Whistler Moments
From the moment we entered Canada, it started raining. Well, not quite. Before the deluge, we managed to fit a trip to Whistler in with our friend Rachel, whom we met in the South Pacific sailing. Her sister generously offered the three of us a night in her time-share there, so we didn’t have to be in a hurry. Talk about a luxury experience for us. The room was more than adequate, comfortable and modern; Whistler itself was a fun resort town to walk through, eat and window shop. The highlight to me, as always, was nature and what it had to offer. That “last” sunny day provided us with beautiful waterfalls, enjoyable hiking trails and good company!
Vancouver in the Rain
After leaving Rachel and her family in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, it was time for Mark and I to set foot in Vancouver, without our “guide”. We never saw the surrounding mountains or noticed its attractive setting, but managed to explore the city in between rain showers.
The city center offered a glimpse at the well-known landmarks during a drizzly, faster than average walk.
We strolled on the hill of the botanical gardens one afternoon, since we managed to find a convenient, free, and level parking lot near Queen Elizabeth Park to spend a couple of nights.
Our last day saw us turn into bike commuters, when we parked Zesty in North Vancouver and rode our e-bikes over the bridge and into extensive Stanley Park. It’s a fantastic area to spend an afternoon biking or walking the many paths and trails, with impressive views of Vancouver’s skyline.
The evening before taking the ferry from Horseshoe Bay (north of Vancouver), we had glorious views of the big city.
Destination Vancouver Island
Our main destination this summer was Vancouver Island, or Van Island as the residents endearingly call their beautiful island. Many retirees move here from the mainland, because the island has the best year-round climate in Canada. It was funny how everyone we met said they lived in that particular place, because it was located in the rain shadow. Based on those accounts, we shouldn’t have had rain anywhere. Hmmm.
Besides meeting three sets of friends on this island, which I will blog about in the future, Mark and I didn’t have big plans. Summer was progressing fast. My mind kept objecting that, really, this far north in September, fall had already arrived. It was chilly, rainy, and green leaves were in the minority. But, our spirits were high and we ended up staying three weeks and exploring a decent chunk of this relatively big landmass.
The Tofino region on Vancouver Island’s west coast is high on many tourists’ list. It’s also where Mark and I endured a 24-hour heavy rainstorm inside our 19-foot camper and discovered four leaks, which were fixed over time. Because of the cold and wetness, condensation caused us grief, as the water collected and created puddles in places where no puddles should be.
While we never totally understood the hype about this area, our highlights were a scenic hike in Ucluelet…
A couple of trails throughout the old-growth rainforest of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve…
And a quick visit to the town of Tofino…
Before making our way back east.
Surprise sight near our campsite for the night on the way back to the east coast.
Hiking made up most of our pastime. We read that Vancouver Island is one of the densest places in the world for black bears. Mark and I were constantly on the look-out for them, among the forest, in meadows, along the side of the road. I trotted the soggy trails on the rhythm “Bear, bear, you don’t care. You’re supposed to be everywhere. But, no matter how we stare. You remain in your lair. Elusive and extremely rare.” Until we did spot a bear and then, another one, which I wrote about here.
During our ten-day rainy spell, we spent a bit of time in Campbell River, which was the perfect location for a few reasons: we found a free spot to park along the waterfront, picked up a free WiFi signal within Zesty, and were in walking distance of a fishing pier, stores and restaurants. Not a bad place to get stuck.
Once the weather cleared, we ventured north of the 50th parallel, to spend the next batch of sunny days in the top part of Vancouver Island. At some point, the sun left us and fog took over. More about that next week.
Did you know that, in British Columbia, fuel prices are advertised in cents, the speed limit is marked in km/hour, and the green light of traffic lights often blinks? If anyone knows why the lights do this, please share in the comments.
To read the photo captions, hover your mouse over the images, tap them once, or click to make them larger.
Note: I’m slowly catching up on blogs about our RVing lifestyle, which started the end of July. Our current location can be found in the right column of this website.
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October 24, 2018 at 17:49
Wow! Now I really want to visit that area. Such a variety.
October 26, 2018 at 00:49
Lots of nature – forest, waterfalls and seascapes. 🙂
October 24, 2018 at 20:39
Hi, LIesbet – I am so happy that you were able to explore so much of Vancouver Island. It was very interesting to see our Island from your point of view. Most of all, I was delighted that we had the chance to meet up there!
BTW –
A flashing green light on a traffic signal means the signal is pedestrian activated. So, when you approach a flashing green light, use caution, because the signal could be activated by a pedestrian at any time and you might have to stop and let the pedestrian to cross. Hope this helps!
PS – Where are you now?
October 26, 2018 at 00:59
It was so wonderful to meet up with you and Richard! And, yes, we managed to explore a decent chunk of your beautiful island. I’m so happy that we “stuck it out” during the wet days. It was worth hanging around until the sun returned. 🙂
Most of the green lights we passed were blinking and the majority of those times, we didn’t see pedestrians. Maybe it’s a safety thing, that the lights blink in densely populated areas… or, the pedestrians crossed already and got out of view. 🙂
We are currently staying with friends in Salem, Oregon. After a week of fun times here, we are heading south again tomorrow, to reach California early next week.
October 25, 2018 at 01:59
Wow…nature is abundant here. In spite of the rain your pictures are beautiful. I love hiking and will have this area on my wish list now. Meeting bears. .OMG scary but fascinating 🙂
October 26, 2018 at 01:00
Thanks, Gilda. Vancouver Island is a nature-lovers paradise, like most of British Columbia. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the island and would recommend a visit. I hope your travels are going well!
October 25, 2018 at 05:57
What a great post, Liesbet. I feel as though I took a little trip, myself. The rainforest looks incredible. Everything is so green and lush. I loved the zombie train wreck photograph…too cute! Thanks for sharing!
October 26, 2018 at 01:02
I’m glad you felt like you were joining in, Jill. A comment like that makes me very happy. The rainforest is an interesting place. I hope to post some more photos about those mossy experiences next week!
October 25, 2018 at 07:33
Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos — I visited Vancouver BC many years ago with my sister while behind the scenes my life was falling apart – and I do not remember a single thing about the trip! Your photos make me itch to return some day…
October 26, 2018 at 01:05
Sorry to hear about those less than enjoyable circumstances, Janet. Sometimes, when our worries are too strong, the world passes us by, or we pass the world by. There were many times when we were in the tropics, that my mind didn’t manage to notice paradise right outside my door. I’m glad you enjoyed the photo galleries and I hope you can repeat that trip to Vancouver one day, under better conditions.
October 25, 2018 at 10:22
Believe it or not, it was only a few days after you guys left the island that the weather cleared. We had nothing but blue skies and sunshine for three weeks. It was a little cold at night, but the days were beautiful! Unfortunately, David and I were both down with the flu for most of the time and didn’t get to enjoy it at all. Now that we’re feeling better, it’s back to rain! Lol.
October 26, 2018 at 13:22
Oh no, Stephanie! I’m sorry to read that you guys had the flu. I guess David’s “sickly” feeling didn’t get better until much later… 🙁 But, the sun was out for your walks to the shower at least. 🙂 And, I’m glad it cleared up there for you guys as well. We had some beautiful days in Victoria, then a few rainy days again on the Olympic Peninsula, and by the time we reached Oregon, we had sun all around for two weeks or so as well. Very enjoyable and unseasonable! A couple of days ago, the gray skies and rain returned. Probably until the spring… Time to head more south. 🙂
October 25, 2018 at 10:32
Oh dear some of that weather looks very Scottish! You seem to have had a great time despite that. We visited Vancouver once about 25 years ago and really liked it.
October 26, 2018 at 13:25
I’m glad to read that you visited and liked the island as well, Anabel! Often (when it doesn’t last too long), dealing with the wet weather is all about the right mindset. We could have rushed out of there, onward and downward to better climes, but I really didn’t want to miss these amazing sites, so I convinced Mark to “suck it up” for a little while. Wearing wool hats and winter coats aren’t our thing, though. So we have to keep moving south at this point to be comfortable.
October 25, 2018 at 19:30
I recognize several of the locations you visited. We had very similar weather during our time there. That’s the only problem with the Pacific Northwest. It sure is beautiful though!
October 26, 2018 at 13:26
Very beautiful, and tempting to return next summer! I guess there are better and worse climes to visit any region…
October 26, 2018 at 06:54
You are a better sport than I about the gray, rainy weather! Of course, I know it can’t be helped, but I get quite crabby when I go somewhere known for its natural beauty (and lack of rain!) and then it rains the whole time. Sounds like overall it was a great stop, though. Vancouver and that whole general area are very much on our list to visit.
October 26, 2018 at 09:46
Lovely pictures, I didn’t realize it rained that much in Vancouver.
October 26, 2018 at 13:27
I think the weather in Vancouver and Vancouver Island is similar to the Pacific Northwest in the US, which is known for its wet falls, winters and springs. Summer would be the best time to visit, we’ve heard and learned. 🙂
October 26, 2018 at 10:49
I’m just loving all your photos and trips to places I would love to go! These posts are really the heart and soul of your blog, Liesbet! I may have mentioned to you that we are exploring the Grand Circle area of Arizona/Utah for our winter road trip. Hans got his truck and now it’s my job to plan the route. Your posts continue to inspire me and keep adding ideas into the large bucket!
October 26, 2018 at 13:30
Thanks for the compliments and the enthusiasm, Terri. You put a smile on my face right now! I’ve been excited for you and Hans ever since you shared the news about your road trip this winter. It certainly will be hard to fit everything of interest into your RV adventure. But, picking a certain area (the Grand Circle) is perfect to focus on the highlights there. Will you have a month to do the entire trip? So much fun to create a route!
October 26, 2018 at 14:08
Don’t be surprised if I PM you to ask a couple of planning questions, Liesbet! We will start our trip from San Diego where we’ll spend a few days for Christmas. Driving a truck towing a 27-foot trailer will be an interesting experience! From SD we will drive toward Sedona/Flagstaff then on to the Grand Canyon. We may have 10-14 days to travel from 12/27-Jan 10. The idea is to drop the trailer off at campgrounds then take day trips to the locations. I want to visit the Navajo and Hopi Reservations (huge fan of Tony Hillerman’s novels), Antelope Valley and up into Southern Utah. I’m super excited, Liesbet and I’m seriously taking a page out of your travel book to tackle this. Hans is excited too. We hope to head home through Las Vegas and back to NorCal. The more write about this, the more real it becomes 🙂
October 30, 2018 at 11:34
Hi Terri! The very first camper I ever traveled with (in my twenties) was a Ford Explorer pulling a 24ft (or so) “light” travel trailer. After months of living in luxury, my ex and I decided the set-up was too big and cumbersome for us and we changed over to a truck camper. If you leave the trailer in a couple of campgrounds as a base, this way of exploring is perfect! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. And, yes, the more you talk and write about it, the more tangible it becomes. Feel free to ask me anything you want!
October 27, 2018 at 13:22
Definitely a soggy visit it seems. Our son and daughter in law used to live in Vancouver but moved back as the constant gray and rain got to them. I guess all that rain forest growth gives one a clue. It looks like your time in Stanley Park was relatively dry. Such a beautiful area.
October 30, 2018 at 11:38
We lucked out in Stanley Park. It did rain a bit, but we hid under a tree. 🙂 I often contemplate what I would prefer. Sue: warmer weather with lots of rain (think the beautiful Pacific Northwest), or colder weather with blue skies (like New England or certain Canadian provinces). And, I always conclude that the sun is very important to my moods and my life! Yet, neither Mark or I enjoy being cold, so warm weather and blue skies would be perfect and it is what we strive for every winter, with a mixed bag of success. We never seem to completely be able to escape the cold anymore, after we left the tropics.
October 27, 2018 at 15:31
Great story with beautiful photos, Liesbet! I love Canadian West Coast and East Coast scenery.
October 30, 2018 at 11:39
Thanks, Natalie. We’ve been focusing on the West Coast this summer, so maybe the Canadian east coast will follow next year… 🙂
October 28, 2018 at 21:00
Hi Liesbet
Looks like you made the best of the stormy weather. One thing about stormy days is they make nice photos
Laura
October 30, 2018 at 11:41
You are such a positivist, Laura! 🙂 Cloudy days used to make me sad in regards to photo taking, since I’m a blue sky kind of gal. But, after weeks of dreary weather, one has to get over those requirements for perfect days and photos. It is what it is, and showing the real conditions and circumstances is important to me (no photo shop), so, I’m glad you like those stormy day photos. 🙂
October 29, 2018 at 09:16
Beautiful photos. Even though I was born and raised in that province, I haven’t had the opportunity to explore those areas. Love the rainbow/lighthouse pic–so cool that you captured that.
It does rain a ton in Vancouver and the surrounding area, due to being on the coast. One of the reasons I didn’t move there after graduation.
October 30, 2018 at 11:45
Thanks, JH. To top off the rainbow/lighthouse experience, a young couple was getting married in front of the lighthouse, with the rainbow over their heads, as we stood and watched. 🙂 I understand the draw of living on the West Coast of Canada, but I equally see why one would not move or stay there, knowing about the months of rain and grey skies (and for us, cold temps).
October 29, 2018 at 17:43
Thanks for sharing this spectacular tour of the west coast of my beautiful country. Yes, we are in metric in Canada, kilometres, grams, you name it, so much fun, even the temps in celcius. Enjoy! <3
October 30, 2018 at 11:47
The metric system was easy for me, having grown up in Belgium, but Mark had to focus hard on his speedometer, once we entered Canada. 🙂 Still not sure what the blinking green lights are about, as that’s how we usually passed through them. Maybe this only happens in British Columbia… And, we figured out that the fuel prices are advertised in cents from the times that fuel cost less than CAN$1 a liter and they never adjusted the signs by adding a decimal point. 🙂
October 30, 2018 at 17:58
Wow, now that’s a piece of Canadiana – they never changed the system since gas cost under a dolloar, lol, that’s like 40 years ago. 🙂 So what does it say??? 130 something cents a litre? And as for the flashing greens, I’ve never seen that, maybe it’s a warning that even if it’s green proceed with caution because there are so many terrible drivers? LOL 🙂
November 1, 2018 at 17:48
Is the gas price in cents or dollars (with the decimal point) in your neck of Canada, Debby? I’m wondering whether that’s a Canadian thing or a BC thing… Yes, the prices were 149 per liter or something like that. I guess it’s cheaper on the east coast as well. Good to know!
November 2, 2018 at 08:35
Yes, our gas prices have the dollar sign in front: $1.19 a litre. Don’t forget we are in litres here not gallons, so gas is more expensive in Canada than the US. BC is always more expensive, although still not cheap here. You do realize at your $1.49 that s the equivalent of approximately $6 a gallon!!!! Isn’t that outrageous when we are so rich in oil?
November 4, 2018 at 13:26
Aha, interesting they do use the decimal point for the fuel price on the East side of Canada. 🙂 Yep, pretty expensive over there. Although, being back in California, we are looking at US$4 per gallon!! Not as bad as CAD$6, but surely getting there. It’s time Mark and I slow down and stop spending money on diesel…
November 3, 2018 at 09:07
Vancouver Island sounds very big. I wonder if the bear poop is used as fertiliser? Sorry you didn’t get to see any of the bears. Liesbet, but at least you got your fair share of seeing them fishing before arriving in Vancouver.
The view point you had looking towards the city reminded me very much of a similar view when looking back at San Francisco from the far side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Breathtaking.
The weather and climate looks very much like we get here on the southwest coast of the UK. When we get southwesterly winds, it often comes with drizzle, but cool temperatures.
I liked the look of Brockton Point lighthouse, it almost looks as if it’s been built with lego.
November 4, 2018 at 13:29
I’ve never heard of bear poop used as fertilizer, Hugh. It’s usually full of berry residue. Not sure whether that would be good or bad. 🙂
Those views you are talking about over San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are fabulous, and I do remember them well from time spent there. It’s where I met my husband and our life together started.
Your weather must be similar to those rainy, windy days we experienced in Canada. It sometimes reminded me of Belgian weather as well. Luckily for us, we are mobile and, as of today, we have finally reached the warmer latitudes we love so much. Time for shorts and flip flops… Lots of driving to achieve this!
November 5, 2018 at 03:07
What a lovely memory moment about San Francisco, Liesebt. So it’s where the adventure for you both began, then?
I saw on your blog that you’re now in warmer climate. Is a trip to San Francisco on the cards soon, or will it be too cool (weather wise) to visit? I rather liked the climate in San Francisco, even the fog, as it reminded me of home. Loved visiting the Napa Valley and other wine regions north of the city, too.
November 5, 2018 at 08:25
Yep, that’s pretty much where and when my adventure with Mark began. 🙂 Even though San Francisco is one of our favorite cities, we will give it a miss this time around. We want to turn inland now to enjoy better weather and avoid the chaos and traffic. We’re not used to that anymore and traffic jams annoy us and the crazy drivers drive us crazy. The vineyards are in color now and very pretty, with the leaves turning.
November 8, 2018 at 15:24
That is a lot of time to be rained on. It took me a while when we lived on our boat to relied that leaks just went with the experience – everyone has leaks. We have a leak every once in a while, but we always know where they are coming from (the compression nuts holding the solar panels on the roof) and they are always easily fixable. I can’t imagine having multiple leaks – a van is way too small of a space for that! So sorry.
I love the urban camping. Urban Camping makes me nervous, but I think I will have to get over that when we go to Mexico. But what a great way to see the city. Vancouver looks like it was a fun place to explore despite the rain.
November 12, 2018 at 14:19
I had no idea it was called urban camping, Duwan. Dry camping, wild camping or boondocking is the general term, depending on where you’re from, but the urban part makes sense when one spends the nights in cities, I guess. Some cities have ordinances that prohibit this (like Monterey). Instead, one has to pay $30 a night for primitive camping, which I find a lot. But, I had to be settled for a few days for a job, so it’s a business expense. 🙂
We never had as many leaks on our boat as in our camper, strangely enough. Although we knew about one leak in the boat (our emergency hatch), there were a few mystery leaks over time. The ones in the camper are luckily all fixed or their source detected. Nothing is as frustrating as having issues (boat or camper) and not knowing what caused it or how to fix it.
November 21, 2018 at 23:46
When I first moved to Vancouver, many years ago, I found the rain and the grey clouds of winter very hard to take. It seemed to me that the sun never shone from November to February, and I could never get warm. And then I got used to rain, and fell in love with the beauty of coastal rainforests. I lived in the Vancouver area for 15 years in total, and now live on Vancouver Island, and also have lived on BC’s north coast. Although I don’t mind rain, spring and summer here is pretty amazing, and usually warm and sunny.
Jude
November 23, 2018 at 11:32
I totally get why people move to Vancouver Island, especially from colder and less moderate areas in Canada. Plus, the scenery is fantastic as well. So many outdoor opportunities. I don’t mind coming back one day, but it will be in the middle of summer. 🙂
November 22, 2018 at 07:50
Love Whislter. That picture of Brandywine Falls is spectacular and you Zombies pic had me roaring.
Am sorry to hear that your Vancouver experience was rain filled (or maybe I am the only one who ever experienced a week in Vancouver sans rain) but it is still wonderful to return here with your imagery. I especially love Stanley Park and your eye on it!
And your pictures of Vancouver Island are just Wow! Wow! Wow! The waterfalls, the greenery, the seascapes, the wildlife…even in all that rain.
I see that you met up with Donna and Richard – that must have been great fun!
November 23, 2018 at 11:49
I think you got pretty lucky in Vancouver there, Lisa, with your sunny weather. We didn’t have enough time to stay until the sun peeked through and I seem to remember that last time I was there, in 2004 or so, it was grey and/or rainy as well. I can’t easily check as those photos were made by film and the albums are in Belgium. 🙂
We met Donna and Richard for the first time last year, in Palm Desert, CA and it was really nice to see them again. I’m planning a blog post about our meet-ups with friends old and new next week. The pressure is on! 🙂