Welcome to the Herbal Meadows web page!

We bought this 50 acres back in the 60s when acreage was still available. We paid about the same price for it as we would have for a lot in the city of Vancouver. But we knew it was worth much more, because we knew we could survive on it if we had to –

Today the Land is out of reach for most people, because the government has taken steps to ensure that they control the value of Real Estate in the Province – so that they can tax us to death!

Our property is located 11 km. North of Lytton on Hwy. No. 12 - Lytton is well known for it's sunshine, and as a result has earned the name the hot spot of Canada. It’s also known as the rafting capital of Canada.

Lytton is approximately 300 km. Northeast of Vancouver B.C., CANADA.

When we left the city - to “live off the Land” - there really wasn’t very much here; just an old shack beside the road, a shed up on the hill, and acres and acres of sagebrush. But before the end of our first summer, we managed to put in a garden, bought some livestock, and started to renovate the shack. I developed my carpentry skills, and it wasn’t long before I had another house on the way

Today it’s almost impossible to build your own house; The rules and regulations are very strict. Plus, if you had to buy all your materials in the store, you’d probably pay more than the house is worth.

In those days there was a lot more Freedom ~ That’s all been taken away ~ Not by the government ~ It’s the people who are suing that are setting the strict standards ~

$$$ A symptom of our times ~ $$$

I saw that we had a perfect site for groups; So I built a sauna, and put in a few tipi sites. A few years later, I added onto the ‘lodge’, and put in a hot tub overlooking the Fraser River.

But things didn’t work out as they should have – rafters can get pretty ‘lively’, at the best of times.

[Catering to the Public isn’t all that it’s made out to be].

Our site is located across from the Stein River Valley. The Valley has recently been declared a Native Heritage Park (It used to be a historic trading route between the coastal and interior Natives). The trail takes about a week to hike through. To get to the first set of rock paintings, only takes about 15 minutes - The second set is much more impressive, but it takes aprox. 4 hrs. return - Located at the base of a Massive cliff - the paintings appear as Mysterious as the day they were painted.

If you’re interested in rafting, there is one permanent rafting co. working out of Lytton (Kumsheen Rafting) plus a number of part time companies working out of Vancouver. Most people prefer to raft the Thompson, but there are some trips coming down the Fraser as well. Of course you’re welcome to bring your own craft, but check with the rafting association, to ensure that the river is suitable for your own level of expertise.

“Have Fun, but take care”

If you’re interested in herbs, Botany Valley is only 20 km. from our site (restricted access). It's where the Native People gathered many of their medicinal plants. [Our herb garden has gone into disarray. Too much for us to take care of, and no one seems to want to take over]. Our vegetable garden is producing well however, and we are still gathering almost all of our vegetables from the Land.

Over the years, we came to appreciate the Land, and were able to have a better standard of living than we would have in the city - We were able to escape the rat race and get back in touch with Nature. We ate plenty of good natural foods, and were able to develop some survival skills as well.

(We saved money because we learned how to do everything by ourselves).

“We are thankful for the Earth and the abundance thereof”

~ and thankful that you could take the time to check out our site!