Back in the US of A

We departed White Swan Park Municipal Campground in Fraser Lake on Thursday morning and continued the journey east towards Prince George. Our plan was to only stop for a Costco run and eat lunch before continuing south to Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park for the night. We drove the 164 miles in about three hours and arrived at the park to find plenty of available sites to set up in. This was our first real test of the new leveling jack since the test in the shop back in Houston BC, so we were a bit apprehensive. No technician here to help us out if it wasn't working right. Just yours truly.

As you can see in the photograph above, it worked just like it was supposed to work! We detached the truck, got the slides out and set up the rig for one night. We ran into the town of Quesnel, British Columbia to get fuel and drive the truck without a trailer hooked on. It had been 16 days since the jack had broken, so it was nice for Rambo to get on the road and navigate a service station without a 35 foot long tail!

This campground is another example of fine British Columbia Provincial park facilities. It is clean, spacious and impeccably appointed with beautiful picnic tables, groomed gravel parking and an empty, clean steel fire ring. The washrooms were spotless; the showers were clean and free of charge. The British Columbia Parks and Recreation Department knows how to do it right when it comes to taking care of the camping public.

Friday morning, August 23 we departed this gorgeous venue and headed to Gold Trail RV Park in Clinton, BC, about 183 miles south. The RV park is owned by a Mr. Michael Dier and his wife Anna. The Gold Trail RV Park isn't as nice and classy as the provincial and municipal parks we have visited. No, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Michael, or Sir Michael as he would correct me, was a character of the first order. The owner, Michael, is a hoot. He's outspoken and could rub some people the wrong way, but he's got a good heart and is also an excellent cook.. He had a smart remark or retort for just about any question or comment. He advertises the park as the cheapest in Canada, according to Sir Michael and is also known for its "Roadkill Grill. His little restaurant serves an All-U-Can-Eat Barbecue Buffet that's tasty (especially check out the dessert made with local berries). One of his returning customers asked, "Where would you like us to sit?" His response, "On your ass!"

He was all show, acting like a gruff smart ass, (the Canadian version of Don Rickles in the RV park world) but a harmless showman none the less.. He would give Karen a constant hard time then look at me and "wink and grin" just to make sure we knew he was kidding. We both had his "Marmot ribs" for dinner. We laughed the entire time we ate and were glad others came in to be his verbal targets of opportunity.

The park is old and run down, but the water and electricity worked just fine Our campsite was a large back-in so we tried unhitching a second time for practice. It was a relatively flat pull-through site large enough for our truck and 35 foot rig. Good water pressure and 30 amp. No problems as long as your neighbor doesn't accidentally disconnect your power in the shared power pedestal when they arrive. Karen did a load of laundry before the rain got serious and we went to bed.

Our last day in Canada was planned for Saturday, August 24, 2024. We got on the road before 9:30 AM and drove all day through sometimes heavy rain. south of Clinton; this high desert area of BC is referred to as the "Arizona of Canada" and certainly was not dry on this day. The highway route follows the Canadian National (CN) railway lines along the Thompson and Fraser River valleys. We encountered small rocks on the road surface next to the steep rocky walls along the route.

The Thompson River joins the Fraser River at Lytton, the capital of river rafting. The river canyons, known as the Dry Belt region of British Columbia, are world famous for whitewater rafting, kayaking, sport fishing, outdoor adventures and very hot summers. As one of the biggest volume rafting rivers in British Columbia, the Thompson (near Lytton, BC) is famous for its Class II through IV rapids.

One of the features of this route is Hells Gate, an abrupt narrowing of British Columbia's Fraser River, located immediately downstream of Boston Bar in the southern Fraser Canyon. The towering rock walls of the Fraser River plunge toward each other forcing the waters through a passage only 115 feet wide. The name Hells Gate was derived from the journal of explorer Simon Fraser, who in 1808 described this narrow passage as "a place where no human should venture, for surely these are the gates of Hell."

Some five hours later, we finally arrived in Abbotford, British Columbia just east of the city of Vancouver, BC. This is where we decided to cross back into the USA at 4 PM just north of the small town of Sumas, Washington. Our stop at the US Border Protection was a little longer than expected. They wanted to check our refrigerator for possible unapproved agricultural products. We found out that Canadian eggs are a no, no. We had to surrender a dozen eggs to the BPS inspector to get back into the US.

With the US safe from the possible Canadian egg threat, we proceeded to the Silver Reef Casino Resort, an Indian casino and resort in Ferndale, Washington. It is owned and operated by the Lummi Nation and they allow RVs to park for free in their south parking lot. After we arrived, we both got our "Players cards" at registration and checked in with their casino security for a two night stay. We then patronized one of the casino restaurants for dinner before hitting those slot machines. Each players card had a complimentary $5 for the casino slot machines. Karen and I are not into gambling, so guess how long the $5 lasted? After a great dinner we returned back to the RV for the night.