Humans are nomadic. I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it until I die; buying a box and spending 20+ years cooped up in it contradicts our natural design. Life tends to be miserable for a lot of people simply because our instincts scream at us to get out and start exploring, but instead of listening, we ignore the instinct and convince ourselves that the societal preconditioning of, “buy home, spend life there,” is how life is supposed to be. So, I ask this question: are you happiest when you’re working the 9 to 5, or are you happiest when you take a vacation somewhere far away from the daily grind?
It’s a rhetorical question, we all know the answer.
A common response to the question is, “it’s not like we have a choice,” and if you think Human law is justified and absolute, then you might be right. You do have a choice though, but you would you make the sacrifice necessary to live free? Probably not. Living free means breaking the law, and most humans are so well conditioned that some think breaking the law somehow offends the universe itself, and so most choose to sacrifice freedom for conformity.
I’m not here to lecture on the definition of true freedom though, I’m just out and about looking for it. Road trips are a tremendous way to celebrate freedom after all, and I do enjoy a good celebration. It is in celebration of this fleeting freedom that has lead me to the Similkameen Valley, deep in the interior of British Columbia, Canada.
Pictures and videos simply do not do this place justice, you need to see this rustic area with your own eyes to truly appreciate the splendor and beauty. At the center of it all is the sleepy little town of Princeton, which is where I’ve established my base of operations while I explore. Princeton was originally named Vermillion Fork, but the name changed in 1860 to Prince Town (later changed to Princeton) to honor Prince Edward (later, King Edward IV) after he came to visit.
Princeton is a mining town and was founded back in 1858 during the gold rush. The mines in the area have produced copper, gold, coal and platinum, but today only the copper mines are still in operation. The area is also known for its abundance of red ochre, a reddish clay rich in iron oxide, which the native people would use for artwork, body paint and to dye animal skins. There is also a wide variety of natural medicines that can be picked in the area.
The main attraction found in Similkameen Valley is of course, the roads. I’m not alone in feeling this way either. All manner of vehicles can be found in the area, from tuners to off-roaders, dragsters to dune buggies; it would seem the Similkameen Valley has it all. I was surprised to see so many drifters and street racers parked in the driveways along the back roads. Everyone out here seems to enjoy a drive, and everyone sure noticed my M4. I’ve had more conversations with strangers in the past two days, than I have since buying my car. There are a lot of petrol heads out here and from what I’ve seen, they really like to drive these roads.
The Similkameen Valley was not my intended destination, I only stopped off here en route to the west coast, but I was captivated by the beauty of the region, and changed my plans. I'm glad I spent two days here, wandering the winding roads and exploring the untamed terrain. It is a great place to relax the mind and take in the majesty of the Canadian Rockies.
Next stop; Jasper, Alberta.
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