Fernie RV Resort - Day Three

Disclaimer: I am getting back to posting about our 2023 trip to Canada. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!

Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)

June 30-July 3, 2023

Radium Hot Springs to Fernie, British Columbia

Daily Mileage: 142

Fernie RV Resort

Site: F6

Duration: 4 nights

Cost: $123! Canadian/night (forgot to convert; plus holiday rates)

Weather: Sunny and hot (80s) and windy

Cell Coverage: 1-2 bars Verizon & 1 bar TMobile

Day Three

We kicked the morning off in Fernie with coffee and delicious pastries at Rooftop Coffee Roasters. It was another hot & humid day, but I enjoyed wandering around the farmer's market while Rod did some book-related work in the RV. After dropping off some frozen pot pies, I walked around town a bit more, admiring the mural art and banners, as well as the beautiful scenery and architecture. We decided to get lunch at Blue Toque ("Tooook"), which had great potstickers and crab melts. Have I mentioned how much we loved Fernie? (Yes, I have.)

Downtown Fernie

Yum!

City Hall

Artwork in Blue Toque

Sadly, Blue Toque has closed permanently. :(

Fernie RV Resort - Day Two

Disclaimer: I am getting back to posting about our 2023 trip to Canada. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!

Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)

June 30-July 3, 2023

Radium Hot Springs to Fernie, British Columbia

Daily Mileage: 142

Fernie RV Resort

Site: F6

Duration: 4 nights

Cost: $123! Canadian/night (forgot to convert; plus holiday rates)

Weather: Sunny and hot (80s) and windy

Cell Coverage: 1-2 bars Verizon & 1 bar TMobile

Day Two - Canada Day!

We spent the afternoon at Island Lake Lodge with our friends, Lou & Shannon. Thank goodness we went with them in their large truck. I doubt our RV could have made it up the steep, 8km dirt road!

The views from the lodge were beautiful. It was a hot, sunny day and we enjoyed sitting outside on the deck. It would have been fun to hike down to the lake and maybe rent a canoe, but Shannon and I were in sandals. 

Island Lake Lodge

The most delicious burrata 

with heirloom tomatoes!

We fell in love with this radler, 

which is similar to a shandy.

Bear Bistro

Contemporary landscape painter Patrick Markle

Beautiful!

Table for Two

 

Table for Two by Amor Towles

Fiction

2024

Finished on June 1, 2025

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

From the bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Rules of Civility, a richly detailed and sharply drawn collection of stories set in New York and Los Angeles. 

The millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles. The New York stories, most of which are set around the turn of the millennium, take up everything from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego, to the fateful consequences of brief encounters, and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages. In Towles’s novel, Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September, 1938, with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in the midst of Hollywood’s golden age. Throughout the stories, two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where the direction of their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next. Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting historical fiction.

I very rarely read short stories mainly because I don't enjoy them as well as novels. I feel that by the time I'm invested in the plot, and have come to care about the characters, the finale is upon me. I did, however, enjoy Amor Towles's stories in this recent release, many of which have an O. Henry feel to them with an unexpected twist at the conclusion of the tale. 

The second half of Towles's book is a novella that picks up where his debut novel, Rules of Civility, ends. I wish I had re-read that book before reading Eve in Hollywood. Towles provides some backstory, but I would have liked more. It's been over six years since I read the author's Rules of Civility, and the details are more than a little fuzzy. Also, the ending of the novella felt convoluted, and I wish I had kept better track of the role of each of the characters. Thus, the less than stellar rating. I must say, though, that his writing is marvelous, filled with subtle wit, and vivid imagery that places his reader directly into the setting. I'm tempted to read his earlier works again!

Speaking of which, you can find my reviews for those tooks here:

Rules of Civility (4.5/5)

A Gentleman in Moscow (5/5) - read twice

The Lincoln Highway (3.5/5)

A Month in Summary - May 2025

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

May 2025

 

A flock of pelicans flew right past me as I was taking a photo of the gorgeous view from my walk a week or so ago. I love the way they glide along the waves, but these guys were up pretty high before they dipped down to the water. 

So how's everyone doing? Summer is just about here and I'm ready for it! We've had warmer temps (relatively speaking), sunny days, and the occasional overnight shower. I've been working in our yard and am thankful it doesn't get as hot & humid as it did in Nebraska. 

My month of reading was a little off with only two books that impressed me. (Interesting that those were both by Elizabeth Strout.) I gave up on a couple of audio books, but have finally settled on one that is holding my attention. Earlier in the week, I blogged about the annual summer reading challenge and I'm excited to dive into the books I selected. You can find that post here. 

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (4/5)

There Was an Old Woman by Andrea Carlisle (3/5)

Instructions for a Heat Wave by Maggie O'Farrell (3/5)

Wellness by Nathan Hill (3/5)

My Name Is Lucy Barton (4/5) - reread

Movies & TV Series:

The Pitt - Great show! My only complaint is that it was hard to keep up with the dialogue, even with the subtitles on.

Companion - I enjoyed this clever movie! There were a few surprises along that way, and I was a little sorry it wasn't longer. 

White Lotus - I just started season three. This is definitely not a show for everyone. I'm not even sure it's for me, but the turn of events in season two was a big surprise, so I've kept watching.

Crime - I've already forgotten what this series was about. 

Visitors & Celebrations:

My mom turned 92 this month and my younger brother came out to help us celebrate. Rod also had a birthday (his 73rd), but I failed to get any photos. Oops.

We are getting ready for another RV roadtrip, this time up to Washington. Rod has a book talk scheduled at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend on June 14th at 3pm. If you're in the area, we hope you'll stop in and say hi!