Our quote of the day: “Don’t believe the brochures!”
I genuinely love it when brochures of an area, city, park, or hike, are accurate and not embellished. A few booklets we’ve perused before arriving at a destination on this trip did not live up to or close to the description(s). It can be frustrating, but Linda and I do not let the inaccuracies get to us. We roll on to the next town (if we need to stop) with little worry because inevitably, we find serendipity, and everything works out.
Take, for example, Hope, BC. We were excited to stop in a park there to eat our packed lunch (salad we bought at a Costco in Kamloops), resting comfortably in our cooler. The brochure showed off beautiful photography of the town, which, frankly, did not live up to what we originally envisioned.
Hope is famous for the chain-saw carvings, including “Rambo” from the 1982 movie starring Sylvester Stallone, along with several others on the square. We took a few photos of them, but that was about it. On our way out of town, we noticed a locally owned art gallery and decided to pull over and peek inside. It ended up a great find with local artists selling their wares at fair prices. Linda and I were duly impressed with the art and building it was housed. Friendly volunteers are running the place.
While driving away the miles and reflecting on the trip thus far, I cannot believe I’ve been on the highways/byways/roads for 17 days in two countries. Some days I am unsure what day of the week it is, and more importantly, not where I am when I first wake up. Ever had that feeling? So far, I traveled nearly 5000 miles (Linda over 2300).
Today, we are at our final Western destination - Vancouver, BC. We plan to take in many sights in the next few days, including taking the ferry to Vancouver Island and Victoria. So far, the energy found in this town is youthful and joyous. I can’t wait to explore more of this great city after a good night’s sleep!
I’m also thankful that Linda found a lovely B&B in our budget price range on W. 20th Street, about a few miles back from the ocean. The tree-lined street with not one house looking alike is the perfect spot to renew our energies. Dinner at a local Mexican restaurant rounded out our day.
bSoleille!
Terri