Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Post 9-2-2014 Kettle Falls

Post 9-2-2014  Kettle Falls, Washington

Yesterday. We left Barkerville and headed south toward  Osoyoos and the Canadian/US border.







We drove to Cache Creek and it was too early to call it a day so we planned to continued on to Kamloops, BC.  Before we got there the new limited access (like our turnpikes) rte 5 appeared and thinking we could make better time on it, we again turned south and headed for Merritt, BC thinking we would find a campground there.

About 20 miles into the rte 5 there was a really terrible wreck that stopped all the traffic for over an hour. They had the life flight helicopter fly in to pick up the people in the wreck. The auto (truck, maybe-can’t tell) was completely demolished beyond recognition. We just prayed the people lived.
Don't know if anyone survived

Not much left


While sitting in the traffic, there was a car with four Asian teenagers close to us. They all piled out of the car and next thing we knew they had set up their small gas operated grill and started cooking. Right there on the highway. Give them credit for being innovative. Once the traffic started again they had a problem trying to get the grill back in the car.

Asian teeners waiting for road to clear

On the road again, it was getting late and we were tired so we were ready to take the first thing available, (of course there was nothing on the new freeway) which turned out to be Todd’s Campground and RV Park in Peachland, BC.  It happened to be lake front on a really long and beautiful Okanagan Lake, which we didn't really see until the next morning. Peachland is apparently a resort city with lots of boating and water sports. The drive south was along the lake which is  50-75  miles long. It went past Summerland and to Penticton, larger and even more water sports evidenced.

After we left the lake area, we entered an area that was almost desertlike except there was a river running through it.  There were hills, not rolling hills but large "bumpy" hills.  They were covered with yellow grass probably 18-24 inches tall and small sagebrushlike bushes.  A sign called it the Suede Hills and that's what it looked like, for as far as you could see.  We drove maybe two hours through that area.  Then slowly the valley began to get greener, with irrigation, and we began to see vineyards and then fruit orchards.  Then the little town of Oliver boasted to be "The Wine Capital of Canada" and along the highway there was one fruit stand after another.

We crossed the border at Osoyoos, BC and Oraville, WA easily, (sometimes it can be difficult), and drove the few miles to Tonasket for lunch at a Subway.  Then we began our drive to the east.  Eventually, we reached Kettle Falls on the Columbia River and the F.D. Roosevelt Lake.  We spent the night at the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Campground. It is a beautiful park but after walking Boomer just before dark, it started raining and rained all night.  We left early and began driving through the Colville National Forest and the Pend Oreille Mountains.  Beautiful country.  After crossing Idaho and the Purcell Mountains in North West Montana, we are in the Two-bit RV Park in Libby, MT. Got here at 7:30 and plan to stay two days and enjoy the area.  And, we've been steady moving for several days now and we both, no all three of us, need a couple of day's R&R.


Monument to Fallen Heros




Arriving

No comments:

Post a Comment

Hope you like our blog, please leave a comment.