The Day's Adventure

Even though the day started with a shower and unseasonably cold weather, the July 14th Mystery Trip provided something for everyone.  Upon boarding the bus, we all discovered that a Fugitive and federal agents were amongst us.  Everyone was handed a clue sheet and asked to work with their neighbours and the agents to help identify the fugitive.  This mystery helped banish the greyness as we headed out on the day's adventure.

The Reifel Bird Sactuary

The bus headed out of Richmond, meandered through Ladner, and eventually arrived at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, the first stop in the mystery tour. The staff at the Reiffel Bird Sanctuary were well prepared for our arrival.  They opened up the museum and gave a fascinating presentation of the various displays and artifacts that they have available.  Over the years, they have collected a large number of mounted birds that have been donated to the sanctuary.  In addition, they have a wide assortment of animal pelts, wonderful to touch and feel, and a number of different bird parts that show how the different birds have adapted to their environment.  An interesting exhibit was a bushtit's nest which was sliced apart to show how it was constructed.  The bush-tits use spider web strands to give the nest its structural strength and the ability to expand around the many chicks once they hatch. The museum is well worth exploring!

A picnic lunch was served.  The volunteers at the Senior Link Society had prepared delicious sandwiches and tasty snacks.   Thankfully the slight drizzle that had been falling on the group during the morning stopped and the sun actually came out during lunch. 

After lunch, we wandered into the reserve to see what we could find.  We were lucky to find a horned owl perched in a deciduous tree that was easy to view.  The Owl seemed quite unperturbed by our large group and in fact, seemed to be just as fascinated with us as we were with him/her.  The sanctuary has a number of canals that are very easy to access which provide excellent viewing of a number of water birds.

Westham Island Winery

Members then boarded the bus to the next destination, the Westham island estate winery.  The hostess at the sampling bar was extremely courteous and made us feel right at home.  This winery specializes in fruit wines and have a wonderful selection ranging from exotics - gooseberry, tayberry, and rhubarb wines, through to traditional wines - apple and raspberry.  Each person was allowed to taste up to three different wines.  This winery has a wonderful gift store that features local products.  We heartily recommend a visit to this winery.

Sara's Ice Cream

After the winery, the bus delivered us to Sara's Ice Cream store in Ladner.  It took some time to marshall the members from the bus through the ice cream store, and the wait was entirely worth it.  Ice cream flavours ranged from the exotic to the traditional.  By now the sun was shining brightly and everyone enjoyed sitting in the sun and polishing off their ice creams.

David, our driver was a gem!  He went out of his way to assist us all as we boarded and exited the bus.  The bus was a kneeling bus, which means that the front of the bus dropped within several inches of the ground.  However, that final step was still a challenge.  Throughout the trip, David was always ready to provide a helping hand and ensured that all tour members entered and exited safely.  In addition, it was remarkable to see how he managed to manouvre that bus into the tightest of spaces.

Fugitive Unmasked

On the return to Richmond, we finally unmasked the Fugitive.  Patricia Cruz, our tour director, reviewed all the tips and hints that we had gathered during the course of the day.  With her direction, we narrowed the fugitive down to one of two people, either Sylvia Webb or Rudy Carlson. Both were wearing tatoos, both fit most of the clues. It was a tough call to choose between the two of them!  Pearl Garland was the first person to correctly identify Sylvia Webb as the fugitive (see the top photo).  Always There For You, our corporate sponsor, awarded her a wonderful prize, three hours of home cleaning services.

In conclusion, the day was filled with entertainment, good food, and wonderful fellowship.  We are looking forward to next year's Mystery Trip.

To see more images taken during the trip, please click here.