Our Motto: Why take 3 hours when you can take 6!

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Saturday was a beautifully clear and sunshiny day, a perfect day for a drive to Nelson, with a side trip to Bountiful. Google Maps assured us that the shortest most picturesque and interesting way was through Kimberley and Grey Pass to the free Ferry on Kooteney Lake. At 11 am we had our Starbucks and a full tank of gas and off we went. We found the first road we were to take, St Mary's Lake Road. It was windy, but offered beautiful views of mountains (3) unobscured by electric lines. We were enjoying the drive, feeling mildly concerned when the roads we were supposed to turn on didn't materialize. The road (1 & 2) started to look like a road laid down by the founders of this country at the time they founded it, and we started watching the woods for folks in overalls with banjos. After 2 hours of hoping that we would end up somewhere that looked like civilization, we didn't.

After reading the sign that said only vehicles with 2 way radios were allowed to drive on the road ahead we promptly ignored it and kept going. After a few minutes we started to realize that we were heading up a hill and on either side of the road were logs. There was a pile of bear poop beside a bridge with large claw scrapings along the boards, and we thought maybe we were in the wrong place. With amazing skill, Dustin backed our car up for over a mile down the hill and over the bear bridge. We decided to drive back to Kimberley and start again. At least the ride was beautiful! We found out that the Grey pass is a summer road only. If only Google Maps had that information!

The road less travelled, is less travelled for a reason!

By 2:30 we were back in Cranbrook, driving in the opposite way towards Creston (4), and our final destination, Nelson!!! It was 3 hours, and when we arrived we found our hotel on historic Baker Street. The website showed pictures of a cute little boutique hotel nestled in the Rockies. When we got there we realized just how amazing Photoshop can be. The rooms must have been college dorms as they were grey cinderblock rooms barely big enough to walk around the bed, and the view is the brick wall that Dustin is showcasing above. It was fine for one night, but CSI would have had a field day in the shower with all of the hair left in there.

So basically, we didn't make it to Bountiful.