Metric – I got on the Internet for just a couple minutes this morning (they've warned me it could cost me as much as $20 for 5 megs in Canada), to convert kilograms and metres, so I would know which bridges I can go under (11 feet is 3.85 metres) and what my weight is. I don’t have to worry unless they restrict the road to 5000 kg or under).
Coast – I spent the morning driving up the coast. The highway along the coast was awesome (Howe Sound, actually). Or, I could tell that it would be awesome, if the clouds weren’t obscuring most of the mountains. The coastline is more rugged than any other I've seen. The mountains are higher. Reminds me of the Big Sur coastline in California. Only more. Bigger. More rugged. This is definitely a drive that I want to take some time when the weather is better, and take more time. I stopped at two provincial parks and saw Shannon Falls and Brandywine Falls, each impressive in its own way:
Shannon Falls [right], because it falls so far, from way high up in the mountain. Reminded me of the falls in Norway (though the Norway falls are longer); 
Brandywine [left] because it's a full river falls, and perfect. And the sun came out and shown on the falls just as I was going to take my picture. :-) Squamish – I stopped at the Wal-Mart here to pick up some meat and cheese for sandwiches. I was surprised at the small selections of everything. There were few choices on the meats, few choices on the cheeses. And the cheeses were sold only in bigger blocks, packaging that I’ve never seen before. Like, if you make it in to town, you’re only going to buy big quantities, to last you till the next time you make it in to town, maybe. But the VIEW from the parking lot, with the mountain peaks looming above!!! Incredible.
Much of the land that I'm driving through is Squamish Nation Territory, and I see evidence of that in the signs and totems as I drive along. Many place names in BC are from the native languages, or First Peoples, as they are called here. They are unfamiliar to me, and some are completely impossible to read or pronounce (like TK'EMLUPS Car Wash).
Sea-to-Sky Highway - This route took me through Whistler. I had planned to take the peak-to-peak gondola ride, but with the clouds and the rain, I wouldn’t have seen much, so I will save that for next time I’m here, when the weather is better. I saw only glimpses of Mt. Garibaldi, though I can tell from the glimpses that the views in Whistler would be spectacular on a clear, sunny day. I definitely want to come back some day when I can spend more time and really see it. I got gas for the first time in BC, for $1.094 per litre ($4.26 per gallon).
CG – I saw a sign for a B&B and RV campground in Lillooet and stopped. I’ve never stayed at a place like this before. This guy has made three RV sites on his property, and built a little cabin. Actually, paying $25 for a site with only 10 amp power, and no shower, and no WIFI, is a little steep. But I am too tired to go any further today and it's at least 2 1/2 hours over the mountains. It’s different also in that he advertises that he speaks German, and he was obviously a little disappointed when I told him I did not. The other couple staying here does speak German. I guess the owner is probably a German ex-pat. I have a wonderful view of the mountains. And it’s very quiet here. I learned one thing: My laptop works fine when I'm running on 10 amps. I did finally see some RVs today, in the provincial parks parking lots and on the scenic road I was on all afternoon. Makes me feel better, that I’m not the only one on the road. :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment