Sunday, June 22, 2014 (Travel to Granite Creek Recreation Site, Coalmont, BC)

We woke to another clear sunny morning....it's going to be a beautiful travel day today! We didn't need to rush this morning since check out time wasn't until 11:00 and we didn't have all that far to go.

It was shortly after 9:30 when we pulled out of our site...it was a lot easier to get out that it had been to get into it! We stopped about a kilometre down the road at the Visitors Centre to use the sani-dump. The cost to dump is $5.00 and you have to have exact change...either loonies or toonies. Between Steve and I we managed to scrape 3 loonies and 1 toonie together but when we plugged them into the machine, it wouldn't accept the toonie...sheesh! So I had to walk to the Visitors Centre to get more loonies.

So what was supposed to be a quick stop at the sani-dump ended up taking somewhat longer than expected. It was going on 10:30 by the time we were back on Hwy 3 heading east towards Princeton.

It was such a beautiful drive...a very windy, twisty route up and down through the mountains....

There must of been a car show happening somewhere as we passed a lot of cool cars...

This hillside is mine tailings just outside of Princeton...

After a stop in Princeton to fill up with fresh water, we left Hwy 3, taking Hwy 5A, crossing the Similkameen River and then took Coalmont Road.

The road to Coalmont is quite the ride! Full of ups and down and twists and turns!

And narrow spots...

But fabulous views!

We arrived at the historic little town of Coalmont just after 1:00.

Our favourite watering hole....

...and after driving through, we found our way to Granite Creek Rec Site, about 2 kms outside of Coalmont on a gravel road full of pot holes...

The ATV/BC Poker Ride event is being held in a huge field adjacent to the rec site. We parked the rig and walked through the rec site to the field...just to check it out where we were going. The rec site itself is jammed packed with an ATV club from the lower mainland, the Explorers. We chatted with a few of them and then went back to the rig to drive through to the field.

We didn't want to set up until Jeff and Marlaine Mohr (the President of ATV/BC) arrived so we backed into a spot on the river and leveled off enough to get the fridge going. Steve pulled out the chairs and we sat out in the shade and ate lunch.

Just over an hour later, Mike from the  South Cariboo ATV Club arrived, followed a little later by Jeff and Marlaine along with Greg and Suzie from the Prince George Club. After hugs and handshakes....it's great seeing them again...we all began setting up. It was very hot in the sun...with temps reaching 27C/80F.

The field is empty now but won't be for long!

We're backed right onto the Tulameen River...

 A beautiful spot!

Once the work was done, we all relaxed in the shade of some trees and enjoyed happy hour and catching up. (Left to right...Me, Greg, Marlaine, Jeff and Mike...that's Greg's dog, Trixy in front of me)...

After dinner we sat inside a screened room Jeff and Marlaine had set up...a life saver if we want to sit outside and not be eaten alive by the mosquitoes, black flies and no-seeums.

Shortly after 10:00 we called it a night.