We began with a warm Canadian welcome today at Mount Revelstoke National Park, just a short drive from our campground. We were excited to go to Meadows in the Sky, a wonderful scenic drive up to over 6,000 feet (which is high for around here). We got up early so that we could be sure to enjoy a non-congested scenic drive and get an RV parking spot, especially before it got too hot. The road is limited to vehicles under 26 feet, and so we just made it into that category!Sorry folks, park’s closed… we learned that these big attractions actually DO have an entrance station AND they have limited hours. Unlike the US parks where the areas are always open, this was definitively closed from 8pm – 8am. So we enjoyed our coffee and breakfast for 40 minutes while waiting for the gates to open. We even felt validated in that we finally used our Canada National Parks pass, after just carrying it around with us for over a week…It was worth the wait, as the drive was spectacular. At times it was just like driving the valley parkway at home as we meandered through the two lane road with lots of trees. But then we climbed, and climbed, with some occasional sweeping vistas. The payoff definitely came as we got to the top.This is the Columbia River, the one near our campground that Rick fished in yesterday. We should have known that it wasn’t a “hot” fishing spot when he was the only one fishing on a Sunday morning. We made lots of noise as we moved from point to point, knowing that there are lots of bear and not a lot of people at this time of day. We also saw signs to look out for marmot and amphibians in the roadway (that was new to us). No sightings at all, which would have been fun from the safety of our car.While we are generally rule followers, we did break the rules today. Dogs are not allowed up past the 12km mark on the 26km road. But we wanted to see it, so we did it anyhow. Thankfully she stayed quiet in the RV, and there was really no one else around as we went to a couple of scenic viewpoints above the limit. She is peeking at us in this picture from her favorite co-pilot spot.From there, it was a quick drive to the new and improved fishing spot, Martha’s Creek on Lake Revelstoke. More tomorrow about the area and its geography, but lets just say we found the perfect location for catching… some rays.It was only mid-morning and so the heat hadn’t built up yet, plus we were gloriously free of the dreaded mosquito. Plus, how can you beat this view?!He cast his line, and waited.Cast some more, and waited. Notice, shoes off. The water was so refreshing for both of us!Daisy and I were loving it, too! I just enjoyed the view for quite a while, then read my book. It was so peaceful, especially early before other families and dogs arrived late morning. I’ve never been much about fishing (unless its a deep sea fishing charter), but I’ve always been about sunshine and water, especially before it gets too hot or busy.As Rick said yesterday, there is peace in being out here near the water.Even if no fish are caught, it’s a perfect morning, right?
So…. the question is, did he catch any fish?!?
The proud catch of the day! Yes, that is a fish that he caught (not bait). We were laughing so hard about it. But as Billy Currington says, a bad day of fishin’ beats a good day of anything else! Plus one little fish makes it a good day
After a couple of hours, we all needed a little break from the sun. So back to Livvy to cool off and have lunch, but then decided to find a shady spot so that Rick could also just enjoy the view and his book.
This spot was so perfect, just around the bend, that we’re hoping to claim some lower ground near it tomorrow for fishing.So much for the book, he was tired out!
It was an incredible time, and as I said we plan to do more of it bright and early tomorrow. The heat here is really significant later in the day, so we have spent the rest of our time in the AC, including another dinner out up the street. We’re really taking advantage of having restaurants close by since that is something we will rarely have the rest of the trip.
We’re grateful that the work we have put into Livvy seems to be paying off in keeping us cooler. Over time, we have put reflective covering in multiple areas where the sun and heat would just pour in. These now include our side entry door window, the back emergency exit window, and most recently our “skylights” in our living room and shower area. All can be removed when we want the light, but it is protecting us from extremes. We’ve also lined a few of our cabinets/drawers with a reflective type of insulation; not sure if it makes such a big difference, but it was worth trying. Between that and some welcome shade for part of the day in this campground, we have been able to keep the RV cool enough with our AC. One more day of the heat on this leg of the trip before we will move on to some more manageable temps for a while.
But for now, we’re tired out from several hours in the sun, and need to get some rest!
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