Dreaming of open water and Campfire Food

Those who know me, know that if pickles and wine don't count towards my daily 5, I'm screwed. Inexplicably though, the last few days I have been craving fruit and vegetables. I'm not sure if it's because my body is trying to save itself with some actual nutrition or because the sunshine has me thinking of all things summer related. I'm going to go with the 'all things summer related' explanation. Mainly because I have also been thinking about barbeques, hotdogs and food cooked over an open fire.

Back when the kids were little, our camping food consisted of bags of chips, the variety pack of little cereal boxes that you can just add milk to, and hot dogs. We weren't very inventive. But now, thanks to Pinterest and all other sites that make you realize that you were a failure of a parent, we can correct our shortcomings. Now I know that all you need is tinfoil and a fire to create a gourmet dinner out in the sticks.

Feel like having some Baked Brie with Brandy or some Roasted peaches for dessert? Just grab your tinfoil. I thought my parents were fancy because they roasted potatoes, cooked bacon and eggs and wrapped hotdogs in bannock!

This wonderful lady even made Campfire Cones.


The next time we go camping, I promise my kids that we will have wonderful and interesting food. It will be so wonderful and interesting that they probably won't eat it. So, as a fail safe, I will make sure that I have everyone's favourite camping foods packed as a back up. Chip and pickle sandwiches, bannock and HOTDOGS!

In the meantime, I am going to have a little taste of summer right now. I have made a delicious chip sandwich (balanced with some orange wedges on the side so I don't get scurvy), poured a generous glass of Pinot Grigio and plan on typing 'pinterest fails' into the search bar while I enjoy a roaring fire from the comfort of my couch.

What's your go to food for camping?

Summer at a Glance

As usual, the blog posts during the summer have been sporadic non-existent. That is a good thing though, because it means that we have had a busy summer season. We had lots of repeat guests and met many new travelers who had never been to the park before, lots of whom live in the Cariboo and were just discovering Dragon Lake for the first time!

2012 brought many exciting changes to the park, one of which was our wonderful lighting upgrade compliments of BC HYDRO. A huge thank-you to all who voted for us in the spring. We couldn't have done it without you. For anyone who lives in BC, the Energy Fix Contest is run yearly and I highly suggest clicking on the BC HYDRO link above so that you can bookmark it and enter next year. $5,000 in improved lighting can be a huge savings for your business! We had our shower house upgraded because, as many of you know, they are some of the nicest washrooms in BC, but you couldn't turn off the lights! Now they work on sound and we have noticed a huge savings from them not having to run 24/7 for 6 months out of the year. Fancy that! 

Other changes included: re-doing the front row of pull through sites with new fencing panels and shrubs, improved security with a new coded entrance gate for guests and their children, a fancy new patio boat for hourly/daily rental as well as an after dinner cruise option with snacks and operator and one of the MOST exciting changes will be taking place at the end of the season - we are opening up our house as a vacation rental! Not only will this be a great opportunity to have friends and family all in one great location (sleeps 9), but it will be the only rental available over Christmas. 30 acres on the lake is a great opportunity for a great family vacation filled with x-country skiing, snow shoeing, skating and ice fishing. Our accommodations page has all the rates and details, so make sure you check it out!

I will leave you with a few pictures from this year and, for all the fishermen reading this who have suffered through a lot of information that they couldn't care less about, I will give you what you have been waiting for.... The cooler night temperatures have cooled off the lake and the fish are jumping! Guests are even catching a good number of fish off the end of our dock at night! So call for a reservation, get your boats loaded up, and we'll see you at 'The Roost'!

Room with a View

Ever wonder what it is like to wake up at the most popular resort and the best view in Quesnel every day? Most mornings for us are busy. My wife works for the School District, has a Landscape Design business, and is my business partner here @ Robert's Roost. In all the years we have been together, most mornings we discuss briefly  what is happening that day business wise. In our attempts to be efficient in our day to day operations, lots of little things sometimes get missed. It is important to slow down a bit once in a while and remember where you came from, and more importantly to make time for your family and each other. It is a "me" generation, and I think we all forget about the big picture from time to time. Getting back to the view we have, it helps remind me that we are very fortunate to live where we do, have the friends that we have, and beautiful children who are always so patient and understanding when we are unable to do things with them when they would like. It is the small stuff that counts, and sometimes maybe that is all there is. The small things. We have always tried our hardest to make our guests feel at home here, and I am reminded how well we have done that when I have the pleasant random conversations with people that I do. It is the best reward to make friends from another country talking about anything and everything, and sometimes even those small things I mentioned earlier. Seems no matter where you are from, the world is a busy, busy place.
So if you ever feel like you need to slow down and enjoy the view, there is one magical place not far from you that will help you remember who and where you are. Robert's Roost RV Park, on the famous and incredibly beautiful Dragon Lake.

My Day on the Lake

Today I went for my first kayak of the season. It was a beautiful day on the lake and surprisingly nice and quiet. The waves got a little choppy at one point, and due to my lack of 'paddling muscle', it felt like I was slogging through mud at one point, but that's to be expected when you go out three times a year! It was fun to watch the anglers, sneak up on unsuspecting ducks and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

I saw lots of these:



One of this:

 
Some of these:


One of that:
 
And EVEN one of these!

 

I LOVE this Lake! Mental note: Get out of the darn office a little more and open my eyes to the beautiful surroundings that I'm lucky enough to wake up to every morning!

New Rental

Robert's Roost has added a new boat to our rental line up! Seats 11. Rental Rates for the 2012 season are $350/day (maximum of 8 hours) or $75/hour. Must have pleasure craft operators card or equivalent to rent. Please call 1-888-227-8877 to reserve. Price includes fuel. Watch for upcoming dessert cruises to be added in the near future. Keith will be your captain and a light after dinner snack will be provided.

March 26, 2012

March 26, 2012, a set on Flickr.

In regards to a tweet a few days ago, maybe the x-country skier wasn't going so fast because he heard ice cracking.... Ice is still 22-24" just off the point. Saw a truck driving on the lake today after hearing an ice auger going for quite some time. Thought we'd go and check it out. The results were disappointing to say the least....

A Rich Heritage

Most of our guests come stay at Robert's Roost for the world famous trout fishing that Dragon Lake has to offer. During the spring season (when most other campsites are still in their shoulder season) our stalls are filled to capacity with eager fishermen vying for a piece of the action. Many of our guests share stories about their first trip to the park more than 30 years ago and how the park has changed over the years through the hard work of the Wurms. Over the past few years, Keith and I have been happy to carry on that tradition.

A lot of our American friends have made lifelong connections with citizens of Quesnel and are always happy to catch up with friends when they arrive at the park for another season of fishing. Whether it's the morning coffee gang at Tim Horton's, the ladies at the local Quesnel and District Leisure Centre or the various small shop owners around town, the people of Quesnel have shown themsleves to be a warm and welcoming community to all of our out of town (and country) guests.

In conjunction with the great fishing and the friendly people of Quesnel, we are also blessed with a rich history. A trip to Barkerville is always recommended, but for people who don't have the time for a day trip, there are plenty of ways to get a taste of the local history without leaving the downtown core. First of all, a visit to our local museum is a must! Even if you've already been to the museum on a previous trip, displays are always changing. While there be sure to stop by the Visitor's Information Centre for the self-guided 'Historical Walking Tour of Quesnel'.

I also highly recommend the River Walk trail system. The first phase of the trail system is 5km in length and takes about an hour to complete. It is a scenic walk (or bike)along the river and takes about an hour if you're walking. There are numerous informational signs along the route that share the history of Quesnel as well as information on the rich eco-system within the Quesnel watershed. One of the highlights of the walk is the footbridge that connects the downtown core to the West side. It is one of the many jewels of Quesnel and if you're looking for a great photo op. then you need to check it out. If walking is not your cup of tea, there is a small parking lot beside the foot bridge where you can park while having a look around this historic area. For more information on this beautiful landmark, make sure you follow this link




Until next time.... -R

It's a New Year

I rang in the New Year by being a taxi driver for the kids. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come. Keith is in Alberta working anyway, so it was a good night to just hang out with my mom and sister watching movies.

After the last child was back home at 12:30, I went straight to the computer to handle the midnight reservation requests. I was in bed by three and think that it was a great start to my year and the dreaded 'New Year's Resolution' of death to procrastination! Keith and I are taking on another business each this year, so time management will be a must. Keith gets to spend his 'extra time' with his new baby, property management while I will be concentrating on landscape design.

This year we are going to learn how to not micro-manage the campground and put some faith in whatever wonderful employees we find this year. We are also going to learn how to relax and spend some time enjoying the beautiful lake that we live on. We have decided that it is time for the kids to step up to the plate a little and learn the office. I know they will be wonderful once they learn how to have a little more self confidence in themselves. I also know that we have wonderful clientele that will give them a gentle boost when needed. That being said, you know that we'll still always be around. You can't get rid of us that easily! We're just going to break up the 8am-12am shift a little and give some of it to other people.

As always, we are always thinking of new ways to streamline the operation of the campground and maximize enjoyment for campers. Please send us suggestions for any ideas you may have. Everything and anything will be considered!

Snow Day!

This morning we woke up to a foot of wet, sloppy snow. The car tried it's best to make its way out of our rather formidable (in the winter at least) driveway to no avail. I was stuck 10 feet out the garage door. So, I did what any self respecting girl would do. I called my mommy.

Gook road was impassable to anything other than 4 wheel drive, so I walked out to the highway so my mom could pick me up. Of course today was the staff potluck lunch at my school, so I also had to carry a tray of food.

It was still snowing and the snow was up to my knees as I trudged through the unplowed roads. When I was almost at my destination (after several people had passed me already) a very gentlemanly neighbour finally stopped to ask if I might need a ride. I didn't, but I loved the fact that in this day and age, someone would still find it within themselves to ask.

It is now ten o'clock in the evening and the snow has turned to rain making a bad situation on the roads even worse. Keith is currently on his way home through the pine pass and will be driving through the night. We hope that he travels safely and that anyone in need of a helping hand tonight finds a good-hearted fellow traveler on the road willing to help out. -R

Summer?

I realize that, once again, I have been a very bad blogger. In my defense, I was encouraging Keith to fill a page with the inner workings of his brain (only what pertains to the roost)but the plans grew too big for our limited free time. Suffice to say, you missed out on something great. Maybe once things slow down at our little piece of paradise, he will be able to bless you with his ramblings and photographic styling. Until then, you're stuck with me. Spoiler Alert - his post may or may not involve some costume changes as well as an uncooperative Chihuahua and a black lab.

Lots has happened since our last post in June. We've installed automatic exit gates (entrance coming soon), hosted 10 days of Dog Agility Trials and training camps at the park, enjoyed Billy Barker Days (from a distance), had a pleasant visit with our exchange student from China (we do apologize to his parents if he arrives back home a little more warped than when he left), completed a LOT of painting at the park, said goodbye for the season to our wonderful work campers - Zane & Donna, and spent many days inside reading while the rain drizzled/poured down outside. The weather did not lend itself to many days spent lounging outside in the sun, but it was a perfect year to plant any type of vegetation and have it thrive.

September brought the sun though, and it's been wonderful. I has been hotter in the last few days than it has been all summer and I plan on enjoying every minute of it!

Until next time.... - R.

The re-location & re-assignment of Trailer #3

For a lot of our customers who have spent years in trailer three down on the point, I am posting some pictures of a project that was undertaken in April of this year.

Trailer 3 is an older trailer that does not have the benefit of any air conditioning. It sat right down on the point where it received the full brunt of the hot afternoon sun. And, due to it's age, was not the nicest trailer for everyone to look at all year long!

After much debating, we decided to de-commission the trailer and move it to site #1 where it is right beside our front gate. This is a nice shady site and is a prime location for either a new office location or for a night security person.

The first set of pictures is a collage of 'moving day'. Keith had just gotten home from the oil fields in Alberta, so his truck was a little filthier than usual!

From this:



To this (note the nice new paint job? Now it blends right in and I don't even see it!)

Spring...

Although I typed the title a little tentatively, I think spring is finally here. In the Cariboo, spring is much more than just a date on the calendar, and usually has its own ideas as to when it will truly arrive.

Last night the sound the nesting birds were making was incredible. It could not be described as anything other than a cacaphony, but it was still beautiful to fall asleep to. And, although there is still a chill in the air, when the sun makes an appearance during the day it is downright glorious! Spring flowering bulbs have started poking up in the gardens and grass is starting to green up in areas. Most importantly, the ice is slowly retreating from our shores.

As I type this post there are a few hardy campers sitting around a nice warm campfire, enjoying the late night symphony that can only be heard on a lake in spring. The tinkle of shifting ice, a late night breeze though the dried cattails, and birds.... Lots and lots of birds!

Even though it is still cold at night, Keith could not wait any longer for camping season to start and has turned on water to the sites. Today was our first official day open for 2011.

Let the games begin!

Turn out the Lights

Help symbolically express your concern for the earth by turning off your lights at 8:30.

Several restaurants in town are helping out by having 'dinner by candlelight' events, but Hannah and I have opted to stay home. After much thought, we have decided that nothing would be better than lighting our first campfire of the year and roasting hotdogs (veggie for Hannah) and marshmallows.

What are your plans for the evening?

Ice Fishing

Huts are popping up all over the lake and ice fishing has started with a vengeance. Thickness of the ice is about 5", and yesterday, my dad caught a fish so big, he almost couldn't get it out of the hole!

The bonus to ice fishing on Dragon Lake - the fish aren't muddy at this time of year, and you can still catch the big lunkers!

Snow and Swans

Winter is officially here. Last night we had our first snow fall of the season, and although it is already melting, I know that more is on the way.

We were paid our annual pre-winter visit by the swans yesterday. Even though their visit often coincides with snow, it's always nice to see them as they scare away the geese. I know that swans are just as, if not more, aggressive as geese - but there are also only four of them and about 100 geese. They also don't wear out their welcome as they are often only here for a few days at the most.

It's very cool to watch the four swans swimming towards the geese to temporarily claim the lake shore. The geese try to act tough for as long as they can, but fly away when the geese get to about 100 feet away. There is plenty of posturing on both sides during the confrontation and it's almost like two gangs meeting on the street.

Plans for today include: staying off the roads until the snow is completely gone, lighting the wood stove, making a batch of Chai tea and getting some homework done while I watch life unfold out my kitchen window.- R

Remembrance Day

Tomorrow the kids and I will head down to the Cenotaph downtown. We will remember those who have fallen while protecting our country and the liberty of others.

I will think of my great grandpa, whom I never got to meet, as well as all the hardships that were endured by the loved ones who survived.

We will think of those who are still sacrificing their lives for the freedom we enjoy.

Tomorrow, at eleven o'clock, please make sure you take a few minutes to remember.

Where has the summer gone?

I know that my posts have been rather erratic. Not the best method to garner more readers, but between Facebook, Twitter and the blog, I start to wonder if I have anything interesting left to say!

September and the end of summer always seems to catch me off guard. Although I adore the freedom of summer, fall is my favourite season. I love how a sunny fall day can have a crispness in the air that makes you feel hot and cold all at the same time.

We have had a beautiful second half of the month and everyone is happy to be out on the lake in the sunshine. Sadly, I can count on one hand the times that I've made it out on the lake this year and will have to work harder at making sure we all stop and take a look around once in awhile. We are very lucky that the kids help us out as much as they do and hopefully it gets easier as they get older.

I have been putting off cutting back the perennials and tossing the annuals as I still like the look of their yellowing foliage. Some of them are still blooming and I like to keep the summer flowers around as long as I possibly can. I usually tend to wait just a tad too long though, and am really trying hard to find that perfect day between our warm Indian Summer and cold miserable snow to get the job done. Having to pour hot water over your frozen solid annual pots, just so you can dump them and keep your ceramic pots from cracking, is not a fun chore.

As we start to put the business to bed for the winter, we can't help but start to think about next season already. There's always big plans in the works, and hopefully we have the time to accomplish them in the spring before the season is upon us. Fingers crossed for another early ice off! - Robin

August

August has been a busy month so far, we had some beautiful weddings in the heart garden, best wishes to those that got married.

We were booked solid for August long weekend, I hope it is at least half as good for September long weekend.As people start to get their children ready for school which goes back in session in less than a month, things will start to slow down. We have had visitors form everywhere, we had a couple all the way from Australia just the other day. So we enjoy hearing where you're from and how far you have traveled to come see us. We also enjoy seeing the B.C. and the Alberta travelers.

But wild fires have slowed down on the traveling a little bit, the weather has been a little nasty, with the smoke and the ash. There are days that we can't see the lake through the smoke. At least the fires are not too close so we don't have to worry too much. Our thoughts are with the ones that the fires are effecting! But we do like see the die hard campers that will come rain or smoke.

So we are looking forward to seeing the campers that are planning on coming to see us in the next couple of months. - B

July

July was an exciting month at Robert's Roost. We were at full capacity for much of it, and had to turn away several campers who were caught unaware during Billy Barker Days.

Dog Agility camps and trials again took place for about 14 days. Our campers got to watch these amazing dogs and their handlers go over ladders, through tunnels, over jumps and weave in and out of poles. The weather was smoking hot and everyone got maybe a bit more of a workout than they wanted! By the end of the camp (put on by Kim Collins @ Pawsitive Steps) there were probably more than a few campers who were happy to head home to their own beds!

Quesnel's annual summer festival, Billy Barker Days, happened to occur during the camp, and we welcomed many more visitors to the park. We stayed home for the majority of the weekend as we were busy, but we did manage to take the kids down to the park to watch the fireworks after we closed the office on Sunday night.

The month of July was hot and dry, and many fires started around the Cariboo at the end of the month. All were caused by lightning and most of BC is on a campfire ban. The air quality has been touch and go lately with some days better than others. On the worst day I was looking out my window and I would almost trick myself into believing that it was winter! We received a large amount of rain last night, and again today, so hopefully it will help put out the fires.

For any of our fishermen coming to visit us this fall, the lake level is awfully low right now and the surface temperature has been similar to bath water. Here's hoping for a little bit more of this cool weather and rain (never thought I'd hear myself say that) and a better snow pack this winter. The fish are still biting, but not with any frequency.

At the moment I am content to listen to the rain, drink my tea and watch the children play.

Future Politician

As I am watching a storm blow in over the lake, I am reminded about how much I love living here. Not only do I get to see beautiful, awe-inspiring scenery, I also get to meet people from all over the world. Some of our returning guests have become great friends and we look forward to their yearly visits.

Tonight as the storm was just starting to make its presence felt, my husband came in the office to ask me if I had checked a camper into the back field. I had responded that I hadn't, but that I would check the computer as we had help here today and we may have a guest that I am yet not aware of. We usually like to make sure we know who every single person is in the park at all times as it can be a security issue.

After a quick check, his suspicions were confirmed. There was no one staying with us in a tenting site. The reason for his query is that he had just spoken with a gentleman at the water/sani-dump station who was filling numerous 5 gallon jugs with our treated water. His vehicle was not familiar and my husband had made the comment that he seemed to be in need of a large quantity of water. He was told that since they were staying with us in an unserviced site they needed it. That's fine with us, but it did make us wonder what he could possibly need with that much water over the course of a night. At about this point we started to think that maybe he was a great storyteller and we were a captive audience.

We do not like to jump to conclusions, however, so I went to go see if I recognized him. I didn't. By this time he was making his way to the showers where his wife had been, and I found myself in the uncomfortable position of having to let him know that we do not permit use of the facilities by people not staying here. Now he owns a large holiday rambler and they were just checking out the park to make sure that it's large enough to accommodate their large turning radius. He then proceeded to stay parked by the shower house to see if I would leave. I didn't and he eventually gave up. Did I mention that it was raining?

Later on our drive tonight, we noticed this guy (notice how he is no longer called a gentleman?) parked at the local WalMart parking lot. If you prefer to boondock in parking lots during your travels, that is up to you. What that means though is that you get all the perks that come with not paying for your site. Level parking spot... check. Shopping for all your supplies at the crack of dawn... check. What it does not entitle you to is a hot shower and treated water at the RV Park down the road. RV Parks across North America are disappearing at an alarming rate because they are finding it more and more difficult to compete with free. For $30/night (the most expensive site) you could have hooked up your water and sewer hose, hooked into our cable to catch up on all your favourite shows and surfed the net to your hearts content. You also could have woken up to the sound of the loons in the morning and watched the mist rise off the lake as you enjoyed your morning coffee. Instead, you chose to freeze your butt off in the rain as you stood there with a hose crouched in the back of your pickup truck. You also went without a shower... again. On the flip side though, you did get to go back to your half a million dollar coach parked in the local parking lot. Lucky you. You are also getting more and more adept at telling your tall tales. Maybe by the end of your trip you will have all the experience necessary to start your political career.

If you would have just been honest and come into the office, we would have shown you around and treated you like a guest. We love the challenge that comes with converting the hardcore parking lot fanatics, and I am proud to say that we have a very high success rate. -R