“Beautiful British Columbia”
That is what you see on BC license plates. They sure got it right! British Columbia is dramatically beautiful. And rugged, too. As I made my way up the mountain from Lillooet to our next campground in Kamloops, I began to wonder if I was on the right path as the road got really rough. Once it went from pavement to gravel, with plenty of potholes and bumps, I had to slow to a crawl. I’m sure if someone were riding inside the camper I was towing, they’d think an earthquake was taking place!
Instead, it’s just a sign, I think, of how remote parts of BC are. I mean, the campground I was headed to was called “Knouff Lake Wilderness Resort”—put two and two together, Mary! No worries, though, as we finally reached it despite having to use an offline map while also crossing over several cattle guards, dodging those potholes while also avoiding some roaming cattle! And WOW, it was worth the rough drive.
This family-owned picture-perfect campground sitting along the edge of Knouff Lake has big comfy porch swings overlooking a lake-side beach volleyball court, a small dock with all kinds of watercraft to use, 100+-year-old cabins to rent, and a quintessential mountain lodge great room with a fireplace, lots of comfy seating, games, books and puzzles, and of course, trophies lining the walls. Not the metal kind with soccer balls, LOL. I counted 16 animal heads, including one fake jack rabbit ;-). The lodge was the only place that had WIFI of any kind, so we ended up spending a fair amount of time there :-). The owners have 10 grandkids from two of their own children, all of whom lived in houses they built on the property. It honestly was a blast talking to the kids and watching them play with Maisie. I told the owners they sure were living the dream!
A couple of times we went over to Sun Peaks Ski Village, just a 30-minute drive across the mountain. Like Whistler but on a smaller scale, we enjoyed walking around the village with local shops, cafés, art galleries, etc. They also were very popular with the mountain bikers! Riders of all ages would ride the chair lifts to the top of the slopes and make their way down the steep hills. I thought that would be a good place for Maisie and me to take an afternoon hike one day. Well, we hiked up the slopes along the dirtbike tracks for probably about half a mile, and my heart was beating right out of my chest! I guess I’m still not fully acclimated to the elevation—it is 7,000+ft at the top of the slopes and 4,000+ft in the village. Had to remind myself that I wasn’t trying to win a race and that it’s OKAY to slow down! (Competitive much? Sometimes we are our own worst enemies, right?!)
So instead, when we got back down to the village, we headed to another trail that eventually led to a big lake. Except for the fact that it was three miles each way, we probably would’ve hiked the whole thing. After about a mile in, though, my ski slope/dirt track-climbing legs were saying, “Not today!” So we took a sharp left and ended up on a gorgeous golf course, following it back to the village. Wow. So beautiful! And the smell of pine was absolutely intoxicating.
I’m really enjoying this new pace that I’ve been keeping lately. Last year as we toured around the US, we’d only stay at most places for 3-5 nights, packing a lot into the days. I never felt like we were on a whirlwind tour or anything; it’s just how I planned it—I wanted to see and experience everything! Since I’ve been in Canada, though, I decided to stay places a bit longer (7 nights per stop), allowing myself to settle in a bit more, and at times, just “be.” Do I know how to slow down? Well, not really, but I’m learning! I’ve discovered that having limited WiFi from time to time has really allowed me to disconnect from the chaos of the world, and reconnect with myself a bit. I’d spend evenings at Knouff Lake in total silence (that’s right, I couldn’t even have music playing as it required WiFi). So I put together a couple of puzzles, read some books and did some devotionals. Just making lemonade!
Since it is the beginning of Fall, however, I find I still can’t live without my Longhorns sports! I was able to figure out how to stream them here in Canada (no small feat, but accomplished it nonetheless). Sitting out on the front porch of the lodge as the sun set over the lake, Maisie at my feet, and Texas volleyball, soccer or football on my laptop—life can sure be good. With the right attitude, at least!
Up next? The Okanagan Valley, don’tcha know?!