Canada, eh?

 We read all the rules, regulations and laws about traveling into Canada by vehicle: had all the right documents: passports, vaccinations cards, dogs’ rabies certificates, completed the ArriveCanada app and had verified QR codes, cleaned out all our fresh/frozen foods.  I even had an inventory of all our wine and beer (not much) and other foods like cereals, crackers, rice,etc. We were READY for immigration. We rolled up to the agent’s gate when it was our turn with all four windows rolled down (so dogs could be easily seen) and were poised and ready for all his questions.  “Passports!”,was our warm greeting from the gentleman that morning at 9am. “You own this thing?”he says pointing up at the camper over the truck.  “Yes”, was Vic’s reply. “What’s your business in Canada?”  “We are traveling through to Alaska”, Vic replies.  “Are you going to live in this thing?” he asks.  “Yes”  “What’s in there?”, the agent inquires.  “Our stuff: clothes, bed, food…”.  “Guns?”  “No”.  “Ok, have a nice day”.  And that was it!  Kind of anticlimactic, considering how much I worried about that crossing.  Just like that, we were in Surrey, British Columbia.  Now with barely any food, our first order of business was to

Pretty plantings on the side of the border control at Douglas Peace Arch

Our place in line at the border to Canada

We are in!

My new favorite grocery store: Great fresh foods and super nice employees!

 

get some Canadian $ and groceries.  We pulled into a nice shopping plaza and both needs were met. Then we were on our way! (Actually all our credit cards and debit cards were declined because I forgot to tell them about our travel plans, so once that mess was taken care of by no les than 4 phone calls, THEN we were on our way!)

Off we go to Squamish, BC where we planned to take an adventurous white water rapids excursion through the valley.  We stayed the night just next door to the rafting company and stopped in that evening just to see if we could park our rig (and dogs) while we were on the river.  Then, we learned that we had booked a trip that really wasn’t our forte.  (It was for class 3-4 rapids, we are class 1-type people) and we were able to switch it to the 1-2 class rapids trip.  It was a pretty exciting trip, but no pictures to post.  You’ll just have to take my word for it.  But, meanwhile, Vic and I had a lovely evening at our campsite along the Squamish river that first night. 

Sitting on the “beach” at our river front campsite 

Our site for the night

Beautiful sunset

Agi going for a swim

That’s Vic off in the distance by the river getting the fire going

Snow topped mountains beyond the river 

Nice to have the dogs off the leash.  We had no neighbors around us

As soon as we got off the river rafting trip, we zipped up the mountain to Whistler.  What a fun place!  We’d been there for winter skiing about 18 years ago, but the town is just as fun in the summer.  Mountain biking is huge!  Bikers wait in lines to go up the chair lift or gondola and ride their bikes down.  The town also has great biking/walking paths all through the town.  We took numerous urban hikes with the dogs and visited the Olympic Village.  Lots of people but it was fun to play tourist. 

Goofing around in the village 

Totem pole in Olympic Village

One of the many walking/biking paths.  Mt Whistler in the background 

I loved this sign.  Wished more people would READ IT!!

Mountain bikers coming down off the mountain through a terrain park

Our campsite at Whistler

Agi making a new friend 

Bodi just took a seat and sat with this guy for a while

We know we are at the southern end looking up at the very tall province of British Columbia that we have yet to travel, but we sure like this country so far!