We were aiming to be on the road Monday morning by 9:00 a.m. and it was 8:56 when we pulled out of our site...the car loaded with our suitcases....and 3 bags of laundry! Steve says its "payback time" for all those occasions that Chris brought his dirty laundry home to do, LOL!
And, as predicted, the weather had turned...after such a gorgeous few days, we were back to clouds and rain. It was basically a heavy mist/rain all of the way down to the coast.
Mamette Lake...
We arrived at Chris and Angela's shortly after noon...to an excited Isaac. I guess he had been waiting at the window for us...he's so darned cute!
Angela had lunch ready...wonderful, we were starving! After lunch we brought in our luggage and I got started on laundry. It's so nice to put a load on and forget about it until the bell rings telling you it's finished...that is one thing I miss from "the old days" when we lived in a house. You could put a load of laundry on and go do something else...none of this having to wait for it to finish. Mind you, one nice thing about laundromats is the ability to put multiple loads on at once and get all the laundry done quicker. To me, it's not such a "big job" when you can put a load on whenever you want to...oh well...after almost 11 years, I've pretty well gotten use to it!
Angela made homemade pizza for dinner...so good! An after dinner picture...Isaac with Grampa...
Tuesday (May 25) we were up very early, as usual. No one was is much of a hurry this morning...Chris had taken the day off work and Angela works part-time, having Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. And my appointment wasn't until noon.
A little colouring...
And cuddling with Dexter, the cat...
The day turned out to be much nicer that originally forecast...we actually had quite a bit of sun! I got back from my appointment to find Isaac helping Mom bake a cake...
We managed to sit outside on the deck for a good part of the afternoon
...and we even ate dinner on the patio. Chris grilled burgers and veggies...yum!
Wednesday (May 26) morning we were up and out by 8:40, giving ourselves plenty of time to get over to North Vancouver for Steve's appointment. Traffic is usually horrendous getting to and from the north shore but today it was a breeze. Reduced traffic due to Covid, perhaps...?
I sat in a coffee shop while Steve went to his appointment but then decided to meet him back at the car since our one hour parking was almost up. Of course, Steve was longer than expected since the doctor was about 15 minutes late. We had hoped to wander around Lonsdale Quay, a very cool spot on the waterfront, however, it started to rain...so we headed back to Chris and Angela's.
After lunch, we went with Angela, taking Isaac to a local park. Isaac had a wonderful time playing on the slide and swings...and it was great that it was not busy, so he had most of the play area to himself. Such a cool playground...
This slide was made of rollers...
As soon as Isaac spotted the dinosaur he started to roar...LOL!
He loves his Grampa...
We also walked a path around the park, getting some exercise. Isaac was so funny...he held his Mom's hand along with Grampa's but there was no way he was holding my hand instead of Grampa's!
We drove around a bit after the park, hoping Isaac would fall asleep...and he finally did! The little monkey absolutely fights taking a nap! Once we got home, Angela managed to get him out of his car seat and up into bed without waking him.
Chris got home from work at 6:00, just a couple of minutes after our dinner was delivered. We ordered Chinese food tonight...nothing like a good feast!...and an easy dinner.
Thursday (May 27) I was up just before 6:00...surprisingly Steve didn't appear for another hour! Isaac goes to Angela's parents today and of course, he decided to sleep in. Chris finally had to get him up and got him ready to go while Angela got ready for work. Once they are gone, he showers and gets ready to go himself...and is out before 8:00. They have a good routine worked out between them!
We decided not to head back to Tunkwa today due to the weather forecast...a "Special Weather Statement" had been issued warning of a big storm system bringing a lot of rain. Not wanting to drive in that, we postponed our departure until tomorrow. Besides, we need another day of internet to get a blog update done!
I also did a couple of final loads of laundry and popped over to Safeway to pick up a few groceries for dinner tonight. I'm making a tray of lasagne along with Caesar salad and garlic toast. We don't often have lasagne with just the 2 of us, so we are well overdue for it!
I tried to work on the blog, but wouldn't you know it, Blogger must have been doing some maintenance, or something, because I could not get any pictures to upload...grrrr! Luckily after dinner I tried again and it worked...so I was busy working on it then....not exactly what I wanted to be doing on our last night with the kids! Ugh! But we leave tomorrow morning...and will be going back "off the grid".
So wonderful spending the last few days with Chris, Angela and Isaac! Thanks for all your hospitality!
Sunday (May 16) morning and another beautiful day. Unfortunately, a change is on its way though. So we’ll enjoy this sunny, warm day while we can…temp today was into the mid 20’sC! The wind started up late morning…a sure indicator a change is on the way!
We were in the car heading into town at 8:30 a.m. I want to try and book a condo on Maui for next May to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. You are only able to book a year out and of course Hawaii is very popular. So when I went on the website, there wasn’t anything available. Drats! Oh well, I put in a few “wait list requests” for the resort we like, so we’ll see what happens. As we continue further into May, I will check for other availability at various resorts. We spent our honeymoon in Kihei, Maui and I would really like to return there for our 40th.
The other thing we had to get done today was an update to our blog. I think we will have to try doing it weekly rather than bi-weekly(+)…it’s just too much to try to get done at once. Although I write the narrative on a Word document and copy and paste into blogger once we have internet, by the time pictures are added, a lot more explanation has to go in. So I do what I can and then pass it over to Steve (who takes most of the pictures) …by the time he goes through, I have to go through it again to correct formatting issues. So if our blog is a little disjointed, I apologize…after spending literally hours, we just want to get it posted! Today, for example, we parked in front of the laundromat just because it has a washroom…something needed if we’re in town for any length of time. We would normally park in the Rec Center parking lot where there are public washrooms, but they are closed on weekends…isn’t that crazy? Anyway, we arrived there just before 9:00 and it was well after 1:00 by the time the blog was posted! Mind you, some of that time was spent trying to book Maui.
By this time, our cell phone batteries were almost out of power, so we had a quick call with both of our sons and then headed off. We filled up the water containers, as well as the gas containers and were home just before 3:00…starving!
Oh, one thing we forgot to mention in our last blog update is that the cell booster did not work. I guess the fleeting one-bar signal we get just isn’t enough to boost. We talked to the fellow at Walco that sold it to us and we will be returning it on Tuesday when we go into Kamloops. At least we saved ourselves $840!
Monday (May 17) morning we were awake super early…the wind was howling all night and then the rain started. Not a very peaceful night for us! The wind continued all day but at least the rain had stopped.
After lunch we decided to go for a hike around the Leighton Lake. It was cold and windy! This will be my fourth time and the second for Steve. There was snow on parts of the trail last time Steve was on it, LOL!
Tuesday (May 18) morning we were up and on our way to Kamloops before 8:30. The wind was still howling! This wind is getting very tiring!
Our first stop was Wine Kitz where I put on a batch of red wine. I was happy when he said they will bottle in ‘bladders’ rather than bottles (like the store in Sidney)…perfect! So our wine will be ready on June 16th.
We returned the cell booster we had purchased last week to Walco Radio…no issues as Steve had called him the day after we bought it (when we were on top of Savona mountain) to let him we know we would be returning it when we next went into Kamloops. Now I’m just waiting for the credit to show up on our credit card…amazing how fast the $$ are taken and how slow to go back on!
We did some shopping at Walmart and then went to find a restaurant with a patio…with some shelter from the wind. We tried Earl’s and Brown’s Social House but with outside patios being quite small (and no inside dining) they fill up quickly. There was over a half hour wait at both, so we ended up going through the A and W drive-thru and eating our burgers in the car.
After finishing my shopping up at Save-On-Foods, we were on our way back to Logan Lake. We stopped to fill up our fresh water containers and were home around 3:00.
The wind was still howling and snow is falling in the mountains across the lake…..ugh!
Wednesday (May 19) morning we woke to quietness…the wind had finally stopped! But it was just below freezing outside and as we sat having out coffee, snowflakes started coming down! Small and lightly to start…and then huge fluffy flakes and it was “socked” right in! By mid to late morning, the flakes gradually got smaller and it eventually stopped. But clouds remained low over the mountains.
I puttered around all morning, doing some baking, etc. while Steve watched a program he had PVR’d, “A Race for the Vaccine”. Generator hours in the morning are from 9:00 to 11:00, so with the big TV on, so was the generator, especially with no sunshine for the solar panels.
After lunch Steve loaded the car trunk with a propane cylinder and water containers and we headed into town. We ran our errands and then parked in the Rec Centre parking lot for a little internet time.
Thursday (May 20) started out chilly again, with intermittent sun through the broken clouds. After it warmed up a bit, we decided to go for a hike up to “the bench”…it was cold with that wind. Yes, we still have that nasty wind! Steve had thought he’d get out fishing this morning but scratched that plan because of the wind.
View of our rig on the upper right from across the lake...
We decided to continue on the loop trail....
Fishers way off in the distance...
Steve made it down to edge of Bluff Lake where the trail disappeared into the flooded shoreline...
On our way back a Golden Eagle checked us out...
Leighton Campground in the distance...
The Eagles like to sit in the trees above the waterfall looking for fish...
The bay inside the spit is popular with the ducks...
That's our boat second from the right...
Looks like the the Goose population has increased...
One of our neighbours has a windmill set up...
Late morning Steve loaded a propane tank into the truck…we’re taking Buster for a run into town. After getting propane, we parked and spent a little time getting caught up on our devices.
Mid-afternoon we managed to sit outside in some sunshine. The wind is coming from the northeast so the trailer was acting as a windbreak. Steve read and I did some knitting…and just enjoyed the sunshine watching RV’s arrive for the long weekend.
We headed inside just before 5:00 as some big ugly clouds came in…and not long after, we had a huge pelting of hail. It was pretty crazy!
Friday (May 21) we woke to clear blue sky and no wind, but it was a frosty morning. It wasn’t long though, before the sun had melted it.
It was a gorgeous morning!
It was just before 10:30 when we headed off…a perfect day for a little road trip! I have a Screening Mammography appointment at a mobile unit in Ashcroft and we thought we’d try to find a patio to have lunch…and do a loop up through Cache Creek to Savona and back to Tunkwa.
Once down Tunkwa Lake Road to the highway, we turned west onto highway 97C. It wasn't long before we started seeing the tell-tale signs of a mine ahead.
The tailings on the right have been planted with grass...
We stopped at the viewpoint that overlooks the mine and Steve took a short video...
This mine takes up a lot of real estate...
Further along the highway is the tailings "pond"...
Coast Mountains in the distance...
The Thompson River comes into view...
Ashcroft ahead...
Ashcroft is an interesting little town. Click here to view our previous tour of the town in 2017...
We arrived a little early for my noon appointment and as we parked in the lot, right beside us was a funky little restaurant called Slim Jim's Diner, with a patio set up. Well, we didn’t have to look hard to find a cool spot for lunch. We got a cute little table for 2 and then I went for my mammogram while Steve waited.
Truck doors, a grill and old bikes adorn the patio area...
Steve took a couple of pictures of the inside of the diner...
50's rock and roll music was playing...
I was back with 10 minutes and we ordered a couple of beers and lunch…this will be our Anniversary celebration a day early. Happy 39 years honey!
After a delicious lunch, we continued on our road trip. Crossing the Thompson River as we left Ashcroft...
The Grad classes from each year adorn the hillside...
Thompson River and our road ahead...
We took a couple of detours to check out other Provincial Parks along highway 1 as we headed east towards Savona. The first one was Juniper Beach Provincial Park on the Thompson River...
Juniper Beach was established as a Provincial Park in 1989. The park protects a representative desert landscape which contains sagebrush, prickly pear cactus and of course, juniper. Part of the landscape includes deep post-glacial deposits and large scale erosion features.
It is a convenient overnight camping spot for travelers on Hwy #1 and provides access to the Thompson River. Both CNR and CPR railway tracks run by the park and provide an attraction to train-buffs. This park is also a popular base camp for visitors enjoying boating, fishing, photography and touring historic Hat Creek Ranch and Ashcroft Manor, both nearby.
With railway tracks on both sides of the campground, I can't imagine its's very quiet...
The sites here are too small for our rig. They do have water and power...
We had to wait for a long train to go by as we were leaving the park...
Beautiful valley along the Thompson River...
Approaching Kamloops Lake...
Steelhead Provincial Park in the foreground and the village of Savona in the distance...
Our next detour was into Steelhead Provincial Park...A convenient overnight camping and picnicking spot for travelers on Highway #1, this is also a popular destination camp for visitors enjoying boating and fishing on Kamloops Lake, at the head of the Thompson River.
The park offers 240 metres of beach on the lake and 1,000 metres of frontage along the river. The Savona community offers the amenities of a small town.
This area was previously a pioneer homestead, ferry landing, and stagecoach depot...
Both Provincial Parks were definitely too small for us and also had sites awning-to-awning...because they they have power and water at their sites.
We were home around 3:00…a wonderful day! Time to sit out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine…
Saturday (May 22) was another beautiful day! The weather on the May long weekend isn’t usually so nice but this year it was exceptional…shorts and flip-flops weather with temps into the mid 20sC. Steve went out fishing for the morning and I hiked around Leighton Lake…another great hike!
I took this picture as I am approaching Leighton Campground....
Absolutely beautiful as I leave Leighton North campground, hiking on the other side of the lake...
Steve here...It was a gorgeous morning to be out on the water...
After sitting for half an hour I had a double header! You can see the other fish in mid air behind me as I get ready to net the other one.
I actually thought the other one which was smaller had shaken the hook but I guess it was just sulking on the bottom. As I started bringing in my line it took off.
I didn't catch any more after my double header but the other two boats near me were slaying them!
We spent the afternoon outside reading…I also did a little knitting. Just after 3:00 we walked down to see Neil and Lisa. They had arrived yesterday afternoon…to our surprise! We haven’t seen them in about 4 years. We first met them in Fort Langley…back in 2012 (yes, I had to look it up on our blog!)
They are camping with their daughter and son-in-law, Seana and Jamie. After chatting with them for a bit, we went back to get our chairs and a cocktail…and enjoyed a wonderful time catching up with them! Left to right....Steve, Jamie, Seana, Lisa and Neil...
Sunday (May 23) morning...and another beautiful start to the day. I dropped Steve off at his boat with his fishing gear and on my way back stopped briefly at Lisa and Neil's site. They said they were going to walk the trail around Leighton Lake...I was about to do the same! So about a half hour later, we were on our way.
A couple horseback riders came by...very cool...
We had a great hike! This is Lisa and Neil's first time to Tunkwa and they really like it. I think they may be back!
Meanwhile Steve had a great morning fishing....
Steve here...these are the chironomids. The top 4 on the left are the popular ones here that I bought at the Tunkwa Lodge. There are over 2500 species of chironomids and they come in a variety of colours and sizes so it's best to pump the fishes stomach to see what they are eating so you can match those colours and sizes of the day.
Once again after sitting for half an hour I got another double header. I only got one to the boat though. I'm now up to 11 fish caught and around 5 lost. Good by my standards but pitiful by the experienced fishers here I'm sure :)
After lunch we made a quick trip into town for propane and water. By this time, more clouds had rolled in and a strong breeze had picked up. But we still managed a final get together with Neil and Lisa. They came over at 4:00 and we enjoyed a few cocktails and some good conversation with good friends! It's been wonderful catching up with them...hope we see them again this summer!
Tomorrow we are driving down to Vancouver for doctor appointments Tuesday and Wednesday. We are staying with our son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Angela and are so looking forward to seeing our grandson, Isaac!
