Day 46: Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

 We plan to wake up at 5:30am this morning, but Yellow is already getting up at 5am. After breakfast, we leave the campground at 6:30am and drive toward Mt. St. Helens. The morning fog envelops the countryside and the road is pretty bumpy. And once we take NF-99 road, it gets steep too.

We stop at Bear Meadow for a first view of Mt. St. Helens. 

And as we are getting even closer toward the volcano, we’re driving through blasted forests that are starting to recover, more than 30 years after the big explosion. We didn’t think that it would still look so devastated. We try to take the road to reach the Norway Pass trailhead, but half of the road is missing, so we park at Miner’s Car and walk to the trailhead, realizing that the road is not that bad after all. The Miner’s Car is a demolished car owned by the Miner couple, which happened to be too close to the volcano on explosion day.

We then walk to Norway pass – 4.5 miles round trip – in the remains of the destroyed forest starting to be very slowly taken over by the small regrowth. Mt. Rainier is showing up, and Mt. Adams, another snow-covered volcano peak, is emerging from the forest fire smoke. The area is dry and dusty. We feel like we are walking on ashes.

Some people are around though, picking some berries: huckleberries. And it’s true that the area is filled with them, along with some Saskatoon berries. Once we arrived at Norway Pass, the view on Mt. St. Helens, with its open crater, is beautiful over Spirit Lake. The lake is actually still filled with tree trunks.

On the way back, we start picking huckleberries, and we end up with a quart of them. We get some pumice rocks too, as the mountain is covered with them. As we get closer to the trailhead, the mountain is swarming with people. Children are being loud, and adolescents are running around. Everybody is picking huckleberries. This sounds like a great spot! May be a little bit busy on Saturdays.

After the hike, we drive a little bit around, until Cascade Peaks viewpoint, as road NF-99 is closed passed this point. Then, again, some more up and down driving on a bumpy road in the direction of Cougar, WA. But right before the town, we turn right to visit the Ape Cave. We actually focus on the lower cave. In fact, we walk 1.5 miles round trip in a large lava tube with our flash lights. It’s impressive, and even if it’s pretty busy, we have the opportunity to stop at one point, turn off the lights and be silent. It is pitch black, and we can barely hear other people being loud. Especially that group of middle-schoolers, with the guys burping and the girls giggling.

Anyway, once it’s done, we race to the south, very good roads, trying to reach the Columbia river before sunset. The breeze is warm in the gigantic river gorge, with Oregon on the other side. We both have never been there before. But tonight, we stay at Bridge RV Park in White Salmon, WA, right on the other side of the bridge from Hood River, OR. The owners are originally from southern Illinois, very nice.

Once settled down at campsite no. 8, and while sharing a local beer, Red studies and Yellow takes care of the meals for the next days. After a late salmon taco dinner, we go to bed, with the window open, pretty close to the sea level again.

Day 43 to 45: Mt. Rainier National Park

We say good-bye to Dan after breakfast, as he goes to work. His wife was already gone when we woke up. Then Red studies while JS prepares for the day, which seems to be a new routine setting up. We leave later in the morning.

Driving south, we make an attempt to stop at a REI store in the downtown area. Big mistake. Of course, the area is totally congested. In addition, there is no place to park a motorhome, especially with all those construction signs. We have a hard time getting back on the interstate, but we finally make it. Leaving slowly the Seattle suburbs, we stop for groceries at our favorite Northwest store, Fred Meyer.

And then, very rapidly, we are out of civilization again. We are being careful about filling our gas tank, which we do in the last town before wilderness, and we head in the direction of Mt. Rainier National Park. We can rapidly see the snowpeak, but it’s really hazy, due to some forest fires happening in the east of the state. Mt. Rainier being the highest point in the state of Washington, with its 14,411 feet, it is a very steep drive from sea level. We were planning to stay at the Ohanapecosh campground, but we end up at White River campground, as it is right on the drive to Sunrise, the road with the highest elevation in the park, and one of the best viewpoints.

Once settled down, we walk around the campground and to the river. From the river, we have a stunning view of Mt. Rainier, still surrounded by some haze. Red studies for the rest of the day while Yellow cooks. Some Coho salmon from Vancouver Island along with some black beans casserole and some salsa: it is going to be fish taco night! And it is delicious.

We go to bed pretty early that night, around 9pm. First, because we are recovering from our time in Seattle, and second, because the best views of Mt. Rainier are in the morning, especially as we find ourselves on the east side of the mountain. And it’s pretty cold too, as we are above 4,000 feet elevation.

Around midnight, Yellow is shocked by the thick fish smell that comes out of the garbage. We are in bear country, and even in a motorhome, this can probably be dangerous. As he doesn’t want to deal with any bear during the night, he puts the garbage bag in a container, which will hopefully contain the smell for the rest of the night. And back to sleep.

 

 The next morning, we wake up right after 6am, and we leave our campsite to start driving up to Sunrise, as the sun is rising. It is steep and windy, but the sky is pretty clear and the surroundings are beautiful. Once arrived at Sunrise, we admire the breathtaking vista, and we go eat our breakfast in the motorhome.

Then we hike 6-7 miles round trip to Mt. Fremont Tower, a viewpoint from an old watchtower, used to spot the forest fires in the past. The hike is magnificent, with Mt. Rainier almost always in sight, and the Cascade Range all around.

 

Going down from Sunrise, we drive up again to Cayuse Pass and Chinook Pass, before stopping at Tipsoo Lake for lunch. Then, very slowly, we start to descent again to get a campsite at Ohanapecosh campground, still in Mt. Rainier National Park. Once installed, Red goes back to her books while Yellow cleans and does some planning. Bertha, the motorhome, gets a deserved rest following a rough morning. After another delicious salmon taco dinner, we go to bed even earlier than the day before.

We wake up around 6am again the next morning. The road to Paradise is closed, but we drive up to Backbone Ridge for another beautiful sunrise on Mt. Rainier. The vista is very colorful, and the warm breeze is very enjoyable. As is the breakfast following this show.

 

We then go back to the campground to dump our waste waters and replenish with clean water. We leave Mt. Rainier National Park and go get some gas in Randle, WA. The cashier at the gas station happens to have Yellow’s family name. Great place indeed! Our next stop is at Cowlitz Valley Ranger Station, to get some information about our future plans. We stop at the public library to take advantage of the free Wifi, and end up at Maple Grove KM Resort for the night.

It is not even lunch and we are already settled at our campsite. The resort is very well maintained, and it is a gorgeous summer day, which we filled with studying and planning, along with one or two cocktails.

Day 42: Seattle, WA (second day)

This morning, after breakfast, Red studies while Yellow prepares everything for the day. At the end of the morning, we take the bus to reach downtown Seattle again. We stop at the Convention Center to finally get a map of Seattle at the Tourist Info Center. And then, we walk.

 

We first stop at Olympic Sculpture Park for lunch, with the Olympic Mountain on the horizon. The view is in direct competition with some artwork displayed in the park, with the sound of huge trains passing by. Then, we walk a little bit to reach Seattle Center, with the famous Space Needle and the EMP Museum, which architecture reminds us of some other buildings in LA, Chicago or Bilbao, Spain. On the other side of the street, a whole block is occupied by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

We then walk up and down a hill, through Queen Anne Neighborhood. We catch glimpses of Mt. Rainier on the way to Kerry Park. And there it is: the Seattle skyline with a stunning Mt. Rainier in the background. Spectacular! And the similarity to Tokyo with Mt. Fuji is striking.

 

We walk even more, reaching Fremont and its recycled Lenin statue from Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, we don’t find the famous Fremont Troll.

 

A couple miles further and we find ourselves at Gas Works Park, an old factory recycled into a park, with another great view of the Seattle skyline.

 

We hang out there for a while, before heading to the University of Washington campus. There we catch Bus 67 – yes, we figured the whole Seattle transportation system out – to the Northgate Mall. We are going to a mall? Yes. We are going to eat at the local seafood fast-food: Ivar’s Seafood Bar. We share some delicious clam chowder along with some cod fish’n chips.

And it’s with a full stomach that we return back home in the evening, going to bed pretty late after chatting for a while with Dan & Kathryn.

Day 41: Seattle, WA (first day)

Red has never been to Seattle before. Neither has she ever been in the Pacific Northwest. Yellow has been to Seattle twice, but it was always on the way to another destination. He remembers walking around the city with a very cloudy sky, when it was not raining. But this time, the weather was excellent, especially the second day. It just rained a little bit on the first day, so it was a very clear and sunny day the next day. A great time to discover the city.

But first, we have to leave Mount Vernon, which doesn’t happen immediately that morning. In fact, Red’s classes start today. So she studies while Yellow does some planning. We leave in the middle of the morning, and we drive to a liquid propane station. Our LP tank is getting very low, and we tried to refill it up at several gas stations in the past two weeks, without real success. It’s always a big challenge for the person in charge. A couple of liters might have made their way inside, or not. So there is urgency here. When the guy looks at our tank system, he tells us right away that he doesn’t like those kinds at all, and that success is not a warranty. Fortunately, after a couple of trials, he refills the LP tank totally. Yeeehaa, we’re good for several weeks again. Thank you Northwest Propane! And off we drive to Shoreline, WA, a town in the northern suburbs of Seattle.

There, we meet Dan & Kathryn around noon, our hosts for the next two nights. We chat for a bit and settle down in our room, close to the kids’ room. Then, we take the bus to reach downtown Seattle. We take Bus 347 and, really hungry, we start eating our lunch. Then, we transfer to bus 511. But we have to buy another ticket. We look so confused – especially with that very thick French accent - that the driver tells us to just sit and not worry about the ticket. She explains briefly that this is an express bus, so it requires another ticket. It gets to our brain, and we know that we have to figure out another route to get back home.

 

Once arrived downtown Seattle, we walk toward Pike Place Market and browse in and around it for a while: it is a gigantic market selling everything from the fresh local produce and seafood, to the strangest specialty shop items, along Pike Place and spilling over into the neighboring alleys and inside the buildings, going up and down several levels. The world’s biggest shoe is there, and a museum. Not to forget the gum wall.

 

We don’t really have a map, neither do we have a plan. We walk and end up at Pioneer Village, an older neighborhood with some charming brick buildings.

 

 

A little bit more walking brings us to International Village. Chinatown is not far but we are focused on finding our way back home. After choosing the wrong bus, we finally get on Bus 41, which leads us to Bus 347, which leads us back to our hosts’ place.

 

We have dinner with the whole family, the parents and the two kids, who are going to a French school. We eat the most delicious pieces of tofu, tender with a very crispy crust. We talk about our Mennonite connections and about Africa, as the family spent several years there, especially in Uganda and Chad. Later in the evening, once the kids are in bed, we continue the discussion around some Spanish wine and American goat cheese.

Day 39 and 40: Back to the United States between Bellingham and Mount Vernon, WA

 After saying good-bye to everybody that morning, we leave Duncan, BC, with the tiny freezer full of Coho and Spring salmon. We drive to Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, where we first stepped foot on Vancouver Island. We catch the noon ferry to Tsawwassen. The ferry ride is beautiful, meandering between islands, with some seals, dolphins and jellyfish hanging out in the water. Mountain ranges are on the horizon. We recognize the mountains around the Whistler area, but then we are confused by a majestic snow peak emerging from the clouds. It is not south so it has nothing to do with the Olympic mountains. We learn later that it is Mt. Baker, sticking out like a huge pimple right in front of the Cascades, ready to explode like the volcano that it is.

 

Back in Canada's mainland, we drive south to the Motherland. And the next stop is: the United States customs. Always a challenge. And this one is not an exception. We are sent to the agriculture inspection, because of a couple of apples that we have had with us since Minneapolis. The problem is that we have a bunch of unlabeled food, plus those salmon filets in the freezer. We are pretty nervous about the inspection. A little bit less once the young woman in charge of our case is all excited that she is sharing Yellow’s birthday plus one year. Ten minutes later, she comes back with those two rotten apples and a bag of rice, wanting to know if it was from India. Fortunately, it was from France. So we can keep the rice and enter the United States of America!

We settle down at the Bellingham RV Park in the afternoon, eating a late lunch and planning the next days. Then, we bike to downtown Bellingham and browse around the city. Not a big city, with some charming buildings here and there, but a city with a university, which means a city with some flair. We stop at the famous Mallard’s to taste their Chili ice cream. Unfortunately, it is not available for the moment, so we treat ourselves with some honey apricot, vanilla black sesame and white Russian ice cream. On the way back, we want to check Boundary Bay Brewery, but it was so crowded because of some kind of festival that we end up at the Chuckanut Brewery for some German-style beers.

 

And this makes a great transition to the next day, as we go for a trip on the Chuckanut Drive between Bellingham and Mount Vernon. But this happens later in the day, as we are running some errands in the morning. We first stop at a local fruit stand on the side of the road, and get some tomatoes, peaches and raspberries. We can right away tell you that the raspberries are delicious, as we get to taste them before buying, not the kind you find in the superstores. Then we went to shop at the Fred Meyer superstore. After Canada, discovering the food prices at Fred Meyer was like a dream. The milk, the cheese, the produce were so much cheaper. We were so happy that we ended up eating some burgers and Cajun French fries at the neighboring Five Guys. After that, we went to a Co-op grocery store, still in Bellingham. This type of stores – and business in general – is very interesting to us and we talk a little bit with a couple of people working there. And we also get a bottle of local wine. Finally, the last stop is at the AT&T store. As Red’s semester is starting tomorrow, we have to get her the best tools to study online efficiently. We already have a wireless internet hotspot, we only need a SIM card to get internet on the road – as long as there is coverage of course. That’s what we get at that AT&T store. And off we go.

That Chuckanut drive, here it is. The sky is pretty cloudy so we don’t spend as much time on that drive, but it’s a sweet one, winding between the ridges of the Chuckanut Mountains and the waters of Bellingham and Samish Bays. We first stop at Fairhaven, historic town south of Bellingham, definitely a touristic destination, agitated by the pulses of some kind of hippie festival that day. We skip Larrabee State Park because of the $10 fee and just admire the bay from different viewpoints along the way. In front of an oyster restaurant, we meet a group of people from Austin, TX, traveling the same way but in the opposite direction. We end up chatting together for a while, before heading south to Mount Vernon across a very developed agricultural area. We arrive at Mount Vernon RV Park at the end of the afternoon, and take advantage of the good internet services to set up the hotspot and get to work.

Day 37 and 38: Family time in Duncan and Port Renfrew, BC

That morning, we woke up at 4 AM. Yes, 4 AM. And 20 min later, we are on the road with Ron and Mike. We stop at Lake Cowichan to meet our Captain of the day, Captain Harold, and his boat. We get some coffee for Red, some hot chocolate for Yellow and some donuts at Tim Horton’s, and we get back on the road. We drive to Port Renfrew, the exact drive that we drove the other way 3 days ago. Before getting there, Yellow takes some pills to strengthen his stomach, always challenged in a shaky environment.

At 6 AM, the boat is on the water, and we take off from the dock. Why? Today, we are going to fish salmon in the Pacific Ocean! There is no fog that morning, and the ocean is very calm. A good sign for Yellow, already wearing a survival suit. The wind is coming from the Island, cold. But then the sun comes out, and the temperature starts rising slowly.

 

We drive the boat to the beginning of the bay, close to Juan de Fuca PP. We start fishing for Spring salmon. After a long wait, Mike finally gets a nice Spring salmon, probably weighing around 25 lbs. After an unfruitful time chasing after another Spring salmon, we get out of the bay in order to catch some Coho salmon. Smaller, but Captain Harold prefers them. The sea is a little bit more agitated in the open water, and the boat is going up and down the waves. Not a big deal, except for Yellow who is very concentrated in order to keep his stomach in order. Fortunately, the Coho salmon are caught pretty fast. Red catches 2 Coho salmons, and Yellow 2 small ones. Once we catch 6 Coho salmon, we decide to go back in the bay to chase the Spring salmon again.

 

The sun is high now, and the temperature is reaching 23°C (73°F), which is very unusual for the area. The fog has been totally inexistent and we can clearly see the Olympic peninsula. Seals and Sea lions are swimming or laying on the beach, some whales are in the bay, as we see them breathing in the distance. The sea is calm otherwise, and Yellow’s stomach is feeling good after lunch. We catch another Coho salmon, a Chum salmon and a small Spring salmon. Some Sea bass are caught and thrown back in the water right away. The big Spring salmon are definitely avoiding us this afternoon. We take advantage of the very quiet afternoon to take some naps on the boat.

 

After almost 8 h on the water, we get back to the dock. As Ron cleans the fish, the birds are fighting for the fish guts. We drive back to Duncan, desperately trying to stay awake. Back home and after a good shower, we have dinner outside again. The dinner features a Coho salmon, different parts seasoned differently with salt and pepper, with curry or with a creamy dill sauce. It’s awesomely delicious.

 

The next day, Ron gives a course on how to prepare salmon for eating or freezing. Yellow tries pretty successfully to follow the instructions with a small Coho salmon. The fish filets are then vacuum sealed for optimized storage.

The rest of the day is pretty relaxed. Yellow rides his bike to town to try to repair the rear tire. At the bike shop, they say that it’s irreparable. Furthermore, impossible to get a rim without ordering it online. That bike is pretty old and the rim dimensions are not standard anymore. Only one solution: hitting the tire on the ground where the rim is bent. After doing that a dozen times, the result is better than forecasted and the bike is declared repaired. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely better than before.

Alex, Ron and Jane’s only child, is coming back from Victoria that evening. So we get to know him while having dinner outside. Some Spring salmon this time is on the menu, along with a lot of other delicious items. We end up around a table, playing cards until midnight. Good times.

Day 35 and 36 – Pacific Rim National Park

September 4^th, it is Red’s birthday today! We drive in the late morning to the K^wisitis Visitor Center to learn a little more about the local First Nation. From there, we hike on Wickaninnish Beach. The fog is still pretty thick in some place, so thick you could almost touch it. But the sun is not far beyond it. At Combers Beach, we walk for miles on the shore, in the fog, feeling like we are almost alone on the beach. On these Pacific Coast beaches, there is one rule: “never turn your back at the waves”. Everybody has stories about people being kidnapped by the sea and never found again. A simple wave, a rogue wave, higher and more powerful than the other ones, during a moment of inattention. Long beach is our next destination. These beaches are one of the longest stretches of beach in western Canada, which makes for a very touristy destination.

 

Closer to Tofino, we hike again through a beautiful forest of Cedars and Hemlocks, opening up to Schooner Cove, where First Nations have been living for a while. Back to the camper, we start the birthday festivities, with a birthday snack: a White Russian with some local Canadian chips.

Back to the campsite, we get on our bikes and ride to the city of Tofino. We realize on the way that Yellow’s rear tire is totally bent. So bent that it is painful to look at the tire when he is driving. The tire was probably hit recently while backing up Bertha. And the rim was just changed a month ago. So sad. Well, we still ride to Tofino. The town seems to be in a very cute location, with mountains meeting the ocean all around. It is actually pretty hard to catch a glimpse of the scenery, as everybody is building on the shore. And resorts are piling up between the town and our campground.

 

Back to the motorhome, Yellow prepares the birthday bonfire and the birthday dinner: Spanish rice with duck gizzards from France, chocolate, and marzipan from Germany for desert. Delicious. We eat around the bonfire, the first bonfire of the whole trip so far.

And it seems that harassing the receptionists was a good idea in the end. We finally have internet on site, so Red can see that the whole world has been thinking about her on her birthday.  The bonfire keeps us warm until pretty late in the chilly night, and once inside the motorhome, we have our electric heater to help us get into our sleeping bags. The nights are definitely colder on the coast.

The next day, after cleaning and packing up, it’s already time to leave Tofino, which we do in the late morning. But before totally leaving Pacific Rim NP, we stop at the Shorepine Bog Trail. The trail leads us into a beautiful wooded area, very different from the old-growth forests and rainforests that we have seen. It is even supposed to have some insect-eating plants, but despite the fact that we searched for those plants very carefully, we didn’t find any.

 

 

Off we go, crossing again the 49^th parallel.  We stop at Ucluelet, the other town next to the Pacific Rim. We hike the Wild Pacific Trail, a 2.6 km loop around the tip of the peninsula. The fog is pretty thick, and the sounds made by the neighboring lighthouse add to the mysterious environment.

 

 

The main attraction on the trail is the presence of bald eagles. After going through Ucluelet on the way back, we felt like the town was much friendlier and laid-back than Tofino.

 

Back on the road, we eat lunch on the way, which ends up not being the best idea. We are driving that same crazy road we drove on the way in, which upsets our stomachs. We pass Port Alberni again, and drive directly to Duncan, BC, where we arrive around 6pm. We meet there Ron, Yellow’s Mom’s cousin, and his wife Jane, and Mike, Larry’s oldest son, enjoying some vacation days on the Island. We all get to know each other around a delicious dinner.

Day 34: Nanaimo to Tofino, BC

 

After a very good night of sleep, we are back on the road pretty early in order to reach Tofino as soon as possible. We stop at Cathedral Grove, to hike a couple of miles among the 800 year old Cedars and Douglas-Firs.

 

 

We then drive through Port Alberni, “Canada’s Ultimate Fishing Town”, surrounded by snow-peaked mountains. Again, we have to cross a coastal range, and again – it seems to be a habit in British Coumbia – the road is narrow and windy. And steep. After the 15% decline of the Lillooet area, here we get an 18% slope. Fortunately, not for 5 km. But we will have to come back this way.

We finally enter Pacific Rim National Park. Our first stop is, again, a forest with very old trees (up to 800 years old), but this one is different. The Rainforest trails are leading us in the midst of a forest filled with gigantic western Red Cedars and Hemlocks. The trails are going up and down, crossing some small ponds inhabited by small salmon waiting for the heavy rains of the fall and winter to transform their ponds into rivers so they can reach the ocean. The trees are covered with moss and mushrooms, and sometimes growing out of fallen trees. The whole cycle of life of this forest is right in front of our eyes, it is stunning.

 

We finally arrive at Crystal Cove Beach Resort, in Tofino, BC, in the middle of the afternoon. We will stay there for 2 nights, our 2 most expensive nights so far, and probably the most expensive ones of the whole trip. Tofino style. The fog, very common in the area, is still around. After a late lunch, we walk to the beach (direct access from the campground: resort perk) before settling down at our campsite. For the first time, we install the full hook-up to the RV: electricity, water and sewer. Luxurious. And very handy to do some cooking: Spanish rice for the dinner and tortillas (enhanced with some ground green beans) for our next lunches.

In the evening, we catch a glimpse of the after-sunset on the beach. Beautiful colors, but it’s pretty chilly. After many unfruitful attempts to connect to the free Wifi (another resort perk) from our campsite and from the office area, we decide to harass the receptionists again tomorrow. Maybe they will be a little bit more helpful than today. Frustrated, we don’t even take advantage of the free firewood to make a bonfire. Tomorrow maybe…

Day 33: Victoria, BC to Nanaimo, BC

Another delicious breakfast with Bob and Verna to start this Sunday! The highlight is a jar of marmalade, made with Canadian oranges, grown in the nearby greenhouse in the backyard. Marvelous. Other jams and fruits from the garden complete the meal.

We then go to Saanich Community Church with our hosts, where we get an inspiring sermon on Psalm 148. After the service, we spend some time talking to people, especially with a couple that spent several years in China.

Back on the road, we take Hwy 14 west and drive along the wild Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island, a mix of rocky coasts and sandy beaches. We stop for our first beach experience at Gordons Beach, have lunch at French Beach, and of course have to stop at China Beach in the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. The Olympic mountains are rising on the horizon on this sunny day, and the piece of Pacific Ocean that is stuck between them and British Columbia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, named probably after one of the first Spanish explorers coming to the area.

Hwy 14 is a nightmare! As we get closer to Port Renfrew, the road is narrow and windy, going up and down and across one-way wooden bridges. But the roughness of the road is the worst: we have to drive really slowly over each bump (and there are legions), otherwise, the whole motorhome gets shaken like we are on the back of an elephant. 

After arriving to Port Renfrew, we explore another part of the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park: we hike the Botanical Trail Loop at Botanical Beach. First, we walk in a very dense forest, and as we get closer to the coast, the trees have the weirdest shape ever, forced by the wind to grow like a contortionist. Then the forest opens up to a very rugged and rocky shore, surrounded by steep cliffs, still in front of the Olympic Mountains. And as we walk along the shore, we discover fields of tide pools, basins carved in the sandstone flat rock beach and filled with water as the high tide covers them. Filled with water… and a very rich marine life! Those tide pools are literally natural aquariums.

It’s already the evening when we get back to the motorhome and drive in the direction of Lake Cowichan. The road is still bumpy, narrow and windy. At one point, we have to cross a river on a very long one-way wooden bridge with very short rails. Fortunately, as we get inland, the road is very good and we can finally cruise through the coastal range, through the town of Lake Cowichan, and reach again the east coast of the Island. Lake Cowichan is the town where Yellow’s Mom’s Uncle Peter used to live, and Yellow’s parents spent some time there 30 years ago, along with Larry and Ron. We will actually be meeting Ron in Duncan, BC, in 3 days.

When we reach Nanaimo, we decide to stop there to spend the night. We spot the closest Walmart, after checking that it is RV-friendly, and park there for the night, along with some other RVs already parked there.

Day 32: Victoria, BC

 

We wake up and have breakfast with Verna and Bob who have fruit tree nursery, but we'll talk about that later. Some delicious fruits from their garden accompany some pancakes. We leave for Victoria with some ripe plums. Driving south to the city, we suddenly see a large mountain range with snow covered peaks emerging on the horizon. What are these?! Is it Japan?!? After realizing that these mountains are not part of the island, we finally get it. It's the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.

We park close to Beacon Hill park and take our bikes to discover the city.

Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and enjoys some of the mildest weather of Canada, but as soon as you approach the shoreline you can feel the strong wind from the Pacific. Compared to the neighboring cities of Vancouver and Seattle, Victoria gets a lot less rain. We pass Thunderbird Park which is filled with many totem poles and other First Nations monuments. Then we decide to have lunch nearby on the front lawn of the Parliament Buildings.

 

 

The city is filled with people, which is not surprising because it's the long weekend and also a major tourist destination. A couple festivals are bringing even more life to this lively city. The Empress Hotel, designed by the same architect that worked on the Parliament Building, faces the Inner Habour and is well known for its afternoon tea time. The atmosphere is great. It is a lovely small city with the vibrancy of a big city.

 

 

We continue our exploration walking along the streets of the old town. Lots of hip shops and restaurants are occupying the historic brick buildings. Locals and tourists are enjoying the sun and local cuisine. Nearby is Chinatown, the oldest of its kind in Canada. We walk down the narrow Fan Tan Alley, which past was filled with opium dens and gambling clubs, among other things. We stop at Swan's Brewpub for a couple of beers before heading back to the RV along the shoreline.

 

 

We get back to our hosts' place in Sidney through West Saanich Road, and pass many farms and wineries. Right when we arrive, Bob offers to give us a tour of the fruit tree nursery. He explains to us the processes of selecting, pruning, growing and protecting the different trees. Their lemon and lime trees, with minimal protection from the rain, produce much fruit year-round. The fig trees are from all over the world: Greece, Italy, Turkey, Israel, USA. We get to try some ripe Black Mission figs that are delicious. Apricot, nectarines and peaches, kiwis, all kinds of plums, apples and pears are all around. But the most surprising trees of all are the orange trees. Growing in a greenhouse, they might be the only oranges grown in Canada. Their taste is a lot more complex that an orange from Florida for example. The climate being a little bit cooler, they develop a subtle balance between sweetness and acidity. They almost melt in your mouth. Such a great experience!

Later, we hike with Bob around the neighborhood, checking out an old grove of trees before walking to the Saanich Inlet to watch the sunset.

Day 29 to 31: Vancouver, BC

We leave our hosts' place around 10:00 am and walk to Fraser Highway. We buy some day-passes at Mac's, the local convenience store, and catch the next bus to the King George SkyTrain Station. We take the train into the city and get off at Chinatown, which is one of the largest historic Chinatowns in North America. We walk around Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Public Garden and browse around the colorful shops. From there we head into the neighboring Gastown, which was Vancouver's first downtown core. After walking around for a bit, we hunt for an all-you-can-eat sushi place around downtown. We end up at Shabusen Yakiniku on Burrard and Alberni, where we eat our hearts out. We have miso soup, sashimi, nigiri, sushi rolls, veggie tempura, gyoza, and teryaki chicken. It's delicious, and once we're done we take the SeaBus to North Vancouver and lay down on a park bench with the Vancouver skyline in front of us.

 

 

After recovering from our food-coma, we walk around the Lonsdale Quay Public Market filled with fresh produce and tasty food that we can't bring ourselves to look at quite yet. We take the SeaBus back to downtown, and since it's raining we take the SkyTrain and start our way back to Surrey. We stop at the Main Street Farmer's Market that's in a park in front of the Pacific Central Train Station. We check out the local booths filled with meat, cheese, olive oil among others. After chilling out at the park for awhile, we go back to Surrey.

 

We wake up pretty early the next day and leave our apartment around 9 am on our bikes. We bike to the SkyTrain station and take the train into the city with our bikes. We get off at the Main Street/Chinatown station and bike to Granville Island on the south shore of the False Creek facing the peninsula of downtown Vancouver and its innumerable skyscrapers.

 

 

Granville Island is actually not an island but a peninsula, and Granville was the name for the city until it got changed to Vancouver in 1886. Granville Island is impressive. It's an amazing concentration of the arts: a huge public market, various performing art theaters, art galleries, the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, an active community of craft studios, and of course a brewery. The place is so cool that a bunch of people are living on houseboats on the side of the island. We eat our lunch in the midst of the busyness of the market, keeping an eye on the many buskers performing.

 

 

 

Then we cross Granville Bridge and bike through Yaletown and Davie Village until we reach Stanley Park. It's a beautiful day and lots of locals and tourists are taking advantage of the weather. We bike along the waterfront which turns from beach to rocks and back to beach again. After biking for a couple of kilometers, we discover that the bike path has turned a one-way, and we are going the wrong way. We decide, shamefully, to keep going. Yes, we are those annoying tourists. Upon finishing the loop, we see that it's close to rush hour and decide to head back to Surrey without stopping at the Alibi Room for a local beer. That evening we are invited to share a dinner with our hosts. We eat some soup made from fresh garden vegetables and enjoy the company of our hosts. We are sent off with some rhubarb-strawberry jam, some ground green beans, and some more of the soup.

The next day we deliberate about going to Vancouver Island or not, and we decide to go despite that it's the long weekend in Canada and Labor Day in the US. Yellow's mom has some relatives living on the island, so we try to get a hold of them. After doing some internet stalking, we find Larry who is Yellow's mom's cousin, and we call him at work. With much flexibility, we arrange to get together for dinner, so we make a reservation for the 9 pm ferry and take a nap. Larry meets us at the ABC Country Restaurant in Surrey. It's great to connect some family and enjoy some delicious burgers. Red is very excited, as each burger comes with a free Coke float. We talk about family history and travels. Larry calls his brother Ron, who still lives on the island, in order for us to connect once we're there. After leaving Larry, we drive to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. It's a beautiful drive at sunset with a view of the Vancouver skyline that is backed by the mountains. We board Bertha onto the ferry and arrive to Swartz Bay at 10:30 pm. After a short drive, we pull into our hosts' place and briefly meet Verna before going to sleep.

Day 28: Lillooet, BC to Surrey, BC

Lillooet, BC has been the salmon fishing grounds of local First Nations for over 8,000 years. Everything changed with the Gold Rush when it became mile zero on the wagon road that took newcomers to gold country. It is one of the sunniest, driest, and warmest places in Canada. In addition to that, the very rugged landscape attracts people looking for extreme adventures. The Lil'wat First Nation still fishes salmon here. We can see their fishing tents on the other side of the river.

After eating a delicious breakfast outside, we decide to explore the shore of the river. Our campground has beach access with lots of sand and jagged rocks. While Yellow is searching for gold nuggets, Red is exploring on her own. Suddenly while walking close to the shore, her feet start to sink in the sand. She move quickly to more stable ground, but one of her flip flops was swallowed by the sand. Determined to get it back, she starts digging and keeps digging and digging but finds nothing. It sounds crazy, but we have to leave the beach without that flip flop.

After leaving the campground, we drive through the Lillooet area and continue on BC 99 south. Again the road is narrow and really windy. We have to cross creeks and rivers on one-way wooden bridges. We are very surprised to go up and down with more than 10%. We are really nervous when we see a sign indicating a 13% decline. We know are brakes are small and carrying a big load. After descending for awhile, we feel that our brake need a break, so we pull over. The brakes are smelling and smoking, and we could cook an egg on the rims. We end up staying more than an hour on the side of the road chatting with a man who has the same problem and eating lunch. We notice it's a lot less arid when we see the raindrops on our window. This must mean we are getting closer to Vancouver.

 

We get back on the road, hoping that extreme adventures are coming to an end. We are totally shocked when we see the next sign announcing a 15% decline for the next 5 km. This is insane. We shift to the lowest gear and go down as slowly as possible. We finally arrive to the Pemberton Valley that is very famous for its produce before reading Whistler home of the 2010 Olympics with Vancouver. Whistler is to Vancouver what Banff is to Calgary: a tourists paradise. We drive straight through going down the Sea to Sky Highway to finally get the first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Wow, we did it. We crossed the Rockies and surprisingly had the craziest drive in the last 100 km. We drive up and down along the coast before crossing the Vancouver suburbs to end up in Surrey, BC. There we meet our new hosts, Walter and Lilli. They give us the keys to our own private apartment and let us settle in. After having some dinner and showers, we spend the rest of the evening with our hosts. We share our family histories along with coffee and delicious treats and discuss everything from theology to politics.