Coming Up

I loooove road trips! There's something so raw and honest about getting in your car with no specific destination and no reservations anywhere. I knew the general direction I was embarking on (somewhere I have never been) and I knew I only had 4 days. With this, a friend and I ended up through some very quaint and charming small towns in Washington, Idaho and Montana. We saw a herd of metal horse sculptures atop a hill (that we hiked in flip flops), went hot spring hopping, had beer in a saloon in cowboy country Montana, climbed/hiked snowy Lolo peak, found an unmarked "secret" hot spring (after a treacherous hike), got spray misted by Snoqualmie Falls, drove through amazing verdant rolling hills in Palouse and ate cherry pie at the diner where they shot Twin Peaks (Northbend).

So for the next few days I will cover these highlights of my road trip.

Othello Tunnels & Old Settler Pub

If you are going to be on the Hope or Coquihalla area, check this place out. 

"... These tunnels were designed by Andrew McCulloch to save going around the Coquihalla Canyon. The railbed crosses the Coquihalla River several times and the views are well worth the trip. The trestles have all been converted to walkways now, and it is a provincial park. It is located about 5 km outside of Hope."
(http://www.thekvr.com/othello.php)

It is one of those beautiful BC places to hike -- water rushing, monolithic boulders -- BC at its best. The main trail is an easy hike. There are however, more medium trails off the main one. We have decided to turn around, though, upon seeing bear poop as we aren't equipped for a possible confrontation. 

To complete our rustic day, we thought we would eat locally. Unfortunately, it was pretty dead everywhere in Hope at 7pm Saturday night. So off, we go again on our small road trip. We decide to go to Harrison Hot Springs. Still sticking to "rustic" we go to the Old Settler Pub. It is a nice change to go to a place where it's not a "Donelly or Mark James" type. We both have a "stick to you ribs" food - meat, potatoes and beer -- very authentic.

If you have a day, this is one good excursion away from the city.