Vancouver: The City, The Island, The Tour

On The Road Again With the interminable pandemic seeming to ease up, with Canada and the US again allowing cross border traffic and with an overwhelming feeling that if we didn't leave the house we'd explode, we set aside three weeks, packed a small suitcase and a box of wine (perfect for travel!) and headed North into the snow in the Little Red Car.

We didn't notice much happening in the far reaches of Canada. So it was relaxing. Time for some Sudokus. Nevertheless, we've tried to pull together a record of the few things that did catch our attention.



Vancouver The trip began with a visit to Vancouver, the city, our longtime second home. We caught up with our friend Noelle, ate at favorite restaurants and visited sights and neighborhoods we especially like. Over the two years since we were last in town, much had changed. In some ways, Vancouver has improved; in others, it has gone to the dogs.

How is Lining Up Seven Dogs Even Possible?

Stanley Park A couple of new totem poles have been added to the collection at Stanley Park, but we noticed that the eagle on one of the old timers has lost its wing. The look on the other figures' faces says it all: Now What?

Staring At Years of Going In Circles

Pearls Canada's West Coast and Vancouver Island must be the best places on the planet to grow oysters, so one goal of our trip was to taste as many as we could. We had enjoyed five varieties, when a norovirus broke out in Fanny Bay, one of our favorite sources. That truncated our plan, leaving us with good memories and a motive for returning.

Little Wings

Victoria Like Albany, Springfield and Sacramento, Victoria is the seat of government but always over-shadowed by her big sister. Still, she's knockout gorgeous. The capitol is on the harbor, the famed Empress Hotel is there, sea planes, cruise ships and yellow water taxis come and go. Having not visited in more than a decade, we were happy to enjoy her beauty and experience her vibe again.

Victoria's Inner Harbor

Sidney During our 3 days visiting Victoria, we were staying in Sidney BC, the ferry port to the mainland and a lovely city in its own right. One attraction is Glass Beach where one finds Beach Glass. It's probably a "When Life Gives You Lemons ..." sort of situation, where the surf-broken refuse from a former offshore dump provides restaurant customers an activity while waiting for a table.

Glass Beach Clam and Its Milleu

Salt Spring Island We ferried to Salt Spring Island, a Gulf Island between Vancouver Island and the mainland. It's a heavily wooded, funky island packed with artists. With our favorite ceramicist still AWOL because of the pandemic, there was ample time for hikes. We stayed at the Wisteria Guest House, an accommodation that's as charming as its name suggests.

Two Course English Breakfast with Coffee (thankfully!) On The Way

Lake Cowichan Returning by ferry to Vancouver Island, we drove to Lake Cowichan. The lake and forests are beautiful, attracting summer vacationers. Among the nearby attractions catching L's notice was a huge Sitka Spruce that was somehow spared in 1893 when loggers last came through.

L Dreams of Firewood

Port Renfrew Container ships, cruise ships, subs and aircraft carriers pass our house continually, headed for the Pacific Ocean, but we're 90 miles from the Pacific. Once they leave Puget Sound they must traverse the Strait of Juan de Fuca. From Lake Cowichan we drove out to Port Refrew, where the Strait meets the ocean, noticing one of the familiar container ships heading out into open water. On the far side is Neah Bay, Washington.

Container Ship Exiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca Near Pt. Renfrew

Nanaimo After a morning visit to the town of Youbou BC on the north side of Lake Cowichan, where we saw an elk waiting at the cross walk, we drove north to Nanaimo. It has a lovely harbor. We inspected the fleet and got coffee with the city's signature treat, a Nanaimo Bar: Chocolate, thick Custard and Graham-Cracker and nut crust. Yum!

Nanaimo and Its Eponymous Bar

Quadra Island From Nanaimo, we drove north to Campbell River to catch the ferry to Quadra Island. (Over the trip we made ten ferry crossings.) Quadra is another of the large islands plugging up the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. We spent two days on Quadra seeing more contemporary First Nations carving and taking short hikes. Rebecca Spit was particularly beautiful.

Trail on Rebecca Spit

Port McNeill After two very enjoyable days on Quadra, we ferried back to Vancouver Island and putted north to Port McNeill. Along with Port Hardy, Port Alice and Coal Harbor it's one of the port communities at the far north end of Vancouver Island. We visited them all, but stayed in Pt. McNeill because it is where the world's largest burl is ... and who wouldn't want to stay close to that? After all, it came from a 525 year old Sitka Spruce, measures 13.7 meters around and weighs something north of 20 tons. Really.

The Ronning Burl

Port Alice We drove to Port Alice on the 'Frigon Highway', which we acknowledge leaves much to be desired. Pt. Alice is a remote village on a many-armed fjord grasping the north end of Vancouver Island. It is quiet and cozy, being hemmed in by mountains. As we enjoyed a post lunch coffee at the marina, the weather changed repeatedly: serious rain, sun, again. We accidentally took two photos - probably ten minutes apart - showing two dramatically different views of the country and how our perceptions are affected by how much we can see.

The Weather May Come and Go, But The Sea Gull Stays

Alert Bay From Pt. McNeill we took a ferry to Alert Bay, a village on Cormorant Island, which is largely populated by members of Kwakwaka'wakw people. (Also known by the mispronunciation, Kwakiutl.) The goal was to visit the U'Mista Cultural Center. On the boardwalk from the ferry to the Center, the people have erected five shelters, complete with wonderful carvings and comprehensible explanations of each. The center contains many artifacts confiscated by Canada when they outlawed potlatches, the traditional First Nations' celebrations. When potlatches became legal again, the artifacts were returned provided they were available for public viewing. The Center prohibits photographs, of course, but the artifacts are spectacular. U'Mista is the best reason and a sufficient reason to travel to north Vancouver Island.

First of Five Shelters Assigned to Local Clans

Heading Home It had been a fun and fascinating three weeks, but it was time to head home. We carried memories of expansive views, closeup views and coffee in the sunshine.