Fort St. James, BC 336 KM

If you read our blog entry from a few days ago we mentioned how disappointed we were with the road report for HWY 20 on Drive BC’s website. This prompted us to send the  following email to Drive BC: The below road condition appears on your website and is outdated and incorrect. All that appears to have been done for many weeks is the date has been changed. Please ask your contractor to provide an accurate update. They answered promptly: Hi Douglas, Thank you for your comment on the condition messaging for Highway 20. It does appear that message has been in place and refreshed 4 times daily since June 6.  I’ve forwarded your comment to the Service Area Operations Manager who will verify and communicate with the contractor as necessary.

The road condition message has been changed. It is nice to think that we, in an indirect manner, have provided better information for fellow travelers.

We left Smithers at a leisurely 8:15 am this morning. Did not have to beat the heat today. Before we started on this journey we had friends tell us what a beautiful little town Smithers is and they sure are right. It is nestled in the snow-capped mountains. It isn’t just the scenery. There is a very nice calm feel about it. It just seems so attractively well cared for and people are welcoming and friendly.

The weather was sunny and in the high teens – low 20s – perfect for motorcycling. We retraced our path to Vanderhoof where we stopped at a Subway for lunch as we often do while travelling. The sandwiches are reliable and usually the facilities are acceptable. Not so the Vanderhoof Subway. The parking lot was littered with garbage that had been there for a while: crushed, empty liquor bottles, etc. The washroom had no toilet paper, the drink dispenser served only warm pop. I think you get the picture. So will Subway Canada, as we took some today and will see if we can find a comment page on line.

After lunch we proceeded along Highway 27 through hay fields and forest to Fort St. James. The major reason we took the side journey was to visit the Parks Canada Historic Site: the 1800’s fur trading post. It is located on Stuart Lake. There were a number of restored buildings many with on-site guides in period costumes who seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs. They explained the unique features of each location, whether it be the store, officer’s house, etc.

Child's crib

Dried fish demo

1800s style recliner demoed by guide

Fur trading post grounds

It is very well done and reminds us of Ft. Steele in the Kootenays. Doug fed the workhorse in the corral a handful of grass. Norma even got to pet a baby goat! The two cute little things were only two weeks old and momma didn’t even seem to notice we were near her kids.

Norma and 2 week old goat.