I know, it’s like “Two Weddings and a Funeral”, right? Only thing is, I doubt you’d have to get up as early for either a wedding or a funeral, especially if you were the guest of honor.
Here I am, at 0-dark-30 (5:30 in the AM) patiently waiting to get on board the ferry from Prince Rupert to Vancouver island. That big bright thing in the background is the ferry.
On we go!
This is a big boat! And really new and sparkly! I’m impressed by how modern and spotless everything is. She’s the MV Northern Expedition, built in the mid 2000s. There are two dining areas on board, one a full service restaurant, the other a self service café.
The outside is spotless too. Having been in the Navy, I have some idea just how many coats of paint it takes to create this perfect looking exterior!
We set off on our 19 hour cruise down the Inland Passage, heading for Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.
Some sights from the trip: Leaving the dock, there is one of those dang sunrises going on.
As we pull away from the dock, one of BC Ferries’ sister ships is waiting to pull in. They must have left Port Hardy late yesterday.
Remember that container port I showed you last time? Here it is from the other angle. Looks like no one is awake there yet, lucky them!
Once the fog burns off, and I wake up, it becomes a lovely day. Here are some pix from the trip for you in a gallery.
One of the bonuses: lots of whale sightings!
The sun sets as we continue our journey. We arrive in Port Hardy pretty close to midnight. Can you visualize a couple dozen sleepy RVers all heading for the same nearby RV park in the dark? They were ready for us: the park office was open, and they hustled us through check in and got us all on sites in a very short time. Whew, what a long day! Fun and interesting, though….
The next day, I started south on the island. Vancouver island is a beautiful place, and there are lots of excellent beaches and resorts all along the shores. Unfortunately, only having three days really limited my options. plus, I’m actually no longer on vacation, so I need to get some work stuff done. I decide to stop in a provincial park near Campbell River. It is a beautiful park, huge trees, secluded sites, and lots of great hiking nearby. I spend 2 nights here.
Next stop: close to Victoria, the capitol city of British Columbia, located on the southern tip of the island. I grab a site at one of the RV parks in close to the city and relax. It’s a big place, paved roads and lots of seasonal folks, but I squeeze into a nice little spot for the night. The joys of having a small RV!
Within walking distance of the park is the 4-Mile public house, a brew pub and eatery. I drop in for an outstanding meal and some good brewskis. They have a fine British style bitter, and a very interesting black IPA. I don’t usually take pictures of my food, but this is one of the best meals I’ve had the whole trip: A grilled chicken breast, topped with garlic prawns, in a brandy cream sauce, with red cabbage, seasoned mash taters, spaghetti squash, sweet potato and peppers. Whoa doggies! That’s some fine grub!
The next day, it’s into the city. I manage to get a couple shots of the very impressive government buildings there, but mostly I’m trying to avoid running over this horse drawn tourist chariot in front of me.
I join the sizeable queue at the ferry docks to await my boarding call for the short 22 mile trip back to the lower 48. The ferry is the SS Coho, not as swanky as the last boat, but a good, serviceable ship, been doing this run since the 50s!
Victoria is a neat and attractive city. I will have to return here when I have time to really see it, and the rest of the island. 3 days just isn’t enough to even scratch the surface, but I have miles to go… etc. You know the drill. The adventure has to end sometime, and that sometime looks like right about now. These are pix of the unique skyline of Victoria from the bay. It is a busy place, with water taxis, sea planes and boats going every which way!
Bye Bye, Canada, Hello America!
Back in the land of cell service, internet access, and cheap cheaper gas.
Folks, that is truly the end of my Alaskan Adventure! Trust me, I’m as sorry as you are that it’s over, but thanks for coming along for the ride! In a few days, I will post a trip summary, till then, think about this: if I could do it, so can you! Wherever your heart leads you, adventure awaits. All you have to do is decide to go. Decide now, don’t wait till it’s too late!
See you in a few days….
We sure enjoyed following your adventures, Mark. Glad you were finally able to make the trip!
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