Highway Cruising

There was no urgent reason to drive 45 KM to Horseshoe Bay this morning as we weren't taking a BC Ferries ship anywhere. It was just a chance to take Kimchi, our EV, for a little trip on Route 1. A short distance from our apartment, the Trans-Canada Highway runs westward through Vancouver, then, the Lower Mainland section terminates at Horseshoe Bay. In order to drive the most westerly section of the Trans-Can ending in Victoria, BC, one would need to drive aboard a BC Ferries vessel to Vancouver Island.



I have been in possession of our Hyundai KONA Electric for more than a week; however, we had not done any major freeway-type driving. I had no experience using the 'adaptive cruise control' feature. So this distance seemed a perfect outing on which to test it out.







It seemed chilly along the water. Nevertheless, walking along the waterfront park, pier, and small village was enjoyable. We saw construction on a huge condo development backed up along the hillside. Boy, those units are going to be pricy!

The trip back home brought us through to a Coquitlam exit. This vehicle is going to be excellent for trips! I couldn't believe how useful the adaptive cruise-control felt. I just set to 90 KPH and forgot about it. My KONA Electric has a little plastic heads-up display so I could watch when my car discovered another one ahead of me. If, for example, a car was slower because it had just pulled onto the highway, the KONA automatically slowed down and matched its speed at a safe distance until it climbed to my designated 90 KPH limit.

Something that ICE (internal-combustion-engine) folks do not understand is how much torque an EV motor delivers. One nearly needs 'amusement-park experience' when stepping down on the accelerator of an electric vehicle. They do get up and go!

Old Mays

I bought my first digital camera in 2002. So, it has now been more than a whole decade since I touched a roll of film.



I found some old, digital pictures on my SkyDrive. I don't think I ever put this 10-year old one online, for example. It was from a "CirclePac" ticket used exactly a decade ago. BC Ferries discontinued the offering in 2011. Prior to that time, passengers were able to travel over to the island on normal Lower Mainland routes, and back through the Sunshine Coast at discounted rates. Now it seems as nothing about BC Ferries is reasonably priced.

The Marine Highways

When it's so clear, I love being on a BC Ferry. It does seem as if taking a vehicle is now too expensive. But with easy access via public transit from each side, it's easy to get into the city of Victoria and back to Vancouver. During the holidays, the one and a half hour trip was only $9.95 for foot passengers. It was so clear but very cold coming back on the 11 o'clock sailing. I think I'm actually windburned from just snapping some pictures from Deck 5.

Maybe a summer driving trip from the tip of the island to Prince Rupert is due. (If you click on the link above, please note that Vancouver Island is about 300 miles long.) We can then drive down around through Prince George and loop home. We've not done that for a long, long time.

Big BC

I have this external drive, you see. It's used for old data. I archive a lot of junk there and so it's an excellent source for rediscovering old pictures. I am often surprised by what I find. Of course, I have a great many photographs already online. Still, I like the idea of resurrection. In this case, an old jpg file which would, ordinarily, never have lit a single screen pixel, has suddenly come to life! Today's example is from 2003. It was taken at the end of April on a ferry / road trip I may well have recounted here in the past. I am standing in British Columbia at the border to Hyder, Alaska. I remember just driving into Alaska as nobody was at the post. When returning a half hour later, a Canadian border guard stopped us. She was especially keen on knowing more about the hamster which was travelling with us.

April of 2003 was nearly six months before I started my eJournal and images. I find it hard to remember life before blogging though. Still, always a story teller, I did make this email message which I subsequently put online.

Not Crossing the Strait

The weekend is on its way. Earlier in the month, we thought we might head to Salt Spring Island. After all, we thought, the weather is bound to improve as we get closer to the end of June. It really hasn't. Sunday is due to be a complete washout; therefore, we decided not to make a three day weekend at this time. I begin with a new class on Monday and work only two of the next five Fridays. Jay can take a sick day when the weather on a future weekend promises sunshine.

I don't think we've been over to Vancouver Island yet this year. Last year we cruised through Victoria on a Holland American cruise from San Diego. I think the last time we were on a ship of BC Ferries was after Christmas in 2005. The fares and cost of vehicle seem too expensive to just pop over for a quick unplanned journey!

Find, Scan, and Post

I like taking something ten years old and being able to modify it for use in this blog. In this case a photo from a trip to Victoria in the summer of 1997 has become an entry.

The 'Queen of the North'

If you followed the news yesterday, you undoubtedly heard about the sinking of a BC ferry. Apparently, no people were lost or seriously injured.



This was taken aboard the ferry that is now gone. We had just left Port Hardy at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The Queen of the North was heading north towards Prince Rupert. This was back in April of 2003. People from elsewhere have a difficult time picturing the actual size of this province. We were out on a road trip to see a bit of it ourselves.

Read an email with photos which was sent to friends and family upon our return from this trip.

A Night Out of Town

There's no better way to make one feel great about living in this part of British Columbia than a beautiful ferry ride over to Victoria. We had fair weather with the big storm not coming until we were sound asleep at the Dominion Hotel.

Going and coming completely by public transit proved easy and relaxing, not to mention cheaper. As hordes of people were finishing up their Christmas days off, there were tremendous crowds returning to the Mainland this afternoon. If we had driven, we would have been stuck in a three-ferry wait. Yet, there's always room for foot passengers! We got back a number of hours earlier by taking buses on either side of the 1.5-hour ferry run.

A Boxing-Day Queue?

In Canada, today is Boxing Day. It's the ultimate, post-Christmas, sales extravaganza. So successful in fact, it has changed people's gift-buying habits. Many Canadians hold off their purchases until the sales start.

However, due to the fact there's nothing that we really want that we haven't already purchased, we will not be waiting in queue for a store to open. Rather, we've decided to take a trip over to the Island.

We should be onboard the 10:00 Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run. For a bit more adventure, we're not driving over this time. For the first time, we will discover if it's easy to connect up using public transit. If you happen by this blog before our departure time, you'll be able to see how many vehicles are waiting in this live webcam. (Just reload your screen to update.)

We'll stay for one night and should be back by Tuesday evening. Perhaps, I'll leave my notebook computer at home this time. I can write the entry for that day after we get back.

Surely, It's Port Alice

In the old days, it was easy to write a note or message on the back of a photograph. I'm sure the only time I ever bothered was when I sent ones to my grandmother. Still, that possibility has been squashed as my pictures don't often leave their digital format nowadays. I selected the following image directly from a computer folder. Although I could include no note on its virtual back, I am fairly positive this picture of Jay was taken in Port Alice on northern Vancouver Island.



I looked up things we've done during April in previous years. Jay and I took a ferry/road trip in April 2003. This picture was taken during the long, BC journey and about five months before I started blogging. However, if you'd like to see several more pictures including Hyder Alaska, you may view this re-constructed email message.

Even with Pics, Memories Fade

I really wish all photo finishers would stamp the date on the backs of the pictures they develop.

Today, went to a drawer to find a photograph to scan. I would swear this one was from April 2002 when we took CirclePac tickets for a BC Ferries trip and visited the Island and Sunshine Coast. I can remember the kind lady who politely took a picture of Jay and me.

There are still some things I don't recall. I got my digital camera in February of that year and this trip would've been in April. Did we take along a film camera too? Is this Comox, or was this from another trip?

See You Soon, Mummy

We decided that we wanted to see the BC Royal Museum's Eternal Egypt Exhibit. It's only runs till the end of October, and today was a good option.

A trip to Victoria is always fun. Yet, in order to pay a visit to the provincial capital, one needs to first get over to the island. The most practical way is on a BC Ferry. We've always driven but the midweek, round-trip price for the truck and two people now adds up to $88.50.

We noticed that Pacific Coach Lines is running a special that includes a free ferry passage and reserved access to the Museum. We can get to their downtown Vancouver bus station by SkyTrain and they will later drop us off right in downtown Victoria. The cost is nearly the same but there's no need to worry about a line-up at the ferries, traffic, or parking.

We're off for a 7:45 departure and will return, on our open tickets, in the evening. I'll post a couple of pictures tomorrow.

Email to Web Page

I was nearly at a loss as to what to write today. Then, I just happened to be cleaning up my Outlook folders. I discovered an email that was written by Jay and me after a BC trip taken last April. That was before my blogging began, so many friends and relatives may have missed it. As some of the pictures are interesting, I've taken the liberty to format the note as a web page.

BC Coastal Ferry and Road Trip - April 2003

Smooth Sailing

It was a fantastic day to return back to the Mainland. We caught the 11:00 am sailing. The journey takes 1 hour and 35 minutes. It was about 12C (55F) degrees today! The sun was brightly shining and everybody seemed happy to have such a great winter's day!

Out of Town

I will not include an image today. Too many of 'em on one page must make it difficult to load for the poor, unfortunate 'bandwidth impaired'.

Off on a vacation this morning although we should return by Thursday evening. It's time to jump on a ferry, slide over to the south of the Island, and spend a bit of time in the area near downtown Victoria.

I might add a bit of text this week, but promise to come back and fill in any blank entry with a few pictures from the provincial capital.

Tf = (9/5)*Tc+32

With November has come winter temperatures. It's been nearly freezing at night which corresponds to zero on thermometers here. (The U.S. freezes at 32 degrees.) I can think in either Celsius or Fahrenheit, but for some strange reason, I've never been able to convert without a calculator.

It's time to start wondering if we'll see much snow in New Westminster this year. Last winter I don't think downtown had any! It's rather an exciting surprise when it does happen.

Snow's fun. Here's Jay standing in some near Mt. Washington over on Victoria Island. We took a BC Ferries CirclePac trip last spring. The skiing season was over but neither of us ski anyway.

Horseshoe Bay, BC

Now, I'm really convinced that blogs are a fantastic way to initiate communication.

I just got an email from a Mr. Gaurav Pahwa. He is in India and said he was looking at this blog. He appreciated the pictures and asked for more. So, here's another picture from when my sister was here last month. It is Horseshoe Bay, BC. There are provincial government ferries which leave from this area and travel across to Vancouver Island. Write again when you have a chance, Gaurav.