Year 3 Week 15

September 24 to 30, 2006

Revelstoke to Oliver, B.C.

Year 3 week 15

 

Sunday ; Today was sunny and warm.

This morning I got online to update my blog. I learned by e-mail that our good friend Shirley Johnson's mother had died Monday. Please accept our deepest sympathies, Shirley.

While doing an obedience training session with Bo, I sat and watched an introductory kayaking class taking place on Lake Williamson. About 10 students and an instructor. One student could do nothing but turn in tight circles to the left. I guess every class has to have one of those !

Taking advantage of the lovely weather, we spent the afternoon giving Bo a bath, washing the trailer, and washing the truck. Whew ! Filthy dog ! Filthy vehicles ! Especially the trailer.

 

Monday ; Revelstoke to Shuswap Lake, B.C.

Today was sunny and warm.

We left Revelstoke this morning continuing west on Trans-Canada Hwy. 1. When we got to Sicamous we stopped to look at RV sites for sale at the Silver Sands RV Resort. YIKES ! $94,600 to $186,400 for RV sites ! Makes the prices of the RV resort in Keremeos that we're going to see seem more reasonable, by comparison. We had lunch at a road side rest area on the south shore of Shuswap Lake. When we crossed the Squilax Bridge to get to the north side of Shuswap Lake, we stopped to see the famed Adams River Sockeye Salmon run, the world's largest salmon spawning run. Looking down onto the large river from the bridge high above the river to see the salmon was anti-climactic after seeing the Kokanee salmon up close a couple of days ago. We stopped for the night at Cottonwood Resort on the north shore of Shuswap Lake.

 

Tuesday ; Today was sunny and mild.

Our plan was to go to Kamloops for shopping and sightseeing, but that didn't happen. I spent part of the morning watching the salvage operation of a large, very expensive, power boat that had sunk yesterday tied up to the dock here at the campground. While walking Bo just before leaving for Kamloops we began to chat with a neighbouring camper. They wanted to chat about the full time RV lifestyle. They are a soon to be retired couple who are trying to muster up the courage to become full time, or half time RV'ers. We ended up chatting with them for a couple of hours. Frankly, I don't think they're ever going to make the leap. They told us about an RV park selling lots nearby, at the town of Scotch Creek.

We drove east on Squilax-Anglemont Road to the town of Scotch Creek. We found Caravans West RV Park and checked it out. The park is about 5 years old, and some lots are available for resale. The lots originally sold for about $25,000, and now are reselling for over $100,000 ! WOW ! The park is extremely nice, and well developed. Joanne thinks that a 350 site park is a bit too large for her tastes. Driving back towards our campground we noticed another RV park with lots for sale across the road from our campground. It is a brand new park, just completing development. The lots are completely unprepared, unlandscaped, unlevel, and rocky, selling for $51,000 to $59,000. YIKES ! Except for the waterfall coming down the side of the mountain behind the park, it was a downright ugly development.

We headed west on the Trans Canada Hwy. 1 towards Kamloops. Joanne decided that it was too late in the day, and too far to go to Kamloops for shopping. We went into the town of Chase, and bought some groceries.

On the way back to our campground we stopped at Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park to take another look at the Adams River Sockeye Salmon run. We learned that it only happens every fourth year, and this is the year. At the provincial park there is a wooden viewing platform built over the bank of the river, to watch the salmon spawning.

The Sockeye Salmon return from the ocean, and enter the Fraser River at Vancouver. It takes them 18 days to get from Vancouver to here, travelling up the Fraser River, the Thompson River, and finally the Adams River. This year the run is estimated to be about 4½ million fish ! In 2002 it was estimated to be 7½ million. We viewed the spawning Sockeye Salmon from the viewing platform, and occasionally saw some of the much larger Chinook Salmon, which also spawn in the Adams River.

When I was walking Bo after supper, the neighbours invited me to chat around their campfire. I spent the evening with them chatting around the campfire. I learned that the Thompson River and the Adams River both run into Shuswap Lake adjacent to this campground. The Adams River Sockeye Salmon come out of the Thompson River, into Shuswap Lake adjacent to the campground, and turn the corner to head up the Adams River to their spawning grounds starting at the campground and continuing up theshort Adams River to nearby Adams Lake.

 

Wednesday ; Shuswap Lake to Kamloops and return

Today was sunny and warm.

We accepted the neighbour's invitation to join them on their daily morning hike, along the Adams River upstream for a couple of kilometres to view the Sockeye Salmon Spawning Run. At one point along the river there was a Fisheries crew, netting and tagging the Sockeye. We thought it unusual that they would be tagging fish shortly before they die. As soon as the salmon are finished spawning, they die. At a few spots along the river, where there is very little current, and along a stretch of the lake's shoreline at the mouth of the river, the stench of dead fish is already becoming strong. Apparently, a few weeks from now, when the Adams River and Shuswap Lake at the mouth of the river are filled with 4½ million dead, rotting Sockeye, the stench is overwhelming.

In the afternoon we drove to Kamloops, about an hour west of here on the Trans Canada Hwy. 1. We entered Kamloops from the east, drove through town to the airport on the south, then back through town to exit on the west. We turned around and drove back through, west to east, and returned to Shuswap Lake. Kamloops is bigger than we expected. And we were definitely not impressed with the city. We didn't even stop at the Wal-Mart to do some shopping, which was the main reason we drove all the way to Kamloops.

 

Thursday ; Shuswap Lake to Vernon, B.C.

Today was sunny and very warm.

We left Shuswap Lake this morning, heading east on TCH 1. We stopped to buy a new exterior thermometer for the trailer at an RV dealer in Salmon Arm. We turned south onto Hwy. 97B, then Hwy. 97A, then Hwy. 97. We filled up with diesel at Enderby.

At Vernon we had lunch in a shopping centre parking lot, then went Wal-Martin'. After Wal-Mart we went grocery shopping at Save-On-Foods. We went to another couple of RV dealers looking for an RV supply item that neither of them had. We drove back out of Vernon, to the north, to an RV park that has lots for sale, and a campground. We were planning to check out their lots for sale, and stay overnight. After checking out their lots for sale, I felt a bit disgusted, and we left. We went to a nearby Good Sam RV Club affiliated park, Silver Star RV Park, and checked in for the night.

After getting set up in our site, we went for a walk around the slightly shabby lakefront campground. This campground is on the north end of Okanagan Lake. While Joanne prepared supper, I phoned Sharon to see how her knee is doing after surgery.

 

Friday ; Vernon to Keremeos, B.C.

Today was sunny and very warm.

This morning before leaving our campground in Vernon I installed a new exterior window thermometer on Harvey ( the fifth wheel trailer ). It appears to be grossly inaccurate. Either that or it was very, very warm today ! Right now, at 9:16 P.M., it's reading 58 degrees F.. I suppose that's possible. It's pretty warm here in the south end of the Okanagan Valley / Similkameen Valley.

Also, before leaving Vernon, I phoned Riverside RV Park Resort near Keremeos. I arranged for us to visit and view their development this afternoon. We are here now, spending the night.

We drove south out of Vernon on Hwy. 97. At Kelowna we stopped at an RV dealer to look for Damp Rid closet hangers. They didn't have any.

I have a brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and niece living in Kelowna. Sadly, my brother and I have been estranged for many years. It pains me to drive through Kelowna, to be so close, and yet so far.

We stopped for lunch at a rest area alongside the south end of Okanagan Lake near Penticton. Beautiful ! Bo ran into the lake to chase Canada Geese. Just south of Penticton we branched off of Hwy. 97 onto Hwy. 3A leading to Hwy. 3 at Keremeos. At Keremeos we turned west on Hwy. 3. We were in Keremeos and surrounding area a year ago. We like it a lot. Keremeos is "The Fruit Stand Capital Of Canada".

We drove 15 km. west of Keremeos to Riverside RV Park Resort to take a look at their RV lots for sale. We met with their sales agent and viewed the entire development. It is a new RV park development, just nearing completion of the infrastructure. There are 133 lots on the development, of which 33 have sold already. The sales agent invited us to spend the night, so we can get a better look at the development tomorrow morning. We accepted the offer.

We parked in a vacant spot belonging to one of the park's developers. We walked around the park, comparing the 4 or 5 sites that are of interest to us. We both favour site 89. I think we may have just found our new "summer home".

The park is developed on 3 tiered levels. The lowest level is adjacent to the Similkameen River. The upper level is adjacent to Hwy. 3. The middle level sites, including site 89, have a tall rock retaining wall as the back border, buffering noise from the highway. There are 4 price levels, from $46,900 to $61,900. This is the most reasonable pricing we've seen of the half dozen or so parks we've looked at. And the price goes up $7000 per lot in 2 weeks ! Because of cost overruns on the development of the indoor swimming pool / sauna / hot tub complex. The original cost estimate was $700,000. They have just awarded the contract, for construction of the complex to begin next week, at $1,100,000. One point one million ! Because the 2010 Olympics construction projects have consumed so much of B.C.'s construction resources, construction costs are skyrocketing. And the park's developers had to change some design features from concrete to metal. The 2010 Olympics construction has gobbled up 100% of B.C.'s available concrete !

The park is in the Similkameen Valley. The Similkameen River is the western edge of the property. It is surrounded on all sides by tall mountains. The climate is hot and dry. This area is considered to be Canada's desert. I don't mind hot, as long as the humidity is low, which it is here. It's quite a scenic place. And it's obvious, from the lots that have already been developed, and are currently being developed, that this is going to be a beautiful RV park, with rapidly increasing values.

I'm strongly inclined to "get in on the ground floor".

 

Saturday ; Keremeos to Oliver, B.C.

Today was sunny and very warm.

Well, our new summer home is probably going to be Lot 89 at Riverside RV Park Resort.

We got up quite early this morning, and spent much of the morning walking around Riverside RV Park, comparing the 7 lots we had some interest in, watching how the sun tracks across the sky, and how it shines, or is shaded, on each site. I took many photos. We met with the sales agent in his office and spent the rest of the morning asking questions.

We had lunch, and departed. We drove 15 km. east on Hwy. 3 back to the town of Keremeos. While Joanne phoned some RV parks in Oliver, I went into the Keremeos Information Centre and picked up information on the Keremeos and Oliver areas. We continued driving east on Hwy. 3 to Osoyoos, then turned north on Hwy. 97 towards Oliver. By the time we got to Oliver, we had decided that we should buy Lot 89 at Riverside RV Park Resort.

At Oliver, we found our way to a campground that we thought had RV lots for sale. Turns out that they have RV lots for lease. I didn't like the park, and they didn't have a site available for overnight tonight anyway.

We phoned Desert Gem RV Resort, where we had reserved a site for the month of October. We decided we might as well arrive a day early, and just pay the expensive daily rate for tonight. Especially since tomorrow there is a huge celebration in Oliver called The Festival Of the Grape. Arriving at Desert Gem a day early allows us to be free all day tomorrow to attend the festival, instead of having to prepare for departure, move from one campground to another, and set up all over again.

While I downloaded and processed all the photos I took earlier today at Riverside RV Park Resort, Joanne phoned her sister.

It's ironic that we're suffering angst over the prospect of investing an amount of money in real estate that's equivalent to the cost of buying a one ton diesel dually, which we did 5 months ago without batting an eye !

DSK