| Astroboy #2...

Just coming back from Vermont again where i spent a quiet afternoon alone in Burlington, this little town is soon becoming my favorite city south of the border. On the way i stopped at my Kinek point in Champlain and grabbed this package from CKS... oOoo yeah check this out it's the new Starboard Astro Stream!

The weather was perfect today and it finally felt like spring, great for a fast photoshoot session near the lake. I'm selling the previous Astro model to Sybro so we can start the season asap. Then, i went to go check the Winooski falls where i remembered seeing a cool spot last time (scouting for this summer already).

Unfortunately this area is a NO-GO, there are private property signs everywhere near the mill and it's such a shame, it looks like an amazing natural waterpark, what an incredible spot with so many short drops and shallow rapids, can't wait to come back this summer and see if the rules are enforced or not :)
Our new habit is to stop by Beverage Warehouse and pick up some local drinks if possible, this time i only brought 2 hard cider bottles knowing that you don't pay taxes for them. 2 delicious house tacos later and some good cider, it was time to drive home and get some well deserved rest!

Our House Bistro comfort food...

| Rouleaux de Printemps...

Les parents de Nhu ont prepare un magnifique repas traditionnel du sud du Vietnam, quel regal vraiment. On a meme experimente en ajoutant des feuilles d'algues dans les rouleaux! Trop bon, Merci les cuistots :)

bouffe sante et delicieuse!

| 1st aid training...

Je viens de finir une formation de 8h de Secourisme d'urgence et RCR (First aid & CPR) avec Educasoins, pffff ce fut fatiguant mais ca valait le coup de se rafraichir un peu la memoire. Il fait encore bien froid chez nous avec -25 ce matin, l'hiver ne veut pas nous lacher! Prochain cours a venir, ce sera pour fin Avril dans le but de devenir instructeur de SUP niveau I  :)

             ` \ | |/ '
          |  |\ `' ' /
          |  ;'aorta \      / , pulmonary
          | ;    _,   |    / / ,  arteries
 superior | |   (  `-.;_,-' '-' , vena cava
          | `,   `-._       _,-'_
          |,-`.    `.)    ,<_,-'_, pulmonary
         ,'    `.   /   ,'  `;-' _,  veins
        ;        `./   /`,    \-'
        | right   /   |  ;\   |\
        | atrium ;_,._|_,  `, ' \
        |        \    \ `       `,
        `      __ `    \   left  ;,
         \   ,'  `      \,  ventricle dude!
          \_(            ;,      ;;
          |  \           `;,     ;;
 inferior |  |`.          `;;,   ;' vena cavabunga~~~
          |  |  `-.        ;;;;,;'
          |  |    |`-.._  ,;; ;;'
          |  |    |   | ``';;;'
                  aorta

Et sinon Banh Mi vient de se faire operer, elle est un peu groggy par les medocs mais c'en est fini de ses interminables periodes de chaleurs et de ses cris/frottements incessants a 4h du matin!!! Elle se porte bien malgre une belle entaille abdominale et de vilaines agrafes, dans 10 jours cela ne sera qu'un lointain souvenir.

| SUP surf...

After searching for a long time about inflatable SUP surfboards i finally found one; the Paddlestroke G-Rocker. I wanted something easy to pack to bring on camping trips, hence the inflatable choice, they also are more resistant than hard boards, less prone to dings and scratches and fun enough for a bad surfer like me. The size is going to be practical for our local waves and should have enough flotation to be stable under my weight.
Its measurements are > 7'2" long x 33.5" width and 5" thick. It costs around US$ 895.00 and it seems perfectly fit for beginner up to advanced river surfers.

valve bump visible under the nose...

I was first interested by the Badfish IRS or Cobra 6.6 but it was too difficult to get some answers from them or even Boardworks, on the contrary Greg at Paddlestroke SUP was very reactive and quite stoked to send its 1st board to Canada. Cool energy and it was very pleasing to deal with him. Now that the weather is finally getting warmer i'll soon go try it out, soOo excited *_*

| Mod...

My Chevy van looks like an Ad for New-West right now and it is not cool, after the winter is over i'll bring some modifications to it. These are some fast Photoshop paintovers just to get a better idea of what could be done. First step is to get rid of the stickers, then paint those horrible rims in matte black and also the chrome accents on the bumpers. It will most certainly stay white for budget reasons but it would look nice in yellow too right?

yellow vinyl wrap could be fun, but it's probably very expensive!

| Snow cat...

Que se passerait-il si on laisse Banh Mi aller dehors? nous avons donc décidé de tenter l'expérience. Elle est encore un peu effrayée mais tout de meme tres curieuse, Dim Sum pour sa part déteste ça car il gèle instantanément ahaha la face qu'il faisait :)

Banh Mi en pleine découverte...

| Expedition to Excursion...

I have recently decided to change my van for another model, the New-West Excursion. After a year of driving around and numerous memorable camping trips i now have a good understanding of my needs and travel habits, as well as the advantages/issues of the current vehicle, at least for my personal use. Here is a rapid summary of the differences between the 2 models:

- Expedition > Chevrolet Express 1500, V8 5.3L. All-wheel drive. Silver ice metallic paint. Special edition overland with bull bar, lights and roof lights, the last one of its kind because Chevy stops producing the 1500 series as of this year (no more all-wheel drive ever). I have only added a side awning and the trailer hitch, check some pics HERE and HERE. for sale now!

- Excursion > Same platform with a very different interior layout, less storage and furnitures but a modular philosophy. V6 4.3L. Standard white paint. Modern package, it was used as a demo for a TV show and was proposed at 66400$ (initial value was 71480$). I'm adding the center console table option which looks very practical.

Pros & cons (WIP):
Ok on paper, the exchange does not make much sense as the Expedition has more bells and whistles, it is certainly more powerful and can handle the bad conditions better (especially ice and snow). It does look great with its unique exterior features and is a definite head turner. The interior has more storage, plenty of lighting and a comfy dinette so why?
- The main reason is a need for more space inside when i go play on the outdoors and the Excursion can be stripped down to offer lots of cargo space. When going snowskating, paddling or biking, we usually are 2 or 3 people with quite a lot of gears and equipment which can get muddy/dirty/wet and the van's posh fittings don't seem to be made for those rough conditions. I always need to be careful and it could be annoying. The simpler yet more modular couch system on rails is definitely more appropriate, we also like the colors better which are a good reminder of the origins of the brand > New-West"falia", indeed those vehicles were designed as an homage to the German iconic camper van but built on a North-American reliable platform with a solid well tested engine.
- Stealth is important for boondocking and the Expedition is not discreet. Everywhere we go people are quite impressed and curious about it, on another hand, the current one looks like your typical delivery truck and won't attract any attention, i like that! it fits my current lifestyle better and we'll upgrade it later (small bull bar, stencil paint, roof vent).
- I own a newer vehicle with almost the exact same mileage (~ 17000 km), means it gets one more year of guarantee :) the good thing is i don't spend any money on this transaction (this model is already cheaper and had a price cut) although because we had to renew the loan with Desjardins the new fixed rate is slightly lower, about 20$ less per month which is not bad, thanks to the crisis. I guess i'll save a little bit on insurance too. This is a sweet deal for both parties.
- Even if the engine is less powerful and i will miss the AWD, there will be some savings on gas, the environment and registration taxes. The vehicle is lighter and more nimble too, i can feel the difference when braking and starting.

Well now let's get accustomed with my new shelter-on-wheels and i'll give you a thorough feedback later.

Adieu my loyal van and thank you NW for the smooth transfer and usual outstanding service :-)

#newwestvr #vanadventures #vanlife