Trestles and Tall Trees

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Photo above by TJ Watt

We come upon a newborn fawn wobbling forth on his first grazing experience. She’s never seen a bicycle, but mother deer is nearby to help. We spend a day with a celebrity, who provides a first-class show-and-tell on ancient trees. We rumble over historic trestles and locate hidden trails, including one to a post-apocalyptic powerhouse. Looking for a route with varied landscapes, stops, and views? The Pacific Marine Circle, a coast to coast loop around southern Vancouver Island, provides a full-circle experience. This twisty route is popular with motorcycle drivers, but cyclists can do it, too.

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The Other Side of the Pond

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“It’s a bicycle highway,” exclaims a pedestrian, waiting to cross the steady stream of cyclists cruising Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach on a sunny Sunday. At some point in the last forty-seven years, Vancouver became a world-class cycling city. We admit it: we have failed to pay attention to Vancouver’s evolution since we moved away from the city in 1972. We redress our error by dedicating one week to the exploration of Vancouver’s cycling trails.

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Go Galiano

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A tafone is a geological formation of sculpted rock, a tapovan is a forest of spiritual practice, and an angry cormorant growls like an oinking pig. So much to learn on Galiano Island! Long and skinny, Galiano is rather hilly, and destinations are spread out — perfect for exploring by e-bike.

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Apple Heaven

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With its hilly terrain, Salt Spring Island is a popular one-day, 55-km figure-eight ride for cyclists in training. Us, we go because it’s apple season. By stopping at every farm stand, viewpoint, and shoreline access, it takes us four days to accomplish our Island cycling tour.

“A chance to visit Apple Heaven while still on earth!” The announcement for the Salt Spring Apple Festival captures our attention. More than 450 varieties of apples are grown organically on Salt Spring, and Doug wants to sample crisp apples, raw or baked into apple pie. Continue reading →

A Shoulder to Ride On

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We never imagined we could accomplish a road trip like this: cycle up Vancouver Island to Comox, ferry over to Lund, then cycle down the Sunshine Coast on Highway 101. Confident road-cyclists will fall in love with this classic coastal loop, while those accustomed to Victoria’s gentle rail-trails and protected bike lanes will find some sections frightening. The cars and trucks are in a hurry, but we are not; we cycle 600 km in a leisurely sixteen days, with detours to Savary Island, Texada Island, Princess Louisa Inlet, and the Gibsons shoreline.

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Pineapples Don’t Grow on Trees

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Surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, outrigger canoeing, hula dancing. Watching your grandchildren try new activities is one of life’s greatest joys. Our son and his family go to Oahu for nine days, and they invite us along. The youngsters (ages 15, 13, 12) discover that pineapples don’t grow on trees, take their first ride on a public bus, and learn that aloha means more than hello and goodbye.  Continue reading →

Whales and Trails

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“We hear that a lot,” says the Visitor Centre person, when we admit this is our first visit to the north end of Vancouver Island, although we’ve lived on the Island for nearly fifty years. Week one we explore four friendly communities and tackle nine hikes of varying difficulty. A six-day kayak expedition to the Broughton Archipelago comes next, and there we see more wildlife and fewer people than expected. Relaxed eco-adventures, just a day’s travel from our home in Victoria. Continue reading →