August 12-20

August 12 - Today we left Hyder and drove to Smithers. 

 

A glacier along the way





Smithers was a really neat town and we stayed there 3 nights.  Along the way to Smithers on Friday we pulled off to an Indian village, Gitwangak.  The 20 or more totem poles here were classic examples, still in their original location.  




August 13-14-15 -  We stayed at the Par 3 Campground which was right in the middle of a very nice 18 hole par 3 golf course. When we woke up Saturday it was raining pretty good but by afternoon it turned into a great day and the four of us played a round of golf. I found out it isn't a good idea to go all summer without playing. My game (if you could call it that) stunk.


In Smithers people told us we should go back about 20 miles to Moricetown to see the Indians netting fish. It looked like a very dangerous situation.  They sold some along the road and then we discovered a smokehouse nearby.  I'm mad at myself for not taking a picture of it.

This netter had a very long pole on the net. The netters were tied to the rock by a rope.  Since there were a couple of crosses with flowers there we determined that the ropes always didn't do the job.


After this excursion we drove around the town and did a little grocery shopping.

Par 3 golf course with one of our campers in the background.

August 16 - Back on the road.

925 lb Grizzley - Houston, B.C.





World's largest fly fishing rod - Houston, B.C.

That night we stayed at the Sintich RV in Prince George. We stopped in Vanderhoof (the geographic center of B..C.) to see a wooden mural in one of the government buildings.  It consisted of 6 panels and took the artist 6 years to complete.




The detail was unbelievable.

Jane and Roger decided they wanted to go toward home faster than we did so off they went. They went on down the road quite a ways to a Provincial Park. We stayed at the Sintich RV in Prince George.  There was a casino there and so I tried my luck.  It was bad as usual.

August 16 - Tonight we stayed in Clinton.  We met two nice Canadian couples there.  One invited us over for cocktails.  Then the owner of the campground served all you can eat barbeque for $9.99.  We sat with another Canadian couple and had a great visit.  They had two beautiful red and white setters and were off to show them at a dog show. 

The owner of the campground was a real hoot.  His sense of humor was really off the wall and we loved it.  If you were thin skinned you probably wouldn't have enjoyed it but we had lots of laughs.  He sounded kind of gruff but wasn't if you took him right.  When we walked in he said, "If you want a beer go get it and bring your own glass." It was the way he said it.  Told a few off color jokes but not too bad.  What a great evening.

August 17 - Stayed at the Glen Echo RV outside Salmon Arm.  It was right on the TransCanada rail line and there must have been two dozen big trains went by.  When we pulled into the drive there was a locked gate in front of the railroad tracks. A lady let us in and we learned that the gate was there because the campground had made a deal with the railroad that they'd have a gate if the trains wouldn't blow a whistle there.  It wasn't the greatest place but you can't always guess right.

August 18 -  We left Salmon Arm. Later in the day we had to take a ferry across the Arrow Lake from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay - about a 20 minute ride.   The logging truck ahead of  us had a tree on it that Gary said was at least 5 foot across.

This night we stayed at the Three Islands Resort at Nakusp. It made up for the previous night. It was on a lake with a beautiful setting. $24 a night. They had every kind of kid's playground equipment you could imagine. A gentleman came over and visited with us. He said over the weekend a lot of vintage car owners were coming in.  Too bad we couldn't stay.

From our camper

Canola field

August 19 - We stopped in New Denver for gas and I called ahead to make a reservation for a campground.  The owner told us to be sure to go to the Nikkei Internment Memorial Center there. In 1942 more than 22,000 Japanese-Canadian were moved to internment camps.  4000 were moved to New Denver.  The Canadian govenment took all their possessions and families were separated. Adults were permitted 150 lbs of possessions and children 75 lbs. Three of the buildings at the center are originals. In 1946, families were given the opportunity to purchase their huts.  One woman lived there until 1986. There was no indoor plumbing or water and only a stove for heat. 

 

Today we had to take another ferry.  This time from Balfour to Kootenay Bay- about a 40 minute ride.  We were on a really big ferry but here is a picture of the smaller one crossing the other way.

Tonight we stayed at the Cedar Grove campground in Gray Creek .  The owner came up and visited with us and then invited us to cocktails with he and his wife.  It's a very nice place just across the road from Kootenay Lake and there is a nice stream 25 yards or so from our camper.

August 20 - We decided to stay another night at the Cedar Grove campground.  This morning we went to a very nice restaurant at a luxury golf course for breakfast. Great food and good surroundings.  There are several artisan shops in the vacinity:  blacksmith, potters, broom maker, gallery, etc.  We decided we needed to do laundry since we hadn't done it for quite awhile. In fact we had 5 washers full.  There is a lovely grassy area just behind the laundry so we just laid back and relaxed.  We're only about 50 miles from the U.S. border so tomorrow night we'll probably be in Kalispell, Montana.

We're thinking about our great-niece Jessie and her fiance Jeff because they are getting married today.  Can't wait to see their pictures.



Karen working on the Blog