Kastle's Journey: June 2013 - Pedder Bay, Sooke, Vancouver, Denman and Hornby Island, Nanaimo and Dad's in Surrey

June 5th - Moved to Pedder Bay

We have moved a short distance to Pedder Bay RV Park and Marina. Great place for the dog, lots of walking trails and warmer out of the wind. Unfortunately, no cell coverage but great internet. We still plan on many day trips, so will be able to check for cell messages then.

We are all by ourselves in this section of the park for now... yeah!

This is the expensive area where we camped two years ago.

Ray doing what he enjoys best ... playing the guitar looking over the water. Freya is keeping a sharp eye out for the resident otter.

Ray is the tiny spot centre left.

All the sites are surrounded by cedars .... but what do they remind you of? Obviously special "pruning" by the deer population!

Very different piece of water, very sheltered compared to Weir's Beach. It is nice that there is no smell of rotting seaweed which we have been putting up with at Weir's for the past week.

June 6th - Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse

We recently learned of the national historic site of Ford Rodd Hill and the Fisgard Lighthouse. So we decided to check it out. "Fort Rodd Hill - a National Historic Site - is a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s to defend Victoria and the Esquimalt Naval Base. The Fort includes three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. Visitors can explore gun batteries and underground magazines built a century ago, as well as searchlight emplacements, command posts...and much more." The fort's guns were upgraded during WWII.

First some pictures of the original fort.

Soldiers would stand and fire through the holes

Now for some of the "newer" stuff.

They disguised a searchlight like a fishing shack.

We also walked out to the Fisgard Lighthouse. "The first lighthouse on Canada's west coast is still in operation!

There hasn't been a keeper here since the light was automated in 1929, but every year many thousands of visitors step inside a real l9th century light, and capture some of the feeling of ships wrecked and lives saved. Built by the British in 1860, when Vancouver Island was not yet part of Canada, Fisgard's red brick house and white tower has stood faithfully at the entrance to Esquimalt harbour. Once a beacon for the British Royal Navy's Pacific Squadron, today Fisgard still marks home base for the Royal Canadian Navy."

Fisgard Lighthouse with navy boat going into Esquimalt Naval Base

Stopped and had lunch at the My Chosen Cafe that had been recommended to us. Wonderful atmosphere and great food.

It was so nice and warm when we got back that we sat under a tree by our campsite and threw the chuck-it for Freya for about half an hour and finally tired her out.

"OK Mommy ... I am tired now!"

All and all a lovely day.

June 7th - 1 year anniversary being retired!

It was one year ago today I officially retired and woke up in our trailer at Macktush. Today I wake up in our new coach at Pedder Bay. It has been a year of great change but we've loved our vagabond life!

Yesterday a small helicopter landed right behind us, bringing some small animal babies (raccoon, mink and a few others in small boxes to be picked up by the wild life animal hospital a short distance away. The pilot was an older gentleman, reminded me of "Dr. Pol" on the National Geo Wild channel! He apparently was given these babies from Saltspring Island and up the sunshine coast delivered to him in Boundary Bay to fly them over here.

This helicopter is so small you have to wonder how it can possibly fly!

June 11th - A walk on the waterfront and the Royal BC Museum

On Friday we decided to go into downtown Victoria and visit the museum. It sure is a whole lot bigger than we thought and we spent a couple hours wandering around the three floors. Most of the exhibits however had reduced lighting and so it's hard to get any good pictures. This was the only one that sort of turned out.

Here are a few pictures along the waterfront. It was a beautiful day with lots of tourists around.

These plant sculptures were near the museum.

One of the yachts at the dock sure impressed us.... how about you?

A wonderful day. Freya was happy to see us return to the coach as we left her behind.

June 11th - Sooke with Wayne and Karen

Monday we drove to Sooke to meet up with some new friends (Wayne and Karen) that we met on our travels in the states. Wayne grew up in Sooke and still has a family farm. After a great lunch of fish and chips at Mom's Cafe we noticed some murals across the street. As it turned out there were pictures of Wayne's grandfather and his great grandparents. Didn't realize we know a celebrity!

Next it was off to visit the family farm along the Sooke River. We will be staying on the farm in our coach for a few days in July to celebrate Wayne's and my birthday, July 26th. Looking forward to it. It sure is a beautiful pastoral place. Lots of room for Freya to run and she sure took advantage of it as well, swimming in the river.

June 16th - Happy Father's Day Everyone

Happy Father's Day to all those special Dad's and especially mine.

Father's Day a few years ago at Macktush

Dad, Mom with Garrett and Kristi

My Dad with his Dad about 25 years ago.

Dad with Kristi (Her favorite person)

My Dad, Grandpa getting a tree with our kids, Garrett and Kristi.

My Dad as a young man.

Still Fishing

I remember with fondest memories going fishing as a young girl with my Dad on the Vedder River in Chilliwack. He would carry me piggy back across the river to get to the deltas to fish. I learned to drink black coffee on these excursions as the only additive was a little rum! When I grew into the teens he turned all of his fishing gear and boat in for renting property and buying horse tack so I could have the horses I wanted. He became involved with the Burke Mountain Trail Riders Association and cheered me on in the small horse shows. Once I was through with horses he went back to his love of the water and fishing and got back into boating. Ray and I and the kids enjoyed many years with my Mom and Dad cruising up and down the coast.

Looking forward to spending a couple of weeks with Dad at the end of this month.

A couple pics of Ray's Dad who passed away in 1986.

Hard to believe we are into the third week of June. Time just seems to go by very quickly. We are slowly seeing all of the attractions that Victoria has to offer. This past week we went to Craigdarroch Castle.

This huge house was completed in 1890 for coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. The wealth he had amassed is reflected in the Castle's four floors of exquisite stained glass, intricate woodwork and lavish Victorian-era furnishings.

Next we took a walk around the Victoria Fisherman's Market and looked at all of the houseboats.

Also this week we took a short walk on Taylor's Beach in Metchosin as Freya was in need of her beach fix! This beach is just a short way from where we stayed before at Weir's Beach.

Lots of beach for Freya to chase sticks on. In the distance is where Weir's Beach is. That is it for this week. Next week we move up island to Qualicum Bay. We are staying at a private RV Park that Bill and Elke are staying at for 1 week.

June 20th - HAPPY 89TH BIRTHDAY MOM

Ray's mom is feeling much, much better. We are all so thankful. She came over from Vancouver yesterday on her own (with just a cane!) and we picked her up to take her for her 89th birthday lunch. Ray's brother Ryan and his partner Paul, met us at "The Landing", restaurant at Pacific Shores in Parksville. What a wonderful lunch. Everything we ordered was fantastic. They apparently cook everything possible on a wood fire. In fact, the restaurant had a hint of that smell a fire has. The Landing has two huge saltwater fish tanks right in the middle of the restaurant with local species of fish including snapper, dungeness crab, anemones, rock cod etc. Pretty neet. They even had a wolf eel. After an enjoyable couple of hours it was back to the ferry so she could get back home before the rain begins.

Look at all the food ... and we ate it all!

Doesn't she look good.

And Freya after a long day in the car, waiting and waiting for us, says I'm tired now, goodnight! (She is actually snoring).

June 25th - Denman and Hornby Island

Sunday we took a trip to explore Denman and Hornby island. We planned years ago to see the area but had not made it so Sunday was the day. Just a short 10 minute ride over to Denman, a 10 minute drive to the other side of the island to go onto the ferry to Hornby Island which is another 10 minute ride.

We decided to explore Hornby first and work our way back. First stop at this little center with a coffee bar and sandwich shop. There were also a boutique and pottery stores and the Co-op but they were closed as it was Sunday. A cute little market.

After sharing a wrap for breakfast we carried on to Tribune Bay, the famous white sand beach. Although it was cloudy there were some people in the water.

This standing up piece of driftwood marks the end of the Provincial Park and on the other side is the public beach where dogs are allowed. There is access to this part down a short road. Next it was off to see the Little Tribune Beach just around the point. Apparently this beach is "clothing optional". Today the beach was empty ... too cold to take off anyone's clothes I guess. Too bad Ray!

Little Tribune Bay

Next it was to the Whaling Station Beach. This is the place I would want to stay if we were going to purchase a summer house. A beautiful sandy beach and quite secluded from the open water.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the house on the point? The one on the beach however seems a bit close to the water's edge for me. Next it was off to Ford's Cove, where Hornby's marina is located. Fords Cove.

We drove past this interesting Art Gallery on the way to the ferry.

We noticed quite a few buildings that had this "look" on them.

It was time for lunch. We decided to have a bite at the Thatch Pub and Restaurant which is right at the ferry to go back to Denman. Great view, okay food even though it was starting to rain.

After lunch we just made it onto the ferry back to Denman. We toured all the roads that we could get to on Denman but very few had water views. Most of the properties were farms and large acreages. Definitely not a tourist destination. Now we can strike that trip off our bucket list as well. We had a great day and there were lots of places for Freya to run on the sand on Hornby so I think she had a good day as well.

Wednesday it is off to White Rock for 2 weeks to stay with my dad as Betty is going to Winnipeg for her daughter's wedding.

June 25th - Back to Nanaimo

We left our friends Bill and Elke at Qualicum Bay and parked the coach at our friends Jason and Taunia Sutton's house in Cedar (Nanaimo) for the next two weeks. This was in preparation to leave the next day for White Rock to look after my dad as Betty is going to her daughter's in Winnipeg for her wedding. We also took a small U-Haul trailer over full of furniture and camping equipment we no longer need to our son Garrett. But first, we had a spectacular lunch at the Crow and Gate English Pub in Cedar.

They have some lovely gardens out back.