The End of the Road…for now!
I'm sitting in our condo that we have rented until December 25, 2020. Yesterday was the American Election which provided good entertainment for me. That, coupled with some good Netflix and Crave programming should keep me occupied for the next month. Even though I miss the trailer and the life it offers, I'm thankful for drywall and a little reprieve.
After leaving the Kootenays, we drove to Kelowna to find a storage facility for the trailer and a campground for a base until we got the condo. We found a reasonably priced, secure storage site for our home where it will stay parked until further notice, and a camping spot located in an apple orchard. It was a pretty cool spot to rest our heads and do some deep cleaning.
We actually drove into Vancouver to see some friends and then took the ferry to Victoria to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday so even though I wasn't able to celebrate with our families in Ontario, it was nice to be around my sister-in-law's family. That was the first time we've been able to celebrate with her since she moved out west years ago.
Right before Thanksgiving, we drove Highway 5, North of Kamloops, to the small town of Blue River. We wanted to go there to take pictures for my neighbour in Toronto as she lived there when she was younger. She told me that her father was in a Japanese Internment Camp in the area and worked in the orchards. After being freed, they settled in Blue River where she went to school in a one room schoolhouse and swam in Eleanor Lake. Although the schoolhouse has been replaced by a newer facility, the Lake is as beautiful and tranquil as ever. I read that many travellers from Alberta will make an overnight stop in Blue River on their way back home from their BC vacations.
In addition, Blue River is the home of Mike Wiegele's Hilicopter Skiing. We stopped and talked to a local about the area. As he talked about the sledding and heli-skiing, I could see Brent salivating, so I'm sure we will eventually be back to do both. Heli-Skiing has been a dream of his since his 20s. The local bus driver told us that the winter before saw 17' of snow making the area a winter wonderland.
During our one night visit, we stayed in the one campground in town, which was conveniently located right next to the Tiny House Warriors. These are anti-pipeline protestors who have established a camp for a few years now in protest of the Trans Mountain project. I was able to talk to a couple of protestors and local residents to get some perspective of the situation. I remember reading about it years back when I started to become interested in the pipeline project, so it was really interesting to see the camp in person and actually talk to people who are living it. It's one thing to read about it from the safety of my home kilometres away from the situation; it's another to be 5 feet from the entry of the camp. That's why we travel! It's through travelling that we learn about local issues and the challenges that people face.
After we left Blue River, we made our way south to the Clearwater area. What a beautiful area of the province it turned out to be. We spent a couple of nights at the Wells Gray Golf Resort and RV Park while we explored the Wells Gray Provincial Park. I have to say that the surrounding area and Park are the most beautiful areas of B.C with its gorgeous mountains, wide valleys and spectacular waterfalls and lakes. We were so fortunate to have driven it mid-October and see the Fall colours at their optimum.
That was our last little venture before landing back in Kelowna where we are right now. So what's next? Everything depends on Covid, the US Elections, the travel restrictions, the airlines, and insurance. If the borders open up, we will drive through the States to Mexico. That was our original plan and we'd like to stick to it. If that can't happen, we may fly somewhere - Costa Rica, Mexico and Hawaii - are in the mix right now. We are doing a little exploring and research, but quite honestly, we will make final decision late December as the world unfolds. All I know, is that on December 25th, we will be leaving for somewhere to start the next chapter.
