Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

We had heard there were bear sightings at our lodge in Golden. We had even been told that a bear was trying to get into the lodge in the wee hours of the morning, but we didn’t see or hear anything ourselves. We were looking for bears, but hadn’t seen any. That is we hadn’t seen any yet. As we were leaving the lodge, going down the mountain road, sure enough, we saw a momma black bear and her baby, frolicking in the bush.

We were “happy as Larry”, an Australian saying. Bears were not the only Canadian wildlife we saw though. We saw a whole bunch more throughout the day.

We had a very busy, jam-packed day ahead of us. After leaving the lodge, and seeing the bears. We headed towards the wolf sanctuary, called Northern Lights. But before showing you the wolves, here are a couple of things we saw along the way.

Inside Northern Lights, there were six or seven wolves who had all been rescued. They were living the good life. Northern Lights also offers a nature walk with the wolves, but we didn’t do that. It was quite expensive and you have to book in advance. All the others wolves were jealous of the one that got chosen to lead the walk, and started howling to let everyone know they wanted to go too.

After a few minutes of howling, they all settled down for a nap once they realized they weren’t going this time around. Seeing all these wild wolves, made me think of my own wolf baby, Juneau, back home. She is very similar to her wild cousins. The docent gave a talk to everyone, explaining the wolves and their way of life. Later she opened it up to questions and comments. I told her we were very familiar with the “wolf” life, and we showed her pictures of our “wolf” Juneau. She agreed, they are very similar.

This is my own “wolf” Juneau howling in the snow. I couldn’t resist showing this. I wanted to show how similar my Malamute is to the wild wolves though.

All the wolves at Northern Lights are very well cared for and loved, as they should be. Once again, we were all “happy as Larry” that we decided to go pay them a visit.

This was our last day in Canada before heading back to the United States, through Montana. We packed in as much as we could along the way too. We made quite a few stops to take in the beauty of the Canadian Glaciers. I also took quite a few photos from the car as we were driving.

One of our stops was the visitor’s center. We like going to those wherever we can. I love seeing all the displays at the visitor’s centers. They explain the area and tell you what is around. They also show you things you just might get lucky enough to see. As you saw above, we saw both bears and wolves earlier in the day. 🙂 The views were spectacular too.

A curious Magpie.

We did see quite a few Bald Eagles, but not close enough to get any good shots.

This is a good stopping point for this segment. As I mentioned above, we had a very full day, with many stops and a lot to see. I don’t want to overwhelm you all at once, so we will call this an intermission. Stay tuned for the rest. 🙂

Once again, we had to move on and say good-bye. We were saying good-bye to both Maureen and Milos, and also to British Columbia. We were headed towards Golden. We were on a tight schedule and had oh so much more to see and many more adventures yet to come. Again, we had a long drive ahead of us.

We saw a beautiful Stellar Jay before heading out. Blue Jays are a sign of good luck. I will always take good luck, but especially when traveling.

We had another 170 miles to go once leaving Summerland before arriving in Golden. We made some stops along the way, but they were just little stops. We were doing mountain driving, and there weren’t many places to stop along the way. We did see some more gorgeous Canadian scenery though.

Once again, we had rain and snow along the way.

This mountain is known as 7 Mountain. You can’t really see it here, but the way the snow falls, it makes a perfect number 7 coming down the mountain. We saw a picture of the 7 later at the restaurant.

We arrived at our cute little mountain lodge where we settled in for the night. It was an adorable little alpine lodge, made from local woods. It was nestled in the mountain, with nothing else around. It was very charming. The owner of the lodge literally purchased half of the mountain and made his own road to the lodge, that he also built. It took him over ten years to make, but it was definitely well worth it. This lodge was truly a hidden gem.

The lodge was a throwback from days past. There were no TVs, on purpose. The intent was for the guests to commune with nature and to take in the gorgeous views around the lodge. This was the view from the back deck of the lodge.

One of the guests who was there to greet us.

We had to cross this river to get to and from our lodge.

After checking in to the lodge, we headed into town for a bite to eat. We were on one of the surrounding islands.

We dined at the Island Restaurant too. It was very cozy and welcoming, with very good food. It was just what you would expect to see nestled in the mountains too.

We all tried something different, and everything we had was delicious.

I had a pasta dish, but for some reason, I don’t have a picture of it. You’ll just have to take my word that it was also very tasty.

Because there were no TVs at the lodge, we went back to our games, and had another fun game night before turning in. We brought a few games with us, but the lodge also had a selection of games for everyone to enjoy as well.

Make the most our of every opportunity and take it all in. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We had a fun Dirty Laundry day, but NO, it’s not what you are thinking. 🙂 Dirty Laundry is a winery in Summerland. And, it was just voted best winery in British Columbia, 2024. It is also Maureen and Milos’ favorite local winery.

Once we got inside those of us who didn’t know the story or history of the winery, went inside to be “schooled”. Of course we were doing some tasting too. I learned about the history of Dirty Laundry by the wine servers at the bar. After hearing the story of their colorful beginnings, I got “pinned” with a laundry pin.

One of the things I tasted was their port, which was very good. I enjoyed it in a special port glass, called a Douro port sipper. The design is to help the port breath properly. I had never heard of this or seen this before. Of course I bought some. I love new and different things. 🙂

While we were inside Milos was staking our claim to the perfect table over looking the vineyards and the valley.

Here is a little video that tells the Dirty Laundry story in a very fun and creative way. Enjoy!

Dirty Laundry has a big, beautiful patio and a second big bar when things are really hopping. I wish all wineries had such a great set-up. There were also beautiful hanging gardens all around as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit at Dirty Laundry too, though in completely different way than how it used to be enjoyed. Our visit was a clean visit, as are all the current visitations today. The things we enjoyed were the wine, the wood-fired pizzas, the view and of course, the company.

No matter what you do, or where you are, it is WHO you are with that makes it special. Life is ALWAYS better when shared with good friends and loved ones. Good food and good wines are just a bonus.

Dirty Laundry is located at 7311 Fiske Street, Summerland, BC. Definitely pay them a visit, learn their history, get pinned and enjoy the wines and your day. It will definitely be a unique wine tasting experience like none other. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well, and spend time with those you love. ‘Til next time.

After a full of day of fun adventures on the train, to the Sleeping Giant Winery and the gardens of the Research Centre, we still had a couple more stops to make before calling it a day, and heading back to Maureen and Milos’ for yet another delicious dinner and another round of game night competitions.

First we stopped at the store to pick up dinner ingredients. Then to the farm for eggs where Maureen likes to buy her eggs direct from a local farmer. All the farm animals came out to greet us and were very curious about us.

The dog was the first to greet us with his tail wagging.

Then the cat.

The chickens and roosters then started to venture out to us as well.

This farmer had a ton of chickens too. He sells his eggs to a lot of the local stores as well as to individuals. I think the white chickens are the ones that produce his eggs for the stores, and the other chickens are the ones that produce the eggs he sells to individuals.

But the sheep were the funniest. At first, one came up to greet me, then another, followed by a few more, and then all of them came running up to me. I was like Little Bo Peep with her sheep. 🙂

I guess I speak their language. We are all all laughing together. 🙂

I always tend to make friends with all the animals. I guess I am related to Dr. Dolittle. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well, and make friends with whomever you meet along the way. ‘Til next time.

All of British Columbia, or at least all of the parts we saw, are connected by beaches and fiords, rivers, lakes, and inlets. Water is everywhere and is a big part of the way of life for so many Canadians. We stopped at some of Maureen and Milos’ favorite beaches on our sightseeing adventures.

Milos, the tree hugger

We had a couple more stops to make before calling it a day, and heading to Maureen and Milos’ place for dinner and another game of fierce game-night competitions. But more on that later. I want to keep you coming back for more after all. 🙂

After our train ride, and an ice cream/wine break, we headed up to the Summerland Research and Developmental Centre, to look at all the pretty flowers and spectacular views of the area. All I can say is WOW!!!! There were so many beautiful flowers and irises of all colors and varieties.

The Summerland Research and Development Centre (Summerland RDC) was established in 1914 in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. It is one of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) network of 20 research and development centers. 

I don’t think I have ever seen such a large variety of irises. I took SO many pictures. I was completely awestruck. I won’t show ALL of the pictures though, but I will try to show you a lot of the different varietals. If you like flowers, and particularly irises, you may just have to take a trip up there to see them all for yourself. 🙂

Irises weren’t the only beautiful flowers featured though. There were so many other beautiful and colorful flowers that decorated the gardens as well.

There was also a fairy garden and beautiful sculptures too.

There were even bat house for the little bats in the area. Maybe the bats are what help keep the gardens looking so beautiful.

We had a beautiful, fun-filled day. We saw and did so much. This whole area is just amazing. I think I could easily live up there. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Take in everything you can and see the best in everything. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We did so many new, fun and exciting things during this entire trip. We saw something new everyday. On the way to the Kettle Valley Steam Railway, we stopped along the way to take in some of the Summerland sights. One of the things we saw was this old riverboat.

Next stop, the Kettle Valley Steam Railway Station. The Kettle Valley Steam Railway (KVR) was opened in 1915, but the trains stopped in 1961. Freight carried on the KVR consisted primarily of ore from the Kootenay region of British Columbia, as well as forestry products and fruit from the Okanagan. Finished goods were primarily brought into the Southern Interior on trains heading Eastbound. This used to be a vital way to transport people, minerals and goods across Canada, but was closed down in 1961, once air transportation became more readily available and cheaper. Today, this 16 km trek is all that is still remains from this once great railway system.

All Aboard!

The views from the train.

I believe this is the hill behind Maureen and Milos’ house.

At the end of the line, the train stopped and got prepared to turn us around to go back to the Kettle Valley Railway station. Everyone got off the train and we got to stretch our legs a bit.

We even passed by the Dirty Laundry Winery, where we went the next day, but more on that later.

Back at the station, we had a cute little marmot waiting to welcome us back.

After the train ride, we headed to Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery for a little treat for everyone. Sleeping Giant offers ice cream AND fruit wines all under the same roof. I know. You are all thinking ALL wine comes from fruit, grapes. But these wines were all made from things other than grapes. I bought a bottle of the peach wine.

Everyone enjoyed some ice cream except me. I love ice cream, but ice cream doesn’t love me. That’s OK though. I was wine tasting. I was happy too. 🙂

As we were tasting, this gentleman said he was retiring in just a couple of days. We were amongst his last pours.

As everyone was enjoying their ice cream, I took a little stroll around to admire all the beautiful flowers on the premises. I don’t think I have EVER seen so many gorgeous irises, in so many colors and different varieties, as I did everywhere we went on this trip. 🙂

Speaking of flowers, after leaving Sleeping Giant, we all headed to the beautiful gardens at the Research Center.

Don’t touch that dial. I have plenty more in store. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well, and remember, life is always much better with good friends along for the ride. ‘Til next time.

We had to say good-bye to friends and were on the move once again. After leaving the Vancouver area, and saying our good-byes to Kim and Roberta, we were headed to Summerland, to visit with more friends. This time we were headed to see Maureen and Milos. Larry and I met Maureen in Milos during our last travels to Cozumel, Mexico. We became fast friends and it was like we had known each other for years and years. We have been very lucky and have made so many wonderful friends on our travels. 🙂

Summerland is part of BC’s wine country. It is known for its world renowned wineries. It is also home to the historic Kettle Valley Steam Railway. The town was originally known as Trout Creek and was renamed Summerland in 1902 when Sir Thomas Shaughnessy bought the Barclay Ranch. The nickname for Summerland is Town of Festivals. We did go to a couple of wineries and we also road the train as well. Summerland is the home of the Okanagan. When you journey through the spectacular Okanagan landscape, you are following in the six-thousand year old footsteps of the Okanagan peoples.

Once again, we had about a 4 1/2-5 hour drive from Vancouver to Summerland, with beautiful scenery all along the way, even though it was still cold and rainy.

We made a quick stop at Peachland before stopping in Summerland, and it looks like they have their own version of “Nessie”, though we didn’t see her.

Fiords and water are everywhere. Summerland is just idyllic and enchanting, with moderate temperatures perfect for growing all kinds of fruit and vegetables, and of course it is also the perfect climate for vineyards too.

There is wildlife all around too. We even saw a deer behind our car. I couldn’t get a good picture though. I saw her as we were traveling and my picture is from the back window of my car, but at least I was able to see her.

At last, we arrived at Maureen and Milos’ house. They were waiting outside for us, and welcomed us with open arms and big hugs. This is the view from their deck. Isn’t it gorgeous? Milos hikes up the hill in the background all the time, and he and Larry hiked it a couple days after we arrived too.

Maureen had a big pot of spaghetti on the stove for dinner. After dinner, and catching up, it was game time. We are all fierce and ruthless game players, but still in a fun and friendly way. Let the games begin. May the best person win. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Vancouver was cold, wet and rainy the whole time we were there, but that didn’t stop of us from our explorations. It changed our itinerary a bit, but we all agreed for the better. We all went to a brand new places, for brand new experiences. This was a new experience for Roberta as well. We took a fun tour of the Britannia Mining Museum. Last century it was a working mine. Now, it’s an award-winning museum turning out awe-inspiring sights and memorable family experiences. The 10-acre site is itself an exhibit providing unique access to an important piece of Canadian history. The Britannia Mine operated from 1904 to 1974 and was once the largest copper mine in the British Empire. At it’s peak, The Britannia Mine employed and housed over 60,000 people.

The Britannia Mining Museum is both a standard museum with historical displays, as well as being a “working and a living” museum, with tours and live demonstrations.

Just some of the many things we use copper and other precious metals for everyday.

Life in the mines was hard; very hard. But it was a living and it created communities and a livelihood for everyone.

Everyday, the miners would see nothing but darkness and exposed themselves to extremely loud noises and innumerable risks and dangers. We entered their world briefly, to get a tiny taste of their daily routine and lives. We all had to put on our hard hats before stepping aboard the mine train and entering the mine.

This is what we saw once inside; a lot of darkness, and this was lit considerably better than it was when it was still a working mine.

This is what the real working conditions were like.

Our tour guide demonstrating for us.

The whistle to live by. This extremely loud whistle was blown at the start of every shift, as well as for any emergencies that took place within the mine, and there were MANY. It was heard throughout the mining community and beyond. It was both the whistle of life and death.

The miners and their families all lived at the mine as well, and they were thriving communities, with lots of activities for everyone to enjoy. Life was hard, but life was good too.

Processing the copper.

Inside the actual mining processing center. It is twenty stories high and extremely LOUD! Inside the facility, we saw an interactive film, called BOOM, showing us life inside the mine.

Britannia is a coastal region, and so of course, there are a lot of coastal influences as well.

Whaling was also a major industry at the time. This is a real skeleton of an Orca, also known as a “killer whale”.

There was also some mineral and gold mining for everyone to try their hand at. Here are the miners hard at work. Our whole collective take was just a smithering of gold flakes and some tiny mineral stones in their raw, uncut, natural state.

When the mine was at its peak, the surrounding environment paid a stiff price. Local groundwater, creeks and the waters of nearby Howe Sound all suffered losses that hung on for many decades. The source of the problem was known as Acid Rock Drainage (ARD).

Back in the 1930’s, the issue was already a concern, but little was understood about the impact on the environment. Copper launders existed at the mine which helped slightly, but it was done for economic, not environmental, reasons. These launders were long troughs containing iron scraps. Mine water was fed through the troughs before being discharged. An iron-copper exchange meant the iron pieces became coated in copper, while relatively non-toxic iron dissolved and flowed with the water out of the troughs. The copper was then collected and sold. So it did help reduce the amount of copper entering Howe Sound, but only until the mine was closed in 1974.

On closure, mine owners Anaconda installed an outflow pipe that discharged the water 50 meters below sea level. The water was not treated, but was taken away from the intertidal zone, the most vulnerable area for aquatic life. Anaconda also installed a mud/earth dam near the 2200 portal (reinstated in 2001). As a result, water was stopped from entering Britannia Creek, until the dam failed sometime in the 1980’s/90’s. Britannia went from meeting all the environmental standards of its time while in operation to becoming one of the worst industrial pollution points in North America following its closure before the clean-up began.

Thankfully, Britannia’s ARD issue is now ancient history. Working with the province, land owners and community, an intensive remediation campaign was launched. Since 2002, Golder Associates have spearheaded a cleanup of local contaminated soils. A further step was taken with EPCOR’s water treatment plant in 2005. The mine water is captured and treated resulting in clean water. With the acidity neutralized and the metals removed, the water is discharged into Howe Sound.

The end-result has been a successful turnaround. Life has returned to the waters surrounding the mine, including Howe Sound.

There was also a beautiful pond that attracted a lot of birds. You all know how I love my birds. 🙂 The pond represents the clean-up and turn-around efforts for the area and the environment and the community. Thankfully, it is once again thriving and full of life.

These look like a type of Starling, but I am not sure. It also looks like there is a baby’s beak peaking out from under momma’s feathers too.

At long last, I got some good shots of a Stellar Jay. 🙂

The Britannia Mine Tour is a fascinating, very informative tour. I highly recommend it when in the Vancouver/Squamish area. We all thoroughly enjoyed our day of mining. I don’t know if I could do it everyday, like the miners did, but it was a very fun tour to take for one day, for sure. 🙂

This is a tribute to all the miners and their countless contributions to life as we know it.

When life pours rain on your parade, take your parade elsewhere and make the most of it. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

After leaving Fort Langley, Our Epic Northwestern Journey – Part 14 – Fort Langley we all got ready for delicious celebratory dinner. Kim and Roberta were celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary, and we got to help them celebrate. They chose a delicious seafood restaurant right on a lake. There are MANY beautiful lakes in the Vancouver area. 🙂

This is a rowing boat up in the rafters. People row on the lake all the time. Rowing is a big sport here.

Talk about a room with our view!!!! This lovely scene was our view with dinner. After dinner, we all strolled around the lake a bit too.

Once again, we all sat down to a delicious dinner that was enjoyed with good friends and family and a lot of laughter and fun conversations. We started off with some tempura fried calamari and vegetables, bread and soup.

The soup was very good, but I have to say Kim’s is much better. Last time we visited them, he made us a fabulous seafood chowder. We went to the fish market to pick out all the fresh fish too.

Then came the entrees. We were all hungry since we purposely ate a very small lunch in preparation for the main meal and celebrations.

And of course there was dessert. Our server was very nice and brought us all some champagne and an extra dessert for us to split when we told her it was Kim and Roberta’s anniversary. Happy Anniversary Kim and Roberta and MANY more.

As always, we all had a deliciously good time. You can’t see us too well, because of the backlighting, but trust me, all six of us were there, having a great time.

After dinner, we strolled along the lake a bit, where we even saw some seals playing around as well as some paddle boarders.

Needless to say, a great time was had by all. As I have said many, many times, there is nothing better than sharing good food with good friends and family. Life is definitely good indeed. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.