10 – 11 June 2017

After the hectic days getting the camper ready, we headed to SEATAC airport in Seattle to pick up our friends Diane and John Jackson. We piled their luggage into the camper and headed to Vancouver Island. We look forward to spending the next 10 days exploring the Island with them.

After an uneventful border crossing into Canada (this is important because in years past the Canadian officials, upon seeing our Texas license plate, assumed all Texans carry guns – necessitating a search of our vehicle and camper), we headed to the ferry which would take us to the Island.

So not familiar where we’re headed? Then get out your atlas (or click on the “Map Us” tab on the blog) and check it out!

Mapping it out.

Throughout the Island excursion, John takes some great (hold still while I capture you!) photographs which I include in the blog.

One of the hundreds of little islands surrounding Vancouver Island

I love cloud formations near the ocean!

As you will see in future photographs, the flora on the Island is outstanding! This is a wild rose.

Yes these are lupin! They are amazingly tall. Here Meriam has found a unique way to illustrate their height (it amazed me she could hold the bottle still enough for a photograph considering the contents of the bottle!).

A pure white lupine.

John studies a map of the northern part of the Island. While it is hard to see here, the Island has hundreds of inlets and lakes.

Perhaps one of the most amazing trees we have ever seen. This is a Monkey Puzzle tree. It was imported to the island in the early 1900s.

A closer view of its “needles”.

An incredible amount of lumber is harvested on the island, much of it transported to staging and sorting areas via water. Commercial logging has been active on the Island since the 1890’s.

The first of several interesting sites as we began our 30 mile drive on a dirt logging road to Cape Scott Provincial Park to the northern most tip of the Island. This particular tree seems to grow shoes!

Look closely at what the log fell on!

A subtle reminder this is a logging road!