Summer 2026

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     Holiday season last year, our two sons suggested to have a break together with just the four of us. Due to unwanted Covid-19, holidaying was not possible for a few years. Other than Dennis’s serious back problem, I must be thankful for nothing else happened to be concerned. We both agreed to their plan and let reservations to be made.

     Eugene, the first son, was going to join us the night before from his business trip to New York. I was looking forward this day of being with just my two boys for a few days. Eugene arrived late at night and went to bed right away. Early in the morning, he was heading out the door, saying, “I received a message during the night. One of the colleagues has a positive result from Covid. I am going to London Drugs for the test.” What an unfortunate situation! I gave him my test kit that I had at home. The result was positive. We had no chance to talk together. He left right away for his place in Cumberland, Vancouver Island.

     Younger son, Charles, came without knowing the situation and was very disappointed, but what can you do! It was a busy season especially after some relief from the restrictions of Coronavirus. When we arrived at our destination, Osoyoos, it was sunny and 31 degrees while it was cold and rainy in Vancouver. Dennis and I were thankful for the getaway even with only one son.

     Another year has gone. Covid was almost under control. Two sons suggested a short trip again to Vernon this time. We appreciated their offer to have us for another memorable trip while we are in reasonable shape.

     We left home at about 9:30am. Soon we were on the highway under the clear sky with warm temperature. Dennis and I were in the back seat listening to their conversations about the trips they had when they were young. While listening to them, our car slipped into the Dairy Queen parking lot in Hope. They said, “We cannot pass DQ without having a blueberry sundae because it reminds us of our good old days.” Unfortunately, there were no blueberry sundaes that weekend. How disappointed!

     The Highway was not busy but there was some road construction. It slowed down the traffic a little. I said, “The government is spending lots of money on highway repairs.” 

     One boy said, “It is one way to give jobs for the unemployed in BC!” Yes, he is right!

     They made a reservation through Airbnb. It was a main floor of a private house. What a smart plan to be with four of us together on one floor instead of being separated in hotel rooms. It was much more reasonable financially and felt like their childhood in our house together. We can avoid sending messages back and forth on the separate floors or buildings. It was convenient to brew coffee in the morning as well.

     Vernon is one of our favorite tourist spots in BC. There are more than 100 lakes within a one-hour drive, great beaches and trails, world-class golf courses and family-friendly attractions and festivals. Among the few tourist spots, we visited the honey bee exhibition and tasted some samples. It is amazing to see one queen bee’s life and her work. I let the boys pick a jar of honey each as a souvenir. 

     There is a most expensive golf course in BC on top of the hill. We drove up to see how well it is designed and what kind of people play golf on this course. It has spectacular views. There are a few new condos built for the golfers as well as the private homes. The field was green even though we had no rain for some time. They must have a special watering system built in for the grass. No wonder the fee is most expensive in BC. We made an effort to play only mini golf on the way back.

     We were happy to hear them saying that they are thankful to be raised and educated in good surroundings even though there were times that they made some mistakes while growing up. They said another holiday can be planned before the summer ends. We accepted their offer with no hesitation.