A complementary pastime
A camper allows Lin and Brian Weich to explore all their favourite hobbies
Lin and Brian Weich love the outdoor lifestyle and have found that a camper works best for the exploring that they love to do. With a passion for kayaking, the couple said camping is a great complementary pastime. Lin is also an avid photographer and, as a retired teacher, she has developed her talent for writing. Find out more from her website, and read on as she gives us a glimpse of their travels.
What are your favourite places to travel?
We spend most of our time in Canada, mostly towards Prince Rupert (British Columbia). We’re in B.C. and we do the Island as well. We kayak, so a lot of it is going to kayaking destinations.
What have been some of your highlights and most memorable journeys?
Last year we went to Alaska and up through the Cassiar Highway—that's the one that's up through Stewart and Smithers (B.C.). Sometimes the campgrounds weren’t very good up there, but I guess that’s the economic downturn. Anyway, we stopped at a place called Boya Lake and that was an absolutely fabulous campground with excellent kayaking. We did Atlin Lake as well, which was another highlight of that trip. Then, of course, we went all the way up to Anchorage and we did a tour from there with a company. I think we were away for about three weeks.
Tell me about your camper.
I think it’s about a 1991. We like the flexibility of a camper, absolutely. With where we go we need to be able to, you know, rough it. We had a fifth wheel, but when the boys left home we sold it. We do have a preference for the camper now.
What do you love about the lifestyle when you’re on the road?
We enjoy the freedom of being able to go where we want to go. There’s no need to make a certain distance at a certain time. I don’t enjoy long road trips, so it’s kind of nice to just go for three or four hours and camp. That’s probably the best thing about it. I would say, out of a total year, we probably spend a month and a half in the camper. I’m retired, but my husband is not.
What do you find challenging about camping?
No hot water—we don’t have a hot water heater in the camper. I like to wash my hair once in a while (laughs). I can wash my hair in a pot and it’s OK.
What advice would you have?
Hmm, I don’t know. You have to like the outdoors, and you have to be OK with doing nothing. You have to be able to spend time with yourself. If you want to bring your iPads and things like that along, then I would say just forget it.
