Day 1 - New York - Pennsylvania
May 1, 1974 in the United States
(Ursula) Today begins an exciting part of our lives.
Our car is a 1972 WV Westfalia Camper. The crew is my husband Heinz (29), me-Ursula (25), and my twin brother Wally.
We are starting a journeyRead more
Day 2 - Indiana - Illinois
May 2, 1974 in the United States
Our goal is to reach the Northern regions of Canada swiftly and commence our journey southward. Allotting about an hour each morning for road preparations, Wally and I have opted to forego shaving,Read more
Day 3 - Chicago
May 3, 1974 in the United States
(Ursula). Navigating through seemingly boundless industrial zones, we reached Chicago in the early afternoon. To my surprise, the city appeared remarkably clean, defying my preconceived notion of itRead more
Day 4 - Wisconsin - Minnesota
May 4, 1974 in the United States
The campsites in the US are excellent. It's lovely to shower warm in the morning when it's cold outside. Ursula blow-dried her long hair using the wall-mounted hand dryer.
The camper needed a washRead more
Day 5 - Crossing into Manitoba, Canada
May 5, 1974 in Canada
The first border crossing couldn't handle our Swiss passports and directed us to a more prevalent one four miles East. Everything went smoothly there - Welcome to Canada!
The road was a single laneRead more
Day 6 - Saskatchewan
May 6, 1974 in Canada
Ursula didn't have a driver's license yet and was riding along in the back seat. So, when the landscape looked boring, she kept busy tidying things up in the camper and even cleaned windows! She triedRead more
Day 8 Edmonton & North
May 8, 1974 in Canada
Edmonton provided the opportunity for food shopping, personal hygiene, and washing clothes. We are now in the Province of Alberta.
Soon, we headed North-West on Route 43. And with that, the sceneryRead more
Day 9 - Northwest Territories
May 10, 1974 in Canada
Today, we crossed the Peace River and refueled at a gas station where Wally was promptly offered a job as a car mechanic. That was flattering. We aimed to reach Yellowknife in the NorthwestRead more
Day 10 - North to the Arctic Circle
May 11, 1974 in Canada
(Ursula) I was allowed to lie down in Wally's hammock for a while. It was so warm and cuddly. Then we took a "luxury" shower behind the cabin, which required teamwork. Person #1, taking the shower,Read more
Day 11 - Fort Smith
May 12, 1974 in Canada
After a few miles of driving, Wally felt something wasn’t right with the engine. It was running OK but with diminished power. He found an exhaust valve with almost zero clearance that hadRead more
Day 12 - Wood Buffalo NP
May 12, 1974 in Canada
(Ursula) Today we explored Wood Buffalo Park. Before leaving, we got invited for tea by a group of people we met. Some were Indians or had at least Indian blood and beautiful brown skin.
On the wayRead more
Day 13 - Deciding on Plan B
May 13, 1974 in Canada
Our original plan was to drive to Alaska to start the trip to South America. But based on the information received from Igor & Carol, Alaska wasn't doable at this time of the year without a 4x4 driveRead more
Day 14 - Jasper NP, Alberta
May 14, 1974 in Canada
We arrived in Jasper, Alberta. On the way here, we got stopped by a State Trooper because of speeding (which we were unaware of - the truth!). He could have fined us but let us go with a warning andRead more
Day 16 - Jasper
May 16, 1974 in Canada
We declared today a rest day we want to spend with Wally’s friends. Ruth is from Tramelan in the Jura and works at the local hospital as a nurse. Chrigel is from Adelboden. He works odd jobs in theRead more
Day 17 - Jasper
May 17, 1974 in Canada
Ruth & Chrigel had to return to work today.
After breakfast, we went on a short hike in the area and later joined their neighbors, the Klopfstein family, for coffee and continued our journey.Read more
Day 18 - Banff National Park
May 18, 1974 in Canada
We took our time and enjoyed our leisurely drive through Banff National Park with its magnificent views. In contrast to Switzerland, nature here is primarily untouched wilderness.
Wally and IRead more
Day 19 - Golden
May 19, 1974 in Canada
Lake Louise was so picture-perfect. Part of the lake was still frozen.
We are again heading for Vancouver, BC, on the Trans-Canada Highway #1. We were rushing a bit and skipped so many places thatRead more
Day 20 - Vancouver
May 20, 1974 in Canada
The landscape became much more lush and exciting. Everything was now green. The single-family homes with manicured gardens looked like in a picture book. The city of Vancouver is almost surrounded byRead more
Day 21-23 Vancouver
May 23, 1974 in Canada
(Ursula) Today, we got to meet Wally's friend Ernst Bähler. He accompanied us to the VW dealer. Our first significant service after 5,592 miles is now done! A section of the heating element wasRead more
Day 24-25 Vancouver Island
May 25, 1974 in Canada
Does the rain never stop in Vancouver? We had the brilliant idea to rent a room at a Motel. Ernst was in trouble with the landlady, but she did have a heart and allowed Ursula to use her washer/dryer.Read more
Day 26 - Long Beach Campground
May 26, 1974 in Canada
What a glorious morning!
Blue sky, nice and warm. Just after Nanaimo, on the way to Port Alberni, we visited MacMillan Provincial Park and wandered through a utopian-looking forest in our yellowRead more
Day 27 - Tofino & Ucluelet
May 27, 1974 in Canada
Tofino and Ucluelet were both fishing villages that we visited. We badly wanted to buy fresh Salmon. Naturally, I checked all the fishing boats at the dock, but there was no luck. Then I found aRead more
Day 28 - Shawinigan Lake
May 28, 1974 in Canada
Over a dirt logging road and a few fantastic wooden bridges, we drove to Shawinigan Lake to visit a camp Wally recommended.
On the way there, we stopped at the Silver Mine Ranch and decided to goRead more
Day 29 - Sailing
May 29, 1974, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia
We were ready at 7 AM. Fred took us to Victoria Harbor, where his sailboat was docked. It was nice, over 30 feet long - much more comfortable than the nutshell we remembered from our Club Med vacationRead more
Day 30 - Port Renfrew - Victoria
May 30, 1974 in Canada
We are 30 days into our journey to South America. What an experience it has been so far!
Today, we took an unpaved road with lots of potholes back to Victoria. Heavily loaded Logging Trucks cameRead more


























































TravelerGreat beginning. I look forward to reading the full story.
TravelerThank you Aubra