Day 17, July 19

 We left the park pretty much on schedule and were at the Departure Bay ferry terminal shortly after 7. We had not been able to reserve space on the 8:45 sailing but they had about 50% availability for over height and length vehicles. It is amazing to see how many vehicles they can fit onto the ferry and how quickly they can load and unload.

Finding a service station with room to pull up to the pumps can be a challenge. There wasn’t anything in the Nanaimo area or on the Sea to Sky Highway so we had decided to take Hwy 1 instead. We knew we had lots of fuel to get to Hope where there is a Flying J with easy in and out access and diesel tanks dedicated to big rigs. What we couldn’t find was a spot to hook the Jeep back onto the motorhome. We took it off for the ferry for 2 reasons: it is cheaper to separate them and it would be very awkward getting on and off the ferry. 

We drove over 60 km through Vancouver to outside Abbotsford before I spotted a roadside rest area. We pulled in and I couldn’t believe what I saw. The whole area that is supposed to be a rest area for truckers had been taken over by ten or twelve mostly old decrepit looking RVs that were camping there. Lawn chairs, bbqs, and happy hour starting mid morning!

Luckily we were able to find a spot to stop and hitch up and get back on our way to Hope. It was a busy Flying J with a constant stream of trucks into the 6 fuel bays. We grabbed a sub at Subway and we were back on the road within 45 minutes. 

Hwy 1 heads north to Cache Creek and there is very little traffic compared to the Coquihalla up to Kamloops. We followed the Fraser River for a while. The water level was very high and it was quite turbulent. As we approached Lytton, the smoke from the forest fires was visible and it was evident where the serious fires are. The damage from last year’s fires was evident along the roadsides. 

After Lytton, we followed a tributary of the Fraser, the Thompson River. There were fewer and fewer trees on the slopes and the ground was much drier looking. It actually looked like we were driving in Arizona or New Mexico. The scenery was stunning. We went through a section of road construction with a 10 minute delay to get through. We let all the traffic pass us so that we could bring up the rear and slow down and enjoy the scenery. 

We arrived at Clinton Pines around 6, too late to enjoy their renowned fish and chip dinner. We hooked up the water, hydro and sewage and levelled the motorhome. When we pushed the button to extend the slide -nothing. We relevelled but still nothing from any slide. Time to go for a walk. When we came back, I suggested that I search one of my motorhome Facebook groups as they often have solutions. The suggestion was to turn the key on 3 times without cranking to get the system to reset. It worked! Time well spent on Facebook. 

The campground is cut into the side of a hill with sites on different levels. We are private, in the pines, slides out, bellies full. Time to sleep.