BIG drive today from Vancouver to Revelstoke – about 525kms which took us about 6hrs or so. Nothing to complain about though, the highways were great, dual carriageway most of the way so no problem overtaking the trucks at any point and hardly any road works to speak of.
Lots of big monster trucks on the highway though, God these guys like their big cars. Even the huge Winnebago style motorhomes that are towing along a little runabout car are not carrying a little swift or something, they’re carrying a SUV or something like a Ford Explorer… there’s no doing things by halves that’s for sure.
The scenery en route was absolutely gorgeous, unfortunately because I drove all the way I don’t have any photos, but it went through thick pine forests up to arid alpine passes and lush lower canyons and valley with greyish glacial rivers running through them. Still plenty of snow up on the peaks given it’s supposed to be summer. Mind you no one in Vancouver seemed to have gotten the memo that 20 degrees and crisp and sunny doesn’t mean it’s shorts and singlet tops weather! People were getting around dressed like it was 35 degrees. :S
Anyway, we made it to Canyon Hotsprings in the Albert Canyon, half way between Revelstoke National Park and Glacier National Park. As implied by the name… there are thermal hotsprings here and I’ve just gone and soaked my already travel weary bones and have created a new travel rule – do not go on long drives ANYWHERE that do not end in natural hot springs of some sort. I feel so revived compared to that whole ‘In the car all day/wrung out dishrag’ thing that you get after a long day driving. So I guess that will limit my future travel plans to New Zealand, Japan and any other country surrounded by volcanic acivity!
Also, apparently there’s BEARS around here… and by ‘around here’, I mean in the grounds and surrounds of this resort we are staying in. On arrival, we were given a list of Bear Safety Instructions:
– Do not feed the bears!!
– Absolutely no food or garbage to be left laying about.
– Do not go near bears for pictures etc.
– Do not dump cooking grease in firepits or in the bush.
– Secure all food in vehicles or in a tree away from your tent sites.
– Do not keep food, toiletries etc in tent with you.
– For the safety of you and others you maya be asked to leave if you do not take these precautions.
Naturally, since we are staying in a very sturdy wood cabin, the above information has made me wonder where exactly is the optimal place to leave food outside our cabin that would order to afford the best possible view of scavenging bears from the safety of our windows! š
