Now that school is out, it’s been fun to dash off here and there without the worry of punching a mental time card or watching a clock of any kind. There’s always too much work to do of course… but sometimes ya just gotta bust out of town and go play instead.
Which makes for a great opportunity to dash to Harrison Hot Springs, a local lake resort, with a couple of teen boys.
The weather was just too nice to stay home. Plus… these two guys needed something to do!
But our first stop… JUNKIN’!
I’ve done lots of blogging about Harrison… you can read more stories HERE.
Rusty’s New and Used Variety Store (<– lots of stories there!) is always a must visit on the way to the lake. So I sent the boys over to the ‘tacky free table’ for laughs, and made my rounds.
This mop bucket on wheels was cool, but a little too expensive.
The rake heads were tempting to make something cool with..
And this first aid kit would have come home with me if the price was lower.
And then the junk bins clouds parted… I actually brought this wheelbarrow home for a mere $8.00 Great planter you can move around!
I kinda have a thing for vintage wheel barrows. Should I stop at my now 4? 🙂
And then it was Harrison lake time.
Harrison (located in the lower mainland, BC Canada, 1 hour east of Vancouver) is only a short drive from our place, and it’s one of the best summer / beach towns in our valley. It’s got lake, beach, and lots to eat, do and see.
Mid week, we basically had the place to ourselves.
It’s such a lovely spot. Loads of green grass with massive willow tree canopies, faced with lots of sandy beach if you so desire. I like to park my chair in the water with a good book… which I did! Not so much the book… I’m on the lookout for a good summer read. Any suggestions?
Anyway, this was a little too quiet long term for these two, so…
.. this pit stop was a given. We even got the dusk deal of $10 off each ticket! Fashionably late pays off it seems.
And that works for me. I could sit in my lake with a book I was trying to be thrilled about. Sometimes they need a little work…
Oh how Harrison Lake Watersports Waterpark resembles some kind of Super Nintendo Mario land in full scale, don’t you think? They had a blast!
Well, my book didn’t take off like gangbusters, so I got bored.
Grabbing my little canon point and shoot, I started snooping around. And just took a few shots that caught my eye for various reasons.
Please don’t ask me how in the world I achieved those beautiful sun lit sparkles. Because I have NO idea. Must be something to do with shooting in aperture mode.
After the big swim, the boys were hungry, so we stopped off at the log cabin pub for takeout burgers at the beach.
I LOVE this shot!
And then it kinda went all downhill from there. 🙂
As lovely as the day was, my fav time of day is the evening. As the sun started to set, the heat of the day lifted, yet the warmth was still present. A fresh coffee from Muddy Waters for me, and an ice cream for the boys, our day came to a close in the most perfect of ways.
Doing this is soooo good for the soul. Everything can feel so demanding at home, and leaving the yard just gives you that permission to put down the dishes and lawn mower, and just rest.
Harrison Hot Springs, you are always so very good to us!
Which lit a summertime fire under us in a BIG WAY. And geared us up for our next big adventure…
So I hope you’re up to a few more twists and turns… you just wait and see… 🙂
Looks like heaven. Lucky kids!! And $8 for that awesome wheelbarrow ?! Nice. No book recommends, I’m stuck in The Goldfinch. Halfway through and it gets monotonus(I think). Great pics. Enjoy the lake.
Looks like you had a blast at the lake and what great finds too. Can’t believe you got the wheel barrow for $8. Kuddos! Enjoyed this post – thinking I need to go have some fun.
Carole
Great post Donna! And a great reminder of the FACT that we creatives need to take mandatory breaks a lot more often than we allow ourselves. Love the pics. The feather on the beach was an amazing shot.
Hi Donna, did you get a new camera or still using iphone for making photos? This photos are stunning, especially the ones taken at sunset ..
Hi Anita! My regular ‘at home camera’ is a Nikon D800 but for quick trips out like this, I lug along my little Canon G7X point and shoot. Shooting in aperture mode really does an amazing job. The clarity of the pictures is pretty startling! Not cheap, but good.
Some of the pictures were done with the iPhone6+, but most with the Canon.
What a fun day! So smart to do it mid-week! Aren’t summers great? You may enjoy reading “The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kidd if you haven’t read it. A quick summer read. She also wrote “The Secret Life of Bees”. Thanks for sharing those great pictures. I’m jealous about the wheelbarrow by the way!
Living all my life until marriage I never went to Harrison. Need to go next time. Wish I could give you my wheelbarrow-daughter says this has to go. It’s wood and metal, free of charge. Just outside the “other” Vancouver.
Love the pics!
Kathy
Whoopie! Another vacation spot for my Bucket List. It reminds me a bit of Bear Lake on the Idaho/Utah border. We followed another blogger up there a couple of years ago. Best raspberry milkshakes in the world!
Enjoy your little spot of heaven!
And one more thing…I’m reading “Through Gates of Splendor” by Elizabeth Elliot in honour of her passing. It’s the book of the five missionaries killed in S. America. Great book, so far.
I’ve been to Harrison Lake – it’s quite beautiful there and a quick jaunt from town. What a perfect way to spend the day – I’m so jealous here in landlocked Alberta!
What a beautiful place, two happy boys and coffee. Who could ask for anything more?
The photos are great, looks like you all had a great time.
Sorry, can’t give you any book suggestions, because all my reading is school books at the moment.
Have a great day.
When I am fortunate enough to make my way out West again, I will most definitely have to make a day of it at Harrison Lake…my gosh, but it looks simply idyllic! Or maybe that’s because the pix you took are absolute knockouts? But then, the radiant smiles on those boys’ faces really tells the tale, yes? Thank you for sharing your lovely day out with us!
I wish I had a book recommendation for you, but I’m mostly into non-fiction and some of it tends to get a little heavy…not really ideal for a light summer read. The last one had me in tears the entire way through…so yeah, not a sunny summer day kinda book! What kind of read are you looking for, Donna?
Hey Susan!
I think I may pick up the Outlander series, never read it before but by the sounds of it, it’s highly recommended. I like something that makes you think, and one you don’t want to put down. Don’t like getting scared, or too worried. LOL Light, but with a story I suppose!
You chose a pretty difficult combination to find…hehe! If you like the Outlander series, you’ll probably dig Game of Thrones, too! Although, some of the incidents in that series can be a little worrisome. LOL! I’m sooooooooo glad to see that your summer is off to such a fabulous start and can’t wait to read more about your adventures! Now THAT makes for good summer readin’! 😉
Absolutely gorgeous lake and so glad you took a load off and had an amazing day!
Now that’s my kind of a vacation! Junkin’ and going to the lake? Yup. Count me in for next time. I’ll pretend I’m a teen again! Lol.
Love summer adventures with my kiddos!
I always have a book in hand.
Just finished The Girl on the Train – it is a great, quick summer read.
Happy Summer from Way Down South in Mississippi!