We were wanting to do a hike, but there was really no point. Not good to be breathing in the smoky air, and we wouldn't get much of a view anyhow.
Here's yesterday's drive...
114 kms (71 miles).
We only did 114 kms (71 miles) so we'll have to pick up the pace a little at some point over the next 3 days. We still have 504 kms (312 miles) to do to get to Fairmont Hot Springs after lunch on Friday.
Like I said, this is a beautiful area, and my grandparents on my dad's side farmed here from 1943 until my grandfather's death in 1966. And my father lived in the community of Dunster from about 1943 to 1949. Apparently there is a photo of my dad as a kid in the Dunster museum, so we had wanted to see that, but it's not open on Tuesdays!
Heading southeast towards McBride.
Welcome to McBride!
We went into the McBride Museum, and apparently they also administer the nearby Dunster Museum. They had a copy of the paperwork that my grandmother had put together regarding the history of Dunster. She had compiled all of the info back in the 1950's and put it all together in book form. They had a copy of it in the museum...
My grandmother's writings.
Scenery near Dunster, B.C.
Bridge over the Fraser River.
Sherman made it across!
Dunster scenery.
The Dunster train station is now the museum.
Too bad it is closed on Tuesdays!
The Dunster General Store has been operating continuously for over 100 years!
Then we went looking for a place to park for the night.
There was an old forest service road that I had read about on iOverlander that led to a decent camp site. Only problem was that it was really narrow, and of course you didn't want to meet anybody coming back the other way!
Heading towards our campsite.
Only room for one vehicle!
Yep, this will do just fine!
Sherman, camped at GPS 53.011042, -119.501667
Doing the dishes last night, and I had three bowls in my hands drying them. I have no idea what I did, but all three of them slipped out of my hands. They landed on the carpet, and these Corel bowls are usually pretty tough to break, but when they do break, they shatter into a thousand pieces! One of them did exactly that!
What a mess...
But, at least it was only one of the three!
Today, we will temporarily head into Alberta, and do the beautiful drive from Jasper to Banff area on the Icefields Parkway. No idea where we will end up for the night!
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And in Canada...
How fun to see your grandparents in the history of Dunster and the area! It’s a beautiful area, even with the smoke. We are knee deep in smoke from BC and the east side of the Cascades right now. So bad we can’t even see the mountains that are right out our front door! We’ve been cooped up in the house for three days now it’s so bad. Yikes, about the Corelle ware...I had an entire set we got when we were married in 1979 and after dropping them over the years and trying to clean up the millions of shards they create when broken, I finally got rid of them a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteKevin really enjoyed seeing the booklet that his grandmother put together on the history of Dunster and the area. It was a shame that the museum was closed though, he was looking forward to going in and having a look around it.
DeleteYes, that smoke is everywhere, it is hard to escape it. Not only is down your way but it is also moving all the way east across half of Canada. They really need rain here and badly!
Over the last 11 years we have broken very few of our dishes and until they get something that is just as light and just as nice we will stick with Corelle, we refuse to buy any type of plastic plates for the motorhome. ;-)
Wow again. Your Grandmothers writing is so deep! Really in touch with the wild nature of the area. Was there a human heart? We'll never know. Wow. It's a real shame that we can't see inside the Museum. They have a payphone at the General store! That's a real dinosaur! Have fun in Alberta.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe that when she came to Canada at the age of 19 she couldn't read, write or speak English, it was all self taught! Yes, Kevin was disappointed that we weren't able to get into the museum but seeing the booklet she did on the Dunster history was a bonus.
DeleteNo idea if that phone ever gets used but we had one at the park that we worked at for the last 4 years, it was there for emergencies. Perhaps it might work if for some reason the cell service goes down.
So the "writing gene" is definitely a genetic predisposition it would seem? Neat to see a phone booth outside the Dunster General store. Wonder if anyone uses it? Or, maybe cell reception right there makes it a necessity.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem so! ;-)
DeleteThere was definitely cell service in the area, maybe it is there for emergencies should the cell service go down or sometime. We have no idea if it ever gets used either.
Beautiful writing by you grandmother. I bet the dish that broke was the one in the middle... too bad about the smoke, it's like peasoup here too.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is, thank you! She taught herself how to read, write and speak English, I think she did a fantastic job of it.
DeleteIt probably was but Kevin can't remember other than it broke and shattered into lots of tiny pieces!
British Columbia needs rain badly! :-(
Beautiful country...too bad it's so smoky. Have you ever thought about moving back to BC?
ReplyDeleteBritish Columbia is beautiful for sure.
DeleteYou ask if we ever think of moving back here but we have never lived here to begin with. Long time ago we did think about moving here when our children were young but we decided not too. And now we don't really want to live in any one place so no we will not be living here, it is a wonderful place to visit but that is enough for us.
Your title had me thinking that your plans were 'shattered' by the severe fires you'll need to pass near. Glad it was only a soup bowl! Nice bit of history provided by your grandmother on Dunster. Continued safe travels!
ReplyDeleteNo nothing so severe as that, although the smoke certainly isn't making it much of an enjoyable trip. We can hardly see any of the beautiful mountain scenery!
DeleteWe are glad it was only a soup bowl too and not like a wine or beer glass that might have been full! ;-)
Interesting to view family history while you are there. We had a few corral bowls fall from a cupboard from our class c coach about 20 years ago and did the same thing, totally shattered we stop have the rest of the set.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to see some of the Dunster history and know that Kevin's grandparents were part of it. :-)
DeleteWe have broken so few over the last 11 years that we will still use them. They serve our purpose nicely in the motorhome.
What a great find to be able to see family history at the museum!
ReplyDeleteYes, it was! It was actually in the archives section of the museum in the nearby town. And it was something that Kevin didn't know about which made it even more special.
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