Tuesday to Friday, August 6 to 9, 2019 (Oceanside RV Resort, Saanichton, BC)

Tuesday (August 6) we had our suitcase packed and were on our way to the ferry shortly before 9:30. After a stop to put some gas in the car, we arrived at the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal at 10:00....we will be catching the next sailing which is at 11:00.

We had an uneventful trip over to the mainland...after a bite to eat, Steve went out on the deck to take pictures as we went through Active Pass....

A couple of ferries in Active Pass...

The ferry was about 10 minutes late leaving...so it was 12:45 by the time we docked at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and were on our way to Chris and Angela's place in Coquitlam.

We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon visiting with Angela and Issac...sitting out on their back deck in the shade. It was  hot one with the temperature reaching 30C/86F...and was even hotter with the humidex! How cute is this little guy?!!

Chris arrived home from work around 6:00...Issac was so happy to see his daddy! We had dinner outside where we sat for the rest of the evening until it was time to head to bed.

Wednesday (August 7) morning, Chris headed off to work...followed a short while later by Angela and Isaac who had an appointment. Steve and I left shortly after 10:00 for Steve's doctor's appointment in North Vancouver. The traffic was insane but we gave ourselves plenty of time to get there, arriving about a half hour early. But the doctor took Steve in a little early.

After Steve was done, we decided to check out Lonsdale Quay. The Quay houses the SeaBus ferry terminal, a passenger-only ferry that crosses Burrard Inlet linking Vancouver and North Vancouver. Also there is the Lonsdale Quay Market, along with hotels and restaurants. The area is really growing!

We found reasonable parking for Vancouver ($3.50/hour) at a new parkade and after paying for 2 hours, headed off to the Tap and Barrel for lunch...

We sat at a table on the patio in the shade...

Lots of fun for the kids...a splash park...no danger of drowning here!

The Lonsdale Quay Market in the distance...

Looking in the other direction (east)...this area is called "The Shipyards"...After a century as a hub for industrial activity and decades as polluted brownfield, City of North Vancouver’s waterfront is being reborn as its premier public gathering space.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

We walked through the Market and then Steve wanted to get a photo from the tower on the left...

Unfortunately, he couldn't make it to the very top because it was locked beyond the second storey...but some fabulous views of downtown Vancouver...

Looking back towards the Tap and Barrel...

The last time we saw this was in Paris where this fad started...love locks placed by couples...

We finished our wandering around and were back at the car just in time before our parking permit expired. It was a beautiful hot day...so we were glad to get back into some air conditioned comfort!

We got back to Chris and Angela's place shortly after 3:00 and spent the rest of the afternoon in the shade on their back deck. Chris joined us when he got home from work. Angela prepared another delicious dinner...

It cooled down nicely as we sat on the deck chatting. Grampa and Isaac having some "guy" time...

Chris took Thursday (August 8) off...he was planning on taking time off for an appointment and if we were going to stay, he'd take the whole day off. Well...okay, we'll stay for another day!

Just before noon, we all piled into their car and we started our afternoon together off by going for lunch at Brown's Socialhouse in Newport Village, a neighbourhood modelled after a walkable European Village located in Port Moody. It's a very cool area!

We sat at a table in the shade on the patio...

 After lunch, we were back in the car and on our way for a little sightseeing to an area north of here on an inlet know as Indian Arm. We drove to Belcarra and then backtracked a bit and continued onto Buntzen Lake...and parked to take a walk down to the the beach. It's a beautiful and popular spot in the summertime...

Looking to the right....

...and the left...

There are some huge tree stumps in the area and this one has a tree growing out of it!

We had a great afternoon drive to a beautiful area Steve and I have never been to before...this is basically the route...

Back home, we chilled outside on the deck...

 ...had a light dinner and when it got a little chilly, headed inside for a little TV before bed.

Friday (August 9) morning, we said goodbye to Chris when he left for work just before 8:00...and about an hour later, we were all packed and ready to go. We gave Angela and Isaac big hugs and were off to catch the ferry back to the island. Thanks so much for all your hospitality, Chris and Angela!

We made it to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in record time and could have caught the 10:00 am ferry had it not already been full...but no big deal, we had planned on the 11:00 am sailing anyway.
We were home just after 1:00 pm....and after unpacking, Steve headed out for a walk while I did some baking.

It was much cooler today...a cold front with rain is coming in for the weekend.