Okananga Wineries

 

Stuart, getting a direct 'fix' at the Summerhill Winery.

The Okanangan Valley climate is perfect for grapes, apples, peaches and cherries. Apparently, other produce has been grown here over the past 100 years, too, but grapes seem to bring in tourist dollars. We first visit Summerhill Winery, where we have read that they are famous for their ice wines and have won awards for other wines. We step up to the bar, after a busload of pushy, loud tourists get back on their bus and things have calmed down. We try 6 wines, including an ice wine last. Sweet. Pricey: $80/bottle. Tall, skinny bottle. Yikes! The other wines are good, but we learn that we can only take one bottle back to the States, and we opt to move on. The wines are housed in a pyramid, the wine-maker takes advantage of the good energy from the pyramid shape!

 
The fields were pretty, and the vines look very different from the vines in our part of the country (Yadkin Valley grapes). The winery is marketing itself nicely, the landscaping is well done and the building is welcoming. The front door is wood (in this part of the world, what else would it be?!?), and looks like something from an old European Castle. The sky is nice today, the clouds are fluffy.


The Summerhill Winery has a reputation for a good lunch, and the patio restaurant is certianly pretty, but it's a little early, so we decide to go to another winery for lunch, and more wine tasting.

The next winery we went to, for lunch and tasting, was not serving lunch (done for the season). We need food before we drink more, and move on to Mission Hill Estates, who's chef has been lauded by the best food magazines in the world. Of course, we get lost, even with the GPS with us, but eventually see it high on the hill top. Boy it is pretty! Looks like an Italian village, church steeple at the top of the hill, with the houses spilling down the hill below it. CLOSED! for the season! What luck. Disappointed, but knowing there are many more good places to eat and good wine to sample, we move on. The next winery on our list is Quail's Gate, and it's just down the road.

We're on the west side of the Okanangan Lake now, in what not too long ago was farm country. There are still some 'summer cottages' on the lake shore, but they and the farms that once surrounded them are being squeezed out by the Big Houses and condo developments. Even the campgrounds are being lost to developers. You can't blame the property owners for selling, I'm sure they're getting Big Bucks.

Quail's Gate is as pretty as the other wineries we've seen, and sits right on the lake. We're shown to a table on the patio, and the view is straight from a movie set! 

We placed our order, along with the suggested wine, and were not disappointed. I ordered something very unpredictable: a charcuterie plate. Heart attack on white china! I've been thinking about all those beautiful pates since we were at Granville Island, and this plate had olives and lettuce, too. How could I resist?!? The bread was good, and the butter was the kind I never buy (too pricey). Stuart had a very good duck and pasta dish, and the suggested wines with both our plates were, indeed, perfect. We felt like important people, with such a magnificent lunch location and good food and wine.

On the road, we headed further south, along the 69 mile glacial Okanangon Lake to Penticton. It's a beach town, between Okanangan Lake and Skaha Lake. The road curves around the mountains, giving us fabulous views of the orchards and vineyards every mile. It's off-season for the lake front town of 36,000 people, and our luck is with us for a hotel room: we find a suite, with tiny kitchen, on the lakefront, for $69. Perfect! We check in, and take a walk to the vibrant, funky little downtown to stretch our legs, before heading back to the hotel for a drink and dinner at home. The views of the mountains, looking up the lake, are as good as it gets.

Wasabi Izakaya

Dinner was fantastic! We went to Wasabi Izakaye, just a few blocks walk from our hotel. A small place, with an over-head garage door front, it was pretty, sparsely decorated and elegant. The kitchen was open to the seating area, and we could watch all the plates come up. We ordered the croquettes, which I won't even try to describe except to say we loved them, and the hand-written menu said they are the chef's favorite. Then, we had a mixed seaweed salad, and a house special sushi dish, and then Stuart ordered a tempura. Oh, it was great! The chef allowed me to take his picture...next blog!

The maestro of a really good dinner!
 

I wish I could have kept a copy of the menu, but it was in a pretty, hand-made book.

Tuesday morning, we headed for the wineries, but first, a stop a a quilt shop. Whoa, there won't be any shopping here! All the fabrics, the sort of quilter's cottons I use, are $17 a yard, about twice the price of cloth at home. The shop is large, the samples are pretty if uninspired, and we leave pretty quickly. Time for wine!

Kamloops, etc

This is Kamloops Lake, actually a river, I think. It's very long and skinny, and very green. Apparently the minerals washed into the rivers in this part of mountains have a lot of something that makes the water green...copper? There was a huge copper mine in this area, it's now a Superfund Clean-up site. Whatever makes the water so green, it was spectacular in the sunshine.
 

As we got closer to Kamloops, and the vegetation got browner and browner, we saw more cattle and irrigated hay fields. We also saw several of these circular red/white depressions. We tried to get closer, but fences barricaded our progress. There appears to be water, the red appears to be plant, and the white appears to be mineral. No clue, but the color was in high contrast to the brown all around.
 

We had lunch in downtown Kamloops, and decided to drive on to Vernon, population 33,000. We caught Michelle in the act of repairing a mural, had a nice visit, and she told us about Ricardo's restaurant, where we went for dinner. It was almost to Kelowna, but a pleasant 20 minute drive. I ordered Greek pork ribs...who ever heard of such a thing? The plate came with nicely done roasted veggies, and the excess made for a good take-out box.

We spent the morning Monday walking around Vernon, seeing the rest of the murals. Nice day, nice small town, wonderful public artwork. I'd love to see Michelle start Wilmington on this same sort of project.
 

We drove up to Silver Star Recreation Area, thinking we'd do some hiking on the now-bare ski trails. The young man we stopped to ask looked at us as if we were nuts. Barely gave us an answer, and dismissed us pretty quickly. The top of the mountain is a ski village, with lots of what appear to be multi-story condo buildings, all painted bright colors. There are a few good old boys driving fast on the dirt roads in pick-up trucks with the resort name on the door of the truck, and almost no one else in site. We have our lunch, standing by the back of our car, in an empty gravel parking lot, overlooking the valley. Hey, at least it's a beautiful day! After we ate, and figured there was no hiking here, we drove past some new houses, and asked the framers about the flat roof design. He told us that the interior walls are double 2x6, and the roof is designed to hold 250 pounds/sq foot of snow! The roof slopes towards the middle of the house, where there is a drain, and the snowmelt runs out from under the house somewhere. There is a for-sale sign on a lot, advertising $200,000 for the lot. Skiing is a high-dollar hobby! We figure these houses/condos are vacant about 9 months a year.

We drive on to Kelowna, checking out the hostel. Stuart came back out to the car, and reported that it looked pretty bare bones, and considering the price, decided to look elsewhere. We find a hotel in the downtown, right by the park, in the Arts District. For $80, only $20 more than the hostel, we get 2 chairs to sit on, a small fridge, and a rooftop patio overlooking the park. And, the front desk guy let me use his microwave to pop the popcorn!

Dinner was fantastic! We went to Wasabi Izayake, just a few blocks walk from our hotel. A small place, with an over-head garage door front, it was pretty, sparsely decorated and elegant. The kitchen was open to the seating area, and we could watch all the plates come up. We ordered the croquettes, which I won't even try to describe except to say we loved them, and the hand-written menu said they are the chef's favorite. Then, we had a mixed seaweed salad, and a house special sushi dish, and then Stuart ordered a tempura. Oh, it was great! The chef allowed me to take his picture...next blog!

Lillooet to Vernon

Sunday morning in Lillooet...we had a leisurely breakfast in our hotel room. Early in the trip, we bought a knock-down cooler for milk and juice, and we brought our picnic bag with us (hey, we're always prepared to eat!). That picnic bag packed flat, too, which means we always have some ziplock bags, chopsticks, a couple of plates and a sharp knife. Most hotels, at least the ones we seem to find, all have small refrigerators in them, and the hotels that are frequented by construction workers often have a small stove, too. Of course, the hostels all have kitchens. So, after breakfast, we loaded up, made one stop to check out the sculpture on the edge of town - we still don't know what the silver thing is, but assume it had something to do with the gold rush - and hit the road for another sunny day's drive. We're driving a Nissan Versa, gets pretty good mileage. 32 mpg. It's a little under-powered, and this model doesn't have cruise control, but it has plenty of room for our packs.

There was a wild-fire in the mountains around Lillooet in the recent past, there are still big 'Thank you Firemen' signs around town, beside the 'found in the disaster' and 'lost in the disaster' posters. The few trees are black, and the dessert is even more barren looking. Our biggest decision now is which route to take to the Okanagan Valley. There are a couple of different routes, but Stuart wants to go through Kamloops, because he likes the way that word sounds. So, we take the northern router, the one with the little dots to signify Scenic. We pass many little parks, and small cattle ranches. There are signs occasionally warning of cattle crossing the rode, but all the cows are serenely chewing behind rail fences. There is, of course, much irrigation for the necessary hay fields. Not many other signs of human activity. Many of the people living here are First Nations people, and the poverty is pretty evident. We pass lakes, of course, with water that is the color of jade.

We thought we'd spend the night in Kamloops, but true to predictions from other travelers, there isn't much soul to this town. It's big, but we have lunch in the park downtown, and decide to move on. The drive through Cowboy Country in the afternoon is easy, the road is beginng to flatten and straighten. We pass a few houses, with far more junked cars than people, houses and cows combined. What is the attraction of keeping old vehicles that don't run anymore? Some houses are graveyards of as many 15 junk cars!

Vernon seems to be our stopping point for the night. No hiking today, just driving, so we unload our stuff at the Polson Park motel, right on Highway 97, and head out for a walk. This small town is the home to a collection of more than 20 murals. It's not advertised well at all, but we find a map, and see that most of them are very close by. They are marvelous! Painted by Michelle Loughery, in 2000. We wonder at the tremendous work involved in doing so many in one year, and at the talent showing. Her faces are particularly good, and the stories are all apparently about the history of Vernon. The entire downtown is a gallery. She incorporated physical things, such as power lines, windows and doors into the paintings, making it all seem real. It's Sunday afternoon, nothing going on downtown since all the shops and restaurants are closed, and we have the streets to ourselves. Imagine our surprise to see Michelle and her husband in an alley by Veteran's Park, working on a mural! We had a long conversation with them, and she told me about the project.

Beyond the green to Lillooet

Saturday, Sept...


We're up and out Saturday, not as early as Stuart would like and earlier than I would like. The trip is as amazing as we suspected: the mountain road is twisting and slow, huge old trees and rivers and distant glaciers around every curve in the road. Cananda Highway 99, the Scenic Road, is lightly traveled beyond Whistler. There are little Provincial parks every few miles, but it is not National Forest. Wonder who owns all this land? We drive through Parkhurst, Green River and Tisdall, and stop for a hike to the Nairn Falls, about 2 miles from the small dirt parking lot. There is a campground here, too, and I can see a few tents and small RV's in the trees, by the river. We learn that the only boa constrictor in the country lives here, the rubber boa. At 18 inches long and brown, if we see one, we are likely to mistake it for a stick. You know my eyes are glued to the ground in hope! The falls are pretty, and most folks will never see them, too far from the parking lot. That's OK with us, leaves the trail much less crowded. The river is green. Really green.  
From the rocks it washes down from the mountain. No rafting here, there is no easy place to launch. Back in the car, we drive on to Pemberton, pop. 1800 people, where we find the tiny market and supplement our picnic supplies. We have lunch at a tiny park on One Mile Lake, the sun, breeze and ducks on the lake.

Just beyond Pemberton, the roads turns east, tiny dots on the map indicating it is Scenic Highway, and we begin to see fewer trees and it's getting drier. There are tiny pockets of First Nations Reserves all along the road from Vancouver, the Reserves getting larger as we get farther north. Soon, we pick up the Cayoosh Creek, which looks more like a river to me. The road follows it for a couple of hours, and it is the greenest water we've ever seen! The pictures, again, won't fully show how green the water is, or how beautiful the mountains are. Gradually, we begin to see signs of high desert: sage and other desert plants, and the stands of trees are much thinner. Of course, we pass some areas that have been clear cut. At one large area, there is a big sign boasting that Anson Tree Company harvested in 1999 and replanted in 2000. We cross several one-land bridges, but no problem: we've seen only about a dozen other vehicles since we left Pemberton.
 
Our destination for the night is Lillooet. The First Nation people called it Lil'Wat. The Europeans 'fancied' the spelling when they arrived about 9000 years after it was first settled. At the height of the Gold Rush, Lillooet's population was about 36,000. In a place that must have been terribly difficult to get to! Today, the population is less than 3,000. Not much going on here, so far removed from any other population centers.

We are now in the high desert, you can see the dramatic change in the photo above: see the green ridge just in front of the brown ridge? The change really was almost that dramatic.
 
We walk through Lillooet, and learn that it is the Jade Town. Chunks of jade, the size of a washing machine, decorate the streets. Not just gold found here! There is also one 'historic' house, the sign tells us that it belonged to a Japanese doctor who came here right after WWII. The man did many good things for the village, one of those small town legends. This is a tree in the back garden, dropping small yellow, soft fruit. I guess it's not edible, the ground is littered with it. Smells not-so-pleasant. What is it?

So, Saturday night in Lillooeet. Wheeee! We're staying right in town, at the 4 Pines Motel. Even Stuart thought it was marginal! We walk down the street, to a chinese/western restaurant, to find it closed. There is another closed restaurant, and we're beginning to think we might be eating from whatever we find the in grocery store (pretty nice for such a small town!) again. But, we find the Downtown Diner, and join the cowboys and their wives, out on the town. I had stir-fry, Stuart had salisbury steak. Yummmm! Hey, they even had a Okanagan Valley wine!

The view from the ridge just above the city...that's the Fraser river below, the same Fraser that flows down to Vancouver. There is much fishing here, and we see the remnants of the summer fish drying shacks along the river. Sorry, no photo!

 

Squamish

damned unreliable hotel internet connections! I just made some major changes to this post, and then lost them because the connection was interrupted! Guess I'll type the notes again...


Friday in Squamish/Whistler
First, I must say that this is bear country, and we've yet to see one. Second, this is eagle country, and we've only seen one.

We're in Squamish, a lumber town that has reinvented itself as a rock climber's destination. There is also lots of hiking and biking here. Today, on Joe's recommendation, we're taking a specific hiking tour in Whistler. Whistler was on our agenda for today, but he gave us some great ideas for seeing the area..he's climbing The Chief again today. Whistler is the host community for most of the Winter 2010 Olympic Games, and is already recognized as the Number One ski resort in the world. So, we drive up the Sea to Sky Highway about 45 minutes from Squamish. Not being resort people, I'm ready to just blow through Whistler, but we should at least see the Village where the world is coming this winter. The road work, as you can imagine, is intense. There is a deadline imposed by the weather, so crews are working round the clock to build wider roads to the area. Parking lots must be leveled and graveled, and many other things we would never think of. The housing construction business is in over-drive, also, and new condo complexes fill every almost-level surface. There are not many level surfaces in this part of the world! Stuart had a conversation with our hostel host, who told him that every hotel within 100 miles was booked a year ago for this winter. One group has booked the whole hostel in Squamish. We have read that condos in Whistler are renting for $30,000 for the month of February.

When we arrive in Whistler, our first stop is the visitor center. The Village (that's a capital V, mind you) is completely planned village. The entire place: hotels, restaurants, retail stores, the parking lots, fire department, everything was planned and built at the same time, in the same style. The woman at the visitor's center is from Atlanta, and lived there during the 1996 Olympics...said she's excited to be working and living through a 'once in a lifetime event twice'. After being in Athens after their hosting experiences, and hearing the financial woes, I wonder how many host cities benefit. The teamwork required to produce such an event is the ultimate test of management skills. So, we're here to buy two tickets for the gondola to the top of Whistler, and then a separate gondola from the peak of Whistler to the peak of Blackcomb. $80 later, we're ready for the ride to the top, and some hiking. This is a major biking destination, different from Moab, another dirt biking destination. The bikers are so numerous in the summer, there is a separate line for them and their bikes to board the gondolas. I am fascinated! What fun the trip down the mountain must be! I'd love to do it. I know, DUMB idea, and it's not going to happen. Fragile bones make some choices for me. So, we get on the gondola with four other people, and make the 25 minute ride to the top. The views are awesome!  
Here are a few of the skiing/biking trails I read: Ratfink, Chunky's Choice, Ego Bowl (think this might be a tough one?), Harmony Express, Rabbit Tracks, Green Acres, Jolly Green Giant.

We hiked to the top of one of the peaks at the top of Whistler(don't know the name!), to one of the open chair lifts, not in use right now. This is called the T-bar, and apparently, the skier grabs the bar and is towed to the top. Hey, I'm not a skier, so I'm guessing about this. At any rate, you can tell how much snow is required to make this tow useful.
 

The glaciers around us are like distant huge bowls of ice cream. It's a warm day, clear and sunny, but the wind is cold. So, our Flatlanders hearts and lungs are warming us nicely as we hike to the top. Just my hands are cold. There are mountain peaks and glaciers are far as we can see in every direction. Beautiful scenery, no wonder this is the Number One ski resort in the world. And, when the world arrives in February, they will love it, too. I just hope they bring cash...
 

This is where the bikers come off the mountain. I watched them from the gondola when while we are coming down the mountain, and the bikers look like they are having so much fun! Some have done as many as 5 trips down the mountain today. They come off the mountain in a great RUSH, right in the middle of The Village. There are picnic tables at the fence, making for a perfect spot of spectators.
 

We drive back to Squamish, and our hostel, making a quick stop at the local grocery store, Nesters, for dinner fixin's. A drink on the patio, to collect our thoughts about tomorrow, ends the sunlight. Joe returned, battered hands thickly greased after a day of Cracking on the Chief. He explains that Cracking is a form of rock climbing where you insert your flat hand in a crack in the rock, then make a fist (essentially) to hold your body to the mountain while your feet find another place to stand. Bare-handed is tough, as his hands prove. We join three other climbers in the communal kitchen to prepare our dinners, we're having eggs, cheese, lettuce on a multi-grain tortilla. Most of them are having some kind of pasta, lots of carbs for energy burning activities! I love hearing the conversations, the language of the climbers and the first languages of the travelers. Joe's guide is a Crack Addict: he teaches people to climb with their fists in the cracks! Then, there is Bouldering, and others. Wish I'd written down some of the words they used. We listened to them tell about climbing here and other places, and checked out the wild shoes and climbing gear. Like most other sports, this is not cheap to get into.

Speaking of sports and money: the bikers spend more than most everyone else, except maybe skiers. Those fancy dirt bikes start at $2000, and then you must have the body armor (lots of hi-tech pads for all the major joints), crash helmet, and of course, the stylish clothes and shoes. Goggles. Gloves. Socks. I learned that they would outfit me, bike/armor/lesson/lift ticket for $150 for half day. I could never do it, though. I don't have the right shoes.

Joe and the other climbers, and Stuart and I talk until late, when the German guy went to bed. He's been traveling in Canada for 6 months, using only public transportation, and tomorrow he's catching the bus for the ferry to Vancouver Island. We give him a couple of places to see and stay before he retires. We enjoyed hearing the travel stories from some of the other travelers; The young man from Ontario has been working in non-profit type jobs for several years, teaching under-privileged kids climbing and paddling. He's between jobs now, but has some possibilities, and is enjoying traveling for a few weeks.

Tomorrow, we move north. Joe is meeting some friends, arriving from Kelowna late tonight, and they will climb together for a couple of days. He's returning to Kelowna early Tuesday, and we exchange phone numbers, and arrange to meet and maybe stay with him. He's a doctor, and must return to work Tuesday night. Nice place, nice people.

From Ucluelet to Squamish

Today is Thursday, and we're leaving this heavenly place in the woods, on the shore, in Ucluelet. This reminds me of the sadness I felt when leaving summer camp when I was a kid. But, we're up and out early, in order to catch the 12:30 ferry at Departure Bay in Nanaimo. The little town is mostly asleep as we drive through, and there is no one else on the crooked road back across the mountains, except a couple of delivery trucks. Kennedy Lake, the big lake on the west side, is pretending it's a huge mirror - calm and relfective. We marvel at the idea, first, of having no road at all, and then at the idea of how this road was built. Other than the road, this area hasn't been touched...other places have been clearcut, but the terrain is too steep here I guess. There are several sections of road with a 10% grade, but there is one 3 km stretch with an 18% grade!! Holy hot brakes!

Debbie suggested that we would be nuts to miss Cathedral Rock, between Port Alberni and Nanaimo. Stuart was going to blow through, in a hurry to get in line for the ferry, but I convinced him to turn around. Wow! The oldest trees here are 800 years old. EIGHT hundred years old! Most of them are about 400 years old, because of a fire. And, they are magnificent! No photo by this snap-shot girl would ever capture the majesty.
I know,there is a fern in our faces, so, take a look at this photo....

You can tell it's cold: we both are wearing polar fleece. In the shade, you need a coat, but in the sun, a t-shirt is perfect!

We hurried on to Departure Bay, waited for the ferry, hurried on the ferry, and ate our picnic lunch. The Queen of Oak...(can't remember the full name of the ferry!) holds 362 cars. The 'articulated trucks' (read: semi's) and RVs are shuttled to the lower decks.

Back on the mainland, it's a gorgeous day, and we hit the Sea to Sky highway in about 1 minute from departing the ferry. The 2010 Olympics are being held in Vancouver/Whistler, and there is much work being done to get ready for the world to arrive. The scenery along this road is impossible to describe accurately. The mountains seem to come straight up from the water, which must go equally in the opposite direction. The road follows Howe Sound as far as Squamish, and we both are in awe. The world is going to be delighted by the slow traffic during the Olympics: it will give them longer to look at the mountains and the water. I saw our first eagle this afternoon. Gary, our host in Ucluelet, suggested they might all be out chasing the salmon and that we'd see them once we got back to the mainland. She is beautiful!

There is new housing developments all along the skinny land available between Howe Sound and the mountains, with the cuving road dissecting the small space. You can imagine, the houses are Grand and some are behind locked gates. We stopped at a pocket park, with a pier and some sunken ships, just to get a closer look at the scenery. The BC government has done a good job of making park space, and almost always there are places to pitch a tent of park a small RV. I saw my first otter of the trip here, too!

Hannah Falls is the third tallest fall in Canada, taller than Niagra Falls (you know, the famous one). The light was perfect, and we took a couple of photos...

Parking is not free,and after we viewed the falls, we passed our parking ticket onto some Germans who were just pulling in. Remember, BC stands for Bring Cash. We had to buy a ticket to park while we were in Uculelet, too!

On we go, towards Squamish. The road work gets more intense as we head north, and the magnificent scenery gets even more beautiful. It's hard to stay on the road! Our hotel in Squamish is the hostel, and while it's pricey, it's comfortable and well-appointed. We do have a room to ourselves, and the shared bath is right across the hall. One thing about hostels: there are usually more men than women, so bathroom access is easy. The Squamish Inn on the Water has a nice patio, but we headed downtown to the brewery for a taste of the local pride. We sat outside - everyone keeps exclaiming how PERFECT the weather has been lately - and ordered crab cake appetizer to share with our good Howe Sound Pale Ale.

Since we have a nice kitchen and dining area, and a bottle of cheap wine at the hostel, we order a dinner to go, and head back to the hostel. While having dinner (and this is what we love about hostels!) we met Joe, a Canuck from Croatia. Well, he was born in Canada, but his parents are from Croatia. He, like most of the other travelers, is here to climb rocks. The Chief, the local BIG rock, is a destination for climbers from all over the world. I learn from the other young woman who is staying at the hostel that the hiking at the base is good, too. There are young people with scraped knuckles and sun-burned noses wandering in and out of the kitchen, speaking many different languages. What a great place!

More beach photos

Just a few more beach shots...mostly from Comber's Beach, in the Pacific National Park, Long Beach Unit.
While the Long Beach Unit is the most accessible, it's still very quiet here. There is NO litter either on the roads or on the beaches. Forty five years of highway accessibility has not done much to change the area, and the park land had been set aside by then, of course. The First Nations people have been living here for 9,000 (yes, thousand) years, and even though many of those tribes are very tiny now, they have a powerful influence on how the land is treated.

The exception, of course, is in the land bordering the park lands. No one is clear-cutting trees here, but the developers are seeing dollar signs, and the resorts are beginning to sprout. Houses, too. Mostly, the building has been sensitive to the landscape, and the oldest of the trees (400 years!)are still standing.

Hey, G, the skunk cabbages are award-winning sized!


 
 
 
 

beach photos

 
Picnic lunch among the logs at Comber's Beach. About 10 people on a 3 mile stretch of wide beach!

 
Someone walked close to a colony of seagulls on the beach, and they all fluttered into the air for a few minutes before settling down again.

 

A piece of Bull kelp. This stuff grows to 36 YARDS long, with a big root base to anchor it in the sand. The bulbs are close to the surface, and the long leaves grow from the bulbs. Edible? I don't know.

Tide Pool day, Ucleulet

 
Our host at the Copperstone Inn, Gary, went fishing today. He brought us this Ling Cod, which he described as, "living less than 3 hours ago...not as good as salmon." Well, it was very good! We spent a little time on the beach this morning, and at mid-day drove north about 30 km to Tofino, where we had lunch. After lunch, we walked a little while around the little town, and bought a loaf of peasant bread at the bakery. Tofino is a real surfer's town, used to be a fishing village. Tourism has bitten the village, and there are several new 'resort' hotels on the beach at the edge of the town. I looked one up in the LP, and they had it listed with rooms starting at $279/night. A little pricey for us! The town has gotten known for it's surf, and has attracted lots of young people. Still pretty quiet by most standards, but I'm still very glad to be staying in Ucluelet.
 
Gary's fish had to wait for this sunset. The temps went up several degrees when the sun set, very strange. We ate on the porch. I made some bread crumbs from some of the bread we bought today, along with some finely chopped oats (as in oatmeal), and some sesame seeds. I had garlic and olive oil and a couple of eggs for a light batter, cooked in a skillet on the grill, along with a salad, it was a FINE meal. Thank you, Gary!

I woke up about 4am, and went out on the porch. The sky was filled with stars, more than I've ever seen, and even at 4am, I could see the surf out beyond the rocks. By the time we woke up in the morning, the view was totally different...
 
The little beach is not visible at all! A damp day for the beach, but the tide is low at 9:30, and we want to explore the tide pools, so we're going anyway. There was no one on the beach, and we almost walked into the rocks before we could see them. After a couple of hours, the sun had heated the air enough for some of the fog to disappear.
 
The tide left much to explore: lots of Bull kelp on the beach, which the little burrowing animals loved; anemones of every size in the standing water, hermit crabs and little bitty shrimp. We spent about 3 hours poking around the huge rocks. Just off shore, another rock was the lounging spot for a group of sea lions. Too far away to see clearly, but we could just make them out. No surfer's at this beach, too far from Tofino, I guess. But, the waves were awesome!

Stuart had questions about the rocks here, so we went back to the visitor's center, and learned that these rocks are part of the Pacific Plate. The San Juan Plate is under the eastern side of the island, and one day there is going to be a Big Earthquake, which will probably break the island in half. Waterfront property, anyone? We also learned that the road from Nanaimo to the western side of the island didn't exist until 1959, and then it was a rough logging road mostly connecting Port Alberni with the west coast. The road was finally paved in 1979! Wonder how those fishing folks got electricity?

Later in the afternoon, we hiked a trail along the coastal bog, ending at Florencia Beach. So named for a ship that foundered and sank at this little cove in the late 1800's. We saw a pod of whales! Well worth the hike, even though our legs were tired.

We had a lovely last supper on the porch, I made a fish stew from the leftover fish and some carrot, potato and onion. Delicious! Debbie and Gary came down after dinner, and we had a very nice visit. I'm going to miss this serene house, and the beautiful view. We have enjoyed getting to know them, and I hope they'll come for a SE coast visit one day.

More time on the beach....

Tuesday and Wednesday... Ucluelet, BC

We're still here, hanging out on the beaches and on our peaceful porch. The geography here is like nothing we've ever seen. The rocks are dramatic, suddenly appearing from the sandy beach. The San Juan de Fuca plate is shoving up under the Pacific plate, causing these amazing rock formations. This island, many millions of years ago, was off the coast of Mexico, or maybe even farther south.
 

 

 

 

At the edge of the water

Monday, September 2?
This is a photo of 'our' house, taken from the beach we can see from our house. Funny, the tiny beach looks very close from the deck, but from the tiny beach, the house looks very far away. To get to the tiny beach, you must climb down a long series of steep steps, secret steps, from the Wild Pacific Trail. During the day, we have watched the few people that make the trip, some with dogs. The beach is like a magic trick: now you see it, now you don't!

 

Behind the Wickaninnish Visitor Center, which anchors the Long Beach unit of the National Park, we spent a little time on the beach. The piles of washed up logs is amazing! Sort of like an on-steroids version of what our little place on the river looked like after a flood, with docks and furniture and trees. These logs are HUGE,and have been here a long time. The beach is wide, and there is a fog on the beach most of the time. A surfer's heaven, with lots of waves! Thank goodness, most of the land bordering the ocean is now in the protection of the park service. At the visitor center, we looked at a relief map of the island, with clear-cut areas marked in a contrasting color. The old growth sections are safe, now.

The hermit crabs, in their starter-home sized rented houses move around on this rock, creating what appear to be underwater heiroglyphs!

 
On our sandy, southeast coast beaches, people build sand castles and sand sculptures. On this log strewn northwest coast beach, people built houses and furniture from the washed up lumber. The Beach Throne might not be here after a couple of high tides...

 

Ucluelet, continued

This fishing village is experiencing a building boom, but I'm happy to say that the town seems to have a handle on things. The south end of the peninsula is seeing the most growth, but the property owners are not just clear-cutting all these magnificent trees. Some of these trees are 700 years old! Our hosts at the Copperstone Inn have taken out a few trees damaged by storms, but worked hard to keep the old trees. The stairs being built down to the beach are require the hiker to duck very low to avoid an 800 year old tree that is nursing a couple of other trees...not a problem! It does appear that most every house is renting a room or apartment, an indication that this village is not going to be a quiet place forever. Fortunately, getting here is not easy, and that will temper crazy growth.

Yesterday, we hiked the Wild Pacific Trail, a point of pride for the town. It is a 2.5km loop that includes the Amphitrite Point (named after a British warship) Lighthouse. From our beautiful lodging, we can hear the fog buoy and the bell buoy, even though we can't see the light. Such a peaceful sound, in its regularity. The trail led us past the old plant road built in the early 1900's to help supply the lighthouse keeper. That road is almost gone now. The trail also includes some very steep stairs down to the beach that we can see from our deck. Funny, the beach seems so close from the house, but the house seems so far away from the beach. The rest of the trail is a documentary on the coastal forests, and the Graveyard of the Pacific. I read that a tsunami wiped out a good portion of the trail in the 1960's. It's hard to imagine, the trail is pretty far above the tide line.

Last night, we ate a piece of halibut we bought at Fishful Thinking, and it was good. Tonight, Gary, our host, brought us a piece of Ling Cod he'd just caught this afternoon. A HUGE piece of fish. I had some olive oil, garlic, lemon and salt and pepper...some rice left over from last night, and some fresh spinach. Oh, a loaf of bread we bought today at a local bakery. We're set! I made some breadcrumbs with some chopped breakfast oats and the bread, sauted some garlic and pan fried the breaded fish. Then, stir-fried the rice and wilted the spinach. A glass of wine, it was a good meal. The temps were strange tonight: it got warmer after the sun set, so we enjoyed our dinner outside.

Today, we went to the Wickaninnish Visitor Center, at Long Beach, and spent some time on the beach inspecting the tide pools. The waves are ferocious, even when the ocean is calm. Very dramatic. We hiked in the old-growth forest down to the shore, and were reminded of the control we have over our own backyard. One section of this National Park have never been disturbed by human development. The First Nation people still have a very tiny allotment of land on the coast. They've been living here for 9000 years. Yep, that's thousand. Let's hope that humans can realize how important the land is, and stop the clear-cutting of the forests. I know, we're supporting the industry just by being here and renting a place to stay. There are many ways to build and live without totally destroying everything in sight.

We had lunch in Tofino...I'm glad we're staying in Ucluelet! Tofino is another tiny fishing village, but has more tourist appeal than Ucluelet. The major industry here is tourism: surfing/kayaking/hiking/fishing/storm watching. There are a surprising number of older people, too, making a day trip from Nanaimo, I guess. Or, maybe staying for a couple of days to enjoy the 'quaint' western coast. Tomorrow morning, we'll get out early to explore the tide pools from the 9am low tide, at Combers Beach.

We arrive in Ucluelet

 
They grow BIG trees here!

By the time we got to Ucluelet, it was past noon, time for lunch. There is a ranger-guided walk in the sand dunes at Long Beach, but we'd have to rush to make it, so we opt for picnic in the little fishing village of Ucluelet. We found a small park on the harbor downtown, and as we were setting out the vinyl cloth, a bird hit me and the table cloth with a yucky gift! I used one of our two napkins to wipe the bulk of the gift from my hair and neck, and wadded up the jacket, gift inside. We moved to another table, where Stuart spilled his drink, so we used the other napkin to soak that up. Hey, the fish sandwich, from leftovers, was good!

The room we'd reserved at the Copperstone Inn was so effectively tucked in the forest we had a hard time finding it. Did we land in heaven with this! Debbie and Gary Richardson have just finished building a beautiful house on the cove behind the lighthouse (lighthouse NOT visible from the house), and made the most beautiful, comfy room downstairs. The lumber for all the posts and decks came from the trees on their lot,downed by a storm a couple of years ago. It is a carpenters dream. They thought of everything! The rail is glass, so as to not obstruct the view, the kitchen is small and perfectly planned, the colors are woodsy but far from dark or dull, the bathroom is something from a fancy hotel! There is even a fluffy robe hanging on the hook by a shower that is big enough to hold a square dance in. The bathroom tile floor is heated,the wood floor in the rest of the suite is dark and polished. She's arranged a table outside on the deck, situated perfectly for a view of the cove. There are a couple of soft throws, just perfect for wrapping around your shoulders to stay outside comfortably just a little longer. A fireplace with gas logs (for ease of use,they burn wood upstairs). It's just below high tide when we arrive, and by dinner time, the tide is dead low, about an 8 foot change. I'm NEVER leaving here! this is the view from our deck...

 

OK, we must go to the grocery, and we take a quick detour to the lighthouse before going back to the village. See the little orange dot in the rocks? That's Stuart, getting a good view of the lighthouse for his photograph. Tomorrow, we'll hike one of the many trails along the coast.

 

The fish market, Fishful Thinking, is closing for the season later this week, and right now everything is on sale,so we picked up a piece of halibut to cook tomorrow night...tonight, Stuart wants red meat on the grill. Cocktail hour on the porch is perfect, with the sound of loons and gulls, waves and the foghorn keeping us company.