Canada, oh Canada
The Sea-to-Sky Highway. Aptly named! What a gorgeous drive from Vancouver along the coast up into the mountains through Whistler, Pemberton and Lillooet. This is one time I wish I had another driver with me—the views were so dramatic, but the road was very steep and curvy! Still, everywhere I looked was like a living, breathing painting. We stopped at a town called Squamish which, according to Google, “is a vibrant district municipality in British Columbia known as the ‘Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.’” We hung out there for an hour or two, exploring this small coastal town with unimaginable beauty surrounding it.
We arrived at our next week-long destination: another ‘Mayberry’-like town called Lillooet. It was a small but scenic Western town with no stoplights and no real tourism, so I drank some lemonade ;-) and spent time taking in its beautiful mountains, rivers and bridges without the noise of a bunch of development and a million tourists milling about. It gave me the opportunity to discover little gems like an old bridge worthy now of just pedestrians, not vehicles, crossing over the Fraser River. And a funky old coffee shop with modern vibes but vintage décor.
That’s where I was reminded of one of the things I think I like most about my current version of traveling: meeting people and sharing stories. I literally just had a 30-minute conversation at that coffee shop with a lovely couple from Belgium – Cindy and Kristoff. They were RVing across part of Canada, in reverse order that I was, going to most of the same places. So we got to share good information on where to go and what to see, as well as just talk about life. And dogs, of course. So wonderful.
Then just as soon as the Belgium couple left, two Canadian lads of my same vintage ;-) got to talking about Doodles—they had 3 with them— as well as camping, exploring BC and the PNW, the beautiful BC lower mainland and coastline, and life in general. People everywhere can be so friendly. A good reminder for all of us when it seems like the world is falling apart.
Another Bucket List Ski Resort
And what can I say about Whistler? Near the top of my Canadian bucket list, I finally get to put a checkmark next to this iconic ski village. Well, I think I’ll make it ¾ of a checkmark, finishing the last ¼ when I come back during the winter! This beautiful village is so quaint, so charming, so beautiful IMHO (in my honest opinion). And a lack of snow in the summer months does NOT slow this town down! Many of the ski slopes were converted to dirt bike tracks, and dang, there were a TON of people there for that very reason. Maisie and I walked over seven miles around the area, including a stroll around Lost Lake, the North Village and the Village Centre. We meandered through the village, wandering in and out of shops, and watched everyone take on the ski slopes on their bikes. I couldn’t resist a chocolate croissant from a sidewalk café—something I did just about every day when traveling in Europe two years ago. Yum!
After a late dinner at Mile One Eating House in Pemberton (delish!), I thought it a good idea to take a longish walk with Maisie around the town. Was it after dark? Yes. Pitch black? Pretty much. But I thought it’d be a good idea to take her to an off-leash dog park so she can run off the last of her wiggles. So I found one on my map app, only 0.4 miles away. As we got closer (according to my map, anyway, because I sure couldn’t tell due to the limited light provided by streetlights and townhomes), do you know what I suddenly remembered? THIS IS BEAR COUNTRY. Nope! I listened to my gut for once (I am actually getting a little better at that), and we headed back to the truck. The dog park can certainly wait!
The next morning, we headed over to the site of the alpine ski jumping at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, just 15 miles west of the Whistler Village Centre. I cannot resist any and all things OLYMPICS! I’ve been blessed to know a few Olympians, and certainly met many more through all my years at UT. When I hear the Olympic Fanfare theme, I just get tingly inside. Corny, huh?
I was thrilled to discover I could walk up to the alpine ski jumps, and Maisie was allowed, too! Winner, winner! Was it cold and rainy that morning? Yes. Did I mind? Absolutely not. What. A. Hike. Starting at the bottom of the hill, they allowed you to walk up a narrow, metal-step staircase, a mere 538 steps ;-), which landed us near the base of the tower that the skiers jump from. Almost there! Well, as it turned out, not really. The path to the actual base of the tower was a curvy trail that wound its way up the mountain through the forest. There was a deer that crossed our path and Maisie went NUTS—I had to quiet her down as best I could because I didn’t want to rouse any bears that might be in the area! No one else was around, I assume because of the weather. So, we trod on.
At one point we came upon a rise in the path; it was probably 15-20 feet long at about a 30-degree incline, but was hard, slippery rock. I guess it’s always been like that because what did my little eyes see but a handy rope, tied to a tree! My initial thought was, “What the heck?” But we had gotten that far, I decided not to let a little unexpected rock-climbing keep me from going on. With Maisie’s leash around my waist, I pulled myself up with the rope. Thank God I wore my hiking boots! What a trip.
We finally reached the base, climbed another 36 metal stairs, and LORD, HAVE MERCY. The views were stunning! Even on a somewhat-rainy day. I got to stand at the top where the skiers prepare for their jumps. Can you imagine? It was breathtaking.
I was glad to have spotted an actual road that we could walk back on. Well, a gravel road, a little muddy due to the rain, and noisy due to the gravel (remember, I didn’t want to alert any bears of our presence), but relieved that I didn’t have to put my legs through the walk up in reverse! We next headed back to Whistler for a hot breakfast at a sidewalk café, which was perfect fuel for the drive back to Lillooet.
All in all, it was a fantastic introduction to the beauty and adventure that is British Columbia. Next we’re headed to a campsite on a lake in the mountains near Kamloops, with an anticipated drop in temperatures. Squuueeeeee!