Although Sharon and I have been traveling at least twice a year since we wrote our first “Year in the Life” article in 2000; we have been inspired by our 2007-08 travel experiences to write another article. Over the past year we have completed three road trips from our home on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada: an autumn Fly-Fishing excursion to Montana, our regular bi-annual winter trip to Baja Mexico, and a tour through Southern France and Spain. On all these trips we mixed staying with ATC hosts and small hotels.  The following is a description of our past year’s adventures:

After watching the movie “A River Runs Through It”, we thought it would be interesting to fly-fish the rivers made famous by that movie. So in the last week of September, 2007, we were off for a three week trip to the “Big Sky State” of Montana.

Our first day out, after a ferry ride across the Strait of Georgia and a drive through the spectacular mountains of southern British Columbia, we arrived at 4 p.m. in Castelgar at the home of ATC members Marcel and Elaine. After meeting our hosts and settling in to our very private suite, the four of us were off for dinner at an excellent Chinese restaurant recommended by our hosts. 

The next morning, after saying good- by to our new friends, we drove to the fly-fishing hub of Montana, the city of Missoula, located at the intersection of the Blackfoot, Big Fork and Bitterroot, all world famous Fly Fishing rivers. Here we stayed for a few days at the Thunder Bird Hotel, which is located in the center of town, on the river, and walking distance to the university. Missoula is a lovely small city and has the best shopping in this “no sales tax” state. While there we fished the local rivers and the world famous Rock Creek, toured the university, visited a very interesting museum and, of course, did some tax-free shopping, especially at the Kingfisher Outfitter and Fly Fishing shop, located right across the street from our hotel. The hotel was great, very “affordable” and continental breakfast was included. The lady who runs it should be an ATC member she was so hospitable! 

Our next destination was an hour’s drive south to the town of Hamilton. We stayed in a rustic cabin near the Bitterroot River at a fishing resort called “Anglers Rest”. The cabins are within easy walking distance to the river; each is fully equipped with kitchen, great sleeping accommodation, and a veranda with barbeque and picnic table overlooking a small private lake. We enjoy being able to cook our own meals from time to time while traveling. It is more economical than restaurants and allows us to explore the local supermarkets and choose our own menu for the day. Anglers Rest also includes a campground and a Fly Fishing Outfitters shop. 

Next we turned SE to the town of Ennis on the Madison River. There we joined many other fly fishers at a small motel located beside the river. Our detached cabin had a separate kitchen, TV and WIFI! It was great value! A snow storm on our second day in Ennis interfered with our plans to journey south to Yellowstone that day so instead we paid a visit to two fascinating Ghost Towns, Virginia City and Nevada City and then snuggled down to another home cooked dinner in our cabin.  By the next day the snow was gone and we were able to make a quick trip to Yellowstone before heading north toward the capital city of Montana, Helena.

There we stayed in the nearby small community of Clancy at the home of ATC members Dennis and Sandy. Dennis is a retired Marine Officer and Sandy is retired Air force. As we are also a retired military family we found we had much in common. That’s one of the great things about ATC; sometimes you can select members to visit who have similar backgrounds. This visit will stand out as one of the most memorable we have ever experienced.

Dennis has many hobbies, including fishing and hunting, but his greatest skill may be as a chef!! The day we arrived Dennis and assistant chef Sandy prepared the most perfect fresh trout dinner for us that we have ever experienced. Dennis caught the fish that day in anticipation of our visit. After dinner we learned that Dennis is also an avid hunter and, when we asked if the antelope we had seen during our tour of the state were considered game animals, he said yes indeed and we could sample his Antelope/ Venison Specialty for dinner the next night. When we told him two home-cooked dinners was above and beyond the call for an ATC host and we should go to a restaurant the next day, he insisted there were no restaurants in the local area that could compare to his cuisine. That was easy to believe and we got the impression that Sandy and Dennis love to share their enjoyment of food with their guests so we agreed to be treated to two more sumptuous meals prepared by these two chefs par excellence.

The next day we were off to visit the State Capital building in Helena. We always do this the first time we visit a capital city and we have never been disappointed. The State Capital of Montana is a wonderful place with the history of the state depicted in paintings throughout the building. When we noticed a border collie running down the grand marble stairway, we thought it was strange that dogs were allowed in the building but then appeared a very large man dressed in typical western fashion accompanied by two other gentlemen with cameras. The big man came directly up to us, shook our hands, asked where we were from, introduced himself as Brian Schweitzer the Governor of Montana and his dog JAG. We had a lengthy conversation regarding environmental issues, which he wanted us to take up with our Premier in BC. Photographs were taken by us and by the journalists who were writing an article about JAG, whom our hosts later told us is the governor’s best campaign companion. Everyone loves him.  What an exciting day! Before going “home” we shopped for some nice wines to accompany our forthcoming feast. That evening’s 5-course dinner was spectacular!!!

The next day Dennis managed to get off work early and he graciously offered to take us fishing to his favorite streams in the local area. The weather was blustery with rain, not great for casting flies, but we did manage to land a few fish. By this time fishing and touring was secondary in our minds to the evenings’ culinary treats. That night we were treated to an excellent lemon chicken dinner prepared by Sandy. After dinner, while savoring the meal and enjoying our after dinner wines Dennis dropped the bombshell!! He looked at us very seriously and said, “ Now you must pay for your meals”. We knew there must be a catch!! The payment was for us to tell him which meal we liked the best and which dessert we liked the least. This was the most difficult payment we could imagine; everything had been perfect!  Anyway we both made our choices; Dennis seemed to approve and we were off the hook! All the visits we have experienced with ATC have been great and they now stand at well over 100, but this visit stands out as one of the more memorable, not just because of the food, but more about the great hospitality and genuine friendship that these folks provided. To date they have not come to visit us yet In Victoria or at our fishing lodge on the Cowichan River, but when they do we will have to hire a caterer!!

I have purposely not related too much about the fishing because I don’t think it would interest everyone. Enough to say the rivers & streams in Montana are beautiful just like the movie depicted and the fish are plentiful. Driving through the countryside is spectacular and “the deer and the antelope really do “play” as they say in the song “Home on the Range.”

On our way home to BC we stopped in Sand Point, Idaho, where we stayed with ATC hosts Bruce and Gretchen. They have a beautiful home in the hills just outside of town. Gretchen is an accomplished photographer and Bruce is an artist, antique car collector, and works as a “voice over “ actor advertising many products you hear on radio and TV. What an interesting couple! Bruce gave us a guided tour of his paintings, Gretchen’s photographs and his car collection.  On the final evening of our visit we all went out to the local theatre to see a production of The Complete Works of Shakespeare, a very entertaining play. On the way home Bruce gave us a sample of his profession, a car commercial in the voices of John Wayne and Walter Brennen. If you shut your eyes you would swear the two old cowboys were sitting in the front seat.

After about 3 weeks on the road we arrived home in BC very impressed with Montana, the fishing, fabulous Yellowstone Park, beautiful scenery, wildlife and most of all the wonderful ATC Hosts we met along the way.  WE SHALL RETURN!

We generally start planning our road trips about 2 months before our departure date. Sharon goes through the ATC directory looking for possible hosts along our route and contacts them by e-mail to ask if it is possible for them to host us for a few days. Once all of our plans are made we send out our trip Itinerary to all our confirmed ATC hosts plus our family so they all know where we are at any time just in case they need to contact us. During all the trips we have arranged since 1996 we have had very few changes in our trip itineraries.   One year we were returning from Mexico when a landslide washed out HWY 101 the day we were traveling from California to Oregon and we had to cancel our stay on the coast in Florence at the last moment, return for an extra day with our previous hostess, Marie in Lakeport, and call ahead to arrange for accommodation for the next three days. After a few phone calls all was arranged and we were treated to the hospitality of another two ATC members.  It’s truly amazing how accommodating and understanding our members are!!!  On the trip we are about to describe examples of these traits are very evident. Floods, snowstorms and illness along the way challenged us more than usual.

We woke up the morning of December 4, 2007, all ready to begin our first day’s trip, destination Vancouver, Washington. The Itinerary was confirmed; the car packed; we were ready; we even had a reservation on the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles Washington. In the morning we checked the news and the weather and all plans were changed. There had been a big rainstorm the previous few days and all roads south of Port Angeles were completely flooded or washed out, the main highway in Washington, I-5, was covered by 10 feet of water and would be closed for at least four days! There was no way we could reach Vancouver, WA that day so we contacted our hosts there and told them we couldn’t make it that evening. They said no problem; they would welcome us the following day.

The next problem was how to get through Washington State. Normally we wouldn’t choose to drive through the mountains of eastern Washington in December but highway 90 was the only route available.  As we sat on the dock waiting for the ferry to Anacortes, which would take us just north of Seattle, we were wondering where we could stay that night when we remembered meeting, at the yearly Washington ATC picnic, a couple who live in Bellevue. Using our ATC Directory, which we always take along on our trips, we called Paul & Sally about 10:30 a.m. I talked to Paul, told him our predicament, and he said we were welcome to stay that night; Sally was going to a church function but he would look after us. That he did. We arrived in Bellevue about 4:30 just as it was getting dark and that evening Paul joined us for dinner at his favorite Oriental Restaurant. Paul is a retired road engineer and he had worked on the section of I-5 that was now flooded. He gave us a fascinating description of the cause of the problem and the possible solutions all of which would take at least a week to complete. The next morning after a great send-off breakfast we were off onto Highway 90 and our 400-mile detour. Our short notice visit in Bellevue could not have been better planned, as our detour started about 1 mile from our Host’s home!   The weather that day was perfect. The sun shone and the drive through the mountains via Yakima to Vancouver, WA was beautiful. We arrived around 4PM as usual. 
In spite of the fact we had to shorten our stay to one day with Carl & Yvonne in Vancouver, WA we seemed to hit it off immediately and soon we were out on the town at one of their favorite restaurants “ Billygan’s Roadhouse”. This was a western style place with sawdust & peanut shells on the floor and veeerry good food & service. We enjoyed a great evening with our new friends, exchanged stories and only wished we could have stayed longer as originally planned.

Our next visit was also shortened and arranged at the last minute in Medford, Oregon, with ATC Hosts Burke and Cynthia. We arrived there in the late afternoon, went shopping, once again in a” sales tax free state” and ate dinner at an excellent Buffet place suggested by our hosts. When we returned we had a very interesting evening comparing our travels, books we have enjoyed, wine sampling, and generally having a good time getting to know each other. Again additional days would have been even better.

Finally we were actually back on the original schedule and itinerary only because of the understanding and accommodating nature of our ATC Hosts!

Next on our Itinerary of ATC visits was with hosts Julie & Roger in Selma, California. There we met up with “The Fresno Gang”, ATC members, Charlene, Julie, Roger, Diana and Linda who had visited us in Victoria years before. This is the second time we have stayed in this area with this group of fun loving people and every reunion with them is a blast! We all enjoyed a fabulous welcoming turkey dinner with all the trimmings, hosted by Julie & Roger in their beautiful Hacienda Style home.  The next day Charlene invited us a Christmas recital at her church. It was wonderful. Following the recital she said follow me (in her 68 antique, original owner Mustang) and we ended up in an area of Fresno where they probably have the best Christmas decorations in the world. I am not exaggerating. We walked through the subdivision where every house had thousands of lights, music and very unique themes. Near the end of the walk-around, one of Charlene’s friends in the neighborhood invited us all in for hot cider and snacks. What a fabulous night—another great ATC experience. If you ever meet the “Fresno Gang” you won’t forget them. Friends for life.

Our last ATC visit on our trip south was with Tony & Chris In Temecula, just an hour north of San Diego. Through experience we have found the Fresno - Temecula - San Diego route is an excellent way to transit through California.

We have known Tony & Chris for over 28 years and actually recruited them into ATC so this was a visit with old and dear friends. We arrived on time as per our itinerary and were greeted by Tony, Chris, and her mother Lilo. Chris is a Cordon Bleu trained chef and Lilo owned a hotel in Germany for many years so of course we were wined and dined in royal fashion during this stay. A lot beyond what is expected of an ATC host.

Following dinner, Tony, a gadget man of renown, showed me his latest computer games Golf & Fishing. We had a great time playing them but retired early as we were off the next day for Mexico. On our return trip we had Tony and Chris on our Itinerary for a 3-day visit.

After a gourmet breakfast we were off south, crossing into Mexico at Tijuana around noon. We are members of a Fishing Club called Vagabundos Del Mar. This club arranges for Visit Permits and Mexican Auto insurance for all members free of charge and will send it to your home before you leave. We always use this service to ensure quick passage through the border. As members almost all hotels and restaurants along the Baja will give you a discount when you show your membership card. Membership for a year is $35(USD) and you get regular newsletters and very reasonable auto insurance coverage.

There is only one ATC home currently on the Baja in Ejido San Lucas on the Sea of Cortez. We recruited these members while dining together at our favorite stop on the Baja but we haven’t had the chance to visit them yet. We have three very favorite small hotels we always stay in on the 1000-mile trip from Tijuana to Los Cabos.

After we cross the border, we head south without stopping for anything in the border area. If there is any dangerous area it is only near the border and you are past that and on the toll road along the coast within 15 minutes. The toll road takes you quickly to Ensanada along one of the most scenic coastal roads in the world. Once past Ensanada you are on HWY 1 until you reach the tip at Cabo San Lucas. In my opinion, once past Ensanada the driving, accommodations, shopping, etc. are as safe as anywhere in the US. The road is single lane but very good. The scenery and towns you pass through are very interesting and very beautiful if you enjoy desert, seacoast and mountain driving. Observe the speed limits, obey the signs, learn what they mean in English, drive only during the daylight and you will experience a three day driving trip of a lifetime! Gas is no longer a problem on the Baja. The Pemex stations are found all along the route now and the prices are good.

Our first stop on the Baja is about four miles off the highway in San Quintin about a four-hour drive from Tijuana. The Old Mill Hotel is owned and operated by an American couple who meet you with a cold Corona on arrival and charge you about $40(USD) a night for a room with kitchenette. The Hotel & Campground is located on the water and the sunsets are magnificent. Don’s Landing restaurant next door has a very reasonable menu. Book ahead for your room on the Internet (google Old Mill Hotel San Quintin Mexico).  We always request #3 but it is probably the most modest and cheapest room. They are all simply decorated but immaculate!

On our second day on the Baja we head for San Ignacio Springs. Since we travel in the winter we must arrive at our destination before dark at 4 p.m. so we leave the Old Mill by 8:30 a.m. gas up and head south. In San Ignacio we stay at the San Ignacio Springs B&B run by a Canadian couple named Gary & Terry. Once again book well ahead on the Internet and ask to stay for supper on arrival. We always stay there for two or three days because it’s so great and there is so much to see and do. The town itself is in the mountains located at the source of a river. The B&B is located on the river and consists of about a dozen “Yurts”. These are very upscale tents, the floors are tile or hardwood, most have ensuite bathrooms and they all have a theme. Yurts were originally built in Mongolia but this ”Cadillac” version comes from Oregon. On this visit we stayed in the ”Africa Room”. The prices are very reasonable and the breakfasts, which are included in the price, are sumptuous! If you choose to stay for dinner, and you had better, you will experience a dining experience under the stars and date palms that you will remember forever. You can fish right off his dock using gear provided, swim in the river, or take one of the free kayaks down the river to its source where it emerges from the ground. The source of the river is only about a kilometer from the dock and there is very little current. You will think you are in The Garden of Eden. Day trips include the best Whale watching bay of the Baja during the right season, generally after the New Year; and ancient cave paintings in the mountains. Gary and Terry will provide all information and can arrange guided tours. Also, don’t miss the village itself; it is a real old Jesuit town and has a good museum. The entire Valley is a forest of date palms in the middle of the desert. Truly a Paradise.

From San Ignacio Springs we continue east to the Sea of Cortez. As you come down the mountain to the coast you see what looks like a very dirty, little, industrial port town. Don’t be fooled by the initial impression; turn right up into the town itself. Santa Rosalia was a famous 19th century French mining town that might remind you of a mini New Orleans with its wooden buildings and long overhanging balconies. Everything is made of wood which is very unusual on the Baja. The town even boasts a church completely made out of steel built by someone named Eiffel who later built an equally famous tower in Paris, France!!! Don’t by-pass Santa Rosalia without taking a closer look and maybe stopping for lunch.

(Note) All the way along HWY # 1 you will encounter military checkpoints. (About 5 along the entire route) They look scary but aren’t. They are there for your protection to check for drugs and guns so don’t carry any. If you are caught with any you are in deep you know what! If you offer a little Spanish (Buenos Dias senor, etc.) and a smile you probably won’t get more than a cursory check. Tell them where you are going, where you are from, and generally you are on your way. Play obnoxious tourist and be prepared for a long search!! We have never had more than a cursory look around our car. 

Continuing our journey we head south back over the mountains to La Paz, the elegant capital of Baja South where we stay at the Hacienda Buganbilias, four blocks from the Malecon. There are many fine restaurants and hotels in La Paz but this is our favorite affordable hotel. We have stayed there since our first Baja drive when it was known as the Gardenias but it is now renovated under new owners Jean & Babette. They speak French, Spanish and a little English; the front desk staff speak enough English to get by, as do a few of the maids. Jean and Babette previously owned the most famous French Restaurant in La Paz but after taking over and renovating this hotel they moved the restaurant to this new location. The rooms are a little more now, in the $70 range but the quiet, cleanliness, friendly staff, and security of the location make it all worthwhile. It has an enclosed courtyard with a very large old style tiled unheated swimming pool.  We are tough Canadians so cold water doesn’t bother us (;<). Of course the water is only cool around Christmas when we are there. The rest of the year it would probably get too warm for me. The courtyard is a great place to relax and enjoy meals either at the gourmet restaurant or your own creations. La Paz is a very modern city with almost 300,000 residents.  There are many things to do: museums, market or mall shopping, evening strolls on the beautiful malecon, nearby beaches, the Grand Zocala and Cathedral - I could go on and on.

From La Paz we drive one more half day to our time-share resort, Club Regina at the Westin Los Cabos – total driving days from the border – three and a half. This is 5 star luxury living at its best but not as much fun as staying at ATC so I won’t bother to describe it. We generally stay for a week before Christmas, take off for 2 weeks during the holidays then return in the New Year and use up another week of time-share decadence.  That way we use 2 years worth in one trip. During the two-week holiday time we sometimes go back to the Hacienda in La Paz or go to any of the smaller places in the Lower Peninsula. You can always find a good place to stay at a reasonable price. 

After we have had enough sun & surf we head back north; this trip on 11 January 2008 after spending a month on the Baja. We stopped in Loreto our first night.  Although this is a popular American/Canadian destination we have never found a good quiet hotel in Loreto. There always seems to be a barking dog outside our window. The Cafe OLE is a great place to stop for breakfast however. Our next stop was San Ignacio Springs for a few more days, then back to the Old Mill for our final night in Mexico. 

On 17th January we headed back to Tony & Chris in Temecula for another visit. This time we crossed the border at Tecate instead of Tijuana and this was much better. Going south entering Mexico is fast at Tijuana but going north can be a Zoo!!! In future we will use Tecate both ways; Tijuana is just getting too wild. Tecate was very quiet and easy plus we drove through beautiful wine country enroute from Ensenada and enjoyed another very pleasant easy drive from Tecate to Temecula.

While in Temecula we joined our hosts for a visit to the Jesuit Mission at San Juan Capistrano, probably the most famous of all missions on the Pacific coast. Another day Tony took us on a wine tour and showed us the lakes around Temecula where the locals fish. The lakes are actually dammed rivers but are stocked with really large rainbow trout. Next time I will take a fly rod. I have fished in Northern California on previous trips but never thought about Southern California.

After another great stay with Chris, Tony and Lilo we were off to our next ATC hosts Jan & Sharon who live in Henderson, Nevada just outside Las Vegas

Jan & Sharon live in a beautiful gated “Golf” community in Henderson about 12 miles from downtown Las Vegas. They have a beautiful home and they showed us all around their spectacular complex which includes two country clubs, one with an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, pool/games rooms and a computer centre; the other with a full size theatre where the residents were auditioning for the next production!! Many of them were retired entertainers from LA; I wish we could have returned to see the final production. Very impressive. One night we dined out with our Hosts and had a wonderful meal at their club.  Of course our first day trip was to the Vegas strip; we marveled at the new hotels that have been built since our last visit and had a great Italian Meal at a famous restaurant (Maggiano’s), recommended by our hosts.  The next day we again took their advice and drove south to visit the Wild West town of Oatman located on Route 66 in Arizona. There we witnessed mock gunfights on the street and found many good deals in leather crafts in the shops. Even if these hosts lived in the middle of the Mohave I would recommend them just because of the fabulous breakfasts they served. WOW!!! 

Our next ATC stop was in Goleta California. Enroute we barely missed a snow storm that stopped traffic on I-5 north of LA. Our first night with ATC hosts Dennis and Beth was very good. On their recommendation we had a nice meal at a local restaurant and returned to the house to get acquainted. On the TV news we saw people stranded in over a foot of snow on I-5 and were grateful that we had decided to go north along the coast.  During our chat we discovered that we have mutual friends whom we both met through ATC, Jennifer and Malcolm from Chapel-en-le-Frith in England.

Our idyllic trip was about to encounter some problems however. Overnight I came down with a very serious stomach ailment. To this day I’m not sure what I had; we thought at first it was food poisoning; but needless to say it completely flattened me. For the next day and a half, Dennis, Beth and Sharon were great and nursed me gradually back to a state where I was at least mobile. This is probably the worst thing that could happen during an ATC visit. If I had known prior we would have cancelled our visit, but as it happened so fast, in the middle of the visit, that was impossible. By the last day I was OK and off we went to our next stop. We later learned that whatever the “bug” was Dennis also caught it so it was contagious. I felt very bad about that. The lesson to be learned is that if you are ever sick during a trip, cancel your visits until you recover.

Our next ATC visit was with William & Pamela who live in Alameda just across the bay from San Francisco. We stayed with this lovely couple on an earlier trip when they lived in San Francisco. The day we arrived they treated us to a tour around Alameda Island, which I found very interesting, as there still was a Naval Air Facility there that I had flown into during my Air Force career.  The Island community itself is an older style village sheltered from the hustle of San Francisco itself, surrounded by water and endowed with many parks so it was not hard to understand why Bill and Pam have chosen it for their new home. That evening Pamela treated us to a home-cooked dinner, we got re-acquainted, discussed all our travels since our last visit, and retired early. The next day we took the ferry to San Francisco.

We now traveled a short distance north to the wonderful wine country of the Napa Valley where we stayed with ATC members Pam & Jim in their home in Yountsville. Again, upon arrival, we were treated to a wonderful salmon dinner complete with the great local wines. The next day we traveled in an oval shaped route completely around the Napa Valley. While in Yountsville we visited a very interesting interactive type of museum that also described the local wine making and offered free samples for tasting. We highly recommend this area to all ATC members.

It was now Jan 30 and we were enroute to Rogue River, Oregon to stay for 2 days with ATC members Charles and Susan, but as we were traveling north on  I-5 the weather started to change. Snow was soon in the air. At Redding, CA we were stopped by the highway patrol. The highway north was closed.  We contacted Charles and Susan and once again they understood and welcomed us to stay for a shortened visit whenever we arrived. What a great Club!!! In Redding we stayed at a very nice little motel on the main street that our GPS (Global Positioning System) guided us to. On the advice of the owner we went to a famous old restaurant which was only walking distance away and had the best home cooked turkey dinner that we have ever had in a restaurant - a four course dinner for $8.99. Needless to say we were back there for breakfast before heading north again.

The trip to Rogue River went smoothly and, seeing the mountains of snow that had accumulated, we were happy that we had been stopped the previous day. We arrived at our host’s residence by mid afternoon. Charles and Susan have a lovely home on the banks of a tributary of the famous Rogue River. We stayed in their detached guest cottage, a two-room retreat in the middle of the forest overlooking the stream. You could almost hear the snow fall it was so quiet. We took their recommendation and had dinner at a great little family restaurant in the village. After supper we got to know Susan and Charles and spent the evening sharing all our travel experiences. Once again, it was too bad that we couldn’t have stayed for the full 2 days as planned.  It’s interesting to note that over several trips we have stayed with three different ATC members at different locations on or very near the Rogue River.

Our last stop of this trip was a visit with our dear friends, ATC members Uta and Joe who now live in Lake Forest near Seattle, having moved from their previous home in Gig Harbor in order to be closer to their first grandchild.  Although we have visited Joe and Uta many times this was the first time in their new home. It is fabulous, very modern with great views of Lake Washington. While there we had a wonderful meal with Joe, Uta and their family and on our last night there we ordered a very good Thai meal from a local restaurant.  Many people in the club know Joe and Uta very well as for several years they hosted the Annual Washington State ATC picnic in Gig Harbor. Sometime between walks along the lake, singsongs and football games, Joe asked us if we needed house sitters in July or August because friends of his sister Pat, a former ATC member in Madrid were interested in visiting North America. Joe and Uta had spent a month over Christmas 2006 house-sitting for us so immediately thought of us, but, unfortunately, we were not planning a summer trip so didn’t think we could help. Stay tuned!

After almost 2 months on the road we arrived back in Victoria 3 February 2008. We had traveled over 6000 miles. This trip was an example of how things can go wrong but because of the understanding and accommodating nature of our club members everything always seems to work out.  This club surely exemplifies the saying  “ it’s not the destination that’s important it’s the journey”

Normally it is our custom to stay on Vancouver Island from spring right through to fall residing at our place on the Cowichan River the majority of the time. The spring and summer of 2008 was no different. So, having thought it over, we decided we could indeed offer our Victoria house to the Madrid ATC members Jesus and Trinidad for the month of July. This was their first trip to North America and they wanted to experience the Pacific Northwest. We are happy that we were able to accommodate their request.

On July 12 we hosted the first Vancouver Island ATC Picnic at our Cowichan River acreage. We had attended many of the picnics in Washington and thought it was about time all the island members got to know each other. Sharon sent invitations to all 87 ATC members on the Island listed in the ATC Directory.  Fifty-seven people attended the potluck picnic and our new Spanish friends were the guests of honor. It was a great success and before it was over we heard rumors that several members from the Qualicum Beach area were thinking of hosting a second Island ATC Picnic during the summer of 2009. If they are not able to do so we will have another one at our river place around the same date. 

By now we were already planning our next big trip for the fall.  We knew we wanted to revisit the south of France. In 2004 we had traveled for five weeks through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, staying with ATC members: Henny in Amersfoort, Lucienne in Stavelot, Monique & Michel in Divonne les Bains, Joyce in Commyras, John & Madeleine in Fumel, Claude & Roland in Overijse, Corry & Zweitze in Vroomshoop and Salomon & Susan in Beeksbergen. The main focus of that trip was the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland. That was a most memorable trip, wonderful hosts, beautiful scenery and unforgettable interaction with the people of the Netherlands who have not forgotten the contribution of the Canadians and Americans who liberated the area in 1944.  However we decided that we had only touched the surface of the magnificent Provence area and, after meeting Jesus and Trinidad, we were convinced that we should also visit Spain. So we planned a month long driving trip beginning in Marseille, driving through the south of France to the Atlantic then circling south east through Madrid to the Spanish Mediterranean coast and back to Marseilles. The description of that trip follows:

At 6:15 AM Sunday 14 September we were off leaving Victoria Airport bound for Marseille via short stops in Toronto and Frankfurt, Germany. We arrived in Frankfurt at 9:30 AM September 15 their time (12:30 AM Victoria time) and really had to rush to barely make our connection to Marseille. We determined that one hour is not long enough for all of the security checks necessary when changing planes in Europe.

We arrived at Marseille Airport after a short flight, collected our bags that thankfully arrived with us and picked up our Renault Eurodrive Car that we had arranged to lease for the duration of our visit. We think that leasing a car in Europe is superior to renting in every way. You get the car of your choice; it is brand new, fully insured with no deductible and with 24/7 roadside assistance included. Our price for 31 days was $1585(CAD) everything included. The model I leased was a 2008 Renault Clio 85 HP Diesel, 5-speed manual, which would easily carry 4 people plus baggage. It averaged 62 MPG (Imperial Gallons) so was very inexpensive to drive.

Once I connected my Garmin 250 mobile GPS (Global Positioning System) I punched in my first ATC member’s address and we were off.  GPS directed us to ATC member Monique’s front door in about 30 minutes. Monique lives in a very nice rural home just outside the seaside village of Port de Bouc on the Mediterranean coast just west of Marseille, the perfect place to rest and recover from our long flight. We napped for a few hours but later in the afternoon drove to the village of Martigues where Monique suggested we could find a good place for dinner. After shopping at a great supermarket we enjoyed a picnic on the beach; then returned to Monique’s where she introduced us to her uncle Antoine who shares her home.  Monique is a teacher and is multilingual but Antoine doesn’t speak English so we spent the evening watching football (soccer) and practicing our French. After coffee and dessert we retired early for a good night’s rest thereby adapting to French time.

We awoke to our first beautiful sunny day in France refreshed and ready to get on the road. After a French style breakfast we were off on our first excursion to the seaside village of Saintes Maries de la Mer. This area of France is called the Camargue; it is famous for the breeding of white horses and the black bulls used for the local bullfights. The land west of Marseille is very flat and quite marshy near the sea. We drove through a national bird watching park, which included a short ferry ride.

Les Saintes Maries is famous as a seaside resort and legend says Mary Magdalene and the other two Mary’s journeyed there after the death of Christ. We next visited St. Chamas, a very interesting town noted for the Roman Aqueduct that passes over the town. We climbed all 156 steps and took magnificent photos of the town and surrounding area. After touring the town we bought some wine and a couple of beers and watched a game of petanque, a boules game which is the traditional pastime of the locals following their two hour lunch break (12-2 PM) when most people in France eat their main meal of the day. We had not yet accustomed ourselves to this eating schedule so we returned to Martigues later in the afternoon and used the GPS to direct us to a restaurant chain in France called “Flunch” which serves very inexpensive but excellent buffet style meals for around 7 Euros. Although it is one of the few places in France that are open all day it is better to eat when the locals do between 12 -2 PM or 7-9PM, otherwise you will be alone and the buffet will not be as fresh. We were too late and too early but we enjoyed our meal that day North American style at 6 PM. Before retiring that evening we met some of Monique’s friends, ate a bowl of her delicious homemade Florentine soup, watched some TV and enjoyed more bilingual conversation.

The next morning we traveled east through Marseille to visit the seaside villages of Cassis and La Ciotat. Whereas the terrain west of Marseille is flat marshy plains, the eastern side is very mountainous.  Cassis is an upscale resort village while La Ciotat is more for the budget minded. Both have lovely sandy beaches and the Mediterranean was still warm enough for us to have a swim. We have traveled to Nice and Monaco on previous trips but we have to say that the beaches around Marseille are far superior as they are very nice fine sand while the more famous are mostly gravel. That evening we returned to the supermarket in Martigues, purchased a hot “Jigs” dinner to take out, and again picnicked on the beach.

The next morning after a nice breakfast, we took some pictures of Monique, and her home, said” au revoir” and set out for our next visit with ATC member Joyce whom we had first met in 2004 at her home in a very small place called Commyras between St. Chinian and Cessanon sur Orb. With the help of our GPS we navigated our way past various towns and cities, stopped to have a look at the historic fortifications of Aigues Mortes and arrived on time as per our itinerary. We were greeted with a beautiful meal of smoked salmon, salads and a delicious berry pudding. Joyce retired to France from England a number of years ago and has really assimilated with the local French and English community. She is an accomplished Musician and Artist who teaches classes in the local area. After dinner we enjoyed our reunion and Joyce agreed to come touring with us the following day to the world famous village of Languiole.

As a collector of Jack Knives, I had read about Languiole in a book on Provence by Peter Mayle called ‘Encore Provence’.  An entire chapter is devoted to the ”Search for the Perfect Corkscrew”. Of course I Googled Laguiole and found that one of the world’s most famous Jack knives is made in that small village.  I had to have an authentic original.

The following morning, after a delicious breakfast, we set off on a 3-hour drive. Upon arrival we discovered that the village of 1500 population actually has 23 knife shops. However only 3 shops carry the authentic original, handmade version; the rest are filled with factory made or cheap Knock-offs. It was not long before I had made my purchase, visited the place where it was made and we began our return trip. By now I was very confident in my GPS and decided to follow another route back to Joyce’s home. I programmed it to avoid toll roads and off we went. Well, it may have taken us on the most direct route but not the fastest or easiest. We traveled almost due south as the crow flies but over the narrowest, twistiest, mountain road you could imagine. Mind you the scenery was magnificent and finally after over 4 hours we arrived home. We shall never forget Departmental Road D-53!!!! We shared a meal with Joyce and after a few hours of conversation we all retired early for some well deserved rest.

The next day Sharon and I visited the nearby village of Capestang where we witnessed a baptism in an unfinished gothic cathedral, walked along the Canal du Midi and toured the nearby Roman Oppidum and it’s museum that overlooks a fantastic Louis IV pinwheel irrigation system that can only be appreciated from the hill above.

On our final day with Joyce we all drove 30 miles east to visit the famous walled city of Carcosonne and ended the day with a lovely meal in the nearby village of Cessanon sur Orb.

After a great breakfast we said goodbye to our good friend Joyce and were off, 20 September, to our next ATC visit with Alan & Cecilia who live in the hills south of Auch France. When arranging this trip Alan provided us with the latitude & longitude of his home to input into our GPS. Without this info I doubt we could have found their home. Perhaps all members who live in hard to find locations should provide this information in their ATC Directory descriptions. After a leisurely day trip we arrived within 3 Meters of his coordinates right in the middle of their driveway! GPS RULES!!!! 

(Note from Sharon – we call our GPS Felicity. She is named after an ATC member that we met in Petersfield England because she has a beautiful melodious English accent. “She” is now my competition. My map and I have been demoted to Navigator #2 but I would still advise that you take a map along so that you really know where you are as you follow directions over hill and dale.)

This was our first visit with Alan & Cecilia. Their beautiful rural home, complete with in ground pool, is nestled in rolling hills 11 km south of the town of Auch with the Pyrenees as a southern backdrop.  They too have migrated from England. Alan works as a translator and language teacher. We spent the first evening planning for our next day trip led by Alan & Cecilia, probably the greatest ”side trip” organizers we have met in ATC. 

After breakfast we traveled north visiting Fleurance where we enjoyed the market and cathedral, Condom for a picnic lunch beside the river, and St. Puy where we toured the Monluc winery.  In the evening we returned north to Auch to an excellent Vietnamese restaurant recommended by our hosts.  In ATC – Who needs a travel Guide?? - No one!!!

The next day we returned to the same area walking around the moat of the circular town of Foirces, picnicking again in Condom where we visited the cathedral and museum, and ending the tour at the fortified town of Larressingle. The day ended with a swim in the pool and a lovely Tex Mex meal prepared by Cecelia. Alan and Cecelia suggested for our next stop we stay in Capbreton, a small seaside village near the France/Spain border that they prefer to the larger more expensive resort town of Biarritz. Their advice had never failed us so we were eager to follow it again.

The next morning we headed west to Capbreton on the Bay of Biscay.  We were now about to turn southeast toward Madrid to visit our friends there but now we had two days “on the Economy”.

In this delightful seaside village we stayed at the Hotel Aquitaine, very centrally located and within short walking distance of the beautiful sand beaches. Cost was 51 Euros (without Breakfast) and it had very nice rooms, free WIFI, and balconies with good views of the pool and the surrounding area. A great place to enjoy our supermarket purchases for dinner and breakfast. For Military history buffs Capbreton is interesting as the beaches contain the bombed out remains of many WWII Allied Gun Emplacements. In September the Atlantic sea temperatures are in the mid 70’s and the area was full of surfers. Surfing is a popular past time on this coast and I would think the place is very busy in the summer season so best to visit during the ”shoulder” season as we did.

Now we were entering a country that was new to us. Our first night was spent in Lerma, a small town about half way to Madrid. We stayed at a great hotel called ”Alisa” that we found on the Internet the night before. It was about 60 euros and their restaurant offers a daily dinner menu with 3 courses including a bottle of wine for 15 Euros – what a deal!!! This hotel was even better than the Aquitaine and highly recommended. The town of Lerma is a great stop for one night as the old walled city of Lerma is a short walking distance from the hotel Alisa and is well worth a short visit.

The next morning we were off to Madrid stopping on the way in magnificent Segovia, famous for its Roman Aqueduct, great Cathedral and Boat shaped Castle (Alcazar) and museum. We arrived just as Sunday Mass was ending and by the time we climbed the stairway beside the aqueduct up to the hill top village we were privileged to watch the closing ceremonies after mass which included the movement of the Virgin statue from the main altar to its secure location in a side chapel. We always enjoy mingling with the local people whenever possible. Buildings can be fabulous but it is the land and the people that really make up a country. The Cathedral is magnificent and entrance is free on Sundays. In many cathedrals in Spain there is an entrance fee on other days; in France the cathedrals are always open but if possible, Sunday is always the best day to visit a cathedral. After a few hours touring the hill top old town and Alcazar we headed off to our destination at ATC members Jesus and Trinidad’s home located in Villaviciosa de Oden a 30-minute bus trip from the centre of Madrid. Since Trinidad and Jesus had stayed in our home for almost a month in July, 2008, we knew them well and we had become good friends.  This was an ATC visit we will remember forever!!!

The GPS once again proved to be invaluable. It took us through all the maze of the Madrid suburban highways to our ATC host’s front door. We stayed three nights in their home near Villaviciosa de Odon. Each day we took the bus to Madrid where we visited all the sights of that beautiful capital city. The bus stop was only a few minutes walk from their door and it took us right to the centre of the city in 30 minutes. Madrid is probably one of the cleanest and, without question, the greenest European capital we have ever visited. It is full of gardens, parks, small lakes and of course magnificent palaces and museums. The architecture is spectacular. Our first day in the city was on a Monday when most attractions are closed but this actually worked well because the next day we knew our way around and could spend most of our time at the Prado museum which is so massive you would need many days to do it justice. Although there is an excellent bus/metro system, it is also easy to tour the city on foot. Each day we ate in the afternoon, 2-4PM, according to the customs of the country, and returned to our ATC hosts where we shared their late evening “Tapas” meal around 9-9:30 PM.

After 3 nights in their town home we moved to our host’s country home located about 1 hour NW of Madrid in the small village of Cebreros. This is not the accommodation that they normally offer to ATC members so we felt very privileged for this opportunity. Jesus accompanied us to the village and gave us a guided tour during which we chatted to a couple of delightful ladies who had lived in Montreal for 7 years in the 1950’s. Trinidad and Jesus are both schoolteachers so they planned to come and stay with us at the country home following work on Friday. During the two days on our own in the village we visited the world famous City of Toledo, famous for its Swords & Knives and of course I bought another famous “Muela” Jack knife there. On our second day trip we drove around the local area and discovered a wonderful fishing river nearby. We talked with the local fishers and I regretted I hadn’t brought a rod, as the river was full of fish.

Trinidad & Jesus arrived on Friday as planned and we had the opportunity to give a little ”pay back” in the form of a typical Tapas type meal that we prepared for them.

The next day, Saturday 4 October, was market day in Cebreros so we stopped there to do some shopping for lunch before Jesus and Trinidad drove us to the famous walled city of Avila. We toured the city and on our way home, Jesus took us on a great tour of a large lake and park where we stopped for an afternoon picnic meal. Later that final evening we all went to a great little restaurant that was located on the banks of that beautiful river near Cebreros and enjoyed tapas as the sun set over the river. When we visit again I will take a Fly Rod for sure!

The next morning we were on the road again after a fabulous weeklong visit with our new ATC friends from Madrid.  We traveled SE through the mountains to the seaside village of Moraira on the Mediterranean to stay 2 nights with ATC members Alan & Isobel.

In their spectacular Villa overlooking a beautiful garden and in ground pool to the Mediterranean. What a beautiful setting!  Moraira is a seaside resort popular with German and English residents and tourists. English and German are spoken everywhere. Alan is a retired businessman and Isobel is an artist. They moved here from England many years ago. The shopping is great and the white sandy beaches are spectacular. The water in the Med was still in the mid 70’s so we bought ourselves a snorkel mask; there were plenty of fish to see in the clear blue waters so we spent the day snorkeling and relaxing on the beach. Each evening we had many enjoyable discussions with our hosts, admired Isobel’s paintings and joined them for a nice meal at a great Chinese buffet, the Wok.

The next day we headed north to complete our circle back to Marseille where our journey had begun. For two more days we were back on the economy. We decided we didn’t have time to do justice to Barcelona this trip so we looked for interesting small towns along our route. For our first night we chose the seaside area of Deltabre, in the delta of the Ebro River, famous for its bird migrations. We did see some egrets but missed out on the flamingos that were said to be there; the beaches were magnificent, white sand as far as you can see. We stayed at a great small hotel called the Delta Hotel, which had a very famous restaurant. Unfortunately again we discovered that the time to eat was 2-4 and when it reopened at 8:30 we were offered what you would call supper items – very good though. In the morning we enjoyed their buffet breakfast, which was included in the 70 Euro nightly rates. This was our first experience with Catalan. The area is bilingual so everything, menus, town and river names, are in both Spanish and Catalan. It took us a while to figure that out.

Following breakfast we set out for our next destination on the NE Spanish coast. We wanted to avoid the congestion of Barcelona so we asked the GPS to guide us around toll roads. It took us in a wide detour through the mountains to Lleida and back to the coast – a beautiful drive that we would not have chosen but thoroughly enjoyed.  We arrived in the seaside village of Cadaques in plenty of time to find the hotel that we had researched on the Internet.  Salvador Dali lived in a nearby village and took inspiration for his art from this coast where the mountains touch the sea. Cadaques is an authentic Spanish seaside village. Although there were tourists there, expatriates have not taken over, as is the case in many of the other resort areas along this spectacular coastline. With minimal trouble and some directions from another hotel in the center of town, we arrived at the Bremar hotel at the northern edge of the village. Driving was a bit tight on the very steep narrow streets. It’s always good to have a small car when driving anywhere overseas. Our hilltop hotel was, again, around 70 Euros, very comfortable with a balcony overlooking their pool and the town, which is nestled into a small cove between the mountains and the sea. 

It was now 9 October and we were on the final leg of our driving trip, We headed northeast to Vennelles France, which is 8 km north of Aix en Provence and the home of ATC member Janine.

Once again it was lucky we had our GPS. It took us right to her front door in a beautiful apartment complex walking distance from everything in the village of Vennelles. Although French by birth, Janine is an English teacher. We actually thought she was English as she seemed to speak with a UK accent but after being around her for a few days we did detect a slight French inflection. Very nice! While in Vennelles we were perfectly positioned to conclude our visit to Provence. Three days were devoted to the three ‘A’ cities: Aix en Provence, a very beautiful but quite busy city having been so popularized by the Peter Mayle novels; Arles, famous for it’s walled city and Roman Theatres; and Avignon yet another walled city made famous by its spectacular Palace des Papes and bridge over the Rhone River where ‘on y danse’. On another day we toured the spectacular hillside villages of Bonnieux, Roussillon & Gordes and purchased provencial tablecloths for all of the ladies in our family at the market in Apt.

We enjoyed many fascinating conversations with Janine, comparing our lives and travels. Janine shared with us many stories of her mother and grandmother’s experiences living in northern France during both world wars. While in Venelles four out of five evenings we dined at a local Vietnamese restaurant and were welcomed enthusiastically as regular customers by the proprietor “Go" after our second visit. 

(Note) Yes! We do tend to eat at oriental restaurants. What can we say?  In France and Spain, as in North America, eating in Oriental, mainly Vietnamese restaurants, generally provides you with good value, excellent choices and dependable cuisine. 

Three days before we thought we were to leave we pulled out our tickets to confirm our flights only to discover that we had somehow miscalculated. We had one extra day. Janine graciously allowed us to stay an extra night. Another lesson learned – always check your tickets and confirm your flight home. After a few phone calls to the airport, a couple of hotels and Renault we were able to add another city to our touring plans.

On our final day we rented a room at the Etape hotel at the Marseille Airport. It cost just over 50 euros and included a very nice buffet style breakfast and free shuttle service to the Departure gate. Although this hotel does not offer a restaurant for dinner, the more upscale Ibis is just across the street and has an excellent menu at reasonable cost. We checked in early at the Etape, found we had been given a” larger “room for the disabled somehow, and then spent the rest of the day in Martigues where we had started our trip a month prior. This time we enjoyed dinner at the Flunch at the correct time 12 noon – a good lesson in French culture. It had taken us a while but we were learning how to eat European style just as we were heading home. I guess that means we must go back for more practice. 

At 5PM we dropped off our leased Renault Clio at their office located just 200 yards from our hotel. We had clocked 4745 KMs on this new car during our trip and only experienced a total of 7 minutes of rain!!!  That evening we went to the Ibis Hotel for a light supper and retired early in anticipation of our long flight home the next morning. 

We arrived home in Victoria the next day (15OCT) after spending 31 days on the road with ATC. Another great adventure completed with plans for another formulating in our minds as I type this story.

Well that’s what Sharon and I did over the past year traveling with ATC.   We had a ball, met all sorts of new friends, learned the strengths and weakness of using GPS, and once again realized that when we joined ATC in 1996 it was the best travel decision we ever made!!!

P.S. GREAT TRAVEL HINT!!!

One of the best things we did prior to these trips was to provide all hosts with a "Full Itinerary" prior to leaving.  This proved to be very popular with our hosts as they always knew where they could contact us if they needed to. We also sent this itinerary to our family members. While on our trip we often had calls or messages inquiring when we would be arriving and providing detailed instructions to find their homes. Of course we always called 24 hours in advance anyway. We suggest this is a great idea for those going on extended trips using ATC.