BC ferries

[pdedse]

Nice. I see you went through Coombs and Parksville, BC? Nice retirement communities with very temperate (rideable) winter seasons.

My friend and I thought the same about a lot of the areas we rode through, but weren't sure about winters, but temperate and rideable, you say? My wife is from Costa Rica and so our U.S. winters will likely be spent there and summers in Oregon. But we are already thinking a trip to BC via 4 wheel vehicle (she doesn't like motorcycles) would be fun.

Last day, Tuesday...

Jeff's mom was in Victoria, BC on Monday and she didn't get on the ferry to Port Angeles because it was booked solid. Lots of people moving about as Monday, August 1st was British Columbia Day, when BC celebrates being BC. Since she had difficulty getting on a ferry, we decided to make a reservation...turned out to be a wise choice.

We got up plenty early and neither of us checked to see how much time was needed to ride from Nanaimo to Victoria. We just thought and hour or so was good...got lazy. Started talking about this and that, and soon it was 8:30...and I thought I had read something about getting to the terminal an hour before the 10:30 departure. Turns out hiway 1 south to Victoria has lots of traffic and a number of stop lights and we got delayed by an accident. Jeff started picking up the pace and it was just past 10 after humming through the downtown streets of Victoria. We got to the terminal and there were 4 cars waiting to get on...when we confirmed with the attendant that we had reservations, he lightly scolded us with "ok, maybe you got a chance...but you should have been here an hour ago...no guarentees". We waited another 20 mintues before they let the last 4 cars and us through the pearly gates. Another 10 minutes for the customs guy to deal with the cars...and then us. Loudspeaker came on blaring "two minutes, two minutes till departure"...custom guy keeps asking questions...then we have to literally run to a customs office, get a quick ok, back to bikes...ride on the ferry and I was the last person / vehicle to enter. Waited on my bike for them to pull in the thick mooring ropes, they clanked the door shut and bolted it down, they had me move my bike right in front of the door, blocked it off and tied it down, and whew! nick of time style.



Lesson learned...don't lolly-gag around, we had let our guard down. I think the ease with which we got on all the other ferries lulled us a bit. Had we missed it, we likely would have got on the 3pm ferry, but we both were trying to get back, him to Rosyln, WA and me to Gresham, OR.

Jeff is still a bit giddy and grateful to have made it...I know I was:


Time to relax and enjoy our last ferry of the trip, a two hour cruise to Port Angeles



Heading out


Looking back at Victoria





I want to take a sea plane tour next time...would be fun to land on the water:




Back to the USA


Once through Port Angeles, Jeff and I parted ways. He took 101 east and was to travel through Olympia and I went west taking 112 which parallels 101, but nearer to the coast.

Last trip photo, near where 112 reconnects with 101 on the WA coast.


Some delays on 101 due to road construction. At one of them I got a text from Jeff saying he got stuck in 101 traffic on the other side of the Olympic Nat. Park, and he was turning back and coming my way! Wanted to know if I wanted to camp one more night. But I was already pretty far south and wanted to sleep in my own bed instead of the hammock...he understood. We both got to our respective homes after 8pm quite happy with the trip.

Thanks for viewing!