Apr 242011
 

 

You are the person who wants to avoid crowded campgrounds and peak season highway and National Park traffic and instead experience the peaceful beauty of pristine beaches (red tide free), snow capped mountain passes, idealic trout and steel head streams, skiing without lift lines, golfing without tee times, etc.  In that case, I have a simple recommendation for you:  “Do the Opposite.”

When others head south, you head north.  While others are winterizing their RVs, you are outfitting yours for winter travel and camping.  While others are stuck in Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, you are snug in your campsite watching the sunset.

It is an unbelievable way to explore our incredible landscapes in North America.

Don’t be afraid of the cold, wet and snowy stormy weather. Be prepared and embrace it.  Be awestruck by its beauty.

Our 2006 25’ Safari Airstream has been at minus 4 (-4) F for two days.  Nothing froze and all systems worked seamlessly. Just keep the propane furnace no lower than 55 F and the hot water tank on.

For ultimate safety, we traded in our 2010 V8 Ford Explorer for a Ford F350 Super Duty. Three feet of snow or less, leave your shovel and chains in the truck bed and pop it into 4X4 low or high and blast through like you are in a 4×4 snowy truck commercial.

Please feel free to email me for tips on off season camping. We have already pushed the envelope so we know the do’s and don’ts!


Apr 242011
 

Our trip to Vancouver Island in Canada with our destination being Tofino was such an incredible trip. We met so many wonderful people and everyone was so genuinely nice here.  We caught the ferry from Sidney in Canada and then returned home to Orcas Island via the Friday Harbor ferry (pictured below is our Airstream in the waiting line).

When we finally unhitched at West Beach Resort, B and hubby went exploring on the beach and I began the tedius, but yet relaxing task of cracking the remainders of our freshly caught Dungenous Crab B and hubby caught while on their fishing trip with Lance.   I was ready to prepare some Dungeonous Crab Cakes and I wanted these to be simple because  I wanted the crab to the be the star!  Less is more with this recipe — you could even omit the celery but I wanted some kind of “crunch” amongst the delicate crab meat.  Maybe a freshly diced red bell pepper would be good instead of the celery — the possibliites are endless and all depend on what kind of mood you are in.

It is good to be home on Orcas Island and we are really looking forward to exploring the many farms this beautiful Island has to offer the public.  B can’t stop talking about visitng a farm with chickens and baby lambs — maybe we will!  All I know so far is that the folks here on this Island are so warm and welcoming!

Apr 172011
 

One of our very first Airstream trips was to the town of Tofino which is located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

All we wanted to do was hang out by the water, fish and have a great time and luckily that is exactly how things progressed.

Hubby and B went fishing with Captain Lance of Lance’s Sport Fishing Adventure and brought back a feast of seafood that I then prepared for Lance and his family / friends.  It was SUCH a success and we had a great time that evening.  Just have a look:

beach-shot

Here is our night progressed.  Lance brought his big crab steamer that we placed over the campfire and we steamed the crabs in fresh sea water.  They were a huge hit.  I spread out some newspapers, melted some butter and along with all of the other appetizers I made, we all went for it.

Tofino RV Beach Camping

But let me take you back to my original post about this trip and how it all began:  

Our captain was Captain Lance from Lance’s Sportfishing Adventures and is an independently owned and operated fishing charter company, based in the world famous Clayoquot Sound. Thousands of migrating salmon and halibut swim through Clayoquot Sound and the waters around Tofino every year.

That was excellent news for B as that day he caught a 15 pound King Salmon and kept reminding me that he also caught 10 big “Dungeonous” crabs.  Of course I was excited to cook up all this beautiful seafood!

That night, I made a delicious Panko Crusted Salmon dinner for Lance and his friends/family complete with a lemon dill hollondaise sauce. In addition, I also prepared:

  • Smoked Salmon Spread
  • Garlic Grilled BC Spot Prawns
  • Freshly Steamed Dungeonous Crab with Garlic Butter
  • Seared Ahi Tuna Tartare
  • . . . and for desert:  Crepes filled with Nutella and topped with Berries

Not to toot my own horn, but everything turned out delicious.  I swear my Airstream is my lucky charm.  Unfortunately hubby had the camera on the fishing trip so I wasn’t able to take pictures (I stayed behind while preparing the feast for that evening).  I did, however, make a delicious One Pot Poached Mustard Dill Salmon with Leeks and Potatoes the next night for dinner. It turned out to be such a simple and delicious recipe!  I adore one pot meals that turn out as good as this one did.


Apr 132011
 

This was an beautiful morning in Tofino, British Columbia.  We awoke in our warm Airstream at Crystal Cove Beach Resort to the sun shining and birds chirping.  We had a cooler full of freshly caught Dungeness crabs just waiting for us and I knew exactly what we would have for breakfast.  Eggs Neptune (aka Crab Benedict) !  This was seriously decadent and a definite, “put your fork down between bites,” to really relish and savor the amazing flavor of this dish.

The tide pools that morning were full of sea creatures!  Hermit crabs, baby rockfish, sea anemone and other little critters we couldn’t quite recognize.  It was a very interesting morning and quite beautiful at that.

 

 

Apr 112011
 

Who knew you could charter your very own boat with your very own Captain and explore these magnificent waterways here in Tofino, BC in search of amazing wildlife and breathtaking views of some magestic scenery.  Just sit back and relax, bring your camera and keep your eyes out for some amazing wildlife in action.

Today we were on a cruising trip with Browning Pass Charters.  Captain Mike was at the helm and little B was in awe.  “Mom, this is going to be so awesome!” he exclaimed as he squeezed my arm with both hands as we sat in the warm cabin waiting for Captain Mike to start up good ol’ Browning Passage.

We saw some amazing wildlife that day and some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen.  If you come in May through September, you will definitely see some black bears.  Captain Mike says you can see them a mile away — they are so black and they stand out so much.  In our case today, it was a very early and chilly April and the bears were still in hibernation.  We were though, just all a little bit excited with the prospect that maybe, just maybe, they would be out eating baby crabs that Captain Mike says they find by turning over rocks on the shores.  Perhaps it was the snowfall earlier that morning that made the bears think twice about making an exit.  All I knew was that they were pretty smart staying in their caves, snug and warm for it was a chilly day!

Thank you Captain Mike – for this trip will forever be in our memories :)

Apr 072011
 

“I woke last night to the sound of thunder . . . how far off, I sat and wondered . . .”

Sleeping in our Airstream when the wind is howling around us and the rain drops are hitting the aluminum is quite the experience.  You feel a sense of security, warmth and coziness all at the same time.

We boondocked on the beach in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada.  We literally opened up our door and the sand was right there.  The views from our front panoramic windows were spectacular with huge rocks adding to the drama in the distance.  As waves approached these rocks, they exploded on impact sending ocean sprays high up into the sea air.

When we awoke the next morning after the storm, we had a bit of a reprieve from the cold wet rain — so jammies and all, we put on our raincoats and rainboots and explored the beach in search of treasure that had washed up onto shore.

Blueberry pancakes were on the menu for breakfast and they really hit the spot after that chilly morning.