Thursday, June 7, 2012

Part 6 - Driving through British Columbia


After flying from Fairbanks, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia, we picked up our Hertz rental car (Nissan Sentra) and headed east towards the Canadian Rockies.

After an overnight stop in Chilliwack (you all know where that is, don't you?), we visited the Othello Tunnels. They were created in the early 1900s as part of the route of the Kettle Valley Railway. These were a major engineering achievement of the era, as the tunnels had to be drilled though sheer rocky cliffs above a deep gorge. This part of the railway was abandoned in 1961, due to problems with snow and rock slides. See pics below of Gail at the tunnels and a view of the gorge below.




We spent two days in the Okanagan Valley, a beautiful area of orchards and vineyards surrounding the huge Lake Okanagan. See two pics below of the Mission Hill winery, which is known for its magnificent architecture and hilltop views. We did a wine tasting there. See also below a pic of Don at the Quail's Gate winery.






We shared an apartment at the Casa Loma Resort in Kelowna on the lake shore with our friends. See pics below of the resort and Chris on the balcony of our apartment.



In Kelowna we had an interesting dinner at the Memphis Blues BBQ. Five of us shared a "Memphis Platter", a heavy mixture of meats, corn bread, salad and French fries - see pics below.




We spent a day driving through the southern Okanagan Valley. At Summerland we visited the historic Kettle Valley Railway - see pic below.



We also visited the Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery and tasted some of their fruit wines - see pic below of some of the wine bottles.



We drove up a narrow winding road to the top of Giant's Head Mountain, where we had excellent views of Summerland - see pic below.



Penticton is a picturesque town at the southern end of Lake Okanagan. On the lake shore is the sternwheeler SS Sicamous. It was once part of the railroad system, but is now beached on the shore and is a historical museum. See pics below.




South of Penticton we visited a famous ice cream shop Tickleberry's - see pic of Gail and the Simpsons enjoying the local products.



Leaving Kelowna, we drove through the northern Okanagan Valley, where the road winds along lakes and past small farms. See pic below of Wood Lake.



We were delayed on our drive because the road was blocked by a local community parade. See pic of a parade float below.



We had lunch in Vernon, at the Davison Orchard and Country Village. See pics below:  looking across the orchard to Vernon, the Country Village and our home-style lunch at Aunty May's Deep Dish Cafe. The foods sold here are all made with products grown in their orchards.






Further north we stopped at the Log Barn, which has been selling local produce and crafts since 1912. Pics below show the Log Barn, goats at the Log Barn, and Gail with a quilt which she was tempted to buy but she resisted.






Further north again, we stopped at Sicamous, "the house boat capital of Canada". See pics below of the Sicamous sign and houseboats, some of which carry waterslides.



From Sicamous, we drove along the Trans Canada Highway, which follows the train line all the way to the Rockies. We stopped at the Last Spike site, which commemorates driving  the last spike into the rail line which joined the east and west sections of the continental Canadian Pacific Railway line. See pic of commemorative mural.



Our next overnight stop was Revelstoke. Statues of bears stand at the entrance to the downtown area, which has over two dozen heritage buildings from the Victorian era.  We stayed at Minto Manor, a B&B in one of the heritage buildings  - see pics below of the downtown entrance & Minto Manor. The town has a scenic setting on the Columbia River, surrounded by mountains - see pic below.






In the foothills of the Rockies we drove through Rogers Pass, which is in Glacier National Park. The visitor centre has educational displays about wildlife and survival in the Rockies. Artillery pieces are curiously displayed outside. This is because shells are fired into the high snow pack in winter and their explosions trigger controlled avalanches. See pic below.



Pics below show the scenic nature of the Trans Canada Highway in the area of Yoho National Park.




In Yoho National Park we stopped at Emerald Lake, a beautiful secluded lake with lodge accommodation. See pics below of Gail at the bridge leading to the lodge, the lake showing reflections, and Don and Gail at the lake.






Next we stopped at Natural Bridge (over Kicking Horse River), which shows how glacial waters change the landscape by gradual erosion. See pic below.



Our last stop before the Rockies was at the Spiral Tunnels. A train traversing the tunnels follows a figure eight loop. The track was previously too steep and dangerous, and the spiral construction lengthens the route and hence reduces the gradient. See pic below of two tunnel entrances.



The Rocky Mountaineer train we will ride later in our trip will travel through the Spiral Tunnels.

Next update will cover our travel in the Canadian Rockies.

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