North Vancouver, BC to San Diego, California	Back to the Current Issue Back to Features
March 1-13th, 1998 - by Lynn Jackart

The weather condition, El Nino, had reared its head along the Pacific Coast as rain caused considerable damage. We were traveling inland and it would be interesting to see how this phenomenon had affected these areas.

Our money had been exchanged from Canadian to American ($1.44 Canadian for $1.00 American). We had two new tires on the front of the motorhome and three full propane bottles. Stopping at the Canada/USA border crossing, the US Customs Officer asked if we were Canadian Citizens, how long we would be in the United States and where we were going. We politely answered his questions and proceeded onto Bellingham. We stopped for gas at the Chevron and noticed cherry blossoms blooming, as a soft rain fell. I read milk was $1.69 a gallon, when you fill up with gas, Regular 99.9 cents per gallon and Supreme $1.27 per gallon (Canada 51.6 cents a litre in March).

Leaving the gas station we turned south onto Interstate-5 and quickly reached the speed limit of 70 miles per hour (110 kph). The very busy I-5 is a main highway winding its way from the Canada/US border to the Mexican border. Each State provides travelers with rest stops every 30 to 40 miles (48km to 64km), which offer washrooms, maps and information about the surrounding area. These park-like stops are always in use by truckers and travelers alike and are a great place to walk the dog, picnic or just let the kids run.

Through the driving rain we pass Mount Vernon with its tulip chimney, approx. 300 ft high (90m) and on it painted a very large red tulip. We enter Seattle on a six lane divided highway, staying on I-5 and skirting this huge, growing city of metro pop. 2,559,200. Through the rain we can spot the Space Needle and Kingdome.

Once through Seattle and Boeing Field, we pick a rest area and have lunch. We see a deer eating at the side of the road.

The memory of the Mount St. Helen’s eruption (1980) is recalled as we pass the turnoff to the Visitors’ Station and viewpoint.

We stopped for gas in Kalama, just off the I-5. This town has over 100 antique dealers. In the Kalama Marine Park stands the World’s Tallest Freestanding Totem Pole, 140 ft. (42m) that was carved by the late Chief Don Lelooska.

It’s still raining as we pass over the busy Columbia River, the Washington/Oregon border is at the centre of the bridge leading into Portland. This very attractive city of many bridges, mountain views and mild climate is known as the city of Roses.

The rain continues as we pull into KOA Salem campground, 47 miles (76km) south of Portland and a short distance off the I-5. This RV park has tree shaded sites and paved pull-thrus; we enjoyed sewer, electricity and water ($18.28 per night – 10% discount with KOA Value Card). It has also rained here a lot and the grounds are saturated with water. The rain stopped after dinner, so we took a short walk and enjoyed the cool night air.

In the morning we drove back onto the I-5 (south); the rain had stopped but it was getting windy. We’re in the Willamette Valley, farms and orchards can be seen for miles. We pass through Cottage Grove and Roseburg, then start to climb into the mountains, still on a four lane divided highway. This densely forested valley of fir trees begins our ascent. It’s raining hard and we pass Canyonville and climb to Canyon Creek Pass, elev. 2,020ft. (606m), Stage Road Pass elev. 1,830 ft. (549m), Sexton Mountain Pass, elev. 1,960 ft. (588m) then down into Grant’s Pass elev. 948 ft. (284m) (3 miles (4km), 6 percent downgrade). We stop for gas, Regular $1.13 gallon and Supreme $1.31. We start climbing again into Medford, elev. 1,374 ft. (412m), Ashland elev. 1,951 ft. (585m) and the Siskiyou Summit, elev. 4,310 ft. (1,293m). The slow steady climb takes us from rain into snow. It’s very foggy and bleak; we are seven miles (11 km) from the Oregon/California border.

As we come down from the summit, still on divided highway, we enter California. The California Inspection Station is just over the border. All vehicles must stop. The agricultural officer approaches the motorhome and politely asks if we are carrying fruit or plants on board. We answer no and he flags us on.

We’re climbing over Anderson Summit elev. 3,067 ft. (920m). The highway is still four lanes, but the terrain is very rocky. Descending into the flatlands of the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, the sun is shining and we can see Coastal Mountains in the distance. The sun is hot and a strong wind is blowing the sagebrush along the ground. The snowy top of Mount Shasta, elev. 14,162 ft. (4,248m) looms in the distance. Through the town of Weed and still climbing, the snow and fir tree covered Snowman’s Hill faces the highway at 3,912 ft. (1,173m).

The earth is bright red and patches of green sagebrush make the hills very attractive. This red earth is the shoreline of California’s largest lake, the magnificent Shasta. While passing over the Memorial Bridge we notice houseboats lining the shore, as the lake meanders along the edges of the mountains, encircling islands -- what a beautiful sight!

It’s getting late and we pull into the KOA campground in Redding, next to the waterslides. The rain has stopped but the campground is soggy with water and the creek is high. Full hookup, (electricity, water and sewer) is $24.50 (10% discount with KOA Card). Boulder Creek runs through the campground and we spend a pleasant night listening to the frogs.

The next day is warm and sunny but still plenty of snow on the mountains. The highway is very well used and the surface is rougher, resulting in a flat tire on the inside back dual. We pull off the road and change it.

We pass Red Bluff, named for the coloured cliffs in the area. Our next stop was Corning. This is olive tree country and all the places are named with olive, the Olive Inn, The Olive Motel etc. While the tire is being fixed I notice the heat is 72 degrees (23C), and the palm trees were swaying in the breeze.

Back on the I-5 we pass miles and miles of olive trees. This is the fertile Sacramento Valley, well known for varieties of fruit orchards, nut and olive groves and rice farms. On into the beautiful city of Sacramento, capital of California and major inland port, due to a deepwater channel to San Francisco Bay. This city of pop. 304,100 has seen a lot of rain, the rivers are high and flooding in low-lying areas. The I-5 takes us through the city at 65 mph (100km), on a very busy freeway.

Continued on through the rich and fertile northern San Joaquin Valley, with miles of nut groves (walnuts and almonds), orchards, vineyards and rich farmland. It’s hot and air conditioners can be seen on every roof. The great California Viaduct winds its way through the valley. The San Joaquin Valley has over 1,000,000 acres of irrigated land. The city of Stockton is also an inland port and connected to San Francisco Bay by a 60 mile (96km) long channel. The valley is very fertile and creates perfect farm and grazing land for cattle. The four lane divided highway is lined with orchards and vineyards; the green rolling hills are the backdrop to the many rows of peach and apple trees.

Getting late so we drive a short distance off the highway into Sommerfield’s Almond Tree RV Park, in Coalinga, Calif. The rate with full hookup, (water, sewer and electricity) is $22. Paved with gravel pull thrus, the campground is full of pink blossoming almond trees. A soft breeze is blowing and it’s a little cooler, 50 degrees (10C).

We are 191 miles (307km) from Los Angeles, on a divided four lane highway, doing 70 mph (110km) and it’s hot. Miles and miles of hydro electric service towers follow the highway, disappearing into the distance. We stop for gas, Regular $1.19 gal., Supreme $1.46 gal. The highway is cement sections, hard on the tires. The sun beats down, flocks of sheep, orchards, hydro lines and oil pumping stations flash by as we start to climb out of the San Joaquin Valley and through the mountains.

Commonly known as the Grapevine, the highway divides, southbound continues right. The slow steady climb begins, over the Tehachapi Mountains. All buses and trucks pull over into the slow lane, gear down and creep up the grade. At the summit of Tejon Pass elev. 4,144 ft. (1,243m) we are met with high gusty winds, which sometimes close this highway, if too severe. Just over the top, in the valley, is blue shimmering Pyramid Lake, in the Los Padres National Forest.

We are still on the I-5 and coming into Los Angeles; green hills turn into the start of a city of 3,500,000 people. Four lanes, five lanes, eight lanes and twelve lanes, take us to Anaheim’s Ball St. exit and Disneyland. The Anaheim RV Park is north of the I-5 and Harbour Boulevard, within walking distance to Disneyland and other attractions. An asphalt campground, but very clean; we decide to stay two nights, full hookup was $24.10 per night including tax. The air is smoggy and the area congested, but on our last night it rained, cooling us off.

It was cloudy as we headed south on the I-5 to San Diego, approximately 1-1/2 hours away. The sun was trying to peek through but it was still very warm, 60F (16C) with a wind. The traffic was light and the speed limit is 65 mph (100km), on a very good freeway. Palm trees, green hills surrounded us, red tiled roofs and low homes (adobe style) sit in the hills. Suddenly, the sparkling blue Pacific Ocean is in front of us, this is Dana Point. What a beautiful sight! From here we follow the coastline, through Capistrano and Camp Pendleton, U.S.M.C. Beach resorts such as Oceanside, Carlsbad and Cardiff by the Sea take us into San Diego.

This city of pop. 1,110,500 is an important military centre and is built on a natural harbor. The harbor has the largest concentration of U.S. Navy installations on the west coast. Many buildings have been preserved in “Old Town”, that date back to 1542, the beginning of San Diego.

The I-5 bypasses the city and we continue south to Chula Vista, 8 miles (13km) from the Mexican border. Winding our way through a residential area, our campground is situated in a huge valley, protected from the wind.

San Diego Metro KOA Kampground is one of the best. The beautiful 270 site park offers paved roads and pads, mature trees, cactus, clean well maintained pool/spa and bike rentals. The helpful staff offer discount tickets, bus tickets and information only a tourist would ask. We decide to stay four nights, full hookup with 10% discount (KOA discount card) was $27.00 per night, tax included.

Nestled in the trees and “Bird of Paradise” flowers, we study the many brochures and maps available. The Chula Vista Transit shuttle bus enters the park every hour, on the hour and takes us to the trolley station. The San Diego Trolley System runs north and south with another line from city centre to East Line. In the campground office we purchase Day-Trippers, all day passes for $5.00 ea. to ride the transit and trolley system.

On a sunny, warm morning our first visit would be Sea World, we took the bus and trolley. The admission was $30.95 each with discount tickets. Once in the gate all shows and exhibits are free. Upon entering the park we were handed a “Special Events and Daily Information Guide”, in brilliant color. A well marked map and a list of shows and attractions helped us find our way. We visited the Dolphin Show, Shamu Show, and Bird Show. We took a ride up the Skytower ($2.00 each) and reveled in a revolving view of the city. Our lunch was eaten on a patio, under a net ceiling, to keep the seagulls from our food. The new Wild Arctic exhibit (a helicopter ride) was excellent!! We petted stingrays and walked through shark infested waters (a huge tube underwater). Admired the flamingos, which were in great numbers, and talked to the parrots. Riding the trolley back to the campground, we truly felt we had got our money’s worth.

Awaking to another warm, sunny day we visited Seaport Village. Taking the bus and trolley, we got off downtown and walked a short distance to the waterfront. Set in a park-like setting with a boardwalk, shops, restaurants and 1890 Broadway Flying Horses carousel, Seaport Village takes you back in time. Walking along the Seawall, we could see the Coronado Bridge in the distance. This $1.00 toll bridge built in 1969 is 2 miles long (3km) and connects Coronado peninsula with San Diego. The blue span rises 210 feet (63m) above San Diego Bay, offering an unobstructed view.

Each day the temperature gets hotter. We drove to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park and parked free. The route was very clearly marked and we had no problem locating the zoo. At the admission gate we bought tickets for the Wild Animal Park also – all inclusive for the zoo and park we paid $33.55 each, totaling $67.10 (zoo $21.00 each, park $12.95 each).

At the San Diego Zoo we received another very colorful, well planned map. We took a guided double-decker bus tour and learned about the animals, then we set out on foot. The zoo is in tiers and outdoor escalators make traveling up and down these hills easier. A gondola ride, Skyfari Aerial Tram, gave us an aerial view of the park and surrounding area. The animals are in their natural habitat with lots of trees, water and food. The Zoological Society of San Diego does a marvelous job of conservation and education.

An even hotter day awaited us as we traveled to the Wild Animal Park, 35 miles (56km) north of San Diego. The road is well marked and passes through orange fields, vineyards and orchards of Escondido. We parked free in the RV parking area and once in the park noticed the African village motif, thatched roofs and huts. Another well marked colorful map was handed to us, noting shows and schedules. First we took the Wgasa Bush Line monorail tour. This 55 minute, 5 mile (8km), narrated monorail encircles a huge valley, stopping frequently to see the animals in their natural habitat. Giraffes are seen eating the leaves off high trees, rhinos cooling in the mud and mountain sheep hidden in the rocks. Try and count how many? Elephants, deer and buffalo can be seen leisurely walking and foraging for food. Later, traveling on foot we took in an elephant show and looked for the lions and tigers. They were hiding in the shade, hard to spot. Many displays of birds, butterflies and gardens kept us walking. It truly is like being on safari. The park is dedicated to the preservation of endangered species.

It was time to leave southern California and we headed to the I-5 north. The temperature was 85F (30C) and getting warmer. We drove north through Los Angeles, the Tejon Pass, San Joaquin Valley, Oregon, Washington and finally the USA/Canadian border.

The Canada Customs Officer asked us how long we were out of the country. “Thirteen days”, we answered. “What is the total amount of goods being brought into Canada?” “$500.00,” with receipts ready. Each person is allowed $500.00 Canadian worth of goods if in the US longer than 7 days. “Any tobacco or alcohol?” “No,” we said. “OK, go ahead.” We slowly crossed the border into Canada.

We enjoyed San Diego and its many attractions and hope to return and learn more of the history of southern California. March was a good month to travel, not too hot and the campgrounds were not full. El Nino had left its mark, but not too much damage. Good tires are a must! Enjoy the trip, the scenery is spectacular!