Summer Road Trip

2011 summer was another summer I enjoyed,to think when summer began I was trying to work on some stuff that didn't work and not focusing on other stuff. Well at least if some stuff didn't work and the other worked that sure counts as a good summer. Some of the places visited I had never heard of them but I think they are worth visiting. These places have a story behind them,something that sure puts them on the map.

We drove all the way from Vancouver to Fort St John,BC,did some sightseeing,hang out with friends. During our week stay in FSJ we visited Hudson's Hope.

Hudson's Hope is the land of dinosaurs and dams. This is where the W.A.C Bennett dam is situated, a place the Lower Mainland of BC  and other areas in BC generate electricity. We received a tour of how the plant works,saw dinosaur footprints and enjoyed the scenery the place has to offer.

Dinosaur prints

After the tour we decided to have lunch and just relax in the park. I enjoyed the drive back and forth.

Heading back home to Vancouver BC, we took a different route through Jasper,AB. The drive through is so spectacular,breathtaking and so worth the drive.

Mountain Goats

Next time when we are not in a rush I want to take the time to visit the National Park and sight see the town of Jasper.

Sunny Days: You Gotta Love Them

En-route to Kitsilano Beach (downtown Vancouver)

So it's summer time yeah and you know what that means ryt, yeap short skirts,visits to the beach,sipping on the drinks and just loving the days as they come. I just love Vancouver summer days,not so hot,not humid just the perfect temperature to enjoy summer days.

SO we had a heart lunch at Nando's Chicken .nothing beats the tasty lemon and herb chicken,peri fries and some greens on the side. We took a leisurely walk down to the beach,chilled around for a bit talking and just taking the sun and the fresh air. And yes of course I had to remove my shoes to feel the sand in my feet,sat by the logs. Too bad I didn't have my bikini ( the visit to the beach wasn't planned)with me or I would have tried basking in the sun soaking it all in.

Besides the sun bathing or taking a deep in the water who goes to a beach and doesn't remove their shoes just to get a feel of the beach sand.

                                                         Random pic of other beach lovers( the ones that like sun tanning)

Quadding

When everything was finalised and our trip to Fort St John was planned I knew Stella had camping in store for us, hiking,sightseeing and just chilling but there was one thing that did not come to mind. I didn't ask for the rundown of what more she had in store for the week we were going to be there. Anyhow me being the adventure freak I was in for anything. So after our Rim Rock picnic we went back to Heather's parents' house. Her dad is a good artist.really good at drawing,loved loved his artwork. We chilled for a bit and more adventure was in store for us.(group of six). It was time for some quadding. hehe I didn't know this was part of the plan for the day.

So they have 3 quads,one automatic,one manual and one in between the two. I partnered up and we had the automatic one. Our first stop was where the horses were and made a pitstop. We stopped and patted the horses,combed their manes.let them sniff our palms and all and we were ready to continue quadding.

had to tie my head in a bun

We continued quadding and there I was thinking oh ok this will only be for any hour and we will be back at the base. So I was like can I take over and I was doing well for the first 5minutes. The terrain wasn't even so yes they were bumps here and there. At some point in time I got over confident and forgot where the handbrake was and before I knew I slapped into a tree. For a bit I was scared to take the wheel so I was like I'ma be a passenger fr now. We drove and drove and at some point in time Heather was like we are halfway now and I thought we are almost there. During the drive we passed through puddles of water and I enjoyed driving in those puddles. Lucky for us we had brought our old sneakers in case it got so muddy. So everytime we passed a puddle we would shout out "feet up". FUN TIMES.
So I got to drive the inbetween quad,not so difficult to control and I got to talking with Heather. She told me the land was used for cattle ranching and this is the same beef we end up buying in supermarkets.I'm not sure how many hectares the land is but its so much land used for ranching only no farming.

 Like my friend would say" YOU GUYS WERE JUST E-N-J-O-Y-I-N-G

 And I took the wheel again and was driving and we spotted an elk darting through the trees. Too bad I couldn't take a clear picture of the elk.

After 3hours of quadding it was time to call it quits. Our clothes and shoes were all muddy but nothing beats the fun we had.

African Fusion

The church service was interesting and left everyone thinking and reflecting on our lives and future.Onose's parents invited us for lunch at their house after the service. the food was delicious,that was my firs time trying out Naija food and I was quite impressed with how they mix up dishes and spice them up obviously different from the Zimbo cooking. It was a great afternoon as we sat,digested our food and had talks with a mixture of Africans from Nigeria,Kenya,Zimbabwe all telling about different experiences in their countries.It was all laughs and amazements on how people from different countries go about their daily lives. This was an afternoon filled with oohs and aahs ,really,Oh my,in my country.It was a true African Fusion,learning more about different culture.

 The Ladies: Kenyan, Nigerian, Zimbabwean

After lunch we decided to go home and take afternoon naps but the weather was just too good to stay indoors so we decided to take a stroll in the town of Fort St John.The town is not that big such that it takes minutes to move around.Stella gave us a mini tour around the town as we enjoyed the sunshine.

When I Look Around What Do I See

I see his marvelous work, the valleys,plateaus,forest areas and how the ecosystem  and think He indeed is a Majestic and Awesome God. BC has some really breathtaking views.

I stand in awe of His marvelous work

And He saw it fit to place me on this Earth

Farmlands: Canola fields

The Western Coast of BC provides a spectacular scenery while you drive through it. Along the way I was speechless from all the beautiful mountains. There are so many hiking trails and good place for outdoor adventure.

Tara's parents backyard

Out & About

Day 3 was planned for some shooting at Heather's place but unfortunately we were unable to do so as there was an emergency to be attended. I wasn't sure about shooting but I was open to trying it out and getting the whole feel to it. Anyways we drove out to H eather's,parked for a few minutes just so we could get a view and see where the two rivers(Peace River & Halfway River ) meet.When you look down you can actually see that the water is half green and half of it is filled with silt showing that the main river is being fed by two rivers.

Before we left I took a walk down to pick some Saskatoon berries and just feel the wind whistling and feel the breeze.

I'm so loving the outdoor life

Elk Skull

After enjoying the view we drove to the farm,the whole house is made from pine wood.The farm is out in the woods meaning sometimes the wildlife comes close to home and if you take walks into the woods you can pick up dead animal bones.

Fort St John, BC-Farmer's Market

We visited the Farmer's Market where farmers,artist you name it come together and sell their different goods customers. The market runs from 9am till 4pm. At the market people were selling honey,jewellery,lotion,pictures,plants,jam,bread,scones and more.

While there we came across a new type of berry called the Saskatoon berries. Tara bought a 30lb box and said she would make us a Saskatoon berry pie with an avocado paste(I think).

Saskatoon Berries

The next booth was the Bees booth,the gentleman has a display unit showing the bees hard at work. We spotted the queen bee. K on this stand the guy makes different bottles of honey and branches out to make honey and beeswax lip balm,lotion,baby oil,bars of soap. I got myself a bar of the honey & beeswax soap.I want to try some organic stuff on my skin preferably my face and see how it works. While on the organic stuff I'm seriously thinking of going all natural on my hair.uhmmm

Ucluelet B.C.- Connecting with Mother Nature

Sometimes just taking time out off the busy city life away from all the honking cars,electric wire noises and not so fresh air might be what you need to refocus on the important things in life.  I decided to do this one weekend,drove out of Vancouver around 5pm  to catch a ferry to Nanaimo and drove to Ucluelet.The 4 to 5 ours drive is refreshing as you get a chance to reconnect with Mother Nature in different aspects.

While driving I spotted a black bear across the road,actually it was a cub.Ucluelet is located about 30minutes away from Tofino. Staying in one of the cabins you can hear the water hitting on the rocks,birds singing sweet melodies,so much fresh air and you have time to rejuvenate,refocus and think things through. You are so close to nature there such that we were lucky enough enough to spot a deer not far from where we were standing.

As long as you don;t startle the animals you can actually get close to them while they graze,no need to visit the zoo to see a deer now.I walked to the beach to watch the sunset and was in luck,managed to whale watch from a distance.

Mesmerized by the beauty of B.C.

3/4 top-Guess

Leggings-UB

Bag-Aldo

Accessories-Forever 21

2011 Summer Wish List

Whistler Bungee Jumping

http://www.canadianoutback.com/whistler-bungee-jumping.php#pricing

White Water Rafting

http://www.reorafting.com/site/rafting_trips_-_prices/prices-and-packages.html



Sky Diving