A Car Trip to British Columbia and Camano Island

Jerry traded his Honda CRV in and got a new Honda Ridgeline pickup truck.  Jerry decided that a road trip was in order and Gari and Steve were game.  Departing from Union Gap (Yakima), Washington, the first stop is Westbank, B.C. to visit our good friend Yvonne.
The scenery along the route did not disappoint.

The beautiful rock garden entrance to Yvonne's development.

A view down Yvonne's street.

There is Yvonne's home on the corner with Jerry's Ridgeline parked under cover.

Jerry inadvertently reprograms the Canadian Satellite TV System.

Gari searches the Canadian Internet from the kitchen laptop.

Yvonne took us on a nice tour of Historic Peachland, B.C.  This stop is at the steps of her historic Methodist church with Gari and Yvonne.

Three little ladies asked Gari to take their photograph using their pad.  Kind of funny, because Gari doesn't use a pad!  No worries, Gari can figure out just about anything.

Yvonne leads us down to the stream where the Kokanee Salmon gather to spawn.

Look there they are, that one is a whopper!

We see a Great Blue Heron wading with the ducks along the stream.

A lunch stop at fancy Fitzpatrick Winery on the banks of beautiful Okanagan Lake.

The interesting tasting room.

Were were seated on the patio overlooking the lake.  This is a picture of a Jade plant.

The wine waiter came by with our selections, it is really getting exciting now!

Steve is pleased with the Merlot.

 Jerry and Gari check out the beautiful view.

Steve found a Springer friend.

Next stop the old school building now the local art museum.

As a celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Peachland the local artists laid out a mosaic painting of a local historic scene, and regular folk get to paint in a 1"x 1" square.  Gari signs in to get her square assigned.

Now the instructions....

Gari executes as if she were kin to Michelangelo.

Some cowboy tried his hand, oh wait that is Steve.

We got to visit with Lucille just down the road from Yvonne's house.  Lucille prepared a nice lasagna dinner complete with fine red wine.

Headed back to the US through the magnificent scenery.

Almost back to the border.

Now on Camano Island, Washington on Puget Sound.

Jerry's longtime friend Ron is our Tour Guide on Camano.  Ron has been living here for over 20 years.

Ron took us down to the beach in his golf cart to pick some wild Blackberries.  Gari and Jerry are getting into the Blackberries now.

 A stop by a $1.5M waterfront home for sale.  Can be yours for the right price.

The place does have a nice western view.

Sunset over Puget Sound from Ron's front porch.

Fishing Around Yakima, Washington

We managed to get some fishing in and did it with the best Fishing Guide in the world, Gari's dad Jerry.  While we weren't fishing we were doing some sightseeing.  The new secret spot we went this year was Lost Lake.  We never would have found this place without our Guide!

The gorgeous Lost Lake.  We had fished at a previous spot this day and the wind was strong and cold.  Up here at Lost Lake the area is protected from the wind and it was nice and warm and still.  Perfect conditions.

 We spotted Jerry from across the lake, he was in the act of cleaning a nice Rainbow Trout.

Steve found a rock perch and makes a cast.

The air was very still and there were an abundance of large sized Dragonflys.   We managed to capture a picture of one floating by.  You may be able to see the monster at the center bottom of the frame.

No one knows what Steve is doing here.  One might guess he is trying to fall off a log and into the lake...

Gari found a little path to the water for a few casts.

 A couple of panoramas of Lost Lake before we move on...

 

Next stop, good ol' Dog Lake.  Jerry and Steve have their seats set up for some serious man fishing.

Steve has a small spoon in his hat.  Where did he get that spoon you ask?  Why up in a tree of course.  What was Steve doing up in a tree?  Oh, he was going after his Money Clip spoon after an errant cast, really errant.  The amazing thing is that he didn't fall from the tree and into the lake, now that would have been the money picture!

 Gari stands like a soldier and is the only fisher to land a fish at Dog Lake that day.

The cone on the south shore of Dog Lake.

Closer in on the cone.

 East end of the lake is the head water.

This is the nice Brook Trout that Gari caught at Dog Lake.  A nice large specimen for a Brookie.  Steve ate that tasty fish.

Trolley Ride to Selah, WA

The Yakima Valley Trolleys operate on the tracks of the former Yakima Valley Transportation Company (YVT Co) in Yakima, Washington. The YVT is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is the last authentic, all-original, turn-of-the-century interurban electric railroad in the United States. The degree to which the complete YVT system has been preserved is unsurpassed.

The railroad was constructed between 1907 and 1913.  Its greatest length was just over 44 miles.  Presently approximately five miles of track remain, connecting the cities of Yakima and Selah, Washington. Electric trains have operated on the YVT tracks every year since 1907.  Service was first limited to a streetcar line in downtown Yakima. In 1909 the YVT was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad with the purpose of expanding the system as a feeder of freight and produce to the Union Pacific mainline.  The YVT built a large stone and timber carbarn/shop facility in 1910. In 1911 a concrete and masonry powerhouse substation was constructed to provide the necessary DC electricity to operate the trolleys. Both buildings are still in use today. The overhead wire catenary is also original.

Streetcar service became less and less popular as more Americans were able to purchase automobiles. Finally in February of 1947 the YVT terminated streetcar service, however the electric freight trains continued to operate.  The Union Pacific Railroad decided to abandon the Yakima Valley Transportation Company freight operations in 1985. Almost all of the system was donated to the City of Yakima in the process, and has been open as a museum since that time.  Present and future generations are able to experience an early-American street railway almost exactly as it was 100 years ago and come to understand the important role transit held in developing the City of Yakima as well as the rest of the industrialized world.

The original generator building below, now the museum.

 Jerry and Gari inspect one of the original the 600 VDC motor generators, which still are able to operate today.

 Gari and Jerry board car #1776, an original restored from 1908, for our trolley ride to Selah.

 We've gt a ticket to ride, ride, ride...

The conductor punches Jerry and Gari's tickets.

The conductor engages the electric trolley and we lurch forward toward Selah hearing a blow of the very loud whistle at every street crossing.

A shot of the fine woodworking trim aboard old number 1776.

 Approaching the bridge at the edge of Yakima, next stop Selah, WA.

The Yakima River view from the elevated trolley tracks.

 The Yakima River.

Selah!  Everyone off for a stretch.

 Beautiful old wicker and brass seats.

The conductor's console; there's one at each end of the trolley.

A tour of the machine shop/carbarn after the ride.

 An oldie but a goodie that used to run to Snoqualmie, WA.

Old poster advertisements aboard a car in the barn.

 Jerry checks out the machinery in the shop... certainly thinking of modifications that could be made to his 1942 Willey's Jeep with all this equipment!