An Afternoon Drive to Where?

There is nothing quite like a Sunday drive on a summer day. The Explorer inside of me occasionally needs to go forth and explore. To visit somewhere never visited.

This Sunday drive, we decided to head north, to leave the country, to visit one of our favorite places—Canda. But on a hot summer day we wanted to avoid the crowds in Vancouver so we headed east. We took the scenic drive from Bellingham, through the farmlands of Lynden and Everson to cross the border in the small town of Sumas.

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The line to cross the border is right on the main street of Sumas. With a forty-five minute wait time, we had not much else to do but look outside the car window at downtown. Sumas did not have much going for it. Most of the buildings were run down or closed. The only businesses that seemed to be thriving is the Shipping/Mailbox business. There is quite a number of them within a few blocks of each other.

Once we crossed into Canada, being Americans and from Washington, our first priority was to stop at Starbucks. We were in much need of a bathroom break, a cold drink, and a snack.

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We headed east on Hwy 1, our destination was the area just north of Harrison Hot Springs, but a sign on the highway caught our fancy and we immediately took the next exit. That's the good thing about Sunday drives, there is never a plan, it can be impulsive and adventuress. The sign was for Cultlass Lake. We looked it up on the map. It is nestled in the hills of the Northern Cascade, right by the U.S. and Canadian Border. Next to the lake is an Ecological Reserve. It sounded peaceful and quiet.

Our first clue it may not be quiet and secluded, was the large Water Park and Amusement Park by the lake just as you approach it. Swarms of people were enjoying the hot weather on the rides. Business was booming at the various ice cream shops. And cars were parked wherever they could find a spot. We traveled on, hoping the further south we went, the quieter it would get.

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We finally found a parking lot to pull into. It was quite large and quite full, but luckily we found a spot right away. It was late afternoon and on a Sunday, how busy can it be? As we descended down the hill and caught our first glimpse of the lake and the beach, I was shocked at  how crowded it was. And noisy. People were everywhere. Boats were zooming around the lake at full speed. Children were yelling. This was not a quiet spot to stop and contemplate Mother Nature and enjoy nature's peaceful existence. And the smell! Instead of fresh mountain air and nature's divine floral aroma, the air was filled with gas fumes from all of the toys on the lake and lighter fluid from all of the bbqs.

We strolled around a bit, but we weren't exactly dressed for a hot day at the beach. And the noise and smells did not encourage us to kick back and stick around. After a few photos and a quick stroll, we decided to get back into our car and head home. We wanted to beat the traffic before all of those people left the park.

It may not have been a quiet day, but was an adventure. We found some new places to visit and enjoy in the more off season. The country side around Chilliwack and Vedder River was a beautiful place to take a drive. The farmlands interspersed with towns was a nice mix of old and new. Next time we visit, we may explore the Vedder river more and the hillsides. For there will be a next time.