I woke up early that morning...not sure if it was excitement or just because Rupert was squeaking to go out. Either way, I was up. When I looked outside it was a beautiful morning, the mist was laying low over the river and the sun was just starting to peek through. It was a great way to start the second leg of the trip.
7:30 am August 15th
Now being Joe Kodak's (aka: Marty's) daughter, I had to act like a total tourist and take my camera with me to the little park area when I took Rupert out. What can I say...I have no issue acting like a total rube when necessary. But hey, it's not like I lived there, so that does make me a tourist even if I have been there a few dozen times before...right?
Across the road from our hotel...this is right on the river and has an amazing view
I like the new carving (brass plate says it is only a few years old)
After a quick bite to eat at a local cafe and a letter to Taylor, we were off. Taking my mom's advice, we headed out on the good old TransCanada up through the canyon. The hills were still going to be pretty steep but unlike the Coquihalla, there were at least breaks. Not to mention better scenery and a bunch of nice towns along the way.
9:30am, when we were leaving Hope
Underneath the bridge as you are leaving Hope
Hope, Lake of the Woods
As we were motoring out, I stopped and made sure that Lorne had a camera. As I said before, I have done a lot of traveling in my life already (especially in BC), my hubby has never really traveled much at all. Our trip to Drayton Valley in September '07 was the first time he had left the province! And other than a few trips to Vancouver and the like, he had never really left the island. Hence making sure he had a camera. I really wanted to see everything through new eyes. I had one too, so that I could take the sentimental shots of all the places I had been to as a kid, but I really wanted to see it fresh again.
Misty Mountain from Hwy 1 (I took this one)
I want to note here that I made a point of NOT looking at Lorne's pictures until we had arrived at our new home. Each day he would snap away at the things that caught his eye while we made our way across. These are some of the photos he took from Albert Flat to Yale (Town 1) ...
I had forgotten how beautiful the mountains were in the canyon. Having been through there so many times as a kid, I think I was starting to take them for granted, and seeing them as just another necessary part of the trip to where ever I was heading. Lorne's pictures really opened my eyes to them again...
Sailor Bar Tunnel
Now we were heading into the booming metropolis of Spuzzum. I was a bit disappointed though, when I was a kid there was a sign on one side of the tracks that read "Welcome to Spuzzum" and on the other side of the tracks was on that said "Thank you for staying in Spuzzum". I looked for the sign on our way into town and even did a double check as we crossed over the tracks. Sad to say, it isn't there right now. Not surre when it last was either. I was never sure if it was a joke or deliberate, since of course Spuzzum was a railway town.
Heading into Spuzzum
Fraser Canyon Trail, leaving Spuzzum
So far the trip was going great! I know, we had barely started, but! as we all know, moving is one of the most stressful events in a person's life. We had a tiff or two before we even got the u-Haul. Hell at one point Lorne decided he wasn't going and was moving back to Nanaimo...he even booked a Budget truck and friends to help him! But once we got going it was all good again. Lots of phone calls between the 2 cars, lots of "I love yous", and we were still calling each other hun and love. All was good :)
Now if you have ever driven the old TransCanada you know where we were headed next...the infamous Hell's Gate! I loved this area when I was a kid. No clue why now, maybe it was just the name of it, maybe it was the gondola. Either way, it was a cool place then, and it is a cool place now.
Heading into Hell's Gate
Looking down on the gondola at Hell's Gate
Lorne took this one while driving with Wynnee
What she really thought of Hell's Gate!
I pretty much motored on through the Gate, but Lorne stopped and took a few pictures and thought about his late brother. When they were younger the 2 of them had been through there and had stopped to take pictures and have a few wobbly pops. The area brought back some good memories for him. I'm glad it was part of the trip!
We headed along the highway non-stop from here to Spences Bridge. Other than a couple of pee breaks and a photo snap or 2 we were zooming on through. Okay, zooming is a stretch...towing that u-Haul with a 4 banger on those hills meant an average speed of about 45 km/h (ugh). But at least we had awesome weather for it!
Ainslee Creek Trestle and Tunnel
Falls Creek BC
Kanaka Bar BC
We tried to see how the town of Lytton was fairing out while we were there ..at the time the latest fires were still raging and about 1/2 the town was on evacuation or at least on alert. We didn't get to see much because of the fires, but the area still looked as gorgeous as ever.
Heading into Lytton
Fraser Canyon, south of Lytton
Wynnee enjoying the drive into Lytton
Thompson River, above Lytton
I was getting pretty hungry by this time (I think it was the mountain air), so we decided to push to Spences Bridge and then have a rest and a bite to eat, not to mention let the dogs have a run. The poor things had been in the cars for about 2 1/2 hours already. We were still good dog owners at this point in the trip...we actually cared how long they had been "cooped up"...that would change to some extent :(
Our plans were kind of side lined when we arrived in Spences Bridge though..there was a rather long train coming through and you need to cross the tracks to get to the town and all it's fineries (like the greasy spoon cafe, gas station and general store). So we carried on down the road to a pull off by the water where some people were fly fishing. Quick bathroom break for the dogs and us, some water for our 4 legged friends and off down the road again. (As the trip goes on this becomes a theme...an annoying and tiring one but a theme none the less). I did manage to snap a couple of photos while we were there though.
Thompson River, near Nicomen
Train coming through the canyon
Old Church in Spences Bridge
Big horn sheep, Spences Bridge
Still being starved, we did the only thing we could do. We headed straight for Merrit! This was another disappointment. Merrit used to be this cute, quaint little town. Not anymore. Not since the Music fest has pretty much taken it over. Now don't get me wrong...nothing wrong with progress, tourism, capitalism and the like. But it should never be at the expense of every thing else.
The Kettle Valley, on our way into Merrit
Coming into the Nicola Valley
Cool old building in Coyle BC
We stopped at one of the dozens of fast food joints on Gas Station Row. Bad idea! This is pretty much when I decided that I was NOT going to fast food it across the country. Not that I would have completely anyways but now I had a made a firm choice. We had some gawd awful concoction at the local KFC that looked good on the sign board but somehow ended up tasting like crap on a bun. Never again! Hell, the dogs wouldn't even eat the left overs!! Now that is saying something.
Gas Station Row, Merrit BC
One of the many murals in Merritt
It was now about 1pm and the sun was out in full force. Like you would expect it was hotter than hades in the Okanagon, and we were heading right into the center of it. Kamloops here we come! Let me tell ya...the trip so far had been great. The truck was performing fantastic. Even on the steepest of hills it was managing just fine. Slower than all get out but fine. I was a little nervous about the hills between Merrit and Kamloops and the Rockies to come but I put my fears aside, dropped her down into 2nd gear when I had to and just kept on going. I was so busy concentrating on the road, I never really paid attention to the fact that we had been driving into the hot sun for about 4 or 5 hours. When we were coming into Kamloops, I noticed. I almost fell asleep at the wheel on that first merge into traffic. I hate that stretch of road to start with...it is such a bottle neck! But doing it tired, and towing a u-Haul that is at it's max towing capacity. Yeesh...what was I thinking! Lorne about flipped out on me until he realised how tired I was and how fast I got that way. So we stopped and grabbed gas and a coffee and then very slowly made our way through town and out towards Salmon Arm and the Shuswap.
Heading into Kamloops
Zipping through Kamloops
East of Kamloops
This part of the trip went much better than my entrance into Kamloops. The scenery is so pretty and there is alot of little towns along the way, so it's pretty hard to get sleepy or bored. Lorne was still calling me non-stop though. I think he was afraid I would zonk out again LOL He didn't take many pictures on this part of the trip. I had to snap a few...places I love and spots I visited as a kid.
Waterfall near Chase BC
I almost peed myself laughing when I saw this sign on the highway outside of Balmoral BC
Shuswap Lake
Now we were in Salmon Arm. I wished I would have had more time to visit my family that lives here but we had a goal...to get out of BC by the end of the day. So visiting just wasn't an option that day. Probably a good thing too since it was 3pm or so on a Saturday afternoon. Knowing my family, they were either out enjoying the day or getting ready to BBQ and have a few wobbly pops. If it had been the latter, there is no way we would have made it out of BC that day or the next!
Salmon Arm BC
So we carried on through Salmon Arm and out towards Sicamous and along the Shuswap. I wish we had had more time...it's been ages since I camped there, would have been great to get in 1 last tenting session. Sicamous was a blur...never even stopped. Just snapped a quick shot while driving and poof gone to the next destination.
Outside of Sicamous BC
Shuswap Lake, near Sicamous
That was pretty much how it was all the way to Revelstoke. I did get out of the truck at a few places though...the sentimental spots along the way...
The Last Spike, outside of Craigellachie BC.
My dad made a point of taking us here when we were kids. It's pretty cool actually. The last spike was driven into the railway in 1885, marking the completion of a 15 year national project.
Oh my god! I loved this place when I was a kid! Picture every fairy tale you ever read or heard come to life! You can sit at the table in the 3 bears house, go to Grandmother's like little Red Riding Hood...you name it, you can probably do it! The story behind it is pretty amazing...this place was a labour of love and creativity. It has really grown over the years, and gone through a lot of changes but it has not lost it's original charm at all. If you have never been, you should try to go one day...whether or not you have kids! (I hid a link to their website in the name under the picture.)
Near 3-Valley Gap
Coming into 3-Valley Gap
The hotel at 3-Valley Gap
I can't tell you why I love this place, but I always have. I love the building, the setting, the whole feeling I get from it. I have camped here just once, but I hope to do it again someday. And I have taken a tonne of pictures of the place; some in the day, some at night. It looks unbelievable at night when it's all lit up. Again, if you haven't been there...go!
Welcome to Revelstoke!
We wanted to stay here and eat, relax, etc but there was something going on that weekend (maybe Revelstoke Days) and every place we stopped at was packed! A little reminder here, I am driving a 20+ ft long SUV and u-Haul combination that manuvers like a tank and is almost impossible to back up with the weird ass hitch assembly they design them with...so for me parking was always an issue! No readily available parking meant we were off of the road yet again (okay after a quick gas up, snacks, pop, cigs, and a pee for the mutts that is). It was getting pretty late in the day...we were looking at arriving in Golden around 7:30 - 8:00pm. So not alot of time for much of anything but driving. Being me of course I had to snap a few shots!
Looking down onto Revelstoke BC
Coming into Mount Revelstoke National Park...
I have always found these signs a bit ominous, since I know what is ahead! Hours and hours of driving with nothing but trees!! Now I'm not saying that is a "bad" thing persay, but after the first 1/2 hour to an hour, it is pretty monotonous to say the least. Can you tell this is a part of the TransCanada I hate? At least when you are coming through the Canyon and the Okanagon there are towns to scoot through...and rivers, lakes, mountains, waterfalls etc. Not in the parks...just trees, trees and more damn trees! Sure there points of interes, but you have to get off the highway and usually head down a long twisty turny gravel road to get to them. And they are never near the road...oh no...they are typically about a 15 minute jaunt into the bush or up a hill. As for towns...if there is one, you again, have to leave the highway to get to it. Welcome to the land of "exits"!
After Revelstoke National Park is of course...wait for it...another national park!
Glacier National Park
Heading east towards Rogers Pass
Shaunessy Tunnel in Glacier NP
I missed getting a shot at the only part of this leg that I truly love...the bridge at Roger's Pass. I love how it turns half way along it and how it is built. This is a link to the wikipedia page on it...it's pretty cool really. Wiki: Rogers Pass
Although I missed the photo shot here, I did get a few a little further along.
The Rockies, between Roger's Pass and Golden
The Rockies, outside of Golden
At last we had arrived in Golden, BC! We tried to get a spot at the Husky Truck Stop Cafe but it was jammed full of truckers. So we took a short drive and bsically followed our noses to the absolute best BBQ place we have come across to date! The Fire Pit BBQ and Smokehouse...I'm practically drooling just thinking about it! It felt great to finally sit down and rest. We spent about an hour and half just eating, talking and enjoying recounting the day. we both managed to get a phone call in to our parents and let them know that all was well. Afterwards we spoiled the pooches, went for a nice but short walk with them and then tried to decide what to do...carry on or bunk in for the night. We were feeling pretty good right about then and a bit cocky, so we decided to carry on with our plan and head east to the Alberta border. Now I should have known better, but I let Lorne's enthusiasm sway me and off we went.. For those who don't know the road, there is pretty much squat between Golden and Lake Louise. We could have camped, but Murphy's Law being what it is, our sweet little god Wynnee went into heat a day or so before we left. So now camping was a no go unless we wanted wolves, bears and whatever else lived in those lovely nationals parks to come a visiting while we snoozed. In other words...Lake Louise here we come!
Heading east of Golden, BC
Kicking Horse Canyon...I love this place :)
The sun was setting when we left Kicking Horse and with it my nerves! This whole stretch of road was one giant ass construction site!! I was lucky to get out of 1st gear a lot of the time and poor Lorne was constantly waiting o the side of the road anxiously looking for his wife. The sun had long since set by the time we finally crossed the time line, let alone entered Alberta.
This is actually from our trip in September 2008...since it was pitch blak out when we crossed, I actually missed the sign!
We finally rolled into Lake Louise at around 10 / 10:30 at night...it was blacker than black out and I swear they had turned off all the lights and rolled up the steets hours before. We called around for a room and finally found 1 available that would take dogs. So we drove up the narrowest of roads (with about a 9% grade to boot) to this mountain lodge just in time to be told "sorry we are closed for the night". No matter that they had the only available room in the whole damn town...they were closed! I was getting pretty stressed out now. Bringing that load up that hill in the pitch black of night was nerve wracking to say the least. We stayed in the parking lot for a bit and called around but nothing. Either they were closed or they were full. So we did the only thing we could do...headed down the hill, back out onto the highway and east to Banff.
Again, no room at the inn! Banff was alive and bustling at least but packed to the rafters with tourists too. We found one room available...it didn't allow dogs, it had a 9:30 am check out, and it had a SINGLE bed...all this for the stellar price of $280!! NOT! Let me note here that it was now nearing midnight, and I was nearing tears from exhaustion. So back out of Banff we went, with the intention of "pulling into a turn out and napping". I didn't have the heart to tell my dear sweet husband that there are no turn outs in the National Parks...just designated rest spots, camp grounds and points of interest. All of which are closed at that hour of the night.
Lorne took the lead, and we kept driving while he looked for the elusive turn out. It was when we left the park and saw the signs for Canmore that I think the sense of relief hit us both. We lucked out and found a room in Canmore with no effort what so ever. They didn't take dogs but by this point...we didn't give a crap either. We bundled them up (it's cold in the Rockies after all), and grabbed our over night bags and headed for our room. Which by the way, was one of the cheapest we foumd the whole trip ($82.50). After a nice hot bath and a quick laugh while watching Two and a Half Men, we were off to bed. It was now almost 2am...
Canmore at night..this was taken across the road from our hotel.
Our journey for day 2: 816 kms and about 16 1/2 hours...
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