We are waiting for the ferry that will take us from Sidney, BC to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington. Just went through US customs so cannot leave the waiting area.
British Columbia has been an amazing place to ride. We weren't quite sure what to expect when we left Vancouver last Monday. We probably have more photos of ferries than anything else - being from the desert we are intrigued by all the water and how isolated some of the places are. While watching all the trucks drive off the ferry in Powell River we asked if there was any other way to get to the city. Ferries are the only way of getting people and supplies in and out of there.
Riding on Vancouver Island has had it's ups and downs - literally. That first day from Comox was mostly flat, although we ended at the top of a steep hill with a downhill into the campground. Rob already posted about Rathtrevor Provincial Park and the unique tent camping area. I got up in the middle of the night and was totally enthralled by the stars. Away from all the city lights and that far north they were spectacular! The next night we left the rainfly off the tent because it was so warm, but we were too close to the city lights to see many stars.
Our ride from Rathtrevor to McDonald PP near Sidney was long, hot, and hard. We knew we had a 65 mile day with lots of hills. We didn't realize that about 30 of them would be on the shoulder of a busy 4-lane highway, and on the hottest recorded day since 1952. I'm not sure of the conversion factor, but it hit 33.8C on the coast, and we were inland for a major part of the day. (The 1952 record had been 28.6.)
We did stop for double-scoops of ice cream, and road 2.5 miles uphill to a beautiful herb garden. By the time we got to camp that night we had been traveling for 12 hours (including rests, gardens, food, and ice cream).
With an easy 20 mile ride to Victoria, we took our time breaking camp in the morning. We also stopped in Sidney to do some laundry.
The bike path to Victoria was flat and green. We easily got to the hotel by 1:00 - enough time to shower and walk around some before tea. We have never done a carriage ride before so it was a lazy way to see parts of old Victoria.
Today we road half way back to Sidney on the same bike path (Lochside) before heading inland (and up!) to Butchart Gardens.
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