Entering British Columbia!

After leaving Rollie and Mary's house, we headed north, with the assistance of Jill (our GPS buddy). The GPS was really handy as we wound our way through the back roads in Washington.

There was anticipation as we approached the border, wondering what questions we would be asked, whether we had all the necessary documentation for Izzie and whether we would be able to keep our fruits and vegetables, etc. No problem...after one or two questions, none involving food or Izzie, we were waved through!

None in our party expected the spectacular scenes that unfolded as we headed out of Abbotsville! Once we head Canadian Hwy 97, a road the follows Frasier River, the scenery was spellbinding! With majestic, cloud-shrouded mountains and a rushing river that was near flood stages at some points, we found ourselves completely involved in our surroundings!

Occasionally we stopped on a pull-out or rest area to grab a bite and walk the dogs. Canada does a wonderful job on their roads! We passed through many small towns, each with its own personality!

In our effort to arrive in Prince Rupert in plenty of time to catch our first ferry, we decided to make a real push the first two days, which was challenging but rewarding as we made our way.
The "Milepost" was invaluable! We could follow along as we drove, with each mile (oops, I mean kilometer) described in detail. We were able to anticipate distance to gas stations and rest areas.

Izzie really enjoyed the "Milepost" as well!

On July 3rd, after dining at a local Chinese food restaurant, (John was in the mood for Chinese and we all felt we deserved a reward after the long day's drive.) we spent the night in Prince George, in the casino parking lot, where they allow campers.

The next day we arrived in Prince Rupert at about 6:00 pm and found a spot at the Prince Rupert RV Park to spend a couple of days until Ferry time.

The campground has it's own special charm. The residents seem to consist of avid fishermen/women, intent on fishing every day, rain or shine and coming back with an abundance of seafood and others who are awaiting a ferry departure. Tony met a lovely lady in the camp next door and showed an interest in her catch, which she was cooking outdoors. She gave him a taste, which he LOVED, and was rewarded with two halibut fillets, caught that day! The next day, another neighbor gave him fresh crab, with cooking instructions! Canadian's are really friendly and helpful people, from our experience so far!

Here is a shot of a view from the campground:

As Alyce, John, Maggie, Tony, Izzie and I were walking to town on a busy highway, another local resident crossed the highway to point out a lovely forest path where we could get to town more quickly and enjoy the surroundings. What an amazing forest we found, with a pond and streams. The only disconcerting part was a sign warning the wolves frequent the area!

The town also has it's own personality. The architecture is full of native influence in both modern and older buildings. The residents are obviously proud of their town!
We found numerous totem poles, each with a description of the segments and their meaning.

Here's Alyce by one of the totem poles that is outside Prince Rupert City Hall.

We discovered a small neighborhood park where we had a spectacular, panoramic view of the town and harbor!

When we returned back to camp and had a short rest, Tony grilled the halibut, I cooked the crab and Alyce made a wonderful green salad filled with lots of veggies and topped with the crab.

It was a good day!