The Carey Adventures » British Columbia

Photo Of The Day – Holes

Peter West Carey — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 07:29:10 +0000

Title: Holes

Location: Pender Island, British Columbia, Canada

Photograph Copyright Peter West Carey

Photo Of The Day – Some Need Ice, Some Don’t

Peter West Carey — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:23:31 +0000

Title: Some Need Ice, Some Don’t

Location: Haffner Creek, Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada

Known as mixed climbing, or sometimes called dry tooling when no ice is involved, climbing technical rock with ice tools is often necessary when the ice doesn’t make it all the way to the ground. Unlike the ice climber on the left, the mixed climber will attempt to simple place his tools and not smash into the rock, relying on balance and proper placement to advance up the rock.

Photography Copyright Peter West Carey

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Photo Of The Day – Rock And Ice

Peter West Carey — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:52:27 +0000

Title: Rock And Ice

Location: Haffner Creek, Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada

Sorry no settings today.

Photograph Copyright Peter West Carey

Photo Of The Day – Cold Canyon

Peter West Carey — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:44:33 +0000

Title: Cold Canyon

Location: Haffner Creek, Albert, Canada

Photograph Copyright Peter West Carey

Photo Of The Day – Crossing The Waters

Peter West Carey — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:11:10 +0000

Title: Crossing The Waters

Location: Gulf Islands, British Columbia, Canada (MAP)

Photograph Copyright Peter West Carey

Photo Of The Day – Craddock Beach – Canada

Peter West Carey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:25:21 +0000

Title: Craddock Beach

Location: South Pender Island, British Columbia, Canada (MAP)

Photograph Copyright Peter West Carey

Dents In British Columbia

Peter West Carey — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:56:28 +0000

In September, Pam was fortunate enough to be invited by BC Tourism for a little spin around the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada…..in a 32′ RV. Fearing the worst may happen if she didn’t surround herself with a crack squad of experienced Road Trip experts, she still found a valid reason to invite Kelly and I. This was something new for both Pam and Kelly, neither of whom had driven such an RV.

The trip was a lot of fun and I still have posts to write about our adventures. There was one little mishap though.

What you are about to witness is a re-creation of actual events, followed by Pam’s “Lessons Learned” session when we returned our dented RV to Fraserway RV in Langley, BC. If you’d prefer to read Pam’s rendition of events, her blog does a wonderful job of that. And for the record, the dent is bigger than the video shows, plus we could not open that door again.

Photo Of The Day – Lots O Starfish

Peter West Carey — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:36:16 +0000

Title: Lots O Starfish

Location: Galiano Island, British Columbia, Canada

Photograph Copyright Peter West Carey

Photo Of The Day – Lone Heron

Peter West Carey — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:59:41 +0000

Title: Lone Heron

Location: Gulf Island, British Columbia, Canada

Photograph Copyright Peter West Carey

Galiano Island In The Off Season

Peter West Carey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:44:33 +0000

It’s hard to imagine these beautiful islands ever having an off season. I’m talking here about the Gulf Islands off of Vancouver, British Columbia . Lush with evergreen trees and rocky beaches, these emeralds in the sea beckon year round. Personally, I LOVE the off season for travel just about anywhere. Sure, I have to put up with some less than ideal weather from time to time, but the off season is a great time to relax away from the crowds. And crowd avoidance is high on my ‘must have’ travel list.

Taking BC Ferries from Tsawwassan on BC’s mainland to Galiano Island, Pam, Kelly and I depart as the sun drops below mountainous Vancouver Island. After spending some time on the outer decks, soaking in the fading light to the South, we head inside to escape the chill. Plus, it was dark out there! Not much to see along the Strait of Georgia except distant lights at night. We seat ourselves in the forward section of the boat, Pam and Kelly reading over local information provided on the boat, chatting amongst ourselves but not that quietly.

“Are you staying on Galiano Island?” asked the girl who’s seat we had accidentally invaded while she was up.

“Just for one night and then we have an early ferry reservation in the morning for Pender Island. We’re bummed we don’t get to stay longer,” we let her know.

“Oh, you HAVE to stay longer than that. And the boats between islands don’t take reservations, so you could just grab a later one. Here, let me check.” She then pulled out a ferry schedule and proceeded to decipher the sometimes crazy arrangements of islands and boats and directions to let us know there was a 5:45pm boat the same day. And if we missed that one, there was one around 8pm.

It turns out Kayho worked at the information booth on Galiano Island and was indispensable in suggesting multiple activities and hot spots to hit around the island. Not only had she found us extra time on the island, she had also filled it with local attractions, many of which we’d never think to visit without her recommendation. If you’re reading this, Kayho, Thank You!!

Without having a summer time visit to compare it to, I’d say Galiano is definitely quite in the off season. Many of the B&Bs we passed were still open and all of the parks were accessible, though. On Kayho’s advice we hiked out to Pebble Beach to find it deserted (and we’d later find, thanks to an article in the New York Times, that this beach can be clothing optional in the warmer months). The Bluffs; deserted. The hidden spot Kayho suggested with panoramic views to the North, where I subsequently sliced my hand open while falling on sharp rocks; deserted. Our campground at Montague Harbour Provincial Marine Park, almost deserted. We met five other humans, two blue herons sand about 40 starfish on our 1.5km walk around the park. There were only two other campers in the park that first night and it was blissfully quiet.

After some exploring it was time for breakfast and if you follow any of my previous trip you will know that means bacon. It’s just a thing, I like bacon on a road trip.

“We’re not serving breakfast today. Only Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Plus our cook is gone,” answered the gal behind the counter at Sturdies Bay Bakery & Cafe when I asked about breakfast at 11:30am.

When I offered to cook it myself I saw a moment of hesitation while she laughed kindheartedly and sent us to the bakery counter for delicious pastries. As we sat reading newspapers left by other patrons, munching on our various non-bacon meals, I was happy for the lack of a packed, bustling bakery. I was happy the roads were uncrowded, making navigation with our 32′ Winnebago easier than expected on the tight, country roads. I was happy we didn’t have to worry about a long lineup when we went to catch our ferry.

I was happy to have the feeling as if we had the entire island almost all to ourselves. It gave us unfettered access to nooks and crannies, and it made roaming and exploring a lot more fun. A lot more relaxed.

If you’re looking to get away from the crowds and are looking for an island where you can feel at home, Galiano Island is worth your time any day of the year. If you don’t mind some damp, gray days and a relaxing walk on a beach all to yourself, it is absolutely worth a look in the off season.

Quick Facts

Located in the Gulf Islands off Vancouver Island in British Columbia
Population: 1250
Service by BC Ferries from either Tsawwassen near Vancouver, or Swartz Bay hear Victoria.
Official Website