Tagged: canada

0

BLOGGING / TRAVELS / Vacation

Planning a trip when you fly standby!

As an airline employee, I have the privilege of being able to fly for free or at a significant discount.  This sort of travel, as luxurious and free-spirited as it sounds, is not without its share of potential stress if allowed to be a part of the packing list. Flexibility is key as is being able and willing to change plans as needed. I have an annual trip I take to the UK during the first part of October. This year I decided it would be nice to break the journey into smaller segments. Really I was just considering visiting my friends in Toronto and then heading on to the UK. As I looked at the routing I discovered that Reykjavík, Iceland was an interim point between Canada and the UK. The bright idea occurred to me to spend a few days in Iceland on the way to the UK. The planning of a trip like this entails checking loads/availability on flights and working out the timing to coordinate with less busy air travel times. I work at the Oakland airport. The closest airport for an international destination is San Francisco but the flights to Toronto were full so I decided to fly with my airline to LAX and then proceed on to Toronto from there. I arrived in Toronto between 8 and 9 pm and met up with my friend who had also just flown in and we headed on back to his and his wife’s house in Toronto for a pleasant evening of conversation. The addition of Iceland to my itinerary was so last minute that I really hadn’t had the time to properly plan. I’d done some research and had an Airbnb lined up for the nights I would be in the country. I had no idea...

0

BLOGGING / RV Adventures / The dogs

My Experience at the Canadian Border March 2020

I had originally planned to pick up Jazzy in mid April. I was sure the weather would be right by then and it would give me adequate time to plan a trip of that magnitude. The Covid-19 thing caused everyone to modify their lifestyle and plans and this trip was no exception. I had word that the Canadian Border would be closing down to non-essential travel. I didn’t have the exact date just that it would be happening. Initially I thought I would need to postpone picking up Jazzy for a few months but my co-worker urged me to drop everything and go NOW!! I am so glad he did this. Monday the 16th of March 2020 he gave me the advice. I had to work Tuesday the 17th but I left by Weds the 18th starting late in the afternoon. I was prepared. I had renewed Zulu’s shots just to be safe for the border crossing questions. I had all my documents ready; proof of insurance, road side insurance, proof of payment for Jazzy (I had to pay for her shots before pick up). … I had read of others experiences at t eh border and felt very prepared for any questions or concerns regarding my entry. Coincidentally, I had just accomplished the needed oil change, upgraded my headlights to led, insulated the RV walls and under my bed with bubble-wrap to help keep me warm in the more drastic elements. I was preparing for the trip in April but really, I was already prepared so there was really no reason to not leave at once! The next posting will be my video of the trip it is about 20 minutes long but very fast paced and enjoyable to watch if you have interest in experiencing travelling cross country...

%d bloggers like this: