We had an early start (up at 5:30 a.m.) because the morning ferry to Vancouver Island tends to get full. Our journey began with a slight detour as we travelled first to Nanaimo to drop of Tartan (the dog) with my Mum. We made a brief stop at her place and then caught the mid-day ferry to Horseshoe Bay on the mainland. Once we finished that part of the trip, we really felt like we were on our way.

We drove through Metro Vancouver at the beginning of rush-hour, so the traffic was heavy. Luckily, the husband doesn't mind driving. Once we were out in the Fraser Valley, the traffic lessened and we enjoyed the scenery and agriculture. The corn looks almost ready and we saw numerous farm-side markets.

We drove the Coquihalla Highway to Kamloops and it was my first trip on the road since the Provincial government removed the tolls. There was lots of truck traffic and the trucks really crawl up the steep hills. Good thing there are plenty of lanes for passing the slower vehicles.

It was sad to see all the trees along the roadside that have died from the pine beetle infestations and it looks as if there will still be more trees lost. Thankfully , we didn't travel through any of the areas near the many forest fires that are currently burning in the province.

When we arrived in Kamloops, we had a light dinner (salads) and then went for a walk in Riverside Park which is a linear park that has been developed along the Thompson River. There was a band playing in an outdoor bandstand, children swimming in the river, and lots of people walking, running and biking along the waterside path as a red sun set behind the local hills. A beautiful ending to day one.