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[QUOTE=simijet;4455828]Steve - are you sure you don't know anything about the area?:D
Thanks for the extremely comprehensive review! I'll be staying up north of Kelowna Airport near Lake Country, so I believe Okanagan Springs Brewery already has a spot for me. Vineyards, of course, are also on the agenda. But I really had no idea which ones were noteworthy. Mission Hill, here we come!
Thank you also for the driving advice. I've never been east of Abbotsford and had no idea what the elevation was for the drive. Having family in Washington, I'm very familiar with how quickly conditions can change with even a small change in elevation. I would have hated to go into this situation unprepared. I'm getting visions right now of being stranded in a snowstorm in shorts and a t-shirt with everyone pointing and saying, "look at the dumb Americans!" :eek:
As for the outdoor warnings, we are familiar with having cougars and bears within close proximity of our home in southern California. However, that was not always the case. Having grown up on eastern Long Island in NY, the only wildlife my wife and I were familiar with were deer and racoons. Fifteen years ago, my wife and I went to the Canadian Rockies for the first time. After visiting Lake Louise, we headed back onto Icefields Parkway towards Jasper. A clicks up the highway we encountered a few cars pulled over to the side of the road looking at a baby bear up a tree. Of course, my wife needed a picture too - so I stopped the car. Within seconds, a ranger came up and severely reprimanded everyone for our stupidity. "Wherever there's a baby, there's a mama not far away!!! Get back in your vehicles now!!!" Lesson learned.
Finally, thank you for the links! You have gone way beyond any response I anticipated receiving. Your time and effort is greatly appreciated!:toast:[/QUOTE]
No worries....Canadian hospitality at its finest!
Yeah, I lived in Lake Louise for one year, and Banff for five. The number of tourists that would try and put there kids on the back of a bull elk in rutting season to get a picture:eek:
When you get hired, Canadian Park rangers come in and give you a full orientation of the wildlife and what to do/not do if you encounter one. His favorite personal example was an American tourist who was trying to get a picture of a porcupine with its quills up, so he poked it with a stick. When he got 'shot,' he had to go to the hospital to have the quills removed. When this ranger showed up at the hospital, the man was quite angry and waved the ranger off saying "Don't worry, I have no intention on suing the National Park, so you don't need me to sign anything!" Upon which the Ranger politely smiled (he said anyway!) and assured him that was not his concern, but he was being presented with a hefty fine for disturbing the wildlife....and to have an enjoyable trip while in Canada.....:D
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