After the visits to the Japanese internment centre and Japanese gardens we headed off to Salmon Arm on the shores of the Shuswap Lake. The trip took us to Nakusp where we had to make a decision to go up the Revelstoke or Vernon side of theArrow lake. Either way we had to take a ferry. As we will be returning to Penticton via Vernon we took the Revelstoke route but first stopped for lunch in Nakusp. There we came across a large group of Bikers with teddy bears st...

Having arrived at our motel (VALHALLA) and with a pub next door called ODIN and amidst a lush mountainous misty cool valley one would be excused for thinking we were on a mythological Nordic journey. Not to be as we find ourselves in New Denver, BC Canada. We had a number of ways to get to New Denver and chose north, driving along Kootenay Lake. It is a very long lake and we might have enjoyed the drive more if not for the rain and low mist around the hills/moun...

Today we drove south from Penticton through the Oliver wine growing region into the Osoyoos district. From there we turned east and drove along the Canada/US border through old mining areas, Doukhobor village country and towns that housed Japanese internment camps during the second world war. We stopped at the Castlegar Doukhobor Discovery Centre to learn about this persecuted Russian Christian religious group many of whom were assisted out of Russia in the 19t...

Had a bit of late morning start for the remainder of our drive to Penticton. Decided to go via the Coquihalla Highway which is the fastest route. Will take the alternative route when we drive back to Vancouver in a couple of weeks. Would normally expect to see some snow on the higher hills but the warm weather has taken care of that. The next few days have been spent catching up with Bruce's mother and one of his brothers who also lives in Penticton. Weather ha...

Caught an evening flight out of Auckland flying 14 hours to Vancouver. Uneventful flight as we all hope for except for some antics by a number of the passengers. One woman tried to stop someone from putting luggage in the overhead compartment that had her row number on it. She thought these were just reserved for the people sitting in that row! Then across the aisle from them a couple of passengers exchanged heated words when the luggage compartment above one of ...