Alberta Trip - 2008 - and home again.

With just two days to go before we hit the road, it is definitely time to get the report on last years spring trip finished! You will recall we were at Yoho National Park. From there we headed west on highway 1, through Revelstoke, then taking highway 97A and heading south to Veron, where we headed to Ellison Provincial Park. Not that many years ago my late mother and aunt both lived along the Okanangan Landing Road which leads to this campground. The area really hadn't changed that much in the approximately 10 years we had been away. Ellison Provincial Park is obviously a very popular park and not 'dog friendly'. Years ago there was an area at the south end of the campground where those of us who chose to travel with 4 legged companions could actually access the lake - now there are private homes in the area. Because of this and all the other areas where dogs weren't allowed, I have no pictures of the place apart from these deer that were spotted browsing in the bushes.

The next day, June 15, 2008 we were on the final stretch. Driving through the city of Kelowna was enough to make one want to turn around and head back to the hills.....definitely a 'city'....across the new floating bridge, headed to the 'Connector' that takes you to Merritt. It was along the connector that I finally saw a moose - unfortunately, too far away to take a picture, even if you could get stopped in time.

Just past where you can turn to take the old highway to Princeton, there is a grasslands site at the side of the road where we stopped to give the dogs (and us) a chance to stretch our legs. There is a parking lot here and a nice display area explaining the importance of grasslands. In the above photo you can see the road that leads into the hills and a number of recreation sites. We have driven to these sites in the past, and now that we have the more suitable truck/camper set up, will have to attempt a visit to them at some point in the future as the habitat, especially in spring, if fantastic.

In the above shot I was attempting to capture the 'blue' of the hillside. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as impressive in a picture as it did in real life. Blue lupins were in flower, looking absolutely spectacular in the sunshine.

Some of the grassland flowers were Sticky Geranium.......

Death Cammas.......

The gorgeous dark blue Larkspur or Wild Delpinium.......

a closer view of the wild Delpinium.....

The blue Lupins that covered the hillsides......

and a less common 'Chocolate' lily or Frittilaria

This shot, taken from the parking lot at the site, is of the main highway, affectionately known as the 'Connector'....looking westward, the town of Merritt is too far off, there is a long hill descending down into the town. From Merritt we turned south onto the Coquilla highway.

One final stop at a rest area.....and in less than an hour we'd be pulling up to our own place. The end of a most enjoyable trip!