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| Pretty street lights in Penticton |
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At the Penticton Saturday farmers market (look
under the table) |
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| We didn't see the giant who works with these skeins and needles |
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| The gorgeous beach in downtown Penticton |
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| Rose gardens in the park |
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| California quail in our campground....very cute. |
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| Vineyards along the Naramata Bench |
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This artist has her gallery in the highly
recommended Three Mile Winery |
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| Three Mile.....gorgeous doors...AND GREAT wine! |
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| Another beautiful campground north of Shuswap |
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| with a tiny, tiny chapel next door |
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Shuswap...spectacular. In summer, this lake is swarming
with huge houseboats...some even have fireplaces! Imagine
that! Fire, fibreglass and rope! |
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| Community garden in Kamloops |
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| Beautiful gardens in the waterfront park |
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| Lunch below Marble Mountain |
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| Fascinating terrain as we head to Lilooet |
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See the hydro lines across the mountains?
Who put them there? Probably the same
giants that owned the knitting needles. |
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| The road goes on and on and on |
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| Just outside Lillooet.. |
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We learned that BC Hydro offers "2- F" campgrounds
(Fabulous and Free), well maintained by great First Nations staff. |
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| And look at our views |
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... our neighbours were a bit noisy but hilarious. We had
two of these big fella's at one time, pecking the heck out
of a big log just below our campsite. They didn't even
leave when we moved closer. They must have huge
headaches. What a way to have to get a meal! |
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| One of the quiet neighbours |
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Most unusual motor home in Lillooet. Evidently the rig
is followed by big black furry things |
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| Great use for old mining machinery |
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| Lion's teddy bear made simply with a chain saw and a dead tree |
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| Near Pemberton |
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| Our campsite overlooking Whistler |
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| View from our bedroom |
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High on a ridge, overlooking all the Whistler mountains,
we watch the setting sun bounce off Black Tusk |
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| Here comes the moon |
Rachel's show at the Whitedog Gallery in Whistler was cancelled because the owner had to be in Italy. Rachel and Peter delivered more paintings to the gallery, so we met them there and had lunch in the village.
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| Heading down the highway to Vancouver |
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| Rachel and Peter borrowed Laura's van so we played tag along the highway |
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| Rachel giving us the VW peace sign |
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| The ferry to Nanaimo |
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Arriving at our friends (Ray, Jan, Claire, Ari and Sophia)
home, Bob begins his 4 day stay in a stare-down match with Pino
but Pino's not buying into the silly game. |
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| Me bookended between Janet and Pino |
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Handsome Ray, setting off to work at (do do do do)
the fuuuuuneral hoooome. |
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| Rachel and Peter saying "goodbye" to us, Janet, Claire, Ari and Sophia |
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| Go awwready!!! |
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| Cutie patootie - Sophia |
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Dear friends, Helene and Don (also former Ontarians) invite
Ray, Jan, Bob and me for dinner....the day after
Helene's birthday! |
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Helene LOVED her cards and her "special" birthday gift from
the four of us |
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| The meal was absolutely amazing! |
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Next day we buy wonderful farm grown produce and Sophia
heads straight to the corral |
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Later that day, a neighbour knocked at Claire and Ari's door
to let us know that a Barred Owl was visiting in the tree in the back yard.
What a beautiful bird! He stayed for quite some time and
gave us quite a show |
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Ray and Jan take us on a magical mystery tour and we find this
lovely little barn with two horses....the other one was camera-shy
and hid inside the barn |
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| Bob and his sweet little friend Sophia |
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| They had several very serious chats |
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| Janet cooking....as usual. Blueberry perogies...yum, yum |
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| Sophia modelled her Hallowe'en costume |
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| The other mini-pooch....Norton getting a weigh-in |
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Saying "goodbye" to Janet and Ray. Thanks to "our other family", the Rossi's and
Boyle's, for your kindness and for adding warm and wonderful stories
to our 30 year memory bank. It is always fun to spend time with you! |
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| We met Rachel, Peter and Sidney for dinner at Vij's |
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| Bob and Peter |
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| Sidney, one of our lovely grandaughters....so much fun! |
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| Vij's other restaurant next door |
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The next morning, I walk from the Capilano campground, across
the Lion's Gate Bridge to meet Rachel and Peter downtown, while
Bob had lunch with an old friend in West Van |
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| The views from up here are amazing! |
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Rachel and Peter were back in town for a concert. The first night
in Vancouver, they stayed at the Sutton Place on a sweet deal. The second night
they stayed here at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel....not quite the same
deal or hotel. We ogled the place on our brief visit to pick up stuff we'd
left in their car (any excuse would do). |
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I really only wanted a photo of Laura, Peter and Rachel. Bob
always declares that he can make a photo even better. |
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| Eventually I managed to get my shot |
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We had a wonderful lunch at the Art Gallery
with Ray and Jan's other daughter, Denise |
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| The Vancouver Art Gallery |
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Then we walked over the Granville Bridge to meet
Sidney for our last visit of this trip |
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| Dinner at Whet, overlooking the marina on Granville Island |
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| Our girl, heading off on her bike...a true Vancouver woman! |
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Heading to the Lion's Gate bridge and back to
the campground via the sea wall path, we encounter these happy
dudes. Bob engaged immediately. |
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| I loved my new friend too! |
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| Such a happy group of fellows |
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We have a print of this rock in our living room and if the
light hits it in exactly the right spot, an Indian head is
visible |
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Our rock at at sunset. Ignore the big freighter on the
horizon |
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| Yacht under the Lion's Gate Bridge |
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| Light fades and we find this big mutha in Stanley Park |
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| Towers of downtown Vancouver from the Lion's Gate....gorgeous |
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The campground was beautiful and although the sites
were close together, the facilities were the best ever....stone walls and
floors in the showers...immaculate! |
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| Leaving Vancouver on the ferry for Nanaimo |
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| Bye bye Vancouver!!! |
Rachel and Peter met us near Cowichan for a weekend camping on the Cowichan Loop. When we arrived at our first provincial campground on the Cowichan River, we discovered the camp was full. Bob engaged a Fisheries and Wildlife staff in conversation and asked if she knew where we could camp. She introduced us to Mark, the campground manager and he let us use the day use area, right beside the river and didn't charge us a dime! What a lovely man! Next morning, campers were walking their dogs to the trail and asking how we got to stay in a private area by the river. Bob told them that the Fishery employee was his sister and that he was monitoring the salmon spawning.
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| Rachel and Peter's tent beside the Cowichan River |
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Rachel and Peter provided all the meals for Thanksgiving weekend
and this was the absolutely BEST pumpkin pie I've ever tasted! |
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| Our candlelit dinner |
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| Cortes and Tula enjoying Thanksgiving breakfast |
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| Sous chef Peter with Chef Rachel....cooking breakfast in the van |
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Look at that sky! Following Peter and Rachel through
the mountains on the loop |
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| One of the largest Sitka spruce on the island |
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Arriving at our next campground.....Port Renfrew, we find
kites being flown from the beach |
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| Great throw Rachel! |
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| Tula retrieves...as always |
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| Look at the size of that root! |
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Great campsite...right on the beach....the last available one.
We couldn't believe our good fortune on the busiest
weekend in BC. |
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| Another super meal! Thanks Rachel and Peter |
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Cortes is a bit of a wimp. Retired early in the tent, wrapped
Peter's favourite sweater |
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| Coffee on the beach early the next morning |
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Huge waves crashed on the beach all night and until noon
the next day |
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| A man and his dog |
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| The sweetest face ever! |
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| Bob checking out the sea otters while Tula checks out me |
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| Hiking part of the West Coast Trail |
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| Ok....we actually did some walking and an equal amount of time resting on the trail... |
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At the Botanical Gardens - beautiful things live in these
unique pools |
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Back at the camp in Metchosin, we have a tour of the grounds
and check out the organic garden |
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| ..and pick (pick/eat/pick/eat) golden berries (yellow raspberries) |
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| ...and fresh strawberries, in October!!! |
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| Gorgeous and unidentified flowering bush |
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The pond where groups of young offenders in the Coastline Program,
learn water safety. Tula is demonstrating. |
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| Geese flying overhead |
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| The deer (left side) almost escaped my lense |
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Next day, Bob and I drive into Victoria and discover
this enormous spider at a stoplight |
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Out for dinner with Laura and her daughter Madi at Prima Strata -
the best pizza place on the island! |
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| Bob and I picked the apples from the camp orchard. Great crop! |
We took a final walk on a trail (Witty's Lagoon) very near Rachel and Peter's home. The weather has changed and we had a bit of misty rain, which is a blessing. Most of BC has had drought for the past couple of months and fire bans were in place in most southern campgrounds. Today (Sunday) it is pouring and everything is beginning to become green once again. Tomorrow, we fly back to Toronto and are looking forward to seeing our Moms, the rest of our family and spending time with friends. It has been a fantastic journey across western Canada and Alaska. We have learned so much about our land, our people, their joys and their struggles. We visited relatives and friends we haven't seen in years and it was as if no time had passed at all since we last met...we picked up where we left off.
Thanks to everyone who made our trip so enjoyable; those who shared their homes and food with us, the guides, the First Nations elders and the new friends we made along the way. We are grateful also, to the friends (Nancy, Phil, Lisa, Jeff, Madi, Ethan) and the family (Steve, Tina, Shanelle, Sean from Bolton, and Sidney from Vancouver) who travelled across the country for the reunion in Tofino. Laura and Madi, you are just like family and a great addition to the group. What a fun interlude on our journey.... with loved ones on the west coast.
My blog is my diary and it is always special to look back at all the fun we've had since I started writing in October, 2006 when we set off on our six month camping trip in New Zealand and Australia. It seems fitting that we are wrapping up this five month trip in the very place we started that trip in '06....Rachel and Peter's home on Vancouver Island. Thanks for always being fun and gracious hosts! We love spending time with you. See you again in January. Take good care of yourselves and WALUT. Enjoy your surf trip to Cabo!!!
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Unique to British Columbia and one I would consider
to be as unique and beautiful as the maple tree.....the arbutus |
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In the pool at the base of the waterfalls, an otter mom
observes her babies playing in the water |
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| This arbutus is growing around a cedar tree |
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We watch from the beach as Canada's finest (two navy coastal
patrol boats) perform some exercises |
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| Clouds lifting and the mountains appear |
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| Woman and a dog on a log |
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| A fine display of mushrooms... |
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| ...and when we looked closer, a sweet little slug |
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Enjoying a casual lap-dinner by the fire. A perfect ending
to a most wonderful adventure |
