Beautiful British Columbia

We made it to Vancouver! Well, not yet actually - we're in Chillawack which is an hour outside of Vancouver. Here's a little recap of our trip across southern BC.

Day One - Calgary
We stayed with Scott's cousin Shannon and she spoiled us rotten.

Day Two - Calgary
Shannon did such a good job of spoiling us that we didn't want to leave.

Day Three - Calgary to Moyie Lake
To cross into BC, we drove through Crowsnest Pass in the Rockies. The drive was lovely as the rolling praire hills turned to jagged mountain peaks. We camped out at the Moyie Lake Provincial Park.

Day Four - Moyie Lake to Nelson
We drove through Creston, home of Kokanee beer - then spent the rest of the day skirting around Kokanee Lake. It's no wonder they named a beer after it. The drive around the lake was incredible and as Scott guided the van along the sharp turns and steep passes, I spied the elaborate lake-side vacation homes and wondered who was lucky enough to live in them. To reach Nelson, we had to take a 30 min ferry ride across the lake. Nelson is a historical haven of hippies hidden in the hills above the lake. Needless to say - we loved it there!

Day Five - Nelson to the Okanagan
For those of you who don't know BC - the Okanagan Valley is a geological wonder. The large lake that covers the valley's floor matched with the arid climate makes for perfect conditions to cultivate apples, pears, cherries and grapes. Orchards and vineyards are endless. We camped along the lake and experienced our first provincial park showers.

Day Six - Okanagan to Salmon Arm
In the morning we visited Scott's longtime friend Terry's parents in Summerland, along the Okanagan. They have an Ambrosia apple orchard that overlooks the lake and are in the process of building a home to make Summerland their permanant residence. After feeding us sliced apples, apple cake and cherry moonshine, they also loaded us up with a box of apples and a load of firewood. We stopped at Greata Ranch Winery and tasted some wines, settling on a bottle of Pinot Noir. Next stop - the Shuswaps, a lake district just north of the Okanagan and known as the houseboat capital of Canada, similar to Lake Havasue in Arizona. We camped just ouside Salmon Arm and treated ourselves to T-Bone steaks and our bottle of wine. That night we were visited by a hungry and curious mouse that kept us up as he chomped his way through our apples, sun flower seeds and toilet paper. Scott tossed his snacks outside the van and the mouse followed. Or so we thought...

Day Seven - Salmon Arm to Fraiser Canyon
We broke down and hit up a diner for a greasy breakfast of eggs, hasbrowns and sausage in Salmon Arm. For our last night in the van, we stayed at the Goldpan Provincial Park in the Frasier Canyon, southwest of Kamloops. It was a lovely campsite along a raging river, though a bit noisy with trains blowing through on both sides. Our little mouse friend appeared to have hitched a ride with us and we spent all night trying to trap him. He was finally caught by the tail and thrown our of the van - though he may have may his way back in.

Day Eight - Fraiser Canyon to Chillawack
Luxury has taken over as we are guests in Scott's Uncle Ross and Auntie Kathryn's fabulous home and acerage in the mountainous suburb of Vancouver. My passport was waiting for us! I guess we're really going to China.






All in all, it was a great trip and I can now attest to the claim on this province's liscence plates - Beautiful British Columbia! Next stop - CHINA.