Bucket Lists

[Diane CBPFC]

Bucket Lists

I have always wanted to take my kids to see the ocean, and that is what I plan to do this weekend. I recently got a newer SUV with air conditioning – hubby will stay home and look after the dogs (he is busy with spring farming anyway).

It is such a big deal to do that here, as it is at least a 20 hour trip each way – most of our long weekend (Victoria Day) will be sitting in the car (enjoying the mountain scenery of BC) but we should get a day and a half at the beach.

My middle son says that he isn’t coming either because the SUV is too small. He is almost 6’7’ so every vehicle is going to be too small for him. I hope he comes but if not I am still taking my daughter and picking up eldest who is 5 hours away from us at Uni and off to the ocean we go!

[Bilthehut]

Bucket Lists

I have always wanted to take my kids to see the ocean, and that is what I plan to do this weekend. I recently got a newer SUV with air conditioning – hubby will stay home and look after the dogs (he is busy with spring farming anyway).  [ Is this anything like Spring Cleaning where you get to clean the springs?   Do you grow many springs over there?]

It is such a big deal to do that here, as it is at least a 20 hour trip each way – most of our long weekend (Victoria Day) will be sitting in the car (enjoying the mountain scenery of BC) but we should get a day and a half at the beach.

My middle son says that he isn’t coming either because the SUV is too small. He is almost 6’7’ so every vehicle is going to be too small for him. I hope he comes but if not I am still taking my daughter and picking up eldest who is 5 hours away from us at Uni and off to the ocean we go! {You can always put him on the roofrack]

[Diane CBPFC]

I offered to let him stick his head out of the sun roof.

Made it through Edmonton, found my son after getting lost in Chinatown - added 40 mins to the trip, found our way through Calgary pretty easy but headed on twisty mountain roads in the dark with only 40 KM driving speeds in some spots and truckers runnaway lanes - that was a bit scary. Nice thing is we gained an hour's time and am now in Golden BC - that was about 13 hours of driving to get here and still have a full province between us and the ocean.

I should mention that we live in a field and our local town doesn't even have a traffic light - found my way through 2 major cities so far and heading to Vancouver!

I will be damned annoyed if the world ends before we make the ocean though.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I will be damned annoyed if the world ends before we make the ocean though.

At the time of writing, we still have no word from Malcolm or Joan, Diane, but by my calculations you have just under 12 hours to go. Good luck, and God speed!

[Diane CBPFC]

Made it to Vancouver - such a lot of people! Ended up driving down the road a bit and are staying overnight in this little town next to where the ferry to Victoria leaves:
http://www.horseshoebaymotel.ca/gallery.shtml

Driving in central BC is like playing a video game: Avalanche warnings: "leaving blast zone" bridges; tunnels (some with lights some without) and a giant cement wall that looks like it was made to hold back King Kong. The speed limits range from 40 to 90 (used to Alberta's 110) - the BC locals sure pass you with a friendly horn honk though.

[Diamond Lil]

I've enjoyed following your trip because I made a similar one many years ago and waited for that ferry to take me over to friends on Vancouver Island.  Have a safe journey home.

[The Peepmaster]

Is it only me waiting with anticipation to read something interesting about buckets?

[Max]

 Diane, next time grab that ferry to Vancouver Island, it's another world. Like Scotland in miniature.
If I had the choice to live out my latter years wherever I wished, it would be there.

The people are so helpful eh?

 On the island, Kate and I stayed in a converted ice house, the owner banged on the door one morning to alert us to the fact that a  pod of orcas was just outside in Sooke sound and we got to see one broach, six tons of whale leaping out of the water just for the hell of it apparently. 

[Diamond Lil]

Max, I was talking to Roger yesterday and said the same thing about Vancouver Island...God's own country.  I also said I would never forget that first view of Vancouver after you've come through the mountains.

[Diane CBPFC]

We are in Victoria - on Victoria Day holiday.

Yesterday the kids had to decide between the ferry rides and a trip to the real ocean at Tolfino Bay or going to the Aquarium and Stanley Park. We decided on the ferry.

I have been here before the kids were born but didn't do the driving then - that "short" trip to Tolfino Bay  that cuts right accross the mainland looks to be a major highway on the map but it is so curvy and cliff huggy that you can only go 30 kmh in many places. It was great to see the real ocean with the waves crashing.

Now somehow we need to tour around Victoria, catch the ferry, see Vancouver and drive to Alberta all today. 

[Diamond Lil]

Easy....declare tomorrow "Albert Day", keep the kids off school and give them a break (and you)

[Roger Kettle]

Diane, this sounds like a wonderful trip. I hope you have photos to post on here when you get home.

[The Peepmaster]

I must admit I'm quite envious reading about the adventure. I'm also looking forward to the photos!

[Diane CBPFC]

Ended up with an extra day on hols as I was too tired to drive home after dropping my son off at Uni so Kate and I are staying in his uni. The rooms are HUGE and just like a hotel for less than half the price of a hotel room.

Yesterday we toured Victoria then hit the Bouchert Gardens on the way to the ferry. Got to Vancouver drove around for an hour trying to find the Stanley Park = which we did, and took Kate to see the whales in the aquarium which was her #1 request for the hols. Had supper at Bridal Falls then took the wrong (extra hour) highway and got stuck in windy mountain roads in the pitch dark so stayed in a little town of Lytton after I ran over an already dead deer - this new vehical has excellent clearance - no dammage. That whole section of the TransCanada is a like a ghost strip now with the new highway(the one I missed); abandoned fruit stands and run down motels with no cars outside. I am glad I took it though for in the daylight it is a unique climate area - scrub brush on mountains instead of trees for it is semi-desert.

Now that we are here in the city (5 hour drive from home) I may as well take Kate to the space and science centre and make a day of it. 

[Max]

I hope you got a lot of pics to post Diane, love the idea of the abandoned highway, very post apocalyptic.