Canada West

Phase ONE

States West

Phase TWO

Mexico/Texas

Phase THREE

Phase FOUR

 

 

 

 

Phase FIVE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction: Three People, one van, a year to travel. Our home is a VW van with a Subaru engine that makes it purr like a kitten instead of bark like a dog the way the regular water boxer engines do. The engine exchange took place over the previous year in the heart of Aklavik, NWT and was first started only days before the last barge out. Aklavik, the true starting point of this Trip isn't shown on our map because there is no road. With all our belongings packed in the van, we began our journey from Inuvik. It took an extra 4 days to trim down the van to a weight that the van could bare. A life of collecting... decisions had to be made. The The extra pillows had to go, but the huge hunk of drift wood came with us on the top of the van. It is a liberating experience to shed years of collected stuff. The stuff you think you can't do without. The stuff that causes you to go buy a bigger house so you have somewhere to put it. The stuff that tells people who you are and how well off you are..... boy do I miss my stuff. I could tell you that Rika and I decided to take this trip so as to shed an old lifestyle in order to adopt a new one. Or maybe we felt the need to home school our son Shogo in a unique environment, providing him with the real life learning experiences you can't get in the traditional school system. I could even say that we are traveling the world in search of that place to call home or that job to call a career. But the truth is we don't have a clue why we have left our jobs to spend a year spending. In fact the only real goals and directions are that there aren't any. We believe when we get to where we are not going, we will "know". In the mean time, we will try to keep this site up to date so you can, in some way, join us for the ride. On the map you can put the mouse over the places we have been and get a brief description of that location. You can also contact us through our mail page and that would be most welcome. Hope to see, hear, read you soon.

 

Doug, Rika and Shogo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase One - Canada West .... Top

Grande Prairie: Dave, Doerksons...thanks for the great time Tumbler Ridge: condos for $11,000 but look where it is Vancouver: lived in park for a month; Claudia' for two weeks; Jodie and Marko's on and off. Never even made it to Wreck beach. Hope:: mice visited our van Penticton: nothing else to do but test and therefore drink wine Salmon Arm: Adams River; October; salmon by the millions Whistler: Congrats Brett and Sa Chan on your beautiful wedding. White Rock: Helene and Don ..thanks for the excellent visit Port Hardy Prince Rupert: best samosa in the world on the street Carcross Whitehorse: bye bye Tristan hello Mommy. Chicken: population 22 in summer...9 in winter. Best bar in world. Dawson City, Yukon. Left important personal item in Dawson (Next stop USA). Start - Inuvik, NWT. It took a week to unload all the extra junk we had just so we could fit in the van. Shogo, Rika, Doug and our guest, Tristan get under way. Scagway: Bart and Dave gave us a kayak tour Alaskan Ferry: 3 days and 3 bottles of scotch

 

This marks the first phase of our trip (July to November) where we were working the bugs out of our van and our attitudes (no longer did we question ourselves about the intelligence of taking such a trip.... work schmirk.... money schmoney). It lasted almost 4 months before we finally took the plunge and freed ourselves from the binding forces of Canada and moved onto the States.

Highlights: Shogo's best friend Tristan; Mom and Scotch; Ferry to Vancouver Island; Brett and Sa-chan's Wedding; Brett's family; Salmon run; Tumbler Ridge; building a house with the Doerkson's; wine; playing $%#hole with Jodi and Marco; Ambleside Park; Claudia and Claudia's apartment; Helen and Don's wonderful hospitality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase Two - States West ... Top

El Paso: passed Silver City: welcome to Walmart Tucson: city made for bums like us Rocky Point (Mexico): too many great people to mention here Phoenix: Dan, Kaori and family were gracious hosts Verde Camp: we almost died trying to get to hot springs here; were saved by Geno and Marla and family Grand Canyon: who new there was snow up there?; took off same day Vegas: now we know where addictions come from Best free hot springs in the world ( its a secret) Death Valley: Storm hits ...barely any rain Lone Pine: hiking in the Alabama hills; still running from the storm Yosemite: in and out... storm coming Palo Alto: Chris in the Irish Indian pub in San Fran Mendocino: coolest place on the coast; great coastline and music; fantastic visit with Brian and Laura after that Portland: rain; cows all over the city Cannon Beach: we went here because we heard the pizza was good Seatle: rain; car show; in and out

This phase was all good. (November to January) Experienced the freedom you are supposed to feel on this type of voyage. Contemplated the meaning and meaninglessness of life, played and wrote music; appreciated the vast wonder of nature and drank plenty of the drinks that Shogo is not allowed to drink.

Highlights: Car show in Seattle; Portland rain and flea-market; Cannon Beach pizza; Mendocino vistas; Brian and Laura and the lake; Sanfrancisco, Chris and treasure Island; Ansel's favorite views in Yosemite (yo-seh-mi-tee); Death Valley and the ride on the wind; The water of the gods at Tacoma hot springs; snow in the Grand Canyon (not); Death slide at Camp Verde Hot Springs; Kaori, Dan, Seth, Karen and Madeline... thanks for the Christmas dinner; Mexico... Sea of Cortez; Playing the bones with Tim and Kelsey; Flying the kite with Jeane, Mark, and Erik; Trading van stories with the Atkinsons; coffee in Tucson; Colossal Cave; Gila river and the Mogolion dwellings past silver city; not the ride to Austin Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase Three - Mexico/Texas ... TOP

Free camping on incredible beach in La Peska Guana Huarto; tunnels everywhere in this city that was made for lovers Zamora; spring fed lake 15 km southeast of this town Manzanilo; just a great beach with warm pacific water Puerta Vailarta; two words: all inclusive Tequila; it is most obvious why we stopped here Zacatecas; another silver town that is just amazing to visit Real de Cartorse; coolest and most unlikely place for a town ever Saltilo, Mexico; ate at restaurant and stayed in their parking lot for the night Border crossing at Reynosa; two times because I didn't listen to Rika Last night just shy of the San Antonio playing cards Austin, Texas. Jesse and Aidan's place was the best place to stay and enjoy old friends

(January to March) This phase starts and ends at Jesse and Aidan's place in Austin, Texas (our oasis). Kathy joined us during this entire phase providing us with an excellent translation and comic relief. (Love ya Kathy). Helped out Jesse and Aidan (Internet entrepreneurs) with their new business WWW.MASSRE.NET and enjoyed the culture and people of beautiful Mexico.

Highlights: Sneaky Sushi; Foggy ride to Saltillo; Real de Cartorse... ghost town, 20 km cobblestone road, 4000 meter / 2.3km tunnel, hike of a lifetime (sunburn to match); Zacatecas and Hostel with an incredible view; Tequila in Tequila; Puerta Vaillarta... swallowed by waves; swimming to bar; jumping on trampoline; Kathy and the balloons; Manzanilo and the Paela that lasted 2 days in more than one way; beach; Guana Huarto and the tour above and below the city; Hitchhikers point (OLAAAAA!); La Peska... fishing, store bought fish, beach, music by the fire with Mexican friends; Border crossing... twice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase Four - States East... Top

Jason and Michelle and the party from hell... Mardi Gras Savannah; 103 degree fever and trees from heaven Daytona, Orlando, Cape Canavoral; bike week, rocket launch and Days INN St. Petes: The Keelers are the coolest; great boat ride Key West is the best D.C.; nice place to visit... ; In Lincoln's memorial on the anniversary of his death... awsome man. NY; The coolest place on the planet; Thanks Fred and Shu. Boston; see France run, see France run, see France run, see France very, very , very tired.

The most eventful, and at the same time, relaxing phase of our trip (March to May). The only time Doug has every had a tan (red instead of pink). Leaving Austin we all had the feeling that the trip is on it's last leg, but a sudden decision to head south to Key West changed all that. Not over yet.

Highlights: Seeing Michelle's boobies at Mardi Gras (we actually missed the event but Doug has a good fantasy life); Who'd marry Larry; Bike week; Days Inn in pool; rocket launch; Key West beach and all the crazies that live there; sunshine; One Eyed Linda and her Mafia dad; DNA Bob; Stephanie and River and the crystals of life; selling pinhole cameras on the street; Chuck and the girls; Upside Down Mike; library staff; The Keelers and their wonderful energy; Lichen on trees in Savanah; nervous break down; "NO" signs; NY, Fred George, Shu and jam'n to the wee hours in the morning on the eleventh floor; France crossing the Boston Marathon finish line; Seeing the Blain gang; and meeting Marian Roth and seeing her pinhole van.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase Five - Canada East ... Top

St. John; eating in the restaurant above reversing falls Halifax; Trevor and Caroline and Hose... thanks for the great time PEI; time to visit us Wayne, Glenda, Kyle and Hanna Montreal; always nice to visit Colette and the gang Ottawa; home sweet home

Return to Canada and on our way back to the real world. Both sad and glad. This was the part of the trip that let us reconnect with old friends and get a little more grounded. Not too grounded. It ain't over yet.

 

Highlights: Trevor and Caroline, but not there cat (that doesn't go for Shogo... he loved the cat); Citadel Hill and thinking of mom's story of arriving in Canada; getaway weekend near Wolfville on the edge of the Bay of Fundi; Lunenburgue; Wayne, Glenda, Kyle and Hanna and the their big beautiful house; return to red sand in PEI; hooking up with Frankie after 8 years; as always, visiting Colette, Richard, Dana and Simone in Montreal.