Showing Estelle Highlights of BC and AB

July Trip to the Interior

On Friday, July 15th, my travel companion and I, took the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. While on the ferry we saw a large pod of Killer Whales. After docking, we then traveled along Highway 17 (the old River Road) to Highway 1 (the TransCanada). At Hope we turned off the TransCanada and proceeded up the Coquihalla Highway towards Kamloops. (I should mention that at one time the Kettle Valley Railway passed thorough the Coquihalla Pass, that is; if it wasn't closed because of a snow slide. It was a feat of engineering to construct a rail line through that pass.) I did the driving as far as Merritt and then my companion drove the remaining distance to Kamloops where we stayed the night. After getting gas and exploring Kamloops before dinner that evening, we turned in early as we wanted to get away by 8 o'clock the next morning. (I should mention, I got lost on my way back to our hotel after exploring Kamloops (much to the consternation of my companion) and therefore  I had to ask for directions.

The next morning (Saturday) was unfavourable as it rained for most of the way to Banff. I tried to find the old Larson Homestead in Golden but some how couldn't, yet on other occasions I could. Other times; I was the passenger, not the driver so therefore could look for familiar spots. We didn't go into the cemetery where my grand parents are buried, as it was raining cats and dogs while in Golden. We did stop at Field for a break and afterwards we traveled on to Banff where we stayed at the Rim Rock Hotel. The Rim Rock commands the best view of any hotel in Banff  and is a four-star hostelry.

Of course at a fine hotel, one can receive a good meal and a good selection of  wines, so for dinner we dressed up for the occasion. At breakfast the next morning, there was a small child  that was crying, no, he was screaming. His parents tried to calm him, instead of removing him from the breakfast area, like I had to do when my children were young (especially Robbie). Finally I could not take it any longer, so I walked over the table to where screaming child was and told the parents (they were Muslims) to take the child to their room as he was disturbing people who wished to have a peaceful breakfast. The husband was not happy and said he paid to be here, and I is said, "I paid to be here too, and I, like everyone else should have peace and quietness". The maitre d' finally came over and somehow quieted the child down.

After breakfast, we checked out and explored the Main Street shops. The weather in Banff was favourable with lots of sunshine. My blood pressure pills apparently are doing too good a job as they are causing my blood pressure to be too low. I had a number of dizzy spells and had to sit down. Fortunately Banff has many sidewalk benches where one can sit down and rest. (I have since seen my family doctor and he has reduced my medications.)

Not finding a service station in Banff, and of course I didn't stop to ask anyone, we drove to Canmore which is a bit out of the way. Consequently my companion was not pleased!! (By the way, my Caddy gets 28 miles per gallon or 9.9 litres/100 km.) We got to Radium Junction where we had reservations at the Prestige Inn. The room was nice but the dinning room had gone to pot since I last stayed there. All was not lost though as we found a very nice Austrian dinning room a block from the hotel. That evening we saw a large male mountain sheep right in front of the Prestige Inn. It's horns had a full curl and the animal looked very healthy.

Sinclair Canyon near Radium Junction

While in the area, we drove to Invermere and visited my cousin Jim McKay who now lives in a senior's lodge. He is confined to a wheel chair because of arthritis in his hands and in his knees. Jim used to be so active riding, breaking in horses and guiding hunters. It was him in the Autumn of 1950 who taught me to throw the diamond and basket hitches when I was part of a diamond drill crew. (We had to pack in our supplies by pack horses up Toby Creek to the outcrop which later became the Mineral King Mine.)

The next day with good weather, we drove on to Nelson, but first of all we stopped at Cranbrook where I visited my parent's graves. After saying a little prayer, we drove on to Creston and then to Nelson via the Skyway. (Many times in the Winter of 1965/66,  I was commuting each week between Kimberley and Trail. It was necessary then to take the long way around Kootenay Lake because snow slides had closed the Skyway.)

In Nelson we had reservations at the Prestige Inn. Being a first class hotel it was much nicer than the one at Radium Junction. I have always liked Nelson. As a boy in Rossland, we would often holiday at my father's Aunt Louise Jones's home in Nelson, where Cousin Annie would take me to the nice beach there. I would also ride across the lake at Nelson on the cable ferry which has now been replaced by a bridge.

The weather was great driving to Penticton the next day. My companion drive from Grand Forks all the way to Penticton. We stayed at the Penticton Lakeside Resort & Casino, the best hotel in town. We spent two nights there, and drove to wineries in Naramata and Summerland. (They sure know how to charge for their wine at these wine tasting bars.) Anyway, we were on vacation so, "what the hell". We also went up to Munson's Mountain where "Penticton" is spelled out on the west side of the mountain in white stones. It's the first thing one sees when driving from the northwest.

Other things we did is to walk along the beach walkway. The beach has sure been improved since living there. Many attractions have been added over the years such as parasailing, banana boat riding, water skiing and many others.

As all things come to an end, my companion and I took the Hope Princeton Highway (Hwy 3) back to the Coast. On the way to Hope, we stopped to view what was a town of Tashme where 2200 Japanese-Canadians were interned during 1941/45. Our camp for surveying the Hope-Princeton Highway was located beside a creek that passed through the area adjacent to Tashme.  After that we made our way onto the TransCanada where  we made a detour to Burnaby to pick up my suit from the invisible weavers. After this  we drove to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal where we had a two-hour ferry wait. What else is new!!

You may want to know who my companion was on this trip, well it was no other than Estelle, whom I had met on the cruise ship traveling from Sydney through the South Pacific to Victoria in April this year.