RonnieAdventure #0059 - Days 8-14, Las Vegas-Alaska-Las Vegas 2013 Trip

WEEK 2

DAY 08. – Taghum, South Slocan, Crescent Valley, Shoreacres, Glado, Thrums, Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Carson, Greenwood, Midway, Kettle Valley, Rock Creek, Westbridge, Beaverdell, Rutland, Kelowna

 I’m certain that there are more 8% grade roads in British Columbia than anywhere in the US. It seems like we are continually going uphill or downhill. Not real good for fuel economy – especially when pulling a trailer!

 We have found that in Canada the best Information Centres are located in museums; so we stopped at the Grand Forks Museum for some tourist information, but unfortunately the museum was closed. However, located on the museum grounds was the log cabin that served as the first Customs Office in the area from 1884 to 1897. It was interesting just to look through the window at the period artifacts.

We also stopped at the Greenwood Museum/Information Centre, which was open, and they provided us with great information on British Columbia. The museum was very interesting and informative!

 

DAY 09. – This was a catch-up day and we spent the morning doing laundry and grocery shopping.
 

In the afternoon we stopped by the internationally acclaimed Geert Maas Sculpture Gardens and Gallery. Geert Maas is a multi-talented artist that works in wide variety of mediums, including, but not limited to, bronze, aluminum, stainless steel, stoneware, acrylic, lacquer, and oils. He is considered to be one of Canada’s most dynamic and versatile artists. Since it was a slow day, Geert gave us a personal tour of the Gallery.

 

 

DAY 10. – Winfield, Lake Country, Vernon, Spallumcheen, Armstrong, Enderby, Salmon Arm, Tappen, Sorrento, Chase, Pritchard, Monte Creek, Kamloops, Knutsford.

We started the day by visiting a cheese factory in Armstrong. After watching an interesting movie on how to make cheese, we were treated with a number of different cheese samples. Of course, we also had to purchase a few things while we were in their retail store, and then we snacked on a delicious cranberry muffin that had just come out of the oven in their bakery.

Cheese Factory

On the way out of town we stopped by the Log Barn, a down-sized Wall Drug Store type tourist attraction, but we didn’t make any purchases.



 

Log Barn Tourist Attraction

 

Old Building at Log Barn

 

Old Log Barn

 

DAY 11. – Kamloops, Merritt, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Surrey

As we started driving we could see a storm front moving in and as we climbed in elevation the fog became thicker and thicker, reducing visibility to a few hundred feet. Fortunately, all of the traffic on the road  slowed to a reasonable speed. Occasionally the Fog would lift and we could see the towering snow-covered sheer granite cliffs on both sides of the road. It would have been great to stop and take pictures, but there weren’t a lot of pullouts along the long and winding road. Plus, we typically couldn't see the pullouts until we had passed them.

After arriving in Surrey and unhooking our trailer, we drove down to White Rock for dinner. White Rock is just across the bay from the USA and is a high tourist destination in the summer months. At the old train depot, which is now a museum, we were treated with the arrival of a freight train that passed by. (There is no passenger service to White Rock.)

The town of White Rock takes its name from a large white rock on the shore of Semiahmoo Bay. Geologists describe the rock as a “glacial erratic” because the rock was original located in the Coast Mountains and dragged to its current location by a glacier about 11,000 year ago. Early sailors used the rock as a land maker when they sailed into the bay.

In late afternoon, we had fish & chips at the World famous Moby Dick restaurant, which was then topped off with a homemade ice cream cone from a shop a little farther down the street. While we were eating, the tide started going out, leaving some unique patterns in the sand. People also used the wet sand to make some very detailed sand castles. Although not as exciting as Deadliest Catch, it was also interesting to watch people catching crabs from the pier.

 

White Rock at Semiahmoo Bay
 

Train Depot/Museum

 

 Train at White Rock Station
 

 Pier at White Rock
 



 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 12. – It rained hard all morning, so we stayed around the campground and tried to catch up on a few things that we have been saying we would do tomorrow.  After lunch it cleared up and we drove to Grandville Island in Vancouver. It was a nice place to visit, but crowded. We also rode around the harbor on the water taxi, which is nice way to see various parts of the City from the water, including the Winter Olympic buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 DAY 13. – In 1827 The Hudson Bay Company built Fort Langley on the Frazer River to trade European made items for furs, salmon, and cranberries from the First Nations people. Fort Langley is considered to be the birthplace of British Columbia – nine years before Canada was formed! The Fort has been restored and is now a National Historic Site, staffed by people in period dress that demonstrate blacksmithing, barrel-making, historic weapons demonstrations, and various other interpretive programs. You can also pan for gold, where I found two small flakes on my first pan full of gravel.

 Next stop was the BC Farm Museum. This is a great place to visit, even if you are not a farmer. The multi-level buildings are loaded with various types of mechanical items that were used by city dwellers, as well as farmers.

However, the most surprising find in the area was the Museum of Flight, which has the only Handley-Page Hampden WWII bomber on public display in the world. Of the 1,430 Hampden’s manufactured, it was thought that they had all been destroyed during the War or sold for scrap shortly after the War ended. Then in 1958 old records were discovered that in 1942 a Hampden with only 100 hours flying time had crashed in the ocean near Patricia Bay and was reported to be completely intact when it sank. Using sonar, the wreck was located in 600 feet of water and raised with the help of a miniature submarine. Amazingly, there was still air in the tires, the compass still worked, and the greased bearings and drive chains still moved freely. Then, in 1991 a second Hampden airframe in reasonable condition was located in Russia and returned to the UK. However, the second aircraft it not on public display. 

 



Also on display at the museum is a Sikorsky S-55 Helicopter, which brought back many memories. When I was stationed in Goose Bay, Labrador, I had the opportunity to fly with the RAF in an S-55 while we were on a search and rescue mission at the far northern tip of Labrador. Despite the hazardous flying conditions, we were thankful to make it back safely.

 



DAY 14. –
Today we found the best RV Park that we have encountered on this trip. The facilities are way above average and the location is spectacular, situated in an area surrounded by high snowcapped mountains. The campground is less than 1 km from Bridal Veil Falls, the 6^th highest waterfall in Canada!

 

 

RonnieAdventure #0059 - Days 1-7, Las Vegas-Alaska-Las Vegas 2013 Trip

DAY 01. - Alamo, Ash Springs, Hiko, Lund, Preston, Ely (Nevada)
As the sun rose over the eastern horizon, I distinctly heard the Richard Strauss-Also Sprach Zarathustra/2001 Space Odyssey opening theme song. My heart started pounding to the beat of the drums because I knew that we were about to partake on the greatest RonnieAdventure ever – Traveling North until we run out of money and/or vacation days!

I decided that I had better take a picture of our pickup and trailer before we departed Las Vegas because I'm certain that they will never look this good again. Before we return, I fully expect some rock chips, a few dings and dents, and possibly a cracked windshield or broken headlight!

The first 100 miles of any trip are always the longest, so it was great to male 250 miles the first day. Now we can relax and enjoy the rest of the trip!

DAY 02. - McGill, Lages, Wells, Jackpot (Nevada), Filer, Buhl, Hagerman (Idaho)

The Rexall Drug Store in McGill (White Pine County, Nevada) is a step back in time to the days of jute boxes and soda fountains with lime-green vinyl covered chrome bar stools that swivel at the soda fountain. Unfortunately, the McGill Drug Store is only open on special occasions, or by appointment, so we had to settle for a peek through the window. However, outside of the store is one of the original Lincoln Hi-way markers that was placed along the road in the 1930s by the Boy Scouts of America traveling across the country with Lt. Col. Dwight Eisenhower. The U.S. Army assigned Eisenhower to mark roads, so that people could find the correct trail to follow as they traveled across Nevada. The other marker is a reproduction that was made for the 2005 Lincoln Hi-way Association meeting.

McGill  Rexall Drug Store

Soda Fountain

Original Eisenhower Road Marker on Right

Driving into Hagerman, (Owyhee County, Idaho) the view along the Snake River is spectacular! The canyon walls are “spongy lava,” which act as both reservoirs and underground conduits that gather water from the surrounding area to the north. The area is called “Thousand springs” because of the many springs that cascade down the canyon walls.

One of the many waterfalls 

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument near Hagerman encompass the 600-foot bluffs along the Snake River and contain 3-4 million year old fossils of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and plants. The most famous fossil is the “Hagerman Horse,” which is from the Pliocene epoch time period. The Smithsonian Institute has been excavating this area since 1929 and they have discovered about 20 complete horse skeletons, all in the same area. This area is reported to have the world's highest concentration of Pliocene fossils!

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument

"Hagerman Horse"

About 5 million years ago Lake Idaho covered most of what is now Southwestern Idaho. However, when the natural dam dike broke, it is estimated that the flood draining the dam lasted 8 weeks and left the area covered with “Bonneville Melon Gravel.”

Bonneville Melon Gravel

Also in the same area is the confluence of the Emigrant and Oregon Trails. You can still see the deep ruts as the trails ascends the hills.

Near the confluence of Emigrant and Oregon Trails 

DAY 03. – Bliss, Boise, Horseshoe Bend, Gardena, Banks, Smiths Ferry, Cascade, Donnelly, Lake Fork, McCall, Meadows, New Meadows, Riggins, Lucile, White Bird, Grangeville (Idaho).

Traveling north from Boise on Highway 55 turned out to be a slow, but beautiful drive. The road parallels the Payette River as it winds its way up the steep mountain grade. Due to the steepness of the grade, the river is very popular with kayakers and commercial river runners. When we reached the City of McCall, we were treated with beautiful views of the Payette Lake and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. Leaving Highway 55 we turned north on Highway 95 and within a few miles we crossed the 45^th Parallel. (A line around the world that is half way between the North Pole and the Equator.) We have also noted that the days are getting longer!

Payette River Kayaker (Boise County, Idaho)

Payette Lake (Valley County, Idaho)

45th Parallel (Adams County, Idaho)

DAY 04. – Fenn, Cottonwood, Ferdinand, Spalding, Nez Perce Reservation, Lewiston, Moscow, De Smet, Tensed, Plummer, Worley, Coeur D’Alene, Hayden, Careywood, Cocolalla, Westmond, Sandpoint, Colburn, Samuels, Elmira, Naples, Blue Lake (Idaho)

The Nez Perce Visitor’s Center and Museum are located just outside of Lewiston and are managed by the U.S. National Park Service. There is a very good movie at the visitor’s center that provides a comprehensive understanding of the Nez Perce history.

Nez Perce means “We Have Always Been Here” and when the Nez Perce Indian Reservation was created it originally covered most of south-central Idaho. However, when gold was discovered in the area, the reservation size was substantially reduced. One of the visitor’s center staff told us that today only about 19% of the lands are owned by the Nez Perce.

The most famous Nez Perce Chief was called “The Lawyer” by early fur traders because of his exceptional oratory skills. He had learned English before the missionaries arrived in 1836 and later helped prepare a dictionary of the Nez Perce language. He also translated the Bible into the Nez Perce language for the missionaries.

Lawyer’s Canyon was named after the Chief and is located a few miles to the south of the visitor’s center. In 1908 the railroad built a tall metal trestle across the canyon to extend the rail line to the west. The metal structure is unusual because most of the railroad trestles built in this era were constructed from wood timbers; however, due to the height of the trestle the railroad used metal, as they were afraid that wood would collapse under the weight of the loaded trains.

On May 29, 1806, near Lawyer’s Canyon, the Nez Perce sold salmon to Lewis & Clark and Pvt. Frazer traded an old razor to the Nez Perce for two Spanish Mill Dollars.

Nez Perce Visitor's Center (Lewis County, Idaho)

Lawyer's Canyon

We had planned to stop driving early in the day, but we could not find a campground until we were about 30 miles south of the Canadian border. Although the campground we found had a beautiful setting adjacent to a small lake, all of the bugs and mosquitoes arrived before we did and claimed the best camping spots. Consequently, we did not sit out in our lawn chairs after dinner. 

Campground Lake (Boundary County, Idaho)

Campground Lake

DAY 05. – Bonners Ferry, Porthill (Idaho), Rykerts, Creston, Salmo, Ymir, Nelson [British Columbia (BC), Canada]

 Day 5 started out with a driving lesson – don’t turn a corner too tight when you are near a drainage ditch. Luckily, there was a tow company just across the street and within a few minutes a wrecker was on the scene to help us.

However, I don’t think the tow truck driver had too much experience, since I had to keep giving him advice on what to do and I had to help him hook things up to get the trailer back on the road. Therefore, I was surprised when he gave me his bill and it was for $35 more than he had quoted me before we started on the job. When I questioned him about the extra charge, he said that the extra charge was for all of my advice and help!

Fortunately, there was minimal damage to the trailer. Two hours later were back on our way and then we had another hour delay at the Canadian border where they ransacked our truck and trailer. The border patrol’s motto seems to be “leave no item unopened or in its original place.”

Learning Experience

Within a few miles after leaving the border, the road grade starting increasing and soon our speed was down to about 45 mph on an 8% uphill grade. After a long climb we finally reached the snow-covered summit, where we decide to give the truck a rest. When I got out of the truck to take a few pictures, it looked and felt like it was about to snow. (The entire area was covered with snow - It looked like December.) A Mounty happened to walk by, so I asked him if it was always this cold in June and with a puzzled look on his face he said “Cold?” This year we’re having a heat wave! Last year this road wasn't even open in June --we just called the month Junember!

At Summit

When we arrived in Nelson, we found a great municipal campground nestled in a grove of tall treas. The campground host was outstanding and really kept the place in tip-top shape. We ended up staying three days, but considered staying for an entire week!

DAY 06. – Balfour, Ainsworth, Kalso, Sandon, New Denver, Silverton, Slocan, Winlaw, Vallican, Slocan Park, Crescent Valley, Souty Slocan, Taghum, Nelson

Our campground host informed us that no trip to Nelson was complete without making the 200 mile circle tour to Kalso, Sandon, and New Denver. We were happy that we decided to drive the loopbecause we were rewarded with many spectacular views. Even the Lilac bushes were in bloom!

Snow Melt

Lake with Snow-capped Mountains

Butterfly on Lilac Bush

At Kelso we found the dry-docked SS Moyie, the world’s oldest intact passenger stern-wheeler.  After watching a movie in the visitor’s center about the Moyie, we had a self-guided tour of the vessel. Since the preservation group purchased the ship for $1 the day after its last voyage, everything on the ship was still intact. Plus, after the ship went through an extensive renovation it was refurbished with lots of additional time period artifacts. 

SS Moyie

The highlight of the trip, however, was the ghost town of Sandon. The rush to Sandon started in 1891 when two prospectors found a 125-ton boulder that had a very high silver content. Convinced that they had found the Mother Lode, they immediately staked claims all around the boulder. Of course, there wasn't any mineable silver on any of their claims because the boulder had rolled down the hill years earlier. The prospectors that came later were the ones that found the rich vein of silver where the boulder had originally been located.

The mining boom around Sandon lasted less than 20 years and then the town fell into decline. Today, a number of buildings still remain and some have been reopened to service tourists that visit the area. Only one store was open the day we visited Sandon and the caretaker played an old reed organ for us.

Sandon Main Street

City Hall

Judy Playing the Reed Organ

Residential District

Steam Train

New Denver is just a short distance from Sandon and is the location of the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre, a museum dedicated to the preservation of the physical history and personal memories of Japanese-Canadian internees. One of the site docents was very knowledgeable about the US and Canadian internment programs and gave us a very detailed history of the similarities and differences between the two countries.

Internment Houses

After having an early dinner we drove to Ainsworth to soak in the hot springs. The springs flow from some very decorative caves at a temperature of 109 degrees and then the water cools to about 98 degrees when it arrives in the various swimming pools. Maximum recommended time in the caves is 15 minutes, which is more than I could take. When I got out of the pools I felt so relaxed I wasn't sure that I could even drive back to our trailer. However, I did make it safely home and had a great night’s sleep.

Ainsworth Hot Springs Caves

(Photographer, Date, and Person Unknown)

DAY 07. – Balfour, Kootenay Bay, Crawford Bay, Nelson

Crawford Bay is reached by the longest free ferry ride in the world (It takes approximately 45 minutes to cross Kootenay Lake on the ferry.) and is home to numerous artisans. It is fun just to watch talented people make beautiful objects from raw materials. Unfortunately, it can also be hard on the pocketbook! The road ditches in the area were covered with a proliferation of wild flowers, so I used up a lot of memory space on my camera. I also saw a black snake sunning himself on a rock while I was taking flower pictures. Other wildlife encountered on the trip so far include: antelope, deer, moose, eagles, and probably some that I have forgotten.

Longest Free Ferry Ride in the World

Ferry

View from Ferry

Artisan at Work

Hand-Crafted Broom Factory

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

RonnieAdventure #0058 – Genoa, Nevada

What’s the oldest town in Nevada? That depends on who you ask! I happened to be in Genoa when I asked a local resident that question and she assured me that the oldest town in Nevada is Genoa! And there is a sign posted in the City square to prove it!

In June of 1850, two members of the Mormon Battalion established a temporary trading post in the western part of Cason Valley to serve travelers on the California Trail. News of the beautiful area soon spread to Salt Lake City and there was interest in establishing a permanent settlement in the area to provide supplies and services to the increasing number of people traveling to California. 

In the spring of 1851 the Reese Company left the Salt Lake Valley with more than a dozen wagons full of supplies and built a trading post and small fort for protection. The area became known as "Mormon Station." Soon, a blacksmith shop, livery stable, and flour and saw mills were also established. 

In 1854 the area residents formed a Squatter’s Government in what was then part of Utah Territory. The Government was approved and Governor Brigham Young appointed Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde to serve as probate judge and spiritual head of "Mormon Station." After arriving in the area, Orson Hyde didn't think the name "Mormon Station" was appropriate for the new community, so he changed the community's name to Genoa, after Genoa Italy.

The community grew quickly and was home to Nevada’s first hotel, newspaper, and a bar, which is now referred to as “Nevada’s oldest thirst parlor.” Then, on October 31, 1864, Nevada became the 36^th State admitted to the Union.

Over the years, notable patrons to the “thirst parlor” include Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt, Johnny Cash, John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood. Scenes from the Movie Misery, staring Kathy Bates, was also filmed in and around Genoa.   

Much of Genoa, including the original fort, fire station, and hotel, was destroyed in a 1910 fire, but the buildings have been reconstructed. The fort was rebuilt in 1947 and is now a Nevada State Historic Park with a museum and various outdoor exhibits.

Apparently the oldest building in Genoa was demolished a number of years ago; and the second oldest building, which is now reported to be the "oldest" building still standing, is reported to be located on the Ranch 1 property; i.e., Ranch 1 means the first ranch in Genoa. There was also a Ranch 2, Ranch 3, etc. The Ranch 1 property is privately owned but members of a pioneer family that now own the ranch gave us a personal tour of the property, including what is now thought to be the "oldest" standing building in Genoa and the original barn that was constructed using wooden pegs to hold the timbers together.

The biggest annual event in town is the Candy Dance, which has been held every year since 1919. The celebration is typically held during the last weekend in September; so put on your dancin' boots and head to Genoa this Fall!

 Nevada Oldest Town Sign

 Hotel

 Masonic Lodge

 General Store

 Mormon Station Historic State Park

Reconstructed Fort

 Covered Wagon

 Mill Stone

Old Farm Equipment 

 Reportedly the Oldest Standing Building in Genoa

Ranch 1 Barn