Returning to USA via BC Ferries

Although Joan loves Washington State Ferries, we decided that we did not want to drive 2 hours to Sydney plus pre-arrival time, and then still have the ferry ride and then 2 more hours to Seattle from Anacortes, when we could just take the ferry from  few miles south of where we were to Vancouver area and then cross the border .  Coming to Canada, TUGGERS had warned us that sometimes the customs lines are long at the border and we might miss the Vancouver area ferry, but coming back was not a problem, since we would just be driving home. 

    The BC Ferry was GREAT .. we were first to arrive at the dock , but it soon filed up. 

First car there!

Previous ferry had just  left but we had not planned to get it

Bye bye, rounding the bend

Tracking the ferries on the screen in the visitors' waiting area

interesting and informative signage

Lots more cars

Boarding

Filling up

Another ferry ahead

Beautiful log raft

Passing another ferry

Blaine's Peace Arch

Welcome home!

Courtenay: Costco, Museum and a Great Lunch

We decided to go north to get gas at Cosco (so much cheaper there) in Courtney, a town couple of hours north.  Vancouver Island is quite large and there is no road that circles the island, so we just made relatively short trips on the east side.

      (Friends took the boat from Port Alberni to the west coast and saw several places where people were “living off the grid” and you see many villages on the maps which are only approachable by boat.)

     Arriving in Courtenay, we stopped at the Visitors’ Center first where they not only had good information but wonderful displays.  Ron actually caught a fish! – No, not really!

Outside the Visitor Center

Sign on the way to the Visitor Center but there were no bears inside!

Another fun display

An oystery display

"Stuffed animal" for sale

We went first to Costco but found out that US credit cards would not work at the gas station.  The worker there helped us and said we could get a Cash Card inside so we went to the store service counter and got one and then went back to the gas station….and then were successful!

Courtenay Museum & Palaeontology Centre

     This was one of the best museums we have been to.  And they are actually very famous:  an Elasmosaur dinosaur was found on the island and paleontologists from around the country (and even the world) have visited.

    It’s in the historic Post Office building.

Troller Fresh Fish and Chips

    It was so late when we got out of the museum, we needed lunch and in looking for a place to eat, we decided on a place that would be quicker than a sit-down restaurant.   But when we saw it, we were a little taken aback.  So small. The little write-up in the local guide said it was a water front view and to soak in the sunshine. Yes, it waterfront but with just picnic tables out back and uh, there was no sun and it was windy!  Then we saw that here was one table in a little patio area so we sat there.

     The “breading’ is so light, like light tempura and the fish pieces were large and fresh and delicious!!!! The coleslaw was some of the best we have eaten. Great great meals and great fish. The food was fabulous – we would love to come again.
       They seem to do a lot of take-out.

BTW: So much better than Ivar’s in Seattle, which is so famous.

The Most Exciting Thing We Saw in the Port Alberni Area: Salmon Jumping!

Hundreds of sockeye salmon going upstream, or trying to go upstream, on the Stamp River. There is a fish ladder to the right and most of them go there, but some try to jump the cascade and it was amazing to watch.  Meanwhile, literally hundreds are lined up downstream in the water in the gorge, waiting their turn.  Someone described it as a “highway” of fish, and it truly looked like that.  We stayed there a long time watching.

  

Each species has a particular “travel time” but the sockeye are most abundant and have the longest. 

The Stamp River Falls- first we saw only shallow cascades

Then more water

More and more, the cement wall divides the water for the fish ladder

Waiting fish to get ready to jump

Rivers of fish downstream, waiting.....

 Other things we did in the area

1.      We ate lunch at a delicious German restaurant: Little Bavaria.

We remember so well our great meals in Germany (45 years ago!) but this reminded us so much and every bite was delicious.  With the first sip of the soup – which comes with the meal – we were delighted.  Everything was great – we sure wish we could come here often.

2.      McClean Sawmill

So many descriptions of the sawmill were in the literature, we just had to see it.  The celebrated train to it was not open yet in the season, nor were there demonstrations at the mill but we were able to walk through the grounds and learn from the signs.  The steam sawmill operated 1926 to 1965, typical of the remote coastal lumber camp and sawmills, and has been rebuilt to operate as it did in 1965...just with steam. It has a replica of a 1928 log carriage and they are restoring the Steam Donkey, the only commercially operating steam donkey in North America.  Quite a place, a National Historic Site, and also still working and with steam!  Being small, they do a lot of custom work too.