Well, Screamer is getting a holiday with a free ride in the back of a cavernous 15’ cube truck. The size of the truck is overkill, but this is the smallest truck we could get. Before setting out we revisited Granville Coffee for lunch. We like this funky, popular cafe with great coffee and home cooked meals.
At Granville Cafe there is much to take in. Note the Alex Fraser Campaign Poster. He was a local resident who is celebrated for his years of service in civic and provincial politics. The Alex Fraser Bridge in Vancouver and the park we had a view of from our balcony bear his name.
We like the Penny Farthing bike which was mounted to create a divider between the coffee station and the eating area. As well, the ceiling is covered in burlap coffee sacks from all over the world.
Oh yes, we have a “SuperMover” 15 foot cube truck for Screamer to be safely escorted undercover and out of the elements back to Tsawwassen. But who is this masked man?
The only drawback to the truck was that the seats were permanently positioned at an awkward and slightly reclined angle. The hardware store had these red beauties on sale for $10....problem solved.
We started the drive with sunny skies, but also with a fierce crosswind which will stay with us for most of the day. The wind really pulled on the truck and we know it would have been a challenge on the bike. At one point, a huge tumbleweed raced toward us.
The drive south of Quesnel is quite beautiful with majestic heavily forested peaks, lush farmland and the mighty Fraser alongside. But the hills were unending and went on forever. Construction is ongoing, upgrading the highway, and the wind played havoc with barriers and cones sending them flying across the road. The shoulders on some of these curving steep hills were not very good....pocked with pot holes and crumbling ashphalt. As well, when there is a passing lane, the shoulder disappears. Going down some of the hills with blind corners, we discovered that the terrain didn’t allow for any shoulder at all. It will be better for cyclists when the construction is complete as the shoulders should be improved.
We got the last available room at the Round Up Motel in the village of Clinton. Due to a massive rockslide along the Fraser River a year ago, crews continue to stay here working on the slide.
In this strange and complicated year of COVID, we painstakingly considered the reality and advisability of travel before we set out from home. We had lived within our bubble since March and wondered if communities would welcome visitors, and if we would be safe. All in all, we have managed well. Armed with a bag of PPE, we diligently sterilized our rooms and mostly self catered. Yet, as had been predicted for the fall, BC is no longer flattening the curve. The daily statistics are worrisome. This makes us feel more vulnerable, so home we’ll go and back to our bubble. On the subject of what it was like to be out and about during COVID, we never felt unwelcome in any community and it was reassuring to see businesses and most people taking precautions seriously, such as social distancing and wearing a mask. We could see the concern of business owners, particularly in the hospitality industry, who are keenly missing European and American travellers.
