Day 22 Okanagan

Once again, rain this morning, so it’s time to move on. Not really kidding, the only time we’ve had rain on this holiday is while we sleep or as we leave. All our adventures have been bathed in sunshine.

I start today’s blog with a campfire picture. A little odd to be sure but Jeffrey was so proud of his campfire that he wanted a picture included. By the time he told me, I had already posted … to be honest, I think the only reason was, he knew his brothers are following the blog and, who can build the best campfire has always been a standing competition with my boys! So here it is fellas …

Our early day travels through BC were a bit of a surprise – once again not what I expected. The scenery was indeed spectacular. But the towns through most of our day were very rundown looking. Our trailer park for example had signs, homemade with magic marker! We arrive at our RV Park and discovered another “trailer park” but as it turns out that was the least of our problems! This place accepted our reservation three months ago and knew we were 55 feet long. This trailer park was built on the side of a hill, with a 90° turn at the top … oh and the road was loose gravel and we had a site with high fences on both sides that wasn’t really big enough to accommodate our slide! The guy at the front said, “It should almost fit.”!!!!! After a harrowing time of David, God bless him, backing/sliding backwards down a hill with a very busy highway at the bottom, we decided to cancel that reservation and move on! By this time we were heading into the Okanagan Valley where we hadn’t been able to find available RV reservations but the scenery was unbelievably beautiful and BC began to unfold as the British Columbia of my imagination!

Snow surprisingly close to the road as we drive along. Of course the temperature only reads 8!

The mountains in Alberta are quite far apart so while there is no trouble seeing them, driving between them is viewing them at a distance. In BC they are very close together so the valley between them quite narrow. You feel very much like you are driving between two mountains! The Rocky Mountains are very … well, rocky. The mountains in British Columbia are forested. The trees are very much taller and the cedar forest begins to show itself now. Although the towns to the east do not appear well-to-do, by the time we reached the semi-desert Okanagan Valley, the forested mountains gave way to rolling hills and the narrow valleys were replaced with wide, open valleys that harbor orchards and vineyards. The area appears more prosperous and the views, spectacular!

As beautiful as it is though, we still need a place to park a 33 foot trailer! A little research and a rather pitiful phone call finds us a campground, unbelievably minutes from Nancy’s Aunt Chris (our destination), where the owners don’t have space but feel sorry for us and promise to find some place to put us! Todd’s RV Park is “cozy” to put it nicely but true to their word they found us a place and didn’t leave us until we were all set and comfortable. While the site is not ideal and the park is a little crowded for my taste, Lake Okanagan is across the street. I plan to be there tomorrow morning as the sun comes up … my suspicions is, when I post the pictures on tomorrows blog you’ll wonder what I was complaining about!

After a very quick set up we were off as we were expected at Auntie Chris’s for dinner. OH MY HEAVEN ABOVE!! We arrived to, what I now suspect is not western but Lafaive (Nancy’s maternal relatives) hospitality. An overwhelming welcome complete with gift that included – information on the area, and all of the fix’ns, from smoked salmon to napkins, homemade preserves to a pate knife – everything you could want for a BC trailer party. And that was just the takeaway gift!

We had a wonderful evening enjoying local wines, a delicious meal, homemade, local-fruit pies and spectacular company, and views that exceeded our expectations of BC. Proving once again that places may be glorious but its people – family and friends that transform a location to something memorable.

From the deck ... look to the right!

From the deck ... look to the left!

... or just look at the deck, complete with hot tub!

Chris's backyard - her oasis in the desert!

House from the backyard ... incredible views from every floor.

David grazing.

Sitting down to dinner. Look at that view!

We enjoyed local tales of life in the Okanagan. We learned (and saw the evidence) of the terrifying forest fires that forced an evacuation of the area. I remember learning of this on the news, but much like the flooding on the prairie, it brings focus to the story when you see it yourself. Some of the tales were rather “tall”. It seems Lake Okanagan has its own version of the famed Loch Ness Monster … Ogopogo lives just at the base of the hill apparently and has appeared often enough over the last 300 years to develop quite a legend for himself! When the sun set and we could no longer appreciate the stunning view, the party moved inside to the Karaoke machine. Just be thankful I haven’t figured out how to post video to this blog!

Karaoke

And once again I realize I have arrived at a place I’m not going to want to leave. Can you blame me?