Preparation and Liftoff

We spent the first 2 weeks of January getting ready to depart.  Actually, we scrambled to complete what we needed to while making time to spend with family and friends.  Why is it that regardless of the amount of time we have to prepare for a journey, the last few Continue Reading

There and back again — Retrieving our motorhome

I picked up our motorhome from the dealer in Des Moines, Iowa on December 28th.  I drove out into the night and a snow storm. The roads were slick with uneven layers of ice still clinging to them from an earlier blizzard.  I sat idling in the parking lot while I Continue Reading

There and back again — Picking up our Motorhome

We purchased our Solera from RV Direct’s dealership in Des Moines, Iowa.  Why so far away?  There are no Forest River dealers in British Columbia that sell this model.  In fact, there is only dealer in Canada (in Laval, Quebec) that sells them, and they buy them at RV Direct, Continue Reading

Introducing our new motorhome

We purchased a new 2013 Forest River Solera 24S. You can read about our search here The Search for our RV (Part 1) and The Search for our RV (Part 2).  We purchased the Special Edition model which supposedly has a number of upgrades, but I believe that every Solera available Continue Reading

The Search for our RV (Part 2)

After several weeks of researching motorhomes and narrowing down my list (see The Search for our RV (Part 1)), there were still 10 different models we were considering, with nothing significant to separate them.  With a bout of analysis paralysis coming on, we applied a bit of intuition and started Continue Reading

The Search for our RV (Part 1)

Buying an RV is an analyzer’s worst nightmare.  There are thousands of new and used RV models to choose from in North America.  Only a few of these are great.  Some are downright dangerous.  Some key decisions that need to be made are: Type – Should we get a motorized Continue Reading

Capuchin Crypt

One of the most shocking things on our trip thus far was a visit to the crypt under the church  Santa Maria della Concerzione dei Cappunccini in Rome.  I’ve seen human bones before, but nothing like this.  Sue and Martin had strongly suggested that we go see this atypical attraction, so Continue Reading