A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

The final Canadian Escapade was a stroll  around  Victoria BC while waiting for the ferry after our 2 hour drive south from Nanaimo.  We hadn’t been here since 2004 and I’d forgotten how unique and exciting it was.  The day was grey, which enhanced everything, and made you feel as you had stepped back into old English times.  We say Orcas surfacing, but nothing spectacular.   It was exciting to return to the US of A, and we're delighted with our next “home away from home” - Lake Crescent Lodge in Olympic NP.  

Victoria  -  Horse drawn carriage in front of Parliament Bldg.

A distant view of the Empress Hotel

Totem Pole - Parliament Grounds

Beautiful flower baskets adorn a lamp post.

Not a totem pole, a Bear Totem...all figures of Bears.

Canada, BC and USA "together"

Floral "Welcome to Victoria"

Visitor Welcoming Center (Don in foreground)

Empress Hotel (again)

A private "tall sail ship" between flower baskets.

Captain Cook 1728 - 1779, world famous explorer.

Nancy hugs a mosaic Orca Whale

TURN AROUND TIME

Adventure #5 found us in return mode... heading south from Telegraph Cove on Hwy 19 as we began our way home with only 15 days to go.  Since this was a re-run we were surprised at how much fun than we had.  Right out of the gate (so to speak) at 7:15 a.m., we encountered 1 young buck with a small velvet rack starting to form...  and then around the corner it was 2 Elk cows grazing in the early morning dew.

We also learned more about the logging industry here in BC and were fascinated by some of the facts which we saw at both Beaver Creek Cove and Sayward - 1 mile inland from Kelsey Bay (both coves off the Harvey Johnston Straight).  Many log sorts (with up to 50 unique specifications) are set up for specific mills or customers.  They are put together to make a “raft” (boom) 70’ wide by 397' long and then 12 of these are strung together and pulled by powerful little tug boats to their destination (Vancouver, etc).  If strung end to end it would be about 9/10ths of a mile long!!!  My dad worked his way thru the University of California-Berkeley as a lumberjack in the late 1920's.  It was fun to see some of the processes he talked about come to life.

Lots of geocaching also took place today, and my favorite spot today was Hoomak Lake, Woss BC where there were about 10 caches spaced about 500’ apart along the edge of the lake.   Don found a few while I did the photography which included 5 Loons swimming, calling and water walking!!!  (on video).  Then i chickened out and made him go back because we were in black bear country.  Tomorrow we drive to Victoria and take the Ferry to Port Angeles WA.  Since we'll be staying in Olympic NP for 5 days I doubt that you'll hear from us for a while...but you never know.

Deer,,,

Elk

Hoomak Lake

This great trail was originally 1920's railroad tracks.

Water dancing on video only...sorry.

and I'm sorry you can't hear the calling.
The swam right over to see what we were doing 

Our turn around point.

When we pulled into Sayward and parked I thought this
was a great sign.  That's our hood at the bottom of the photo.

Kelsey Bay (loved the yellow and red...

Once again, low tide in a very tiny harbor.

The jetties were created by old rusting steel ships.

See what I mean?

This shows a larger view with the lumber mill sorting yard
in the foreground.

Don finds a geocache "Kelsey View".

And then we watch the little "bumper boats" organize
the logs for the "raft-booms"

The video is even better...

When the skilled driver couldn't get it just right, he
got out, walked on the logs and used a big hook.
Our grandson Max would love this "job".

THE END OF THE ROAD...

Not really, we just took a drive to the end of the paved highway at the North end of Vancouver Island for Canadian Adventure #4.  A windy, partially cloudy day of site-seeing and geocaching.  Don located 10 along the way, but the best were the two at Coal Harbour due to their location on the shore of Holberg Inlet on Quatsino Sound.  This area played a strategic roll during WWII due to its proximity to the Pacific.  Many of the small villages and towns have creative signs, but the gold medal winner for today was Port Hardy, who had 3 signs all equally spectacular.  Tomorrow we’ll be heading back to Nanaimo but this time on Hwy 19 instead of the scenic route we took to get here.  

We traveled from Telegraph Hill to Coal Harbour
Can you find it?

Low tide again - Port Hardy

Loved this sign at the highway

Later there was this beauty

and finally this one as we entered the harbor area...

This is what you don't want to see as you're heading
up a dirt road to geocache...bad for the paint job!!!

When you get a reading like this, perhaps you should
take the hint.  We didn't...

and proceeded to Coal Harbour

where these two guarded the entrance

to the wharf.

After walking thru a 3' wide "cut" in a massive
 wild  blackberry patch we discovered this great tree

Don found his cache the berry bushes.

Then we walked down the beach 1/4 mile
 as the tide was coming in... 

The name of this geocache "Tree on a Stump"

Look closely,  a red cedar grew on top of
an old cedar stump...it's roots are running
down the edge of the stump and into the ground.

On the way back...  I know,  just one more photo

A GRIZZLY - Marathon Day

Canadian Adventure #3  Check-in time for the Tide Rip Grizzly Grizzly Bear Expedition began at 6:45 a.m.  It was a high cloud and sometimes rainy day which brought the animals out to play!!!  First it was a deer getting out of the water after his morning bath and then posing on the hill.  Next, 1 Black Bear (in the pouring rain), a few dolphins, an island of Harbor Seals, periodic Bald Eagles perched on high, 10 GRIZZLIES in all (plus a repeat of 3) and a pod of about 100 dolphins that put on a show on our way back.  They jumped and flopped and rode the waves from the wake of the boat.  Back to those Grizzlies in the Glendale Cove area of Knight Inlet.   We saw two moms each with twin cubs.  One set of twins about 6-8 weeks, the other set of twins was a year old.  They roamed the same beach often within 200 feet of each other as you’ll see from some of the pictures.  This fabulous tour included breakfast and a gourmet sandwich lunch.  

After arriving back at our cottage, we went geocaching and Don found #1800 “It isn’t Rocket Science” under a large moss covered rock on a hilltop trail overlooking Telegraph Cove.  All in all another day to remember!!!  As I sit here writing, bald eagles and ravens are playing...catching some wind current rides right outside my window.  FYI The Bald Eagle is unique to North America.  It isn’t bald.  The name dates back to old English when bald meant “white” not hairless.   Their nests have been found from sea level to 4,000’

Crossing the sound

"Ahhh that feels better"

Big male Black Bear

"What do you want?"

Mom Grizzly with 2 8 week old cubs

Lesson of the day, rolling rocks to find food.  Check
closely and you'll see the two cubs trying...

One cub proudly shows 2 Ravens how it's done!!!

Another Mom with her year old cubs looks ahead to
check out the other Mom and Cubs 

First Mom says "It's o.k. we've seen them before."

The two Grizzly families "graze" within 200 feet of one another
while we watch for about 45 minutes.

This big male Grizzly is excited to pursue a pretty female...

Turns around

and gets himself going in the right direction...check
out those claws!!!

This female turned her 2 year old cubs loose last year (see below)
and is pretty thin after hibernating all winter.  They finally
wandered off in the wilderness together.

This is the small platform boat we took  (off the big boat)
to get a closer look and hear the stories from our guides.

We were hungry after watching all the activity.

Then this pair of 2 year old females on their own
 (from the mother above)
couldn't find their way off this log which they jumped up
on when we arrived...

"Let's go this way"

"I want to go this way"

"I wish Mama was here, this is a hard decision".
Later one jumped off and the other slipped of backwards
and I have it all on video!!!

Later we saw the first mom with her two cubs again and one
was practicing standing on a rock.

Time to head back - we saw the dolphins jumping our
boat waves, but that is on video too.

Yes...

Entering the harbor at Telegraph Cove.

Nancy spots a giant sized "devils club".

Don wonders where it is

and finally finds geocache #1800

I just couldn't resist one more photo!!!