Road trip, Part 1 - July 7 to July 18

At the Marigold Resort, Loon Lake, Cariboo Country, B.C.

Standing: Lynne, Janice, Marie, Grace, Lizett, Sebastian, myself

Sitting: Porfirio

At the Marigold Resort, Loon Lake, Cariboo Country, B.C.

Lynne, Janice, Grace and Marie

Loon Lake, Cariboo Country, B.C.

View from the deck at the Marigold Resort cabin, Loon Lake, Cariboo Country, B.C.

Myself and Richard with his 1981 Corvette, Salmon Arm, B.C.

Evening light over a cornfield, near Armstrong, B.C.

Lunch with Les at Tonics, Kelowna, B.C.

Nola in her garden in Rutland, near Kelowna, B.C.

LEFT VANCOUVER on a warm Saturday, driving north through Squamish and Pemberton. The Toyota was loaded down with camping equipment, groceries, art supplies and more. The dramatic drive to Lillooet was over the Duffey Lake Road. Around the halfway point, and high up in the mountains, a motorcyclist was lying near his overturned bike. The grim scene, next to a low retaining wall was in front of a steep drop off. A long skid mark, ahead of a tight corner, suggested too much speed. Several motorists were gathered around him, while medical help was coming. Before long route four emergency vehicles passed, me coming the other way, before the road plunged down into the Seton Valley and dry belt country. In the late afternoon, temperatures soared past 35ºC down in the valley bottom. Luckily there were still available spots at the BC Hydro campsite when i drove in. My shady camping spot, on smooth gravel, had been raked and and at the pack of the site was a clean picnic table. Good well water and washrooms were close at hand too. Finally, my camping was even free of charge. Setting up my large tent, for the first time ever alone, went very smoothly. Was able to cook up hot water later, to wash with before bed, on the tiny backpacking stove. This is the one luxury i prefer to hold onto, even when i am "roughing it."

Woke up on several stacked yoga mats after a decent sleep. Breakfast at the Reynolds Hotel in Lillooet, included amazing pan-fried potatoes, but was also your typical caloric onslaught. The cafe atmosphere was friendly to the extreme with the coffee cup being constantly topped-up. Waddled out to the car and continued across the Fraser River before turning north towards the Cariboo Country. My destination was Loon Lake, only a three hour drive away. As i was meeting friends there i thought i would time my arrival for after lunch. Reached the Marigold Resort before the other eight arrived. The location was quite lovely, beside a long lake and and nestled amongst two rows of low mountains. As a group we were to be spread out over two trailers and two cabins. Fortunately i was sharing the biggest cabin, equipped with two bedrooms which i shared with Grace and Porfirio. Soon the others arrived via the Trans Canada Highway and the Fraser Canyon. From Sunday to Wednesday, the string of days were marked by communal meals and conviviality. There was lots of time to read, or paint in my case, a good mix of socializing and quiet time. In the evenings, while the loon calls echoed across the quiet waters, and fish with fish jumping here and there, we came together around the campfire. 

Duffey Lake Rd - Google Maps

Marigold Resort - Loon Lake BC - Spectacular and Affordable BC Vacation Resort -                Fish, Relax and Play at The Marigold Resort, Loon Lake, BC

In the middle of the week, i drove on to Salmon Arm where i met a former neighbour named Richard. Over a year ago, he had originally located me, via Facebook. We had not seen each other since 1960, which was when i was ten and he a very much older teenager. Back then Richard lived across the street from our house, in Oak Bay (Victoria, B.C.), In his process of searching out new stories, i was contacted too, for impressions from our street. His project covered a span of time from the War years to the 1960s. Richard's website about Wilmot Place, included stories of some of the same families i knew too, on our Cul-de-sac. Needless to say, we had many childhood memories that we could share. My Salmon Arm host arranged to meet me at the local Tim Hortons, so being without a cell phone i called him from the restaurant, upon my arrival. A very fit senior soon made his appearance in the parking lot, in a red 1981 Corvette, no longer the teenager i knew from 52 years ago. On Richard's suggestion, we roared off into town, where he rightly felt the coffee would be better.  For 2 1/2 hours we exchanged recollections of Wilmot Place. Soon it was time to be taken back to my car and shown the way to Highway 97 and out of town. Spent the evening at a wonderful bed and breakfast near Armstrong.

Richard's research on Wilmot Place, my street from the childhood years:
STREET RECOLLECTIONS

Schubert Estate Bed & Breakfast - B&B Reviews, Deals - Armstrong, Canada - TripAdvisor.

My journey continued to Kelowna where i visited two friends. Saw Les first and we talked over lunch. I first met Les in 1969 when he was a UBC student in his final year of Education and i, a student at Vancouver Schood of Art and studying Graphic Design. It was good to catch up with him as i don't see Les very often. Later i met up with Nola. Despite the heat we went for a good walk in Rutland before sitting down to a nice supper at a Greek restaurant. When we got home, the two of us sat outside on her big covered deck and shared a bottle of red wine from the 1990s. While we laughed and exchanged stories a storm swept over the hills to south, bringing with the growl of thunder and occasional pyrotechnics of lightening playing along the ridge line. It was here that i spent the night, in the comfortable guest suite, in Nola's basement.

too be continued...