Summary of time:
· Ferries
· Lots of driving
· Mountains and waterways
· Whistler – one site for the Winter Olympics 2010
· Vancouver and farewell mum
· Kamloops – no railway museum open – and desert lands
Handy hints –
§ Good maps and information about campsites
§ Good camera for the views
§ Take time to stop and enjoy the places where you are
§ Make sure you check dates of visitors’ places open, as may close at end of summer season.
It was not a really early start to the day but not slow, we were at Comox well in time to buy our ticket and catch the ferry at 10am. We had to make sure that the gas was all turned off, so we made our coffee, and then turned everything off.
The journey was fairly uneventful, mum and i got on with our knitting and quilting, whilst dad had a fry up. The sun was out, the views were great, and the water was smooth (well relatively).
Arriving in Powell River on mainland British Columbia, dad trusted me to get the RV off the boat, and took over navigating, but wasn’t hundred percent sure on which way we were going, and took us down the main drag of shops, instead of going right immediately after we had turned left. We followed the signs for tourist information, and found a supermarket which happened to be on the road we wanted!!!
We picked a few things up for lunch at the supermarket and then headed south on the 101 to catch the next ferry from to Egmont.
The road was following the coast (almost) so it was up and down, and lots of turns. At the top of one point, there was a view point which gave us a great view, so we pulled up, put the RV at just the right point and had our lunch. We had about 45mins, but headed off to catch the 2.30pm ferry.
Arriving at the little ferry port, we learned that today they had changed to the winter ferry sailings and the next ferry wasn’t for an hour. There also may be a delay in sailing as they an annual drill to do, but as the current sailing was late, this might not happen.
We were not the only ones who hadn’t realised about the change in times, but by the time we came to sail there was definitely a lot more vehicles. The sun was shining so we got the chairs out and caught a few rays, went for a short walk to the little marina. The ferry arrived on time, so having loaded the replacement crew went aboard, and they ran their drill, and the previous crew left before we could board.
We had another safe journey, it was almost like driving through the fjord’s with the mountains reaching right down to the water, a couple of the mountains you could even see snow at the cap.
We weren’t going to be able to make it all the way down to Gibson that day, if we wanted to appreciate any of the sunshine at the campsite, so we continued on 101 to Sechelt. From the Provincial Parks book, we had details of a park campsite nr Sechelt, but the directions were not easy to follow, especially with road works in the Town, and some of the signs not there for the park. We actually drove passed the turning, but found a place to turn around (another vehicle also turned at the same time as us – having missed the same turning – we saw them at the campsite later). Heading back into town we saw the signpost telling us where to, but the road we wanted said it was closed due to roadworks. Speaking with other drivers, we found that as it was after 5pm the road was actually open, and someone took us to the park.
We got settled in; mum and dad went for a walk to the lake, whilst i got dinner ready. The lake was actually the inlet that went to Egmont, and we had been on earlier in the day. I went for a walk to see the sun set, as dinner was not quite ready. The campsites are emptier now as the schools are back, and meant you could choose your spot.
The next morning was an early start, as dad wanted us on an early-ish ferry. The plan was to drive up to Whistler, for a brief visit, before going to Vancouver (back along the same road – about 1 ½ hr each way). We had lunch on the ferry, enjoying the sun on the sundeck, and the same landscape as yesterday of mountains.
There were a few more mountains with snow at the top, and some ridges were pronounced and pointed.
Arriving at Horseshoe Bay we headed north on Highway 99 to Whistler. It was impressive driving through the mountains.
2010 sees the Winter Olympics held at Vancouver, but the long distance skiing will all be held in Whistler, and preparations are well under way....not long left as it is in January. Dad went for a wander in one direction, whilst mum and i headed off to the village, it was certainly an impressive place, with a lot of higher end shops, and outdoor activity shops. We had an hour in Whistler, a whistle stop visit, but at least i can say i’ve been there. In the summer time, there are actually much hill walking can be done, but not on this visit...maybe another time.
It was then back to Vancouver, as we passed Horseshoe Bay we got onto Highway 1 which starts here after it left Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. There was a choice of 2 sites, one in North Vancouver, just across the Lions Gate Bridge, or to the west at Burnaby. We visited the first site, but decided that it wasn’t for us, so drove the extra 30km’s to the other site.
Saturday was mum’s last full day with us, as she was catching a flight home on Sunday morning. Mum and Dad went off into Vancouver for the day, catching the Sky Train not far from the site, doing a bit of a pre-run for mum who would use it to get to the airport the next morning. When mum and dad arrived the sky train from the airport into downtown had only just opened a couple of days earlier.
I stayed back at the site, partly to give mum and dad some space together, but also so i could catch up on my blog emails etc.
Although it seemed strange saying goodbye to mum and knowing that it would be more than 8 months till i saw her again, it was upsetting as dad was still there, but i did get a bit emotional when dad was due to leave....it was the last time i would see any member of the family till nearly the middle of 2010 (well apart from Skype if i the video link works).
It was an early start to the day, as the plan was to get mum to the sky train station by 9am, we actually were around 15mins ahead of schedule, and a train arrived just as mum got to the platform – perfect timing.
We had a long drive ahead of us...the plan was to get to Kamloops for about lunchtime, and it was about 320km’s away. We headed out onto Highway 1 (the TransCanada Highway), which took us quite close to the American border, and we could see Mt Baker in Washington state, before it turned NE along the Valley Fall.
At Hope we turned off Highway 1 and followed Highway 5, which was the wider of the two roads as well as being the more direct route. It also meant the we were going up and over the mountains, our first major climb meant that we crossed the Coquihalla Pass at an elevation of 1,244 m, not far beyond it we reached a rest area, where we stopped for a coffee break. Dad also thought i ought to have a break from driving. It had been quite a dramatic drive, the mountains, the rock formations, although the various road works were a bit of a hassle. Using the facilities it was strange to see a sign at the tap’s saying “CAUTION: WATER WILL BE COLD”. It was freezing, there was no hot water. It was a beautifully clear day, and the sun was shining.
We continued on, with dad driving and i was navigating & taking photos, passing the town of Merritt, which was in a desert environment, it seemed strange being high up in the mountains and the terrain was desert like. We climbed again and passed Clapperton Creek Summit at an Elevation of 1,445m before heading down into Kamloops, where we joined back onto Highway 1.
Kamloops had a historic railway museum which dad wanted to visit, so we stopped at the Visitor Information place to get details of where it was, and find a place for lunch. It was here that we found out that the place had shut for the season! We were given directions to a place to park in downtown, the road where we would find somewhere to eat, and also where the museum was so we could see the station etc.
Heading down into town, we were stopped as there was a bikers “Toy Run” through the town but soon got parked up. It was heading on for 2pm, so we thought lunch was on the agenda. We found a great lunch place. We then went for a wander and found the supermarket, where we stocked up on supplies, dad was cooking dinner, it would be the first time he had ever cooked dinner for me, and he was nervous. Getting back to the RV we were surrounded by all the bikers from the toy run. Dad went for a wander to the train station to take photos, whilst i checked the map and state park book to find a campsite.
We headed East on Highway 1, about 60km’s on we turned off nr Sorrento, onto the North Shore of Shuswap Lake, which we discovered was a place people came for their holidays. The Provincial Park was right on the Lake, so having chose our site, in the trees; we went for a paddle at the lake or a swim in dad’s case. Dad cooked dinner and it was good, thanks dad.
· Ferries
· Lots of driving
· Mountains and waterways
· Whistler – one site for the Winter Olympics 2010
· Vancouver and farewell mum
· Kamloops – no railway museum open – and desert lands
Handy hints –
§ Good maps and information about campsites
§ Good camera for the views
§ Take time to stop and enjoy the places where you are
§ Make sure you check dates of visitors’ places open, as may close at end of summer season.
It was not a really early start to the day but not slow, we were at Comox well in time to buy our ticket and catch the ferry at 10am. We had to make sure that the gas was all turned off, so we made our coffee, and then turned everything off.
The journey was fairly uneventful, mum and i got on with our knitting and quilting, whilst dad had a fry up. The sun was out, the views were great, and the water was smooth (well relatively).
Arriving in Powell River on mainland British Columbia, dad trusted me to get the RV off the boat, and took over navigating, but wasn’t hundred percent sure on which way we were going, and took us down the main drag of shops, instead of going right immediately after we had turned left. We followed the signs for tourist information, and found a supermarket which happened to be on the road we wanted!!!
We picked a few things up for lunch at the supermarket and then headed south on the 101 to catch the next ferry from to Egmont.
The road was following the coast (almost) so it was up and down, and lots of turns. At the top of one point, there was a view point which gave us a great view, so we pulled up, put the RV at just the right point and had our lunch. We had about 45mins, but headed off to catch the 2.30pm ferry.
Arriving at the little ferry port, we learned that today they had changed to the winter ferry sailings and the next ferry wasn’t for an hour. There also may be a delay in sailing as they an annual drill to do, but as the current sailing was late, this might not happen.
We were not the only ones who hadn’t realised about the change in times, but by the time we came to sail there was definitely a lot more vehicles. The sun was shining so we got the chairs out and caught a few rays, went for a short walk to the little marina. The ferry arrived on time, so having loaded the replacement crew went aboard, and they ran their drill, and the previous crew left before we could board.
We had another safe journey, it was almost like driving through the fjord’s with the mountains reaching right down to the water, a couple of the mountains you could even see snow at the cap.
We weren’t going to be able to make it all the way down to Gibson that day, if we wanted to appreciate any of the sunshine at the campsite, so we continued on 101 to Sechelt. From the Provincial Parks book, we had details of a park campsite nr Sechelt, but the directions were not easy to follow, especially with road works in the Town, and some of the signs not there for the park. We actually drove passed the turning, but found a place to turn around (another vehicle also turned at the same time as us – having missed the same turning – we saw them at the campsite later). Heading back into town we saw the signpost telling us where to, but the road we wanted said it was closed due to roadworks. Speaking with other drivers, we found that as it was after 5pm the road was actually open, and someone took us to the park.
We got settled in; mum and dad went for a walk to the lake, whilst i got dinner ready. The lake was actually the inlet that went to Egmont, and we had been on earlier in the day. I went for a walk to see the sun set, as dinner was not quite ready. The campsites are emptier now as the schools are back, and meant you could choose your spot.
The next morning was an early start, as dad wanted us on an early-ish ferry. The plan was to drive up to Whistler, for a brief visit, before going to Vancouver (back along the same road – about 1 ½ hr each way). We had lunch on the ferry, enjoying the sun on the sundeck, and the same landscape as yesterday of mountains.
There were a few more mountains with snow at the top, and some ridges were pronounced and pointed.
Arriving at Horseshoe Bay we headed north on Highway 99 to Whistler. It was impressive driving through the mountains.
2010 sees the Winter Olympics held at Vancouver, but the long distance skiing will all be held in Whistler, and preparations are well under way....not long left as it is in January. Dad went for a wander in one direction, whilst mum and i headed off to the village, it was certainly an impressive place, with a lot of higher end shops, and outdoor activity shops. We had an hour in Whistler, a whistle stop visit, but at least i can say i’ve been there. In the summer time, there are actually much hill walking can be done, but not on this visit...maybe another time.
It was then back to Vancouver, as we passed Horseshoe Bay we got onto Highway 1 which starts here after it left Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. There was a choice of 2 sites, one in North Vancouver, just across the Lions Gate Bridge, or to the west at Burnaby. We visited the first site, but decided that it wasn’t for us, so drove the extra 30km’s to the other site.
Saturday was mum’s last full day with us, as she was catching a flight home on Sunday morning. Mum and Dad went off into Vancouver for the day, catching the Sky Train not far from the site, doing a bit of a pre-run for mum who would use it to get to the airport the next morning. When mum and dad arrived the sky train from the airport into downtown had only just opened a couple of days earlier.
I stayed back at the site, partly to give mum and dad some space together, but also so i could catch up on my blog emails etc.
Although it seemed strange saying goodbye to mum and knowing that it would be more than 8 months till i saw her again, it was upsetting as dad was still there, but i did get a bit emotional when dad was due to leave....it was the last time i would see any member of the family till nearly the middle of 2010 (well apart from Skype if i the video link works).
It was an early start to the day, as the plan was to get mum to the sky train station by 9am, we actually were around 15mins ahead of schedule, and a train arrived just as mum got to the platform – perfect timing.
We had a long drive ahead of us...the plan was to get to Kamloops for about lunchtime, and it was about 320km’s away. We headed out onto Highway 1 (the TransCanada Highway), which took us quite close to the American border, and we could see Mt Baker in Washington state, before it turned NE along the Valley Fall.
At Hope we turned off Highway 1 and followed Highway 5, which was the wider of the two roads as well as being the more direct route. It also meant the we were going up and over the mountains, our first major climb meant that we crossed the Coquihalla Pass at an elevation of 1,244 m, not far beyond it we reached a rest area, where we stopped for a coffee break. Dad also thought i ought to have a break from driving. It had been quite a dramatic drive, the mountains, the rock formations, although the various road works were a bit of a hassle. Using the facilities it was strange to see a sign at the tap’s saying “CAUTION: WATER WILL BE COLD”. It was freezing, there was no hot water. It was a beautifully clear day, and the sun was shining.
We continued on, with dad driving and i was navigating & taking photos, passing the town of Merritt, which was in a desert environment, it seemed strange being high up in the mountains and the terrain was desert like. We climbed again and passed Clapperton Creek Summit at an Elevation of 1,445m before heading down into Kamloops, where we joined back onto Highway 1.
Kamloops had a historic railway museum which dad wanted to visit, so we stopped at the Visitor Information place to get details of where it was, and find a place for lunch. It was here that we found out that the place had shut for the season! We were given directions to a place to park in downtown, the road where we would find somewhere to eat, and also where the museum was so we could see the station etc.
Heading down into town, we were stopped as there was a bikers “Toy Run” through the town but soon got parked up. It was heading on for 2pm, so we thought lunch was on the agenda. We found a great lunch place. We then went for a wander and found the supermarket, where we stocked up on supplies, dad was cooking dinner, it would be the first time he had ever cooked dinner for me, and he was nervous. Getting back to the RV we were surrounded by all the bikers from the toy run. Dad went for a wander to the train station to take photos, whilst i checked the map and state park book to find a campsite.
We headed East on Highway 1, about 60km’s on we turned off nr Sorrento, onto the North Shore of Shuswap Lake, which we discovered was a place people came for their holidays. The Provincial Park was right on the Lake, so having chose our site, in the trees; we went for a paddle at the lake or a swim in dad’s case. Dad cooked dinner and it was good, thanks dad.
No comments:
Post a Comment