A Market, a Ride and a Comment from an American Tourist

North Abbotsford Farm Market.

It was another great day here on the coast and when so, it calls for a motorcycle ride in the countryside.  We chose to head to one of our favourite one day rides to Harrison Hot Springs.

Near new farm market.  A REAL GEM!

These past several years, this highway corner in north Abbotsford saw a farmer selling corn out of the back of a truck. A year or two ago, that same farmer built this wonderful fresh organic food market.  We have ridden by many times before but we chose to stop in today.  What a treat this place is.  This is a market we will patronize from here on.  This place is clearly a going concern.  It was very busy.

Vintage truck that was featured in yesterday's blog was at this market, one day later.

Call it coincidence but this orange pick up was at the Cloverdale Blueberry Festival one day earlier.  Jeanette got a photo of it at the Blueberry Festival.  Here it was again (one day later and 45 minutes further east) at this very market. I could not resist including the photo in this blog. What a beautiful restoration.

Highway 7 east towards Harrison Hot Springs.

The farm market offered some goodies we were interested in.  The sign said their doors would be open till 7:00 pm so we headed off to Harrison Hot Springs with a view to dropping by for some fresh dinner goods to take home for the Bar-B-Q.

Corn fields in the Fraser Valley.

Arriving @ Harrison Hot Springs.

Typically, on a motorcycle, it's easy to find parking somewhere near the beach front.  We parked, took our books and some snacks, and found a nice bench to spend a bit of time on.

Families and boaters were enjoying a fine summer day.

It was hot but with a nice breeze blowing in from the valley, it was very comfortable.

The wave runner rental dock was not busy.  There were tourists everywhere but most seemed more interested in hiking, lunching, and sunbathing.

We stopped in to the Harrison Hot Springs Resort Hotel.  It was a very busy place.  The line up at the registration desk was very long.  There is a nice coffee joint there but it too was packed so me pressed on with our walk.

After a few hours of sitting around, Jeanette and I took a little hike in the woods then returned to the beach area, found a coffee shop, walked the beach some more then headed back for the Abbotsford farm market and then for home.

Jeanette taking one last look before we left the beach.

Reading this past Saturday's Vancouver Sun newspaper editorials, the following letter to the editor was an interesting read.  I thought I would share it with our blog readers.  It was written by Polly Shaw from Argyle, Texas.

Editorial - Vancouver Sun Newspaper - Sat. August 6, 2011

Tourist Loves Vancouver

      We recently escaped the merciless Texas heat to tour San Fransisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, all most lovely cities.

      We have come to the conclusion that your fair city of Vancouver is hands down the crown jewel of the Northwest.

      Vancouver is very modern, clean, trendy, pleasant, and extremely picturesque.  What a pleasure it was to tour Stanley Park, the Granville Island market, Gastown and Capilano.

      Most of all, we loved sitting on a bench on the bay enjoying the sea planes, the marinas, and the snow topped mountains, in the sunshine no less (something impossible to do in the hot Texas summer sun).

      Take it from me, sweltering here in 108 F (42 C) temperatures, you don't know how lucky you are.  Love you, Vancouver.

Polly Shaw

Argyle, Texas

Jeanette and I know how lucky we are.  Thanks for dropping by.
Wishing you a pleasant day too.