Tuesday, April 26 to Friday, April 29, 2022 (Visit to Vancouver Island, BC - Part 2)

We said goodbye to Rob and the boys when they left for school/work Tuesday morning...thanks for all your hospitality! It was wonderful spending time with you.

It was about 8:00 when we had the car packed up and headed off. We are starting our day off by meeting family friends of Steve's parents, Doreen and Gerry, for breakfast at the Doghouse Restaurant in Duncan, BC. They were already waiting in the restaurant when we arrived at 9:30.

We enjoyed a great breakfast and visit catching up with them...it has been a long time since we last saw them. Unfortunately, no picture...drats! Take care you two, it was wonderful seeing you both!

Our next stop involved a 20 minute back-track to Cowichan Bay to see good friends, Jim and Nan. Awesome catching up with you both! Again, no picture...double drats!

Our final destination for today was Deep Bay where my brother and sister-in-law have a great spot. It was just after 2:30 when we pulled into Don and Rhonda's driveway. Don greeted us and after big hugs, helped take our stuff into the house. 

Their next door neighbour Dale was about to take his boat down to Deep Bay Marina to launch it and needed a hand, so Don and Steve headed off with him...and even got a boat tour of the area.

I'll pass this over to Steve now....

Launching...

Don and Dale, they do a lot of salmon fishing and prawn trapping together...

Even though it was looking nasty and threatening out it was surprisingly warm and we stayed dry...

This is the Chrome Island Lighthouse off the tip of Denman Island and Hornby Island in the background...

Heading back. It was a little lumpy out there but no whitecaps...

Apparently the marina owner just bought this beauty...

Dale had a heck of a time docking as he had a cross wind that kept blowing him off course, and the boat beside him is apparently too big for this berth leaving him only a couple of feet of room to play with. Thanks for the tour Dale!

Shortly after Don and Steve left with Dale, Rhonda asked if I felt like going for a walk...yes, definitely! So we headed out taking a route through their rural neighbourhood. Just over an hour...and 6 kms later, we were back. A great walk!

It wasn't long before Don and Steve returned as well, and we spent the rest of the afternoon catching up. Me and my bro...

View from their sundeck...

They have a beautiful view of Chrome, Denman, and Hornby Islands as well as the BC mainland in the distance, but unfortunately the snow capped coastal mountains were obscured by clouds today...  

Rhonda made a delicious Halibut dinner for us...yum!

Wednesday (Apr. 27) morning, we all had a relaxing start to the day, enjoying our coffee and conversation. 

We said goodbye to Rhonda as she headed off to play Pickleball...and shortly after, we had the car packed and were ready to head off ourselves. Thanks so much for your hospitality, Don and Rhonda! I know our visit was short but it was wonderful seeing you both! Looking forward to connecting again this summer!

Today we are driving 30 minutes further "up island" to Royston and staying with Earl and Allison for a couple of nights. I could hardly wait to meet the newest addition to their family...meet Cedar, a 10 week old shiatzu/poodle cross. Steve wonders if that makes her a shiatzpoo or a pooshiatz...LOL!

Isn't she cute? 

We drove into Courtenay and went for a walk along the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk...a beautiful day!

But a bit breezy...

Of course, Earl and Allison pulled out Rummikub after dinner...tonight Steve was the major winner winning three games!

After a relaxing start to the day Thursday (Apr. 28) morning, we decided to head out for a little geocaching. Earl and Allison had a "trackable" that they found down in Arizona and wanted to put it in a geocache up here. First of all though, he had to find one large enough to hold it. He found one that he figured would work and off we went to Comox. 

For those of you who do not geocache...Trackables are geocaching game pieces that have a unique tracking code. The tracking code allows you to track its movement on Geocaching.com. Trackable owners can set a goal for their trackable. Trackables either stay with their owner, or move from one geocache to another, occasionally with a sheet that lists their goal. When another geocacher moves a trackable the owner gets a notification.

We parked the car near the trail entrance nearest to the geocache co-ordinates and were off. We came across Fairy Lane...very cool!

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Earl checking out more little houses, they were all over the forest... 

We found the geocache...and what a great hide! Just looks like an ordinary rock...

Until you flip it over!

The "trackable" that Earl is putting inside...

We were on our way back to the car when we saw that another geocache was not far away off the trail...

We stopped for lunch at Earl and Allison's favourite soup and sandwich place where they had taken us once before, and it didn't disappoint. Later after a little more touring around, we were home. After all, we couldn't leave Cedar alone too long without taking her out for a pee!

"Itching" to fly their drones, Earl and Steve went down to the waterfront along the Royston Seaside Trail. Take a look at the video Steve shot.

(Steve here) Unfortunately being so close to the air force base at CFB Comox and the Courtenay Airpark we were limited to our altitude and distance, so we couldn't get any closer to the Royston shipwrecks. The drone GPS programming knows this and automatically stops you from flying into any restricted areas...

We enjoyed a great spaghetti dinner and as usual, Rummikub came out again. Seems Steve and I both ruled the games tonight. I think Earl and Allison each won one....😃

Friday (Apr. 29) morning we wanted to get an early start. The ferry didn't leave until 12:45 but we wanted to take the scenic route along the waterfront.

As Steve was loading the car, he heard and then spotted the Canadian Forces Snowbirds...

The Snowbirds, officially known as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, are the military aerobatics flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

They are based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan but are here at the Canadian Forces Base Comox doing their annual spring training before the airshow season starts throughout North America...

After big hugs, we said goodbye to Earl, Allison and Cedar. Thanks for your hospitality! It was so nice seeing you again, especially after spending so much time with you over the winter...we missed you!

We arrived at the Duke Point Ferry Terminal at 11:00 and were surprised to be told that we might not make the 12:45 ferry to Tsawwassen! We hadn't made reservations and figured being at the terminal nice and early would ensure us boarding. An hour and a half wait...and the ferry arrived. We were on pins and needles as we watched the lines of cars, obviously with reservations, file onto the ferry. When it was our line's turn, we crept forward as they arranged the vehicles on the ferry deck...and then we were signaled to continue onto the ferry...whew! Made it! The ferry runs from that terminal are not as frequent as Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen so if we hadn't made this ferry, we would have had to wait until 3:15!

Now on board the ferry, this tug with a log boom in tow slowed waiting for our departure from the Duke Point Terminal. Cliffs on Gabriola Island...

Another tug with a barge in tow...

Entrance Island Lighthouse just off of Gabriola Island. Beyond this point it's just open ocean and not nearly as scenic as the ferry ride from Swartz Bay (Victoria) to Tsawwassen (Vancouver). 

BC Ferry on it's way to Nanaimo...

We had an uneventful sailing and 2 hours later we were docking at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal...and about a half hour later, we were back home at Peace Arch RV Park!

It had been a wonderful couple of weeks away but we were so glad to be home!

Here's the route we took....