We pulled out of our camp at 3 Valley Gap at 10:00 and headed west to
Salmon Arm. Our plan is to go back to
the Piccadilly Mall where we had filled up with water last week...I will go in
and pick up some groceries while Steve researches the area for
campgrounds. We thought we would spend
some time on Shuswap Lake since, like 3 Valley Gap, we had driven by but had
never stopped to explore the area.I took this picture of the fountain as we entered Salmon Arm...
When I came out with a buggy full of groceries, Steve was at the sani-dump. He had emptied the black-water and was filling up with fresh water. There hadn’t been any private campgrounds (with full hookups) that he liked the look of but he had found Herald Provincial Park that was about 12 kms west on highway 1 and then 14 kms along one of the arms (Salmon Arm) of Shuswap Lake. I phoned to see if they had sites large enough for us and was told they had about 4 that would suit us...I told her we were on our way!
We turned off highway 1 just west of Salmon Arm and continued along the narrow, windy road 14 kms to the park...
I think we really lucked out because the brochure says that the park is
usually full mid-July to mid-August and that reservations, made well in
advance, are recommended. We managed to
get a long non-reservable site (#77) which means we can stay for up to 2 weeks,
should we desire...sweet!We got levelled, unhitched and set up and while Steve set up the satellite dish (we have no co-ordinates, so finding the satellite could be interesting), I walked up to the gatehouse to tell her what site we had taken and to pay for a couple of nights. They only took cash (which is why I could only pay for 2 nights)...something we thought very odd for a popular Provincial Park...and at $30/night, it was a bit rich for no hook-ups but “it is what it is” besides we had just had 8 nights of free camping. Unfortunately, the cell service coverage is not very good...I get a weak signal on our Rogers cell phone, that drops off and on like a yoyo...and we get no signal on our Telus MiFi.
When I got back, Steve had the satellite ready for tuning...it took a few minutes but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
One thing we found is that mosquitoes are plentiful around here...
After dinner, we went for a walk down to the lake...we couldn’t believe how high the water is...there isn’t any beach!
There is a beautiful trail that follows the creek that flows through the campground...
...tomorrow we will have to check out Margaret Falls.
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