On Friday, May 19, we left Nanaimo and drove 80 miles north from Rathtrevor Beach to Campbell River. Along the way we stopped at Qualicum Beach, which at low tide was a shallow sandy beach just perfect for a sunny morning stroll at the start of the long Victoria Day weekend. Victoria Day is the official start of summer in Canada, much like Memorial Day is for the United States.
Larry loved the float plane that marked the city entrance to Campbell River.
It was fun walk the wharf and the docks of the busy and picturesque marinas where we could admire the boats and the clear blue water.
We ate at Dockside Fish and Chips overlooking one of the marinas. The fries were flavorful garlic Parmesan and the fish was flaky, tender, hot and not at all greasy. We enjoyed it so much that we tried to go back at the end of our stay for a repeat, but they were closed on the holiday.
This was our campsite at Elk Falls Provincial Park. The site I chose from online reservations was right on the stream, and on arrival it was just as lovely as I had hoped. Since we left each day to go exploring, we told our neighbors across the way that they and their children were welcome to play in our site while we were gone.
We visited the Museum of Campbell River, and though there was much to see, I was intrigued by the design of this chair in their replica of a log cabin interior. Four pieces of wood and 10 screws or nails—sturdy, simple and easy to disassemble if needed. Ingenious.
It was too early in the summer for the salmon run at the Quinsam River Salmon Hatchery, but the workers were busy catching and counting some of the young salmon smolts heading downstream to grow up in the ocean.
We had planned a whale watch and kayak tour for Sunday of the long weekend, but the company cancelled due to high winds creating large wind waves and difficult kayaking conditions. Instead, we drove inland to Strathcona Provincial Park. This park is a hidden gem, with beautiful scenery and short day hikes to (what else) waterfalls.
Myra Falls was the furthest away on our drive, so we went there first. The logs to the right of the waterfall are caught in an eddy and just keep circling in the foamy current.
Such beautiful roadside scenery!
Lupin Falls was next, where we met a friendly local who had forty of her family members joining her that weekend to celebrate her birthday. The kids and dogs in the group especially enjoyed the pool at the base of the falls.
The last stop of the day was Lady Falls—sorry, I wasn’t going to pose by that sign 😆. You couldn’t get close to these falls, but the volume of water and enclosing rock walls made for a refreshing cool mist, as well as some rainbows.
On Monday, we took the trail out to the Elk Falls Suspension Bridge and Falls which were very near our campground. There is a pretty good view of the falls from the suspension bridge.
We spent several hours at the Maritime Heritage Centre, which is small but packed with exhibits. Community members painstakingly restored this fishing vessel, the likes of which used to grace the Canadian five dollar bill.
Harold, one of the volunteer docents, was the reason we stayed so long while he shared his extensive knowledge of Campbell River history. He is also an expert model ship builder and below is just one of several of the model ships he loaned the museum for display. What a treat!
We rounded out the holiday weekend with more delicious fish and chips, this time at Dick’s Fish and Chips across from the harbor.
Vancouver Island is a natural beauty, and with summer now officially started, I’m glad we have reservations to stay in their lovely provincial parks. The last few days have been a challenge, but we feel we made the right decision to continue on our adventure instead of returning to the states.
“Life is like a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
– Albert Einstein