Sea Voyage to Another Country (Again)

May 24th, went over to Victoria to hang out with PW and WC. It was a beautiful morning for the crossing.

May 24, 2013. Port Angeles from the stern deck of the ferry. Looking good. (Click for larger image.) Still sunny when we got to the other side. Victoria Harbor, May 24, 2013 (Click for larger image.)

Usually we drive west along the West Coast Road, it's a reflex: 'I dunno, why don't we head out to French Beach, maybe we could have a fancy dessert at the Point No Point Inn and look across the Strait to Clallam Bay, ooh, shall we go to Jordan River.' This time instead we went not west but north, where Victoria proper backs up into the Saanich Peninsula and becomes Greater Victoria. We went to Quick's Bottom Park and took a walk. It's a wetland, it was quite preposterously green. Managed to find the decrepit old bird blind, though it was midday and not many birds to see (and no pix). We ventured onto back roads.

Quick's Bottom, Saanich, BC. May 24, 2013 (Click for larger image.)

The next day we set forth in search of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. It was rumored to be an easy walk to Tod Inlet. We trundled down a ways along the slope below where Butchart Gardens is, then came to a trail sign that made clear there was much further to go, and besides it was thinking about raining, so we turned back.

Random woodsiness on the trail to Tod Inlet, May 25, 2013 (Click for larger image.)

We had lunch in Brentwood Bay, while it absolutely poured down rain into the marina and on all the decks of the restaurant. Then explored local roads. Went out to Willis Point, wherever that is (by then I was turned around 180 degrees, thought we were looking east when we were looking west).

The end of the road at Willis Point, where the houses run out and by golly there's a boundary sign for Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. Where for heaven's sake were we? (Click for larger image.)

A rest, a quick stop to say hello to one of PW's daughters at her downtown job, and I was back on the ferry for the journey home. As usual, took several dozen photos of water taxis while the ferry loaded; also seaplanes, tall ships, cruise liners. It started raining again halfway across the Strait.

The Coho coming in (Click for larger image.) (Click for larger image.) The flock of cruise ships that will leave before midnight, arrive in Seattle the next morning, and set sail again at 4PM. (Click for larger image.)

The bottom pins are Victoria harbor. The one to the east, WC & PW's yard. In the middle of the peninsula, Quick's Bottom by the highway 17 sign, Tod Inlet righthand upper pin, Willis Point to the left.

(Click for larger image.)