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trollbridge
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2012 01:33pm - Edited by: trollbridge
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When we leave home to head to the cabin we pass all sorts of interesting things. Curious what you all pass that keeps your attention along the way...
We start out with mostly farmland with lots of old farm houses and barns...some well kept others falling down. I always want all the tin roofs just going to waste! We go through a couple very small towns, over the "bouncy bridge" and pass an old trailer home that use to have a single cow tied up out front to a post. A few old school houses and then we turn onto the shortcut road. On this road is a cabin/house (can't really tell!) which we always take notice of. They started building when we did so we tend to compare progress. It is a 3 story very odd looking structure with very few windows that looks like a tissue box turned on end. We call it the high rise! Shortly after this we catch the highway and pass or stop at our "last chance" Menards Building center. The further north we go the less traffic on the highway. The woods get deeper and the terrain hillier. We then get to an area with all sand for soil...it feels like Florida or Texas...minus the palm trees! There are many ATV trails and lots of old bars along the way. We enter the county Forrest. Finally we turn off a very "forward thinking" (supposedly) interchange that is brand new and very confusing...Mr.troll gripes about it every time. We go through a very,very small town with a railroad track that needs to be taken at a very slow speed...that is another story...but then not too much longer and we pass another place with one cow tied up and then to the dirt road our cabin is off of...over the bridge and across the creek and we are there!!! Always a relief to see the cabin still standing thru the trees once we get to the clearing where we park.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2012 07:58pm
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Great idea for a thread! We can see it through each other's eyes..
So we head away from the big city on a major interstate, go up into the mountains about 5000 ft and through a series of passes. Great scenery and about halfway is a little cowboy cafe with great burgers and breakfasts. Usually stop for gas and get sandwiches about another 39 miles out. This is now high desert, lots of red rocks and boulders. Border Patrol checkpoint here open on and off to slow you down and look in the vehicle. Then we descend to the desert floor still on the interstate and turn off on a County road. Go through a little desert town with a fire station, 2 bars and a few homes, some barely standing.
We keep on the 2 lane county road for about 20 miles, come to another Border Patrol checkpoint, this one open 24/7/365. Usually 5 -8 agents, armed pretty well, sometimes with assault weapons, quite a few vehicles and a large mobile trailer. These will always have you roll your window down and question you as to where you're from, where you're going, state your citizenship. etc..... I thank them for being there, what a dismal post. But it keeps the problem from being even worse than it is. And it is horrible.
By now we're in the desert proper, as a matter of fact there's a rock monument with a bronze plaque that simply states:
"This is the desert. There's nothing out here. Nothing"
We continue winding up the road for about another 30 - 40 miles passing by the old 1848 Overland Stage Coach trail from over 150 years ago and by the Mormon Battalion route to the Mexican American War where they chopped a path through sheer cliffs rather than turn around and go back.
Those old settlers were a tough lot I always think, but today, very few cars venture out here any time of year.
Finally we reach the mile marker that indicates our turnoff, we go onto a washboard sand road for the rest of the trip. After a few turns and stops to notice the jackrabbits and coyotes, we reach our Shangri La. Our little desert cabin (still under construction of course) Always good to see everything untouched and safe just as we left it. A lot of our neighbors have been hit , but knock on wood we have been spared.....
OK, who's next?
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VC_fan
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2012 08:21pm
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I leave Suburbia and about 10 minutes and 5 stop signs later I'm at a good 2-lane state route. Take that about 10 minutes and merge onto a sterile, boring divided highway - 2 lanes east and 2 lanes west with nothing in-between or to either side. I can then essentially sleep for the next 75 minutes but don't, as I nearly always see at least one hawk and enough dead deer to keep me looking for live ones. Then off this road and onto a good, hilly, curvy 2-lane that runs from New England to Bakersfield, CA if one happens to be patient enough. Five minutes later, curse the one stop light that I pass (there didn't used to be any until they built a new school and had to make other relevant "improvements"). Five minutes later, pass through a podunk town with a podunk donut shop (open 24/7) that puts down a donut to rival any I've found. About 15 minutes after that, pass a good old fashioned country store which is the only place around to buy kerosene. About 15 minutes after that, arrive at the one stop light in the village nearest the shack. About 10 minutes after that, turn down a road named after the creek it follows. After five minutes later, turn down the lane that nobody seems to know is there and hope I can make it up the hill. If not, park it and walk the last 1/4 mile. At least every time so far, walk past the outhouse and look in amazement at the glorious shack that's still there and untouched.
Next?
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:27pm - Edited by: trollbridge
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Quoting: Borrego "This is the desert. There's nothing out here. Nothing"
LOL!!! that is too funny!! We have a plaque hanging in our outhouse that simply states..."on this site in 1897...nothing happened"
There are plenty of times where nothing happens in my brain as well, but please promise not to tell anyone :-)
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Mr. Troll
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:28pm
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GAS
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Mr. Troll
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:31pm
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stations that is
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hattie
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:08am
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I'll take you from the nearest town (Princeton) that actually has stores. There are no traffic lights in Princeton so you have to keep on the lookout for pedestrians which will cross the street whenever they want. You drive - no faster than 30 km or you will get a cane waved at you - down the main street of Princeton and wait your turn to cross the one lane wooden bridge which is referred to as the "brown bridge". Turn left after crossing the bridge and keep driving that long, twisty road. Make sure you don't hit any rocks on the road - the area has many rock slides. Depending on the time of year, you can see dozens of deer on and beside the road. Sometimes you will see moose, bear, porcupines or grouse on the road. Depending on the time of year, there will be cows wandering up and down the road at various places.
You will eventually come to a huge rock wall on your right. Many people stop to take photos here, but be careful a rock doesn't tumble down to crush your car. Someone on the other side of the river has a Canadian flag mounted up high. Later on, you will pass a ranch on your left that is right beside the river and also the old Kettle Valley Rail line (now the Trans Canada Trail).
You will come to one spot that is only one lane wide and is a blind spot. You have to creep up to the corner and peek around to make sure no one is coming. If they are, you have to back up to let them through. About this same location, if you look across the river you will see Rice's homestead and log business. Dodge a bunch more rocks on the road and twist and turn your way along the road past the red ochre that the Natives used to collect and sell to other tribes.
When you get closer to Coalmont, you will see the Kettle Valley Rail line running through some aspens towards town. It is quite spectacular in the fall when the leaves are all yellow. Your 20 km drive is almost done. Keep twisting and turning until you see the Coalmont sign and right after that is another sign that says end of avalanche area, but you always see more rocks on the road after the sign. Make a sharp left at the bend in the road, go past the decorated tree on your right (locals always decorate the tree at the entrance to town with hearts at Valentine's Day, candy canes at Christmas, poppies at Remembrance Day, beer cans at B.C. Day, etc.). You will see the old, two storey General Store (now a private residence) on your left. When you come to the only stop sign since Princeton, you will see the Coalmont Hotel on your right and we are on the left. Welcome home!
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2012 08:59am
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great thread TB!!!! and good read so far!!!!
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hattie
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:05pm
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How could I forget these two signs at the entrance to our town. Our dear friend (since passed away) put these up decades ago and they have made our town quite famous. *LOL*
Welcome to Coalmont
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nicalisa
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2012 11:44pm
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:) What a great idea for a thread:)
So we leave our wonderful little wisteria lane, of close knit whistler inspired homes (usually running into a couple of neighbors that let us know that they will keep an eye on our place while we are away).
We drive down the highway with the golden ears mountains to our right and wide open farmland along the way. We pass through the outskirts of vancouver and drive over the iron workers bridge to the north shore mountains. We can see clear across the bridge to the skyline of vancouver proper. We travel through North and West Vancouver with the beautiful ocean view and city vistas before we turn toward whitecliff park (awesome winter scuba diving) and into the ferry terminal. If we have time we head into the small town grab a coffee, and sit at the waters edge talking with our kids and my wonderful husband about our plans for the trip out. We head back up and board the ferry. For 45 minutes we float on the pacific ocean and look at the little islands dotting the way to the gibbsons harbour. We disembark and drive up the winding road surrounded by the ocean foothills to the right and the ocean to the left. We drive almost until the end of the road where the next ferry for Powell River is located, but before that we drop down into a little town where there is a post office, a general store and the water taxi. We board the water taxi where we take a 15 minute boat ride through the thrilling narrows surrounded on both sides by mountain views. We see the kayaks running on the "chuck" if the rapids are running hard, and the sea lions and on a very special days the killer whales, or cougars going for a swim across the inlet. The minute ride brings us to our pebble beach, where we can see the wood stove smoke if anyone else is there...though our visit, we will see our friendly woodpeckers, bunnies, frogs, and a bear or two. All this is only about 4 hours door to door, but is so much to see:)
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Borrego
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2012 07:25pm
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So Nicalisa, you don't take a car all the way to your place? How do you get stuff there?
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nicalisa
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2012 09:57pm
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Quoting: Borrego So Nicalisa, you don't take a car all the way to your place? How do you get stuff there?
ahhh Borrego, carting supplies goes something like this....
Find things on Craigs list or on sale, bring them home, put them in our shed, on the day we travel, take them out of the shed, and put them into the minivan, drive to ferry, float on ferry, drive up coast, take things out of minivan and carry to and load water taxi, float down the water again, unload everying from inside the watertaxi onto the beach, walk up to the cabin, start bush truck that lives up there (her name is bessie) drive bessie down to the beach, load everything into bessie, drive bessie up to the cabin and unload stuff, again!
We have lugged every stick of wood, piece of siding, dish, cup, truck, quad via water taxi or barge:)
So would we buy a water access property again? Honestly, we go back and forth on that. If we had to start over and excavate a piece of forest, and start from the ground up?? Maybe not at this point because it has been a tough 5 years to get to this point.....but next year (when we have finished the majority of the work) I will likely have a different answer:)
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bobrok
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:28pm
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Quoting: nicalisa So would we buy a water access property again? Honestly, we go back and forth on that. If we had to start over and excavate a piece of forest, and start from the ground up?? Maybe not at this point because it has been a tough 5 years to get to this point.....but next year (when we have finished the majority of the work) I will likely have a different answer:)
I think when you are able to go up and enjoy everything being finished and can plan on an extended, quiet, relaxed stay (if that is in the cards for you) then you will not regret your decision one darn bit!
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BlaineHill
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# Posted: 15 Feb 2012 07:14pm
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I am typically on Cincinnati highways around sunrise on Sunday mornings. I have a fully loaded pick-up and I am headed out to the cabin for a full-days work. I am always amazed at the incredibly oversized loads I see out there on Sunday morning. I think shipping companies getting special permits to move enormous industrial equipment must have to wait until Sunday morning to make the trip.
Later in the journey I am on route 32 getting passed by out-of-state folks who are not aware that you are not allowed to travel the customary "10 over" on that route. I typically pass those who have passed me a few minutes later as they are pulled by a state trooper.
There road works its way up one giant hill where you will often see small utility trailers, overloaded and abandoned by their owners on the side of the road as they were unable to make it to the top.
It's a 90 minute drive for me.
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Xplorer
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2012 08:41pm
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Rickets Glen State park. Has tons of waterfalls & trails. The closest town is Dushore who's claim to fame is that it has the only stop light in all of Sullivan county
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 17 Feb 2012 10:39am
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I pass miles and miles of orchards (apples, peaches, pears, cherries) on the latter 2/3rds part of the trip. My cabin county is the 3rd largest county in the US.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 17 Feb 2012 10:56am
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Wow...it is really cool reading what all you pass on your travels!!! Imagine if we could each ride along with each other...the scenery and different modes of transportation would be awesome to see!!!! Each place beautiful in its own right. That would be quite the vacation!!!!! 
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 18 Feb 2012 08:41am
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http://www.deetour.net/2001/trips/westview/
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2012 07:34pm
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cabingal3...Beautiful pictures...especially when we have just patchy snow here right now!
What is your connection to this link???
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 21 Feb 2012 09:07pm
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Quoting: trollbridge What is your connection to this link???
it was the only link i could find that showed our area and not mess with taking a photo that was copy righted...hee hee.
hello everyone.we had a great time in our woods.had to hike in.grr.
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beulahfarkward
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2012 07:28pm
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We start on a major interstate up the mountains, past Park City, through smaller towns, past horses, an alpaca ranch, and a reservoir. Then on to through Evanston, we see the antelope, and sheep, and cows. Off the interstate, through historic Fort Bridger, down a country road, past more cows, through the tiniest town of Robertson which boasts a sign on the post office "downtown Robertson" (which is also the only building among the few houses). Then on the dirt road passing more cows, antelope, maybe an eagle, up the mountain road, maybe see a marmot and bunnies through the pines and there we are.
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