Christina Lake August 15-20

I am fortunate to have friends who live in some beautiful areas and even invite me to visit like Elaine and Terry did.

So August 15 found me on the road to Christina Lake or actually Highway 3.

My trip began with coffee at a neighbourhood coffee shop, The Mighty Oak

I got started a bit later than I had planned

and a stop in Chilliwack for gas and then I was in a traffic jam

due to an accident so I was put back time wise about an hour I think.

Eventually I was moving again and had a quick stop in Manning Park to eat a bit of my packed lunch!

The scenery is beautiful especially when you get into the Similkamean

Keremeos means it is time to check out the fruit stands or I admit it the ice cream!

And any trip to Christina Lake must have a stop at Seven Stones Winery

Next you come to Osoyoos but I just stopped after I left to take a picture

I always am too late for a stop at my favourite coffee shop bakery in Greenwood but I did stretch my legs

I kept on going through Grand Forks although I did have to brake for a deer

and I arrived in Christina Lake around 6:30 just in time for a cooling glass of wine and a delicious dinner!

Here are a few early morning pictures

This is where Terry has been coming since childhood and you can see why they have chosen to live here full time!

Since her move here full time, Elaine has become an avid gardener!

My second day here we were off to the farmers' market in Grand Forks!

I love farmers' markets and this is a fun one!

with all sorts of local produce and crafts!

More views of Terry and Elaine's

And you can see where I loved spending my afternoons

The days were hot but the nights are cool and when you have a lovely lake in which to dip...

The next few pictures are from a walk up the lake

Below is where you can launch a boat on the public wharf

Jazzy the cat is looking rather relaxed here!

A lovely sunset

And a morning shot

Thursday I drove an hour to Castlegar to visit old friends

and Ann gave me a tour of sculptures from their Sculpture Walk.

I thought I would enclose a map so that you can see a bit of the area

A couple of shots from Ann and Terry's

My last day at Christina Lake we went on a boat ride

I took a shot of the house from the water

Another beautiful evening...

Saturday i was back on my way home!  I took the picture below in Grand Forks.

And here we are in Greenwood

Then after Osoyoos I took a short detour to go to the Burrowing Owl Winery

And I made one more winery stop once I was back on Highway 3

The picture below is by the site of the Hope Slide

Eventually I made it home after the shock of traffic coming into Vancouver.  Here is my view at home

Elaine sent me a shot of Christina Lake that night as well-I missed that view!

But Vancouver has its own delights

but I love my visits to Christina Lake!

I hope you enjoyed the virtual trip!

Whistler July 27,28, 2016

There have been some issues with my time share lately as Club Intrawest was bought out by an American company, Diamond, and the members have not been happy but I have enjoyed the freedom to drive up to Whistler and just spend a night and  the resort is lovely as are all Intrawest and now Embarq resorts.

which I did in late July with a friend.

It was a spectacular day when we stopped for lunch at one of my favourite spots, Nita Lodge on Nita Lake

After lunch we arrived at the resort in the Upper Village at Whistler

Marguerite went off to the new Audain Art Museum which I had visited before and I just hung out at the pool

where she later joined me.

It was a beautiful evening and we had dinner and watched the Democratic Convention!

a beautiful morning-another swim for me, and then we then after breakfast, headed up Blackcomb to do the Peak to Peak from Blackcomb to Whistler Mountain and back again

A perfect day for a fun activity

A short, very short hike, brought us to this spectacular scene below!

back down below

We had lunch at Nicholas North Golf Club on Green Lake

And then headed on the spectacular Sea to Sky Highway home

a perfect getaway, my friend who had just finished teaching summer school, said

and I look forward to more...

Cape Cod Day 2 and 3, July 13-14, 2016

On our second day in Cape Cod I wanted to take Donna exploring a bit.  First we had breakfast in Orleans at the Homeport Restaurant.  I just googled for a good place for breakfast and it was just fine.

Our goal was to see a bit of ocean and drive as far as Provincetown.

We ended up going to Rock Harbour.where there was a battle in the War of 1812.

As you can see it is rocky!

I always like how you can find vegetation

We moved up island to Eastham

and went into the National Seashore Information Centre.  We tried to get a half price Seniors' pass but those are only for Americans (seemed a bit unfair).

Below you can see the Nauset Lighthouse which was moved to preserve it away from a high eroding cliff.  

We had kind of an interesting drive to Provincetown as we couldn't get a parking spot at the National Seashore stops and it was so crowded in Provincetown we never stopped!  I once was in Cape Cod in September and it was heavenly as most tourists had gone home.

We stopped in North Truro for lunch

and with a drive through Harwich where I once spent a week we eventually were back in Chatham.  I seemed to have quit taking pictures temporarily.

I guess you can see where we once again had dinner!

And had a final wander around Chatham's streets.

The next morning we were off back to Boston to the airport.  We found another nice spot for breakfast at Bonatt's in Harwich.

We really didn't probably have enough time in Cape Cod but Donna did get a bit of a good taste of New England.

Stormy weather delayed our flight to Ottawa so that instead of getting back to Vancouver that night we had an unplanned night in an Ottawa Hilton Garden near the airport but all in all it was a fun week!