Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
July 3 ~ Day #54
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$5400
$24.00
$6140
$113.70
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
6924+00
3826
000
69
11,427
Current Location: Green Haven Sun Club, Balgonie, Saskatchewan
Green Haven Clubhouse
New Friends
We arrived at Green Haven late on Tuesday night and there were only a few people on the grounds. Many people from Regina and the surrounding area have permanent campsites here but they generally only come out on the weekends.
Since this is a long weekend more people than usual are stretching the weekend (Thursday July 1st is the official holiday) so the camp has been gradually filling up.
Naturist Lifestyle
This blog is primarily about traveling on a minimal budget so we have not said much about the naturist camps we have stayed in along the way. However, I think we would be doing our readers a disservice if we failed to point out the advantages in staying at clothing-optional camps.
Friendly People
We are always amazed at how welcoming and friendly everyone is compared to a textile camp (non-nudist). We have stayed at many regular campgrounds and never exchanged a single word with any of our fellow campers.
Value For Money
Prices vary, but on average you pay about the same to stay at a clothing-optional campground as a textile one. The difference is that most camps have a pool, hot tub and free hot showers. You generally get to use the clubhouse and its kitchen, plus things like pool tables, darts, possibly a sauna etc.
Northern based clubs will often have a community campfire at night where everyone meets whereas in a textile camp you have to buy the wood for your own personal fire that you sit by alone.
No Laundry
A final benefit that is important when you are traveling as light and as long as us is that in a clothing-optional camp there is no laundry to do.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
July 2 ~ Day #53
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$5300
$24.00
$6116
$115.39
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
6924+00
3826
000
69
11,427
Current Location: Green Haven Sun Club, Balgonie, Saskatchewan
Today’s Total Expenses: $24.00
Accommodation: $24.00
What, More Rain?
Saskatchewan has received way more rain than they would normally get at this time of the year and it has caused numerous problems for this province – the collapse of a section of the Trans Canada Highway, farmers are not able to get into their field to either sow seeds or cut hay and the mosquitos have been breeding like made and are certainly living up to the name “pest”.
Although it has been sunny and warm since we arrived here, last night we were treated to a thunder and lightning show – which I LOVE!
We also got more rain, but not a lot. I think I heard someone say it was only about 3/10th of an inch. Not bad, really, and our tent was pretty much dry by morning.
More Wildlife Encounters
Today we got to see some gophers and some bunnies frolicking around the campground.
Okay, I may be pushing the “wildlife encounters” just a bit but at least I’m not counting all the moo-cows we see in the fields. That would just be cheating!
Mosquito Update
Now that we are armed with RAID and Muskol insect repellant things are really rather pleasant. We haven’t experienced a recurrence of our first night, or even close, thank goodness.
We should have anticipated mosquitos in Canada in June/July. Just not thinking, I guess.
Just a Relaxing Day
All-in-all I would describe today as just a relaxing day getting to meet new friends.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
July 1 ~ Day #52
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$5200
$24.00
$6092
$117.15
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
6924+00
3826
000
69
11,427
Current Location: Green Haven Sun Club, Balgonie, Saskatchewan
Good Nights Sleep
Thankfully we got a good nights sleep last night. The mosquitos are still around but at least there aren’t hundreds of them trying to sleep with us.
More New Friends
Today is Canada Day so many camp residents took the opportunity to come out and relax in the sun. We were introduced all round and we struck up some interesting conversations. Today is Thursday and many Canadians will have to return to work tomorrow so we won’t get to meet a lot of the members until the weekend.
Canada Day Celebration
Canadians aren’t normally big flag wavers but on Canada Day they all come out for one big patriotic blow out. The folks at Green Haven decided to have a parade and decorated all the golf carts and riding lawn mowers with red and white bunting and Canadian flags. Even the dogs were sporting red and white rosettes and maple leafs.
We are the crowd
Everyone got it involved with the parade to the point that there was no one left to be the cheering crowd. That’s where we and another visiting couple came in. We did our best to make as much noise as possible and I guess we did a good job because the parade did a second pass. Yeah it was silly but everyone had a good time.
Perfect Evening
After the sun went down we all gathered around the campfire and occasionally spent some time in the sauna. All in all a good day and a good night’s mosquitos free sleep.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 30 ~Day #51
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$5100
$62.24
$6068
$118.98
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
6924+00
3826
000
69
11427.4
Current Location: Green Haven Sun Club, Balgonie, Saskatchewan
Today’s Total Expenses: $62.24
Accommodation: $24.00
Food: $38.24
Mosquitos Everywhere
We knew we were in trouble when we set up the tent last night and a hungry hoard of mosquitos descended on us.
Lots & Lots of Rain Followed by Sunny Weather
That’s what happened here in Saskatchewan. There was so much rain that a portion of the Trans Canada Highway collapsed near Saskatchewan’s boarded with Alberta.
So now there is a lot of standing water and hot, sunny weather – a perfect environment for mosquitos to breed.
No Rest At All
If either of us got any sleep at all last night, I’m sure it wasn’t much.
I guess we expected to be bitten while we were setting up the tent, although the sheer number of mosquitos was totally unexpected.
What we weren’t prepared for was the second onslaught as we tried to settle down for the night.
Lurking in every corner of our tent and Jeep (don’t forget that we actually sleep in the Jeep) were hundreds, if not thousands, of bloodthirsty mosquitos.
We both got up several times through the night to try and kill as many as we could. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Many of them had already bitten us, so when we squished them they spurted blood – OUR BLOOD! There are now blood stains on the tent walls and even on the ceiling of the Jeep. I have no idea how I’m going to clean that up.
But it didn’t matter how many we killed, they just kept coming – wave after wave.
We even tried to bait them. We would each take turns just laying there and letting mosquitos land on us while the other one killed as many as possible.
Nothing worked. Nothing stopped them from biting us, buzzing in our ears or even trying to fly up our noses!
In despair, the only thing we could do was to cover ourselves completely with our sheets and blankets and try to get some fitful sleep while being dive-bombed all night. If an errant piece of flesh poked out, rest assured, a mosquito was on it.
Without a doubt, last night was the worst night we’ve had on this trip. I’d happily put up with freezing water pouring on me again or frosty nights. They’re a piece of cake compared with last night.
Taking Action
From what I saw, I do believe that Geoff suffered more bites than I did. And, that’s unusual. Any biting insects just seem to love me.
The main difference between us, though, is how our bodies react to the such bites.
Geoff says his bites are no longer itchy. I sure wish I could say the same. Mine are horribly itchy, red and welted. I really do try not to scratch. I know it will only make things worse. But, sometimes it is nearly impossible not to give in.
We both decided that we can’t possibly go through another night like that. We may even have to leave this campground.
In an effort to try to control the situation and salvage the days we had planned to spend here, we headed into Regina in search of an anti-itch cream, some insect repellant to prevent more bites and an insect spray, like RAID, to kill the ones still hiding in our tent and car.
Our first stop was Costco, who was totally sold out of both repellant and insecticide spray.
Looks like were weren’t the only ones to be experiencing this problem.
Next stop was Wal-Mart who was ALMOST sold out but we did manage to get a can of RAID and a bottle of Muskol lotion but their shelves were pretty bare.
Wish Us Luck
We have now liberally sprayed both the Jeep and the tent and plan to do so again a couple of hours before bedtime.
I have applied my anti-itch cream, which is helping a bit. We have both slathered ourselves with the Muskol lotion, yes, we even put some in our hair as the little buggers (pun intended) even bite us on the scalp. And, we will do that again before bedtime as well.
Stay or Go?
If we are able to get the situation under control and get a good night’s sleep then we will probably stay a few more days. If not, then we will have no choice but to move on to somewhere with less of a mosquito problem.
Canada Day
Finding an alternate place to stay may be a problem in itself as tomorrow is Canada Day.
Mosquito Post
I’ll bet you weren’t expecting a post all about mosquitos, were you.
I’ll let Geoff tell you tomorrow about how things go tonight.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 29 ~Day #50
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$5000
$197.54
$6005.76
$120.11
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
6406+518=6924
3826
000
69
11427.4
Current Location: Green Haven Sun Club, Balgonie, Saskatchewan
Rosedale Suspension Bridge
The 11 bridges road to Wayne, AB starts in Rosedale which is where you can find the Rosedale Suspension Bridge. This is a foot bridge across the Red Deer River that was used to transport the coal from the Star Coal Mine.
The Dinosaur Trail
The Tyrrell Museum is the must see highlight of Drumheller but there are many other natural attractions in the area. The information center provides a map with a circular route around the area called “The Dinosaur Trail” with all the attractions marked.
Horse Thief Canyon
The Dinosaur Trail takes you past the Tyrrell Museum and up to the top of the cliffs overlooking the Bad Lands. From the lookout you can see the Red Deer River valley where many dinosaur bones have been found.
Bleriot Ferry
You continue along the Dinosaur Trail to the Bleriot Ferry which is a small free ferry service across the river. You drive on, the ferry is cable winched across and you drive off. This is a modern version of the ferries that showed up in some of the old western movies we watched as kids.
Hoodoos
The trail loops back to Drumheller and we took highway 10 towards Rosedale again. Ten miles south of Drumheller is the official site of the Hoodoos. Hoodoos are present all over the area but the official site has a large collection in a small area. Unfortunately many moronic tourists crawling all over the area have managed to destroy in just a few years what took millions of years to form.
Believe it or not one particularly thoughtless cretin named “Dave” carved his name on the side of one just four weeks before we arrived. Because the Hoodoos are sandstone there is no way to safely repair the damage.
To prevent any further vandalism the area is be roped off and no one will be able to get too close. Thanks Dave you ruined it for everyone.
Atlas Coal Mine
A little further south on highway 10 is the Atlas Coal Mine where you can take an hour and a half guided tour. Unfortunately we were running late and still had quite a long drive to Regina which is our next stop.
Flooded Trans Canada Hwy
The Alberta Saskatchewan border area has had a lot of rain this season, far more than normal. Many towns were flooded and a portion of the Trans Canada Highway collapsed. We had heard about it on the news and were worried that we may not be able to get through. Fortunately the highway was reopened to single lane traffic just before we got there.
Green Haven Sun Club
It was getting dark when we arrived at the Green Haven Sun Club and the mosquitos were out in force. Getting the tent up while slapping away the little buggers was a miserable experience – but there was much worse to come …
