Dean & Linda Stock
Well-known member
I wasn't going to post after we left Canada, but we have some good tips for those who follow us so they can save $ and possibly get through the border better. Also, we have a request for help.
August 25 Day 1 Arlington, WA (1 hour outside Seattle)
What a frustrating and maddening day! We had trouble getting out of our space because the RV park is so tight and there was a tree on one side and a pole on the other. One of our neighbors kindly volunteered to move his car when he saw Dean scratching his head trying to figure out how we could get out, and we really appreciated it. Then, as we stopped to dump trash, a nice older man who had owned his coach for 3 years and only taken it on 3 short trips, asked if he could watch Dean hook up. Dean said it was fine with him. Then the two of them--teacher and student--went through how to use the Blue Ox. Dean said the man obviously needed to know much more than he did, and so many people have been kind to him that it was time to pay it forward. I was sure Dean would be rewarded for his kindness by a good border crossing. NOT!
The RV park managers/owners are so wonderful. At check-in, they had advised us not to go the Pacific border crossing right by the park because it was very hard to maneuver through it with a large rig. We had also noted "long lines" and waits of as much as an hour there. Instead, they recommended the Peace Arch crossing. So we set off.
Oh, my goodness! We couldn't believe how long the line was when we got to Peace Arch. It went further than the eye could see. Advice to others--Use another crossing! Dean is waiting until we get to Oregon to address an overheating problem, and so of course, in the stop-and-go (mostly stop), within a few minutes we had overheated. Dean was able to pull out across the speedy Nexus lane for those with passes and over to the side of the road to let the RV cool off. Mistake! We should have stayed in line and just killed the engine, because the line was almost at a standstill. So the line grew and grew. After we cooled off, the line was even longer. Dean had planned on cooling the engine (he tried adding anti-freeze, but it was full) and then just pulling in behind the other vehicles. But, with the new longer line, we couldn't get back in because we couldn't block the Nexus lane until we found a kind soul who would let us in.
Finally there was a big gap and Dean started the engine and went for it. The line was so slow that people were getting out of their cars and buying coffee at the duty-free store. After the first couple of hours, people had to use the bathroom. There was a park right next to the line, so they dashed off to the washrooms. Then, all of a sudden, the line started to move by yards instead of inches. People were running full out, trying to catch up with their cars (probably with their passports inside) before they got to the border. I am so glad we have our washroom with us! It took us about 3 hours to get to the point where the 2 lanes split into 8 border kiosks. At least 2 people circumvented the whole process by using the Nexus lane (which probably took less than 5 minutes instead of the 3 hours we spent). They cut in line a few cars in front of us. Who knows how many other cars did the same thing before we got to the point where we could see it? I was livid! I am writing a letter about the situation with proposed solutions to the "boss of the border crossing" and to my U. S. senators. We are supposed to be a nation of laws and justice for all. It would be very easy to use K-rails to keep them in the Nexus lane and not let them cross over. Then, they should take their keys, have them serve a one-hour penalty (like hockey) in a penalty area, and then put these errant vehicles in the turnaround and send them back to the end of the line in Canada. The guy who cut two cars in front of us had a bumper sticker, "Keep your hands off my guns!" I thought, "You are so lucky I don't have a gun right now!"
Once we got to the kiosk, the agent was very nice. After hearing my rant about "cutters," he actually gave me some other issues that he believed should be addressed in my letter. The first thing you notice when you come across the border is a large patch of dead long grass and a sculpture made of wire with a rectangular opening it. It is ugly! And, the symbolism of barbed wire reminds me of our border with Mexico. This area is our "Welcome to the USA."
We weren't able to get a spot in the RV park we had selected, Lake Pleasant RV Park, which only has 28 spots. My #2 pick, a casino, was having a very famous rock group performing and said their RV parking was full. My #3 choice was Angel of the Winds Casino. It is forever my #1 choice from now on. It is 4 minutes from I-5, off Exit 210. Eureka--I have found it! Their gas is 30 cents a gallon cheaper than any we've seen since we crossed the border, and if you get a players' card, you get an additional 7 cents a gallon off. Their diesel price is $3.88, so we'll only pay $3.81. In Canada, we paid $1.42Canadian/liter (equivalent to $5.68 Canadian/gallon). Current exchange is US dollar=95 cents Canadian. The casino gives you the best exchange rate I was able to find after contacting my home FCU, my home bank, and a few banks in Seattle. They also give you a coupon book with $5 cash and $5 off their inexpensive but good restaurant. Their coffee shop has a menu full of amazing prices--99 cents for strawberry shortcake, $1.49 for salmon and chips. There are other deals in the coupon book as well.
Staying at Angels of the Wind Casino, 30 amps, water and dump available, very secure, $16
August 26 Day 2 Arlington, WA (1 hour outside Seattle)
Our cat, Sherlock, had a tough night. He was moaning in pain, rolling on the floor when we awakened, and he had nausea. So, first thing, we called the nearest vet, Dr. Kat(herine) Engelsma, in Marysville, about 25 minutes away. Vets now do the same tests a medical doctor would do on a person. Sherlock had extensive blood work, etc. We waited while all the tests were done. The vet diagnosed him with another bout of pancreatitis, and said he needed to spend the night in the hospital so he could receive fluids, antibiotics, and pain killers.
By this time, it was early afternoon. We hadn't eaten because we had just dressed and left this morning, so we stopped at a Red Robin. I had a great Cobb salad. We find their food to be consistently good.
We went to the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Dean only had about 3 hours there before they closed, but he enjoyed every minute. He said the displays are the same as last time, but he still learned new information. Meanwhile, I enjoyed my book in the parking lot.
It was only 5:00, so we went to the movies, missed the film we wanted to see, "The Butler", but found "Blue Jasmine" was timed just right. Neither of us enjoyed it.
Staying at Angels of the Wind Casino, 30 amps, water and dump available, very clean and secure $16
August 27 Day 3 Arlington, WA (1 hour outside Seattle)
We got a call from the vet that Sherlock was much improved and we could pick him up after 2:30, so that screwed up our day. We will miss the $800 (including $100 for special food) it cost to get him healthy. We're very glad to get him back, however. He isn't his normal self, but he is not in pain and not nauseated.
Pets are just like children, and we really appreciated the detailed explanations the vet gave us, as well as her thoroughness and caring manner. We added two days to our stay here so that if he has any further problems, we'd be near this vet who we think so highly of. Besides, we haven't seen our favorite places in Seattle yet on this trip.
I spent the day trying to plan where we could stay in Tacoma/Puyallup area for a few nights and where we might park the RV on the Olympic Peninsula. My best shot was the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Although it is just a blacktop parking lot with hookups, that is all we need. However, all I get is a busy signal. Their fair starts September 4, and of course Labor Day weekend is just a few days away. That doesn't matter so much, because there is a total lack of decent RV parks who can accommodate coaches as large as ours (38'). I made about 20 phone calls and even tried The Great American Casino in Lakewood, but they were very explicit that we couldn't spend the night and must be inside the casino gambling. Even then, if they had people come in cars, they would ask us to leave because we take up too many spaces. Eventually, I gave up on Tacoma and we'll just drive on through it on the way to Olympia, where I did make reservations.
If anyone knows of a good park with 30 amps that can reasonable take a 38' motorhome in the Tacoma/Puyallup/Olympia Peninsula area, please let me know. There was lots that I would like to do there, and I would include a week or so there on another trip or maybe ask for a date change in Olympia and put it back into this trip.
Staying at Angels of the Wind Casino, 30 amps, water and dump available, very secure, $16
August 25 Day 1 Arlington, WA (1 hour outside Seattle)
What a frustrating and maddening day! We had trouble getting out of our space because the RV park is so tight and there was a tree on one side and a pole on the other. One of our neighbors kindly volunteered to move his car when he saw Dean scratching his head trying to figure out how we could get out, and we really appreciated it. Then, as we stopped to dump trash, a nice older man who had owned his coach for 3 years and only taken it on 3 short trips, asked if he could watch Dean hook up. Dean said it was fine with him. Then the two of them--teacher and student--went through how to use the Blue Ox. Dean said the man obviously needed to know much more than he did, and so many people have been kind to him that it was time to pay it forward. I was sure Dean would be rewarded for his kindness by a good border crossing. NOT!
The RV park managers/owners are so wonderful. At check-in, they had advised us not to go the Pacific border crossing right by the park because it was very hard to maneuver through it with a large rig. We had also noted "long lines" and waits of as much as an hour there. Instead, they recommended the Peace Arch crossing. So we set off.
Oh, my goodness! We couldn't believe how long the line was when we got to Peace Arch. It went further than the eye could see. Advice to others--Use another crossing! Dean is waiting until we get to Oregon to address an overheating problem, and so of course, in the stop-and-go (mostly stop), within a few minutes we had overheated. Dean was able to pull out across the speedy Nexus lane for those with passes and over to the side of the road to let the RV cool off. Mistake! We should have stayed in line and just killed the engine, because the line was almost at a standstill. So the line grew and grew. After we cooled off, the line was even longer. Dean had planned on cooling the engine (he tried adding anti-freeze, but it was full) and then just pulling in behind the other vehicles. But, with the new longer line, we couldn't get back in because we couldn't block the Nexus lane until we found a kind soul who would let us in.
Finally there was a big gap and Dean started the engine and went for it. The line was so slow that people were getting out of their cars and buying coffee at the duty-free store. After the first couple of hours, people had to use the bathroom. There was a park right next to the line, so they dashed off to the washrooms. Then, all of a sudden, the line started to move by yards instead of inches. People were running full out, trying to catch up with their cars (probably with their passports inside) before they got to the border. I am so glad we have our washroom with us! It took us about 3 hours to get to the point where the 2 lanes split into 8 border kiosks. At least 2 people circumvented the whole process by using the Nexus lane (which probably took less than 5 minutes instead of the 3 hours we spent). They cut in line a few cars in front of us. Who knows how many other cars did the same thing before we got to the point where we could see it? I was livid! I am writing a letter about the situation with proposed solutions to the "boss of the border crossing" and to my U. S. senators. We are supposed to be a nation of laws and justice for all. It would be very easy to use K-rails to keep them in the Nexus lane and not let them cross over. Then, they should take their keys, have them serve a one-hour penalty (like hockey) in a penalty area, and then put these errant vehicles in the turnaround and send them back to the end of the line in Canada. The guy who cut two cars in front of us had a bumper sticker, "Keep your hands off my guns!" I thought, "You are so lucky I don't have a gun right now!"
Once we got to the kiosk, the agent was very nice. After hearing my rant about "cutters," he actually gave me some other issues that he believed should be addressed in my letter. The first thing you notice when you come across the border is a large patch of dead long grass and a sculpture made of wire with a rectangular opening it. It is ugly! And, the symbolism of barbed wire reminds me of our border with Mexico. This area is our "Welcome to the USA."
We weren't able to get a spot in the RV park we had selected, Lake Pleasant RV Park, which only has 28 spots. My #2 pick, a casino, was having a very famous rock group performing and said their RV parking was full. My #3 choice was Angel of the Winds Casino. It is forever my #1 choice from now on. It is 4 minutes from I-5, off Exit 210. Eureka--I have found it! Their gas is 30 cents a gallon cheaper than any we've seen since we crossed the border, and if you get a players' card, you get an additional 7 cents a gallon off. Their diesel price is $3.88, so we'll only pay $3.81. In Canada, we paid $1.42Canadian/liter (equivalent to $5.68 Canadian/gallon). Current exchange is US dollar=95 cents Canadian. The casino gives you the best exchange rate I was able to find after contacting my home FCU, my home bank, and a few banks in Seattle. They also give you a coupon book with $5 cash and $5 off their inexpensive but good restaurant. Their coffee shop has a menu full of amazing prices--99 cents for strawberry shortcake, $1.49 for salmon and chips. There are other deals in the coupon book as well.
Staying at Angels of the Wind Casino, 30 amps, water and dump available, very secure, $16
August 26 Day 2 Arlington, WA (1 hour outside Seattle)
Our cat, Sherlock, had a tough night. He was moaning in pain, rolling on the floor when we awakened, and he had nausea. So, first thing, we called the nearest vet, Dr. Kat(herine) Engelsma, in Marysville, about 25 minutes away. Vets now do the same tests a medical doctor would do on a person. Sherlock had extensive blood work, etc. We waited while all the tests were done. The vet diagnosed him with another bout of pancreatitis, and said he needed to spend the night in the hospital so he could receive fluids, antibiotics, and pain killers.
By this time, it was early afternoon. We hadn't eaten because we had just dressed and left this morning, so we stopped at a Red Robin. I had a great Cobb salad. We find their food to be consistently good.
We went to the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Dean only had about 3 hours there before they closed, but he enjoyed every minute. He said the displays are the same as last time, but he still learned new information. Meanwhile, I enjoyed my book in the parking lot.
It was only 5:00, so we went to the movies, missed the film we wanted to see, "The Butler", but found "Blue Jasmine" was timed just right. Neither of us enjoyed it.
Staying at Angels of the Wind Casino, 30 amps, water and dump available, very clean and secure $16
August 27 Day 3 Arlington, WA (1 hour outside Seattle)
We got a call from the vet that Sherlock was much improved and we could pick him up after 2:30, so that screwed up our day. We will miss the $800 (including $100 for special food) it cost to get him healthy. We're very glad to get him back, however. He isn't his normal self, but he is not in pain and not nauseated.
Pets are just like children, and we really appreciated the detailed explanations the vet gave us, as well as her thoroughness and caring manner. We added two days to our stay here so that if he has any further problems, we'd be near this vet who we think so highly of. Besides, we haven't seen our favorite places in Seattle yet on this trip.
I spent the day trying to plan where we could stay in Tacoma/Puyallup area for a few nights and where we might park the RV on the Olympic Peninsula. My best shot was the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Although it is just a blacktop parking lot with hookups, that is all we need. However, all I get is a busy signal. Their fair starts September 4, and of course Labor Day weekend is just a few days away. That doesn't matter so much, because there is a total lack of decent RV parks who can accommodate coaches as large as ours (38'). I made about 20 phone calls and even tried The Great American Casino in Lakewood, but they were very explicit that we couldn't spend the night and must be inside the casino gambling. Even then, if they had people come in cars, they would ask us to leave because we take up too many spaces. Eventually, I gave up on Tacoma and we'll just drive on through it on the way to Olympia, where I did make reservations.
If anyone knows of a good park with 30 amps that can reasonable take a 38' motorhome in the Tacoma/Puyallup/Olympia Peninsula area, please let me know. There was lots that I would like to do there, and I would include a week or so there on another trip or maybe ask for a date change in Olympia and put it back into this trip.
Staying at Angels of the Wind Casino, 30 amps, water and dump available, very secure, $16