Day 1
As with any good road trip, the anxiety of planning is often the worst part. After many, many road trips I still have a few sleepless nights during the week before departure. And this being my longest trip ever, the anxiety was heightened. I had to keep reminding myself, it will be fine, you are experienced at this; and remember it’s the adventure that keeps you doing this. Relax and enjoy is the advice I would give to any newcomer; so look in the mirror…
A road trip to BC has been on my bucket list for many years. My
good friend and always willing to ride biker, Katrina has volunteered to accompany me. I will be riding my 2019 Harley Ultra Limited, Katrina on her Yamaha 950. Both are well ridden and well serviced machines, but a last minute oil change, new tires and brakes helped prepare us for the day of departure. The only real plan is to visit our good friends Jaak and Terri in Kelowna for a few days, get out to Tofino and then stop at Sturgis for the first few days 
of that famous rally. Other than that routes and stops are planned on day of. The main concern this trip is not the weather, as is a constant unplannable and one we have become used to; the big issue this trip is the cost of accommodations. This will be a 35 day road trip, we are seniors with a limited budget. We need to go cheap or this may be our last road trip. My normal plan is to look at the weather each morning and search for the least expensive hotel within 400 – 500 kms in the right direction. But this trip there are not many options on which road to take, we need to get to BC and we want to go out thru Canada. Not a lot of options for roads or motels. Our emergency plan… take a tent and sleeping bags.
OK, here we go. Day one as usual is meant to see how far away we can get from home in a reasonable amount of time, find a comfortable hotel and force ourselves to relax. So I decided on Sault Ste
Marie, the Water Tower Inn (a Best Western hotel), paid for with accumulated points. Departure at 8:30am, take the 407 to the 400, 69 and 17; 720 kms in 10 hours with just 2 stops; the gas station and Tim Horton’s south of Parry Sound and same just east of Espanola. Gas, quick bite, bathroom and on the road. The weather was perfect, 25C most of the day, briefly hitting 30C around Espanola and only a few clouds.
Arrived at the Water Tower Inn about 6:30pm, park, unpack, answer emails ( I still work part time) and down to the in-house pub by 8pm. Great fat burgers and salad for $15, decent beer selection and a ball game on TV. A great way to end the first day…
Day 2
A quick check of the weather suggested we get on the road asap, the rain was gonna start about 10am here in the Soo, but if we could get to Wawa by noon, we could avoid most of it. So, after a very nice breakfast in Casey’s Grill (in the BW lobby and included) and gas at the Shell in the parking lot, we were on the road before 9am.
Hwy 17 from the Soo to Wawa is a spectacularly scenic ride, you cant do it without multiple stops to take in the views; so, Batchawana Bay, Alona Bay, Agawa Bay, Old Woman Bay (I still cant seen the silhouette of an old lady on the cliffs across the bay), Katherine Cove and finally the Giant Goose at Wawa. We stopped at Batchawana Bay and put on our rain jackets and full face helmets, just in case. We did get about 90 seconds of rain between Alona and Agawa bays, but that was it. At Wawa we replaced the rain gear with our regular beanie helmets and riding jackets; it was still overcast and only 20C.
After gas and a quick stop at Tim’s for a snack and bathroom break, back on the road. As stunning as the ride to Wawa is, the ride from there to Marathon is equally boring. It is mainly inland, so no grand vistas or overlooks of Lake Superior.
A quick stop at the A&W in Marathon (the new veggie burger with Piri-Piri sauce was surprisingly delicious), back on the road. Hwy 17 returns to the coast of Gichigami and you are treated to many grand vistas as you roll up and down the hills, thru rock cuts and across valleys, but not many places to pull over for photo ops. We arrived in Terrace Bay about 4pm, after 250 kms from Wawa to find out that both gas stations were out of regular gas; I’m fine with premium but Katrina uses regular in the Yamaha. Hi test is fine, but she is on a budget, so she grudgingly topped up. We decided to visit the local grocery store and get something for supper and breakfast; a frozen dinner and yogurt, granola bar and banana for breakfast. The LCBO is on strike so the local café took up the challenge and was selling craft beer. Just fine with us. Just outside of Terrace Bay is the Aquasabon Falls; a beautiful narrow passage flowing over the granite into a gorge out to the Lake.
Our hotel in Schreiber was cheap, only $83 and had the mandatory 2 beds, fridge, microwave and TV; not much else, no AC, a broken screen on window and a very sticky door. But a beautiful view of the sunset over the hiway. Because we arrived at 6pm and there was nothing else to do, we went exploring. So following the advise on Google we went into Schrieber in search of the local Lookout. We found an almost ghost town, houses nestled up against the rail track and shunting yard and finally Schrieber Beach. The sign on the beach suggested that the Lookout was about a km up the Lakeshore trail. The bugs convinced us to return to the bikes and the hotel. OK, microwave dinner, cold beer and a football game on the 24 inch TV. And sunset about 10:30 (at home it was about 9:30) a fitting end to a glorious day on the bikes.
Days 3 & 4
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Google maps image of progress on day 4
Days 10, 11, 12, & 13
4 glorious days on Vancouver Island
Up at 6am and ready to ride at 7:30am, still finding it hard to adjust to the 3 hour time difference. But I did manage to get an hours work done.
Several years ago, my daughter Penny and her family lived in Courtnay, about an hour north of where we stayed in Nanaimo. I visited 3 times during the six years her hubby, Owen, was stationed at Comox Air Base. We did some wondering around while here back then so today I’m headed to revisit a couple of the places I enjoyed on those trips.
The first stop is in Coombs, primarily to see the Goats on the Roof at the Olde Country Store. We managed to find a spot on the shoulder across from the store; this is a very popular spot, not just the market but several restaurants and artisan shops. Unfortunately it was too hot for the goats, I did see the back end of one in the little hut in the center of the roof. I took a photo and sent it to Penny, just for fun. We wandered thru the shops and bought nothing. One of the bonus things about bike riding, you have no space for anything but essentials.
Next down Hwy 4 to Qualicum Falls. Even though my arthritic knee was complaining, I insisted on hiking around the Upper and Lower falls. The hike is not all that strenuous and worth the extra Tylenol to see the natural beauty of it all. Katrina took at least a hundred photos, I took 4.
Just a little ways down hwy 4 is the Cathedral Grove, a must stop for anyone not from BC. These are some of the oldest and biggest trees in Canada. One has a split in the middle where it is quite easy to stand inside the tree, another is much wider than my arms could stretch. Awesome. And the hike is very short and flat, easy.
Our next stop is Port Alberni, a beautiful, scenic and hilly city that is so far inland from the pacific that it actually much closer to the east cost of the island than the west. This made it an ideal port for ocean bound freight. We decided to have lunch at the marina restaurant, a little pricey, but the beer was cold and the salmon chowder hot and creamy. After a quick walk around the park we returned to the bikes and found an old man on a bicycle leaning against the rail admiring our machines. His name was B.J. Bennet and regaled us local tales, redneck humour and some of his adventures as a travelling comedian, including his stint as the opening MC for one of the Rod Stewart tours thru the area. Quite the character!
From Port Alberni we headed down hwy 4 to our booked room at the CnD Hostel in Ucluelet (know locally as Ukee). Hwy 4 is a great ride thus mountains and valleys, past rivers and lakes, and of course, lots of trees. I pulled into the hostel parking lot about 4pm. Its about what you expect for a ‘hostel’. Just and old house on a large secluded lot with a the bay in the backyard. Old cars and bicycles in the parking lot. Andy, the owner and host, is from Oakville Ontario, about 5 miles from where I live. He moved here to pursue his passion for hiking and surfing, and to allow his wife to return home to the island. The house is 3 floors; the main floor is the reception, common area and has 3 private rooms. Each room has a bunk bed and a double bed, nothing else would fit into the cramped space. The upstairs is 2 dorm rooms, each with 4 bunk beds. The private rooms are $200 per night, the dorm beds are $50 per nigh, per bed. The downstairs is the kitchen and bathrooms. Each private room has a private bathroom, small but adequate. The kitchen is huge with a table down the middle capable of seating about a dozen people. There are 2 fridges to share and a wide variety of pots, pans, flatware, etc. Stove, toaster, microwave and sink.
After tossing our luggage into the room, we headed off to find a store and search around the area. When we were in Port Alberni it was about 30C, here in Ucluelet it was 15C. The breeze blowing of the ocean…. Brr. We found the Co-Op, picked up some veggies and dip, then the liquor store for a couple of local beers, and a stop at Okke Scoops for an ice cream and a chat with a family vacationing from Vancouver with 3 little kids (whew).
Then across the Pacific Rim highway to Tofino, about 35kms. Park and walk around. Tofino is a very popular tourist area, great for the beaches, whale watching, etc. and very expensive; a room at the local BW was about $400, that’s why we opted for the hostel. On our return to Ucluelet we stopped at Long Beach. My intention was to go for a quick swim, but at almost 8pm the temperature was only 14C; a quick hand wash in the surf would have to suffice. I found it amazing that there were at least 20 people out in the surf (with wet suits) trying to catch a wave. The biggest wave I saw was maybe 2 feet, but it looked like they were having fun. Back at the bikes we were parked beside a couple from Alberta using there camp equipment to cook dinner on the tailgate. They had been in surfing which is why they came here. We talked about hotel pricing and they said they were sleeping in the pick-up. Back at the hostel all was quiet, we sat in the common area for a bit, drank a beer, then into bed about 10pm.
Day 2 adventure is to get to Campbell River where we will visit friends tomorrow. Back up hwy 4 to 19a and along the coastal road. Several stops along the way to take in the views along the straits, including a stop at Oyster Bay with a shoeless walk along the beach and a quick stroll in the rocky surf. No agenda, no hurry, so relaxing.
When we arrived at the HarbourLite Inn we were somewhat taken back. There were several ‘street’milling about the place; obviously this is a welfare hotel; no wonder it was half the price of the Comfort Inn across the street. Oh well, we’re here and cant get a refund, so… The manager came out to greet us and told us to park the bikes under the portico next the the front desk window. A resident was sitting on his mobility scooter a few feet away and suggested that we lock everything, ‘this aint a great area of town’. Oh well. The hotel was very clean, the front desk person, Ducky’ was extremely friendly and helpful, not just to us but the residents as well. The room was quite adequate, looked much like any BW room, clean, etc. So, WTF, its OK. We covered the bikes and went for a walk around the marina, stopped at the Quay West restaurant for dinner (overpriced like everything else), then back to the room the watch the end of the football game.
8am, pack the bikes and head of for a little ride north of town. A stop at Seymour Narrows for the view and read the roadside plaques detailing the demolition of the underwater peaks to allow big ship passage in 1958. Very interesting. Then back to Campbell River, breakfast at the A&W while we waited for our friends to arrive on the ferry from Quadra Island.
Ken and Monica live in Georgetown Ontario and belong to the SCRC, Ken is first officer. We ride with them on occasion and when we heard that they spend the summers here we decided to meet and ride together for a day. Ken lead us up to Gold River. What an amazing ride along hwy 28. Absolutely stunning. Curves, views, trees, mountains and of course some slow ass rental RVs. Not much in Gold River except the liquor store, the pub and the ice cream shop. So ice cream it is. Then the ride back out to Campbell River stopping a few times for photos, etc. In Campbell River we wen to Ken’s favaourite brewery to find that it didn’t open on Mondays, so over to the touristy one on Main St, Session. Nachos and a cold beer and great conversations with friends. Great day. We had booked a room back at the hotel in Nanaimo for the next 2 nights, so hwy 19, arriving about 7pm. Light snacks and early to bed.
The plan for today is a loop around the south end of the island. Down hwy 1 for a bit then hwy 18 to Cowichan and Mesachie Lake. When you leave Masachie the first sign you see on the Pacific Marine Road is ‘Warning, logging road next 53 kms’; the next sihn a bout 10 km later says , ‘Caution, narrow twisty road for next 26kms’. Sounds like an advertisement to bikers if you ask me. And the ads lived up to the promo. This road is ‘paved’, not exactly smooth blacktop, more like chip and tar that is well worn and weathered, but still in very good condition. It is narrow with many one lane bridges, no lane markers, no shoulders and no guard rails. But very thrilling, with great views, bends, twists, a couple of switch backs and lots of rivers and a few lakes. At Port Renfrew the road joins onto hwy 14 to Sooke. Also a great ride, real blacktop with markers and guard rails. We stopped at the Juan de Fuca picnic area for lunch. Not much of a view from here, but we could see the water and the USA coast line across the straight. Like I said, the road is paved, but is suffering what appears to be frost heaves, very bumpy in places, and with the strobe effect of the sun and trees, impossible to detect until you are rocked out of the saddle.
I Sooke the traffic was intense which did not let up as we neared Victoria. It was 4pm and we decided not to venture into the city at rush hour and opted for hwy one and north to our hotel in Nanaimo. We grabbed our dirty laundry, found a laundromat, cleaned everything, ready for the next week’s adventure.