For the Canada Day long weekend, we once again went camping with our friends! We did cabin camping at Spahats Creek Resort & Campground, which we later learned used to be a prison. That would explain some of the bunker-like features of the place. But it was actually really nice accommodations—so nice, in fact, that apparently people used to commit minor crimes before winter just to get thrown in jail here and be released when the weather warmed up again.

It’s been quite a few years since this place was a prison, and after changing hands several times, the latest owners converted it into a campground. Because it used to serve a more serious purpose, it has a lot of great built-in power and piping networks, so we got a nice, well-equipped cabin to stay in during our trip!

This was my first time cabin camping! You feel pretty spoiled compared to a traditional camping experience. I remember when one of our previous campsites had flush toilets, and I thought I was living the dream. This place had two showers, two flush toilets, and two sinks in a private bathroom area within the cabin. The cabin we stayed in had four rooms, each with a queen-sized bed. The kitchen was pretty well-equipped, with a stove, microwave, pots and pans, and more. We also had a living room and dining area! It was perfect because one of our friends was about a month and a half away from her due date, so we didn’t want to make things too difficult for her and the baby!

Spahats Creek Resort also had a helpful office area where the staff were more than happy to help us plan some of our itinerary for the few days we were there. There was a cute spot where you could place an order for fresh-baked bread a day in advance, too! We ordered the bread twice during our stay and enjoyed it with breakfast. They also have a communal fire pit where we roasted marshmallows at on our last night at Spahats.

Of course, the main thing I look forward to when it comes to camping is the food. Some of the standout meals we had this time included cheeseburger tacos, LA street dogs, Steak Diane, and bacon-wrapped asparagus. Breakfasts were pretty standard, with eggs, bacon, sausages, and of course, the fresh-baked bread every day.

We bought most of our ingredients at the Clearwater Buy-Low Foods, which is about a 15-minute drive from our cabin. We planned out a list of meals and the ingredients we’d need, then stocked up on water bottles and other drinks for our stay. That helped us avoid having to bring too much from Vancouver, and we wouldn’t have raw meat or things melting in the car for our five- to six-hour drive. We usually would’ve brought a large cooler for camping, but since we knew we’d have a fridge at the cabin, it made things easier.

So what did we do at Wells Gray? This provincial park is HUGE, and there were so many waterfalls! We checked out Helmcken Falls, Dawson Falls, Triple Decker Falls, Spahats Falls, and the Mushbowl. My friends also stopped at a viewpoint by the side of the road to see another waterfall, though I forget the name. There were more waterfalls and hikes, but I’m not a huge hiker, and we also had a not-very-athletic dog and a fairly pregnant member in our group. Most of the places we visited were quite accessible!

At one point, we went out onto Dutch Lake in Clearwater! It was quite nice, but it was also very hot.

We all brought board games too, so we carved out some time to play them!

I can’t imagine doing this trip at a campground with no shade because the temperatures were really high. There were also loads of mosquitoes. At one of the falls, they had informative signs where you could learn about the biodiversity of the area. One of the signs proudly mentioned that the provincial park is home to more than 30 species of mosquitoes. Yay. I had to wear a long-sleeved sweater and long pants most days, despite feeling like I was dying from the heat.

On our travel day back to Vancouver, we stopped by Kamloops to check out their Canada Day celebrations! They had a really cool setup at Riverside Park, with lots of vendors, food stalls, and community booths. I especially loved the section of the park with art vendors. I bought a few trinkets and also a stained glass piece that I hope to hang up at home!

I grabbed us some Filipino food from one of the food stalls, and we ate at the outskirts of the park. Partway through our walk through the celebrations, we were informed that dogs actually weren’t allowed in the park. Whoops. They warned us they’d ticket us if they saw us with Onyx again at the event. In our defense, it really did look like a regular park, and we didn’t realize it wasn’t allowed. 😦 But once we found out, we moved to a shaded spot on the outskirts to eat our lunch.

We spent about two hours there, but it was so hot that we couldn’t stay much longer. Later, I checked the weather report to see just how hot it was: 38°C. No wonder I was immediately sweating as soon as we got out of the car.

And that was another Canada Day long weekend spent in the outdoors!