June 6, 2017
The first day of a trip like this is always nerve wracking. Even though we have worked on the vans all winter, the first long trip of the season is always a mechanical worry….so far so good!
We had a great first day on the road. Kees has completely adjusted to driving a 30 year old Westy and things went very well despite the 88 degree heat. He loves driving Van Gogh and having a couple from Holland at the wheel of that van is very appropriate. They brought cups from the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, a tea towel with an image of Vincent (before he removed his ear) and a post card that gives a different view of him when you change position. We proudly put that card on the side of the cabinet in the van.

The drive through the Frazier/Thompson River gorge was stunning. The Frazier was running hard with the spring melt and the steep sides of the gorge made us wonder how the whole thing doesn’t cave in and block the river flow. We finally stopped at Lac La Hache Provincial Park for the night. Bob bought a bug tent at REI as a last minute purchase. What a lifesaver! We think that La Hache is French for the big mosquito hatch! Even Bailey took refuge inside the tent. He had ten bugs on his nose at one point. We are in training for our camp near Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. As we settled down to sleep and listened to the loons calling on the lake we realized what a great trip that this will be and how lucky we are to have two great vans for travel. There is no experience better than a camp in the woods next to a lake and made all of the work worth it.
Bob and Maureen
Chuckanut Westfalias