Road Trip 2025 - Regina to Surrey

We haven't blogged much with all the life changes, pandemic turmoil, etc, in our lives, but now that we've sold the farm and are settled in Regina, Saskatchewan, we live a less stressful life with more time to play. So this past summer when we were blessed with a wonderful family vacation in British Columbia we thought you might want to be an armchair traveler and come along as we relive the sights and memories.

We first visited Vancouver Island in 1981 when there was just Nelson, myself, and our 2 1/2 year old daughter Crystal. There are now six of us, and due to school, work, etc, we never had the chance to take an extended vacation together as a family. We wanted to change that while revisiting the places we first discovered with Crystal, before Jessie, Nick, and JJ came along. 

Anita and Crystal, 1981, Hell's Gate Canyon, BC

The itinerary was simple. Nick and JJ, who also live in Regina would take one car, and Nelson and I would take our Flex. We gave ourselves three days and 2 nights to travel across the prairies, through the Rocky Mountains, and down across BC to the Greater Vancouver area where both Crystal and Jessie live. The drive would allow us to make plenty of stops for rest, fresh air, and fabulous scenic photos, and we would arrive ready to explore the BC coastal area and Vancouver Island.

JJ, Nick, and Nelson at the Bow River Lookout on Hwy #1 west of Banff

It sort of worked. It was sunny when we arrived in Calgary for our first night, but cloudy the next morning as we entered the Rockies. We still stopped for photos and breaks while we admired the majestic mountains...a sight we don't see Saskatchewan, but we didn't see many of the mountain tops due to the low cloud cover. The sun came out the next morning after a restful night overlooking Shuswap Lake and we headed over to Kamloops and the daunting Coquihalla Highway. I call it daunting, but Nelson and our sons were excited to try out the four-lane high-speed shortcut part of Hwy 5 that followed the trail of the old Kettle Valley Railroad.

Coquihalla Hwy between Kamloops and Merritt, BC

We'd been on the Coquihalla about 20 minutes when our vehicle's Check Charging System light with a battery icon blinked on. Since everything appeared to be working and we were about halfway to Merritt, Nelson opted to keep going. Now, the highway was not packed with traffic, and it was the middle of summer and not during avalanche season, however, we'd passed numerous 'Runaway Lane' signs for drivers to head for if their brakes failed on portions of the 6% grade highway and I started feeling the stress. Within minutes the air conditioner stopped working. I tried to open a window only to find the windows weren't working either. And away we whizzed down the Coquihalla...a highway so dangerous in winter that it's a star of the TV show, Highway Thru Hell.

Nelson and I were hot and stressed when we drove into Merritt. The boys, on the other hand, were worried, but cool in their air conditioned vehicle. We were all surprised to find Merritt does not have a Ford dealership, so we parked in a nearby Chev dealership's lot and explained our situation. Their shop was fully booked, but offered other suggestions. We proceeded to phone around the city but everyone was booked until the next morning. Our only options were to stay the night...or take a chance and drive to Hope which was another 120 kms down the Coquihalla which included the steepest part, the Coquihalla Summit. By then we'd arrive at the end of the business day while shops were closing, and still have to look for lodging. 

While we were pondering our choices in the hot parking lot of the Murray Chevrolet Buick GMC dealer, someone came out and invited us to sit inside and use their facilities if we needed to. Their mechanic might be able to squeeze us in later. When she went back inside, Nelson, Nick, JJ and I prayed for guidance. We came to a decision that if the Chev mechanic couldn't fit us in today, I would go with JJ in his car to meet Jessie in Surrey, while Nelson and Nick stayed in Merritt with our Ford Flex. We went inside to use the facilities and thank the staff for their hospitality. While inside, we saw a quad pull up beside our Flex and a mechanic start poking around the engine. Minutes later, our Flex was in the shop and we were praying it could be fixed. We waited in the showroom as closing time neared. Finally, two hours after reaching Merritt, our vehicle was fixed, road-tested and ready to go. 

So here's a huge shout-out to Murray Chevrolet Buick GMC in Merritt, BC, and Greg, their mechanic, who took in and fixed a broken Ford Flex for a very grateful family from the prairies. It just goes to show that like the biblical parable, there are Good Samaritans everywhere.

Later that evening we arrived at our Surrey Airbnb. JJ and Nick had made a detour to get Jessie and now we were all together except for Crystal whom we'd see in the morning. We'd made it. 

Let the real adventure begin.