Thursday and Friday, July 25 and 26, 2019 (Qualicum First Nations Campground, Qualicum Bay, BC)

We woke to a cloudy sky this morning but by the time we were ready to head off on our sightseeing tour, it had started to clear somewhat. However, as we headed north we noticed some heavy clouds and rain hanging over the mountains to the northwest...hmmmm....might not be so nice at our destination.

Today we are going to Cumberland, a bustling village mid-way up Vancouver Island in the Comox Valley. A couple of weeks ago, we had passed the Comox Valley Visitors Centre on our way to Comox...today we stopped for a look inside...

 RCAF Snowbird Air Demonstration Jet Canadair CT-114 Tutor...

They have a great display area outlining all there is to do in the Comox Valley...very well done!
Whether you are in the planning stages of your vacation or have arrived in the area and don't know where to begin, the Comox Valley's Vancouver Island Visitor Centre is your first stop to create an unforgettable vacation! The Centre also offers a fun and interactive introduction to Vancouver Island from ocean to alpine! Touch a live oyster, identify local trees or explore the region through a touch table of Vancouver Island images...

Many fossils have been found in the area... There's skiing, hiking and mountain biking at Mt. Washington...

The Vancouver Island marmot(Marmota vancouverensis) is one of the rarest mammals in the world. Thanks to recent recovery efforts, the population has increased from a low count in 2003 of less than 30 wild marmots living in a handful of colonies to an estimated 200 marmots on 28 mountains in 2016 (counted at hibernation).

Peek-a boo!

A display explaining the dangers of falling into a snow well beneath a tree...

There are hundreds of kilometres of mountain bike trails in the area...

 Lots of wildlife viewing...

 Salmon fishing...

Well, our stop at the Visitors Centre turned out to be perfect because while we were wandering around in there, the heavy clouds and rain had moved on...giving way for bits of blue sky as we arrived in Cumberland. We drove down to the far end of the main street and finally found a spot big enough to park our beast...

...and then walked back. A few pictures along the way...(We had lunch here later on)...

One of the mountain bike shops. Mountain biking has put the old coal mining town back on the map with riders coming from 30 different countries to race or explore 200 kilometres of trails...

This guy was barbecuing huge slabs of meat...

Of course we had to stop at the  Cumberland Brewing Co...

We had planned on having lunch there but their menu was...shall we say, "innovative" and although I would have no problem finding something to try, Steve is not as adventurous...if he can't pronounce it or recognize what it is, he's not eating it...LOL! But we did enjoy a great pint of beer while sitting on their patio!

While sitting there, who should walk in but Earl! He and Allison (friends from Quartzsite who live in nearby Royston) had invited us for dinner tonight and he had come to fill up his growler with one of his favourite beers! Too funny...we'll see you in a few hours, Earl!

After a beer, we walked across the street to Riders Pizza hoping to have pizza for lunch...but were disappointed to find it closed. They don't open until 4 pm. So we walked back up the street to the Waverley Hotel where Steve had fish and chips and I had a spinach salad...both were delish!

After we finished lunch, we went to the Cumberland Museum and Archives...

The Cumberland Museum and Archives on Vancouver Island is a vibrant organization which preserves and presents the history of Cumberland and the surrounding region, and is dedicated to being a significant community anchor as the People’s Museum of Cumberland. The Cumberland and District Historical Society (Cumberland Museum & Archives) was founded in 1981 and the artifacts and archives within the building relate to the rich history of the Village of Cumberland, BC, which was established as a coal mining camp in 1889. Visit us to explore diverse exhibits, a Company Store, research services, after school programs, heritage events, guided tours, films, video kiosks, and a replica coal mine.

We spent the next hour or so wandering around taking in all of displays...as usual a lot of reading!
Cumberland has an interesting past and it's history in a nutshell can be viewed here

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Canada's head tax went from $50 to $500!

 Chinatown...

Hospital equipment, supplies and communications of the day...

 Shipping the coal...

 Coal mine display...

 There were hundreds killed working the mines...

 The canary in the coal mine...

The museum has accumulated a lot of information detailing the history of the area...very interesting and as I said, a lot of reading (too much to read everything!).

There was one final thing we wanted to see in the area before heading to Earl and Allison's...Comox Lake. So we continued west through the village along a lumpy, albeit, paved road until we came to the boat launch at the lake. I stayed seated in the truck while Steve got out to take a few pictures...

 The lake is a reservoir for drinking water and hydroelectric power as well as recreation...

He said the water was really clear...but I'm sure it's very chilly since it is glacier fed!

On the way back to the Village, we stopped at Coal Creek Historic Park ...The park encompasses the historic Chinatown and No. 1 Japanese Town sites and features portions of the historic Wellington Colliery Railway trail. The No. 1 Mine site and No. 2 Mine portal site are also located within the park.

Jumbo's Cabin...the only remaining building left from Chinatown...

Steve remembers his parents taking them to what was left of Chinatown when they lived in nearby Courtenay in 1967. This cabin was the only building left and Jumbo was sitting outside, smoke coming from his chimney. It was common for people to go there and dig to see what they could find. His parents found opium bottles, pottery shards, bowls, plates and porcelain soup spoons etc. A Seattle TV station even did a program on the area.

We had no trouble finding Earl and Allison's house, arriving at about 4:00. After big hugs, we all sat on the front porch in the shade...

Cute little Abby...

We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then retreated into the living room for more conversation. Earl makes these amplified Cigar Box Guitars and sells them...quite amazing! And such talent!

It was shortly after 8:00 when we decided to call it a night and head home. Thanks for a lovely evening and meal...always great seeing you!

We didn't do a lot on Friday (July 26)...working on pictures and a blog update kept us busy. Steve also emptied the holding tanks...that blue boy seems to be working out well.

I sat outside knitting for a good part of the afternoon...and we got out for a bike ride. And that was pretty much our day! Not terrible exciting...