This is a very quiet vehicle on the on the highway, although on rough surfaces the wide, low-profile 255/40 tires can produce some irritating noise (this is not unusual on coarse aggregate). However, the sport suspension offers very nimble handling and a really good feeling of control on the road, without compromising ride. In short, the Tiguan drives like a sporty sedan or hatch, but with the command seating and passenger spaciousness of a small SUV. Like all German vehicles, it seems that the faster it goes the more stable it feels (built for much higher speeds on the Autobahn, one supposes).
With help from BC Travel literature, our first overnight was spent between Lillooet and Cache Creek at Marble Canyon Provincial Park, where following BCParks practice, sites are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis unless you’ve made advance reservations. We hadn’t, but although it has only 30 campsites, we were able to snag one with a nice view of the park’s two lakes, Turquoise and Crown. No showers at Marble Canyon (except for a rainshower during the night) but who needs a morning shower when you can swim in a falls-fed lake?
    Bottom two photos: Barkerville and Wells, B.C. Click image to enlarge |
Still on Eastern Standard Time, we were up early, connecting with Highway 97 just north of Cache Creek from Hwy 99, and heading at least to Williams Lake. Maybe we’d stick around, maybe not.
The Tiguan turns out to have great seats. The driver’s seat is power adjustable in all directions, with excellent lumbar support, and the passenger seat offers the same adjustability, only manually. Bolstered at the sides, the seats keep you comfortable and supported. It would be nice if they’d fully recline, however, which wasn’t a big deal, but there were occasions when this would have been appreciated. And while we’re on the subject of seats, the fact that the rear seats don’t fold flat robs the vehicle of potential cargo space (sleeping there wouldn’t be an option).
However, we were settling in fine, the interior accommodations were excellent for our needs and the weather was fantastic. We enjoyed the Tiguan’s panorama sunroof, which made the cabin feel bright and airy while affording great views of the surrounding scenery. If you open it, an effective bug catcher thoughtfully emerges at the leading edge. It worked.
Williams Lake was reached by lunchtime, and we decided to stop in and check it out. Bigger than we thought, Williams Lake seemed an appealing place, although we were later told by residents that there’s not much to do and the town has something of a reputation for boisterous behaviour by some of its inhabitants.
From our perspective, though, the downtown was clean and tidy and the craft/food fair in its small central park was delightful. There we encountered local singer/songwriter Oren Barter performing live, and liked his original material enough to linger awhile and buy his new CD. Similarly, we liked the BC cherries, apricots, cheeses, and other foodstuffs offered by friendly vendors, so we stocked up on snacks (well preserved in the Tiguan’s cooled glovebox that doubled as our “fridge”).
It took some doing to get out of Williams Lake, as we inadvertently exited the 97, ending up in a maze of residential streets. Navigation systems help in this situation, even if, like my companion Susan, you’re a devotee of paper maps. She reluctantly conceded to the nasal twang of our system’s guide, who returned us to the highway in short order.
Not in a hurry, the only deadline was the ferry from Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii three days hence, which afforded us time to stop at interesting places, do some short hikes, meet some locals and enjoy the natural wonders that would progressively retard the Tiguan’s circuitous progress.
Our next overnight was at Ten Mile Lake, just outside of Quesnel. Another provincial campsite, it’s a big one, and beautifully maintained throughout. But before setting up camp, we visited Barkerville, a 150-year-old gold rush town, designated a National Historic Site of Canada since 1923.
This is a surprising place. First of all, the road to it is exquisite—about 50 km of superb scenery—and the town of Wells that you encounter en route is so eccentric that you might be tempted to simply stay there. Described on its website as “Chock-full of unique architecture and fascinating galleries, it’s a restored 1930s mining town where the occasional black or grizzly bear is occasionally spotted within town boundaries.”
