Boog's Blog

Thurs 30 August

Short and ugly ride until one reaches beautiful historic Fairhaven. Room at the inn so we took it. With labor day weekend approaching, especially beceaset to find a place.

Fairhaven appears to have been developed for upscale tourism. Old and newly made old buildings coexist. Only the level of dirt distinguishes the new condos rpm the 1888 terminal building.

Friday 31
Walking and tourist day. Cafes, shops, trail back to Bellingham, and some good napping.

Sat. Sept 1. Net service will be spotty at best until return from islands.

Up early to take a ferry to Orca's island. Double lobed, with a national historic register inn called the Rosario.
Ferry made a number of stops at small islands (768 at low tide and 401 at high tide) to pick up and drop off residents and tourists. Water is via desalinization and electric only on larger of the about 60 inhabited ones.

Arrive in a totally unexpected place. Pedestrian ferry goes to Lieberhaven, not Orca village. Met a couple at the dock and they drove us to Eastsound, the main town. He, retired Berkeley architecture professor, has had a house here for 32 years. Excellent commentary while driving past Moran State park and local bays and sights.

Sun. 2 Sept.
Morning at Rosario with a spectacular view of Cascade Lake. Lazy day, reading, napping, napping, reading, hot tub, sauna, reading and some local beer.

Pace of island life is very different!

approaching fairhaven.jpg

boat to orca.jpg

Eastsound.jpg

cascade lake from Rosario.jpg

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Wed. 29

Vancouver to ferndale via birch bay. Wonderful ride along the bay. Rolling hills and water to enjoy. Another perfect day. Tourist bureaus should pay the Boogs for visiting.

Crossing in Blaine was a little messy but we could jump the long queue.

Mountain view road is a view of Mt. Baker.

Hot tub at our super 8 motel clocked in at 108.6. Lasted only a few minutes. Felt good on legs but too hot for all but the vent creatures.

birch bay.jpg

mountain view road.jpg

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Sun 26 Aug.
Mon. QB birthday
Tues. Judi birthday

Finishing up thre days in this excellent city.

Sunday was a walk about day.
Granville market for a late breakfast. Went by bathtub sized boat across false creek. Large public market with good fruit, meats, and fine baked goods. Mostly an artisian location with potters, glass, art of course but also handmade shoes, welders, textiles and a lot of boats. Lots.

Boat ride to the edge of false creek and then through China town and the gaslight district.
Pizza for dinner as certain persons were worn out.

Monday was " girls day " in Victoria. Bus ride to empress tea and the BC museum. KB rode to North Vancouver over the Lions Gate Bridge and then around Vancouver Island.
Lots of paths around and along the bays and inlets.

Tuesday off to murchie's for tea and tea stocking. Then shopping, a generic term. Judi leaves this evening. We depart tomorow, wed. morning. Off to Surrey and then Blaine.

Birthday dinner for judi at cambodian Vietnamese rest.

Hihi

strike at great library.jpg

steam clock.jpg

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Canadian Unions.

My brother Richard used to be the controller at a lumber mill in BC. Small
mill owned by 1 guy privately. Started to lose money when China started
exporting lumber cheaper. So Richard asked the union for concessions to
lower operating costs. Union said no way Jack. So the owner closed the mill
to stop the losses.

Everyone join me in a chorus of "Look for the union label…."

-Bob

On 8/26/07, boogkb@tmo.blackberry.net wrote:
>
> Sat 25
>
> Yesterday was a walking and eating day. Judi and marylynn joined. Explored
> and wore out feets. Highlutes included:
>
> Steam powered clock. Turn of century. Steam whistle doing big Ben plus
> toots on the hour. We heard five good toots.
>
> High end Sheraton hotel cooler. Huh? Asked frond desk how to turn on the
> in room fridge. Out ice in I was told. It is a cooler. Huh?
>
> Strike. Canadian service workers. Thee locals. The Tub would have been
> sickened. Basically govt. Workers. We were in front of a library which
> looked like a Richard Serra sculpture, similar design only bigger. Said to
> them we did not want to cross the line. No, please do, this a friendly
> Strike in a friendly country, we held a public BBQ yesterday. I suggested
> baseball bats instead, they suggested we buy tea.
>
> Saturday walk in stanley park. Rose garden, totem poles, seawall path,
> teahouse closed, wooded paths, fish restaurant with a real "tea" English
> style – even good scones and finger sandwiches.
>
> Hot tub soak for a good end of day.
>
>
>
>
>

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Sat 25

Yesterday was a walking and eating day. Judi and marylynn joined. Explored and wore out feets. Highlutes included:

Steam powered clock. Turn of century. Steam whistle doing big Ben plus toots on the hour. We heard five good toots.

High end Sheraton hotel cooler. Huh? Asked frond desk how to turn on the in room fridge. Out ice in I was told. It is a cooler. Huh?

Strike. Canadian service workers. Thee locals. The Tub would have been sickened. Basically govt. Workers. We were in front of a library which looked like a Richard Serra sculpture, similar design only bigger. Said to them we did not want to cross the line. No, please do, this a friendly
Strike in a friendly country, we held a public BBQ yesterday. I suggested baseball bats instead, they suggested we buy tea.

Saturday walk in stanley park. Rose garden, totem poles, seawall path, teahouse closed, wooded paths, fish restaurant with a real "tea" English style – even good scones and finger sandwiches.

Hot tub soak for a good end of day.

one of eight.jpg

tea.jpg

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Friday 24 August.

Moules to us, maybe mussels to the gently reader. More later.

Perfect day for ride to the ferry. Saanich is this well manicured lawn suburb which ends at the terminal.

Ferry is inexpensive and a beautiful ride. Had a naturalist giving a talk. Sighted an eagle and got good stories of river otters and octopus.

Flat farm land and a number of messy bridge crossings on the way to Vancouver. The Alex Fraser bridge was particularly confusing, cost is an hour to navigate.

Unpleasant ride to the city. Traffic, congestion and too much exhaust eating. No good strip malls or Starbucks.

Cyprus bike route through Vancouver is excellent as is the burrard bridge. Stately homes on a quiet residential path. Reminds of Bryant street bike path.

Good business hotel, Sheraton, at days end. 45 miles more than the qb likes.

Dinner once again included the local moules. Saltspring islang one night, Reed island and then unknown, owner was not in restaurant. Basically all the same type. All very succulent. All just these perfect beige onlongs. Strongly suspect that the picture does not do justice.

Judi arrives today.

feery to Vancouver.jpg

Alex Fraser.jpg

mussels local.jpg

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Wed 22 August

Mooses. Two in the background. Real wildlife.

Another nice boutique hotel, Sidney inn and spa. Qb was to get a massage but did the laundry and ministered to me instead.

Thurs. Morning.
Yesterday Kb had a low energy day. Not the flu but similar symptoms. 18 hours of sleep seems to have helped, won't know until we ride in a few minutes. Maybe a good thing as I feel ok but not hungry .

Sidney is a clean beachside town with the usual water sports. No good restaurants that we could find.

mooses.jpg

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Tuesday 21 August

Drizzle on the hills west of Sooke. Missed a turn so some extra rises.

Trip to Friday harbor has to be postponed due to lack of service.

Victoria for the night. Charming new hotel called Oswego.

sooke breakfast.jpg

oswego.jpg

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Mon 20th evening
August

Wiffen Spit road; the end of today's ride. But, that is the end of the day.

Amtrak late but that was not the cause of the change of route. After review of path and days required we decided to do the galloping goose first and the original route on the way back.

So. Clipper ship to Victoria, early am boat ride through wet Seattle. Then a catsmaran to Victoria, good German bakery for a pre-ride
Treat and then onto the Goose. No geese. Good trail especially after leaving enviorns.

Rode to Sook Harbour and a high scale inn on wiffen spit. Could not resist the address.
Restaurant a french laundry wannabe with similar prices. Four course prix fix. That said it was a very good if not great dinner. Room about 1200 square feet. Looks like a special breakfast and a picnic lunch to take on the road.

Forgot to send this last night. The joys of no time pressure.

depart seatle.jpg

from clipper.jpg

galloping goose.jpg

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June 26 evening

The bike part of the trip is now complete as is this trip blog.

Great ride over GW bridge.

Down the west side of Manhatten with a stop and fee unlimited tickets to a day at the Natural History Museum.

Then a ticket from a Parks official for being in a pedestrian and not bike lane. Did not spoil my day, thought pretty funny.

Finished at lands end, battery park, as planned.

Now in Charley's sort of B and B.

from battery park.jpg

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