Monday May 29, 2017
We are back from a 3700 mile trip on my Tesla Model S. The car is amazing! I ran over large chunks of something two times and worried about a blow out but my Tesla and Michelin tires came through well both times. Our adventure started very concerning on the morning of May 13. I had planned to make our first stop in Eureka but there was a Bicycle race so some of Dry Creek Rd was supposed to be closed North of us so we headed down Dry Creek Rd and came to a sudden stop near Lytton Springs Road. After 10 minutes of no one moving, we made a U turn and headed back home to refocus. We then headed out Canyon Road to Corning after 30 minutes delay. We decided to head down near San Francisco, we had time, I had plenty of POWER with my batteries. We went through the Bay Area and then stayed at Mount Shasta the first night. The second day we planned to stop in Grants Pass to charge, but it was Mother's day and we remembered last year stopping there at the 4 Tesla Chargers and finding they were full of cars, not Tesla. The restaurant was full of families and thus the parking lot had no spaces left so these not so nice ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) people decided to take my charging spot. We informed the restaurant and it took 20 minutes to get one of the cars to leave. SO this time we decided to not take a chance and thus we took a detour to Klamath Falls and then off to Springfield Oregon to stay right across the street from one of my favorite restaurants, The Hop Valley Brewing Company. Then the next day we stopped at a Bed and Breakfast place near Susie in Seattle. That was our first of many problems with places to stay. The Bed and Breakfast place had a room for us but up two flights of stairs, no elevator. My Knee is starting to go out so I had a lot of trouble moving all our stuff up the stairs BUT that was not all the problems. We had to go back down to a kitchen in the house and ask for some ice AND I went in the room and the bed was up high with a stepping stool to help getting up. I barely made it up with the stool but when I tried to descend I slipped off the stool on to my rear and twisted my good knee. The rest of the night I managed to hop up to the bed and down with out the stepping stool. Both my legs, back and hip were never the same. I hate Bed and Breakfast places. They are too fancy and none have elevators.
The next day we headed off to Canada. More tomorrow, but first some perspective..........
8:00 Pm: So I am settling down this evening. It is nice to be home and in compete control, but I do like challenges. Pat only once asked me why I keep saying " I am not happy!!" and she knows I said constantly "I can't believe this". Much trouble I will relate later...............
Banff, Jasper parks are incredible!!!!!!!!!! Most of the lakes were still frozen over but we still saw some which where the color of turquoise. BUT wow all the snow on ALL mountains and it was 55 to 70 degrees while in the two parks. It is something anyone would never forget!! People drove me crazy taking so many pictures so we had to be careful driving. I will have more tomorrow.
Tuesday May 30, 2017
See below just two of the amazing pictures we captured.........
On May 16 a Tuesday we headed up to the border crossing into Canada. I left home with 6 bottles of My sparkling wine and 12 bottles of 2014 Block 4, one consumed with Susie. I also had filled two empty bottles of my wine with the label on it with Tequila And another bottle of Tequila in a Soda Stream bottle. I knew I would have to pay the duty on the extra bottles. I have heard Canada charges a duty of the same price as the wine, so if the wine costs $20 I would pay a duty of $20 per bottle. I decided to somewhat be honest so when the guy at the border asked if I had any alcohol I told him"about 12 bottles". He asked me to park my car and go into the building across the way. I told the person there that it was my own made wine and I had some samples for appointments in hope to sell some wine in the future to restaurants in Banff and and Jasper, mostly true. I was then sent off to another building way across the way. This time I met a smiling person and I complimented him for being so cheery. He said you know you have to pay a duty and I said I knew that. He asked how much the wine sold for and I said "It costs me about $8 to make it and it sells at retail for $25 but most of the wine we sold was discounted to about $15. He then sent me off to the first building across the way again. I walked in and was greeted by the first guy I saw at the crossing, still not smiling. He immediately said "You are good to go". I said thank you and hurried out to my Tesla. I was very happy. That evening we stayed at another place that had a high bed.......more later.........
8:00 Pm: We headed up to this place I had high expectations about 150 miles into Canada. Pat loves Bed and breakfast places, I do not. This was called a resort so I was not expecting a parking lot way down below. With my old legs, I managed to bring up most of our bags through a long transition to the main check in, no elevator again. One guy was so interested in my Apple watch band, I have had several comment on this neat band, I noticed they were just nice. We lugged our stuff down the long hall way and we had help. Pat liked the food, I thought it was OK. They were very nice but this was the first time I realized.....: I should have never asked for the best room.............I should not ask for a nice room................It was way down to the end of a long hall way but very nice. But we had to head out to the restaurant down the same long hall wall. I know most of you would have no problem with this, but my back and knee were still having problems. Pat enjoyed it but she said and I agreed the highway above the river was noisy. Seriously I live on Dry Creek Road and it is noisy too.........More tomorrow...........Lake Louise!!!!
Wednesday May 31, 2017
I forgot to mention our trip on the way to the South Thompson Inn & Guest Ranch in Kamloops, BC mentioned above on Tuesday May 16. After charging in Hope, BC we started up a grade into the mountains on the way to Kamloops to charge at another Tesla Supercharger. We had heard there could be some snow flurries at Lake Louise when we were to arrive there on Wednesday. So after climbing up a grade Pat mention there was some flakes hitting our windshield and sure enough a few minutes later there were many flakes of ice accumulating. After a few more minutes after we headed up higher in the mountains we actually got snow!! I had to slow down to 45 miles an hour and so did everyone else except for two government vehicles which I assumed were clearing some of the snow off the road. One point when when reached the summit, there was at least one foot of snow on the road. My All wheel drive Tesla had no trouble moving through at about 45. After heading down the snow slowly disappeared.........
I was really anxious to stay at The Fairmont Lake Louise so we booked 4 nights May 17 through May 20 in the most impressive suite in the hotel.
Below is a picture on The Fairmont Lake Louise website of the suite we stayed in. Below that was my picture in the same suite on May 20 showing the turquoise lake frozen over.
Below is the bottom floor of the suite with a spiral staircase leading up to the balcony you see in the first pictures. That means I had to climb up more stairs just like the last two places we stayed at. When I first went in the suite I was shocked to see the lake frozen over. That is not what I saw back in 1968 in July. I was told the lake is frozen over until sometime in June.
8:00 Pm: Like I said I was shocked. I wanted turquoise in a clear lake. I have to load up soon the picture I took in 1968 on my back......Lake Louise then was amazing. So It was real nice being there for 4 nights and each night I saw frozen Lake Louise. But it was amazing to see all that snow. The stair case was a small problem...........everytime I wanted to go out on this neat balcony, I went up stairs to our King Bed, it was 40 degrees or lower. It did get up to 50 one day, every night we opened the window..............I still wore shorts during the day............The restaurants there were really nice and we went to the Post Hotel on a Saturday night. The food was great and we even got a free ride over for 3 miles..........as you know I do not drive at night time after having a few tastes...........More tomorrow..............
Thursday June 1, 2017
Today I walked out into the vineyard and I was amazed at all the growth. With all the rain we had this Winter and Spring I was not surprised. The fruit set has been great also so we probably will be making over 6,000 cases this year. I need to find a place for the wine................
On May 18 we woke up to overcast skies in our large suite at Lake Louise and by noon we did see a little sunlight SO we headed off to the town of Banff about 35 miles away. There is another nice Fairmont hotel there and we had thought about staying there but some of the restaurants were closed. The next day was clear so we headed off to Banff again to take a gondola ride to the top of a mountain. The second picture way above was taken from the top. It was amazing. The final day at Lake Louise we traveled 80 miles, more than half way to Jasper, to see the Ice Fields. Tomorrow I will up load some of the fantastic pictures we took on the way up and back. BTW, everyday our Tesla was charged at Lake Louise Fairmont Hotel and the Valet guys were so nice and there was no fee. I will have more later.............
Friday June 2, 2017
Below are several pictures taken on out trip from Lake Louise in Banff to the Fairmont Hotel in Jasper. This first picture is called bridal falls. We assume the snow showing now turns into falls later in the summer.
Pat took many more pictures but this is the only decent one I took at the Ice Fields look out. A few years ago this place opened up where you can walk out on a glass walk way and see below all the ice.
A beautiful rushing river
One of many jagged peaks in the Canadian Rockies
Below is a fantastic picture of a partially thawed lake.
And two more turquoise rivers
Dave
For any comments or questions I encourage any of you to e-mail.....david@coffaro.com
