Chilliwack, BC

the wandering chick

...Chilliwack

Chilliwack is a farming community of nearly 80,000 people. It's located just north of the U.S. border, about an hour east of Vancouver and in the Fraser River Valley.

I enjoyed my stay there for several reasons: it's pure countryside with old barns, some in better shape than others. Of course, in my opinion, the older they are, the more picturesque. Wouldn't it be nice if that were true of people!

Three great destinations in or near Chilliwack are the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve, Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park and Cultus Lake Provincial Park. At each, one can take as much or as little time as desired, but I found that once I got there, I spent more time than I thought I would.

As is much of British Columbia, Chilliwack is a fisherman's paradise. Several lakes in the area besides Cultus as well as the Fraser River and the Vedder River offer all sorts of boating, fishing and watersport activities.

from barns to waterfalls and a lot in between

Chilliwack is an agricultural community, so old picturesque barns are numerous.

Cultus Lake was teeming with people swimming and boating. It has numerous campgrounds, picnic sites and boat launches. Surrounded by thick forests, it's one of the most beautiful and popular provincial parks in the area.

After spending some time at Cultus Lake, I took one of my "let's see what's down this road" treks. I was on Columbia Valley Highway/Road which led to Iverson Road where the two pictures below were taken. Iverson led to Henderson where this photo of the two trucks and the one below were taken. Henderson then led back to Columbia Valley, part of which hugs the lake.

This great blue heron stood for the longest time on this dead tree log. I wondered which of us would last longer as I stood there taking pictures of him through the trees. He won.

I watched this great blue at the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve in Chilliwack. It's an interesting place to visit, with trails leading through different parts of the reserve. Supposedly nearly 100 herons nest at the reserve. I saw only one. Frankly, since they all look so similar, to see one is to see them all. This one was either drying his wings or doing his morning yoga stretches.

The walking trails in the nature reserve are short and sweet. Because they're named, markers can be found at most of the intersections.

The Vedder River runs through Chilliwack, and wildflowers grow along its upper banks in the summer.

Glimpses of Washington's Mt. Baker can be had from the western side of Highway 1 from Vancouver to Abbotsford, just west of Chilliwack.

Well, the corn DID ripen, and it was absolutely delicious. Several corn stands could be found throughout the region.

Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park is east of Chilliwack just off Highway 1. It's a 15-minute gradual uphill grade to the falls. Be prepared to be awed. The water cascades over slickrock down 197 feet (60 meters) and is Canada's sixth highest waterfall. Warning: mouths tend to drop open at the first glimpse of the cascades.

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