A stay at 1st Beach - La Push, Washington

July 28^th – 31^st2017

Route from Port Angeles, Washington to La Push

We left Port Angles, Washington to embark on our second phase of the trip.  It mentally feels that we are “on our way home” even though we won’t be back for another couple of months.  71 days to be exact. 

The drive from Port Angeles to La Push was beautiful as we passed by Crescent Lake with it's emerald waters.  This time the wind was not so high that the white caps disguised the color of the lake. 

Heading west to the small coastal community of LaPush we will stay at Quiluete Oceanside Resort, operated by the Quiluete First Nations Tribe.  We have come to realize the name “Resort” does not necessarily equate with what the mind conjures up.  It might mean luxurious accommodations – hot tubs, pools and fitness centers – or perhaps you might find a campground so rundown that even the bathroom  makes you feel a vaccination is needed upon exiting.

This campground was somewhere in the middle.  The lucky few enjoyed sites on the beach, which was, where I thought our reservation was for.  Located directly on what is called “First Beach” it was all about the beach for the majority here.

We discovered a slight leak the last time it rained, a couple of months ago.  Today was the first day with the right conditions so Norm got up on the roof with the hose trying to determine where it might be.  No luck.  Notice the Tsunami siren behind him.  They test it once a month.  Thank goodness it wasn't when he was up there!

 Our site was directly below a Tsunami Siren, but luckily that was not heard.  What we did hear, however, was non-stop barking.  Big dog barks, small yippy dog barking, and the frequent sounds of dogfights.  All day, and most the night.

Owners would sit beside their campers drinking, and positively ignore their dog carrying on for hours.  One night, after midnight, I really wanted to go out and see the moon reflect on the ocean. But since the dogs were finally quiet, I hated to rile them all up again.  I am sorry, but it is not fair.  I love dogs, my dad bred them and I tell you, they were trained not to bark.  It can be done.

Late the first afternoon we took a long walk on the beautiful beach all the way to the end. Norm and I are not tremendous beach lovers, but you could not help but take in the sights and sounds of this gorgeous place.

First Beach in La Push.  Our campground is down the end right on the water.  Our site, however, was a little set back.

The next morning, about 6:30 the goal was to head to Hoh Rain Forest.  I had packed our breakfasts and lunches plus hiking and camera gear the night before.  As we were about to leave, I couldn’t find my cellphone ( camera ) anywhere!  After searching high and low, I had to assume I dropped it somewhere on the miles of rocky beach the night before! 

I tried technology first.  “Find my phone” app told me they could not locate my phone. Well, that makes two of us.  After calling it on Norm’s phone I realized it behaved as if dead.  Oh, no!  Technology, I learned, is only good if there is battery power! 

We took off and combed miles of beach for well over an hour.  As time progressed, I became worried that someone picked it up and might have either been accessing my info, or just calling their friends all over the world.

 When we got back, Norm took apart the couch to see if it had, indeed, fallen “between the cracks”.  Yeah!  My hero!  There it lay, with its battery dead as a doornail, but looking beautiful nonetheless! 

How have we become so dependent on these small, electronic devises?  Jeez!  I knew I could live without it. But I would feel even more out of touch with family than I do already traveling this far, for this long.   The camera in this light, waterproof devise is amazing.  Almost all the photos in my blog are from this silly phone!  Plus it’s so darn easy to carry!

Thanks to me, we had missed the window of opportunity to hike this magnificent temperate rain forest sans crowds, so we decided to wait and try again tomorrow. We will set our clocks, one more day! 

Most of the beaches along the coast afford the best viewing, walking and beachcombing during low tide.  Trying to hike the rainforest that was over an hour drive to the east and the same day we wanted to get to the famous Ruby Beach that was about the same distance south, was probably impossible with the current tide schedule.

Since the rain forest was out, we headed south.  Ruby Beach, which I not only read, but was told not to miss, was unbelievably beautiful. Ruby Beach is part of the Olympic National Park and named for the rose-colored ruby fragments found dispersed among the grey sand. We didn’t recognize at ruby fragments, while there, however.  

Ruby Beach is littered with huge logs, but once past them, it was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. 

What we did see were huge rock formations looming over the sand and surf while sea creatures at their base flirted with us as we walked along. Although called a “beach” swimming is not only undesirable here, it is not allowed.

Thousands of sea anemones were along the base of the rocks, many with crabs. We never realized that ate that way!

We spent several hours poking around the water’s edge watching hundreds of sea anemones devour baby crabs and sea stars (it is no longer politically correct to call them “star fish” ) cling to rocks by the dozens! 

We have never seen so many sea creatures before!  And the sea stars!  Wow! Hundreds of them, all different colors!

The surf appeared to be a mesmerizing pink, but we wondered if that could just be our imagination playing tricks on us in this incredible place.  It must be the ruby fragments.  

The water here at Ruby Beach really did have a red tint to it!

There was a lot to see, and although I could have spent days here drinking in the sea, surf and sun it was time to move on.

Heading south again, we stopped to witness nature at its weirdest. ( is that a word?).  A little more south, still in Olympic National Park, lies Kalaloch Lodge, where lives a massive tree that has survived decades without soil feeding or supporting its roots.  A freak of nature? Perhaps.  Down on the beach, The Tree of Life aka “Tree Root Cave”, erosion has stripped this tree of all apparent life support, yet it appears to thrive on air alone!

Norm and I took the short beach walk to the tree and took pictures to authenticate its existence.  We ate our lunches a few yards away and watched the shoreline for a glimpse of the whales another couple told us they had just seen.

The "Tree of Life" is somehow thriving without apparent soil to nourish or even support it! How weird!

After watching for about ½ hour, we laid in the warm sand for a quick nap.  Listening to Norm softly snore, I decided to resume my vigil for whales.  I didn’t believe my eyes as I saw a small pod just off shore. Was I dreaming? Did I nod off to sleep? 

 Not 2 seconds after waking Norm, a huge whale ( I think it was a humpback Norm insists it was an Orca ) rose out of the surf about 100 yards off shore and suspended there - with its massive jaws open for long enough to not only give me time to get my camera, but to take a picture! ( Although not a great one. )

What do you think? Orca or Humpback? Can you believe how close to shore it is?  Wow!

We stayed quite a while after that, catching glimpses of them while hoping for another Kodak moment.  No breaching, but it was fun just waiting and watching.

From there we headed back toward the campground stopping at the Forks Timber Museum.  Back in the 1970’s, Forks was considered the “Logging Capitol of the World”. This museum, presented in a log cabin built by local volunteers and the High School Carpentry Class of 1989, told of the history of homesteading, farming and logging in the Pacific Northwest.

The Forks Timber Museum was small but packed with a lot of authentic equipment and information regarding the life and times of lumberjacks.  The museum also focused on the history of the local logging trade.

The town of Forks has evidently become famous due to the novel series “Twilight” and the movie of the same name.  There is “Twilight” everything in town. Hotel rooms with a Twilight theme, Twilight menu’s, Twilight gifts and mementos of every variety. Tee shirts, sweat shirts, Subway even has a “Twilight” sandwich!

Norm and I had not read or even heard of the series, so it was lost on us.  Too bad, it could have been fun since we were right there amongst the supernatural.

With nothing much more of interest in the tiny town of Forks, we then headed back to make dinner and watch the thick fog roll in with the surf.  Rather cool. 

The next day things went a lot better.  About 6:45 we were out the door heading to another part of the vast Olympic National Park.  Hoh Rainforest, with its 140-160 inches of rainfall each year is considered to be one of the finest examples of a temperate rainforest in the world.  With many beautiful areas in this park, Hoh Rainforest should not be missed.

We were shocked to see the parking lots of Beach 2 and 3 full a little before 7AM!  Is good weather so rare for the locals that they want to spend as much time there as possible?  Good grief! ( We later discovered that they were most likely campers there from the night before ).

These mature trees, if you notice, are wrapped around a "nurse log". Hemlock and Spruce seedlings unable to survive on the forest floor, absorb nutrients, moisture and warmth from a decaying log. Only a few seedlings survive.  After the tree roots hit soil, new trees seem to stand on stilts as the log decays away.  Fascinating!

These tree roots are HUGE!

As soon as we arrived we ate our cereal that we packed, and hiked the trails marveling over the huge trees covered in moss and the tropical ferns on the forest floor.  Spotting a couple of Roosevelt Elk made our early morning trek complete.

Norm walks along a path in the Hoh Rainforest of Olympic National Park in Washington

Once back in the parking lot we found the crowds had arrived while; we had enjoyed our solitude on the trails.

On the way back to LaPush, we stopped at John’s Beachcomber Museum in Forks where a man displays his treasures that he has collected for the last 40 years from the local beaches. 

You can't miss this place as you drive down the side road the Beachcomber Museum is on!  Wow!  What a lot of buoys! This fellow, John, has been collecting for 40 years!

There was a huge section of the barn that was dedicated to the items found from Japan.  Tsunami debris of every type. Also of interest was the Naval weaponry, and the hundreds of glass balls found.

I found particular interest in the display of “messages in bottles” that he found.  The notes were neatly placed in a notebook for all to read.  Quite a few were from Navymen, and others from children doing a class project.  

The Raggedy Ann doll heads were a little creepy, as was the locked cabinet displaying medical waste.  I overheard his wife say that “Finders keepers” is the rule among Beachcombers. John found one man’s left shoe on one beach, and months later a friend found the right shoe on a beach 100 miles away! 

Just one of the strange items found along the beach

These doll heads are just a little creepy!

Norm standing in awe as he looks around this Beachcombers Museum in Forks, Washington.  The more you look, the more amazed you are at the items this fellow has found on the local beaches. A tremendous amount has washed ashore from the Japanese Tsunami. 

We spent over an hour here shaking our head in utter amazement.  Definitely worth the $5.00 charge in order to support this strange fellow.  I feel he is doing everyone a favor by cleaning up the beaches! 

We headed back to camp after enjoying a very diverse day. 

The area covered in Western Washington from our base camp in Quileute Oceanside Resort in La Push.

         

Back to the United States

July 26^th – 28^th ( two nights )

After getting off the ferry without incident,  ( my dead battery miraculously started right up ) we got fuel ( we were able to postpone purchasing expensive diesel fuel while on Vancouver Island for the RV ) we went back to Elwah Dam RV Park which was nearby. 

This spot at Elwah Dam RV Park was very easy to get into, and the space between the rigs were adequate. No privacy however, but we often don't.  The chilly wind was howling so we were inside anyway.  Great for just 2 nights. Easy-peasy.

This time, we were pleased to find that our site was very easy to get to and set up.  The next day we spent getting provisions for our trip down the West Coast.

Parksville, British Colombia

July 20^th – 26^th, 2017

We headed south about an hour and half drive to stay about mid-point on the eastern side of the island. We were looking forward to Parksville – everyone says they love it here, plus we were staying at a “Resort” with a waterfront site, which should make it

even better. Hopefully, this park will give us a little more room than the last place.

This site was lovely and looked out over the bay, but this campground lacked the social aspect of most others. It was also so windy we really couldn't sit outside much. 

What we quickly discovered upon arriving was that this RV “Resort” was 98% permanent residents.  I mean PERMANENT.  Plain ole mobile homes, but with fantastic sunrooms attached.  Nearly every site had one, so it appears this place on the beach has a lot of year-round residents. People also fixed up there landscaping to different extents.

This is made in such a way that they can drive off with their rig and leave this gorgeous sunroom standing there!

I don’t particularly like to be the only new-guy in town.  People, we have found, don’t socialize much with us “gypsies”.  Not worth getting to know, I guess.  I like to socialize – get out and gab.  Learn about the area from those who know.  There is a strong camaraderie among fellow nomads that you just don’t get to enjoy when parked amongst the permanent folks. Typically.

I made it my mission to keep this deer away from our neighbor's beautiful garden for two reasons. 1) I've had gardens that deer enjoy and know the frustrations 2) Her little yippy dog would back for hours if it saw it there and drive us nuts!

The single woman next door to us had a phenomenal perennial garden that would be the envy of every Master Gardner.  Unfortunately, she also had a poodle that she “trained” to bark at every deer that came near, of which there was an abundance.

After listening to this dog for an entire afternoon, and having it wake us up at 2:30 in the morning (we never got back to sleep) I went out and bitched at her. (In a nice way – sort of). Over the next several days the woman kept the “anti-dog bark collar” on her, which helped tremendously.  I sincerely thanked her very much for the great night’s sleep.

One of the main events I was looking forward to here was the International Sandcastle contest, which was at the Community Center right next door to our campground.

I have never seen such talent and creativity before this Sandcastle competition!

I have no idea how the sculptor managed to get the eyeball to seem so incredibly real.  I swear it was looking right at us!

The rules of the contest are quite interesting. Each solo contestant gets 10 yards of special “pure” sand ( no shells or rocks ) on at 12’x15’ plot and doubles ( two sculptors working together ) get 15 yards on a 20’x20’ plot. The sculptors can use the sand within the plot and water. Nothing else. All sand must be used in their creations.

To watch a fabulous time lapse video of the construction of one artist's sculpture, click here

They then compress the sand in wooden forms to compact it and remove any air.  The less air, the stronger the sculpture.  After their masterpiece is completed, they spray it with a solution of white wood-glue (environmentally friendly ) and 80 percent water.  This provides a protective barrier that prevents wind, rain, and the sun from blowing away the details. Some artists put wires in the peaks of the artwork to prohibit birds from landing and damaging their work. Properly constructed and overall design could allow a sand sculpture to last for months!

The artists have 30 hours over 4 days to complete their projects.  Winners earn up to $5000, and advance to the World Championships.

The sculptures all had some message.  This one, Norm and I figured was about this woman depicting how she was molded from different heritages.  Absolutely jaw-dropping. 

Rain was in the forecast so we decided to go see the sandcastles the day we arrived thinking the sculptures would be in better condition.  It was much, much smaller than I imagined, but the talent was mind-blowing.  How someone can take a mountain of sand and create such delicate carvings, I don’t know! A far cry from those “masterpieces” I proudly created with a sand pail in my youth, that’s for sure!

This one got my vote, although I loved many of them.  The detail in this was so amazing.  The picture does not do it justice.

We walked around, studying each entry and cast our vote for our favorite.

During the next few days Norm went on an adventure caving expedition.  My thumb is still bothering me (I hope I didn’t tear a tendon in it) so I didn’t want to risk further injury, or perhaps not be able to hold onto a ladder or rope once I got down there.  I also must admit that I looked forward to a little separation from my dear spouse I have been attached to the hip for the last 100 days (except for one other).  He thoroughly enjoyed the caving experience but unfortunately tore the back of his hiking pants so badly we had to discard them.

As this couple came into the restaurant I could see they were so in love.  They were both dressed a little nicer than most, so I suspected something was up.  He proposed right there!  It was so cute!  

I managed to get my hair done at some random hair salon, which was actually in a lovely remodeled basement in a residential neighborhood.  I was initially nervous, but she did a nice job.  I finally felt good about myself, so we went out and had a lovely dinner at Butlers at the Mansion in the nearby town of Qualicum Beach. The cutest couple about our age got engaged that night, and it was fun to watch. 

We also took a walk around Milner Gardens, which was a lovely estate set in an old growth forest, but not nearly as awesome as the Grove of the Patriarchs at Mt. Rainier.  Let’s face it, we have gotten spoiled by all the beauty we have been so fortunate to experience.   It was a little exercise which is always a good thing. 

There was a huge craft fair going on, but we first stopped at the weekly farmer’s market which was so lovely we thought it was the St.Mark’s fair we were aiming for, but then discovered it was the wrong one. By the time we got to the huge annual fair, (about 10AM) there were thousands of people and no place to park.  There are several of these mega-craft fairs at home, so we didn’t have any desire to endure the crowds.

The saying " Dance as if no one is watching" must have been this character's mantra, because he sure had fun dancing to the music at the free Community Center's concert right next door. 

The Community Center next door had events of all kinds going on, so one night we went over for a live concert by a cute older couple.  Our enjoyment certainly was not due to their real musical talent, but from watching the small children dance around amazingly well to the beat, while dogs interacted at the heels of their owners.  We stayed about an hour and strolled back to the motorhome.

One morning we had our very first restaurant breakfast since we left over three months ago, at a small place sitting right on the runway of an even smaller airport named  Final Approach.  The setting was lovely, and the meal was pretty good.

There also was an International Kite Festival that weekend there, which we mostly observed as we drove by several times.  Our last day in Parksville we walked over and watched the various children’s contests that were going on.

 Boy, they make beautiful and amazing kites these days!  Some are strung together like a train; others people didn’t even have to hold! 

 I don't get the point of that, myself.  That used to be what kite flying was all about – making the kite out of newspaper and balsa wood strips, tying strips of your Dad’s old tee shirt on a string for the tail. You then tested your craft by trying to get it up and keep it there without piercing someone’s skull or poking their eye out! If you were lucky you skillfully landed it before it got caught in a tree or the electric wires that were always in the way. Nothing is the same anymore. 

This mascot was so good at his job!  He danced around like he was born in that outfit! Maybe he was!

I must say the Seafood Paella I made was incredible the first night, and the leftovers were even better! Life is good, and our growing waistlines can prove it!

Together with both the sun being so intense and getting a little bored, we walked back, had dinner and prepared to leave the next day which will involve crossing back into the US.  Oh boy, Customs again!

Black Creek, BC

July 17-20th,2017

Before we headed out on that incredibly steep road back to the eastern side of Vancouver Island we thought it a good time to check the fluid levels in the RV.  God forbid it break down going around one of those treacherous corners.! We found that the oil level, for some reason was low. Down to the “add oil” level.

The trip to the west coast and back was extremely steep, narrow and had narrow corners and turns.  Quite stressful, but worth it!

We carry an assortment of extra fluids, filters and belts just in case, but misjudged how much extra oil to bring. Luckily there was a gas station nearby where our helpful neighbor said they carry the correct oil for diesel engines ( he owned a tractor trailer company for years so I thought he was a reliable source of information ).  After adding the oil, we were on our way.

I guess because we had done it a few days before and knew what to expect, the road did not seem nearly as deadly going back. 

When we arrived at our next stop, Oceanside Playground RV Resort, we were at first a little concerned about our site.  It had very little maneuvering room to get in there, plus the people on one side had 2 dogs, and the RV we were forced to practically sit on top of had all the signs we fear.  Fenced in dog area ( that usually guarantees said dog is outside so it’s bark is better heard, and it can better see any other dog walking by so it can bark more frequently ).  There were also many small children’s bicycles around and toys befitting little boys.  Not a good sign.  BUT there was a beautiful little river to sit by and gaze upon! 

Backing into the spots here was extremely difficult since the rigs were packed in like sardines.  It's hard to know know what your site truly is going to be like when booking.  Most of the time campgrounds will photograph sites with one rig in every 3rd site.  Very misleading. 

 
We first masterfully backed in, because that was the way the services were set.  Then one neighbor suggested we park nose in to optimize our view, which we did.  Not easily, but we managed to squeeze our way in.

Although we are very close to our neighbors, our "spot" on the creek was one of the most beautiful sites to date!

We soon got to know our neighbors which were all very nice.  Other than falling over one of the dogs as I was setting up, they were all very well behaved.  The little boys about 6 and 8 years old, were probably the most well-behaved children I have ever seen.  Plus, the view was amazing!

Anyone that hiked up Mt.Washington, got a free gondola ride down.  We chose the Lintons Trail because it was a little more scenic.

Alison was feeling like the "Bird Whisperer".  This little bird was very friendly.

For heavens sake Norman, wait for me!

Once we got up to where the Gondola was, the views were terrific.  We started down at the arrow.

The next day Norm and I hiked up Mt. Washington which was a few steep miles, and were awarded with a few nice views.  We could see the smoke from the massive forest fires in central British Colombia from there.  Those hikers who made it to the top were awarded with a free gondola ride down, which we gratefully accepted.

OMG this hike killed me for some reason!





There were mountain bike trails down the hillside that looked like so much fun, but my thumb is still bothering me.  I must admit I have also lost some confidence in my new bike.  I think if I had taken my trusty 17 year old bike I would not have hesitated in the death defying ride, but it would not be good for me, or fair to Norm if I took a chance on getting really injured.  So I wishfully watched other bikers ride down.

From there we picked up a few groceries in a nearby town that would get us by until we had to cross the border back into the states. 

We had been waiting 3 days for the wind to die down and the tide to be right. I quickly assembled the kayaks, and we had a lovely paddle, ending back near our RV.  It's the one in the middle.

The next day Norm went to the golf driving range and I did some chores.  The wind had died down, and the tide was high when got back, so we went kayaking practically from our site.  It was beautiful with the water absolutely like glass out on the small bay.

When we got back Norm said his shoulder was bothering him due to the kayaking, but I would tend to guess it was a combination of the golfing/then kayaking that was too much. 

It was incredible weather while we were here. Actually warm enough to eat outside, but the area was just too cramped between rigs to make that a pleasant experience, so we had to eat inside yet again. 

Ucluelet, BC

July 13^th -17^th 2017

Pronounced “You-Clue-let” which means “people of the safe harbor” in the indigenous Nuu-chah-‘nulth language. I personally, found it to be a tongue-twister, I don’t know why.

Located on the western side of Vancouver Island, the Ucluelet First Nation People have a strong presence among the 1600 residents here.

We had a fabulous view, but had to scrape by untrimmed trees to get up here.

Right above our campsite a pair of Bald Eagles cared for their fledgling.

With Ucluelet Harbor below, we had a great view at our campsite.

Pacific Rim National Park and its rugged coast was the main draw for us.  The road to get there was not to be taken lightly.  

The 110 miles ( 182 km ) took us about 3 hours due to the amount of tight twists and turns, steep grades; at one point we encountered a section of this scenic road which was a whooping 18% grade.  That, for those of you who might not be familiar with road grades, is incredibly steep!  Making it even more hair-raising was the warning that the road was going to be so narrow only one vehicle could make it around the next blind corner! Yikes!

We found our campground despite the directions given and as we drove up the hill to park an employee held the bushes back so they wouldn’t scratch the rig.( They still did ). After setting up, we admired our fabulous view of the harbor below.  Behind the rig was an eagle’s nest where Mom and Dad eagle fed their fledgling many times a day.  I spent more time looking up at our national bird than I did the quaint harbor below.

We joined a tour group for an early morning kayak trip in Ucluelet Harbor hoping to see black bears foraging for food. There were no bear sightings, but it was a pleasant paddle.



The waters where smooth as glass for our early morning paddle.



Norm manages to lift a crab onto his paddle for closer inspection

The tour guide showed us a snail that was HUGE!  ( I forget the name )

One day we went kayaking with a local tour company in the harbor.  It was a beautiful day, and this early morning tour commonly sees bears on the shore at low tide, but we were not lucky enough to see any.  Not only did we not see any bears, we didn’t see any wildlife at all! Such a disappointment in that aspect.  It was, however, a lovely day to be out on the water.  Plus I wanted to see if my thumb injury hurt ( it didn’t too much ) or Norm’s shoulder would give him a problem ( it didn’t ). So it was worth the time and the money.

Another day we drove to the small town of Tofino to the north where outdoor adventures abound.  Small islands, beautiful bays and beautiful beaches bring serious hikers, fisherman and surfers from all over.

We drove around and toured what we heard were great boutiques, but really didn’t find any shops worth a second glance.  During our cooking class in Victoria at London Chef, fellow student “foodies” were raving about the Tofino restaurant The Wolf in the Fog.  The menu there was very limited, and the cost so outrageous we had a cocktail and appetizer and headed back.

The section of this well known coastal trail around Ucluelet had a lot of people enjoying it.

Our last day we hiked part of the Wild Pacific Trail that ran along the local coastline. It reminded us so much of New England’s coast of Maine.

The coastal views from the Wild Pacific Trail were magnificent!

Late in the afternoon we took our neighbor’s strong suggestion of having a cocktail at Blackrock Oceanside Resort.  We were lucky enough to get the last table on the deck overlooking an unbelievably beautiful cove.

Our RV neighbor insisted we go for dinner and/or drinks at the Blackrock Oceanside Resort.  Norm and I managed to get the best water-side table so we could "drink" in the views and warm sun on an otherwise chilly day.

Nanaimo

July 11^th-13^th, 2017

Next stop: The "Harbor City" of Nanaimo, BC

The trip to the remote, western side of Vancouver Island from Victoria is rather long, and definitely challenging due to what we understand to be  steep and twisting roads, so we decided to stop in Nanaimo for a couple of nights so Norm could be "fresh" when he undertakes our next drive.

It was challenge getting into this site, but once there we could catch a glimpse of the ocean views, and the size of the site and its privacy was quite good. 

The campground, Living Forest Oceanside Campground was quite interesting.  It was quite wooded, but some sites were on the water, and others, like ours had a water view.  We met a group from Oregon next door to us, and joined them for happy hour.  They were very curious as to our continuing itinerary, and gave helpful suggestions as to where to eat and things to do at our various stops.  They invited us to call them when we are near their home area so we can get together, which we will do.

During our brief stay we recuperated from the physically demanding visit we had with our ultra-fit relatives, and broke the day up with a short but pretty hike around a peninsula, then had a great dinner at an authentic British pub.  We also explored the downtown a bit.

The weather was glorious late in the afternoon as we had cocktails and dinner at the authentic British Pub, Crow and Gate in Nanaimo.  The gardens surrounding the outside seating area were spectacular.

We took a short walk around this peninsula and enjoyed the view of the water.  Unfortunately it was low tide, so it wasn't as pretty as it might have been with more water in the bay.

We didn’t do too much, but sometimes you just need to relax a bit.