Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
Nov 23 ~ Day #197
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$19700
$15.00
$17041.71
$86.51
Miles by Road
Miles by Sea
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Miles
16084.6
12056.7
7662
196
35999.3
We Did It!
When we began this adventure we set ourselves a challenge. To complete this trip on an average of $100/day or less.
As you can see from the recap of our final totals, we not only met that challenge, we exceeded it.
We traveled for a total of 197 days on an average of $86.51/day. Not bad!
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
First we’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the friends and family we stayed with along the way. We could not have achieved our goal without your generous hospitality.
We have mentioned all of you in each appropriate blog post but we would like to thank you all once again. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Putting Things in Perspective
When we mention the mileage, the number of days, places visited, etc. sometimes things just become a blur and the true magnitude is not particularly clear. So, here we’re going to recap things and try to bring some perspective.
Mileage
The total miles traveled, including road, train, sea and air, was 35,999.3. Too bad we couldn’t have added just 0.7 of a mile more. That would have pushed us to an even 36,000 miles.
But, to put this mileage in perspective, the circumference of the earth, at the equator, is 24,901.55 miles.
That means we could have traveled around the globe almost one and a half times. Wow!
Days Traveled
I don’t think we actually calculated the number of days we were going to be traveling when we started this adventure.
Oh sure, we knew the day we were going to start. We also knew the day we were going to fly back home. Both were booked before we set out. But we didn’t actually take the time to calculate just how long the time in between those dates was.
Total number of days traveled = 197.
If you apply an average of 30 days to a month, then we traveled for a total of 6.6 months, more than half a year. Again – wow!
Cruises and More Included in the Trip
It seems amazing even to us what we were able to pack into this trip. Here’s a quick recap.
Cruises
Our trip included three cruises:
a two week Alaska cruise
a six day Greek Islands cruise
a two week TransAtlantic cruise
That’s a total of 34 days – more than a month – spent on cruise ships.
Narrowboats in the UK
We were able to spend an entire week on a narrowboat on the Trent/Mersey canal system in the UK.
Orlando and Disney
We spent two weeks in Orlando at two different timeshare resorts and spent time at more than one Disney theme park.
Landmarks Visited
Along the way we were fortunate to visit many landmarks both in North America and Europe.
Here’s a few:
United States
Carlsbad Caverns
Monument Valley
Grand Canyon
Canada
Victoria, British Columbia (a must-see)
Hell’s Gate, British Columbia
Columbia Ice Fields, Alberta
Banff and Jasper, Alberta
Lake Louise, Alberta
Terry Fox Monument, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Reversing Falls, New Brunswick
St. Andrews-By-The-Sea, New Brunswick
Confederation Bridge, between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
Birthplace of Canadian Confederation, Charlottetown, PEI
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
England
Buckingham Palace
Tower Bridge
Tower of London
British Parliament Buildings
Big Ben
British Museum
Stratford-Upon-Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare
Spain
La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Dénia Castle, Dénia
Portugal
Madeira, the home of Madeira wine
Greece
Santorini
Croatia
the old walled city of Dubrovnik
Italy
St. Mark’s Square, Venice
the ruins of Pompeii
the ruins of Paestum
the Amalfi Coast
And, I’m sure there are things we are forgetting. It’s time for us to go back and re-read all the posts we have made along the way and to review all the photos and videos we have as well.
This was the trip of a lifetime for us. We will continue to travel, of course, but it is unlikely that we will ever again take such an extensive trip. It was a great adventure but a very long time to be away from home.
We will continue to have, we hope, many, many more adventures. But, perhaps shorter ones this time.
Thank you to everyone who has followed along with us and to those who have made comments as well. It was a pleasure to share this adventure with you.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 25 ~Day #46
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$4600
$45.43
$5681.78
$123.51
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
6253
3826
000
69
10756.4
Current Location: Sunny Chinooks, Sundre, Alberta
I guess we should have invested in a tent heater before we started out on this trip but it really didn’t occur to us. Last night was cold – not as cold as it was at the Grand Canyon – but still colder than we are willing to bear.
The problem is the air in the air mattress we sleep on never gets warm. It wouldn’t make any difference how many blankets we pile on top of us – the mattress will remain cold.
We had to make a run into Sundre to do laundry and buy a few groceries so we decided to look for some kind of mattress pad. Sundre is a very small town without a lot of shops but we did find a quilted pad we hope will make some difference.
Also the Laundromat had free wi-fi so Vicky was able to call her son T and wish him happy birthday.
Sunny Chinooks is a cooperative where all the members help with running the camp. Jobs they can’t handle themselves they farm out to a contractor. For the past few days a contractor has been installing a fiberglass floor in the new shower building. He is doing a wonderful job but it really stinks and our tent is pitched downwind. He says he will be finished tonight and the smell will only last a few hours.
While he is here everyone is remaining clothed which feels very strange.
Today was my daughter’s birthday and I was afraid we might not have an Internet connection so that I could use Skype to call her and wish her a Happy Birthday.
There was supposed to be a WiFi connection at the campground we stayed in last night, but no matter what we did we just couldn’t get it to work.
But, as luck would have it, we stopped at a little market (Jim’s Food Market) in Clearwater, BC and were able to get a good enough signal so that we could call. The connection wasn’t great but we could at least hear each other most of the time even though it was a very short call.
Happy Birthday, sweetie! Love you. Hope you had a great day.
Mount Robson
Along the route to Jasper we stopped at Mount Robson. Mount Robson is 12,972 ft tall.
Note to BC Provincial Parks: I understand that Canada uses the metric system, but for most visitors 12,972 ft would seem way more impressive than the same height in meters (3954 m). All I’m suggesting is that you put BOTH measurements on the signs so people who are not familiar with the metric system don’t confuse it with feet or don’t need to do the conversion (which most of us would get wrong anyway).
Jasper National Park
We were a little taken aback at the cost to enter the park and the cost for camping, which I will cover a little later.
I will leave the rant to Geoff, who is much better at such things, but it seems to me that, being Canadian, we shouldn’t have to pay quite so much. We had planned to stay in the park longer, but not at these prices.
A senior’s day pass (good for 24 hours) into the Park was $16.60 for both of us. There is no discount for extra days and if you plan to stay a week or more, you might as well get the annual pass that is about $140, but at least it covers most Federal Parks.
Now, this does’t include the cost of camping. For a tent site with no electricity or water the cost was $27.40/night. Although there were toilets and showers, the toilets were a fair distance away – particularly for someone like me who generally needs to get up at least once a night – and the showers were way over by the entrance to the campground.
For the same amount of money, or even less, we’ve been able to stay at a reasonably nice hotel in the States.
I don’t want to sound negative but we are Canadian and pay Canadian taxes. Shouldn’t there be a different rate for taxpayers?
At the Grand Canyon, if you were a senior and a US resident or citizen, you received a significant discount for park entry fees and camping. And, although the park entry fee was $25.00, it was good for an entire week.
Wildlife Encounter
Okay, time to get more positive.
After popping into the Town of Jasper for a quick look we headed back to our campsite and actually passed three elk along the way, just grazing at the side of highway.
They didn’t seem to mind when we pulled over to video them. I guess they’re used to seeing humans around.
They are actually quite large. At first glance I thought the one I saw might actually be a moose.
So far we have seen more wildlife in the few days we’ve been in British Columbia than we saw during our two-week cruise in Alaska.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 08 ~Day #29
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$2900
$226.76
$3726.90
$128.51
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
2155 + 133 = 2288
000
000
7548.2
Location: Homer, Alaska
Today’s Total Expenses: $222.76
Daily Cruse Expense: $222.76
Homer and Homer Spit
From the dock in Homer we had the opportunity to visit downtown Homer via a school bus shuttle that made three stops. Or, we could board a different school bus shuttle and visit Homer Spit. We did both.
The weather was clear and sunny and in the mid-50s. A bit cool for us but, hey, we’re in Alaska, so most people used to living here were welcoming the warm weather. We certainly enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.
Yurts for Sale and for Rent
On our trip into downtown Homer we passed a Yurt Village under construction and decided to stop in.
The Yurt Village will be home to local artisans, however, you can also purchase a yurt – in several different sizes and configurations – as well as rent them, already constructed and in some lovely locations, for your vacation.
We spoke with the owners of Nomad Shelter – http://www.nomadshelter.com – and got a brochure and price list as well.
We also stopped in on one of the artisans in this village who do some lovely art, furnishings and more. You can check them out at http://www.handpainteddesign.com
Homer Spit has a lot of shops and restaurants. The most famous restaurant is most likely the Salty Dawg Saloon which also has a working lighthouse.
We popped our heads in for a bit and it looks like the kind of dive that everyone should visit if they find themselves in Homer, Alaska.
Lots of RVs
Homer seems to be a destination of choice for a lot of RVers. There were certainly a lot of them around in various RV parks. We did hear, however, that some of the RV parks charge as much as $100/night – OUCH!
There were also several very hardy campers, too. Apparently the camping areas are run by the government and the rates are much more reasonable – around $8/ night. Now that’s more like our budget, but I’m not sure you could talk me into camping in Alaska. I was quite cold enough, thank you, when we camped at the Grand Canyon.
The Deadliest Catch’s Time Bandit
Being the home port for the Time Bandit of the reality series The Deadliest Catch is also Homer’s claim to fame.
Although I can’t claim to follow the series, I have seen a few of the trailers and it looks quite exciting.
We were fortunate enough to see the Time Bandit in port while we were in Homer.
New Performers
The cruise line changed performers for the rest of the cruise while we were in Anchorage.
Tonight was illusionist Jonathan Neal.
The show would have been much more enjoyable, but Geoff wasn’t feeling very well and so he wasn’t able to enjoy the performance.
A Bug? Overindulgence? Food Poisoning?
Immediately after the show, just when we were about to head to the dining room for dinner, Geoff said he wasn’t feeling very well and he was looking pretty green around the gills so we headed back to our stateroom.
Almost immediately after tucking him in bed he got violently ill. We spent the rest of the evening in our cabin. Geoff didn’t want anything at all except a glass a milk. We ordered that and a chicken caesar salad for me and had it delivered to our cabin.
We watched some TV for a while but Geoff was really tired and a bit shaky, so we thought it best to have an early night.
We have both been overindulging since being on the cruise, but Geoff and I frequently have the same thing and, fortunately, I’m fine.
Who knows, it could have been that or a bug he’s picked up or it could have been a touch of food poisoning. It’s hard to say.
That’s not a comment on the quality of the food on this cruise. Everything has been wonderful. But, it’s difficult, I’m sure, when you’re catering to so many people and things have to be done well in advance and kept warm, too.
I sure hope he feels better tomorrow. The worst seems to be over but he’s feeling pretty shaky.
Last night was a much more pleasant sleep as it didn’t get nearly as cold here as it did at the Grand Canyon.
Again, Geoff has breaking camp pretty much down to a science now. I help pack up, too, but he really does the bulk of getting the tent packed away.
After a quick breakfast and the essential cup of coffee we were off to view the amazing monoliths of Monument Valley. Geoff has taken lots of photos and video that he will, no doubt, be posting soon.
As we heeded north on highway 163, I checked out a regular, paper map to see if there was a scenic route we could take to Salt Lake City. It seems that Madge (our Magellan GPS) doesn’t have an option for “scenic route”.
As I continue, keep in the that it was ME that chose this route – you’ll understand later.
Gravel Roads and Switchbacks and Cliffs – Oh My!
From 163 we turned onto 261 which was marked on our paper map as a scenic route. It certainly was that. However, it was also a very steep route with a lot of switchbacks and sheer drops from cliffs well above the desert floor. Yes, you guessed it, sweaty palms and elevated heart rate again. I am soooo grateful that Geoff was driving. I would have simply been paralyzed. I would have made it, certainly, if I was the only one available to drive, but I would most likely have done it at 5 miles per hour.
I took some video from the car as Geoff drove. I think I may have had my eyes closed at some points, but hopefully the camera got everything.
If you are traveling with a trailer or in an RV DO NOT take this route. And that’s just not from me. There are signs along the route, before you get to the switchbacks telling you not to do that. Some larger vehicles just wouldn’t be able to make it around some of the switchback turns and the road gets quite narrow in several places.
It was no wonder that when we turned on the road, Madge (our Magellan GPS) kept saying, “As soon as possible, make a Legal U-turn.” Apparently she knew something we didn’t.
But we made it and I’m glad we went that way. It was quite an experience. We have video of parts of the road and of how high we actually were as well, so watch for the posts.
As we continued along the scenic route we saw such places as Glen Canyon and Dirty Devil River to name just a couple. The drive through the canyons was just so spectacular with many different kinds of rock formations and colors. Is it possible to get an overload of beautiful, incredible, awe-inspiring scenery? I don’t know, but if it can happen it would happen here. Every turn brought more oohs and aahs from both of us. One or the other was saying, “Wow! look at this.” or “Oh, my, that is so beautiful.” or even, “Pull over here so we can get a better look.”
We stopped for lunch along the Dirty Devil River. The Utah government has provided washroom facilities in various places as well as honor-system camping in this spots. The rate is pretty cheap – $6.00/night/person or $3.00/night/person for seniors, with a maximum charge per vehicle of $12.00 or $6.00 respectively. Not bad.
Again, it is difficult to describe the beauty of this route so my suggestion again is, go if you can and take the scenic route.
As we approached Salt Lake City the weather turned nasty and I swear I saw snow in the air even though the temperature gauge in the car was telling us it was still in the 60s.
Fortunately, we had planned to stay at a hotel anyway because this was not the kind of weather that either of us wanted to camp in. Even setting up the tent in such conditions would have been miserable and we would have most likely had to pack it up wet – not a good idea.
We picked up some highway hotel coupons along the way and I started searching for a good place to stay. One of the advertised accommodations was Sky Harbor Suites which seemed really reasonable at only $48/night and that included a suite with a full kitchen. I called ahead and mentioned the coupon. They told me that the rate on the coupon was a “walk-in” rate, meaning we couldn’t prebook it. But, they said they did have some available and we were only about a half hour away, so we took the chance and headed for them.
Sky Harbor Suites was a lovely place and very reminiscent of a timeshare resort. We were able to get the coupon rate of $48/night. Their regular rate is $79/night, so it was a really good deal.
The suite was small but lovely, with a queen size bed and a full kitchen as advertised. After checking in we headed to a local grocery store so we could take advantage of having a full kitchen available to us. We had a lovely dinner of boneless pork chops, baked potatoes and sauteed zucchini along with a glass of red wine. Who could ask for more?
As we watched a little TV and let supper digest we looked forward to a good night’s sleep protected from the cold rainy weather outside.
