Vancation Adventures, Part II: What “BC” Really Stands For

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After several nights of campering, we decided to give Vanna Grey a day off while we stayed in a hotel in the town of Nelson, BC. Nelson is apparently famous for murals. GOOD ones.

Not pictured (because I didn’t want to invade anyone’s privacy): the ironically-placed homeless encampment in front of this building

I found a “boutique hotel” room on sale on the interwebs. Some hotels are more boutique than others; this one had only 8 rooms, and looked like a regular house. I loved that.

The Mate’s not very used to taking photos, so you get more tree than hotel…but you also get the idea.

It RAINED the entire time we were there–a good excuse to wander around town, doing errands (laundry!) and taking in the sights.

The brick’s so pretty, it doesn’t even need muraling! But no complaints.
This one reminds viewers they are on unceded Native land.

Apart from its murals, Nelson has a stunning aspect: perched on a hillside above the skinniest stretch of Kootenay Lake…

That’s the front doorstep of a beaver dam. (Never saw the inhabitants.)

…with little gems tucked into every corner, like this waterfall park celebrating friendship with a sister town in Japan.

I found this park behind a Ford dealership, crammed beneath the highway overpass. Still lovely.

But after our 24 hours of indulgence, we were ready to get back to Vanna. We didn’t take her far; just up the road to Kokanee Creek Provincial Park.

View from the lake’s beach, about 70 meters from Vanna’s spot.

The creek itself was ROARING!

Good thing the poor salmon don’t have to run in spring!

Signs everywhere warned of bears…but no such luck.

I’ll take the lilies, though–thanks!

It was nice, next day, to wake up to not-rain. This was our longest driving day, nothing major compared to past road trips, but long for our new campering “normal.” Of course we stopped to ride…on our old friend the Kettle Valley River Trail, this time right along the river itself.

Note the obvious marks of a bad past burn–2019, I think.

At Princeton, halfway across the province, the sun finally out, we scored a campsite abutting the Similkameen River.

Literally abutting, as in–Vanna’s butt got right up to the river’s edge.

Have I mentioned how our bikes have been travelling? Since Vanna’s 22 feet is the limit for normal-priced ferry tickets; since a bike rack adds 2 more VERY expensive feet; and since a bike rack also prevents us from opening her rear doors…we dispensed with the bike rack. This way:

Liza on the bed (atop cardboard), the Mate’s smaller bike bungee’d to the cabinets. Tight–but effective.

Our last day, we drove back into Washington to spend the day, and night, and another day, with our dear friends in Bellingham. How dear? Dear enough that they readily agreed to host us through my colonoscopy, including all that fun prep. THOSE are friends. But we also had time for walkies in Bellingham’s beautiful Stimpson Reserve.

Can you spot the giant bullfrog? You would if you could’ve heard him.

So, remember last fall when I blogged about all the things “BC” could stand for, besides British Columbia?

Who knew BC REALLY stood for “Before Colonoscopy”?

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

Liza sez: “Gross. Now can you get me out of here?”

Next up in Wing’s World: traveling back to Culver City to graduate from my MFA program! Thanks for ridin’ with me–see you down the road.

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