June 2025 Canlife Correspondence: RV Travel Tips, Rad River Trips, Renogy Day, & Recipes for Summer
Our Dream...Differed
Hang on to your dreams, y'all! And, put them on the calendar. Sometimes we have to change plans and hope upon hope we'll get a second chance to return to bucket list adventures at another time. In 2019, we had plans to paddle the entirety of the famous 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway in the Maine North Woods. Hutch partially tore his rotator cuff and we had to cancel at the last minute. Then, in 2021, just before we returned to seasonal work on the Maine coast for the summer, Hutch broke his wrist...badly. He was able to work that summer as a sea kayak guide, but didn't want to chance a very long distance wilderness paddle trip with a healing wrist; once again, plans were delayed. Two takeaways, have patience, and Hutch needs to stop hurting himself - c'mon man!
We've traveled in western America for the past 3 years, having some other incredible adventures, but that trip on the Allagash remained high on the bucket list. Last Thanksgiving, fate played a hand that bumped it up and put it on the schedule. We met up with two former university students, Nick & Courtney, for breakfast -- and the Allagash came up in conversation. Courtney & Nick are now married (on our 17th wedding anniversary no less!), are both doctors, live in Maine, and have 2 young kids.
Since moving to Maine in 2021, the Allagash Waterway had been on their bucket list too! Win-win! With our plans to go to Northeastern Canada for the summer, a late May paddle on the Allagash was ideal timing. We put it on the calendar and waited to hear back.
Then, in February, we got the call that Nick had injured his back...what is it with these guys? Then, Shari tweaked hers in April...okay so it's not just the dudes...acupuncture to the rescue! Do we need to delay again?!? Thankfully, all backs improved significantly and the trip was back on. We paid our deposit for the shuttle and canoes and crossed our fingers! Was it really going to happen this time?
ALL STARS ALIGNED! We all made it to the shuttle at the specified time -- sans major injuries. Courtney's mom stepped in to babysit their 1-year old son for 9 days, while their adventurous 5-year old daughter joined us for the whole, crazy adventure...and rocked it! Not literally, thankfully.
Some quick trip stats:
☀️ 7 nights, 8 days
🏞️ 1 river, 10 lakes, 103 paddling miles
🛶 2 canoes
🫎 3 moose
🦆Tons of waterfowl
🏕️ 7 campsites
🥾 4 portages
🌊Class I & II whitewater as well lots of flat water
🦟10 million black flies & mosquitoes (thank you Canadian Bug Shirts!)
🏋️♀️Lots of new muscle
😁 5 very happy campers!
Summer is here and cooler mountain temps are calling! But are you ready to drive your RV on a steep mountain grade? If you are new to driving a big rig or pulling a trailer, those winding mountain roads may seem a bit intimidating. After nearly 13 years of full-time RVing all over the North American continent, we’ve definitely experienced a few white-knuckle grades and narrow winding roads! So, we thought we’d provide some basic tips for making these incredible journeys a bit less scary and a lot safer.
Summertime RV Travels!
Do you have air conditioning in there?
No, we actually don't need it.
How do you deal with summer temperatures?
We go north, up in elevation, and coastal, and have strategically
placed fans for warmer nights.
Well, where are you going this summer?
Northeastern Canada!
Immediately after the aforementioned amazing Allagash adventure, we spent 2 days cleaning ourselves, drying out our gear, and repacking the rig. We then headed across the border at Edmundston, New Brunswick to work on another bucket list goal of returning to northeastern Canada to fill in the rest of our RV map! Much like the Allagash, this trip has been brewing in our minds since our first taste of the Maritimes in fall 2019.
For the past several weeks, we've been exploring the fascinating Acadian culture of northeastern New Brunswick, the stunning Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, the pastoral beauty of Prince Edward Island, and majestic mountains of northern Nova Scotia. As we finish this newsletter, we are awaiting our midnight ferry to Newfoundland!
Every single person that we've told that we are going to Newfoundland responds in the same way. "Ohhhhhh fun, you are in for real treat! You're going to love it! It's the best of Canada, so beautiful, so friendly. I was on my way to live there, then met my husband. You'll never want to come back..."
Well, folks, we've been absolutely blown away by Canada during our previous 11 trips across the border to this amazing country, so if that's case, then we are pee our pants excited about this next leg of our journey!
We plan to travel through Newfoundland and Labrador for the next couple of months, then return to see more of southern Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the fall. We got our Parks Canada Discovery Pass (much like the America the Beautiful Pass for the US National Parks) and plan to visit as many Canadian parks as we can fit in. So far, we've been to three! Follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram for travel inspiration, fascinating history, camping tips, and beautiful images from each of the places we visit.
*In addition to a great exchange rate between the US and Canadian dollar, Parks Canada has made all of their campgrounds 25% off during summer 2025, making a stay in national park campground even easier on the pocket book.
App of the Month: Parks Canada
If you want to explore Canada's national parks with your RV, this app is a must have! It gives you quick access to over 200 national parks, historic sites, and more.
You can search what's nearby, explore by province/territory, or see the big picture of all the parks pinned in one interactive map of Canada.
They've integrated camping information, campground maps, and reservations for each park right into the app.
Features like self-guided tours, travel tips, and offline access are an added bonus, making this app your pocket guide to discovering Canada.
While working on her Physics PHD at LSU, Renogy's founder won an award for her solar panel design. The accompanying grant allowed her to turn her designs and dreams into a reality. This month Renogy (a southern California based company) celebrates its 15th year...and has expanded to 6 other countries!
This innovative solar company has taken the off-grid industry by storm by making high quality, reliable components that work together seamlessly. We rely on Renogy's solar components to live, travel, and run our off-grid mobile business...EVERY SINGLE DAY.
We have been working with Renogy for over 6 years now, teaching thousands of RV, boat, and off-grid cabin owners how to size a solar powered system to meet their power needs with sustainable, renewable energy.
Even with the uncertainty in world trade and the increased tariffs, Renogy has managed to keep their prices affordable -- their motto of "Solar for All" still rings true!
Huge birthday sale now through July 7th! Use our link and promo code CANLIFE to save a bundle on a single component or an entire system.
Video of the Month: Skoolie Solar Installation Complete!
Our friend, Jacob, recently converted an old school bus into an adventure rig for his parents so that they can retire and have comfortable accommodations while traveling and enjoying music festivals. He reached out seeking our help with designing a solar powered system for this new "skoolie."
After several months of work, this old bus now comes with a gorgeous kitchen, bedroom, bath, and of course, a powerful Renogy off-grid solar system! We helped out with the latter part for a couple of days.
Check out our step-by-step installation video that will show you how to size a solar powered system, why we chose the specific components, and how to install them. Whether you are doing a van build, renovating a bus, or gutting an RV electrical system, this video will walk you though what you need to succeed.
Recipes of the Month: 7 Fresh Picnic Recipes You Can Make in Your RV
Sitting by the lake, waterfall, or river while enjoying a picnic lunch or dinner is a simple pleasure in life that many folks have forgotten. And for campers on an RV trip, quite frankly, it’s low-hanging fruit. All you need are a few fresh picnic recipes, a little food prep, and a view worth driving to. These recipes are fresh, tasty, and perfect to take as a packable picnic that’ll rival anything you can purchase at an upscale deli -- all for a quarter of the price! Each recipe makes about 4 hearty servings. Mix and match the picnic recipes that sound good to you, bring a picnic blanket or hammock, and maybe a bottle of bubbly?
Harvest Hosts Route Planner Makes Summer RV Road Trippin' Even Easier!
The Harvest Hosts route planner has been a great addition to our app tool kit for finding quiet and safe overnight stays along our journey through northeastern Canada this summer! From breweries and hydroponic farms to gardens on a remote island, we've stayed overnight at a wide range of fun and fascinating places around the Maritimes. Every single host has been incredibly welcoming -- giving us tours and encouraging us to make ourselves at home and enjoy their property.
With our link and code CANLIFE20, first-year members can get 20% off -- whether you choose the Classic, Harvest Hosts + Boondockers Welcome, or get the All Access pass! Each membership comes with different benefits, perks, and options. Explore which membership option is best for you...and join now to get the very best deal!
While we continue to add new articles to our Best of America's National Parks series (new additions include Congaree, Saguaro, and Glacier National Parks!), these tremendous treasures remain under threat from our current federal government that established, preserved, and funded them over 100 years ago. If it starts now, where does it stop? Did the folks trying this never read Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax"? We live in a truly bizarre time, y'all. But there's some hope!
If this issue makes you as mad as it makes us, please write or call your US Representatives and US Senators now! Tell everyone you know that might care about this issue as well. Need some assistance with staying informed about the issues on the table? We use the 5 Calls app to stay informed about all current issues as well as make the process of calling our people in DC easier, faster, and more frequent! Even from afar, we can all participate in democracy.
"Je me souviens"
"I Remember" adorns the license plate and the official seal of Quebec, and it evokes an special element about this province. There is a firm connection to place, history and tradition here from language, food, culture and a fierce independent streak within the region known as Acadia (Acadie) which crosses provincial boundaries.
History comes alive when you travel and pick at the countless threads that complicate the story you thought you knew. While visiting the Battle of Restigouche Historic Site in Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, not only were we treated to an amazing archeological discovery of one of the important ships in the skirmish, but also reminded of the knife's edge upon which history sometimes walks. This was a decisive moment which led to France ceding all of its territory from the Atlantic to the Mississippi in the new world to her bitter rival, England. In the US, this period is called the "French and Indian War" in the UK, "The Seven Years War," and in Quebec, "The War of Conquest." It matters which story you remember.
This historic site visit prepped us to discover Acadian villages, and many other communities throughout New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, who align themselves to the Canadian Confederation politically, of course, but also to the Acadian flag culturally. To say that this complex history is the only thing which comes to mind when the Quebecois remember, is to limit the very nature of knowledge and experience.
PARTING SHOT: Sunset from Prince Edward Island National Park
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