Hope to Vancouver Island

Hope to Vancouver Island

The drive from Hope to the Greater Vancouver area was easy and mostly downhill. We had planned to stay at a Harvest Host in Abbotsford, but they unexpectedly cancelled all bookings at the last minute. With little time to spare, we scrambled to find an alternative and luckily secured a site in Langley. It was the least desirable of all the campgrounds we’ve stayed at so far—but the people there were incredibly friendly, which made up for it.

Scenery on the drive to Vancouver

As soon as Tug’n was unhitched, we were off—first stop, haircuts. Then lunch at White Spot, a must for Fran every time we’re in B.C. After that, we headed into Vancouver to visit my sister Leslie and enjoy dinner at her place. It was a lovely, relaxing evening with great company. Dessert was a real highlight—vanilla Häagen-Dazs topped with just-in-season local blueberries and raspberries, accompanied by what might be the best peanut butter cookies we've ever had (from Breka Bakery, if you get the chance!).

Port Mann Bridge on the way into Vancouver 

Happy hour with Leslie on her patio

The ever present Mount Baker (Washington) seen from all around the lower mainland and Vancouver Island

Most EV owners know there are a lot of EV's in British Columbia. Here is a 16 station Tesla Supercharger in Langley. It has more chargers than any location we've ever been to

The next day we made another trip into Vancouver, this time to Fujiya, a family favourite Japanese grocery store. We grabbed lunch, some takeout, and a few treats for Fran’s dad, who we’ll see in August. Back at the campground, I tackled a big job: washing both the Airstream and the car. Very few campgrounds allow it, so I took advantage—but my back wasn’t quite as enthusiastic.

Our lunch at Fujiya

Vancouver traffic...

On Tuesday, we were packed up and on the road early, heading to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal for our trip to Swartz Bay and on to Victoria. Along the way, we spotted a farm and fruit stand with just enough space for us to pull over. Fran stocked up on fresh local raspberries and blueberries—can’t get enough of those right now!

Driving the rig onto the ferry turned out to be far less stressful than we had imagined. The process is extremely well organized, with four lanes funneling vehicles onto two levels of the ship. The ferry itself has three passenger decks with indoor and outdoor seating, food service, and even Starbucks. The 1-hour-and-35-minute crossing ran like clockwork, departing and arriving precisely on time. The scenery was beautiful, though it was quite cool and windy on deck. Disembarking was just as efficient, and before long we were rolling toward the Salish Seaside RV Resort in Victoria.

Departing on Tsawwassen Ferry - you can see downtown Vancouver at the base of the mountains

Mount Baker (again)

Great scenery as the ferry twists and turns between the islands

Lots of deck to roam

More scenery

Our view just before driving out of the bowels of the ferry

Salish Seaside RV Resort is beautifully set on a small peninsula in Victoria’s harbour, with views of downtown across the water. Each site has a concrete pad and many are occupied by luxurious Class A motorhomes—the most we’ve seen in one place. The property also includes a small marina and a colourful collection of floating homes. From our site, we watched Harbour Air floatplanes come and go, connecting Victoria to 12 locations including Vancouver, Nanaimo, Whistler, and even Seattle. Cruise ships also glide in and out of the busy harbour.

Salish Seaside RV Resort

Boats and floating homes behind us

The following day, Fran found a salon to have her nails done in preparation for the upcoming wedding and other social events. Meanwhile, I booked a visit to a local chiropractor—very worthwhile. With cool, damp weather rolling in, we jumped at the suggestion from my former colleague Allen to have lunch at the Blue Crab Seafood House, overlooking the harbour. We both had steaming bowls of chowder and garlic bread while watching the floatplanes navigate their seemingly daring landings—swooping toward downtown buildings before making a sharp turn and skimming the water for touchdown.

BC Provincial Legislature in Victoria

The famous Empress Hotel in the Victoria harbour

Another pic of Victoria harbour with floating homes

Steaming bow of chowder at the Blue Crab

Harbour Air float plan drops down for a landing

Cruise ship enters Victoria harbour

This winter, we’re booked on a trip to the Canary Islands with Canadian tour operator Wheel & Anchor. A few months back, they invited us to a series of social events across Canada, and one just happened to coincide with our time in Victoria. It turned out to be a great event at a cozy downtown pub, where we met about 20 other W&A travellers over wine and appetizers.

Later that evening, we joined Fran’s sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Wayne, along with her cousins Linda, Nadine, and Lisanne, for dinner in Victoria’s Chinatown. It was a wonderful gathering with lots of catching up.

Fran with her 3 cousins on the left and her sister on the right

Strolling through the famous Chinatown "Fan Tan" alley in Victoria

Next episode: We head up-island for a wedding weekend and to explore more of beautiful Vancouver Island.