Are you ready to follow your heart in the New Year?
Canadian scenery: the first two photos are from Vancouver, one of
the most beautiful cities in North America, and the last was taken
on the spectacular road to Whistler.
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This is the fifth installment of a series about my summer road trip.
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What I wanted to do on my trip was to follow my intuition or my muse. I sometimes just took a road because it interested me. I would also stop to take pictures, especially of beautiful vistas or wildlife that became more and more common as I got farther north.
After leaving Seattle I drove east to visit wine country along the Columbia River. This land is abundant with vineyards, orchards and small, well-kept towns full of friendly inhabitants. I took advantage of the rich bounty by tasting wine and cider and sampling local cuisine. This kind of traveling is best done slowly to savor the food and drink and scenery. I often read Sunset Magazine, and this trip is one I remembered reading about.
By mid-afternoon I had crossed into Canada, which was an interesting experience. When the border agent noticed I was from Arizona, she asked several times if I had a gun in my car. I didn’t and said so. I did mention that I had a 22 at home and was then questioned about where I kept it. When I asked why there were so many questions, she paused and said, “Of course, most Americans have guns. Sometimes they forget they have them in their cars, and questioning helps them remember.” So, the Wild West still lives, or all “real Americans” have guns.
Ah, Vancouver. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in North America—until you encounter its traffic or try to buy or rent a house or condo. When you visit Vancouver’s amazing, pristine beaches and eat its great food, you discover a true international city. Being there in the summer was also a treat because of the long days. It’s a great place to kick back and enjoy.
Continuing the trend of reuniting with people from my childhood in Peru, I stayed with Beverly Hanna—a former Peruvian neighbor—and her husband. They took me out to experience eating on the bay, where water taxis transport people from one waterfront establishment to another. Before I left, Beverly took me to a farmers market and told me to buy the local strawberries. Wow! What a taste treat. Southern British Columbia produces some incredible produce and seafood served up in a beautiful environment.
The next day I hit the road, headed for Whistler, the site of a recent winter Olympics. This drive has to be one of the world’s most scenic, with mountains, lakes and rushing rivers around every corner. Whistler is a scenic mountain town and an ideal site for winter sports. I had fun walking around and enjoying the vibes of the town. The only planning I needed was to watch my gas, because once I drove farther north, towns became few and far between. I also had to convert gallons into liters of gas—yes, a liter, like a liter bottle of wine. When I did the figuring, I realized how expensive gas is in Canada, so paying by the liter seemed to make it easier. The other fun calculation was Canadian versus American dollars. The difference was in my favor: 100 American dollars got me about 125 Canadian dollars.
Going on this summer’s trip is one of the ways I followed my heart this year. Are you following your heart right now? Have you made specific plans to follow your heart next year?
