BC Interior 2017
Another 1330 kms on the Honda without a hitch. !
Head out of Victoria for the ferry to the main land - on the 10 am sailing. A motor bike goes to the head of the line ! It is an easy sailing and we arrive on schedule at 11:30 in Tsawwassen. Head due east to #99 south. Then # 10 east. In Langley I see an Olive Garden and stop for lunch. On to hwy 1. Gas up in Abbotsford. The mountains seem endless all around this part of the hwy. Outside of Bridal Falls it starts to rain. I stop in Hope at the tourist info for a map and fire conditions to the north. The sun is out now and i dry out quickly. A fellow rider suggests i ride through Spencers Bridge, but it is not on my map. At the last minute I decide to take # 5 - the Coquhola - north to Merritt. It is posted at 120 klm. The endless trees and the mountains are amazing. my hand is cold from the air up here. Glad i have a leather jacket. Passing over a gulch I am terrified of the height. Janet should have warned me about this.....but it is spectacular and the road condition is great. There is an avalache area to pass through. Coming into the town of Merritt there is a strong wind. I book into the Copper Valley Motel ($75) and walk around town. From every point in this town you see mountains (small ones) . There is an Aquatic centre, bowling alley and curling arena. Three pubs that I saw. The big event is a country music festival and there are numerous country singers painted on the downtown buildings. The motor track has a motor bike race in August for all categories. I wish I could do it. I have dinner at the Coldwater hotel (built in 1906).
It is a beautiful morning. I walk to a cafe for breakfast. Packed and on the road before 10 am. 97C eastbound is great. Vast space and little traffic. Caught sight of water spilling from the rock in a mountain! I want to see Kelowna so have to go through Kelowna West (ugh) but downtown Kelowna is pretty on Okanagan Lake. I head south on 97 to Peachland. Very pretty on the same lake. Houses built high into the hills. Stop in Summerland for a peach tart. A historic trail for the Cariboo Gold rush is around the corner. There are swimming areas that look nice. I stop in Penticton which is lovely and also is on Okanagan Lake. This lake is huge! (at 135 Klms is is more a river) Penticton is geared to summer. Heading south I am in Oliver the winery capital of Canada. I stop for a pint of blueberries. Okanagan Valley has hot spots, where the air gets 10 degrees warmer. I get a piece of pizza and wander on the street. Osoyoos is very nice and becomes twisty with a 20 klm switchback ! Now on #3 going east. A small town, Bridesville, has some unattractive buildings... Greenwood (population 665) is a seemingly ghost town at 4 pm. I arrive in Grand Forks about 5 pm after 390 klms today. Walk to a pub downtown near the river. See a dozen deer. A couple I chat with are from Kelowna. I walk to a place near my hotel for dinner and walk back with the sun setting.
Warm morning and set out to Washington state. Easy border crossing into Danville. The road is wonderful, with a stream following # 21. A fox changes her mind about crossing. Into Republic where I stop for coffee. Pick up the scenic hwy 20 (N. Cascades Hwy) heading west into Tonaset. There are times where i am alone on the hwy. I am south into Omak, a industry looking town. Stop for inexpensive gas fill up. Then the #20 becomes twisty and tree covered and rolling hills- so pretty. Stop in Winthrop for lunch. A calzone on outside patio and it is now HOT ! there is a festival going on here and it is busy. West into Okanagan national park where the mountains are 5,000 to 9,000 feet ! There are roads with sheer drops and steep climbs and sharp turns, gravel shoulders... i try not to look anywhere but ahead but it is nerve wracking....luckily not much traffic. The icy snow is right beside the highway at this level ! I stop at Rainy Pass trailhead to the Pacific Crest Trail. At Ross Dam a HUGE decent to a crystal blue/green lake below. It is beautiful. At the bottom is a swimming spot and many people have stopped. Sheer cliffs around sharp corners but it is SO pretty. I love this part of scenic hwy 20. It follows the Skagit River. Pass through some cute little towns. Have a reservation in Bellingham tonight so keep on riding. Have to get on interstate 5 north but even that is pretty. Find my hotel easily. Change and walk out to a pub. A local woman beside me tells me where to swim and how to get downtown. There is an actual drive in diner here with a tray next to the cars that drive up. Thai for dinner and head back to American tv. Discover this show, Origins, which advertise this site: values.com
After breakfast (portion so big i cannot finish) i ride and park downtown. Town has trails but they are LITTERED with homeless men. There is a great organic store on the main road. Plenty of rainbow flags and signs in the shops about inclusiveness. The outdoor patios are quite busy at 11 am. Head north to the US crossing. 30 minute wait.. in the heat of the day! Back in Canada and i go into White Rock for the beach -- huge beach.
A quick stop at Tsawwassen mall and then on the the ferry. There is a 2 vessel wait but on a motorbike I pass all those cars to the head of the line and first to board ! ! ha ha
I live on an island in the Pacific Ocean! Life is surprising....
Head out of Victoria for the ferry to the main land - on the 10 am sailing. A motor bike goes to the head of the line ! It is an easy sailing and we arrive on schedule at 11:30 in Tsawwassen. Head due east to #99 south. Then # 10 east. In Langley I see an Olive Garden and stop for lunch. On to hwy 1. Gas up in Abbotsford. The mountains seem endless all around this part of the hwy. Outside of Bridal Falls it starts to rain. I stop in Hope at the tourist info for a map and fire conditions to the north. The sun is out now and i dry out quickly. A fellow rider suggests i ride through Spencers Bridge, but it is not on my map. At the last minute I decide to take # 5 - the Coquhola - north to Merritt. It is posted at 120 klm. The endless trees and the mountains are amazing. my hand is cold from the air up here. Glad i have a leather jacket. Passing over a gulch I am terrified of the height. Janet should have warned me about this.....but it is spectacular and the road condition is great. There is an avalache area to pass through. Coming into the town of Merritt there is a strong wind. I book into the Copper Valley Motel ($75) and walk around town. From every point in this town you see mountains (small ones) . There is an Aquatic centre, bowling alley and curling arena. Three pubs that I saw. The big event is a country music festival and there are numerous country singers painted on the downtown buildings. The motor track has a motor bike race in August for all categories. I wish I could do it. I have dinner at the Coldwater hotel (built in 1906).
It is a beautiful morning. I walk to a cafe for breakfast. Packed and on the road before 10 am. 97C eastbound is great. Vast space and little traffic. Caught sight of water spilling from the rock in a mountain! I want to see Kelowna so have to go through Kelowna West (ugh) but downtown Kelowna is pretty on Okanagan Lake. I head south on 97 to Peachland. Very pretty on the same lake. Houses built high into the hills. Stop in Summerland for a peach tart. A historic trail for the Cariboo Gold rush is around the corner. There are swimming areas that look nice. I stop in Penticton which is lovely and also is on Okanagan Lake. This lake is huge! (at 135 Klms is is more a river) Penticton is geared to summer. Heading south I am in Oliver the winery capital of Canada. I stop for a pint of blueberries. Okanagan Valley has hot spots, where the air gets 10 degrees warmer. I get a piece of pizza and wander on the street. Osoyoos is very nice and becomes twisty with a 20 klm switchback ! Now on #3 going east. A small town, Bridesville, has some unattractive buildings... Greenwood (population 665) is a seemingly ghost town at 4 pm. I arrive in Grand Forks about 5 pm after 390 klms today. Walk to a pub downtown near the river. See a dozen deer. A couple I chat with are from Kelowna. I walk to a place near my hotel for dinner and walk back with the sun setting.
Warm morning and set out to Washington state. Easy border crossing into Danville. The road is wonderful, with a stream following # 21. A fox changes her mind about crossing. Into Republic where I stop for coffee. Pick up the scenic hwy 20 (N. Cascades Hwy) heading west into Tonaset. There are times where i am alone on the hwy. I am south into Omak, a industry looking town. Stop for inexpensive gas fill up. Then the #20 becomes twisty and tree covered and rolling hills- so pretty. Stop in Winthrop for lunch. A calzone on outside patio and it is now HOT ! there is a festival going on here and it is busy. West into Okanagan national park where the mountains are 5,000 to 9,000 feet ! There are roads with sheer drops and steep climbs and sharp turns, gravel shoulders... i try not to look anywhere but ahead but it is nerve wracking....luckily not much traffic. The icy snow is right beside the highway at this level ! I stop at Rainy Pass trailhead to the Pacific Crest Trail. At Ross Dam a HUGE decent to a crystal blue/green lake below. It is beautiful. At the bottom is a swimming spot and many people have stopped. Sheer cliffs around sharp corners but it is SO pretty. I love this part of scenic hwy 20. It follows the Skagit River. Pass through some cute little towns. Have a reservation in Bellingham tonight so keep on riding. Have to get on interstate 5 north but even that is pretty. Find my hotel easily. Change and walk out to a pub. A local woman beside me tells me where to swim and how to get downtown. There is an actual drive in diner here with a tray next to the cars that drive up. Thai for dinner and head back to American tv. Discover this show, Origins, which advertise this site: values.com
After breakfast (portion so big i cannot finish) i ride and park downtown. Town has trails but they are LITTERED with homeless men. There is a great organic store on the main road. Plenty of rainbow flags and signs in the shops about inclusiveness. The outdoor patios are quite busy at 11 am. Head north to the US crossing. 30 minute wait.. in the heat of the day! Back in Canada and i go into White Rock for the beach -- huge beach.
A quick stop at Tsawwassen mall and then on the the ferry. There is a 2 vessel wait but on a motorbike I pass all those cars to the head of the line and first to board ! ! ha ha
I live on an island in the Pacific Ocean! Life is surprising....
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| Merritt, BC |
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| Rainy Pass, WA |
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