Ray - Posts

We got an early start today as we left Seven Feathers Casino, OR, and crossed into Califonia on I5. We were trying to stay ahead of some cold air pouring in from the north. A winter storm warning is starting soon for the Siskiyou Pass area and Shasta area. We made it safely into CA, no frozen stuff just rain and fog. Not a problem for a Vancouver Islander. We drove for 5 hours until the sun came out and temperatures hit 60F. :) We're Overnighting at the Colusa Casino north of Sacramento. Tomorrow, we move to a rice farm for a 3-night stay. It's a Harvest Hosts location I picked because it's just a few miles from the Sacramento NWR. Late November is peak time for waterfowl! So looking forward to some bird watching. Here are a few pics of the trip and our sunny spot at the casino. Just a dirt parking lot but free.

Views of Spectacular Cannon Beach, OR + Two Free Harvest Hosts Stopovers - We continue our snowbird trip south into Oregon across the Columbia River on the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Two Harvest Host stopovers are sandwiched with a walk in spectacular Cannon Beach. Footage from River Run RV Park on the coast of Washington State and the Blue Heron French Cheese Company in Tillamook, Oregon. https://youtu.be/JdiBxC8GA1I

Related Links:
2024/25 Snowbird Trip Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp14lzXh07ulXHisuxeElZWOnm6lijC7N...
Harvest Hosts 30% Discount Link - https://www.harvest-hosts.com/NZB2XK/2CTPL/...
River Run RV Park - https://stayatriverrun.com/
Blue Heron French Cheese Company - https://www.blueheronoregon.com/
Tolovana SRA Cannon Beach - https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=141...

We visited Shore Acres State Park on the Oregon Coast today. It was a fine fall day for some big wave-watching! 🌊😍

Moving day yesterday from Tillamook down to Winchester Bay. Here are a few shots from along the way. Boiler Bay Wayside and near Heceta Head Lighthouse. The beach below was covered with sea lions. King Tides starts tomorrow, gonna check out the famous Shore Acres State Park viewpoints.

Crossed over into Oregon yesterday with a brief sunny break as we passed Cannon Beach. Couldn't resist a stop for a walk on a favorite beach.

Our 2024/25 snowbird trip begins with a journey across the Strait of Juan de Fuca aboard the Black Ball Ferry Line M.V. Coho. We took the 4 pm sailing out of Victoria, BC, to Port Angeles, Washington. Our 44-foot-long rig and the two of us cost $248. It's early November, so a tad cool, but the winds were light, and the sun poked through, making for a gorgeous scene as the ferry slowly motored out of Victoria's famous inner harbor.

We arrived in Port Angeles in the dark 90 minutes later and proceeded to our first stop, the 7 Cedars Casino, about half an hour's drive east on Highway 101. The casino offers overnight RV parking in a large lot. https://7cedars.com/rv-lot/

The ferry and border crossing was smooth sailing. We look forward to heading to the Oregon Coast next for some fall storm watching as the King Tides are on tap November 15th -17th. The highest tides of the season are sure to put on a wave-crashing show!
https://youtu.be/EzvadTz8qWY

Our snowbird journey south has begun! We crossed over a couple of days ago aboard the MV Coho ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. Our first stop was at 7 Cedars Casino near Sequim, WA. Nice big parking lot and up to 3 days stay. Will have a video out later today with scenes from the ferry trip. It was a beautiful fall evening leaving Victoria's inner harbor.

Interesting trees I spotted on the shoreline of Rathtrevor Provincial Park, Vancouver Island. The ocean has eroded the beach from right under them but still standing.

This video provides an update on what we have been doing in October now that boating season has ended. We have stayed in 3 RV parks so far.
First, a 2 week stay at Sunlund RV Park in Lund, north of Powell River, then Puntledge RV Park in Courtenay, and down to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville.

https://youtu.be/DC2VaEJq8lA

Related Links:
Sunlund RV Park - https://www.campspot.com/park/sunlund-by-the-sea-rv-park-and-cabins...
Puntledge RV Park - https://www.puntledgerv.ca/
Rathtrevor Beach PP - https://bcparks.ca/rathtrevor-beach-park/...
LYRV&B Substack - https://loveyourrv.substack.com/

Stopped off for a few days at the Puntledge RV Park near Courtenay on Vancouver Island. It's off-season now, so the lower camping section is almost empty. It's close to the river, a short walk away, and the salmon are running upstream now. It's so cool to see and brings lots of other life, like birds, seals, otters, and human anglers.

Came across a classic Vancouver Island fall scene on today's walk. Anglers catching salmon coming up the river in Courtenay, BC

Added a final video to the winterization posts - A Look at the Boat’s Winter Storage Cover https://www.loveyourrv.com/winterizing-our-boats-plumbing-systems-34-chb-trawler/...
For anyone curious, this is what it looks like inside our boat’s winter cover and how it’s set up for months of dry-land storage.
https://youtu.be/LInxSZYtq9I

We bid farewell to Sunlund RV Park today after a pleasant 2-week stay and took the Powell River to Comox Ferry to Vancouver Island. It turned out to be a lovely day with a calm crossing. So far, the old Cougar fiver and Ram pickup haven't missed a beat. Towed nice and smooth. :)

Today was a dry, low-wind day in Lund, so I was able to put on our boat Vestri's three piece cover. With just a bit more tweaking and tightening, it will be ready for the winter.

Prepping Boat Engine & other Systems for Winter Storage
This video details my steps to winterize our 1976 CHB trawler Ford Lehman diesel engine and various other equipment onboard. https://youtu.be/czjMfAH-b8U

Well, with the first storm of the fall season on the horizon, we decided to get Vestri pulled out of the water and safe and sound on dry land. All went smoothly, and we are now moving stuff back into the RV and organizing our storage room. Once that is done, I will winterize the boat and put the cover on. Soon, we will be heading south in the RV for our desert boondocking adventures!
https://youtu.be/91OY1RXuB9E

Boating season is over, and Vestri is up on the hard Jack's Boat Yard. The fall weather was getting a bit stormy, so we decided to head in, but it was a great boating season. Now, we will move all our stuff into the Cougar, winterize the boat, and prepare to head south in the RV!

It's late in the British Columbia boating season, and we have the popular Walsh Cove Provincial Park anchorage all to ourselves. Here is a panorama of the view after a late summer rain storm passed. The ocean was calm, casting pretty reflections.