Finally Barkerville stood on the horizon. We all leaped out of the car after a long drive drive. It took two and a half hours to get here. We all headed for the bathroom. Much better. So let’s see some sights. My word, its cold as charity up here in the mountains. Let’s go Meiko, Pete, Timmy and Buddy Budd….let’s run and warm up.
Our first stop was the church on the edge of the town.
Einstein and Flat Shoko sat on the piano and imagined the gold miners and their wives coming to church so many years ago.
Two horses pull the carriage through the main street. Notice the wet roads. They’re about to get much wetter. It just started hailing when we arrived.
Timmy and Buddy Budd just had to run onto the carriage. They said it kinda smelled funny.
It started hailing again and we ran for cover. 
Mom and dad decided it was lunch time so Einstein and I followed mom and dad inside the restaurant. Meiko, Pete, Buddy Budd and Timmy went looking for Bashful and Chip because we hadn’t seen them for quite some time now. 
I loved the Jasmine Tea mom shared with me. It warmed me up inside.
Einstein had some of dad’s Chinese food but he said it was horrible. He liked more meat…..this stuff was all noodley.
The hail stopped while we ate so we braved the elements again. The guys had found Bashful and Chip looking calm as can be beside the towns communal water spout.
Do you notice that Bashful is standing on the top of his stone. What happened to make him do a stone stand? Nobody was saying much of anything.
This is a family home in the 1800’s.
The miners that lived by the creek would check into a boarding house when they needed a real good night’s sleep and a bath. Only $10 a night.
The saloons did an awesome business with all the money and nowhere but Barkerville to spend it.
Hurdy Gurdy Girls
Although the Barkerville saloons already had women entertainers, much excitement was caused in the summer of l865 when there arrived from San Francisco an organized group of dancing partners, complete with musicians.
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| BC ARCHIVES G-00817 Hurdy Gurdy Girls |
The girls danced with the miners for a dollar a dance to the rhythms made by two fiddlers who reportedly sang loud so the music could be heard above the noise of the stomping feet.
Starved of women’s company and faced with the troupe’s determination to deal in nothing but dance steps, the men developed a style of dancing that both surprised and exhausted their partners.
The main point of this step, as described by those who were there, was for the man to lift his partner repeatedly as high as he could off the floor, at the same time swinging her feet aloft.
Here we are in the Hotel that featured the Hurdy Gurdy Girls daily.
Bashful and Chip grabbed a comfortable spot on the shelf to watch the action.
It was hailing again so we all thought it was time to leave. The Barkerville peeps were inside and away from the cold, hail and mud.
We all piled in the car and dad put the heat on. We all said. “Awwww” in unison and started out of Barkerville. I told mom that we hadn’t seen the gold fields or panned for gold. Mom said it was too miserable and nobody would help us anyway. The flats would just have to take our word for it.
As we left Barkervile we passed beside Williams Creek….the river that started the gold fever. 
Bye Cariboo…heellllo Prince George area.
We must be getting close….the old mooses sign is back out again.
Here we are. It didn’t seem to take as long getting home.
We hope you enjoyed coming on our tour of Barkerville. The weather could have been better but we flats and rocks had a great time.
Mom, Meiko and my furs are stinking up…MOL….sorry I meant our furs are sticking up…right Meiko? There are bent ears all around too. Ok, we’ll get them fixed with this special stuff dad gave us Shoko. There we go every cat looks just about as good as new. We are tired mom so we’ll call it a nite. Nite all my flats and rocks. Anybody need a story to fall asleep? Not tonight mom…I’m asleep on my paws.
That whole day was a story by itself. What an adventure!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
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Hi Cupcake,
We had to leave a lot of pictures out or mom would still be telling everyone what happened. It was a fun day for mom and dad and the flats. To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t want to go. I’m afraid of horses….like mom and I hate hail. Don’t get me started on the car….its a terribly noisy device. Better them than me. MOL
(((Shoko)))
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My goodness what a grand time you all had in Barkerville! Looks like a scene out of an old cowboy movie…….super duper interesting too learning about the miners and the “good time girls” (tee hee) and the dancing, etc. Hail is certainly a sign that winter is sneaking up on you – good thing you got home without dents in your car or in your heads!
Love, Sammy
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With the stagecoach type of carriage going up the main road, mom says it felt like an old time movie. The scene just needed guys to come out and shoot at each other, to make it more like a movie. Mom was lucky she didn’t get more dents in her head. The flats just had lifting fur….that was enough. MOL
Hugs,
Shoko
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I love your adventures. The only thing better would have been to go on the trip with you!
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The flats would’ve liked that. You could bark until your heart’s content in Bark-erville. MOL
(((Shoko)))
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Squeals! What a time to visit – did you see any ghosts? Maybe that was why Bashful was doing a stone stand? Snorts with piggy laughter. What a great tour – I felt like I was there with you my friends – awesome! XOXO – Bacon
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It was a ghost town after being a gold mining town. No ghosts my friends. I guess the weather was too cwappy for ghosts. MOL
(((Shoko)))
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Well darn it. It was a beautiful town though. I absolutely loved the church – I bet it could tell some stories! XOXO – Bacon
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Reblogged this on Piglove and commented:
Check out what Bashful, Chip and the cat flats have been up too – and oh my – they visited a ghost town! XOXO – Bacon
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That place looks pawsome…especially with you all in it and Bashful 🙂 Pawkisses for a great day 🙂 ❤
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Aww…thank you Binky. Mom says its a much friendlier place in the sun. There are lots of people dressed up in 1880’s clothes. The gold pans are out. Fun stuff like that.
You have a fun day Binky.
(((Shoko)))
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Those are pawsome adventures ! Flat cats are having a lot of fun ! Purrs
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We aim to please our visitors. At least the ones that come before the snows start flying. Then we all stay right where we are.
(((Shoko)))
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guys…what a fun trip….N thanx for sharin all theeze fotoz….we N joyed seein de towne…..two bad ya dinna get a fotoz oh a mooze ~~~ ♥♥♥ 🙂
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Dat looks like lots of fun. Well everyfin’ ‘cept da hail. OMC Weez didn’t know y’all got hail. It looks like winter time there. But yous house is gawjus Shoko. Have fun.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
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The visit to Barkerville was chilly. We ran up and down the street to keep warm. A good game of, “MOL…Catch Me If You Can.” Mom told us it was colder there cause we were right in the mountains. We didn’t realize she meant hail type cold.
Thanks Dezi, we just got a new roof and it looks like all the racket was worth it.
Hugs,
Shoko
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Weez glad da new roof is workin’ out and we know yous mommy be glad fur da cooler wevver. Have a gweat day.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
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The cooler weather is one thing mom is nor happy about. It means winter’s on its way.
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Oh, we fawt yous mommy purrfured da cooler wevver.?
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
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What a cool place! But seriously…Barkerville sounds like a place dogs would hang out. 😉
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MOL…you’re right Bark-erville does sound like its gone to the dogs, MOL
(((Shoko)))
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Whoa! The flats didn’t get wet, did they? I hope they didn’t melt. That old stuff looked cool. I wouldn’t like Chinese food of all noodles either.
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Ya, they did get wet. A glue stick got all the furs back in place. MOL
(((Shoko)))
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That looks like a lot of fun. The flats visiting you are having a great time.
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I would love to entertain Sammy up here. We could make like warriors in the Lane.
(((Shoko)))
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What a fun tour! Lots of interesting history there….
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Yes, there is tons of history about Barkerville, Sheryl. The people alone were real characters. Imagine the doctor having to cut boots off a gold panner cause the boots had actually stuck to his feet! Many stories up there.
Jean
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You were pawsome tour guides…thank you for sharing. Did you pan for gold? That’s what human mom remembers the most from when she was there back in the early 70s. Muddy is about how she’d describe it was then too….mol =^,,^=
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