Falling for Wells Gray

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Do you have a small piece of your heart stuck anywhere? You know, that one (or two) place where no matter the weather, the time of year or the circumstance, you just feel good to be there? I have two of those places. The entirety of the Pacific Rim National Park, and this place; Wells Gray Park, just outside of Clearwater, BC.

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There are endless reasons to fall in love with this place, anytime of the year. However, seeing it in the fall was when I fell in love with the park. Cold mornings, usually filled with fog, seem to make way for the sun to make an appearance in the late morning. The frost sticks around just long enough to cover the plants in fresh dew into the early afternoon. The only sound you often hear is the rushing river or the crash of one of the many, many waterfalls in the area. Every sense is enticed (even taste - I will get to that lower down).

Of course, most people know of the area because of it’s amazing waterfalls, and rightfully so. Some of the most beautiful falls in the country cut through ages old rock walls, cascading down hundreds of feet into crystal clear pools. It’s a paradise for viewers.

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Finally, the tastes.
Our favourite spot to eat (and maybe my all-time fave restaurant anywhere) is Hop N Hog Smokehouse (https://www.canadiansmokehouse.com/) Right at the gateway to the park. Amazing smoked food (even a smoked veggie platter) and a line-up of beer that would make any pub jealous. The other spot we love to eat is the amazing spread for breakfast that we get from our host Regina, at the Blue Grouse Inn, inside the park. We have stayed here three times over the past three years and have LOVED it!

I am always torn on these places. Do we keep them to ourselves, or share them with the world? Either way, respect it. Clean up, stay on the trails and leave the wildlife space.