Unfortunately the weather forecast for this week was looking a little "iffy" but for the most part it wasn't too bad, with Tuesday being the rainy day. The boys slept really well every night...Bryce slept on the couch and Conner on an air mattress on the floor in front of the fireplace. Each night the TV went off at 9:30 and we all got ready for bed...dragging the air mattress, sleeping bag, blankets and pillows off our bed and setting their beds up in the living room. And every morning, we'd get up between 6 a.m. -7:45 a.m., turn the coffee on, the boys would wake up right away and we would haul all of it back and pile on top of our bed. Good early morning training for the start of school next week. 😂
Monday (Aug. 28) morning and a relaxing start to the day...
I'll pass this over to Steve now...
Lots of great information here about everything the Comox Valley area has to offer...
Finally...we get our ice cream! Small Blizzards for everyone, except Steve who chose a Hot Fudge Sundae...
It had started to rain lightly by the time we got home. It was still fairly warm out, so Steve, Bryce and I sat outside...Steve reading and Bryce and I playing card games. Conner chose to sit inside and read.
CF-121 Tracker CP-140 Aurora CP-107 Argus
Aircraft on the left in the above photo...
Aircraft on the right is one I got to fly in when I was an Air Cadet in the early 70's...
Well, hello there!...
Ski runs behind the resort...
This is the start of the trail up to Battleship Lake...
That's not the lake but the boardwalk we came here on...
Up and up we go...
Made it! This is a beautiful little spot with 2 Adirondack chairs. They were in use but we chatted with the fellow...
And he took a picture for us...
We went back to the trail and down to another lookout and sat down at a picnic table for a few minutes before heading back down the trail...
Almost back to the Paradise Meadows trail...
Conner the tree hugger! I wanted to take a picture of this gnarly tree that grew up, then down, then up again, but the boys wanted to pose with it.
A great view up at Mount Washington Alpine Resort...
Nearing the top...
We hiked a short trail that takes you higher to the Zipline.
Into the clouds! This is only the first of four lines that take you to the bottom. On my bucket list!!
Time to head back before Gramma gets hammered...LOL! 😂
Mountain biking is a big deal here in the summer. You can take your bike on a special lift then ride down. Twisty bike trails below...
I missed this on the way up but the boys didn't. Five trees covered in bras...LOL!
And Steve and the boys are back!
After a busy day, I guess it's okay for some "device time" LOL
Lets ride!
Riding the trail next to the Courtenay Air Park...
The tide is out!
Conner heard the roar of an airplane engine fire up so he wanted to watch it take off...
I got home just after Steve and the boys...and the first thing Steve said to me was "you'd better get lunch made, Bryce is starving!" I guess he has to work extra hard on his bike as it's a little too small for him. I estimate they rode 9 kms!
After lunch, we went to Comox Lake. The weather was mainly cloudy with some sun peaking out occasionally. Unfortunately, it's still quite smokey out too. Our "water-baby" Bryce was the only one that went into the lake while the rest of us sat on the beach watching.
We stayed for about an hour and then headed back to the car...hoping to find the ice cream stand open, but we were out of luck. Love's Ice Cream in Cumberland where we took Chris, Angela and Isaac, wasn't open either...most store/shops are closed on Mondays (and some Tuesdays, as well). So we settled on the DQ in Courtenay for ice cream...but first, we stopped at the Tourist Information Centre...'Experience Comox Valley'...
Tuesday (Aug. 29) was the day Conner was really looking forward to...he and Grampa are going to the Comox Air Force Museum. Bryce and I aren't really interested, so after they left, we went out for a walk...well, I walked and Bryce rode his bike. We just walked around the campground but before we knew it, the rain started, so we ended up going back inside playing card games.
I'll pass this over to Steve now to tell you about their morning...
As we were getting into the car at the campground I could hear what I thought was a C-130 Hercules aircraft somewhere in the distance, which is quite normal around here. So I asked Conner if he would like to see if it's doing touch and goes at CFB Comox, then we would do the museum. He agreed, so off we went and I got parked next to the runway. We no sooner got there when I spotted a CP-140 Aurora Maritime Patrol aircraft drop out of the clouds and do a touch and go. Cool...what timing! Guess that's the plane I was hearing.
WOW...this is going to be a lot of reading!
Japanese Balloon Bomb display...
The displays take you from WWI, WWII, NORAD, Korea, UN Peace Keeping Missions, Afghanistan, and Maritime Patrols. The Museum is very well done but requires more than one visit if you were to read everything, so I shall return...one day!
We continued onto the Heritage Park static display just down the road. Unfortunately there was a fine mist coming down so we got a little damp...
At the entrance to CFB Comox and the Comox Air Force Museum
Canadian built Avro CF-100 Canuck and a Canadair T-33 Silver Star
This was Canada's jet fighter that my parents would take us to watch take off at dusk when we lived here in 1967. The jet engine flames look so much cooler at dusk!
Conner thinks this is more like it...real airplanes, and not as much reading!
Middle aircraft is the same as the one we watched doing a touch and go. Canada is currently looking to replace these with more modern marine patrol and surveillance aircraft...
And I got to sit in the bombardier's seat in the glass nose, that was so cool!
There was no story board for this DC-3 Dakota...
That was a great morning spent with my plane enthusiast grandson who takes after me!😁
As it was a rainy day...not pouring out, just a heavy mist for the most part, Steve contacted Earl to see if they were going to be home this afternoon, and if we could bring the boys over to visit Cedar. They met Cedar last summer when we were all camping and fishing at Cluxewe and Bryce absolutely fell in love with her. He was a very happy fellow being able to see Cedar again! Cedar seemed quite happy too...lots of racing around and playing. So much energy...the both of them!
Back home, we had a game of marbles...likely one of the longest games we've had as we taught the boys how to play, LOL!
Wednesday (Aug. 30) morning we packed a picnic lunch and headed up to Mount Washington. We started with a hike at Paradise Meadows, taking the loop trail until we came to the turnoff to Battleship Lake.
A couple of hours later we were back at the car...a great 6.2 km (3.85 miles) hike! We were all hungry, so we drove up to the Alpine Resort and had our picnic lunch sitting at one of the picnic tables next to the Eagle View BBQ and Patio.
Of course, Steve and the boys wanted to take the chairlift to the top...I'm not real keen on heights, so I declined. Steve bought tickets for the 3 of them ($14 each to ride up and down as much as you want...very reasonable!). I saw them off and then went over to the Eagle View Patio, ordered a beer and sat relaxing...a good choice as far as I was concerned!
Over to Steve now....
Up we go...and that's not even the top!
We just reached the ridge that looked like the top from the previous photo...
Steve took a 1:25 minute video as they were coming down the mountain from the top to the ridge...
As I sat on the patio, I heard the "whizz" of the zipline...and managed to capture a couple as they soared by...they really move at quite a clip!
Grampa took a picture of Bryce in the "big chair"...
After 4 nights and 3 full days with Gramma and Grampa, it was time to pack the car Thursday (Aug. 31) morning and go back down to North Saanich (Sidney). The final thing to go on the car was the bike rack and bikes...and with the boys each squished into their sides of the back seat, we were on the road at 11:00 a.m.
We had an uneventful trip down island, stopping for lunch at A & W about half-way...good way to break up the 3 hour drive. It was just before 3:00 when we arrived back 'home' at Rob and Angie's. The car was quickly unloaded...and then we waited for Mom and Dad to both get home from work. Judging by the reception given them, both Conner and Bryce were happy to see them!
Angie didn't have to go into work Friday (Sept. 1), so we were relieved of our "kid care duties". It was a beautiful morning, so Steve and I went into Sidney and walked the waterfront...one of our favourite walks (you have seen it many times before 😄)...
Always lots of folks crabbing from the Sidney Pier...
When Rob got home, we all sat outside on the deck...swatting away wasps. They are really bad this year!
A beautiful evening, so we went back out after dinner...
Saturday (Sept. 2) morning we met our long-time friends, Rob and Nancy, for breakfast at Mary's Bleue Moon Cafe. Always great seeing and catching up with them...
Rob...
Conner is a crack shot with his 22, hitting a 6" metal disc at 100 yards!
Must clean the rifles after use...
We enjoyed another late afternoon sitting out on the deck, a delicious dinner, and then more deck time...it is our last night here.
Sunday (Sept. 3) morning we had the car packed up and were ready to leave just before 9:30. After big hugs, we said goodbye to Rob, Angie, Conner and Bryce...it's been wonderful spending so much time with the boys!
We stopped at Split Rock Lookout on the Malahat (The Malahat Highway is a winding, 20-kilometre stretch of the Trans Canada Highway that straddles the mountain of the same name between Goldstream, (just north of Victoria) and the town of Mill Bay – gateway to Cowichan.)
Great views of the Saanich Peninsula...
We stopped to visit family friends, Doreen and Gerry, in Mill Bay. They lived next door to Steve's family back in 1967 and quickly became fast friends. After about an hour, we gave them big hugs and headed off...time to continue our drive up island. So wonderful seeing them and catching up!
Next stop was at Cabela's in Nanaimo...a new fishing rod for Steve to replace his broken one. He also ordered bullets for he and Rob so they will be ready for their hunting trip.
Our lunch stop today was someplace new again...the Rocking Horse Pub in Nanoose Bay, just south of Parksville. The main reason we wanted to stop there was because Rob, Angie and the boys had been there a number of months ago and Bryce had drawn a picture of one of the pictures on the wall. The staff liked it so much they put it up on the wall under the picture and it's still there...very cool!
Although we sat inside, there is a beautiful patio outside to sit...
One last picture on our way back to Courtenay...as we drive through Qualicum Beach...
We pulled into our site at 4:30...quickly unloaded the car and unpacked our suitcase. Time to relax...ahhh...good to be home!
Monday (Sept. 4) morning we decided it was time to get back into our regular routine. We were wondering if the salmon were making it up the river at Nymph Falls yet, so decided to go for a hike there. No fish yet...but we had a wonderful hike in a beautiful spot...
That afternoon, I went out grocery shopping...after Walmart and Thrifty Foods, I went to Costco only to find them closed! Oh right, it's a holiday...Happy Labour Day everyone!
We arrived at Earl and Allison's at 5:00...they have invited us over for dinner. After a cocktail before dinner, they served a delicious meal. No pictures of all of us were taken but I did get one of Steve and Cedar...for Bryce, LOL!
After dinner, the table was cleared and out came the Rummikub game...it had been awhile since we all had played! We managed 3 games before it was time to head home...the guys were victorious; Earl 2 and Steve 1. It will be our turn next time, Allison! Thanks for a wonderful dinner and evening!
Those are some memories the kids will never forget! You are so lucky to be able to spend quality time with them like that.
ReplyDeleteWe’re getting lots more quality family time now that we are stationary.
DeleteFun times with the grandsons, they are getting tall! So glad you were able to provide the "kid care" duty.
ReplyDeleteI think their mom and dad are glad we are now available and only 3 hours away.
DeleteI hope my comment isn't rude. Great pictures...lots of fun events...quality family time. And what sticks in my brain? You had to settle for DQ! Even though I shouldn't eat ice cream I love DQ...and we have none...none...not one! Lol...please don't block me.
ReplyDeleteHaha...a bad choice of words perhaps! We love DQ as well, afterall what is not to love about any kind of ice cream.
DeleteWhat a great time with the grands! So many fun things to do!
ReplyDeleteIt was, Debbie! Looking forward to having them again sometime.
DeleteThe camp out in the rig seems to have gone really well. Good to get out and see a bunch of stuff. I’ll do that zip line Steve if you want company lol. Cheers guys!
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed showing the kids our area. The zip line will be a blast!
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