Super, Natural British Columbia!

Corrigan tried to hitch a ride with another tourist - but he decided our setup was a bit more comfortable.

Reached Cache Creek, British Columbia, after a day of rainy, very muddy driving through several construction areas where we were led by pilot cars.  Added about two hours onto the drive. By the time we got to Cache Creek, we were pooped.

Cache Creek area is very arid – started seeing sage brush and brown hills similar to what we see at home, except there were pines instead of California Oaks on the hillsides. This is cowboy country big time!  Lots of dude ranches, wooden corrals and grazing horses.

View of the Fraser River.

Tunnels for the Trans-Canada trains. 

Just south of Cache Creek, Cariboo Highway terminated into the Trans-Canada Highway.  Russ and his family had traveled the Trans-Canada many years ago on their way to the Seattle World's Fair.  Understandably, Russ didn't recognize any of the road. Stopped at Hell’s Gate in Fraser River Valley.  Very wild looking river and canyon area.  Took a very nice tram ride to the other side of the canyon and had one of the best burgers I’ve eaten on this whole trip.

Pay no attention to the woman with the crazy hair!  She has not been to her hairdresser for almost 4 months and the hair has taken on a life of its own.

View of Fraser River as we cross in the tram. The concrete formations are fish ladders which allow salmon to move upstream.

The tram descends about 500 feet from one side of the canyon to the other.

The obligatory gift shop, fudge shoppe and restaurant.

The Trans-Canada Highway is very twisty going through Fraser Canyon.

Our RV park is about 20 miles outside of Vancouver – a very quiet park with beautiful gardens.  Still a lot of agriculture in the area, mostly blueberries and sorghum. Made for about a 45 minute commute into the town, but the drive was very interesting. Decided to stay only four days since we will be coming back in the next year or two to take a cruise up the Inside Passage and we will do a more extensive tour of the area, including Victoria and Vancouver Island. I am very impressed with Vancouver and the people.  The city is very modern and clean.  The people are extremely polite (something we have also found elsewhere in Canada). They are very proud that they hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics and very embarrassed that riots occurred after the Stanley Cup finals. Did not know that the citizens came out in force to voluntarily clean up the aftermath – pretty impressive.

Outside the Vancouver Aquarium.

This serving bowl is about four feet long - the people really knew how to throw great buffets!

The Raven and the birth of the First People - the Haida.  Carved by a modern-day totem pole carver and artist, Bill Reid.

Dancing demonstration at the Museum of Anthropology.

An authentic Haida village with totems - outside the Museum of Anthropology.

The first Tibetan monastery built in North America.  Huge building!

On the same street as the monastery is an India cultural center.  There was also a muslim center, muslim secondary school, a Sikh temple and several Christian churches.

The convention centre and view of Vancouver's skyline.

Two cruise ships were in port the day we toured.

View of the Disney cruise ship and two seaplanes taking off. Heard the ship's whistle "When You Wish Upon a Star.." as it was leaving.

One of the many art sculptures throughout the city.

A clock run by steam.  Every fifteen minutes, it plays Westminster chimes.

The Olympic Flame. This was lit by Wayne Gretzky on opening night of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

A moth that looks like a decaying leaf, part of an exhibit on the Amazon at the Vancouver Aquarium.

These guys reminded me of Richard Scarry's worms.

This very large (about 3 feet across) sea turtle was rescued north of Vancouver after he ran out of the warm water stream he was swimming in.  Almost died of hypothermia.

A very pretty, poisonous frog.

We are heading south through Washington and Oregon.  Expect to be home the first week of October. I probably will do one more blog after this to wrap up this grand adventure.  Hard to believe it is almost over!