July 23-Aug13
BACK ON THE MAINLAND
We made it back to our mini home on wheels in good time. Misty was still at the Alley Cat Hotel and we weren’t going to pick her up until Monday afternoon. So we had time to get groceries, unpack and sort laundry. We were chastised by management for using all of the machines at one go – there were signs saying to use only two machines but I figured I was using two and Jerry was using two. Oh well, we won’t do that again.
Misty was glad to see us but I’m not certain she was ready to leave the hotel. She seemed to enjoy staying there and it was apparent that she received good care. Once back at the trailer though, she let us know how much she missed us. For the first few days she was very needy and didn’t like it if she couldn’t see one of us. That’s OK we were more than happy to give her lots of pats and scratches and enjoyed the more than usual COL time (that’s cat-on-lap for those of you who don’t have a cat).
The week after the cruise was very hot and humid. So hot it was uncomfortable to sit outside. We got many chores done while the air conditioner ran non-stop.
We have been staying in the Anmore Camp and RV park since early July. When we arrived, everything was lush and green and Buntzen Lake was very cold. Now at the beginning of August, grasses in the area are going brown and looking a little ragged. We did get rain yesterday though so that will help.
I assume at one time, Anmore was a village but now it just blends in with Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Surrey etc. The Greater Vancouver Area has enclosed all these communities just as the GTA has done with North York, Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill. We’ve driven into downtown Vancouver a few times and of course seen the differences in a lot of the areas. We’ve been along Hastings street and have seen a large community of homeless people camped on the sidewalks. It is sad that just a few blocks away are numerous posh hotels and high end stores like Rodeo, Dior, Gucci, Breitling etc. - similar to Toronto’s Bloor Street. We have since heard that the fire department determined the area to be unsafe and the police, it sounds, quite brutally cleared the area. I haven’t heard where these vulnerable people have gone.
Anmore/Port Moody appear to be quiet wealthy communities. Out of curiosity, I asked Siri what the average price of a house was in the area. I was shocked! The answer was between 3.5 and 5.5 million! I did find what I thought was a more reasonable listing at 1.2 million but then I realized it was a vacant lot! There is a fair bit of construction happening near the campground. At these prices, Jerry and I figure that the campground won’t be around for much longer. There are quite a few “full time/workers” here and a few transients like us. It’s a bit of a different feel here but the camp works great for us. It has a great laundry room and showers.
There was one drawback to our site. I know it was done to make things look nice but heck it was hard to navigate around the decorations! Clifford bumped them a few times.
So what have we been doing since the cruise ended? Beside chores, we have been to Stanley Park several times, ridden the Sky Train to downtown, taken a Highlights of Vancouver bus tour, gone swimming in Buntzen Lake (much warmer now), ridden a trail beside the Fraser and Pitt Rivers, visited Osprey Village, and arranged a check-up for Clifford. We were in the Surrey Toyota Dealership where I wrote this.
Stanley Park is an interesting area with lots to do there. We attended two performances at Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) at the Malkin Bowl. This organization has been performing musicals in Stanley Park for over 80 years. The shows were great. The first one we saw was “Something Rotten.” It was very funny with good songs and an interesting story. We had such a good time we decided to go back to see “We Will Rock You.”(A futuristic musical based on Queen’s music.)
Something Rotten
We Will Rock You
We told you about the Aquarium in an earlier blog but I don’t think we mentioned the great T-Shirts sporting terrible puns they had for sale.
Talking about cool T-Shirts, there was one at the Raptor Centre in Sitka that Jerry considered for himself. I wish he had bought it.
Our bus tour took us to Stanley Park and stopped at the Totem Poles,
We also rode our bikes around the seawall in Stanley park. It gave us a different perspective of places we’d seen before from the car and the bus.
We became quite familiar with parking Clifford in Stanley Park but downtown was a nightmare. We took the Sky Train into the city the day of our tour. The bus tour was OK. It was one of the extremely hot days and we were glad the bus was air conditioned but it was still very close inside. We made a brief stop on Grandville Island where we listened to a busker and got some lunch at a bakery. It was an opportunity to shop but the weather was not conducive to browsing so after our lunch we just went for ice cream and waited for the tour bus to return.
Dragons on the light standards in Chinatown.
Steam Clock
While on the tour, we saw a lot of the downtown area attractions - like this steam clock that runs on … steam, of course!
Buntzen Lake, a BC Hydro reservoir.
Very popular lake. You have to reserve parking (free) because they are so busy. We biked a couple of times and drove a few too. Spent our last afternoon here on a beautiful sunny day.
From Anmore, we drove the Sea to Sky Highway to Squamish and the Klahanie Campground – our home for a few days.
View along the Sea to Sky Highway
Shannon Falls
The view from our site in Squamish. Squamish means wind.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park is located 58 kilometers north of Vancouver and 2 kilometers south of Squamish. The park covers an area of 87 hectares. The main point of interest is Shannon Falls, the third highest waterfall in BC, where water falls from a height of 335 meters (1,099 ft). The falls are named after William Shannon who first settled the property in 1889 and made bricks in the area. We paid a premium for a site with a falls view. That was all that was available when I booked the campground.
Our site in Squamish (with falls in background)
The camp has a collection of rusted antique cars and trucks (for Mark & Marilyn 😂)
We both felt that a massage would be good for us. While still in Anmore we booked massages at the Scandinave Spa in Whistler. We have been to the one in Collingwood and the one at Mount Tremblant. We figured we should visit them all. I (Elizabeth) really enjoy the Nordic baths, steam rooms and solariums.
Tantalus Mountains on the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler
After dropping off our laundry and visiting the Counterpart Coffee Roastery in Squamish, we spent a lovely afternoon with Jersene at her condo in Squamish.
Jersene is a dear friend of Elizabeth’s from high school who moved to Squamish last year, where her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren live. We enjoyed her company and the great dinner Jersene made for us. We have connected over Zoom but we haven’t had an in-person visit in several years.
Elizabeth and Jersene also joined a Zoom meeting with seven other Richmond Hill High School grads who are planning a 50+1 year reunion in September.
After dinner we took a short walk to the estuary to see one of Jersene’s favourite views. I also brought her one of my pastel paintings that reminds her of this view at sunset. We wrapped it up in loads of bubble wrap before storing it behind the sofa in the trailer. It only travelled about 6,000 kms to her condo.
The pastel in its new home.
Jerry, Elizabeth and Jersene with “The Chief” in the background at Squamish.
Incredible mountain views
On Wednesday the three of us took the Sea to Sky Gondola ride up the Chief. It was a nice day and the view is magnificent. There is a short suspension bridge from the summit to an easy trail. I managed to negotiate the path and we headed back for lunch.
From the summit
At the end of the day it was tough to say good-bye. We had such a nice time with Jersene. Perhaps we’ll see her again at the reunion. Jerry and I need to figure out if we (or just me) can manage to fly back to Ontario for the party. Misty will need to find accommodations again.
That’s it for now. Our next destination is Clinton, (and Quesnel BC where we are now.)
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu!
Love from,
Jerry, Elizabeth, Misty, FJ (Flat Jesus), the Guys, Miss Adventure Too, and Clifford the Big Red Truck.
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