Leaving Squamish, we had to traverse Vancouver one way or another to get to White Rock. We stopped at MEC near the Iron Workers' Memorial Bridge, as we needed seasonal jackets, and mail order doesn't work so well for size & style. Not sure how we managed without GPS - paper maps would have been a nightmare! Anyway, we pulled the fifth wheel up Boundary Road in midday traffic without incident; Vancouver drivers seem far more accommodating than those in Calgary. We settled at the Seacrest Motel RV parking lot in time to stroll to the beach for lunch. It was a glorious September day; Semiahmoo Bay was like glass, broken by the ripples of the paddle boarders and kayakers. Teenagers were jumping from the jetty into the bay, likely one of the last chances, as the delayed start to school was imminent. The strip at White Rock is divided by a bluff into roughly equal east and west sections. The east beach seems the older and is filled with small food establishments who do a booming take away business for folks wanting to eat on the boardwalk. We saw no scrawny sea gulls anywhere along the beach. The west beach seems newer, with more dining and patios, rather than the take-outs on the east beach. It was here we found an Irish pub for dinner on our second evening. We had hoped to stay to watch the sunset, but the weather had cooled since the previous evening, so we headed back to the RV. It was along here we saw the best deal ever on beers: "Buy any two beers, pay for both." Best deal for the Pub, that is!
We wandered around uptown White Rock and purchased some groceries at the Save-on foods there, and shortly thereafter moved to Peace Arch RV Park, which, being more on the edge of Surrey, was a bit more spacious, and treed. This park, like many private RV parks hosts a large number of long stay folks. Looking at the state of some of the units, it was apparent they were there for the long haul. While here, we did some shopping, and a bit of just being tourists. After two nights, though it was time to move on. Our next destination was the Chilliwack area and the famous Cultus Lake.
After about an hour's drive we arrived at Cultus Lake Provincial Park, and found a comfortable site. After wandering around a bit, and gaining familiarity with the park, we headed into Chilliwack in search of the elusive Swiss Chalet, one of Pat's favourites. We found it in a new Big Box development, so did our other shopping while there. ensuring we could stay at the park without need to come to town again.
Sunday, we decided to see what all the excitement about Cultus Lake is really about. We discovered it has been a cabin destination since the 1940's, and has developed into a summer seasonal Coney Island, with water park, amusement rides, ski boats and more. The local government was obligated to install a sewer system some years ago,an with that development soared. Many of the original 40's and 50's cabins have been replaced with large multi-storey homes, vacant for much of the year. Most of these are built with hardly more than a sidewalk between them, and is a far cry from the wide open spaces many seek for a summer retreat!
Next: Fort Langley.....