Mile 19057

 After another relaxing day in Victoria with doing a lot of nothing, except for sipping some nice cocktails, listening to the Symphony Orchestra playing at the lower harbor and watching people, we now have to leave the island and turn our car East, Southeast.  

Legislative Assembly of BC, Queen Victoria watching over the harbor

Knowledge Totem, Confederation Garden Court

Lower Harbor with Empress Hotel on the right

5 o'clock tee room, Empress Gardens

Two happy campers

Totems in Conference Center

 We once again take the ferry which brings us back to Tsawwassen, and from here we take the direction toward Kelowna, BC.  But we won't make it all the way today, even though we were able to get an earlier ferry ride.  But all is good, as the sun is shining and we are rolling easily through the blueberry, peach and cherry plantations here in lower BC.  Once again we are lucky that the wildfire west of Hope, BC has not yet come down far enough, and the roads remain open.  So we can make a stop in Hope, BC, the little town known for the making of the movie Rambo, First Blood, and so many other movies.  

Rambo, First Blood

Wood carvings everywhere

Street view in Hope, BC

 There are nice and not so nice wood carvings throughout the whole town, and after we paid a visit to most of them, we continue on Hwy-5 to Merritt, BC and call it the day.  Easy day today, we find a nice camp site, set up and let the day run out.  Tomorrow we will have only a short drive to Kelowna, BC which is just fine.

"Old men start it, Young men fight it, Nobody wins, Everybody in the Middle dies, and Nobody tells the Truth!"  -  John Rambo, Rambo 2008

Mile 18865

 Today we take it easy as we want to give Elke's knee some rest.  It has been acting up lately, still laboring from her fall on June 17 in Bruce Peninsula N.P. on our hike to the natural arch and grotto.  We drive out of Victoria and head toward the Malahat Skywalk and Spiral Tower.  This 10-storey heigh  tower, 250 meters above sea level gives you a 360 degree view over the fjords, islands, and mountains on the island, on the BC mainland and the US.  We also learn interesting fact about marine life, oxygen deprived fjords, glacial activities which have formed this island, and much more.  But the views from up here are spectacular, even though Mt. Baker is once again hiding in some fog.  

Malahat Skywalk and Spiral Tower

Local artists wood wood sculptures

Beautiful views from up here

 From here we return to Trans-Canada Hwy-1 and drive North toward Nanaimo, BC, just to make another stop in Duncan, BC.  This town claims to be the "Town of Totems", and I can only attest to it.  We walk around town, Elke taking some out time after some time, and me continuing alone to take inventory of most of the totems in town.  The biggest surprise was one of the last ones we found, made by Tupari TeWhata, a Maori from Tautoro, Bay of Island, New Zealand.  Through the Islands'86 International Carvers Exchange he came to Canada and his dream of carving a totem here came true when carver Cicero August loaned him his tools.  Those totems, still growing in numbers, are a great way of telling the First Nation People's stories and preserving their heritage.  

 After some of the best Indian lunch I ever had we continue and pass The Harbor City, Nanaimo, BC and shortly afterwards leave Hwy-1 to continue on Hwy-19 (Island Hwy) to then turn West on Hwy-4 (Pacific Rim Hwy (not related to the movie)) to the Taylor River.  Shortly after reaching Cameron Lake we see to our right the Wesley Ridge Wildfire reaching all the way down to the lake.  But this time we are lucky, firefighter crews and helicopters are at work and the road remains open and we can pass through.  We pass the Hole in the Wall in Alberni, BC and continue along the beautiful Sproat Lake for our final destination, the Taylor River Rest Area.  

Hole in the Wall

Taylor River Rest Area, the water is cold

The water does not only looks cold, it is cold as well.  We return back to the Pacific Rim Hwy and trace our way back to Victoria.  One of those drawbacks being on an island, the way out is the way back.  But we take our time, and leave Hwy-1 for some dinner at the beach in Chemainus, BC with a beautiful view to the Gulf Islands.  They also have a nice brewery in town, and on our way out of town we find another surprise dozens of street murals depicting the towns history.  

Historical murals in Chemainus, BC

Heritage Square sculpture

Street views from Chemainus, BC

 What a beautiful way to tell the story of this place.  And after I inventoried the totems, I have to do the same here.  It is already dark when we finally arrive back in Victoria.  What a beautiful day it was.

"Preserving heritage is preserving humanity."  -  not attributed to a single, universally recognized source

Mile 18572

 Today is another nice morning and we decide to take a leisurely drive.  What better loop than the 163 mile long Pacific Marine Circle Route.  

We start in Victoria, BC finding Hwy-14 and go North to Sooke, BC.  Here we make an unscheduled stop to visit the Sooke Fine Arts Festival.  A nice art show, beautiful works, too many we liked, but not afford.  

Hwy-14 turn off in Sooke, BC, Lighthouse and Steam Wood Pontoon Boat

 Sooke also surprises us with some spectacular pictures of low laying clouds over the bay and beautiful beaches.  

Low Fog / Clouds over the bay in Sooke, BC

 After soaking up all those beautiful impressions, we continue to Shirley, BC and have lunch at a roadside coffee place called "Shirley Delicious", which it was everything the name suggests.  

Sheringham Point Lighthouse, Shirley, BC

 From here we follow the coast line, cross the Jordan River, and soon reach Port Renfrew, BC.  

Port Renfrew, BC and Wild Renfrew Seaside Cottages

 From here we turn East, and make our way over the mountains to Lake Cowichan, BC, to continue to Duncan, on the east side of the island.  From here it is South back to Victoria.

On the way to Lake Cowichan, Harris Cove

Highlight picture of the day at Fairy Lake

"Man does not weave this web of life.  He is merely a strand of it.  Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."  -  Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, located on the Burrard Inlet, a Coast Salish Band in the southeast area of the District of North Vancouver, BC.