9/11 - 9-13 Penticton, British Columbia

On our last night in Jasper, we looked at the atlas and realized that retracing our steps down the Icefields Pkwy and back into Montana didn't make a whole lot of sense when we're trying to get to the West Coast. That minute we decided to alter course and come down the west side of the Rockies out of Canada and into Washington, thus knocking about 400 miles off our overall journey! And, altho the Icefields Pkwy is one exceptionally scenic road, we don't like doubling back on ourselves.

 

View of Skaha Lake from our Camp-A-Long campsite.

A romantic full moon rising over Skaha Lake.

So, we set off on Rte 5, Yellowhead Hwy, into the heart of the Okanagan (oh-ka-NOG-an) Valley. I was sold on our new route when I read that irrigation transformed this sun-kissed valley into one of the most productive fruit- and vegetable-growing regions in North America. But, I was really surprised to learn the southern end of the valley is so arid it's considered the northernmost reach of the Sonoran Desert that extends all the way to Mexico! 

Another distinguishing feature of the valley is its chain of long, narrow lakes stretching from north to south, created by retreating glaciers. Well, we saw it with our own eyes: Put water on it and it grows! We saw orchards everywhere. Flowers grow prolifically. Lucky for us, we're here in prime growing season, tho too late for peaches and a bit early for apples. Espaliered apple trees are loaded with ripening fruit! This is big wine country with vineyards, heavy with grapes, marching up and down hillsides, and wine-tasting rooms every few miles. We bought some of the sweetest corn we've ever had at Thor's Viking Farms stand, along with pears, nectarines, plums and a couple of early apples. Really delicious produce!

 

Penticton has a showy flower garden!

Jimmy at 69-mile long Lake Okanagan.

While walking along Riverside Park and Lakeshore Drive, we spotted these two gems, and I couldn't resist taking pictures. Please note Barbie has her seat belt on!

 

Cute set-up!

We had a great stay in Penticton - our last stop in Canada. Next will be our US border crossing. That took 45 minutes while we waited for the "Ag Inspector" (Haha, I thought it was Egg Inspector!) to appear. All the motor homes, trailers and fifth wheels lined up like huge beasts of burden waiting their turn, and getting agitated by the wait. Our "inspector" was a young girl who wanted to know what we had in our fridge and freezer, and what portion of fruits and veggies came from the states (who knew?).  Then she came into our RV home, opened both the fridge and freezer and took my only tomato ... that was our Ag Inspection.  I asked her if they were going to pay me for the tomato. Jimmy is still laughing! Hmmm, I wonder what they do with all the fruit they confiscate?

Clearwater, BC - 9/10/11

After eating that loaded Elks breakfast, we drove into Wells Gray Provincial Park to hike around and check out some of the famous waterfalls, as in this picture. A viewing platform on the rim of the canyon provided us panoramic views of the falls and the gorge below.  At 463' Helmcken Falls on the Murtle River is one of the most impressive we've seen. Jimmy said he wished he could see it in winter. Oh Yeah! Wear your woolies! If you'd like to read more about it, check the website below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmcken_Falls

What a beautiful cataract!

Clearwater, British Columbia, Canada 9/9 - 9/11

Continuing south on Rte 5 (Yellowhead Hwy) from Jasper, we soon "picked up" glacial, milky-turquoise-blue North Thompson River and traveled beside it all the way to the town of Clearwater. Really an outstanding 200-mile (approx) drive between snow-capped mountain ranges, velvety-looking meadows and that untamed river, with nary a single boat in it. We were ready to quit for the day when we got to Clearwater and the North Thompson River Campground. And when we pulled into a great site overlooking the water, we said, perfect, park it! As we got out to explore, we realized we were at the confluence of the Clearwater River and the Thompson. You can see the difference in the first photo below -- from our campsite, the milky Thompson is on the far side, with the Clearwater abutting it. The wide water closest to the camera lens is just a Clearwater slough. It'll prob take the two rivers a half mile or so to merge their waters into one "color."

 

In the picture below, I'm looking out (with binocs) on nearby Raft River, hardly more than a stream. We'd been told at the Visitor Centre that Sockeye salmon (the big bright-red ones) were coming in to spawn and we might be able to see them from a viewing platform. Well, that was something we did NOT want to miss and, by gum, we didn't! That shallow stream was alive with hundreds of salmon, all moving and jumping and swimming and spawning. Truly an awesome sight. 

The next two photos are close-ups of just a little of the action we saw. I bet we spent an hour or better watching the fish. Wish we could've brought a couple home for dinner....

 

Clearwater had a lot going on the Saturday we were there, including a farmer's market (bought apples and squash), and the local Elks Lodge was hosting their Saturday breakfast in the adjacent lot. 

At the market, the kid standing next to the pony's head was giving pony rides, but the kid was a good sport when I asked if I could take a picture of Jimmy sitting in the cart!  No ride, though!

We seldom eat breakfast out, but - what the heck - we were supporting a worthy cause and, why not? We cleaned our plates, too!

Into British Columbia 9/9/11 on Yellowhead Hwy

Mount Robson at 12,972' is the tallest peak in British Columbia. What an amazing sight, eh?

On the border of Alberta and British Columbia, Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mtn range.  It's also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies.  Rising from inside Mount Robson's pristine alpine Provincial Park are the headwaters of the mighty Fraser River, one of the world's major rivers!  We could see this majestic mountain from the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16) from far, far away.  We pulled into the Visitor Centre to stretch our legs; in fact, to snag a photo of this splendorous mountain.  Really, tho, the mountain looks like a Hollywood backdrop!

Aboard ship and Vancouver 6/14 and 6/15, 2011

On our last full day at sea (Tuesday), we watched a live cooking show presented by the Island Princess Executive Chef, Klaus Baumgarten, and the Maitre d’Hotel, Jacques Ghennai, given tongue-in-cheek and pretty funny. Following their presentation, we were given a tour of the galley. Lots of stainless steel and huge refrigeration units, ovens, and large work areas – no easy task feeding 1900 +/- people three meals a day in several different restaurants. Lotsa work! Interesting to see the scope of the operation. The ship has a grand total of 515 crew members involved in the galley and dining rooms, even one guy whose sole job is an ice carver!

Kitchen workers ... photo op!

We ate very well … maybe too well.

Next came packing. If it came out of suitcases, it had to be shoved back in. We did all right. Every deck has a laundromat.  We washed two loads, which isn't too bad for nearly two weeks living out of those suitcases!  All our bags had to be in the hallway by 7 pm, except for any carry-on.

After dinner we went to our final evening show – three talented men provided a combination of comedy, song, and magic. Most enjoyable. This time we did NOT sit in the front row – we arrived early enough to get a good seat, far removed from the stage!

We relished one last wonderful sleep in the half light of the northern night sky in our very comfy bed. I always took pleasure in opening an eye to look out that glass balcony door at mountains or the sea. Sometimes I’d rise up on my elbow to watch the play of light on the waves. My dearest Jimmy just slept, so peacefully. This night the ship rocked in strong southwest winds as we made our way southeast toward Vancouver and lulled us to sleep.

Our Princess logged 1445 nautical miles from Whittier to Vancouver in a week.

The next morning – June 15th – was a different story. All was hustle/bustle. The ship passed under the Lions Gate Bridge, with joggers at Stanley Park in view, around 6:15 am. We docked in Vancouver about 7:30. Passengers queued up as to where they were going. Jimmy and I were to take a motor coach to Seattle Airport, where a shuttle would pick us up and return us to our parked Tergel. Due to inattention, I almost missed the bus, which began a kind of nightmare-ish day. Aboard this bus, the driver blathered incessantly and loudly the whole time – four solid hours' worth. We just about kissed the ground when we got off the bus. After a short wait for the shuttle, the driver deposited us at our RV door. 

We were glad to see Tergel, tho mighty unhappy, to say the least, when we discovered that our fridge had not automatically shifted from electric to gas.  It had NOT been on for the entire two weeks! Yikes! We had to pitch out most of both fridge and freezer contents – and then there was a leaky toilet that had to be fixed.  It's tough to come off such an exquisite trip to a day such as this. We pouted all day and then got over it.  Heck, we're intrepid travelers and we know STUFF happens. The fridge wasn’t ruined, and Jimmy fixed the toilet, so no more problem. And around the corner is a new adventure!

We loved our two-week Alaska cruise – both the one week by land and one at sea, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat.