Tasman Bay to Charleston and Glow Worms!! New Zealand rocks!

Dec 30 2017

At the farm B&B in Tasma, we had a room and bathroom with a small fridge and sink in the corner. The host provided hot and cold cereal, fruit, bagels, toast and jam. So our breakfast today was an improvement. Our host also gifted us a bottle of her homemade organic olive oil from their own trees. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out and the forecast was sunny and warmer than yesterday. We headed north out of Tasman on The Coastal Hwy, before turning onto the Motuka Valley Highway. We took this south to Hwy 6 where[…]

Dec 29 2017

We stayed at what I loosely call a Bed and Breakfast last night. I think their kids are all gone, and they rent out rooms. The owners were very nice, but leave for work at 7 am, so we were instructed on where to find the bowls and cereal. I was a bit surprised because every B&B I have stayed at before, the owner made you a hot breakfast. There was also another couple staying in the room next to us, but they left early. I know this because for some reason I woke up at 6am and could not[…]

Dec 28 2017

I have to admit that I am pretty bummed that we are only doing the South Island of New Zealand because I really wanted to go to Hobbiton, which is on the North Island. But that just means I will have to come back for another trip! I wanted to come to NZ even before the epic trilogy was made, but seeing all the amazing scenery in the movie just added fuel to the fire. Our first day yesterday was filled with rain, and last night we stayed in Kaikoura. We walked into town (in the rain) and ate dinner[…]

Dec 27 2017

About 20 years ago, Frank and I almost went to New Zealand. He was in Australia for work and I joined him for vacation. Our plan was to do 2 weeks in Australia, then go to NZ. However, it was winter there at the time, so we decided to go to Fiji instead. Not a bad substitute at all, but we have talked about going to NZ ever since. Well we had finally accumulated a lot of frequent flier miles and decided that we could use them on a big trip, and we bit the bullet and made the reservations[…]

Aug 04 2017

Today we had the chance to take our time and meander through Yellowstone and look at all the thermal pools and geysers. Immediately south of Mammoth Hot Springs is a group of thermal pools, and a dormant geyser called Liberty Cap. This was our first walk near the thermal activity and Spencer was quick to announce his dislike for the smell. We avoided telling him that the smell of sulphur is like the smell of rotten eggs. He already did not like eggs, so I didn’t want this to be the cause of him never eating eggs again. (Later on[…]

Jul 29 2017

Our 10th day of being on the road would be a day to get some miles behind us. We needed to go over 300 miles to get to Bozeman for the night, that way we would be closer to Yellowstone. There wasn’t any sightseeing to be done today. This area looked similar to most areas of the midwest; with large areas of crops going on plains or rolling hills. That night we scored and found a great Chinese Buffet within walking distance of our hotel. The next day we drove the final leg to Yellowstone, going in from the north[…]

Jul 28 2017

Our time in Western Canada had come to an end, and it was time to cross border and head back into the US. We headed to the border crossing at Babb, and were soon in Montana. We stopped for a quick picture in front of a unique sculpture of horses made out of car parts, and sign for the Blackfoot Indian Nation. Hwy 89 would take us south through Babb and St. Mary, and the entrance to Glacier National Park, also called the Crown of the Continent. This would be the first time to Glacier for all of us, and the[…]

Jul 25 2017

We had now been in Canada for a week, and had covered a lot of miles at a bit of a whirlwind pace. It was now time to head south once again, as we needed to start the process of heading back home. We took the TransCanadian Hwy (2) for a bit, then 40 south which is called the Kananaskis Trail. This took us past the former 1988 Olympic Ski event venue, then we continued over Highroad Pass. This is the highest paved pass in canada. and it is usually closed from December to June due to snow. Today it[…]

Jul 22 2017

We were not able to hike Johnston Canyon yesterday, so that was our first stop of the day. To get there we took the scenic Bow Valley Parkway. I am really enjoying all the signs that are in English and French, and Makayla is having fun practicing her French as she took it as an elective last year. I love this road, as it meanders back and forth it occasionally splits in two, so your side of traffic is all alone. It is like having your own one lane normal speed raceway through a gorgeous forest. We get to the[…]

Jul 21 2017

It was time to leave Radium Hot Springs, but I must admit I kept calling it Radiator Springs. This little town is known for its naturally-heated, mineral-rich hot pool between the walls of Sinclair Canyon. It is this canyon that reminds me of the Disney movie Cars and Radiator Springs. We hit the visitor center before we left town, where they had some great displays and a kids area with interactive animal sounds and info. We were even greeted by some Big Horn sheep right outside. Thanks to the girl working the desk, we headed to a most unexpected place. The[…]