June 02 - Barkerville, Wells, and Cottonwood House
Well, how can I describe our visit to Barkerville? In one word, WOW!! What a spectacular and stunning site! We'd gone from 1,555' elevation in Quesnel to 4,050' in Barkerville.
We were pleasantly surprised at the cost of admission. I think we both thought that after driving one hour east of Quesnel (read: captive audience), the price would be higher than what it was. Yes, Jen was given a reduced rate because of her wheelchair, AND we did get a Good Sam discount, so the price of admission for the both of us was just over $21 - a bargain for what we were about to see and experience.
Jennie and I strolled up the main street .. just like men and women did 150 years ago! Just imagine! What history!
The rain, and wind, had picked up so when we arrived back at the campsite, our tarp was literally flapping in the breeze. I guess that is one advantage of a proper canopy - it can be put away fairly quickly. As it was, the tarp, poles, and ropes were all okay, ready for another day.
It rained on and off the entire evening.
By mid-day, the rain had started to fall lightly. We ducked into a shop advertising coffee and tea for sale. We didn't make it to the restaurant a few buildings away, so I went and got some munchies - a Nanaimo bar and a Buttertart bar. Mmmmm, good!
The rain started falling a little heavier. We decided that it was time to head back to the campsite.
We drove the main street of Wells, about 4 kms west of Barkerville. Wells advertises itself as a gold rush town but there sure didn't seem to be much there. Before we knew it we were back on the main highway heading back to Quesnel.
We stopped in at the Cottonwood House which has the original Road House from the Barkerville era. We enjoyed a nice light lunch before climbing back into the van.
I hiked up the short trail to a viewpoint and made this video.
