By the time Laurie went back to San Mateo, California, I was ready to get out of big city’s congestion. Just two hours from Vancouver lies a special little town.

Arriving in Harrison Hot Springs on a sunny afternoon, there were then 5 days of rain before I saw the sun again. However, the temperature was always balmy, so I enjoyed exploring with my raincoat and umbrella. This area is close enough to the Pacific coast that the weather is mostly temperate, and while they do have snow, it does not last. Lake Harrison can be very windy, so windsurfing is a popular sport here. Also, there are, reputedly, sturgeon and harbor seals in this 45 mile long glacier fed lake. Historically, the lake was an important link in the trip to the Caribou in 1858 when gold was discovered. Until 1861 this was the main route to the Caribou gold fields. Miners travelled up the Fraser and Harrison rivers, then on Harrison Lake to Port Douglas where they continued on the Harrison Lillooet trail to the gold fields.

Only the southern end of Harrison Lake has been developed, and there are no paved roads extending the full length of the lake on either side. One day I drove 16 kilometers (9-10 mi) up the lake’s west side to the end of the road where there was a beautiful public picnic area, boat launch, beach and this view.

The Esplanade

SandCastle Capital of the World

The town of Harrison Hot Springs is small and charming. In August, there were people, but it was not at all crowded There is a very nice hot springs pool that is open to the public, landscaped gardens along the esplanade, and lake and mountains that are absolutely lovely whether it is overcast or sunny. The skies were exquisite, with many puffy clouds. Harrison Hot Springs bills itself as the Sand Castle capital of the world and there are contests twice a year. My campground was a 15 minute walk from shops, public pool and restaurants past blackberries ready for picking.

Bigfoot Campground
From a tip at one of the Artisans, I found the Bigfoot Campground with free WIFI at my site, and, the cute little town had enough tourists to support several good restaurants so I was happy to settle in for over a week. The rain gave me a chance to work on the blog and my photographs.


Coffee roasting at The Back Porch

The Back Porch Pottery and Coffee Roastery

Antiques at the Back Porch Pottery and Coffee Roastery
An extra perk, there were artisans sprinkled through out the area. Fresh roasted decafinated coffee beans ground on an antique grinder at The Back Porch pottery and Coffee Roastery. They also had antiques and curiously, there were little packages of wild rice that came with a wonderful story. This wild rice, a staple of first nation peoples, was gathered by thrashing it into canoes by two brothers who have obtained a permit from the government to gather the wild rice from crown lands where it grows in great profusion in Northern Saskatchawan. The act of thrashing it into the canoes is also the reseeding process. One rainy day in Canyon Hot Springs CG, this long grain rice made a totally delicious meal, a nutty taste, slow cooked with vegetables.

During the course of my stay, it came to light that the campground’s internet was unreliable. Needing it to do my work, I asked if I might try to fix it. The staff was amenable and after several long phone calls to Lynksys and their internet service, we got it all sorted out. It was neat to be able to help, and I enjoyed being able to get to know the Bigfoot CG people.


Public Hot Springs Pool looks out over Lake Harrison
I visited the delightful public hot springs pool several times and each time it was a time to meet very friendly people who were sitting around the pool’s edges soaking in the hot water. The first visit, I was regaled by a fellow from Alberta who told me how the Canadian Govt. works. He said, “There are 3 parties, theNew Democratic party (called the NDP). This party has socialist leanings or is Socialist depending on who you talk to, The Conservative party (read Republicans in the States) and, Democrats (read conservative) his words, not mine. I would imagine that the Democrats are really the Liberals in the mix, but then I haven’t talked to enough people to get a real idea. At this point in time, the conservative Prime Minister has a minority govt., meaning the NDP or Democrats or both are in the majority. So, they can force an election if they do not like what he is doing. We, in the states, should be so lucky.


And lastly, for my hands that started aching, I visited a local chiropractor in the nearby town of Agassis (say aga-see).Here I am parked in the Chiropractor’s parking lot that is also the high school and the local sani-dump. Can you imagine having your office in a setting like this?

For those who would like to see more harrison hot springs pictures. click here at http://www.elurie.com/017_extra_pics