Aug 31, 2012 - Prince Rupert to Port Hardy

Friday -- It was another 4:30 wake-up this morning for the 7:30 ferry departure. We were quicker than Wednesday at getting out, getting our tickets and lining up. Once in our assigned lane we ate breakfast, cleaned up and still had an hour to ourselves. I slept. Our Port Hardy ETA was 22:30 -- a long ferry ride -- and I wanted to be awake for the whole trip. The sky cleared soon after the sun rose, giving us some beautiful views of sunrise through mist. We were anticipating wonderful views through the narrow channels the ferry would...

Aug 19, 2010 - Ferry trip to Vancouver Island

Thursday 19 August 2010 Up at 4.30am this morning as we had to be at the ferry terminal between 5.00am/5.30am; we heard a lot of cars on the road so knew we needed to get underway. We finally boarded the ship about 7.00 am and set sail at 7.25 am. It is a 15 hour trip from Prince Rupert to Vancouver Island where we are spending the last few days of our holiday. We had pre-purchased tickets for seating in the Lounge area as we were unsure how full the ship was going to be and 15 hours without a dedicated seat is a long time. We discovered...

Dec 7, 2009 - Port Hardy to Maple Ridge

We left early in the morning and drove down to Nanaimo in time for the 10:30 ferry to Horseshoe Bay. We did a bit of shopping in Vancouver and then went to my ophthalmologist appointment. We then went out to Maple Ridge to see Malcolm's parents, who later on drove us to a hotel in Richmond.

Sep 6, 2009 - Port Hardy--the southern leg

Well, here we are in PH after a long day. We had a wonderful night last eve with our new friends, Wendy and Victor, who allowed us to stay in their lovely home just on Mike's say so that we were OK folks. We shared some wine and stories with them after we'd been out for dinner at a lovely place that they recommended, and after they returned from a wedding. So the night was a little late; but up we were at 4:30 to be in line for the ferry at 5:30; as requested by BC Ferries. The boat left at 7:30 in some fog, but clear aloft--though rain was...

Aug 20, 2009 - Port Hardy Today

Just wanted to get a few more words in before we leave. Mike had a great time fishing today with Greg from Washington. They used his fishing boat and downriggers to catch lots of fish, about 20 coho/silvers(which are now out of season here), 8 pinks/humpies and 1 king. He learned lots and enjoyed every minute of it. Wanted you to see a few pics of what the boats are bringing in today. Warning...lots of blood here! Cheers.

Aug 20, 2009 - Meandering Down No. B.C.

We have been at anchor for the last couple of weeks with some really special scenery. After checking the log book so that I could share our experiences with you, it became apparent we have stopped in no less than 13 different locations since Prince Rupert, our last post. Guess we’ve been on the move…. There was a very nice waterfall next to a defunct cannery in Butedale, similar to many old cannery settlements in SE Alaska which have seen better days. I hear you can walk through the decaying buildings but decided to push onward. We had some...

Apr 19, 2009 - Nice weather for seals

It rained today, ALL day. So we took the opportunity to do nuuf-fin. We had a nice brekkie in the pub. I'm loving their oatmeal, I didn't order it for a few weeks because I thought it was going to be made with moo milk but they actually make it with water and it is mighty tasty. Once we'd digested our breakfast by updating the journal and catching up on some emails, we decided to have a workout in the 'Fitness Room'. It was a small room, separate from the hotel with an amazing array of machines and weights... ok it wasn't really, it had one...

Apr 18, 2009 - Arrived in Port Hardy

Well that wasn't much fun! I tried for about 10 minutes to get to sleep in the recliner before I decided to try the floor. I lay down in the foot well of our set of seats for about an hour, tossing and turning each time my leg or arm went completely dead. Then I tried moving across the isle to the middle chairs that didn't recline, thinking that I'd push a couple together, they were bolted down. Bear in mind that all this time Steve was catching flies quite happily in his seat and there snores, coughs and all sorts of other strange noises...

Apr 17, 2009 - Ferry to Vancouver Island

We woke after a comfy night's sleep in our huuuuuuge bed... I think I lost Steve at one point during the night... We headed downstairs (not in the lift as we were too hungry) for our 'free continental breakfast'. This consisted of bread, a toaster, croissants, cartons of fruit juice and a coffee urn.... we decided to eat out. Walking through the town we weren't sure if we'd actually find anywhere to eat, as everywhere looked closed (and weird) but we came across The West End Restaurant. Chinese and Western food. Luckily the Chinese do a...

Nov 29, 2008 - Back to Nanaimo for yet another night and then onto Port Hardy

VICTORIA to NANAIMO (AGAIN), VANCOUVER ISLAND - THURSDAY 27TH, 2008 On our last day in Victoria, I went and got a prescription filled at the local drug store and in Canada, when you change provinces, they have to call the last place you got the script and do a province transfer. When I returned a half hour later to pick it up, the lady who was serving me had a big smile on her face and said “You surely left an impression on the lady in Winnipeg. When I rang up to do the transfer she actually said she remembered you! You definitely have a...

Jun 21, 2008 - Heading North

Hi Friends. Today we are heading into ‘new to us’ territory. We travelled to North Vancouver Island, specifically the towns of Port McNeill and Port Hardy. Over the years we had been told that if we headed north we had to stop at McNeills restaurant to try the ‘best’ fish and chips. We are happy to say their recommendation was true. The fish was non-greasy and you receive huge helpings. I was good and substituted a salad and Peter’s fries were the spicy kind – just what he loves. If you keep your eyes open and scan the area you will be...

Jun 9, 2008 - Port Hardy

Awoke to clouds this morning and we weren't sure what to do. Marilyn made the decision and we are off to Port Hardy. The area we are in is known as The Comox Valley. Lots of wineries, artisans and organic farms. Didn't feel like visiting any of those so..............Got a slow start and pulled out around 9:30 AM. Followed the Oceanside Route to Campbell River. Marilyn was hoping that we would pass an oyster farm as we had yesterday. Fanny Bay are the type of oyster that this area is known for. Unfortunately there were none to be found. It...