DAY 20: LOVE TOUR

We're in Golden!

It was an eventful bus trip from Kelowna to Golden, BC. On the way to our transfer point in Salmon Arm, our first bus hit some low hydro wires and we all had to fill out a collision report. On our second bus of the day, two RCMP officers hauled off an inconspicuous-looking young woman and her luggage, clearly rerouting her.

The landscape was often dramatic, with remnants of avalanches and mudslides. Sitting next to a ferryboat captain, who was travelling to his job on the Columbia River, I got the guided lowdown on the whole area. He told me that there's an avalanche once a week during the winter.

The bus was also carrying several women who were headed to work at the Mica Dam, either in the camp there or as labourers. We interviewed one of them, Mary-Anne Mercier, who continued to chat with me about love long after the camera was off.

Mary-Anne Mercier works as a clerk in the Mica Dam camp.

The air in Golden feels crisp and pure, despite the big rigs roaring past on the highway. The summer-like temperature is a sharp contrast to the snowy caps on the mountains. We're staying at the Ramada Inn as our host lives a bit too far out of town.

But we'll probably stay at several other hotels on our way back east because our schedule is so tight. We'll be on the bus every single day until May 30.

Here's another video tidbit for your viewing pleasure: Rick Savoie on his love of music.