Sylvia's RV Journey

​ I got an early start this morning while walking Jo Jo. There is absolutely no one out here at the campsite this early. I had a joyous visit to the dump station this morning. My dump ports are really difficult to pull. I restrained my ribs. They hurt after my fall 11 days ago. I was off to the gondola ride.  There was hardly anybody in the parking lot, so I settled into a spot and just before I headed out, a man flagged me down and told me that I couldn’t park there. I was confused, but he said the RV parking is up the hill, on the second level. You would think there would be some signs for RV parking, but no! I’m noticing that signage is sadly lacking almost every place. I jumped on the gondola and was up on the top of the mountain before 9 AM. There were some gorgeous views here and there, and I enjoyed it. However, the lookout I did yesterday was an equally pleasant experience. Nothing seems to be cheap here as this ticket was $80. At least I can say I did the gondola, but if I...

I took a designated camp spot in Banff, as I spent a day driving around to some overlooks and a little bit of urban hiking. I enjoyed the town, and fortunately, the traffic was pretty light, as I’ve been told that next week is the start of peak season, so I’m beating the crowds, whoo! I had a full day of visiting overlooks, including Bow Falls, and a mountain top view, looking down on Banff, and another overlook of hoo doos as well. Gorgeous! I enjoyed early morning coffee with a home-baked seed bar, while chatting with the dog Mom of “Rita” the 2 year old chi-chi. Jo Jo had no clue that she was even there. He’s adapted well to his almost blindness, but it breaks my heart that he’s not as responsive, due to it. Having said that, he’s an amazing inspiration as he goes with the flow and never complains. We could learn a lot by that lesson.  The one gallery that had clay works in the window was closed today, so I didn’t have much opportunity to view the local art, however I did find o...

​ Well, after my neighbor decided to hone in on my space, within 30 feet, I let this battle go, and spent a pretty restful night, except for one point when I heard a bang, and my dishes clatter…and determined that it was a slammed car door. At least that was my assessment in my suddenly awakened, dreary state. Ugh. Was she out into the woods to pee? Well I’m glad I have a self-contained bathroom, regardless, it was a decent spot.  I’m two hours from Banff as I’m headed into downtown looking for the visitor center and then a campsite. There is no dispersed camping around Banff, so it would mean a pretty good drive out of the area, or to invest in a regular designated campground.  I found one for $40 a day. I have my own space along with a dump station, hot showers, and water. It’s worth every dime for me right now.  Especially on a holiday weekend. There were plenty of open spaces, so I’m glad I took the effort. I spent the afternoon driving around to see the overlooks an...