DAY
08. – Taghum, South Slocan, Crescent Valley, Shoreacres, Glado, Thrums,
Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Carson, Greenwood, Midway, Kettle
Valley, Rock Creek, Westbridge, Beaverdell, Rutland, Kelowna
We also stopped at the Greenwood Museum/Information Centre, which was open, and they provided us with great information on British Columbia. The museum was very interesting and informative!
DAY
09. – This was a catch-up day and we spent the morning doing laundry and
grocery shopping.
In
the afternoon we stopped by the internationally acclaimed Geert Maas Sculpture
Gardens and Gallery. Geert Maas is a multi-talented artist that works in wide
variety of mediums, including, but not limited to, bronze, aluminum, stainless
steel, stoneware, acrylic, lacquer, and oils. He is considered to be one of
Canada’s most dynamic and versatile artists. Since it was a slow day, Geert gave
us a personal tour of the Gallery.
DAY
10. – Winfield, Lake Country, Vernon, Spallumcheen, Armstrong, Enderby, Salmon
Arm, Tappen, Sorrento, Chase, Pritchard, Monte Creek, Kamloops, Knutsford.
We
started the day by visiting a cheese factory in Armstrong. After watching an
interesting movie on how to make cheese, we were treated with a number of
different cheese samples. Of course, we also had to purchase a few things while
we were in their retail store, and then we snacked on a delicious cranberry
muffin that had just come out of the oven in their bakery.
Cheese Factory
On the way out of town we stopped by the Log Barn, a down-sized Wall Drug Store type tourist attraction, but we didn’t make any purchases.
Log Barn Tourist Attraction
Old Building at Log Barn
Old Log Barn
As we started driving we could see a storm front moving in and as we climbed in elevation the fog became thicker and thicker, reducing visibility to a few hundred feet. Fortunately, all of the traffic on the road slowed to a reasonable speed. Occasionally the Fog would lift and we could see the towering snow-covered sheer granite cliffs on both sides of the road. It would have been great to stop and take pictures, but there weren’t a lot of pullouts along the long and winding road. Plus, we typically couldn't see the pullouts until we had passed them.
After
arriving in Surrey and unhooking our trailer, we drove down to White Rock for
dinner. White Rock is just across the bay from the USA and is a high tourist destination in the summer months. At the old train depot, which is
now a museum, we were treated with the arrival of a freight train that passed
by. (There is no passenger service to White Rock.)
The town of White Rock takes its name from a large white rock on the shore of Semiahmoo Bay. Geologists describe the rock as a “glacial erratic” because the rock was original located in the Coast Mountains and dragged to its current location by a glacier about 11,000 year ago. Early sailors used the rock as a land maker when they sailed into the bay.
In late afternoon, we
had fish & chips at the World famous Moby Dick restaurant, which was
then topped off with a homemade ice cream cone from a shop a little farther down the street. While we were eating, the tide started going out, leaving some unique patterns in the sand. People also used the wet sand to make some very detailed sand castles. Although not as exciting as Deadliest Catch, it was also interesting to watch people catching crabs from the pier.
Train Depot/Museum
Train at White Rock Station
Pier at White Rock
However,
the most surprising find in the area was the Museum of Flight, which has the
only Handley-Page Hampden WWII bomber on public display in the world. Of the
1,430 Hampden’s manufactured, it was thought that they had all been destroyed
during the War or sold for scrap shortly after the War ended. Then in 1958 old
records were discovered that in 1942 a Hampden with only 100 hours flying time
had crashed in the ocean near Patricia Bay and was reported to be completely
intact when it sank. Using sonar, the wreck was located in 600 feet of water
and raised with the help of a miniature submarine. Amazingly, there was still
air in the tires, the compass still worked, and the greased bearings and drive
chains still moved freely. Then, in 1991 a second Hampden airframe in reasonable
condition was located in Russia and returned to the UK. However, the second
aircraft it not on public display.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUs96gVMd16a0zSUPJKusf-SI8H7BNDkXxO7y5nedxocmayfpe3JBN3btFnhdrvURy-3FVvPOs2GChP-ongfZ9drJfFOV3MUHEFztkQwSmbolf1igRU__9jw858-DHjrY66rolLufO5dn/s1600/5057R.jpg)
Also
on display at the museum is a Sikorsky S-55 Helicopter, which brought back many
memories. When I was stationed in Goose Bay, Labrador, I had the opportunity to
fly with the RAF in an S-55 while we were on a search and rescue mission at the
far northern tip of Labrador. Despite the hazardous flying conditions, we were
thankful to make it back safely.
DAY 14. –
Today we found the best RV Park that we have encountered on this trip. The facilities are way above average and the location is spectacular, situated in an area surrounded by high snowcapped mountains. The campground is less than 1 km from Bridal Veil Falls, the 6th highest waterfall in Canada!
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