Sunday, August 20, 2023

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!

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