June 28th

We have to be at the ferry for 10am but it doesn't leave till 11:30 so it's in line we wait. It takes just over 2 hours to get to Anacortes, then wait another 35 minutes to get to the customs office. Lucky they only ask if we have any fruit or meat and not a word about any alcohol we might have in the bus. We drive the #20 hwy through the Cascade Mountains, a great route to take for the drive. A stop at one of the dams along the way and then dinner at Winthrop. This town is made to look like the old west, all the faces of the buildings have been redone. It's a KOA night and from the price will probably be the last time as well.

June 27th

We head to the Royal British Columbia Museum and spend about four hours checking everything out. It was pretty impressive to say the least, well all but one area. I think the bird exibit could of been done a little better, most of the birds were lying belly up. It was off to the Old Spaghetti Factory for a late lunch and then off for Sidney for the night to catch the ferry to Anacortes in the morning.

June 26th

We head into Duncan, the town of totem poles. The town has 41 totems around the town, and also has one of the last wooden cabooses in Canada. We make a few stops at some local wineries and add another bottle to the rack, I'm going to need a trailer for all the wine pretty soon. A short stop by the lake for a light lunch and back on the road to Victoria so we can hit the Royal Museum. Tonight we just park on a side street down from a Starbucks.

June 25th

Up at 7:30 and on the road by 9, that's pretty good for us as most days it's not till 10:30 before we are rolling. I try to find a VW shop to get an oil change for the bus. But after two shops it seems no one has time, so it will have to wait for now. We park down town Victoria and kill the day just walking around and checking out the city.We have lunch in front of the Parliament Building. A new rain coat for Tammie (so now it won't rain for the rest of the trip). We stop at the docks for dinner at Red Fish Blue Fish, where they serve green fish (if you know what I mean). We head north out of the city so we can hit a few of the wineries on the island.

June 24th

We are off looking for some locally made cheese companies on the island. We find two companies and end up buying chees from both, some goat and some sheep cheese. It's off to catch the ferry to Sidney. We start our way to Victoria and stop at the Butchart Gardens. I'm really not sure what to write about this place, it costs us $60 to get in and what I'd like to write I won't in case little kids are reading this blog. I'll just say way over priced and leave it at that. Next a stop at Church & State Winery and after the tasting we leave without a bottle, must be the first time for that. Into Victoria and a Wal-Mart for free camping. But it seems like no over night at this Wal-Mart so we make our camp just outside Victoria at Thetis Camp Ground.

June 23rd

Off to look for a winery. We follow the to the spot the guy at the information hut marked out for us and we find nothing, no winery. He must of taken to many meds today. We decide to take a drive around the top of the island and look for some sandy beaches that are talked about in one of the brochures. After three stops we find no beaches with sand, only stones and rocks so we head back into Ganges. A little shopping and some local fish and chips for lunch. Now back on the road on our way to Ruckle Park. We make a stop at Salt Spring Winery for a little testing and yes we walk out with another bottle to add to our wine rack in the bus. Another two stops at what they call a beach, I give up, no sandy beaches here. We make it to Ruckle Park and set up camp for the night. I was able to get some good shots of an owl down one of the back roads in the park

Just More Pictures

June 22nd

A short drive from Nanaimo and we stop at Chemainus. This little town has 41 murals painted on the outside walls of a lot of the businesses. The art work was amazing to see. We make a stop at the Hansel & Gretel's Candy Shop for a few treats and then head for the ferry to Salt Spring Island which is nestled up against the east side of Vancouver Island. We stroll around Ganges a lovely seaside village and make it home for the night.

June 21st

It's off to the harbour front in Nanaimo to check out the shops. We walk along the water front and watch this gull as it tries and eventually gets a starfish down it's throat. We were able to check out one of the lost murals painted in 1938 by artist E.J. Hughes, Orville Fisher and Paul Gorenson which are located in the Port of Namaimo Centre. Plus a stop at an art gallery to pick something up for my two great kids back in Ontario, love you Amanda, love you Jonathan.

It was back to the Wal-Mart for another night, and boy was it busy. I think I counted 18 other RV's parked in the lot as well.