I am in Love!!!

Yes, we’re smitten. We are in the heart of "cowboy and indian" country, prospecting country, mountains, gold mines, you think of anything “western” and this little town of 1560 people has it all. Lillooet shines.

It has a farmer’s market

And did I forget the views?? Maybe THIS is what you think is the reason we fell for this little town?

Or maybe it is the Fort Berens Winery over the bridge from town? This little gem has award winning reisling and chardonnay and it is built on the exact same patch of land where the Hudson’s Bay Fort was built. How much history can we drink in on one little town?

Then there are the people who live here and love it. It shows in their gardens

It shows in their history. This is much beloved Miyazaki Heritage House, former home to a quiet gentle Canadian name of Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki. He was born in Canada but like so many innocent Japanese-Canadians during the war, he was interned with his family. An important member of an important family in Lillooet was an avid photographer taking pictures in Bridge River, where he met the doctor. He convinced the government to let the doctor and his family come to Lillooet which was badly needing a doctor at the time. It helped that the photographer was the son of the Gold Commissioner, Government Agent and prominent merchant, Casper Phair. In any case, Dr Miyazaki’s practice covered over 4,000 square miles of rugged territory. He served as doctor, dentist, veterinarian and mortician to the community. He was the first Japanese-Canadian to be elected to public office in 1950 and for his service he was awarded the Order of Canada in 1977. The community reveres his memory, and faithfully keeps his house in pristine condition, and his office exactly the same as it has always been. 

Dr. Miyazaki’s garden below

Well, I suppose all of that would be enough to draw you to the bosom of this wee town, but 

there is more. This is a main hub of the CNN, and for a railway man’s son like Rick, he was

fascinated by the station below.

Eight bright Canada red engines have just done the choo-choo thing up over the mountains from Vancouver.

But in addition to all this muscle power, the one who really won our hearts is the little 2 car Kaoham Shuttle, a 30 passenger only train that takes folks from Lillooet  to the remote communities of Seton Portage and Shalath and back again. It winds through some of the sharpest curves on the CNN line and makes possible photographing of California Bighorn sheep, deer, bear, eagles and waterfowl. It even makes unscheduled stops just so folks can do this. Oh my heart did so want to do this, but reality says not possible this time. Perhaps now you can imagine why we have already changed the itinerary for the return trip so that we can visit it again.

Another thing to love about this town. The police drive Chevy trucks!!  (note for grandson Richard)

The town itself is full of historic buildings, and some new, all the usual trappings of a small western town.

This one houses the Municipal Offices

This one houses the museum. A fine museum with very friendly staff. Perhaps the oldie goldies among us can

remember back to the firebrand newspaper editor Ma Murray in the 1970s and 1980s? I do. She wrote with a passion and aimed her darts at fools and politicans in that order. She achieved national fame. She wrote for the Bridge River-Lillooet News, and her legacy lives on in the basement of this museum below where her newspaper office has been recreated.

Main Street, Lillooet BC.

Apricots. Tomorrow is Apricot festival here in Lillooet, as you can see the trees are laden, and many just drop. Just how many apricots

can one family eat??

Quiet morning in Lillooet, BC. The extra wide streets are a common feature of western towns.

The joint church.

The main hotel and pub.

Unfortunately this is it for Lillooet as tomorrow we aim ourselves for Prince George in the BC interior, 500 kms to the north.

Barbara

Day 3 at Lillooet Campground..

Early morning and the sun is just rising above the mountains on the left. The campground sits directly on the Fraser River, which is grey right now from sediments flowing downstream. This is one of the only places where the public can still pan for gold. Some gold is still being carried down from the former mother lode and people can re-experience the 1860s thrill of capturing some of it.

Entrance to the campground with small back object on the right side.

There is a 1921 bridge that still crosses the Fraser a short walk upstream. It is open only

to pedestrian traffic, and many people do a loop walk around Lillooet using this route.

Rick was fascinated in how it was made, originally for smaller and lighter traffic from

today. The following photos are for the guys (and gals) out there interested in such

things.

We have decided to stay this day in Lillooet to explore the town, so there will be another entry for that.

Barbara

Day Two: Sea to Sky

Off the ferry at 8:15 AM sharp. Everybody else was going straight for Vancouver but we turned left and headed toward Squamish and the Sea to Sky Highway. The day was absolutely stunning. The photos do not do it justice. There was not a cloud in the sky, the mountains loomed everywhere, snow capped and glistening. River appeared out of nowhere to dazzle and rush their way to the Pacific. Fire weed was just blooming (willow weed to Anglos) and everywhere was green and gorgeous.

Early morning, with a bit of mist in Howe Sound on our way to Squamish..

At a turnout, we saw an indigenous Squamish Information display. It said that the Squamish people call this mountain “double headed serpent”. 

Squamish is both the seat of the Squamish native people, and also a large lumbering processing location.

Off and up we go. 

The  mountains are everywhere, and here and there one can catch a glimpse though a pass, of the mountains in behind. These mountains are folded and uplifted and a mass of jumbled peaks.  I think of the courage and determination of the early explorers, and admire. The intrepid Scot, Alexander Mackenzie made it through territory like this to the Pacific in 1793, 14 years before Louis and Clark reached Astoria, Oregon. It humbles one.

We had never done the Sea to Sky trip before, so had never seen Whistler Village or the ski runs. We turned off at the Village and drove around. I determined it was the height of “the place to be seen in” kind of place so it didn't appeal. It was interesting, but since we were pulling a camper it was awkward to manage the streets and impossible to photograph it. I would actually like to spend more time in the area as the mountain environment is absolutely stunning. Thankfully, there is a campground right on the edge of the Village so this would be good to do in the autumn before the snow season. I don't do snow anymore. Below is a shot of the ski runs. What you can’t see is what those skiers see, as behind me was a complete circle of snow capped mountains. A very impressive location. Classy. Grade A.

After leaving the Village area we came to a mountain lake, and in the distance are the ski runs of Mount Whistler.

Nameless mountain river. It must have one, but just not on my map.

From Whistler, we continue to climb, and then we open out to the Pemberton Valley.  It is a smallish narrow valley, with a small community and a number of both non-native and native farms. I found the natives more interesting.

Native farm #2

Native farm #3

They obviously have an annual rodeo!

The road continues and slowly we see a change in the terrain and vegetation, as we reach the dryness of the interior.

But first we have the challenge of narrow roads without verges, no turnouts and increasingly twisty sections.

But everywhere gorgeous mountain scenery. Still snow topped, and it’s almost August.

When we make the final descent, it is with ample warnings, and signs showing the rate of descent.

In one day we made it from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island and reached the dry interior at Lillooet on the Fraser River. The change is remarkable and we have crossed from the “west coast” to “the wild wild west”. Tomorrow will show you the latter.

Barbara

Summer 2018 RV Trip - Arctic Ocean or bust!

For your information this is an overview of the planned trip.

We have been planning this camping trip for several years now while waiting for the last segment of highway to be built between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. That last stretch of all weather highway (135km) opened last November. We can now drive all the way to the Arctic Ocean in Canada. Previously you could only drive to Inuvik and then take a flight into Tuk during the summer months. During the winter there was a ice road available but then we didn't really want to be there in the winter. We are going to take a month and hitch up the RV (caravan for you Scots/Brits) and make a run for the ocean!

The route:

The round trip will be about 4800 miles (7700km). Leaving Nanaimo in the south, we catch the Departure Bay-Horseshoe Bay ferry to the mainland where we will start off on the Sea-to-Sky Highway (BC 99) to Lillooet, then north to Prince George BC on Highway 97, turning west on the Yellowhead Highway (16) towards Prince Rupert. We turn off before Prince Rupert at Kitwanga Junction onto the Cassiar Highway (37). We follow the Cassiar all the way north to it's junction with the Alaska Highway (1) in the Yukon just west of Watson Lake. Heading west to Whitehorse, we will stop for supplies, then continuing on we will turnoff onto the Klondike Highway (2) heading north to Dawson City. At Dawson City we will check road conditions for the Dempster Highway at the Dawson City information office.

The Dempster Highway is one of those "must do" items for the more adventurous. It is basically 478 miles/770km of all-weather gravel (crushed rock) road between Dawson City and Inuvik with a halfway stop at Eagle Plains for fuel/repairs/motel/restaurant (and a small RV park). In between these points there are no services of any kind and no cell service. From Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk it is another 135km to reach the Arctic Ocean, on a gravel road of course. The Dempster is called an all-weather  highway, but the reality of it is that when its wet it is very muddy and slippery and when it is dry it is very dusty. The best driving conditions are for a few days after after it has rained and when it is still damp but not yet dry.

Leaving the Arctic Ocean, we will retrace our steps down to Whitehorse. From there we will drive east to Fort Nelson and then down to Hudson's Hope, BC to visit Barbara's cousin Bill. At this point we will be a 2-3 day's drive from Vancouver and the BC Ferry that will take us back to our Island home.

Day One to Nanaimo

We didn't make it far. We decided to stay at a campground in Nanaimo to enable us to get the 6:30am ferry tomorrow. We got the last camp slot available and tucked ourselves in after that long tedious 20 minute ferry ride (haha). It is named well (Living Forest Oceanside), towering firs, cedars,maples and large sites set well apart. No music allowed outside the camper, so no loud boom boom parties to endure. It is gloriously natural, the sounds of children playing, the odd dog barking, etc etc.

We have all sorts parked in here, even a motorhome from Florida, a rig from Quebec, a few from Alberta, and what we really like to see, a whole section devoted to tent camping. The campground consists of a number of acres on the waterfront of Nanaimo, including the tidal flats which are brilliant for canoeing. The main office has ice cream cones and magazines and lots of help if you need it, and part way around the waterfront walk is the Living Forest Cafe with a waterfront deck. All this you can see below. This is one prime campground and I am happy to give them a plug.

Getting ourselves set up..

Trees, trees….

And more trees

The waterfront over the tidal flats of Nanaimo Harbour. That strip of land off

in the distance on the right hand side?  That's Gabriola!

Did I mentions trees?

The Living Forest Cafe

Flossie enjoying the back seat.

So off we go tomorrow to catch the ferry to Horseshoe Bay (North Vancouver) and then up the "Sea to Sky" highway, 

up past Whistler to our goal of Lillooet where we intend to stay a couple of days. It will be a full day, and so I am climbing into

my upper bed and toppling into it.

Tomorrow folks, it will be a new day, 

Barbara, Rick and Flossie

Thinking about a trip Up North.

Just in case anybody wanders by this site during our at-home season, this is to let you know that we are seriously thinking of heading off on an RV trip in the next few weeks to go Up North. Way Up North! All the way to the Arctic Ocean. Much depends on the weather forecasts for the area "Up North" as the route takes us over many miles of unpaved roads which can become quite nasty (Think Mud) in wet weather. We will keep you posted.