The Western Journey

Crooked Creek, AB - June 21

We were so enjoying our time with Colleen's cousins that we got a late start this morning but we still managed to make it to our Harvest Host destination, Harmonys Way Family Farm, in time to enjoy the evening on the farm. We were surrounded by sheep and horses! Mr. Tumnus was mesmerized watching these new (to him) creatures, continuously staring at them out the RV window. We enjoyed a short walk along the farm and a quiet evening watching the horses. While we were there we purchased breakfast sausage, lamb chops, eggs, and kombucha to enjoy later. along the way.

Red Deer, AB - June 20

We stopped for an evening in Red Deer to visit with Colleen's cousins and their significant others. It was a real treat and good for Colleen's soul to spend time with them because we rarely get to see them. Susan and her husband Dale were very gracious hosts. We parked Maxine in their driveway for the evening, and were treated to a delicious dinner, delightful conversation, and a wonderful breakfast the next morning. Kathy and her friend Dale traveled from Stettler, AB, to spend time with us. Kathy's son, James joined surprised us as well when he showed up. We had expected he would be working.

Calgary, AB - June 16-19

Gregory and Mr. Tumnus held down the fort at Calaway RV Park adjacent to Calaway Amusement Park. Neither of them enjoys rides so they stuck close to the RV.

Calgary Intern'l Airport

Colleen was due back at Dana Farber for scans and treatment. Good news - no new metastases! Redeye to Boston on 06/16; returning 06/19.

Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies were in view every day from our campsite. Notice the haze from the wildfires in northern Canada and Alaska.

St. Mary, MT - June 14-15

Other than Gregory's streaky window cleaning job, the views here at the southeastern edge of Glacier national park were breathtaking. Our first sightings of wild animals, too: a black bear, a deer, and more prairie dogs than we could count. Stayed at Johnson's Campground & RV Park with mountains on every side.

Glasgow, MT - June 13

Miles and miles of farmland as far as the eye can see (which has been the case for the past several days). We passed fields of corn, soybeans, lots of canola, and some plants we didn't recognize. The flatness and sense of space was as impressive as the first time we traveled through here on our way to Edmonton, AB, in October, 1990., but much more colorful. We stayed at Shady Rest RV Park which wasn't very shady but was quiet and restful, with a decent on-site laundromat.

Rugby, ND - June 12

Another Harvest Host location. We parked Maxine in the parking lot of the Prairie Village Museum as the sun was setting, got a good night's sleep, and visited the museum with it's collection of prairie memorabilia and (behind the façade in the picture) a town square with actual buildings from Rugby's prairie past. Gregory had to get a t-shirt marking our visit to the geographic center of North America.

Duluth, MN - June 11

We were so happy to be able to stop in Duluth to visit with our nephew Justin and his two boys, Quentin and Caspian. When our trip was delayed we were concerned we may need to cut this stop out in order to make up the necessary miles. Fortunately with some careful planning and a few long travel days we made it! We had a wonderful dinner, malts with the kids, and a condensed tour of Duluth and Justin's coffee roasting business. Seriously, the best coffee! If you enjoy good fresh-brewed coffee you might want to order some for yourself. :-) Check out his website, we order coffee from him monthly.

Almanac Coffee

Indiana to Wisconsin - June 10

Colleen's brother, Scott and sister-in-law, Sue had planned to travel with us from Ohio to Minnesota. Unfortunately they also had RV issues and found themselves stuck in Indiana. We were lucky enough to meet up with them for breakfast as we traveled to our next location. Though it wasn't what we had all planned we are happy we got to see and hug them.

It was fitting that we found ourselves under the 'Strawberry Moon' for our arrival at U-Pick Strawberry Farm. Al, the site manager, gave us a tour of the hydroponic greenhouse operation and set us up picking delicious strawberries in their vertical drip-watered strawberry patch.

Second Day - June 9, 2025

Our cat, Mr. Tumnus has settled in to traveling in the motorhome. He loves to sprawl out on the couch, occupy Gregory's lap, or warm himself on the dash as we drive. We managed to get to Angola, IN where we camped at Pokagon State Park.

This seems to be a lovely park with lots to explore and do but unfortunately our late arrival and rain kept us from exploring. Instead we enjoyed a quiet night in Maxine having a lovely dinner and much needed quiet relaxation.

Finally on the Road - June 8, 2025

Leaving a week later than planned was not at all what we wanted but we tried to remain positive, looking at the bright side of the extra days at home. We managed to get some things done at home and on Maxine that were on the list but weren't necessary for the trip. Breakdowns and unexpected events are a normal part of living the RV lifestyle so we recognize how fortunate we were to be at home when this happened.

We departed Plymouth, MA the morning of Sunday, June 8 and arrived at our first stop in Bergen, NY. As members of Harvest Host we enjoy taking advantage of overnights at vineyard, breweries, farms, etc. that provide space for us to park overnight on their property in exchange for us making a purchase. Autumn Moon Farm Winery was a lovely place to camp overnight. The owners/hosts were very accommodating to our late arrival and opened the winery and gift shop after hours for us.

After a light dinner we sat by their pond enjoying a bottle of their Maple Bourbon wine while enjoying the sunset, then getting a good night's sleep and continuing on our journey.

Maxine's Wound - June 1-7

This is a view from under Maxine. I (Gregory) figured some of our visitors might be interested in this technical detail. Our mechanic, Jerry - a mensch for sure - noticed that Maxine's parking brake was leaking. He did his best to repair it to no avail and he wanted to make sure we were safe. He glowered at me and said simply, "No!" when I suggested we could get by with wheel chocks. The part finally arrived and Jerry had it on in an hour that Saturday evening. If you are in Plymouth and you need service on your RV, pickup, car, trolley, camper, trailer, or dump truck, Jerry's Truck is the place to go.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse