On the Road Again - Delta to Nelson, BC (2016-09-09)



We had thought of taking a road trip in September, heading east to Saskatoon via the northern highway 5 and then returning via the southern highway 3, perhaps doing some camping along the way.  But then the weather turned cool and wet at the beginning of September, and as Marlene gets antsy in the car after 2 hours, we decided to head to Nelson, BC, which is only 7 hours from Vancouver.  We will perhaps hit Saskatoon in November, weather permitting.

 

On Friday morning, after spending a few days with our grandchildren in Delta, we hit the road to Osoyoos, which is about halfway to Nelson, and a logical place to break the journey.

 

We broke the journey with a lunch stop at Coquihala Canyon Provincial Park, just outside of Hope.  I had read online about a trail in the park that takes you through 4 tunnels on an old railway bed, and wanted to investigate further.  This rail line was part of the Kettle Valley Railway, built in the early 1900s and abandoned in the 1950s.  The trail is very flat, and only 2 km each way, so a nice break from the car, but not too strenuous.  The tunnels are all short, so we did not need flashlights (although we had them with us), and between 3 of the tunnels you cross bridges which span the river flowing down the Coquihalla Canyon, providing some great views.  A little beyond the tunnels we reached an intersection with the Hope - Nicola Valley Trail, and this provided a 3 km alternative route back to the parking lot.  Marlene of course chose the longer route back, and we trudged up 800 feet to go over the hill that the tunnels took us through so effortlessly.  But we agreed that it was worth the extra effort. 

 

Othello Tunnels - Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park

 

Our motel in Osoyoos was clean and comfortable, and we walked into town to pick up food supplies for dinner, which gave us an opportunity to see some of the town.  While loading the car the next morning, the car started rocking and I could see the motel windows moving.  The rocking went on for about 30 seconds, and we later learned that it was a magnitude 4.2 earthquake, centred East of Oliver, which is just north of Osoyoos.  I hope this was not an omen for the rest of the trip.

 

Osoyoos from lockout on Highway 3

 Lunch was a picnic at Nancy Green Provincial Park, followed by a 1 hour walk around the lake.  I asked Marlene "who the heck was Nancy Greene?" and she responded that all Canadians know about Nancy Greene, our famous olympic skier.  My excuse is that it was before my time as a Canadian.

  

Picnic lunch at Nancy Greene Provincial Park

 

We noticed that there are lots of provincial parks along highway 3, and they were not very busy, but probably a little cool for us fair-weather campers.

 

Our accommodation in Nelson is a suite on an organic farm about 10 minutes west of town (BioBio Suite).  Our hosts are a Swiss carpenter, his Russian wife, their two sons and two Burmese mountain dogs, and they are self-sufficient on their 5 acre property.  In addition to vegetables, they grow berries and tree fruit, and keep a couple of dairy cows.  They gave us a tour of the property and were happy to share their knowledge of organic farming.  The suite itself is beautiful (and inexpensive), and we know that we will enjoy our seven nights here.