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Pictures!!!!
Greetings from a crowded coffee shop in Uclulet, B.C! We are killing time before our whale watching tour. We already checked out some super cool tide pools at low tide (7 AM- very proud of the ladies for getting out of the tent that early). Anyways, I have located a cord and have some photos to share. Enjoy!
In Memory of Lou
Yesterday we were saddened to hear that Lucretia Jones (or Lou) passed away. Corey and I were lucky enough to spend time with her on three different occasions, both at her home in Lady Smith, B.C. as well as in Chicago when she came out for our wedding. The last time we saw her was two summers ago when we spent several nights at her place. She was an incredibly gracious host, a sharp wit, and a strong but gentle personality. Besides hanging out with Lou, we also got to know her children, sons and daughter in-laws, her friend Roy, and granddaughter Mariah (who is almost exactly Henna’s age). David (Mariah’s father) and Mariah were especially nice to us and showed us some great local sights and some killer hiking trails. One morning while Lou was making eggs for us, I wrote the following passage. I showed what I wrote to David, saved the draft, and then did not look at it again until yesterday. I hope you enjoy this brief description of a special person. It was a real shock to hear of her passing and we will miss her greatly.
Everything in this apartment/ island has a story. That is what I was thinking this morning as our host, Cousin Lou, described a pretty harbor picture hanging over her fireplace. Lou talked not of the picture itself, but the artist who had first come to the island fifty years ago. He had eventually become a highly regarded architect as well as a friend to Lou and her husband and they had tried to purchase other paintings but he would not sell them.
Yesterday we were lucky enough to be given an impromptu tour of Ladysmith by David (Lou’s son and Corey’s second cousin) with him pointing out landmarks every few blocks or feet, depending on where one was. There was the Chinese restaurant that used to be a candy store owned by David’s grandfather. A park that Lou knew as an unkempt play area now has kayak rentals and a nice stage with stadium seating built into the hillside. David used to party there as a teen and Lou told of days in her youth when her and her husband would picnic there. Lou takes her dog there daily via the tunnel that brings one safely under HWY 1.
I am jealous of it all. Not the lovely Pacific Northwest details but the familiarity of it all. I grew up in a Chicago suburb and live but a few miles away in Edison Park. Nothing though is as familiar to me as that park (or the town square in Lady Smith or the whole wonderful island that sits across from mainland B.C.) is to Lou. Lou, David, and Mariah cannot walk a few steps without tripping over their memories. I cannot think of a better way to live.
Lou you will be missed. Rest in peace.
Quick Update
Thanks to David and Mariah we had a wonderful hike yesterday. We did not see any whales or sea lions. But we did see several snails, a few crabs, and some gooey slugs. More importantly, we had a mightly good time hiking with our cousins and new friends. Today we head to the west coast or the Pacific Rim as it is more commonly called here. Everyone will be happy to know that we located a new cord and pictures will be coming soon.
From Surrey, B.C. to Ladysmith, B.C.
The distance between Surrey and Ladysmith is 100 miles give or take. To travel that distance one needs not to get sea sick, patience to wait for a ferry, and enough money to pay for the one way fare (about $80 for two adults, a child, and a loaded down Subaru). The passage lasts about an hour and a half and offers amazing scenery. We were told we might see whales but were not that lucky. I scanned the seas with my binoculars and got very excited the first time I spied a dark mass only to discover it was some driftwood. I have no pictures of the passage because I wisely (sarcasm) left the camera in the car. I also should let everyone know that even if I had taken pictures, I currently have no way of uploading them to my computer (I lost the miniscule cord needed to perform that task). I am hoping to replace the cord and when I do I will upload many, many photos. I promise. We got off the ferry and stumbled through Nanaimo. I was surprised to be back on HWY 1- island version. Four lanes here but moving at at Jamaican, laid back rate. Speed limit 80 KPH (about 50 MPH). We got lost headed to our cousin Lucretia’s house and had to call her from Ladysmith. Once there we had a lovely evening with Lou’s friend Roy, David and daughter Mariah (whom is my daughter’s age and has been a sporadic pen pal to her and is now a bff), Pam and Dan. Lou made a wonderful dinner and an amazing pie for dessert and conversation touched on the Canadian education system, fishing, and travel. After being on the road for over two weeks we felt at home.
Prior to the ferry trip we spent the day at Stanley Park in Vancouver. Vancouver is a hard city to label. We entered via W. Hastings street and were amazed at the grittiness of it. Shirtless young man in handcuffs, questionable woman on the telephone, open drug sales, and a true sense of chaos just around the perimenter of the downtown. Downtown looked like any downtown and then the park which is a jewell- a forest in the middle of a city with beaches, totem poles, bike trails, and plenty of child friendly parks. And busloads of tourists, many of whom were on some sort of cross Canadian tour. It cost us $3 an hour to park. If I drove a tour bus it would have been $40 an hour. Our first stop was an Aborigional (Native American) “village” complete with traditional dancing and a miniature train ride accompanied by a story that I had trouble following. We then drove around the park and did some light hiking in the “cathedral” forest. Leaving the park we saw a glimpse of the city that people fall in love with- interesting little shops and resteraunts, plenty of coffee shops, and people of every nationality walking about. I would love to see Vancouver again. Today we are off with David and Mariah hiking to the water to maybe see whales.
Getting lucky
Today, July 10th, we headed out with a plan. It wasn’t a set in stone kind of plan, but it was a sketch. Before we left Hope, B.C. we stopped for Noel to take a few pictures of the Rambo Bridge. For those of you who are Rambo fans, this is the bridge that was in True Blood. This bridge is being taken down soon, and this was a festival to celebrate the movie and the bridge. Several minor actors from that movie where in town and there were several origional movie props. Revelers were also encouraged to dress up as Rambo. This town is surrounded by natural wonders and has a fascinating history entertwined with the railroads and the Hudson Bay Company, but Rambo is what they hang their hat on.
We headed out on Trans Canada 1 going west, when Noel spotted the sign for a town called Harrison Hot Springs. Noel remembered the name of the town from a travel book he’s read a billion times in the bathroom at home. He asked, “Do you want to get off and see it, the picture of it is beautful”. I had maybe a second to say yes or no so he could make the exit. We rarely go back once we’ve passed something so I had to decide. I shouted yes, not really knowing how far off the highway we were going to have to venture. The mountain range to the north seemed to put a limit on how far we could venture off our path and I said yes. We found oursleves in farm land of the Fraiser Valley. This was a valley nestled between mountains flanked on both it’s sides and seemed instantly different from anywhere we’ve been on this trip. That diversity always amazes me- Waterton is different from Banff and Lake Superior is different than Lake Huron. We noticed a sign in front of a house that read Canadian Hazel Nut Farm and decided to pull in for a look see. Inside was a little nondescript store selling, of course, hazel nut products made on this farm. The very nice woman behind the counter gave us many samples and descriptions of the surrounding area. Our favorite was their version of Nuttella, which was a million times tastier than the over processed version. My problem will be how will I ever go back to that without living near this farm? We then explored the farm. They have 8,000 hazell nut trees which drop their nuts in the fall. They were like soliders standing at attention, so straight and uniform. Henna stopped to play with their three black labs while we talked with a nice woman sweeping out back. When told we were headed toward Vancouver, she replied we couldn’t pay her to go there. Country people living outside a big city always seem to have disdain for their big city neighbors. We headed off with some new ideas of places to explore nearby. We also found out that Harrison Lake, our origional side trip, was having an art fair. The city was crowded, but we foud a parking spot and then found the beach. Henna caught three little fish in her hands while we watched her from the beach. We just sat their watching Henna lost in her own game, looking at the beautiful mountain views and aqua colored lake. We thought how nice it would be to drop some kayaks in the lake like our Waterton friends could do, and dreamed of future days when we can do that. Our next rendevous was with a neighboring cheese farm. The gouda was gooda enough (Noel’s joke). An added bonus was our free access to the farm which allowed us to approach sheep (who cowered in terror) and pet the goats and dairy cows. All the extras (gelato too) helped to pad our picnic taken out of Subie’s fridge (the cooler). Freedom at it’s best. We then headed toward Vancouver on route 7, which paralled the bigger highway 1. We didn’t make it into Vancouver as planned, but stopped about twenty miles east in Surrey. We enjoyed the pool at the Holiday Inn Express, played a new water game of “treasure hunt” and enjoyed a delicious greek meal from a local restaurant. The decision to exit when we did was a good lucky choice.
Banff, Lake Louise, and The Frasier Valley in a Day
As Corey wrote a couple of days ago, we left Canmore and drove Highway 1 through Banff. Highway 1 had changed a lot since the last time we rode that trail. Last I saw 1, she was an understated two lane road winding through the prairie. When I left the road to go south of Medicine Hat, there were just hints of the coming mountains. Now, meeting 1 after K County, I found a force of a road speeding through the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Still, I sensed the country boy in the beast and it was not long before there were checkpoints (one needs a pass to enter into Banff NP) and, a little bit down the road, it was a two lane route again with stoplights, intersections, etc. Corey talked a little yesterday about Henna’s eye and it really put a damper on our mood. Rain came too and we did not get to play much in the great Canadian wilderness. We did see Lake Louise and it was a shock to our system. Waterton and Cameron Lake are by no means untouched, but Lake Louise was an amusement park in comparison. Four mega parking lots were needed to accommodate the daily tourists. A massive hotel was at the lake shore and people by the hundreds lined the shore to snap a picture, eat some ice cream, and buy a t-shirt or a postcard. What made us really laugh was the sign directly in front of the lake stating how delicate an ecosystem the surrounding lake was, and how people should tread lightly here. Hmm.
After leaving Lake Louise we drove some more and for the first time this trip, road construction seriously impeded our progress. The scenery was beautiful and as Corey mentioned we found a great boardwalk trail and picnic area were we cooked up some fish. The fish was good, but there was no way to do dishes afterwards and our car reeked (still reeks) of fish. Shortly after lunch we pulled into Revelstoke and I was immediately won over. Although obviously influenced by tourists, it had a very genuineness that we found refreshing. We had some dessert (I had a tasty Nanaimo bar) and coffee and our mood lifted. Shortly afterwards the clouds began to lift and we camped at a KOA in Sicamus. If it was not for the loud highway noise and mosquitoes it would have been heaven. Henna and I swam in the outside pool (60 degrees outside but the pool was heated). This morning I woke up and the trip continued. Drove to Kamloops where I had an oil change and then took 5 (a true interstate where one can drive 110 KPH or about 70) and the scenery again amazed me. This time the view was of deep valleys that we seemed to both be in and above at the same time. At Hope I talked Rambo with the kids at the visitor center (First Blood was filmed here) and then hiked the Othello Tunnels which consist of former railroad tunnels and bridges overlooking white water and a valley. I write these words now at a semi-private campground with too much loud music coming from my neighbors. Tomorrow we hope to see Vancouver and then Monday we will take a ferry to the island.
Enjoy the ride……..
While on a trip, there are the natural ebbs and flows of normal life, the ups and downs, the highs and low. But when miles from home, encased within a mountain range, the lows tend to feel ” Low low low low…”. Yesterday Henna awoke with a small bite mark below her eye, a little red and slightly pufffy. No big deal right? Well, throughout the day this area of her eye continued to grow in it’s dough boy puffiness. I watched her begin to look like a child who should flich when we raised our hands near her. I, of course began to worry. That unsettling feeling began, the electricity of some gloom in the forseeable future. So this morning when she woke up, with an even bigger shiner, I began to feel a bit more anxious and so I wanted to talk to my mommy. Very badly. Mommies have that almost instant soothe..kind of like whiskey. But with calls to the states so costly I did the next best wonderful thing., I texted my sister Audra a picture and description of Henna’s eye. Her wonderful advice, as it was sent through space, made me feel sooo much better. That feeling ebbed a bit and the nice pharmacist at Safeway also maylayed my fears. We were feeling better.
As we left Canmore, the weather was dreadful! It was about 50 degrees outside and rainy. Yikes! Our drive west (Ouest in french..which I love better cause it looks like quest) on highway 1 through Banf, Glacier National Park, and Revelstoke was doomed to be wet, windy and cold. No hiking for us. sniff..sniff. A new low. Our spirits were down as we drove through construction and rain. But Harry Potter kept us up, as he battled the fight at Hogwarts ( I won’t spoil it for anyone…) and Henna’s endless love of verbal games kept us entertained. This scenary should have been breathtaking, but after yestedays drive through K country I found it to be second best. I was beginning to feel a little bit at ease, less nervous and when I looked back at Henna the swelling had gone down. That miracle of modern medacine, Benadryl had done the trick. Yea! There is nothing better than when your child gets better.
Later we stopped at a way side picnic area with a hike through old Cedar growth forest, repleat with a shelter and board walk trail. We brought out our stove and cooked up some white fish and ramen noodles for lunch. The hike was perfect and for a short while we were transported back in time when these trees were seedlings and Christopher Colubus was sailing across to the new world (the plaque at the trail head referenced him). I felt a bit small at that moment next to these trees that would out live me and my highs and lows. We had so much fun that Henna and I raced through the hike again just for the sake of it. The flying squirrels and voles that keep these trees fed must have thought we were nuts. But I was happy to be riding this high…my daughter looking good, our spirits high, the look from the top is nice. Tonight we are camping and hoping for no rain…….
Bar U Ranch and K County
Woke up today to another chapter on the road. After four days in one place it was time to shift off. We had planned on following some lower digit routes (3 and 7) west in a snake like fashion to Vancouver Island. But after listening to assorted neighbors and the RCMP we decided to head straight north to Kananaskis County (K County or K Country). We took the Cowboy Trail (Route 22) and it looked more western than west. The route traveled in a low valley with cattle ranches strung out on both sides of the car. The Canadian rockies followed along our western side. Although a valley, the ground rose and lowered in such a way that it resembled waves more than ground. Towering mountains ringed the valley. Along the way we stumbled upon the Bar U ranch which is a working ranch/ national park. Everything was restored beautifully and had enough staff present to answer any questions we had but not enough to prevent us from wandering freely. We especially enjoyed meeting sixteen year old Tate who worked as a ranch hand at the U Bar Ranch. He also helped his family manage their own ranch. At sixteen he had already worked as a hunting guide and appeared quite confident in what he wanted out of life (to manage and then own his own ranch). He was exceedingy polite and answered all our questions about his high school, ranching chores, etc.
After leaving the ranch we took a gray road into K County. The best way to describe K County is a beautiful mountain paradise that no one outside of Alberta has heard of. At least that is what it felt like. Henna was still recovering from our monster Lake Bertha hike so we did not get to venture far into the paradise. We did hike to a cool waterfall along Cat Creek (about a mile and half hike with a modest elevation gain).
After the hike we drove to the highest point along a public road in Canada and admired the scenery. Corey was driving and did a good job of not running over any big horn sheep. We gave into a hotel in Canmore and are about to plot our next drive tonight.
A few Waterton Pictures
Hennacornoeli Days 