Behold another post focusing on Canada. No, it’s not one that is extolling the country’s virtues, nor it’s mountains and amber waves of grain: You can easily hop on a plane to discover that. This post is about Canadians who have flown high (courtesy of oodles of cash) and have somehow made it all come to naught.
There was once a spectacularly wealthy Canadian gentleman called Vernon Peck, and he had loads of cash. The thing was, just like many rich personalities, he wanted things his way. Fair enough. That was his prerogative. And his way of making a statement was to build an impressive pile on top of some, for the most part, impassable land. (The rail once came through the area, but is since long quiet. Driving and then hiking is the way to go.)
But, if you have the will, the desire and the money, you can do anything you pretty much damn well please. And that’s what this post is about. The kicker is that it seemed like he abandoned his new haunt. Vernon Pick was one of Lillooet’s most fascinating residents. Afraid of a possible nuclear war, he build Walden North near Canada’s Lillooet.
Pick wanted to use his fortune to make a lasting contribution to the future of humanity and converted an estate in California into a research facility staffed with twenty scientists. He renamed it Walden West in honour of his hero, Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden; or Life in the Woods, but his dreams of a nuclear-powered future gradually faded. After being left to the wild, you might think that there would be nothing left of the place, but that isn’t the case; you’ll see when you watch the video.
The man himself’s story is fascinating, and the fact that much of the property is still there: even empty shelves of plates and glasses makes it an irresistible jaunt for those who love odd history. Read more and watch the video, courtesy of the Visit Lillooet site. Click here.
The bottom line to this tale is that you can get there from here, but you need to really want to.
Stay at the local and comfy Affordable Choice-Lillooet Hotel Victoria. To book, click here.