Today is my parent’s golden wedding anniversary. We’ve driven out to Ainsworth, B.C. to celebrate, although it doesn’t look like we will touch the hot springs.
The drive yesterday was long, but the mountain sights were beautiful. It was actually the first time I’ve ever been to mainland B.C. I’ve done the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, but that has been about it for my British Columbia experience. (Airports don’t count.)
There are hippies everywhere. I’ve seen more hitchhikers in 24 hours than I’ve seen in my entire life. Anyone who isn’t a hippie, seems to be a motorcyclist; the route from Creston to the north is considered the best motorcycle ride in North America.
We’ve even made new friends. Did I say friends? I meant people we lovingly hate. On the drive from Creston to Kootenay Bay, we fell behind a combine pilot from Saskatchewan who drove a little too slow, and all over the road. He would conveniently speed up whenever there was a passing lane. And we were stuck behind him for far too long. We called him “Rustler” after the name printed on the back of his pickup camper. We were able to pass him five minutes before we got to the ferry, and we stayed that way for the crossing. We got off the ferry first too, which let us stay ahead of him as he was headed the same way.
We think Rustler went to Kaslo, because we’re pretty sure everyone in that town hates us after we went there for breakfast. I got chewed out by a disabled man for opening a door for him he didn’t need. My sister got poisoned by a veggie smoothie with far too much ginger. A lady nearly ran over my mother because we hadn’t left enough room in the parking stall behind us.
After breakfast, we went to Fletcher Falls and found a lovely site to have a picnic beside the lake. But after swimming and lunch, I got bored. Then I noticed the Falls in question were the source of a river into the lake. And being who I am, that river needed to be dammed. I spent several entertaining hours moving rocks around and making a nice waterfall. Unfortunately, as we were leaving we noticed a sign that said this was a spawning river, so it shouldn’t be dammed up. I am now an ecological terrorist. One man (me) can destroy nature.
We’re going back tomorrow, so I’ll tear down the dam. Hopefully after I’ve taken a picture of it. Unless the hippies have already taken it down.
After champagne at my parent’s rented condo, we went to dinner at the Ainsworth hotel. Under my rules, I had to have the salmon. You have to have the specialty of the province you are in: In B.C. you have the fish, in Alberta you have the beef, in Saskatchewan you have the grains, in Manitoba you have the perogies. It was a nice dinner, and not too formal a place. We all left happy.
My mother thinks this was the best day ever. I guess making an entire town hate you is what brings this family together.