Sea Voyage to Another Country

(Continuing to catch up.) Then I went over to Victoria for a couple of days, to visit with W. & P. The ferry still had its holiday decorations, lights on the superstructure, ribbons wrapping the vent pipes.

Cloudy early morning on the ferry, not yet full daylight (Click for larger image.)

It rained and rained. On New Years Day we drove out the West Coast Road, and it rained and rained. The creeks flowing down off Jordan Ridge and San Juan Ridge were all running hard (and fluffed up with cafe au lait water), a sight to see while peering out the passenger seat window at the roadside as we went. No views. Picnic lunch in the car at Jordan River. Even the surfers were off the water, sheltering from the rain. The otters didn't seem to be minding, though.

We didn't look for ducks at Esquimalt. We didn't go down to the shore at French Beach, as we usually do on lazy days. We didn't eat pastries at Point No Point. It rained. We drove. Map from Atlas of Canada (live, just keep clicking along to the NW, change scale, play around; or there are a couple of captured images below.)(I'm not Canadian. Not sure I should make free with the Atlas of Canada the way I feel permission with US gov't sites. But the images are below anyway.)

We looked at maps a lot, in the car and later at home. Next trip has to be when there are longer days and better weather, so we can try the Pacific Marine Circle Route. The fact that it's now paved actually represents something bad about future development in the wake of the Provincial government having somehow given away the rights to the lands to Western Forest Products, so we understand. But the road on the maps is wildly seductive.

Thanks to P.'s sister, a fellow librarian, for the link leading to the Atlas of Canada...

Atlas of Canada image, French Beach to River Jordan (Click for larger image.)Loss Creek to Kuitche Creek, where the creek flow was spectacular (Click for larger image.)