Tag Archives: Travel

East Coast

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There are real hours in a day and then there are ‘seamus’ hours. From Maine to Halifax on google maps is about 8.5 hours. It took me 13 hours to get there. I have figured out the seamus math. (I’m a math teacher sometimes…) and for every 2 hours drive time in a normal car, it takes the bus 3 hours. Roughly. The bus slows down at every hill and if it’s a steep hill Seamus slows down a LOT. I have to put the hazards on. I’m pretty sure I’ve pushed the legal limit on how slowly one can drive on a major highway. I have gotten a few rude honks and been cut off a bunch of times, but mostly I think people can understand a bus this old does not go very fast. At least not without a Subaru engine swapped into it. One day….

I went to cross the border into Canada and was welcomed by a gaggle of Canadian geese crossing the road.

Thanks geese! Nothing like rolling the bus’s tires through piles of geese poop to make you feel at home. (Nervous geese poop more and if I was crossing the road in front of a load of massive cars I might poop more too.)

after a while in New Brunswick I pulled off the highway to try to drive through a town called Saint George and ended up eating a club sandwich in the middle of nowhere. It was VERY good. I recommend this place if you are in the area.

I arrived in Halifax at almost 11pm. I left Maine around 9am, which is 10am Halifax time. That was a long day and one I prefer not to do too often. But it was good to be back in my city of birth (oh birth….ewww). The Atlantic Coast is definitely in my blood and I am pulled to it whether it’s on this side or the Irish side. (I’m coming Ireland….see you soon xx.)

 

VW care and consideration

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Its amazing to me how little I really knew about cars beyond making sure it has oil and gas in it. Given the simplicity of an old VW engine it requires a good amount of care and consideration. I fell very proud I took Seamus in for an oil change before leaving for the East coast. A nice new set of tires (sadly no white walls as they amp up the cost of tires by a large margin), and a bag of tools in the bus in case something goes wrong along the way (of course I have no great expectations that I can handle something on the side of the road beyond a flat tire. But I do have five good tires and a nice shiny new blue car jack).

I should stop and thank some people for helping me make such excursions in the bus possible. So, People (you know who you are), THANK YOU for your continued support, help, and contributions to both me and my bus while I have gotten to know it, and while I have taken time out of my everyday life to drive around my corner of the planet. A special thanks goes out to my sons, (I have three and they are all grown up now mostly) who have to sit and listen to the “in case I die” speech every time I leave my home for any length of time and the youngest of whom has to constantly go check my mail and water my plants (Jordan I hope the plants are still not dead).

Below find my three sons in all their wonderful spender:

These three boys (now pretty much grown men with the exception of their intermittently interfering mother full of unwanted advice) make my life richer and when I think I’ve done nothing exceptional I look at them and feel quite accomplished. They are like three free standing trophies and I’m very proud of them. I especially love the photo where I dressed them all the same, they will never know how much fun that was for me to do. Boys… that was totally fun for me! Xxxxxx

Anyway, back to my VW….

So while driving to and in Maine recently, I found that the bus would pop out of fourth gear and the ensuing great grinding that occurred when I tried to put it back in gear was hard to hear. After some google searching I found that the transmission oil (I had totally forgotten about this liquid and any attention it might require) may either be low or dirty or something. So I google searched a “VW specialist near me” and found Reggie’s auto salvage and VW /Audi specialist in Waterford Maine.

Well the guys there, father and son, were absolutely wonderful. Not only did I get a transmission fluid change, I also was privileged to be given much needed information and understanding to add to my bus knowledge. They are very knowledgeable with VW info and have a to-die-for salvage yard with many busses. I left there with tlc for Seamus and a new screen frame for my sliding door and two spare headlights. And… I was told to go eat at the X-Vault in South Paris, which I did. This pub used to be a vault and so the backdrop for the bar is the old vault doors. It had a great atmosphere and I’ll definitely go back there again when I find myself in that area next time.

Below see the wondering old busses!!!

Below, Reggie and Brandon, great, friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable!

The X-Vault:

I love this part of Maine. Rugged beautiful nature, pretty small towns, and Seamus has nice clean transmission oil, which Brandon thought may not have ever been changed, or at least not in a very long while. I’m happy to report that after driving all the way to Halifax after that transmission oil change, it did not pop out of fourth gear once! Thank you “Reggie’s vw”!

Human Nature Hostel

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Well I’ve made it to Maine. In the mountainous outback (or outback to me anyway) at the Human Nature Hostel, owned by Ryan Holt. I came across this place this past February when I was looking to get away for an affordable price and searched for hostels in Maine. I’d never been to Maine but had heard lots of great things about how pretty it is.

Maine is for sure pretty, I love it. The hostel is a dome shaped building and Ryan runs it in the summer hiking months catered to the Appalachian Trail thru hikers. It is welcoming and is a wonderful respite to those who have been on the trail for 5-6 months by the time they arrive in Maine.

Ryan is on the right and the other three bearded men are the great work team behind Ryan and the hostel. It runs like a well oiled machine. Below are Ryan’s dogs Aywa and Ebenieser the pug, and also Ryan talking to some visitors in the Dome.

I would like to think I can hike the whole trail, but my knees wont stand for it. Literally. But after asking a few hikers what part was their favorite and was not too challenging physically they all said Roan Highlands and Grayson Highlands. I think I could be a section hiker and do those parts and may plan to next summer.

While in the dome I took the opportunity to speak to some hikers asking why they are hiking and what they have learned if anything. Here are some of the responses to my question “what have you learned or what is your take-away from hiking the trail?”

– I like the hiking culture because there is no bullshit and the facade people put on breaks down.

– I have learned that when things get tough, I know this time will pass making the proverb “this too shall pass” very true.

– I have learned how to forgive myself for not meeting my own high goals, to accept that on a given day I may not go as far as I wanted, but it’t Ok and to relax in how far I have gone.

– I’ve learned to be more patient with myself.

– Everyone needs someone at some point.

– Do your own thing and don’t worry what others are doing. Some people hike for the adventure and some for endurance but you can’t really do both.

….so, MY take away from speaking to hikers is this: that anytime we take a hiatus from life, from the ‘rat race’ and from the everyday demands of life for a prolonged time, we are released from the mental debris that clogs our thinking and we have the opportunity to listen to our insides because the are not drowned out by our obligations and stresses. Certainly while driving my bus around, I am in this same category and have found similar epiphanies entering my thinking.

We are not victims of life, we are the pilots. We cannot blame outside sources for our own unhappiness, we have only ourselves to hold accountable. And additionally, we have ourselves who can create the change we need to carve out the life that fits our insides.

I don’t think life is static. It is ever changing and we have to change with it. The only thing we can count on is change and the only person we can count on to make life happen is ourselves. It is no one else’s job and therefor any issues we have are ours to manage and deal with. Friends help of course, but we are the engine that drives the train. Friends and family are passengers who come on and get off along the way. The only thing constant is the conductor, ourselves.

Montreal

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Back on the road for another trip East. Other than the small issue of the bus going dead on the turn of a key, then after 5 minutes starting up as if everything is fine, and other than it kicking out of fourth gear after driving for a few hours and going up hill, the bus is holding up well. I’m wondering if maybe my starter is going. And hopefully my transmission is NOT going.

I have family in Montreal So I’m headed in that direction. Driving Seamus is like spending many consecutive hours in silence with a best friend. It lulls my mind into a relaxed, stress-free state and makes my belly feel good. I woke up and was on the road by 4:30am. It was dark and quiet and my aim was to get though Toronto before the morning work rush made it less than enjoyable.

Given my three hour perpetual ‘stop and cool off’ time it takes me about 12 hours to drive 800kms in the bus. I never want to over tax it and my driving highway speed is about 60 mph or 95km/h. So I arrived at my aunts house around 4:30pm in Sainte Catherine, QC.

I’m fortunate to have a very knowledgeable father who knows engines and he gave me some pointers and advice while I was visiting and having breakfast. My aunt made me some muffins to take on my journey East and I had a great lunch with my aunt and cousin before heading off the next day after a deep sleep in my aunt’s driveway.

This winter Seamus will get a clear coat over all that rust/patina. Paint it?? No way. Painting this us would be like Audrey Hepburn having plastic surgery, a terrible idea. This bus will age gracefully and with upkeep and health in mind. I want to keep the ‘scars’ of life on him. And… a paint job is WAY too unaffordable. This is a one of a kind bus. Long live Seamus, a running legacy for my three boys to take over one day.

Manitoulin Ferry

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Well, after my adventure in the Sault I moved onward towards Manitoulin Island. My hope was to park somewhere on the island and sleep, then ferry to the mainland and drive home through Tobermory. I have family in Owen Sound and wanted to stop there too.

Manitoulin in summer requires planning due to the ferry schedule and the fact that it books up in advance of departure times. So in order not to get stuck on the island for a whole extra day I had to skip the sleepover and catch the 10:00pm ferry over to Tobermory. The ferry ride was 1.5 hours and I was tired enough that I dozed all the way.

Manitoulin was beautiful but I was unable to enjoy it or take any really good scenic photos due to catching the ferry. Once in Tobermory I found a place to park in a parking lot and slept. I also had hoped to go to Flower Pot Island. This is a tactical nightmare in the summer and full of tourists. I plan to go off season to explore the island without crowds of people (I’m not a lover of large touring crowds of people).

A short stop in Owen Sound and I was home that day. The whole trip tracked on google maps looks like this and totalled approx 2700kms!

It was such a nice loop it is one I would do again but this time with a sleep over in Manitoulin and off season visit to Flower Pot Island. And without the toilet paper shortage at the Bushplane museum. 🙂

Bushplanes and bathroom drama

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After the beauty of Northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, I crossed back into my homeland Canada through the Sault. I’ve never been in the Sault before (Sault Sainte Marie for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about).

I was sitting in a Tim Hortons’ parking lot, the FIRST stop I made when I got back into Canada (tis funny how Timmies feels like home and NOT seeing it on every corner while driving all through the US for a couple days almost made me feel anxious! Im addicted to the timmies presence, as im not a real coffee drinker)…anyway, I was sitting in the parking lot in my bus and felt like this town was like Saint Thomas. The people are a bit rough and rugged, but seemed friendly enough and were helpful when I saw the special fancy garden advertising the bushplane museum and asked for directions.

Ohhhhh the bushplane museum. It was amazing. And full of planes and engines and information however NOT full of toilet paper. This I discovered first hand. Let me firstly say how very impressed I was with the planes and the extensive collection in this massive building. This museum puts Sault Sainte Marie on the map and is worth the trip. Also of note, is the beautiful waterfront walkway. Lots of time and money has clearly been invested in these two attractions in the city.

Since I was traveling and living in my bus, I took advantage of the facilities when I was done the tour of the museum. Cell phone in hand (thank goodness for that!!!! ) I went into the motion activated lighted bathroom. There were several stalls but I was the only one in (thank goodness for that too!!!).

I parked myself in position and spent the necessary time, after which an air freshener would have been quite useful. Ready and relieved, I looked to my left and in horror discovered there was NO toilet paper. And the back up roll was also gone. I sat imprisoned on ‘the throne’ wondering how on earth I was going to get out of this predicament.

Looking lustily at the cardboard roll not void of precious toilet paper, I decided my next best bet was to try and peel off thin layers of the cardboard to use instead of toilet paper. I carefully tried to peel off a thin layer and it just kept ripping off in tiny quarter size pieces. This was clearly not going to help me substitute my toilet paper needs. After some more sitting and thinking, I wondered if I could take off my underwear and use that, and throw it away after. No. My cell phone! I have my cell phone! I googled the phone number for the bushplane museum and called. I was directed through the automated menu until finally I was given the option to call the front desk, which ironically was barely 20 feet outside the bathroom door behind which I sat imprisoned.

I heard the ‘boy’, who looked maybe 18, answer the phone.

“Hi” I said. ” This is the lady you just directed into the washroom 20 minutes ago. I’m trapped in here without toilet paper, and I have to warn you, I’ve had a sore stomach so I apologize it does not smell like roses in here.” (Truly I was embarassed.) “Is there a female staff who could come in here and bring me some toilet paper?” “Also, the lights went out and I’m sitting in the dark” (because there was no motion to keep them on whilst I sat and did my thing).

”No”, he said. “Would you be ok if I brought you some? I can be your saviour.”

I told him that was fine and to hand it under the stall door for me. He did so, handing me a massive industrial roll of toilet paper.

When I finished up I snuck out of the museum as fast as I could so I could escape without having to look at the boy behind the desk.

And THAT is the about the most adventurously embarrassing thing that has happened to me in a while.

Bathing upperclass style

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I think living in the bus for any extended time requires a vigilant bathing ritual. It’s much better stepping out of Seamus and not looking like something not even the cat would drag in. That and maybe one day I’ll meet Mr. Right and I’d hate to be all smelly for that. So, I had to develop a routine for washing in the confines of my bus, with no running water.

There is my utility water container, the big blue 5 Gallon container, a small blue basin, a towel and a face cloth. These are the essentials. Putting about a litre or so of water in my basin is enough to wash myself all over… and here is my ‘bathroom’ on the bus

There is R2D2, my make shift ‘chamberpot’ and my Blue Basin Bathtub, or 3B for short. Also my drinking water jug makes the perfect prop for my mirror, which enables me to make sure I’m presentable before exiting Seamus. As for washing my hair, I have yet to manage that one, stay tuned as I’m sure it will be epic. So far I’ve been able to use a shower somewhere when my hair needed a shampoo, but I think one day soon I’ll need to sort out how to get my dark tresses smelling fresh and soft in the bus.

The daisy curtains completely enclose around the bus so I can strip down naked to get clean and dressed all in total privacy. It’s like living in a live Tetris game, and I must only put things back in exactly the one place where they belong. I have ‘lost’ things in the bus which drives me nuts bc almost everything is within arms reach (or two arms reach), so the fact that I can’t find something is appalling. If I cant find it, it’s because I did not put it back in the proper place which brings on a plethora of self-chastisement.

I feel a bit like a dog, because everywhere I go I’ve likely dumped my ‘bath water’ and chamber pot adventures in the grass thereby competing with local mutts for seniority. I wonder what they think of when they stop to investigate a grassy knoll I have claimed as my own?

copper falls and cozy slippers

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Northern Wisconsin is beautiful. I headed to copper falls and found that my fear of running out of gas was unfounded as long as I filled up frequently. Planning ahead for where the gas stations were in the small towns along the way was a great way to relieve my worry of being gasless (well seamus being gasless anyway).

The further north and north/east I drove, sure enough the rugged terrain brought on a sense of masculinity in the air. The presence of more wild animals brings on the presence of more testosterone. I love the feel of an area where I know there are mountain men or bushmen present. The raw animalistic nature of the earth brings out the same in people.

I planned to see a Copper Falls on the advice of a friend and to the tune of $11 US I was allowed to drive to the parking lot and take the 1.7 mile hike through the forest and past the three water fall areas. I decided to go through the hike backwards, that is not walking backwards, but I started at the end and ended at the beginning. The reason for this is so that I am not stuck behind or in front of the same tourists as we all walk through the loop. Plus, if you go in reverse, you cross paths with more new faces.

This hike is also wheel chair accessible. I loved the smell of the air and nature all around. There is also a camp ground here.

Onward and driving further north in Wisconsin the rugged remote feel of the landscape was invigorating and I found a nice place to pull over on the highway overlooking Lake Superior.

I LOVE sleeping in my bus. I fell asleep to the sound of the waves and woke up to the sound of the waves.

Driving with cozy slippers on is my new favourite thing. Spending hours driving is better in soft plush slippers…

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Laundry day

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So today is the day my ‘hamper’ is full, mind you it does not take much to fill it. A pair of pants, a top, some socks and underwear and maybe a tea towel and its time to do laundry. I pulled out my R2D2 unit and got my utility water ready.

In my bus I have a large bpa free water container with a spout that I use for bathing and for washing whatever needs washing. When I do laundry i use 3/4 of this large container so need to refill it before I hit the road again.

Fill up the unit to approximately half full (there is a line inside the tub to guide this measurement), add soap to the top in the 5ml divot in the white steel ball lid, cover up and start pedalling.

I love this thing. What I do is step on the pedal a few times to make sure all the clothes are wet then let it soak a bit, pedal a bit, soak a bit, etc. Which I feel gives the clothes time to de-stink and get clean. Overall I pedal for about 20 minutes total without the wait times.

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I usually brace the other side with my other foot to keep the machine steady. You can pedal this unit pretty fast especially when you’re spinning the clothes dry after a rinse cycle and it needs to be stabilized, which I do with a hug type hold. I also don’t put my full weight on it as it is not designed to hold up a person. So I’m careful to be aware of not stressing out the housing of the R2 unit.

Wash cycle, one normal water level rinse cycle and one small quick rinse to remove any excess soap and its time to hang them on the clothes line in the bus! While I drive, these clothes dry in a couple of hours and I’m able to take them off the line.

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The bus got a full cleaning out as well, taking everything out, sweeping and reorganizing for the next leg of my trip. And… my bedding all got washed! It’s all fresh, and I’m all fresh, Seamus and I are almost ready to take off towards Saulte Saint Marie, Ontario, then on to Tobermory and down beside the lake to London Ontario.

 

 

The most useful ‘on the road’ item in seamus

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Several years ago I pre-bought a foot pedalled laundry tub on a hope and a prayer that it was not a scam. And thank goodness, it turned out to be one of the coolest things I have purchased (other than Seamus, because Seamus is the coolest thing I have ever purchased (my ipad is a close second to that) and gone into debt over (house exempt as I have to live somewhere)). And if all those brackets turned out to make sense, we are all doing well!

I know you’re wondering how I manage the call of nature while on the road for extended periods of time, and if you weren’t wondering you should have been, and if you were wondering but didn’t want to admit you were wondering, don’t be so worried about what’s proper because we all need to do these things or we would likely explode. Before your mind wanders too far ahead and thinking I’ve somehow turned my foot pedalled laundry tub into a toilet, well, I haven’t but it does play a small role. As a matter of fact, so does the famous Pampered Chef microwave veggie steamer pot. This steamer has become my chamber pot (you’ll be comforted to know I no longer use it for cooking veggies, it’s been permanently re-purposed).

This is the laundry machine: I call it R2D2

Inside the machine there is a stainless steel ball with a little lid at the top to add in clothes and when I was laying in my VW bed I realized that the hole in the steel ball is the same size as my veggie steamer chamber pot!

The only issue was how to keep the steel ball from rotating or shifting while I ‘hovered’ over it to use it as a support for my chamber pot, so towels were stuffed along the sides to keep the ball still.

Voila! Now it’s a little chamber pot holder for hovering over when my body needs to release some excess water.

Additionally to this purpose, the laundry tub serves also as a laundry hamper for my dirty items waiting to be cleaned. (Post on doing laundry coming in a few days as my ‘hamper’ is getting full!). Below you can see dirty (and cant smell thankfully) items of clothing.

All in all, it has three main purposes now and life would be much more difficult without this Yirego miracle. And as an added bonus, if we have a zombie apocalypse and a power outage, I can have april fresh clothes while I’m running from those brainless creatures.

As for my morning ‘constitution’ I drive to the nearest restaurant and order something small on the menu as a form of payment for using their washroom.

Mystery solved. Washing my hair is a bigger pain in the hole but the morning ritual of sponge bathing is a cinch and takes only about 10 minutes in total before I’m fresh as a daisy and ready for another day.