Into Canada

A short post tonight.  We left Seattle Saturday afternoon after having a great time with Cindy and Errol.  A fun night Saturday out with their friend at the Beverage Place Pub.  A cozy pub that only serves beer from Washington State micro-breweries.  It's also a pet friendly bar that had several dogs wandering the bar on leashes.  A nice breakfast prepared by Errol and a morning of talking shop (photography) and we were on the road headed north to Canada.

We crossed into Canada at Sumas, British Columbia.  The wait wasn't too bad but we did have to go through customs due to my transportation of firearms through Canada.  After clearing customs and exchanging some money into Canadian dollars we headed east to stop in Hope, BC for the night.  We found a Red Roof Inn in Hope that was interesting to say the least.  Not the worst that we stayed in on this trip but not the best.  We rated it third form the bottom on the hotel list above the Lewiston, Idaho death smelling motel and the trucker Super 8 in Iowa.  The Red Roof's room was small, had a old style key and was freezing cold until we turned up the electric heater.  By morning it was sweltering when we packed up early and dropped the key in the office drop box.

Leaving Hope we gassed up at the Shell station and headed north.  I'm glad we gassed up as we passed several gas stations that were closed as we drive in the rain and drizzle.  The road was winding as it led over hills and through tunnels along a river valley.  As the sun rose it revealed stunning views of the tall mountains as we wound up the valley along railroad tracks.  The drive was beautiful.  After a couple of hours the valley opened up and the trees disappeared from the landscape.  The mountains changed color and after stopping at a rest stop revealed that we were in a desert.  The ground was brown and the bushes scrubby as we fought a hard head wind.  We rose out of the desert and the hills became more rolling with hay fields and cattle before giving way to trees.  Lots of trees.  Tall pines and birches lined the road.  The terrain reminded me of Montana.  Unlike Wyoming and South Dakota, where every town had a tall grain elevator, every town here had a steaming saw mill.  Huge piles of logs covered more than ten acres next to each mill and were piled as high a two story house.  Turning left in Prince George, what passes for a large city up here, we headed toward Smithers, BC.  A long 12 hour drive brought us to Smithers through forests and over hills.  Mountains rose in the distance.  Half way to the Yukon in Smithers.  Tomorrows a drive up to the Yukon.  The weather is supposed to be clear for a few days.  I hope that holds.

Very few pictures today.  Spent the day making time driving.