Mark and I have been exploring and living in our camper van Zesty full-time since the end of July 2018. Last week, I wrote a blog (with tons of photos) about arriving in Canada, early September, and our first ten or so days on Vancouver Island. The rain was omnipresent, but we managed to have a wonderful time. When the sky cleared, Mark and I left Campbell River (see my Bears vs. Salmon post for one of our highlights in Canada) to explore a more remote and cooler part of the island – the north – before tracing the East Coast all the way to its southern point.
To read the photo captions, hover your mouse over the images, tap them once, or click to make them larger.
Sayward
Few travelers venture north of Campbell River, where island communities are smaller and hardier. It’s colder and wetter up there, so we tried to take advantage of the few sunny days in the forecast. We stopped at the town of Sayward, anticipating to spend the night there at a free campground. Upon discovering that our resource, iOverlander, was wrong – there is a fee to dry camp in town – we checked out the inviting waterfront and moved on to spend the night elsewhere.
The logging industry is huge on Vancouver Island. We noticed its presence everywhere as we traversed the region, just like in Washington and Oregon state later on.
Telegraph Cove
This town is extremely charming and one of the last remaining “boardwalk villages” in North America. Mark and I walked the wooden pier and scrutinized the historic houses that are now part of a resort hotel. It was my goal to either rent kayaks or book a kayak tour here (What was I thinking? It’s not that I have a steady income!), to see an orca pod up-close. For good or for bad (I did see the prices at the resident tour operator), kayaks are never rented here because of the dangerous currents, and the last orca tour went out two days prior. Summer season had ended and everybody in the tourist industry was wrapping up shop. It was September 24th. Why do I keep thinking summer lasts forever?
Port Mc Neill
The road doesn’t end in Port McNeill, but we called this northern seaside town our end destination. Walking along the waterfront, through town and along the forest trail was pleasant – we even saw the biggest burl in the world – but the highlights are the off-lying islands. It was getting colder and the weather could turn any moment, so we had to pick between a daytrip to Malcolm Island (mainly nature), or Cormorant Island (mainly culture).
Malcolm Island
Mark and I “saddled” our bikes and took a ferry to Sointula, the main village on Malcolm Island. It was founded by Finnish settlers in the early 1900s to create a utopian community, but most of that has disappeared. The forecast promised sun, but the watery surroundings didn’t want to have anything to do with that. We arrived on the island under cloudy, foggy skies, dressed in multiple layers of clothing, rain jackets and wool hats. If only we had gloves!
From the moment we biked a mile, our hands were freezing and we contemplated hopping on the next available ferry back to Vancouver Island. Coming all this way, we persevered and explored the western side of the island with our e-bikes. We hiked part of Beautiful Bay Trail in a misty drizzle, passing mossy trees, tall ferns and a viewpoint to spot orcas. Not today. The resident and migratory pods had moved on. We ate our sandwich lunch at a covered picnic table.
Our next stop was the lighthouse, which could be reached by a walk through the rainforest and along the beach. The sun remained absent; we kept biking. We choose to explore the massive array of logging roads and head back to town that way. Granted, we got lost a couple of times, but this was a fun area to explore and we eventually made it out of this cobweb of gravel roads. We were rewarded by a scrumptious pastry at the local bakery, while waiting for the ferry ride back to Port McNeill. As we left the island, the sun peeked from behind the clouds…
Comox Valley
After our cold adventure on Malcolm Island, it was time to finally head south. Winter is coming! We drove through Campbell River again, where we wanted to do a double-take at the hatchery. My blog post from a couple of weeks ago documents the wonderful encounter we experienced there.
Heading south on Vancouver Island
In the Comox Valley, we made a few quick stops at Point Holmes, Miracle Beach, and Goose Spit to take in the views across the water, under sunny skies. We truly fell in love with Vancouver Island’s coastline.
Chemainus
After a quick visit to an artistic blogging friend and her multi-talented husband in Nanoose Bay (more about all our Canadian meet-ups in a future blog post), we continued our drive south. Chemainus impressed us with its murals and authentic atmosphere. Again, we found a decent free spot to spend the night, even in these busier environs.
Victoria
Victoria is the main city on Vancouver Island and the capital of British Columbia. We looked forward to a multiple-day visit, but first we swung by Brentwood Bay, where we met up with a fellow sailor couple and blogging friend for the weekend. Meeting like-minded people during rainy spells works well!
If there is ever a town in Canada we could see ourselves settle or spend more time, it would be Victoria. Maybe because it has the most moderate climate in the country, or maybe because it is such a diverse place to be, but Mark and I enjoyed our explorations on foot. It was too windy to deal with our bikes.
Many parks line the extensive waterfront and we never tire of the expansive views over the sea. On that introduction with the city, we strolled for miles, taking in the southern edge of the peninsula, the cruise ship terminal, Fisherman’s Wharf with its cute floating houses, and the inner harbor.
On our second day in the city, we drove by Government House and Craigdarroch Castle, which isn’t a castle by any means, and found free parking near Beacon Hill Park. From there, we ventured into the city center with its impressive parliament. We managed to witness a legislative session before lunch, browsed exhibits, and gazed at the interior of the building. Interesting!
Thunderbird Park sports authentic and impressive totem poles, the “high tea ceremony” at the Empress Hotel was way out of our budget, and Chinatown could be reached via Bastion Square. All this walking required a moment of rest back in Zesty, now parked along the waterfront for sunset. In the evening, we were allowed to situate our car (first in line) at the ferry terminal, for a morning departure. Like all our nights on Vancouver Island, this last one was free, with the added bonus of being able to witness Victoria by night!
After three weeks on this beautiful island, Mark and I returned to the USA by ways of the Olympic Peninsula. Stay tuned for our explorations and photos of this intriguing area next month!
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. Editing my memoir is constantly on my mind, but I don’t have the time or the resources to work on it while sightseeing. Come winter, it will be my priority.
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October 30, 2018 at 13:31
Hi Liesbet! It looks like you had some beautiful days and some??? Oh well, I think it is the time of year for sure. But I love your photos and your adventures. AND I am also looking forward to hearing how some of your meetups went. Getting together with like-minded people is always wonderful. ~Kathy
November 1, 2018 at 17:26
We knew we had a late start to our summer adventures, due to our extended time back east in June and July, so we took the weather as it came. The joy of not being in a rush anymore and taking every day and destination as they came also caused some “delays” by the time we reached Vancouver Island. We’ve been doing fine with any kind of weather, but after three months of mostly being cold (and some of it being wet), it is really time to find the sun and heat again!
We’ve been meeting up with so many people that I don’t know whether one post about that will suffice. 🙂
October 30, 2018 at 13:31
Thank you again, Liesbet, for sharing your travel story and lovely photos. I’ve been to Victoria but haven’t been north of Campbell river.
November 1, 2018 at 17:30
There is so much to see and do on Vancouver Island, Natalie. Our three weeks there only scratched the surface. We just met a traveler who spent three weeks on the island, just making a big loop around Victoria… I hope you manage to make it back over there, maybe next summer? I’m hearing rumors about a bloggers meet-up over there. 🙂
October 30, 2018 at 13:53
We also loved Vancouver Island (if they only had a bit more sunshine!). Was the whale museum open at Telegraph Cove when you visited? Here’s our post about North Vancouver Island with lots of photos including Port Hardy at the end of the road. https://travelswithharvy.com/2014/10/21/exploring-north-island/ It’s fun to revisit some of our favorite places via your blog – thanks for sharing.
November 1, 2018 at 17:40
You’re welcome, Leslie. I’m not sure the whaling museum was open, it was pretty quiet everywhere on the pier, but I do know that they were still running whale watching tours, as the grey whales were prominent in the area.
Based on your blog post, your weather was even worse than ours! I’m glad we got to experience some sunshine in Sayward, Telegraph Cove and Port McNeill. That campground in Sayward (Kelsey Bay) was, indeed, pretty cute and cheap as well. Only one of the six spaces was taken when we parked nearby to have a walk around. I think it was $10 a night. But, we are hardcore when it comes to not spending money for our overnight parking. Luckily, we have not had to experience someone knocking on our door after dark! It’s probably a matter of time, like you wrote. 🙂
October 30, 2018 at 14:09
HI, Liesbet – I am so glad that you and Mark enjoyed Vancouver Island. I look forward to the two of you returning for another visit. When will you be in Southern California? We will be here until November 15.
November 1, 2018 at 17:43
Not sure about another visit to the island, Donna. I’ve been there twice now, and there are so many other places to explore… But, we really enjoyed our time. We are currently in Northern California and hope to get to warm weather soon. But, we won’t go further south than Ojai (Santa Barbara area) as we have a house sit there on November 18th. Enjoy the rest of your stay in the desert!!!
October 30, 2018 at 14:28
I don’t think I’ve explored Vancouver Island much past Victoria but I hope to rectify that next year. I agree that Victoria is quite beautiful. When we were there a year ago July, the Parliament Building was also lit at night. I guess they do that year-round… aren’t Canadians nice? I’m looking forward to hearing more about your blogging meet-ups (and, of course, our meet-up later this year).
November 1, 2018 at 17:45
So, you are going back to Vancouver Island next year? You’ll have to fill me in on the details later this year! 🙂 Many meet-ups on this trip, Janis. That’s one of the reasons why we are having such a fun time on the road. And, having time and freedom to decide on our routes helps, of course. Very different than having to rush from house sit to house sit…
October 30, 2018 at 17:18
So disappointing about the orca tour! I agree, summer should last forever. Today, I have learned what a “burl” is.
November 1, 2018 at 17:46
I had to think about your comment when I was hiking through the redwoods yesterday and saw a tree with many burls! I took a photo for you and will have to post it somewhere or send you, once I’ve taken it off my camera. 🙂 I knew you’d understand my desire for eternal summers, Lucy.
October 30, 2018 at 18:53
So many new places for me to read about here! I can’t believe how bundled up you guys are; I guess I am now a real, full-time southerner who forgets that fall means cooler temps. All of your stops look so appealing!
November 1, 2018 at 17:50
It’s quite ironic, Lexie, how we always strive to be warm, and how we always manage to fail miserably in this department. 🙂 We had a late start to the summer, and, if you know me, I have a hard time skipping places, because it’s cold. Poor Mark! Soon, I will have to give in, tough, as I’ve dragged him up enough mountains and into the cold sea breeze or shadows of the redwoods lately. We are making progress, though, and have arrived in Northern California. At least the sun is back!
October 31, 2018 at 00:10
We loved Vancouver Island and walking in the parks. Some of your photos look familiar! We found the Empress Hotel less impressive than it looked in its glory days. I’m glad you found some liked-minded people to hang out with during the rainy spells! Now I see from the itinerary you are heading south. 🙂 Safe travels!
November 1, 2018 at 17:53
Thanks, Marian! Few buildings of fame and statute probably kept their looks and atmosphere. It’s still interesting to walk and browse around (like in the old national park lodges), but the prices for drinks, high tea, or food are unfortunately a bit too pricey for us. Hanging out with friends is the perfect pastime during colder, wetter days. 🙂
October 31, 2018 at 04:38
Gosh, you and Mark have covered a lot of ground, Liesbet. I truly appreciate these posts as you’ve visited areas that I’d love to see one day. Your photographs are fantastic! Stay safe!
November 1, 2018 at 17:55
Thank you for your nice comment, Jill. As always, you truly make me smile. I’m getting engrossed in your book, by the way! I’ve finally decided to start reading again and prioritize that over other pursuits. It had been a while. I’m trying to cut my diary writing time in half for a start!
November 1, 2018 at 18:38
I’m glad I can make you smile, Liesbet…that makes me happy. 🙂 Thank you so much for reading my book…I appreciate it! Do you type all of your diary writings or do you ever write them in longhand? Just curious. 🙂
November 4, 2018 at 13:23
Until three years ago, I wrote all my diary entries in Dutch and longhand in notebooks. Since I’ve owned an iPad, I have been writing my diary in a program called “Day One”, typing the entries out every evening before bed, and switching over to English as I felt more comfortable in that language by 2015. So, I’ve gone digital for the last three years. No more diaries to store, no ink to fade and much easier. 🙂
November 4, 2018 at 15:32
I’ve used “Day One” before…it’s a good program. 🙂
November 5, 2018 at 08:22
Agreed!
October 31, 2018 at 06:46
What a jam packed post and trip! Loved all the floating houses along your travels, as we just spent some time living in one in Amsterdam for a week and are increasingly drawn to the concept. Seems like one could have a similar lifestyle to having an RV, but just on the water, if they are moveable homes.
We really liked the look of Chemanus with all its murals and cute atmosphere. Also the boardwalk town seems a fun place to stroll through.
Hope you get somewhere warm before the weather gets too cold. Hard to imagine as we sit here in tropical heat everyday!!
Peta
November 1, 2018 at 17:58
That’s so awesome that you guys stayed in a boat house or floating home in Amsterdam, Peta. What a fun experience. We recently chatted with sailing friends about their new plan to buy a narrow boat in England and travel that way through the channels. And, we also recently stayed at a friend’s floating home for the night in Portland, OR.
Enjoy your tropical heat! The more we strive to beat fall heading south (and fail), the more we realize the tropics are our kind of place, and, really, the only part of the world to not be cold anymore.
October 31, 2018 at 12:23
Great photographs Liesbet, it looks like a fabulous area to explore, despite the weather! Comox Valley, Point Holmes, Miracle Beach, and Goose Spit look especially beautiful :o) xxx
November 1, 2018 at 17:59
Thanks, Xenia. Some parts of Canada and the US are similar to your neck of the woods. But, we haven’t seen snow on the mountain tops yet! 🙂
October 31, 2018 at 14:53
It looks lovely, but rather cold! Sounds like you had a great time anyway.
November 1, 2018 at 17:59
We did, Anabel. I can’t tell you how much we enjoy this new lifestyle. The freedom and lack of stress are priceless!
November 1, 2018 at 10:20
Wow, you two really covered a lot of the rather large island! Although the weather didn’t cooperate fully for you, the beauty of the region can be experienced in any kind of weather (as you described). I have a sister living in Victoria, and I’m always envious of the scenery and mildness of the winter there!
Dave (Hubby)
November 1, 2018 at 18:02
Hi Dave! Thanks for swinging by and leaving a comment. As I mentioned to Sue before, there is envy of the mildness of winter, when you live in the mountains, but, in the end, what would you prefer: colder weather with blue, sunny skies, or warmer winters with drizzle and gray skies? Knowing you, I think I can guess the answer. Plus, it’s much more fun to be outdoors when staying dry. Except from falling on the snow, of course. 🙂
November 2, 2018 at 03:52
I have read your full post and I want to say that this is a very nice post with stunning photographs thank you to share this post here.
November 4, 2018 at 13:23
Thanks.
November 5, 2018 at 20:16
Loved the mini tour through Vancouver Liesbet, it does look so beautiful, I do hope to get to the west coast of my own country some day. Maybe you guys will move to Canada:) Eh? lol 🙂 xx
November 11, 2018 at 22:27
As we often do, we had a look at the real estate prices (window shopping in towns) and the houses are not too crazy expensive on Vancouver Island. But, we still rather change the view through our windows frequently, and it’s too cold and wet in your country. Sorry! We’d love to come for a visit out east, though. 🙂
November 7, 2018 at 08:54
We have to take time to explore this part of the world. Such lovely scenery, even on gray days. Im not sure I could have handled that bike ride without gloves. My hands and feet are the first to suffer on those windy days. We have developed some of the most wonderful friendships while out on the road.
November 11, 2018 at 22:30
I hear you about cold hands and feet, LuAnn! We keep telling ourselves we don’t want to be cold anymore, yet, I’ve had cold hands and feet since the end of August. And, we’re still nowhere really warm. This morning, I took a hot shower and my hands were tingling as I’d been working on my computer in a cold camper.
By the time we reach Southern California, it’ll be fall there as well. 🙂 If you’re like me, falling asleep with icy feet just doesn’t work.
November 12, 2018 at 08:52
Icy feet don’t work for me either Leisbet! Wearing socks to bed does however. 😉
November 12, 2018 at 14:39
Nice! When my feet are already cold, wearing socks in bed only helps so much. But, in the middle of the night, my feet are finally toasty and I take them off. The socks that is. I’m doing it every night again, these weeks… Time to head further south.
November 12, 2018 at 14:44
That is just what I am doing. We are in the Midwest until Thanksgiving and are looking forward to heading back to So. Cal for a little warmth.
November 12, 2018 at 19:49
Luckily, Thanksgiving falls early this year, so you will be back in the warmth pretty soon! As for us, we have a house sit lined up in Ojai on the 18th (and will celebrate Thanksgiving there), so we both hav wonderful prospects. 🙂
November 13, 2018 at 07:12
Not a bad place to spend Thanksgiving Leisbet. We are on a housesit right now in cold Wisconsin. At least we have the right clothing with us as we planned to spend the fall in the Midwest. We had hoped for warmer weather however. The cat we are caring for has made it all worthwhile.
November 15, 2018 at 11:42
Not fun to live in a place that’s colder than you expected. We’ve had that happen a lot for some reason, even after checking weather predictions ahead of time. We either don’t calculate in the rain or the wind. Or, better, weather.com doesn’t. Or, it’s an extremely wet/windy/cold season for the time of the year. 🙂 Animals often make our stays worthwhile! Enjoy your next house sit down south! I wish we had more sits scheduled for the winter as well.
November 15, 2018 at 14:09
I think it has been colder and wetter than previous years. We had hoped we would get more biking in but the weather has changed our plans. The kitty we are sitting for right now is so darn adorable that the weather doesn’t bother us too much.
November 16, 2018 at 18:56
It sounds like you are just like us, hitting these places on colder than normal, or wetter than normal or … than normal years. 🙂 Enjoy Southern California and stay safe from fires and smoke!
November 8, 2018 at 15:51
Amazing burl. Never knew those bumps on trees had names or that grew so big to be displayed prominently anywhere.
It looks like it was an amazing trip. The cold ruins everything. I have decided I am just going to have to be a hardier person and brave the cold more since summer never lasts long enough.
November 12, 2018 at 14:23
Good for you! Our solution was trying to find warmer weather, but that doesn’t seem to work out well, based on the destinations we’ve picked for this last summer and fall. I guess when you’ve lived in the tropics for a decade, your body doesn’t cope well anymore with winters. In general, I’m OK with colder weather, as long as the sky is blue and if it means seeing places that are exciting. And, having a place for the night that is heated (not so much in a camper)! Mark gets fed up with the cold more easily (he’s skinny), so, no more dragging our feet anymore. Southern California, here we come! 🙂
November 13, 2018 at 09:36
The parliament building all lite up in Victoria reminded me of Harrods lit up at Christmas time, Liesbet. A spectacular site. I hope Mark and you now have gloves? Your hands must have frozen to the handle bars of the bikes. Is the summer season on the Island short? I’m guessing so.
November 15, 2018 at 11:46
We don’t have gloves, Hugh. The idea was that we wouldn’t need any, but we seem to have found ourselves in colder regions than planned this summer and fall. Or, lingered there longer than we should have. 🙂 We’re in Southern California now, so gloves are not needed anymore.
You are right about the summer seasons up north, as in Alaska and Canada and even parts of Northern USA. I think it’s safe to say that summer ends towards the end of August, based on our experiences. Now, we know!
November 17, 2018 at 09:13
Here’s a tip I have used for the times I’ve not been able to find a pair of gloves, Liesbet. Use a pair of socks, wooly if possible. instead ????But, as you say, maybe you won’t be needing them again.
November 19, 2018 at 15:14
Thanks for the tip! If only I knew ahead of time when an extra pair of socks was needed. Maybe we should always pack two pairs in our backpack. 🙂
November 22, 2018 at 00:15
Liesbet, it is so interesting to read about my home stomping grounds from your point of view. I am glad that you and Mark had a few sunny days here, but too bad you missed the hot dry summer!
For future reference, from a tourism perspective, the Canadian summer season runs from the Victoria Day long weekend (24th of May) to Labour Day (first Monday in September). The six weeks before and after are shoulder seasons, and the rest is quite likely to have wintery weather (October-March). Yep. Six months of winter.
Jude
November 23, 2018 at 11:36
There is so much to do and see in your home stomping grounds, Jude, that three weeks really doesn’t do Vancouver Island justice. Maybe we will come back and do a multiple-month house sit one day, so we can flavor the outdoor offerings a bit more. 🙂 And, thanks for your timeline of Canadian summer. It’s a bit similar in the US, but I held on to the seasonal dates for summer too much (June 21 to September 21), especially that last part. I’m still glad that we hit the shoulder season and not the real winter, though. 🙂 And, with six months of winter, I understand why so many Canadians go south during that time.
November 22, 2018 at 07:36
Fall certainly comes early there! I adore coastal towns at this time of year. And speaking of adore, those cute floating houses on Fisherman’s wharf are calling out to me. Are they all store fronts or are some residences? Off to read about Part 1 of your adventures on this grand isle.
November 23, 2018 at 11:45
Those ones were a mix of stores and private residences, Lisa. And, they are cute indeed. We are both attracted to this kind of living, as the houses are usually manageable (as in small), and, of course, we like the idea of living on the water with the comforts of living on land. 🙂 Stay tuned for my blog next week, as I will feature one of our friend’s places in Portland. She lives on a houseboat and we spent the night there.