Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens covers more than 55 acres of a 130 acre estate.  Jennie Butchart started the gardens to beautify a worked-out quarry and has filled it with flowers, plants, shrubs and trees from Canada and from around the world.  Over a million visitors walk through the gardens every year.  These include a Sunken Garden, Japanese, Rose, Italian and Mediterranean gardens.  The pictures will speak to the beauty. (Don’t ask John if he liked it.  He came because he knew I would love it).

A Day in the City

We had a leisurely day today.  John stayed at the RV while I walked the West Bay Trail which follows the harbour from the RV park all the way around to Fisherman’s Wharf.  I only walked about 1.5 miles of it on mostly wood walkways and some paved areas.  It was so peaceful and pretty.

Later in the day we rode our bikes into town to visit China Town and then rode the Galloping Goose Trail a short distance so we could cross its wooden trestle bridge across the Gorge Waterway. Victoria’s China Town was established in 1858 and is the oldest and most intact China Town in Canada.

Castle and Fort

On a cloudy and cool day we decided to explore a castle - the Hartley Castle, built by James and Laura Dunsmuir.  James is the son of Robert Dunsmuir who built the Craigdarroch Castle.  Robert used the same architect and designer that his father used and Laura created the beautiful gardens that surround the building. The interior is decorated in the arts and crafts style of the early 20th century.

Hartley was built in 1908-1910 and overlooks the Juan de Fuca Straight. The windows of the first floor look out on the croquet garden, the large front lawn and a naturally formed lagoon. 

We toured the large entryway, the dining room, sitting room and James own sitting room. The men in the tour were impressed with the large billiards room. You may recognize the building as it as been used in several recent movies such as X-Men, Deadpool and the Green Arrow. Today the building is part of the University and is used for office space and classrooms.

Just around the corner from the Castle is the Fort Rodd Hill Provincial Park and the Fisgard Lighthouse. The Fort was built to protect Canada from the possible Japanese invasion during WWII.  It still has the battery, gun placements, ammo depot, and barracks.

The Fisgard Lighthouse is, like most other lighthouses, automated but its last keeper left in 1929.  It points the way to the Esquimalt Harbour and Victoria Harbour.

Victoria

We left Courtenay and drove the Trans-Canada Highway to Victoria where the highway begins/ends.  Our campground is located on Victoria Harbour and our site is across from Fisherman’s Wharf so we are entertained all day watching all the boats, water taxis, seaplanes, sailboats, whale watching craft, ferry ships and cruise ships move in and out of the harbor along with the occasional seal who peeks up at us.

The Ferry we took back to the USA

This city is very bike friendly with numerous bike trails and dedicated bike lanes that will get us to almost anywhere we want to go. We took advantage of them both Saturday and today to explore around the harbor and out to Oak Bay where, if it weren’t so Smokey we might be able to see the shores of the US.  Along the way we went thru Beacon Hill Park where the world’s tallest totem pole is located.  It’s 127 feet tall and was carved by three men in 1956.  There are over 12 figures in the pole such as an eagle, seal, otter, whale, and men.

We lunched on Fisherman’s Wharf, walked on the sea break wall, and napped on Willow beach on probably one of the last warm days we will experience. 

Tofino and Ucluelet

Sunday the smoke from wildfires was so bad that we were never able to really see the mountains as we drove through them but on Monday the winds of change cleared the skies and the mountains are magnificent.

We drove up to Tofino, shopped, stood on the pier, walked around window shopping and enjoyed the cool weather. Then came the hard part of the day - looking for parking spaces so we could see the coastline.  It was rather frustrating to go down drive after drive only to have to turn around and try another spot.

We gave up on the coast and took a pleasant walk in the Rainforest on a half mile boardwalk through an old-growth forest.  Only about 10% of the forests on Vancouver Island are old growth so this is a special location.  And can you imagine 1.2 miles of boardwalk and steps? It was my favorite part of the day.  One tree, Ancient Monarch, is believed to have started life as a seed in 1271 - 752 years ago! It’s a Western Red Cedar.

When we got back to Ucluelet we did find a short hike on the Wild Pacific Rim Trail overlooking Brown’s Cove.  It was so calming and peaceful.  I could have stayed for hours but my stomach growled!  Time for a shower, a drink and food.  We enjoy sitting at a bar for dinner as we always meet the nicest people and that happened again tonight.

You recall the road across the island has a one lane section of road.  Monday thru Saturday cars are allowed on that one lane only before 8:30 am or between 11:30 and 1:30 or after 5:30.  It’s a two hour drive to the one lane section so the 8:30 is way too early for us.  We left the motel at 9 and we were in line for the 11:30 opening well before that. All’s good until we realize that the east to west traffic gets to go first! West to east won’t go until those cars have cleared.  We did not move for 3 hours!  It’s exhausting to wait that long! 

Wild Pacific Rim

We left our RV and drove over to the Pacific side of Vancouver Island to spend a day and a half on the ‘wild side’!  We found an inexpensive motel in Ucluelet so we could walk to local restaurants, bars or grocery stores.  

Due to a wildfire several weeks ago on the main road through the mountains there is a section of the road that has only one lane of traffic during the week but on Sunday’s it’s open both directions all day. The road goes through port Alberni on the Alberni Inlet.  This is a major port to get lumber off the island.  Because forestry is a major business on Vancouver Island we thought we ought to check out the McLean National Historic Site where a preserved steam sawmill and its community is located. It operated from 1926 - 1965.

We arrived in Ucluelet early afternoon needing to get out and walk.  The Amphitrite Lighthouse Loop Trail is part of the Wild Pacific Trail and is only 2.6 km (1.6 mi) around with cliff side views and a walk through forest. The lighthouse is built like a bunker to withstand the winter storms.  It was built in 1915 and utilized a steam powered foghorn and a kerosene light turned with a huge clock spring. It was fully automated in 1988.

The walk was longer than anticipated which called for a couple of adult beverages!

Happy Anniversary to Us

Yes, 51 years ago we were married but we did not celebrate in a big way.  We packed another picnic lunch an took a leisurely drive south along the coast stopping at places like Buckley Bay, Fanny Bay, Bowser and Qualicum Beach.  The air was pretty hazy, we think because of a fire in Strathcona Park, near Mt. Washington. 

When we got home we celebrated by drinking martinis and fixing a good steak for dinner.  Here’s to another year of adventure!

Elk Falls

When we drove to Campbell River the other day we passed signs for Elk Falls. It’s a nice day for a picnic! So we drove up to see the provincial park.  The falls on the Campbell River are accessed by a suspension bridge over the canyon, then a short hike down hill to a view point above the falls. 

There was another hike through old growth forest that I walked later that afternoon by myself while John napped in the car. It’s so peaceful and cool among all those tall trees. I was able to spot a second set of waterfalls called Deer Falls but couldn’t get close enough for a good picture.

The only tables available for our picnic were in the sun so we drove up the road looking for a more shaded area.  We found lots of shade around a couple of lakes but no tables so we ended up in a campground overlooking Campbell Lake and used one of their tables.

Comox County

Thinking that maybe bike riding wouldn’t make John’s leg hurt so much Tuesday afternoon we rode through the town of Comox with plans to go out on Goose Spit. Unfortunately the ride had lots of hills and by the time we got to the top of the hill leading down to the spit, John was in too much pain to add one more hill and his battery was down below 20%.  We turned around. A different route back through Comox helped us see more of this village.

Immediately after parking our bikes we got in the car and drove back out to Goose Spit.  A lot of folks were enjoying the rocky but shallow beach on one side of the spit while others were sailing or paddle boarding on the other side.  

Today I did laundry while John did some minor chores around the RV then we drove the 10 minutes to Cumberland for a short walk around town.  John drove up Cumberland Road towards the lake where people lined the road with parked cars while fishing in the river.  On the other side of the road were the remnants of a Chinese village and a Japanese Village where immigrant workers/miners were housed.

Campbell River and Mt. Washington

I love going to Farmers Markets (have I said that before?) so we wondered through a very popular market on Saturday in Courtenay where I filled my bag with freshness.  We then rode our bikes around town and along the river getting acquainted with traffic patterns and neighborhoods.

It seemed like a good day on Sunday to drive up the coast to the town of Campbell River. There are several beautiful beaches along the way one of which was named Miracle Beach.  We stopped at a rest area to stretch and an older gentleman drew us into a long but friendly conversation.  While the men talked I took pictures of a driftwood whale and wood carvings. We strolled around town before heading onto their fishing pier. A fisherman informed us that the pink salmon are starting to gather at the mouth of rivers for their annual migration to spawning grounds just waiting for the rains to fill the rivers.

Monday found us traveling up to Mount Washington, a local ski destination with hiking trails in the Strathcona Provincial Park. We found a nice hike through the woods and around a mountain pond.  John’s leg was bothering him so it was a short hike. With a picnic lunch in the back seat we were determined to find a shady spot to eat but ended up on the mountain top, in the sun and wind, watching the zip line and mountain bikes. 

On the return trip we passed by a very popular spot called Nymph Falls where multitudes of folks were gathering to swim and sunbathe, hike and explore. 

Courtenay By Ferry

Our last few days in Vancouver were days of leisure with some bike rides, shopping, Farmer’s Market and eating out.

Friday morning we took the 2-hour ferry ride from Vancouver to Nanaimo (pronounced “Na-Nigh-mo”) then drove up to Courtenay where we are camped just a mile or so from downtown on the Puntledge River.  This will be our base for day trips to explore the middle of Vancouver Island.  

Our Mission Not Impossible

John and I can make the best of a bad situation wherever we land.  John took the car to the Jeep dealer early Tuesday morning and since it was a rainy day we walked to the mall and went to the movies!  If you know John, this was a very rare event for us but what a great show to see on the big screen.  The good news is that during a slow part of the movie the Jeep dealer called to report that they found the problem with the Jeep (a loose ground wire again caused by shoddy workmanship at home) and we could pick it up!

We got our car back the next morning and headed north along the coast and into the mountains to Whistler Mountain, a ski town in the winter and a vacation destination in the summer.  What a beautiful drive.  The weather was still gloomy when we left but by the time we got to Whistler the clouds had cleared overhead, but not over the mountains which made for some great pictures.

We walked around the village, had lunch, checked out the ski area and drove home.

Ruined Day

Today is a national holiday for all of Canada.  Each Provence celebrates this Civic Holiday so a lot of businesses are closed including the Jeep dealer.  

I mention the Jeep dealer because as we were preparing to drive up to Whistler Mountain for the day the Jeep’s power steering crapped out again and there was no fixing it by John.  We will have to take it in tomorrow. 

As John was looking over the engine he noticed numerous loose wire connectors that hadn’t been replaced to their proper places when we had the transmission replaced back in Sedalia in June.  A very big disappointment!

Luckily we have our bikes and it is easy to get around.

City Tour of Vancouver

Since walking was not good for John, we rode our bikes all around Vancouver.  John had found some self-guided art tours that we adapted to our bike ride.

After crossing Lion’s Gate Bridge and riding through Stanley Island we found our way along the seawall with a short rest in front of the sea plane terminal.  There was one taking off or landing almost constantly.  Some were for sightseeing but most were to get folks to the outer reaches of British Columbia.

The bike lanes are clearly marked most of the time so riding in the city was relatively easy and with it being a Sunday there was less traffic than on a weekday.  We rode through China Town and Gas Town were we saw the Steam Powered Clock.  Then we circled the end of False Creek down to Granville Island.  This is another not-real island where the Vancouver Market is held along with numerous shops, restaurants, playgrounds and touristy places.  We had a delightful lunch at the Sandbar Seafood Restaurant while overlooking False Creek with all its boats, water taxis and kayakers.

As we made our way back to Lion’s Gate Bridge we rode on roads that were closed to cars.  We found out that we had missed the Pride Festival Parade.  Darn.

It was a long, fun and interesting day but a nap was necessary to make it through the evening without falling asleep on the couch.

Markets and a Lighthouse

Saturdays are for farmer’s markets, at least that is our thinking.  We rode our bikes to where we thought was the Saturday market and it was not there so we had to turn around and go back towards the RV park and ride the other direction to that farmer’s market.  

We dropped off the goodies and rode our bikes back to the first stop and just past there was the annual Arts and Music Festival, a ten day event.  I love shopping at all the booths, looking at art work, jewelry, pottery and clothing.  John on the other hand could care less! The music venues didn’t start until later in the day.

Around 4PM we were bored and decided to drive up Marine Road towards Horseshoe Bay but along the way we got sidetracked by a lighthouse.  The half mile walk to view the lighthouse and the bay was all downhill.  And it was just a view through the trees to see the lighthouse since it was a working light and closed to visitors.  The hike back up was fairly strenuous and did not do well for John’s bum leg.  That called for cocktails when we got back for medicinal purposes. 

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

For way too much money we thought we should visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park to experience the rainforest tree tops and to sway on one of the world’s longest suspension bridges that spans the Capilano River and canyon.  

At 460 feet long with 100 people walking across it at the same time it moves a lot!  With it hanging 230 feet above the river I got a beautiful view of a river that at one time held a flue for moving logs downstream.  Once we were on the other side we could climb and walk along the many elevated board walks, some were 110 feet above the forest floor.  As an example of some of the birds who inhabit the forest, rangers held a hawk and a barred owl.  Many signs explained why we need to conserve these areas.

We returned to the starting point and then walked along and around the cliff sides of the canyon on more boardwalks.

This is a major draw for tourists with over a million visitors a year.  I think we joined several thousand today!

Stanley Island

Stanley Island is not a true island but more of a peninsula.  Vancouver has preserved it in its natural state except for the Bridge and highway that runs through it to go into the main part of the city.  The bridge is called Lion’s Gate Bridge and is only 3 lanes wide with pedestrian sidewalks on both sides.  The traffic flow is directed according to the busy times so in the morning its two lanes going into the city and one lane coming our while in the afternoon it is reversed.  Since the RV park is near the bridge we can see the grid lock on the bridge at all times of the day.

It’s a relatively easy bike ride over the bay and then we follow the road to the far side of the island where it connects with the Seawall Trail that encircles the whole island and is pedestrian and bikes only. Some of the popular sights along the seawall are the Totem Poles of the Squamish people, two lighthouses, three beaches and a swimming pool, and the art work of a girl in a wetsuit on a rock.  If we were so inclined there was also a lake and many wooded pathways criss crossing the island that we could ride on.  Maybe another day.

When we got back to the RV we got a call that our car was ready to be picked up.  They found several loose electrical connections in the engine.  It appears that when we had the transmission replaced the workman did shoddy work and the wire connectors were able to work loose.  Fingers crossed that they were able to fix it but no guarantees.

Biking Everywhere

Having no car has not been a bad thing as we are in the center of town and near almost everything we need. 

We rode our bikes up the water front for several kilometers and found a nice place for a picnic and then discovered a nice restaurant.  Reservations are for the next evening.  We also walked to the shopping mall and found a good place to eat there as well as a Whole Foods Grocery, a liquor store and, of course, shops!

John needed to get some shorts repaired so we found that shop nearby as well.  We are learning how to get around this town quite easily.  Tomorrow we expand our explorations.