Sunday 24th June - the Kamloops Experience

The alarm awoke us at 7.30 this morning, looking outside we saw low mist over the mountains, grey skies, and although everything was saturated the rain had stopped. We breakfasted in the motel's lobby area - how busy it was. The place was full due to the bad weather and also a nearby Convention. We sat at a table with an elderly couple, the lady watched me intently as I grappled to take the lid off my butter pat and asked in a drawl, "is your hand wrecked dear?" Mmm, that's one question theat I've not been asked previously. The tv warned of flooods and that Highway 97 towards Revelstoke was still blocked.                        

Osprey sitting pretty!

Once on the road we called in to look at Sushwap Lake which is the most popular houseboating destination in BC. We chatted with locals who told us that due to the weather they had to cancel the scheduled Dragon Boat Race and that the water levels had risen 10feet, a 30 year high, and that the mud flats and beach were submerged. Joy of joys, we saw an Osprey on its nest.
We picked up Highway 1 and travelled West towards Kamloops, tonight's destination,stoping off at Blind Bay for morning coffee. The South Frazer River was very high, but amazingly the scenery and conditions changed as we neared Kamloops. On the approaches there were "pyramid" type of hills that were grassed over - maybe mining that had been grassed over - and Kamloops was more of a desert type place. There is a kind of time warp in this arid region and it is "Cowboy Country" with more than a thousand ranches.
We arrived on the outskirts of Kamloops at around 2pm and checked in to a motel. (Kamloops is a Secwepemc name meaning "where the rivers meet"). As it was a Sunday the whole of this city appeared to be closed meaning that we could not visit any galleries or museums, so we headed for the main park and Waterside Lake. Part of the park was under water and local people were coming to take photographs of the very high level of the Thompson River. There was lots of commemorative planting of trees in the park to celebrate the formal agrement of Kamloops and its sister city, Uji, Japan, on July 1st 1990. We watched fascinated as Marmots played in a series of tunnels. Leaving the park we saw The Rocky Mountineer Train crossing the Thompson River, quite a sight - and sound!
Once back at the motel we watched an Osprey or Eagle soaring and circling in the distance and a train with 2 engines and 113 containers. Both quite a sight.
After a meal at Earls, a chain company of "upscale" pizza and pasta restaurants, we headed back to the motel.This proved to be quite an interesting experience: we could not get the key in the door lock and called for the receptionist, who, when she tried had the same trouble. She knocked very loudly on the door and we were all amazed to see a couple sitting on our bed eating salad and sandwiches!! Nothing more to add here except that we checked out at 10.00pm and had to find anothr place to stay.
So at 10.15p.m. we were checking in to a Best Western Plus on the other side of the city - only to be checking out again in less than 12 hours.

Thompson River

            

Cheeky Marmot.

Water, water everywhere.

Saturday - It must be raining!

Today the National News & weather forecast was all about the rain! We thought that we would have got away from the doom and gloom of bad weather, but it apperared that British Columbia, or certain parts of it, were experiencing unprecedented amounts of rain. The Mighty Frazer river had several flood warnings along its course.
We left The Waterfront Inn at 8.45 and breakfasted at a nearby Tim Horton's, a kind of Macdonald's. The place was already very busy with visitors to The Beach Cruise as well as locals. Talk was of the weather and in the short time that we were there the mist was veiling the mountain tops. We filled up with petrol, visited a bank, bought fruit and off we set towards Kelowna on Highway 97 driving alongside Okanagan Lake. We skirted Summerland and Peachland which are communities that are the perfect setting for scenery and the outdoor life, not to mention the cottage wineries and the historic Kettle Valley Steam Railway.

Kasugai Japanese Garden

Spirit of Kelowna

 We stopped at Kelowna, which sits on the 150km/94ml long Okanagan Lake,  for lunch and marvelled at the decorated supermarket trollies that were being "dashed" around to raise awareness of the homeless. Kelowna has its own "Nessie" a shy lake monster known as Ogopogo. Here we took time out to visit the serene Kasugai Japanese Garden, a genuine Oriental garden built as a project between Kelowna and its sister Japanese city. It was a very tranquil garden sitting behind City Hall. As we left Kelowna we were caught up in torrential rain which made driving conditions tricky to say the least: the wipers did not make any difference and it was rather difficult to negotiate ourselves out towards Vernon.

Vernon is the oldest city in B.C's interior and the home of the historic O'Keefe Ranch.Cornelius O'Keefe was a 19th century cattle entrpreneur who drove his herds north to provide beef for gold miners. The ranch was the largest in the region and had a church, general store and post office, today it is a museum and is tended by what we would term the National Trust. http://www.okeeferanch.ca/
Sadly, we arrived at 4p.m. just in time to have the last tour of the Mansion which was lived in until 1977. A folk group, The Kettle Valley Brakemen, were playing to a rather depleted audience in torrential rain. We were very sad to arrive rather too late to have a good look around. Once back on the main Highway we had to decide whether to go along Highway 97 to Kamloops or 97a to Salmon Arm, due to the weather conditions we motored on to Salmon Arm which would prove to have been a wise choice.
Once we had checked in to the Super 8 Motel, we did our first lot of washing and emailed the family. Then it was relaxation time at the Settlers Pub which was directly behind the motel. After a fantastic meal of ginger beef and salad with raspberry dressing we had a long chat to the waitress who told us of the adverse weather and driving conditions. There had been a mud slide on Highway 1at Sicamous on the way to Revelstoke and the road was closed. This news featured for a few days on the national bulletins, wooden houses and cars were floating away. We were lucky throughout our trip to be one step ahead of any  bad weather which we kept being told was unique.

Floral Clock, Vernon

The Floral Clock in Polson Park, Vernon, is a 10mtr powered clock and only one of a handful in Canada. Sadly, the planting was incomplete during our visit.

Friday 22nd June - Meeting friends

Going shopping

Waterfront Inn Motel, Penticton

Okanagen Lake

After breakfasting in the motel reception area at Princeton, we set off on Highway 3 and 3a to meet up with friends in Penticton. Little did we know that when we planned and booked the trip, some friends had done exactly the same, but were travelling in the opposite direction! Today was the pre-arranged day to meet up.

Leaving Princeton behind the scenery once again changed as we made our way through the Okanagan Valley. Princeton is nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the heart of the Similkameen Valley - a place for outdoor activities. Penticton, like other places in the Okanagan, has fruit and wine in abundance and families can have fun in the sun on the beaches of the Okanagan and Skaha Lakes.
 On our journey we passed the Nk'mimp Aboriginie Winery & Indian Reserve. We stopped at one of the many farm shops to purchase fruit, so fresh it tasted wonderful. We met our friends at the RV Park where they were staying and after lunch there headed off to Penticton.What a day to arrive, by coincidence it was the Peach City Beach Cruise and Penticton Elvis Festival. The Beach Cruise Festival - a festival of classic cars and trucks. The city streets were lined with all manner of classic vehicles, around 800, and on Friday night there was a parade of show cars, some of which would be auctioned. We paid $2 for a badge that was the entrance fee to the park for the entire weekend and part of these proceeds go to B.C. Children's Hospital.
We sat in the park for part of the afternoon and listened to live music, how nice to relax and how friendly everyone was. Later we saw the cars and trucks get into "parade position" on a car park that was very close to our motel and what a sight it was - amazing. Inbetween all of this we managed to have a very quick visit into Penticton to visit the BC VQA Wine Information Centre, spying wildlife just snooping around the shops! Back to the lakeside motel for a quick shower and to re-arrange our bags, then out for a meal with Malcolm and Judy. How lucky we were to have planned this meeting at Penticton beforehand and to both be on schedule to actually achieve it. The day was lovely sunny and warm but as soon as we headed back after our evening meal there was a terrific thunder storm.

                                      

       

 

Thursday 21st June - National Aboriginal Day

Inukshuk

During the next part of our trip, Whistler to Calgary, we did not have any pre-booked accommodation & just booked into motels or the like as we arrived at any one particular place.

Leaving Whistler we saw the first Inukshuk of many that we would see on our travels. Inukshuk is an Inuit word meaning "In the Spirit of Man" The structures have many different meanings: a signpost for travellers/a place where food has been stored/a memorial or as a hunting aid. It is seen as a symbol of friendship.

We travelled along Highway 99 towards Lillooet passing through Pemberton, picking up Highway 12 to Lytton. Not far out of Pemberton we had to stop the car as a group of horses were crossing the road, We were amazed to see that one horse seemed to have taken on the role of "supervisor" standing, watching and waiting until all the horses had got safely across the road before moving off itself. Part of this journey was along the Cariboo Gold Rush Trail and the streets of Lillooet are very wide to allow the ox-wagons that worked this road to turn round.
The journey from Lilloeet to Lytton is not for the feint of heart, especially if you are a passenger! It is a 65km/41mls drive on a road that hugs the mountainside, twisting and turning on what seems like a narrow ledge and all the time the mighty Frazer River rages far below.There had been an "above average" rainfall in parts of British Columbia and the river certainly looked menacing as we clung to this ledge!

Viewing stop

Mighty Frazer River

We lunched at Lytton in the Towne Deli, a kind of local diner with black & white floor tiles and formica tables. A town of only 1,200 residents, we soon became the objects of people's curiosity and after leaving the Deli we ventured to Suncatcher Crafts for home made ice creams. Eating these in Pocket Park, no more than a square with 2 or 3 benches, people were coming up to us and wishing us the time of day. (The park was opened in December 2011 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of he founding of British Columbia)   We learned that most of the menfolk work on the construction of the hydro-electtic plant and that winters can be very harsh with 7ft of snow.Companies, based here launch trips up and down the Frazer & Thompson Rivers.

Lytton Village office, library & court house

Churh at Lytton

 Continuing our journey from Lytton towards Hope, now on Highway 1, we were on the opposite banks of the Frazer River to the railway. We marvelled at the long trains, sometimes 140 containers, clinging onto the mountain side and then disappearing in the tunnels. We passed Nation communities and several tribal artists carve soapstone from traditional quarries nearby. (Nlaka'pamux Nations)

Sadly, we didn't have the time to stop off at Hell's Gate, where on average 850,000 cubic metres of water blasts through a space about the width of a city street every second.Apparantly in 1913 a Canadian National Railway construction crew touched off a landslide that choked the river and blocked the salmon run. Fish ladders were built but the salmon runs are still less than one third of what they were.
As we continued to make reasonably good timing we decided to have one long day of touring which would give us a more relaxing time on the following day. So we motored on to Princeton rather than staying the night at Hope as originally planned. 
We stayed at a Welcome Vantage Inn and ate at diner just out of town - where deer come over the road to eat and use the water fountain!
This is where we decided that "changing for dinner meant going out in sandals rather than trainers"

The day was one of a very long drive but once again such diverse scenery. 

On the balcony for a well deserved rest.

The poppy was one of 4 that represented the motel's garden.

Wednesday 20th June - Collect hire car

Today was the first day of summer and every person who we talked to reminded us of this. It was almost as though it is a really big event for Canadians and should not go un-noticed.
We slept  until the alarm went off at 07.45! After breakfast we walked up Robson Street, taking in our last look at Vancouver, the cell phone that we had bought from the Fido store now worked and we were safe in the knowledge that we had contact with family back home.
Soon it was time to return to the hotel and take a taxi to the National depot to collect our hire car, which we had booked for 12 days.

This did not go quite as smoothly as it could have done, as we were given instructions to collect the car at the cruise ship ferry terminal, however, we should have been at the office which was within sight of the hotel!  It was our good fortune that a member of National's staff was available to take us to the correct address. After safely negotiating ourselves out of downtown Vancouver we set off to Whistler, which would be our first overnight stop. The journey is 123kn/76mls and takes Highway 99, which is kown as "Sea to Sky Highway", it has been declared to be one of the world's five best road trips. The weather was good and in the distance snow covered mountains, including the distinct shape of Whistler Mountain, could be seen. All along the route there are warning signs to put on snow chains & I expect that in winter time it could be quite a hazardous journey. We had a driving map, an information sheet that was provided when we collected the car, and so we knew of places of interest to stop.

Shannon Falls: The third highest waterfall in British Columbia and formerly the key ingredient inCarling O'Keefe beer. It has featured in the Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn.

Stawamus Chief - granite outcrop

The Stawamus Chief is the largest piece of free-standing rock outside of Gibraltar.

Look out for bears!

Brandywine Falls

Brandywine Falls, (not too far from Whistler), are a short walk through the forest from the designated car park. A viewing platform of the falls is perched on the edge of a volcanic escarpment.
We reached Whistler, known to the Squamish First Nation as "Wild Spirit Place". Whistler Olympic Park was developed as the site for cross-country, biathlon, and ski jumping events for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter games. In the summer it is used for mountain biking and a competition was in progress whilst we were there.
We had one night here, staying at The Best Western, Listel hotel, our room was overlooking a golf driving range.                                                                                                                                             

 

That night we ate outside at The Irish Pub in the warmth of a log burning fire pit. Another vast contrast - only 76 miles away from Vancouver - how completely different this was.

Tuesday 19th June - Return to Vancouver

Today we returned to Vancouver and the hotel, Rosedale on Robson.

We walked to the bus station in good time to catch the 09.45 coach that would take us on the 11.00 ferry. We travelled on The Spirit of Vancouver on another day of blue sky and sun, arriving back at the hotel at 14.00 to find that we had been given an upgrade to a suite with private balcony on the 20th floor.

On our return ferry journey we saw people just going about their "ordinary" day jobs.  I was especially interested in watching the transportation of logs. We were lucky enough to see an eagle flying around, but were not lucky enough to get any photographs. This sadly, had also been the case when we were returning to Victoria after the whale watching. We saw a bald eagle sitting on a rock not too far out of the harbour, but couldn't get to the camera!!    In the afternoon we walked from the hotel to Gastown, a really vibrant area of Vancouver. A long soak in the bath was in order before our evening meal which we had at the hotel, in Rosies Bar, whilst watching England v Ukraine.  

Rosedale on Robson

Whale Watching

Monday June 18th, was the day for whale watching and we had pre-booked ths tour as far back as March! We were not to be disappointed as we followed J & L Pods of Orca whales.

 We breakfasted on fresh fruit, yogurt & granola at the hotel's Vista Restaurant - on the top floor with views over the Empress Hotel and harbour. We assembled at the Five Star tour operator offices and were given a safety talk and intoduced to the crew and fellow passengers. We had a long chat with people from Clitheroe and one of the office staff came from Rochdale - small world! 

 

(Sorry my best attempt!)

The tour was from 10.00 - 13.00 and was truely amazing. The crew of 4 included a marine biologist who has been tracking whales in this region for years and has a portfolio of them. Each one can be identified by their white marking on their dorsal fin, rather like our finger prints.

On the way out of Victoria Harbour the guide pointed out places of interest that we could see along the coast. Deja vu - the commentary that we should have had the on the previous day!   

                 Harbour taxi, Victoria

Sea Plane coming in to land

                                                                                                  

The afternoon became very warm and sunny and we just sat at the harbour front people watching. A good pass time I always think - especially if you have an icecream to hand! We wandered back to the hotel at 18.45 via Thunderbird Park.

http://www.explorevancouverisland.com/Thunderbird_Park_Victoria__Vancouver_Island_BC.htm

Chief Tony Hunt is hereditary chief of the KwaGulth people and is one of the greatest living native artists of the Pacific Northwest. He is fluent in his native Kwak’wala language, which was taught to him by his grandfather, legendary artist Chief Mungo Martin.
Chief Hunt created Thunderbird Park with his father, Chief Henry Hunt, and his grandfather.

Bastion Square & the Irish Pub

 After a quick spruce up we set out again for a meal at The Irish Pub which stands on the corner of Bastion Square and Government Street.
Bastion Square is the site of the bastion which stood at the NE corner of Fort Victoria which was erected by The Hudsons Bay Company in 1843.

I have written in the diary which I took with me: "Really fab day" I certainly can't dispute that. The harbour at dusk looked pretty amazing.

Sunday 17th June

Today was the day that we transferred to Victoria, Vancouver Island for a two night stay.

We travelled light, taking only a rucksack and my leather cabin bag, leaving our two main travel bags in secure storage at the hotel in Vancouver as we would be returning there.

Ferry

 
 We were picked up at 8.30 as scheduled and then collected other passengers at various hotels in Vancouver. The coach took us to the ferry port of Tsawwassen, which is located on a 2 mile man made causeway off the mainland and is less than 550 yards from Canada's border with the United States. The terminal is also part of Highway 17.

The crossing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay takes around one and a half hours and then the coach completes the final leg of the journey to Victoria. The weather was glorious, very sunny and warm. The scenery was how I imagined it to be in Charles Frazier's book "Cold Mountain".
One passenger spent the entire crossing jogging around the deck and when we were getting ready for disembarkation asked me to take his photograph as he posed in a yoga position. He apparantly was a Sports/Geography teacher and told us that where ever he visited he had photographs taken to show to his students, proving that sport can be accomplished anywhere.
The coach station in Victoria was only a short walk from our next hotel:Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites. As soon as we had checked in and taken our belongingns to our room we walked down to Victoria Harbour. This was a bustling place with boats, harbour ferries, sea planes and along the harbour wall artisan craft people were selling their goods.

Hotel Chateau Victoria & Suites

    We took an open top bus for a
tour of Victoria. The trip ended up something of a  Peter Kaye/ Victoria Wood  element as the driver/courier declared"Stop 1 - Chinatown", Stop 2 retirement apartments etc. and leaving us without any depth of knowledge. (yes we laugh about it now)   Afterwards we walked up Government Street, soaking up the feeling of colonialism. The buildings were grand and imposing but it was a step back in time after Vancouver.
The streets are tree lined and in the distance you can see snow capped mountains. There are a few Trompe L'oeil celebrating the 150
years of British Columbia. One one street corner is a metal sculpture tree.

Poem: Hide & Seek

The poem:Hide and Seek was written by Carla Frank who was Poet Laureate of the City of Vancouver 2006/08. it reads:
 You who lift a penny from the gutter, and with the same hand point out the stars, find me.


We just ambled around taking in more sights and had dinner at The Sticky Wicket.

A most enjoyable day and memorable for a variety of reasons.

 The Empress Hotel was built between 1904/08 in the chateau style, which emerged as a distinctively Canadian approach to railway hotel building.

Parliament

Empress Hotel, Victoria

       

Saturday 16th June

Library on Robson Street

 

            

After a really long day the previous day, we awoke at 7.00am to rain. During the morning we walked up Robson Street, one ofVancouver's bustling streets. In the afternoon we had booked a City Tour which lasted 3 hours and sadly began in torrential rain. The tour began in Stanley Park, so we felt very lucky to have seen it resplendent the previous day. As the tour progressed we visited Granville Island, a haven of artisan crafts, market stalls, theatre and the like. Sadly the tour only allowed us 45 minutes and this was to be a great disappointment. We carried on in the rain, with our courier trying to be very positive about it all and what we could not see! Next Vancouver’s Bloedel Conservatory which is a year-round indoor tropical garden in Queen Elizabeth Park.This “park within a park” is an enclosed triodetic dome filled with 500 different exotic plants and flowers, koi fish, and more than 100 free-flying birds.The Conservatory sits beside the beautiful Quarry Gardens and has a panoramic view of the city's skyline and mountain backdrop. Next on the tour was Chinatown and Gastown.

Steam Clock, Gastown

Gastown

Like all tours, information came flowing and we were told that Vancouver is Canada's 3rd largest city, with a population of 45,000. Canada Place is the most densley populated and Chinatown is "locked" at 6p.m. as there are 2,000 people sleeping on its streets.
We were lucky enough to see the Olympic Village and the torch that it housed at Canada Place.

Gastown

With Gassy Jack

Chinatown

                          

Urban Art, Vancouver