The long Drive Home. Cranbrook to Vancouver.

Thursday July 21st

We woke this morning in our Motel room, Elizabeth lake Lodge in Cranbrook. This is one of the best hotel/motel rooms we've ever stayed in. The only drawback like allot of North American Motels there's  no restaurant machine for breakfast However our room does have a mini kitchen and a coffee machine.

By 9am the Van is repacked and we are off once again.

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The mural completely covering the end of the Motel.

The front and check-in of the lodge.

It's a dull morning with rain threatening. We motor on through the East Kootnay Mountain Pass  The automatic clock changes back one hour to Pacific time. At the little town of Creston we stop for breakfast. Where? Tim Hortons of course. A double double coffee and a sausage and egg wrap.

We leave the plains of the valley and climb the long winding road of the Kootnay Pass. At the peak of the pass up at the snow line we motor through rain and clouds. Mile after mile of pine lined mountains. The weather grey with occasional showers. Not much traffic. I take a nap the others stare out of the windows.Jaine sleeps at our feet. Shes been a good traveler. Occasionally she will get up turn round and settle down again.

  Around lunch time we arrive in Grand Fork in a wide valley. This is known as Boundary area. Apparently, a few years ago, the Mayor of the Town , a very popular fellow, Use to farm pot! Many Russians settled here and on the outskirts of the town are many scattered homesteads scattered on the gentle valley slopes. Mostly arable farming and quite allot with neat vegetable plots. The soil looks fertile here.

After more mile travel we arrive at a town called greenwood. We need lunch and a break. Through the town nothing appealed but right at the edge we pull in at a collection of wooden shacks. The signs say Deadwood Junction! The stop is a good choice. Two ladies are outside under a roof barbecuing food and the food is hearty and tasty.The shop has the dubious name of 'Tarnished Turkey Cappucino' Inside is an eclectic collection of goods. Hand carved wooden art work. Hand quilted items. Hand made soaps. At the counter the girls serve a particular good brand of coffee as well as other refreshments, hand made cookies and delicious looking chocolates. On the walls are a collection of original very good art work from a collective of 75 Boundary Artists.

We drive on and leave |Boundary and and drive into a dry arid area of British Columbia , The Okanagan  Valley. This area is almost a dessert its so dry. OK, so today there is some rain! we drive into Osoyoos and pull into a Tim Hortons for a refreshment top up.

Here in the valley orchards and vines cover the land. Out of the town we pass small farm shops selling fresh picked fruits. We stop at one that Nancy and John usually buy fruit from and find the produce is not up to expectation. There has been a change of owner. We back track a short distance to another shop. Her the fruit is fresh and they serve hot buttered corn. A juicy snack!

This farm shop has other appeal. Antique farm items are used to display some of the goods for sale.

Outside where the orchards meet the road edge a collection of ancient rusting tractors are displayed among the trees. These fascinates 'Himself'. It was a good job 'Himself' was looking at these as he spotted and caught Jaine who, despite being blind and deaf, had somehow escaped from the van and was walking along the road. It's warm and sunny so we sit for a while in the shade of the trees

Fruit purchased and somehow squeezed into the already packed van we carry on, into the Similkameen Valley  and finally in to the Frazer valley, stopping at the small town of Hope for our final stop. It's quite late so we need some dinner. Not too much choice in Hope and apparently it's always raing here. I can believe that as this is our third visit here and it's rained every time. 

Onward for the last push home. It's about 10.30 as we pull up home. A long long drive and we're glad to be home. It's been a great adventure though, this trip, and we've had a great time. 'Himself' is now kitted out in a complete cowboy outfit, authentic hat boots and wrangler cowboy jeans.