Thursday, July 9, 2009

Meet the Colonel!

Hello friends & family!

I decided to start up a little blog so you all could
learn about our trip out East with some photos added in, etc etc. Think of it as our travel diary! I suppose I'll start with the history of our trip. We really wanted to get away this summer, but couldn't really afford to do a heck of a lot other than camping (having a house is expensive!). We hummed and hawed over ideas for a while. I remembered an old Winnebago I saw at the Interior Design Show in February that had been renovated and was a heck of a lot of fun! It was my favourite exhibit at the show. And so, we got a few wheels turning, called in a few favours, and bingo-bango, hello 1973 Winnebago Brave! I have no idea why we named him "The Colonel" but I blame it on Dan ;) The Colonel is indeed a brave soul, and the mere sight of him makes me smile. He's retro-chic and the least aero-dynamic vehicle you could ever meet!

So we started tearing apart the good old Colonel because even though the 70s were a great time, 36 years is a LONG time ago and the place needed a little updating! Much to Dan's surprise, I managed to round up a veritable gang of helpers who fixed the electrical, ripped out and replaced rotted plywood panels, and pulled bird's nests out of vents! I think you people are REALLY determined to get rid of us... Today The Colonel got new tires and is currently at the mechanic's getting a good once over/tune up/second chance at life. Thankfully our mechanic is a really great guy and I know he'll take good care of us and The Colonel. To those of you who are doubtful, I also purchased my CAA Plus RV membership this week ;)


Our plan at the moment is to leave on Tuesday, although there is still a lot of interior cosmetic work we need to do so we may have to leave a day later. I've sewn new covers for the sofa bed and banquette tables, and I'm going to work on curtains and throw pillows tonight. There's still some painting and a bit of wallpapering to do, which we'll do our best to take care of this weekend.

Our route is yet undetermined, but the ultimate goal is Newfoundland, and to be more specific, Gros Mourne National Park. I've never been to the East Coast before but Dan has been to Halifax a few times, so we're both looking forward to some beautiful scenery and wonderful people. I think we're both looking forward to getting away as well. Some fresh air and plenty of relaxing is definitely in order for the both of us!

I hope you'll all continue to keep up to date with our trip. I'll try to blog as often as technologically possible. Thank you all for your help and support in getting The Colonel on the road! We definitely couldn't have done it without you!

4 comments:

  1. What an awesome idea! It's definitely going to be quite an adventure... I love road trips! But one question V - who is going to take care of your beloved kitties while you're gone? - L

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  2. Dan's brother and his girlfriend are going to be staying at the house while we're gone. Dan wouldn't let me bring the cats with us :(

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  3. You better try to call us along the way, we are leaving tuesday after work to drive as far as Ottawa, staying with a friend & driving to cape breton for the tuesday night crossing. I will email you Dane's cell #. We will be in Nflnd from the 15th - 21st, and in Cape Breton from the 22nd - 26th.

    Have you looked into crossings? You really shold book one - they do become full, at least the night crossing do.

    Love the Colonel by the way!!!! I've already said it, but I am EXTREMELY JEALOUL... it's so adventurous and romantic!

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  4. Sounds perfect! We haven't booked a crossing yet but we'll do it ASAP. I'm still a little worried we may not be leaving until Wednesday. You have my cell # still? Text me from Dane's phone so we can stay in touch and figure out where to meet up (and avoid long distance bills!). I'm so excited!!! I can hardly wait for you to see the Colonel. Today is wallpaper/paint/cosmetics day!!!

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