Life water: only 8 dollars a bottle! (wonder what was in there that needed 3 filtrations?)
Sitting here in Portland, Maine in a nice hotel room trying to sort how to condense this blog. We have been traveling for a couple months, but now beginning the journey home after stopping for a Brooklyn visit .
It’s been a great couple months….mixed with my usual annoyance that I didn’t exercise enough or eat healthy enough. As always I’ve taken too many pics, but as always I will be careful to avoid posting pics of friend’s homes etc. so as to respect their privacy.
Land’s EndGabe with no driver (waymo)Sales force parkRoom view of salesforce park (pretty exceptional elevated park)Now we see murals everywhere but it seems SF was first to embrace. This is a public school.
We started in San Francisco , which is where our desire to move to California began over 40 years ago.
I can’t clearly explain why but somehow San Francisco always feels like a second home. It was the beauty of this area that drew us to California. It (along with the whole northern coast) is where we escaped the stressors of our jobs.
We have watched this man made waterfall then walked underneath it to read Martin Luther King’s speech 100 times (ok maybe only 50), and it still brings tears to my eyes. This is just a very few of the pickleball players that came together for some great games.
After some pickleball, shopping and book club we headed to a favorite spot, Caples Lake Inn. We had been told it had been renovated, and while the “one shared bathroom for all set up“ had been expanded to each room having its own bathroom, it seemed remarkably the same. The same Sierra beauty, the same cheesy bedspreads. Perfect! A wonderful weekend to celebrate a birthday and to celebrate many decades of friendship.
And my Fiji hat, once again found and delivered! (I made it myself in the Yesawas about 15 years ago. ) Many thanks to those who have provided care and safe delivery. It ,ight even make it to LB this year!That is Caples Lake Inn. A little hiking, smash burgers, plenty of wine and food and chatting….and profitable dice games (for some)
After Tahoe our friends welcomed us in Victoria then Courtenay.
I really couldn’t seem to get a photo that captures this landscape which I bet is even more stunning when the wisteria blooms. This was done by a landscaping/maintenance company that hires people transitioning out of homelessness and substance abuse after undergoing a training program. A wonderful win-win idea that looks like it’s really working. That grass is really that neon.Just your average everyday walk in the neighborhood. (Victoria)I’m not a fan of surprise parties but I love surprise outings. We went to visit Mar Y Sol friends and ended up taking a beautiful boat ride on the bay. Had we only got to visit them and their food laden garden it would have been great, but instead it turned into an unexpected adventure that helped me to understand the geography a bit better.
We wanted to come back to Vancouver Island because we did not give it enough time the last time we visited and what time we did have was a bit rainy, an atmospheric river. We wanted to take our time and wander around and really see the island. So very fortunate to have friends who took the time to show us this very special place.I almost forgot! This is the Hand of Man Museum. An entire museum put together by Jim Shockley. I questioned the veracity of this recommendation but it turned out to be pretty darn unique, bizarre, and entertaining. I would have loved to have stayed longer. Acid soil, base soil? Who cares, it’s a spectacular color in K and Gs back yard. Note where the crate came from. (We thought was going to be our first home in California). Delicious apples…everywhere! I don’t know who lives here but I thought this was pretty amazing Our time with friends on Vancouver Island reflected what is our stereotype of life there; blackberry picking, salmon fishing, long walks, relaxing boat trips (which means everyone else did the work) and lots of meals with fresh vegetables, fruit and SALMON. And we loved it all (except for the 40 wasp stings). The pictures above are from Courtenay. On this one street along the bay, there are 3 couples who also have homes in LB…. And 5 or maybe it’s 6 dogs from this street that also frequent LB. This would seem statistically impossible but we also met a staff member at a nearby winery whose parents are just finished building a home in El Cardonal (a neighboring town to LB).This has been a very dogcentric trip—-not just regulardogs but dog sharks, too!It is truly kind friends who recognize my love of ice cream and managed to zip us over to this shop before closing after a dinner of freshly caught salmon topped with just picked blackberry sauce not to mention butter and sugar corn. Ice cream was not necessary but incredibly enjoyed.We got there in the nick of time!Closed!Zoom in on those ice cream descriptions
I took this picture in our friend’s backyard a dozen times. At sunrise, sunset, fog, rain and sun…all beautiful, all different.
I kept wondering what the Lam bucket was! Thus proving women are not always right (Port Renfro)
When we left Vancouver about a week after our Courtenay visit, we realized we had many more places to see. For example, the far northwest corner and of course many more islands to visit….many more hikes that may need to involve float planes next time. The whole time I was there I kept increasing the list of places to kayak, bike, boat and hike. We left with a longer list than I started with…sign of a good trip!
This is Stamp Provincial Park. We liked it so much the last time that we came again. I love to watch the salmon leap up the stream…so do the bears. Watching the bears did not disappoint either. I believe this is Qualicum Falls—quick beautiful hikeSometimes it’s worth it to go to a “tourist trap”. Actually a pretty fun place to take pictures of goats on the roof while buying food from all over the world.
Brant and I took a side trip to a place called Bamfield that we were advised was a great place to visit now that it had a new and improved road. We did an overnight stop in Port Renfrew with a couple of quick walk in the area.
There were lots of big trees.…and fernsThis is the hole in the wall. Slightly anticlimactic after a steep hike but it was named properly and as they say it’s about the journey.
Our stay in Bamfield was perfectly peaceful though a bit complex because the only restaurants were on the other side of the bay requiring a water taxi. They said only about 80 people live there year round and that is understandable !
Ok so I guess Brady’s beach is not on island but there is no road.Love the starfish reflection…not easy to take the pic while the kayak wobbles.The house we stayed at was equipped with kayaks .Here’s the water taxi that we found a bit difficult to sort out, but a great way to catch up on the local gossip. We took a water taxi out to this island then hiked to the other side of the island where we found the beautiful well loved Brady’s beachThis is the tide pool I was looking at..packed with anemones, mussels, oysters, snails and crabsIt is important to watch those tide tables or you might find yourself rock climbing …
Which is good training for the ladder climbingThese ladders are apparently common on West Coast trail. It was fun to experience nut not so sure I could with a backpack. The hiking seemed to justify lots of delicious and creative cooking. I believe this is a black cod.The salads were almost too pretty to eat.
These are the best oysters I have ever eaten. Perhaps made better that we had been hiking for a couple hours before we got here
One evening while Brant watched football, I wandered around and down another road found another beautiful bay. …so picturesqueFlowers everywhereThis was the most beautifully prolonged sunset I have ever seen. Fortunately it was at the house we were staying at but I will spare you the other 30 pics.
We ended our trip with what was for me a dreamlike adventure. (I say for me because for our friends who guided us there it was more like a second home they have visited for decades). After 2 ferries a drive then another boat ride we arrived in a spectacular bay with 2 of the world’s best hosts (and let me tell you—they have lots of competition). We had been warned we would be off the grid and it would be a sort of glamping place but we were not advised of how beautiful and peaceful it would be.
Yes that’s a heron.After we finished canoeing there was a clever system for mooring the canoes. I would do a painting of this but it looks almost unreal in its beauty.There we are…watching for bears, deer, heron….. Pans and spoons to scare them off are nearby. Or am I saying “pinch me..am I really here?”This guy really wanted to join us for lunch despite pans and spoons. Check out those clawsThey say they don’t really have problems with bears. I guess this is why.These beautiful deer have somehow not found the perennial garden. Seemed unusual to see a deer wading in the ocean.
I love the beauty of the Sierras and the coast in California but the beauty in BC is different. It seems softer, cozier somehow. I think it’s the golden light and the lushness.
Finally we returned to our former home for a beautiful wedding and were once again reminded why we love Northern California. It will always feel like home, we will always miss it a bit and will always so appreciate the kindness of our friends.
Good advice…we need to work on the “live simply.’
No bears in this one …or this one. But I bet if there had been a bear he would have done that ladder faster.
One thought on “The West Coast: From San Francisco to Bamfield BC, the first month of our hurricane avoidance trip!”
Nice to get all your news of your summer adventures W&B. Wish a meet up could have worked out but hey maybe next year:) I’m doing well. My injury has progressed but not 💯 Probably never 👎 but am happy to be where I’m at at this point. Got back in the saddle 🚲 last week after 5.5 months. Easy ride on flat gravel bike path. Felt good. 🥰
Nice to get all your news of your summer adventures W&B. Wish a meet up could have worked out but hey maybe next year:) I’m doing well. My injury has progressed but not 💯 Probably never 👎 but am happy to be where I’m at at this point. Got back in the saddle 🚲 last week after 5.5 months. Easy ride on flat gravel bike path. Felt good. 🥰
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