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Road Trip – On the Move

Posted bykagould17Posted inBritish Columbia, FALL, Kamloops, Photography, Sooke Point Ocean Cottage Resort, Travel, Vancouver, Vancouver IslandTags:, , , , , , ,

All photos taken on October 9, 2021 at Sooke Point Ocean Cottage Resort and on the road.

Sad to be leaving…………….

the sun will come up tomorrow
sunrise farewell

We will miss these views

One last look

Benji, the Wonder Dog is on the move.

This really was the end of the fun for us. We were about to drive 1,400 km in 2 days to get back home. We had a job to do, but we did not have to like it.

After getting off the ferry (another post), we rolled past pumpkin fields and and onto the clogged arteries of Vancouver. This was, as B explained “construction project Saturday”. So many city projects trying to get finished, before the rains started. From getting off the ferry to getting back out of Vancouver took us about 2 and 1/2 hours. Oh sure, we took a detour to La Grotta Del Formaggio to pick up lunch, before heading into West Van to drop B, K and Benji. Theoretically, this only added 7 minutes to our travel time to West Vancouver. We should have asked how long the original driving time was.

pumpkin patch near Tsawwassen

Nonetheless, we were soon under way and aiming for a 7 PM arrival in Kamloops. We only made two stops between Vancouver and Kamloops, one near Hope to gas up and another at Britton Creek rest stop, where we also grabbed a hot chocolate (canteen coffee did not interest us).

As we drove along the Coquihalla Highway, we knew we were living on borrowed time. The forecast called for 15 cm (6 inches) of snow tonight. We were glad to be staying ahead of it.

Before arriving in Kamloops, we phoned ahead for a take out order of food, knowing it may not travel well from restaurant to hotel. We checked into our hotel to find it full of maskless teens from a baseball tournament that was in town over the Canadian Thanksgiving Day long weekend. I had to shout to be heard by the desk clerk, above the noise. Well, this was not going to be a pleasant stay. Patty stayed behind to get the room ready and I went to grab the food, which was, as expected, bad…. A bit of a relax and then off to bed, where we listened to some kids running in the hallways and whooping, before we drifted off to sleep. Somehow, it all seemed a fitting end to what had otherwise been a wonderful road trip.

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Published by kagould17

Not much to tell. After working for 3 companies over 43+ years (38 years 7 months with my last company), I finally got that promotion I had waited my entire career for……retirement. I have been exploring this new career for the past 7+ years and while it is not always exciting, the chance to do what I want for myself and my family instead of what my company wants has been very fulfilling. Early on, there was a long list of projects in my “to-do” hopper and I attacked these projects with a vengeance for the first 9 months of retirement. Eventually, my brain told me that this was not what retirement was about, so it took me another 5 months before my industriousness again took over and I attacked another line of projects, this time somewhat shorter and less complicated, as well as many new projects related to the family weddings in 2016. After going hard for 6 weeks and 3 weddings, my body was telling me to relax, then the flu bug hit and as soon as that was done with me, my sciatic acted up. No rest for the wicked. In 2020 and 2021, the Covid 19 pandemic changed the whole retirement gig. I was lucky to not be still working, for sure. I enjoy photography, gardening, working with my hands, walking, cycling, skiing, travelling, reading and creating special photo and video productions obtained in my first pastime. I may never become wealthy in any of these pursuits, but I already feel I am rich in life experiences far beyond any expectation.

29 thoughts on “Road Trip – On the Move”

  4. I enjoyed way you described the frustrations of the return trip. Getting out of Vancouver, especially when in a hurry, makes a person appreciate home so much more. I’ve seen my longest traffic jam on the highway leading out of Vancouver due to a lane closure caused by an accident. Fortunately I was heading into the city so it didn’t effect me. Our preferred night spot is Barrière rather than Kamloops as it not as hot and has good accommodations. A good read Allan.

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    1. I still recall trying to drive out of Vancouver on a Friday before a long weekend. We left at 10 AM and finally got to Hope at 2 PM. And that was with all lanes open. Our preferred way to visit Vancouver is without a car, especially if we stay in the West End. Not sure I am ready to get on a plane just yet. We are definitely looking for an alternate break between Edmonton and Vancouver for both directions. Clearwater may be the answer, at least once the pipeline work is done. The hotels in these smaller towns are filled with workers these days. Thanks for reading Glen. Allan

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    1. Thanks. I think our experience on the drive home was influenced by the vacation and family time being over as well as Covid. Hopefully, the joy of travel will return soon. Thanks for coming along with us. Allan

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    1. Benji likes his creature comfort for sure. He knew something was up and was sad to be leaving too. The pumpkin patch was big, but not as big as in Nova Scotia in October. Thanks for reading Marion. Allan

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    1. It is so funny to watch him prep his bed by pawing at over and over again to make it more comfortable. Kamloops served its purpose on our travels, but I think we will break in Clearwater next time. If we can get the trip somewhere near a 1/2 way split, it makes it all better. Thanks for reading Lynette. Allan

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    1. Thanks for coming along Lyssy (a couple more summary posts yet. I know right? When will it END? We got on the road, pretty early the next morning for the 9-10 hour drive home. This is complicated by the time change just before you cross into Alberta. You are right, it was good to be back home with so many happy memories and only a few bad ones. Thanks for reading Lyssy. Allan

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    1. Agreed, sad to be leaving, but good to be going home. I guess 3 out of 4 stays in the same hotel being good was not bad. I think the teens were just being teens, but the parents and coaches were not being parents and coaches. I used to be a scout leader and we always made sure the kids were respectful. Cheers. Allan

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  11. I love the pumpkin patch, I had actually never seen one! And while the hotel experience wasn’t great, I bet you have never been happier to sleep in your own bed once you got home! 🙂

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      1. I wish we had such well defined seasons here! Where I currently live we have “very hot” and “slightly less hot”. 😀 And I’d dare say the older one gets, the truer “there’s no place like home” rings. Take care, Allan!

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  13. The views are amazing and so is the changing landscape. They say that disastrous journeys tend to be transformative and more memorable than perfect ones—and actually make us happier. I think the real reason we travel is to stretch ourselves, test ourselves, and unearth abilities we didn’t know we had. We travel to travail. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva

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    1. Travel is about experiences, memories and survival. I love travelling to new places and getting a bit off the usual tourist path and timetable. For now, Canada is it, but hopefully soon we will be able to travel without fear. Thanks for reading Aiva. Stay well. Allan

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