Today we achieved another one of our goals on our odyssey, we got into Canada!!
Yes, they let me in!!
We left our overnight boondocking site at 8 in the early o’clock, and proceeded in a Northerly direction, and promptly got stuck in the rush hour traffic around Seattle and Bellevue.
We had forgotten what you poor mortals have to endure each workday!
We got to the border at around 11 am, and it took us 30 minutes to go through, coz of all those tourists!!
We drove up Highway 1 and decided to have lunch at a rest area.
Lesson # 1. Canadian rest stops are slightly different from American ones.
We followed the signs to a rest area, actually following an RV in front of us from Pennsylvania, obviously looking for the same rest stop, and we traveled about 10 miles, and ended back on the freeway, 4 miles back from where we started, no rest stop in sight, and thinking, OK we’ve missed it. So we carried on, past the exit we had just got off at, and eventually found the rest stop, 2 miles further on.
I must hold my hat up to the Canadian Porta Potti makers.
Inside, there was a mirror, and a super clean hand washing section, complete with soap, water and towels. A far cry from the graffiti ridden smelly construction toilets of Houston.
British Columbia comes a close second to Montana for scenery, beauty and mountains.
The road we traveled North on went up, over and through Fraser Pass, the wiggliest and uppy downiest yet. And narrow. We were told at the gas station later that there are lots of wrecks at one particular point, where the road does a double 90 degree zig zag under the railroad bridge, where people think they have room side by side with oncoming trucks, and they don’t!!
Needless to say, Captain Cautious made no mistakes. It is difficult to make much of a mistake at 25 mph! Sorry, 40 kph coz Canada is metric.
The mountains seemed to be more rugged than previous ones, and we went through numerous landslide areas, in some cases there were rocks and stones over the road.
But, I don’t really have to say it, Captain Cautious came through unscathed as usual.
Now, more shock horror news.
Marlipops went into a store to replenish the liquor cabinet, and Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum is TWICE the price it is in the USA.
So, we are driving all night to get to Alaska ASAP!!!
That brings me nicely to my punishment, ale sampling. Tonight’s delight is Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale, brewed by Granville Island Brewery of Vancouver, BC.
Slightly too much emphasis on the creamy part for your hero’s delicate taste buds, but a refreshing brew nonetheless. I’ll give it 3 out of 5.
We are overnighting, after 425 miles, ( I’m knackered) in a town called 100 Mile House. Why it got miles in the name when the country is kilometerized, who knows, but a pleasant little burg, set in some wonderful rolling farmland, in the valley, with the Rockies away in the distance to our right.
Wildlife watch today was just a bunch of alpacas in a farm, so they don’t count, and we saw roadsigns for badgers.
The boring picture of the sea with the island in the distance is Vancouver Island, where Big Mark’s brother Jonathon lives, so please all wave to him like we did!!
Also, just for your info, once again, while in a foreign country, Marlipops nealry got into trouble for taking pix where she shouldn't, namely the border crossing.
Bad Marla!!!
