the difference between them, so it doesn’t feel like working full time. All so that we can go back south this winter! Anyhow, I picked up a contract courier route between Kingston and Perth…about 85 km’s (52 miles) each way, 5 days a week. It’s very good money for 3 hours per day.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Road trip!

Unfortunately, with just the car.

Sherman will stay put, parked up at the Kingston KOA.

We're off to visit our daughter in Nova Scotia and to see her college graduation ceremony. It'll be a whirlwind trip...leaving tonight at 4pm, driving through the night and arriving at her place Monday morning sometime...1,600 kms (1,000 miles) each way. We both have to work again on Thursday, so will be leaving Nova Scotia on Wednesday morning to return to here.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Back in Kingston

Well the last week went by very quickly. We left last Sunday at 4pm and drove all night to get to Lindsey’s place in Kentville, NS. We took turns driving, but still found it difficult to get any sleep on the road. Driving 1,600 kms (1,000 miles) straight through is a LOOOONG drive!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Kingston, Ontario

Saturday May 30…7:45am

Well, we have been a full month at the KOA Kingston. Work is going well, and there’s not much else going on. Ruth has been given extra hours working at the campground…she’s now in charge of cleaning the pool as well.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Kingston, Ontario

Friday May 15…9:30pm

Okay, time for an update. After writing this journal almost every day for the last 18 months, I needed a break!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Kingston, Ontario















Sherman and our car at the Kingston KOA Kampground


Friday May 1…11:00pm

Drove down to our summer parking spot today. We are parked up at the KOA near Kingston, Ontario for the next 6 months. About a 2 hour drive from either of our parents, so close visiting distance.

Ruth will be handling the “workamping” responsibilities, which involve 16 hours per week of work at the campground in order to pay for our full service campsite. We also get free internet, and free use of the laundry. Any hours over and above the 16, she will get paid for. I will go into Kingston and get a job…hopefully something within bike riding distance from the campground, although we do have our small car with us.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Galetta, Ontario

Wednesday April 29…11:00pm

On the road at 7am, and our first stop before leaving Plattsburgh was to fill up with propane. Even with the exchange rate still at 1.25, we are cheaper filling up here before entering Canada. The propane level in the tank had never been this low, and I was hoping that maybe by filling it up, it would fix our problem with the fridge not running on gas. For whatever reason, this did not fix the problem. Not a big deal, because we’ll be plugged in to electric for the next 6 months.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Plattsburgh, New York (day 7)

Monday April 27…11:00pm

It warmed up again today, and peaked with another record high, this time at 92F (33C)! Very strange weather.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Plattsburgh, New York (day 6)

Sunday Apr 26…11:30pm

How quickly the temperature changes! Yesterday was a record high 88F (31C), and today we were lucky if it hit 55F (12C).

And they played baseball again, so Ruth and I sat and watched the games while wrapped up in our sleeping bags. Have I mentioned we don’t like the cold!? Anyhow, they were great games, and Plattsburgh won them both, 6-5 and 10-9.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Plattsburgh, New York (day 5)

Saturday Apr 25…11:00pm

We were at the ballpark for 12 noon, and it was shorts and t-shirts weather. High today turned out to be a record 88F (31C) so it was fantastic. Plus the baseball was great.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Plattsburgh, New York (day 4)

Friday Apr 24…11:00pm

Got up this morning and the fridge was making funny noises. Sounded like the gas flame would light and then go out, and then light again, sputter, and go out. I couldn’t see that the burner would be dirty again, because it wasn’t that long ago that I took it apart and cleaned it…but I took it apart again anyhow. Put it back together, and this time it wouldn’t light at all. Now, I know that our propane is low, probably lower than it’s ever been but that shouldn’t make a difference until it’s actually empty.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Plattsburgh, New York (day 3)

Thursday Apr 23…11:30pm

Again didn’t do much today. It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow, and be a nice hot sunny weekend…so we can’t wait for that. Our suntans are starting to disapppear already!

Ruth did some grocery shopping with Kathy.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Plattsburgh, New York (day 2)

Wednesday Apr 22…11:00pm

Didn’t do much this morning…too cold outside, and still showers on and off so we stayed in the motorhome.

But around noon, Kathy (who’s driveway we are staying in) asked us if we were going to the baseball game. We weren’t going to because it looked like it might get cancelled, and it’s an hour and a half south of here in Vermont. She said she wouldn’t mind going, but she didn’t want to drive. Then she asked if I would drive if we took her car. I said sure, and so the 3 of us took off to Middlebury Vermont to watch baseball. They ended up getting the whole game in, but they lost 5-7…and then it started raining right at the end.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Plattsburgh, New York

Tuesday April 21…11:15pm

When checking email this morning, we found that Alex’s baseball game was cancelled for today due to wet weather. And when checking the weather forecast for Middlebury Vermont, it’s not looking very promising for tomorrows game either.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Verona, New York

Monday April 20…10:00pm

Slept fine in downtown Fredonia.

We decided to take some of the backroads through the area south of the New York Thruway. We could have taken the Thruway, and it would probably have been faster...and even though the tolls are pretty reasonable, it was a very windy morning. Sherman doesn’t like the wind. Either does Kevin when driving Sherman in the wind!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Fredonia, NY

Sunday April 19…11:15pm

It was only an hours drive from Erie, PA to Fredonia, NY. We found the ballpark with no problem. Temperature was about 55F (12C) and it started off sunny, but it got cloudy and cooler as the day went on.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Erie, Pennsylvania

Saturday April 18…11:00pm

Got on the road early, but there sure was a lot of traffic for a Saturday morning. Everybody out and about I suppose. Tons of busy stores around Lancaster, Ohio. You’d never know there’s a recession on.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Lancaster, Ohio

Friday April 17…10:30pm

Used the shower at Anne and Ed’s house this morning. It’s funny because their bathroom is almost the size of our motorhome!