Courtenay, British Columbia

Island Treasures Caravan

Tuesday, August 27, the three of us had left early at 7 am to catch the ferry, which we had a 50 minute drive from campground. We were the first three in line for the ferry for 10:15 departure.


Waiting for ferry


Parked on ferry, third or bottom level

We had a two hour ride on ferry, before getting off at Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. We stopped for fuel, which was really cheaper than on the mainland, really surprising. We then had an hour drive to our campsite, we had a few hours before our first happy hour and distribution of the drivers manual, each stop there is a fun dress day, today was Aloha day, some funny costumes. We then had a provided dinner of ham, potato salad, tossed salad and dessert.


Seal Bay Campground carving, where we are parked


Bruce Williams grass skirt and nice headdress


Aloha dress, can't believe she's not cold

Wednesday, August 28, had a continental breakfast of muffins, breads, fruit and coffee. We then went to Costco's, with another couple, to another store, Superstore, a natural store and then drove to see the water on through town. Returned back to camp, rested until 3:30 and left again to I-Hos, a First Nations gallery and long house. They were to be making us dinner in the ground but it has been raining off and on all day, and it was raining when they were to be making the fire. They had decided to make salmon on the stick for us on cook it over a wood fire in the longhouse.


Cutting up the salmon


Salmon on the stick


Cooking the salmon around the fire


Showing us the pit that they use to make the seafood feast

After the meal, of seafood chowder, salmon, potatoes with carrots, cole slaw, fry bread and fruit, the Kumugwe dancers had preformed for us in the longhouse.


Kumugwe dancers






Thursday, August 29, we had a logger's breakfast, sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, pancakes, fruit and coffee, really good and lots of food. I went to Costco's this morning to pick up dessert for tomorrow's dinner, we are moving tomorrow and there's not much where we are going, so we had to buy it here.

At noon, 16 people decided to go an hour and a half drive to Alberni Pacific Railway, for a steam engine train ride. We arrived just in time before the train left, and we were off to the historic McLean Mill the old fashioned way, pulled by the No. 7 steam locomotive. We enjoyed riding the slow track through lush west coast rain forest, whistle by rolling farmland and rattle over wooden trestles as we looked way down into crystal clear creeks.


No. 7 steam engine


Wooden trestle


Clear creek below the trestle

When we arrived at McLean Steam Mill, we were welcomed by a guided tour person. The sawmill was built in 1926, and ran continuously until 1965. The mill uses line shaft technology and is powered by a single piston steam engine built in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1892. An observation deck provides guests with the opportunity to view a variety of steam powered machinery as the logs are converted into lumber.


Twin circular saw blades (54" & 50") give it the capability of cutting logs up to 5' in diameter.


The sawmill's 32' carriage enables it to cut timbers up to 43' in length


Planks that were cut


View of the steam sawmill


Lake where the logs are rolled into before going into the sawmill to be cut

We had got off the train about 6 pm and didn't get back to camp before 8 pm, we did stop at a creamery for ice cream before arriving back. We had a long day, but it was a lot of fun and got to know more new people.


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Surrey, British Columbia

Friday, August 23, we had left Whistler, BC, and headed south again, went through Vancouver and went to the south east part of Vancouver to the town of Surrey. We had made reservations earlier, they were booked full, I had asked about overflow and they had plenty. We had stayed in overflow for 4 days, dry camping, it wasn't too hot so it was just fine, there is two other Airstreamers staying here that are also going onto the second caravan. One day we drove to White Rock for fish and chips at Moby Dick, another day we drove back to town got groceries and a farmers market, to stock up for the second caravan. The third day, I did laundry at the campground, we dumped and got ready to pull out early the next.


Scenery while driving south from Whistler


Moby Dick, fish and chips, in White Rock


The bay at White Rock, tide is out


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Vancouver, British Columbia

Sunday, August 18, we had left the campground and we drove 20 miles to Minter Gardens. We all got parked and then had a guided tour of the gardens, very nice gardens with only 15 people tending to the gardens and digging and replanting a lot of bulbs every year. The future of the gardens is up in the air for the next year, they are going to look at all options before making a decision. After our tour we then had a brunch buffet, great food and way too much.


One of many flower beds


Canadian flag made with flowers and succulents


Peacock design


Water flow to drum out traffic notice


Arbor walkway



Flower girl


Salamander made with succulents


Bridge that we drove over going into Burnaby, outskirts of Vancouver

After arriving at the new campground, we all had fun backing into our spaces, one at a time, every site is close together and you must park your vehicle in a parking lot away from trailers. We were to have a cook out but everyone was still too full from lunch, so it was cancelled. We all had one big happy hour next to the leaders trailer.

Monday, August 19, we boarded two small buses today for a guided tour of Vancouver, was very nice. We had got off the bus and went up the Vancouver Lookout, we took a thrilling glass elevator ride to the top for a 360 degree view of the city.


Vancouver skyline





White building is known as BC Place, with its cable-supported roof structure (the largest of its kind in the world) this stadium transforms into an open-air facility in 20 minutes flat.


Ship docks


Cruise ship, two ships come in each day except Tuesday, year round, Disney ship was in at this time, couldn't get a picture of it though.

We then rode to Stanley Park, spanning 1,000 acres in downtown Vancouver, this park is home to a variety of wildlife and tree species like hemlocks, fir and cedar. It also has totem poles, beaches, and trails for walking, jogging and biking.


Totem poles in Stanley Park

We then saw Lions Gate Bridge.


This bridge was built by the same person that built the Golden Gate Bridge.

Tuesday, August 20, we all left to drive to the Museum of Anthropology, on the west side of Vancouver. When we arrived, we couldn't find a parking space for our truck with a cap, so we left to find a Home Depot. Last night our shower head had broken so we had to find a new one. Home Depot didn't have one so we stopped at a bath & kitchen place, they sent us to another place, but every one was way too expensive. We decided to go to an RV dealer, this was way to the east of town, neither one of the two RV centers had one, so we stopped at another Home Depot and found one. We got back, Ken put the shower head on, works great. We ate some lunch around 2 pm, took a nap and then found some other people in our group and just sat and talked, the rest of the evening.


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Hope, British Columbia, Canada

Friday, August 16, we had pulled out of our campsite this morning early, about 7:15, and headed south. There is about 8 units that are planning on stopping at Kettle Valley Steam Railway, and we are one of them. We had arrived shorty after 9 am, with some of the other units following right after us. The train had pulled out of the station at 10:30, we were seating in an open car. We rode along the only preserved section of the original Kettle Valley Railway, which was built through the Kettle and Okanagan Valleys between 1910 and 1915. We enjoyed a 90 minute excursion through the rural beauty of Summerland and onto the Trout Creek Bridge with spectacular views of the Okanagan Lake and the canyon below.


Steam Engine 3716


Engine and enclosed cars and open car


View from train of orchards and vineyards





Okanagan Lake in background and part of canyon


Canyon


Trout Creek Bridge

We had left shorty after noon, and headed south again, what a beautiful scenery while driving. We had left the orchards and vineyards with rolling hills with some trees to mountains with pine trees every where. The road we drove was very hilly with downgrades of 8-9 percent grades. We arrived at camp about 4 pm, got setup, ate some dinner and off with the others to hike the Othello Tunnels, an old railroad bed. We had walked through 5 tunnels which took about an hour, with a creek running along side with some waterfalls and the water was really clear, so you could see the bottom which was quite deep here and there.


Othello Tunnels


Waterfall


Water and rocks seen from bridge


Going into tunnels

Saturday, August 17, we had a free day, but had a Hell's Gate Fraser Canyon tour with our badges. To get there you drive the Scenic Fraser Canyon with its 7 mountain tunnels into the historic heart of BC and visit the biggest rush on the Gold Rush Trail. We exchanged mountain ranges aboard one of the only descending gondolas in North America. Below us, 800 million liters of water per minute thunder through the 33 meter wide passage appropriately labeled Hell's Gate. In the spring, there is three times the amount of water going through this canyon, as runs over Niagara Falls.


Entering the gondola





Picture of bottom, going down

Once down we had walked across the suspension bridge and observation decks


Suspension bridge


Salmon ladder and train tunnel on hill, these had to be built because the water is to turbulate.


Statue with gondolas in background


Train coming around the mountain

After leaving, we had drove about 8 miles to the Alexandra Bridge which is 150 years old bridge, where the road used to go. Had to hike about a mile but worth every bit of time.


Alexandra Bridge





New bridge from Alexandra Bridge

After returning to camp, we had a corn boil, vegetable boil, salad and dessert before drivers meeting.


Husking local Chiliwack corn, very sweet


Vegetable boil with ham and smoked sausage


Our leader eating corn


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