Telegraph Cove, BC
Canada
Summer 2 0 1 7
Tuesday, September 12, 2017: Another travel day from Nanaimo, BC back to the states. We had reserved our ferry space a month in advance. It is a two hour ferry ride from Duke Point (Nanaimo) to Tsawwassen (Vancouver), but on a big ferry like this one, it is comfortable. It also has a full service cafe where we had breakfast since we were on an early trip. Click the photo to see the excellent seating Gwen got for our breakfast view. Only about 30 minutes from docking in Vancouver, we crossed back into the USA. When we entered Canada, the Canadian customs wanted to search us. I believe because I told them we were visiting friends for 3 months. The US customs decided they wanted to search us too. I believe because, when asked "what food we had on board", I said, "an apple". They wanted to search all our food. As it turned out, they let us keep the apple but found a (one) tomato which THEY kept. We have decided, on our next trip to Canada, we will have GWEN answer all the questions. We ended up in Seattle at 2 pm, traffic was horrible, stop and go but we made it through without a scratch.
Sunday, September 10, 2017: This was a travel day from Telegraph Cove to Parksville, BC Canada along Highway 19, the only highway stretching from tip to tip of the Vancouver Island. Traveling from Telegraph Cove to Campbell River is two lane only. From Campbell River to Parksville is four lane with a speed limit of 120. I tried to do 120 in the motorhome but my speedometer only goes to 100. At about 80, things began to fall off the shelves and Gwen's screaming was annoying. Of course, I'm kidding. Speed limit WAS 120 but kilometers/hour which is about 75 mph, I drove at 65 mph. We spotted a sign for the Rathtrevor BC Park and decided to stay the night in the woods only 100 meters from the beach. Click the photo for a view of the beach at Rathtrevor. It's a popular beach with a trail along the shore for runners and walkers. Cost was $35 for NO hookups so the folks who complained in Telegraph Cove of our price of $47.25 including full hook-ups are out of line.
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Saturday, September 9, 2017: We are only a day away from leaving Telegraph Cove and I finally decided to buy a one day fishing license when Lynne and Chuck invited us to go fishing with them. This time we are fishing for "bottom fish" hoping to get a Ling Cod but we will be happy with Kelp Greenling Cod too. As it turned out, we caught exclusively the Greenling Cod. It was very tasty, we caught and at it in the same day. While fishing, we were passed by a cruise ship (click the left photo). There were some smaller Bass we caught and didn't keep. When those were put back into the water, the Bald Eagles nearby were quick to react, grabbing the fish for a quick snack. I took time out from fishing to take a video of the Eagle action. Be sure to check Gwen's story of the day. |
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Thursday, September 7, 2017: It is rare that I'm up early enough to catch the morning light, in fact, this is my first time this summer. This lone sailboat is working its way toward Port Canella from the entrance of Telegraph Cove.
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Saturday, September 2, 2017: I took Gwen for a ride to Bonanza Lake. It's about 15 km beyond Ida Lake and about 4x the size. Click the fire ring on the left to see a panorama of the lake. Since it's a gravel road, that mean lots of dust on the Forester. It's about 30 km of gravel road one way. Click the Forester for a map of the area. You'll get a pointer with a (+) in the center so click the map to enlarge to full size then scroll where needed to find Telegraph Cove, Beaver Cove and the black road to Ida and Bonanza Lakes. |  |
, August 30, 2017: Our story of how we got to Telegraph Cove as camp hosts runs through Tyler, the man who purchased our one ton Dodge Pickup two years ago. Tyler called us earlier this year and asked if we would like to host the campground. That's how we got to Telegraph Cove. Tyler purchased our pickup to tow his boat, the Game Changer. Today, Tyler took Gwen and I with him on the Game Changer to pick up his son who has been working all summer as a fishing guide. The Game Changer is a very special boat obviously made to catch the fish that usually get away. Click the above photo to see Tyler with Gwen.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017: I took Gwen for a drive to Ida Lake for the first time. I'd been to the lake but she hasn't seen it. Ida Lake is exactly 20 minutes from Telegraph Cove with picturesque scenery, lakeside camping pads, pit toilets and a crude boat launch. I often get a sour face from campers when I tell them a night at the RV park with cost $47.25. When that happens, I have a pitch telling them their alternatives. "There is mosquito heaven also known as the Forest Campground only two kilometers which is $8/night cheaper, there is Alder Bay, even cheaper than the Forest Campground, 12 kilometers back up the road you came in and there is Ida Lake, 14 kilometers up a gravel road which is free camping (take your chances with the bugs). Only our park is walking distance to Telegraph Cove and Marina." (Also, we have no bugs.) I've had a few drive away looking for Ida Lake and more go to the Forest Campground. Most are here for a whale watching tour and what they don't realize, they will pay for parking to whale watch losing their $8 savings because our camp permit acts as a parking pass too. Click the photo for a panorama of Ida Lake.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017: I've been wanting to catch the cove at sunset and tonight was the night. The sky was orange, the water was orange and kayakers were outside the cove whale watching. The folks on the deck are watching the whales, kayakers and the sunset.
For another view, click this photo. The long building with all the lights is the Killer Whale Restaurant. The long red building behind the restaurant is the Whale Interpretive Center and the Stubbs Whale Watching gift shop and booking office. The 60 foot whale watch boat will return in ten minutes and park on this side of the restaurant.
Monday, August 21, 2017: Today was the day of the total eclipse enjoyed by those in Oregon, Idaho and states east. My sister, Dorana, sent me this photo of herself and our Mother enjoying a partial eclipse in northern California. I asked my sister for the location of this photo since I didn't recognize the location. She told me it was at a winery where they were having an "eclipse" party. My mother doesn't drink wine but my sister is a wine fan so that makes sense. Mom will be 92 soon so I think this is a particularly good thrill for her. I won't say how old my sister is except that she is younger than me. She appears to be in her twenties in this photo, right? Meanwhile, 1,159 miles north of Mom and Dorana I enjoyed a different view of the eclipse. No one in Canada seemed to care and when I asked at two different drug stores for eclipse glasses, they didn't know what I was talking about. I had already learned that we would experience 86% coverage even as far north as we are. Unfortunately, we were under a cloud cover the whole time and only saw the area get a little darker around 10 am. You can click the photo for my view of the eclipse while I was enjoying a latte from the Seahorse Cafe and Coffee Shop (not wine).
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Friday, August 18,
2017: This was our first time as hosts for the RV Park where we
had an "incident". It was a simple problem, a camper had left his
dog inside the camper alone and the dog was howling, alone and
afraid. All the surrounding campers were becoming concerned and
wanted something done about the dog. So I called Iian (eee-un).
Iian is the park's maintenance manager. He pretty much does
everything to keep the park running. He manages the water system,
electrical system, and sewage treatment system. He also helps with
the marina and does our part of camper management when we aren't
here. If anyone would know what to do with the dog, Iian would
know. The camper wasn't locked so Iian opened the camper and the
dog (later we learned the dog's name is "Skunk") was taken for a
walk. We got a little more information about the owner and started
putting ideas together about what had happened. The dog's owner
and his grandson took a spontaneous, unplanned trip on the whale
watch boat. They had to leave the dog and for some reason, the dog
felt abandoned. However, all the howling stopped as long as Skunk
could be with Iian. So we waited for the owner to return. Skunk
was very well behaved around us and stayed right next to the
camper. When the owner and grandson returned the dog was overjoyed
and relieved and our job was done. So Iian has saved the day
again.
If you are wondering about Iian's "Mr Busy" T-shirt, it was given to him this evening by another camper. The other camper's grandson always called Iian, "Mr Busy" and they happen to find a "Mr. Busy" T-shirt as a gift.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017: I received a call this afternoon on the company cell phone. It was the captain of the Cadenza asking if we had space for a 76 foot motor cruiser. Our marina has very few spaces for a yacht that large and those spaces are already taken so I had to say, "no". I referred the captain to the Telegraph Cove resort which can accommodate boats up to 24 feet in length but often lets larger boats dock near their fuel pump. Gwen and I decided to walk to the marina to see the yacht since a 76 foot yacht would be the largest entering the cove since we've been here. The Cadenza turns out to be from the USA and very impressive. We have seen larger yachts but none this size in Telegraph Cove. I imagine they are here to enjoy the cove and restaurant dining. It seemed as if several families might be enjoying their time on the Cadenza. It looked large enough to have several staterooms. Here is a side-view photo while Gwen was inspecting the yacht. Click the photo for a stern view.
Monday, August 14, 2017: Before kayaking into the strait, I made sure to have a Canadian Chart with me. We have been into Beaver Cove and Bauza Cove on each side of Telegraph Cove. On the full day paddle, we paddled across the strait to Hanson Island then around to the other side. Click the photo to see a larger map. Later we met the tidal current in Weynton Passage. The arrows point toward Johnstone Strait indicate a flood tide, away from Johnstone Strait indicate an ebb tide. Fortunately, I found the online report of the tidal current for Weynton Passage. Of course, our guide already had reports of the tidal current. For a power boat, the tidal currents are a nuisance but for a kayak whose forward speed is only about 4 mph, a strong current can make a huge difference. I learned that the rip tide we crossed can make for very rough water and difficult paddling. This is when you must be paying attention and keep the paddles in the water for good balance. Look at the larger map closely to learn of the many interesting locations to visit if you have a boat of your own.
Sunday, August 13, 2013: This day turned out to be anything but easy. We lost our Internet yesterday because our WIFI source disappeared and I needed to switch to a different source. Normally I just point our Ubiquity antenna/radio at the source, login with the new password and our network is working again. But when I entered what I thought was my system password, it didn't work. I was using the wrong password. My record of the password was in my email but I couldn't access my email because I didn't have Internet access. By the time I realized it wasn't working because of the password error I had already pushed the "reset" button on the Ubiquity. That meant installing everything all over again. I needed the video instruction but couldn't get it because (again) it was on the Internet. After trying several solutions, I gave up and drove to Port McNeill for Internet access. I was able to download the video I needed then returned to Telegraph Cove to begin the setup process. Normally it takes only a second to reprogram the Ubiquity to a new WiFi source but this time, because I reset the equipment, I had to start from the beginning. It took me the rest of the afternoon to setup but by the time I was finished, the Ubiquity was working on the new WiFi source. Now I have everything recorded to a file on my computer so no Internet access is needed if this every happens again.
Friday, August 11, 2017: Gwen and I found the yacht we can afford. It's a "fixer-upper" but with a few new boards and a little paint, it will be as good as new. Looks like it has a flying bridge upper deck too. Click the photo to get the full view. What do you think, Mom? Would you loan us the money to fix up the Glenda?
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Thursday, August 10, 2017: We chose to return to Alert Bay this morning to visit the First Nations Museum. Alert Bay has a First Nation population with many totem poles and carved wood figures throughout the town. The museum is very well done with a great gift shop and authentic items dating at least 100+ years old. Photography was not allowed inside the museum. Of course, I always enjoy the ferry ride to the island so I took a video of the morning foggy ride. The video is just long enough to record the ship's fog horn. The map to the right shows what is now North Vancouver Island and the mainland to the east of the island. The First Nations tribal area are shown on the map. Click all photos for more views.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017: For our day off, Gwen and I drove to Storey Beach near Port Hardy to look for Moon Snail shells. We made sure it was low tide expecting to find the Moon Snails all over the beach. As it turned out, there were lots of shells but Gwen was the one who found a Moon Snail but only ONE. I found none but I DID pick up trash while at the beach. Click each photo for more views. Behind the Moon Snail photo is a photo of some local art made of Moon Snails.
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Tuesday, August 8, 2017: We learned from
Lynne a different route to Bausa Cove. This route would take us by
the fresh water reservoir and holding tank for the entire cove. We
arrived at high tide which cut off the loop hike we had planned.
That made our hike an "out and back" hike. The cove has a very
sophisticated water system with water stored from a natural spring,
then treated and stored in a holding tank creating a gravity feed
system for the entire cove. On our return hike we quietly walked
next to a grazing bear who watched us. We didn't seem threatening so
the bear continued to graze and watch us as we slowly walked on down
the trail. Click the above photos for more views. 
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Saturday, August 5, 2017: Today was the one day in a year that Telegraph Cove has a craft fair. We've been looking forward to the fair hoping for some local talent. We found some but most was beyond our price range. We DID find items for the grandkids and a few used items at North Island Kayak. The cove was foggy this morning so I took some photos where the fog helped the composition. Click these photos for more views. |  |
Thursday, August 3,
2017: Chuck and Lynne invited us to join them on their boat today to
tour the area. About ten minutes before departure I happen to listen
to last nights voicemail messages and Lynne called asking if we
wanted to go fishing. Gwen immediately got onto the computer, found
the Canadian Fishing authority and printed herself a fishing license
(for a fee of $13.65 for a one day license). As it turned out, it
was worth it because Gwen had a great deal of fun learning fish with
Chuck as her instructor. I was more interested in the electronics on
board and the site seeing. I also had my eye on the kayaks we came
across plus looking for beach sites for a kayak landing and
potential camping. Chuck and Gwen were fishing for Salmon. They
caught enough for several dinners. Click these photos for additional
views. I also made a video
of the day which you can see here. 
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Wednesday, August 2, 2017: We take a scenic drive to Port Alice on our day off. It's only about 60 km, two lane road, well paved but many sharp turns and whoops in the road. Beaver Lake was our first stop. Looks to be a place to swim on a hot day. It is a very small town with a large pulp mill until two years ago. I see no industry now but suspect logging and truck driving may be the only jobs. Nice houses on the inlet. Port Alice advertises it's self as the "gateway to the west coast". The inlet at Port Alice will lead to the west coast of Vancouver Island and the open Pacific Ocean. We saw only one business, a grocery store. The hotel and restaurants seemed to be closed and we are told the Bank is open only on Tuesday and Thursday. We drove to Alice Lake on the return, a large lake with camping. Click all the photos for additional views. |  |
Sunday, July 30, 2017: We had a late lunch which also served as dinner for us today in the cove. The weather was perfect today. The temperature reached 21.5°C or 70°F which, for some reason, feels very warm here at sea level. We are looking forward to this next ten days of weather. It will likely be the warmest of the summer. Mean-while, back home in Oregon the temperatures are forecast to be 110°F or more. We are still glad to be in Telegraph Cove. Click the photo for the ten day forecast. The warmest day is to be 29°C (84°F), a record for the temperatures we have experienced since arriving in June.
Thursday, July 27, 2017: Gwen wanted
to stay home, probably to sew, but I wanted to do the "Full Day
Kayak" tour with North
Island Kayak (NIK). A single kayak gave me the chance to learn
if my kayaking skills from ten years ago were still good enough for
me to stay upright (double kayaks are far more stable). The kayak
NIK provided to me was brand new and NOT manufactured for stability
but for speed. You see, kayaks can be manufactured to be more stable
but must sacrifice speed. So this turned out to be a tough test.
Fortunately, the morning water was FLAT which gave me a chance to
get use to the boat. We had two tour guides with eleven paddlers.
The two tour guides and I were in single kayaks and the rest of the
group were in double kayaks. Double kayaks are usually faster, two
paddlers with not much more water resistance than a single kayak.
But, I kept up. Everyone was hoping to see wildlife, especially
whales. We did get to see and hear the humpback whale and I saw
their tails three times. We also saw lots of seals and bald eagles.
We also caught a glimpse of the Dall's Porpoise. Our route took us
to the other side of Hanson Island, the island Gwen and I stare at
2.5 miles across Johnstone Strait. I was particularly interested in
potential camping locations if Gwen and I return next year with our
own boat. I learned these islands are very rocky with mostly steep
walls and no access. As an example, our first "rest" stop was at a
location with seaweed covered rocks making it impossible (for me) to
walk. Click the top photo and you'll see that "rest" stop. The lunch
stop wasn't much better but good enough to get on top of the rock to
eat our lunch. The kayak back to Telegraph Cove in the afternoon was
even more challenging with tidal currents and wind driven waves.
Yes, I stayed upright but required all my attention. Click both
these photos for more views. Click here to see the video I made of the tour. Our
guides, Rob and Kerrin, did a great job keeping watch over everyone
(most were first time kayakers) and explaining the nature of the
area and of the animals we saw. 
Wednesday, July 26, 2017: Sea Kayaks can be 15 to 20 feet or more in length and weigh 30 to 80 pounds which makes them particularly tricky to load and carry on a car. I happen to see these ladies loading their kayaks using a rack system I've not seen before. Part of the rack hangs on one side of the car with support arms to hold the kayak. That way, the kayak does not have to be lifted to the height of the car roof. The kayak is strapped to the rack which helps to support the weight of the kayak when it is lifted and locked in place on the car roof. Click the above photo for the start of the process. Pass the pointer in and out of the photo at left to see this woman lift the kayak alone with the help of the rack arms. Both these kayaks are beautiful Seaward brand kayaks, the brand I owned.
Sunday, July 23, 2017: For the first time since our arrival, sea planes landed just outside the cove and then "taxied" to a dock, apparently for lunch. On their approach to landing they both flew directly over us.
Click the photo for a view of the Orina from Deer Harbor, Washington. It sailed into the cove yesterday. It is unique in shape and age for the cove.
Saturday, July 22, 2017: One of the regular visitors to Telegraph Cove came in today with a Volvo HDT (heavy duty truck) towing an Elite Suites, a premium fifth wheel. I had to admire both the fifth wheel and tow vehicle. No doubt the fifth wheel is very heavy requiring a substantial tow vehicle but this one is over kill. I suspect the HDT was purchased for some other reason. One of the positives about owning a fifth wheel that they are generally larger and more convenient than a motor home. But the huge negative is arriving at the camping location then forced to use the large tow vehicle as a tourist vehicle. In this case, the HDT is a wonderful, safe tow vehicle but would be next to impossible to use as tourist transportation.
Click the above photo for an interesting photo of the marina on Malcolm Island.
Friday,
July 21, 2017: There is a 23 km long lake near us but we've never
seen it because of the heavy tree growth. I drove some gravel roads
and found both ends of the lake. No one is camped at the north end
but lots of folks at the south end. Those are all wind surfing
enthusiasts waiting for the right amount of wind. Click the above
photo for the sunset I experienced last night. The flower at left is
for my friend Richard who always takes photos of flowers. Click that
photo for a panorama of Nimkish Lake. For a panorama of the south
end of the lake, click the right photo. 
Thursday, July 20, 2017:
Gwen wanted to stay home and sew today so I took myself on an
adventure to try to find Ida Lake. We had already tried to find it
another time but gave up. This time, I had a good map which would
help. It is only about twenty minutes from our campsite in Telegraph
Cove. To find it, you must drive 12 km on a well graded gravel road
into the nearby mountains. It is a nice size lake, perfect for a
quiet kayak paddle or for fishing. The campsites are cleared and
level with a picnic table. The one campsite in the photo has a small
concrete pad for some reason. There are pit toilets at the entrance
to the camping area. This would be our campsite of choice if we were
not hosting and if we didn't have to drive Miss Dory 12 km on a
dusty gravel road. There are no services, no water and no other
campers. Some of the campers coming into Telegraph Cove are shocked
at the $47.25/night price tag for camping here. Now I have something
to tell them of where to go for FREE camping. I doubt that one in a
hundred would be interested but it will likely make the price tag on
this resort space look more affordable. Click all photos for another
view.  |
Wednesday, July 19, 2017: Today is our "day off" so we
decided to drive to Campbell River to visit a quilt store,
laundromat, Costco and Walmart. Campbell River is a long
drive, two hours and ten minutes one way. Costco is
located in Courtney, BC, another 45 minutes to the south
of Campbell River, so it was a lot of driving today. We
learned that food and gas is much cheaper in Campbell
River. The weather is also about 10 degrees warmer, hence
most tourists stop their northward travel in Campbell
River. It is Campbell River where we stopped in 2004 to
take the ferry to |
Monday, July 17, 2017: This was a special day for us because we got to participate in a four hour paddle to Blinkhorn Beacon and return on the Johnstone Strait, BC Canada. We are only 150 meters from the North Island Kayak company. They take out many tours each day starting at 2 hour trips up to 8 day trips to beautiful locations on the islands surrounding us in Telegraph Cove. We did the half day trip after an invitation from NIK management. We love the perks of being a host at the Cove. While on our paddle, we saw Bald Eagles, Dalls Porpoise, Sea Urchins, schools of fish, and a deer only a few meters from us on an island. Our destination was the Blinkhorn Beacon toward the east. We reached it at the halfway point, beached our boats and took a short hike to the beacon. It was good to stretch the legs after being unexercised in the kayak. I used my action camera for both stills and a short video of the trip. You can see the video here. Click both photos for more views.
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Tuesday, July 11, 2017:
Since our Verizon phones don't work here, the office cell phone was
loaned to us. When the office is closed, the voicemail says to call
this cell number. Today after the office closed, I got a call from a
yacht waiting in the Telegraph Cove entry wondering where to park. I
told them I'd have "Rod", the marina manager call them. Meanwhile, I
began walking to the marina. I dialed Rod's super secret private
number and it went straight to voicemail so I left a message. I then
called, Lynne, the marina owner and it went straight to voicemail.
By this time, I was walking onto the dock and waving at the yacht
(Wildest Dream) to come over to my side of the dock. I told him to
park on his starboard (right) side but as he maneuvered into the
marina, he flipped the boat around to park on his port side. By this
time I was on the phone again to Iian, who seems to take care of
everything in Telegraph Cove. When I told Iian what I had done, he
yelled, "No! A 50 foot yacht won't fit!", "Too late", I said, "I've
already got him parked and tied up." "I'll be right there," replied
Iian. In a couple of minutes, both Iian and Rod came walking down
the dock. I was so excited at how good a job I'd done I could hardly
talk with either of them. What a beautiful boat the Wildest Dream! This link is to the Marine
Traffic site. I was able to upload a photo to the site, check back
if it hasn't posted. Meanwhile, click both these photos for
additional views. This was the most excitement all day. 
Monday, July 10, 2017: Just strolling around today enjoying the weather and watching the boats enter and leave the marina.
The General Store is looking good for the busy month ahead.
Click the catamaran to enlarge. It made me think of the Wynns who are about to sail around the world in their catamaran.
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Thursday, July 6, 2017: We took a hike to the water east of Telegraph Cove to learn what we could see. Weather is clear so you can see for a long distance. Several kayak groups were returning to Telegraph Cove then we saw this ship passing. It's the color of Canadian Coast Guard boats so I'm making an assumption it was Coast Guard. I use MarineTraffic.com to watch for ships and identify those we see. However, I could not find this one when I returned home.
Below right is the Malispina, a smaller passenger ship which carries only 499 passengers. We were lucky to see it, few of the passenger ships pass so closely to Telegraph Cove and we happened to be on the beach when this one passed. It went to Seattle and hopefully takes a different route than the larger passenger ships since it's much smaller.
At the
above left is the Stubbs Island Whale Watching cruise returning to
Telegraph Cove. It is the most popular tourist attraction in
Telegraph Cove. Passengers pay $105 each for 3.5 hours of searching
the channels for whales and other sea life. Everyone we've talked to
has been happy with the cruise and has seen whales. At left, the
next boat load of tourists is loading to search again. There are
hydro phones onboard the boats so they aren't searching blindly,
they can pin point where the sounds are coming from and head to that
area for a sighting. 
Wednesday, July 5, 2017: It was a 50 minute drive today to Port Hardy, the city furthest north on Vancouver Island. We were here to see the sights and do some grocery shopping. It is also a Canadian Coast Guard base so I took photos of the two ships at dock. We visited the North Island College, one of four campuses. I was looking for a baseball hat with the college logo. They had none so gave us stocking caps, a logo shopping bag and logo pens. It was a good visit.
The view below left is from the coast guard dock back toward town. What you see are apartments and residences.
The photo below right is of Storrey Beach near Port Hardy. It's a sandy beach the locals like to hike.
Driving this portion of Vancouver Island is like driving in a long green cave. There are solid green foliage walls on both sides with blue sky overhead. If there is anything around, we wouldn't know because it is behind the green walls.
Tuesday,
July 4, 2017: There are other lodges, marinas and RV parks located
near Telegraph Cove so we took a tour of a couple. The view up top
is of the Alder Bay Resort Marina. It is directly across from
Cormorant Island where our Internet comes from. The RV park was
not as nice as ours but $10/night cheaper. We also noticed no
protection from the wind.
At left is the Hidden Cove lodge. It appeared to be empty and I saw no guests. You must drive 3 km on gravel to arrive at the Hidden Cove. I'm not sure when their season starts but it better be soon. Click both photos for more views.
Sunday,
July 2, 2017: During the Canada Day holiday weekend, North Island
Kayaks, only a few meters from Miss Dory, is having a "garage sale".
I was thinking the right price might temp me to buy a kayak to use
for the next three months, however, the prices were WAY too high
(IMHO) so I was tempted. I didn't see anyone buying so apparently
everyone thought as I did. There were plenty of people going on
kayak tours or launching their own kayaks. Gwen and I once
owned very nice kayaks and seeing these launch made us wish
for our kayaks. However, after buying everything needed to carry our
kayaks AND tow a fifth wheel, we decided we were just asking for TOO
MUCH. It's not just the kayaks but all the gear that must go with
the kayaks filling our storage bins. Still, it would be exciting
to get on the water again with the kayaks. Click both photos
for more views. 
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Saturday, July 1, 2017: Happy Canada Day! It has been very quiet here at Telegraph Cove for a national holiday. The whale watching, bear watching and kayak tours are busy but the RV park is quiet. So Gwen and I took ourselves for a hike to the beach (about 200 meters from our coach). The tide was out so we saw most of the beach. Kayakers taking lessons, deer, beach sea plants and shells plus snow capped mountains on the mainland and Gwen took photos of everything. I took my share of photos so click each of these photos for another view. Note: Since we are in Canada for three months, I plan to learn to speak "Canadian" so I will speak in kilometers, meters, liters, kilograms and the temperature on my weather station is in Celsius. Today it got to a very comfortable 17.8°C with no wind. In a previous lifetime when I was a fifth grade teacher in California we were given the job of teaching our students the metric system because the USA was to join the rest of the world. Unfortunately, politics and rednecks stopped the change, a big mistake! I also must learn to add "eh" to the end of every sentence. |
Friday,
June 30, 2017: We did our "chores" today as camp hosts then drove to
Port McNeill, the nearest "city" for groceries, hardware and the
ferry to the islands we can see from Telegraph Cove. The IGA grocery
story was very busy because tomorrow is "Canada Day" which makes
this a three day weekend for many Canadians. After returning to
Telegraph Cove I got my weather station online with Wunderground. Then
I set up our security camera to view the entrance to Miss Dory so we
can actually see customers approaching with the curtains down. It
will also record any movement or alert to a sound. Click the Port
McNeill photo to see the Port Mcneill Marina. I'll take photos of
the ferry once we take it to the islands around. 
Wednesday, June 28, 2017: We promised to arrive at Telegraph Cove today. We have more than 300 km to drive but first, a stop at Costco. I can't believe how many people are waiting for Costco to open. By the time we walked out, the parking lot was full. The drive to Campbell River was on a four lane freeway with a speed limit of 120 km/hr, that's 75 mph. I took Miss Dory up to 65 mph, that's enough for her. From Campbell River to Telegraph Cove the road changed to two lanes, rougher and more sharp turns. Reminded us of several Oregon mountain roads. The photo below shows the whole RV park we will host. We are third from left in space #3 with the long windsock. Captain Wayne who drives the whale watching tour boat is in space #1, Heike is in space 2 and Mark is in space #4, all are friendly. My first impression is that the park and area are better than the photos we saw on their Website. This was a late day for us so we setup and to bed. Click the photo below for a better view of our camp location.
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Tuesday, June 27, 2017: Traveling from Ferndale, Washington to Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Our ferry reservation was at 5:45 p.m. so we got a lazy start to the border. We arrived at the border about 11:00 a.m. Unfortunately, the Canadian Border guards didn't have enough to do so they parked us, searched us personally, then had us wait in the terminal while they searched through Miss Dory. About 45 minutes later, they gave us our passports, vehicle keys and told us to go on our way. I asked if it was some answer we gave to one of their many questions which caused the search and they replied that they do "random searches". We drove only about 100 yards to the visitor center and picked up brochures about Vancouver Island and exchanged US cash for Canadian cash. Our bingo winnings at the FMCA rally amounted to MORE in Canada. We learned Tsawwassen has a huge new mall so we killed time in the mall before heading to the ferry terminal. Our ferry sailed about 15 minutes late for the two hour journey to Nanaimo where we planned to stay the night in the Costco parking lot. We chose to have dinner onboard our ferry and Gwen got us a really good table with a view from the stern of the ferry. I took a short video at the beginning of our ferry ride which you can view here. The Nanaimo Costco was easy to find. We parked in front of the store while I walked around the building looking for a good location to spend the night. We decided on the backside of the building where we parked next to a high retaining wall. Click the Costco photo and you will see only the roof of Miss Dory against the retaining wall. That made for a nice quiet location. By the time we were settled it was 9:30 p.m. so we saw nothing of Nanaimo.
Monday,
June 26, 2017: This was a travel day from Puyallup to Ferndale,
Washington. We chose this location because it is only 18 miles to
the Canadian Border and we plan to cross into Canada tomorrow. We
learned of the Silver Reef Casino using the Escapee Days End
database. Parking is free and is in the quiet country side. We
also learned that Monday is 1/2 off the buffet meal so we pay only
$4.95. As it turned out, this meal was excellent and would be well
worth the full price. Unfortunately, we will likely be
disappointed with the Seven Feathers Buffet in Canyonville from
now on. While at the casino we view some of the Lummi Tribal art
on display. Click both photos for more views.
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I also wanted to mention that we had professional entertainment both Friday and Saturday nights. Friday night was Bernie and Red, a rally favorite since they have their own FMCA chapter. I was most impressed by Brady Goss, our Saturday night entertainer. I would travel a distance to see him again. I've never seen this much musical talent from the front row before. |
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June 23
continued: We spent the morning wandering through the new
motorhomes which are always on display at an RV rally. These
ranged in price from $150,000 to $510,000. It's a good chance to
see what new features the motorhomes have and get ideas for
upgrades to our own. We enjoyed the tour but didn't find any we
would trade Miss Dory for.
This is Joanne. She sold us a new Blue Ox tow bar for our Forester. We had the old tow bar serviced this morning and the technician showed us how much "play" there was in the rod extensions. He suggested they could fail. I went to see Joanne and tested the rod extensions on the new tow bars and figured the technician was right. We purchased the old tow bar used so we don't know how old it is or how many miles it has been used. We felt we couldn't take the chance while visiting Canada so replace the tow bar. Click the photo to see Jim installing the new tow bar. You can also click the new motorhome tour photos above for more photos.
Below is our first dinner at the rally. Tonight's menu was meatball stroganoff, vegetables and rice. It was good and we were hungry. Judy and William sat with us but when Judy sat down she wanted us to know the table she sits at is almost always chosen last. Indeed, our table was chosen last. We told her we wouldn't sit with her again.
Thursday,
June 22, 2017: This is the official opening day of the FMCA
Northwest Area Rally in Longview, Washington. The photo above is of
the Mayor of Longview welcoming us to the town and suggesting some
things to do while visiting. After the opening ceremony I quickly
visited the Blue Ox booth in the vendor area. For $35 they will send
a technician to Miss Dory to service our hitch. I signed up for the
program and hope to watch the technician while he works. Later in
the day, I volunteered to promote the Workhorse Chassis Motorhome
Club (an FMCA related club) at the "Chapter Fair". I have been a
member of WCMC since owning Miss Dory who has a Workhorse Chassis.
The club is a source of valuable information about this older
motorhome. As a chapter exhibitor I was automatically entered into
an exclusive raffle prize drawing and won the top prize ($50). After
my Bingo win last night I'm beginning to think I should buy a
lottery ticket. Unfortunately, no one stopping at my table was a
Workhorse Chassis owner. So I took the newsletters I had printed and
walked the entire parking area of the Cowlitz Expo looking for
Workhorse motorhomes. I found ten of the three-hundred motorhomes
parked at the expo. Workhorse is a Chevrolet product with a Chevy
8.1 liter Vortec engine. This chassis has not been available to
manufacturers for a few years so that must be the reason few are at
the rally. According to the club, Workhorse will return someday
soon. Click both photos for more views.  |
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Wednesday, June 21, 2017: Today is my
"work" day as a volunteer. I was assigned to "Will Call" from 8 to
noon with Kathy and Gary. We sat, talked and watched the parking
crew chit-chat until 11:10 when the first of several motorhomes
arrived. I expect the afternoon crew was much more busy. Kathy was
the expert but she wants me to apply to be on the Will Call crew at
the rally next year. I made a time lapse video of the parking crew over a 50
minute time period (once the motorhomes began to arrive). Meanwhile,
back at Miss Dory, Gwen finished the jigsaw puzzle she has been
working on. I never play bingo because the game is so boring. But
Gwen likes games so I went to the FMCA Bingo game. The last game
(tenth game) was the blackout game which I won $147. That was enough
to almost pay our rally fee. Douglas and his wife are from Nampa,
Idaho. They won none of the ten games so I paid for their cards
($10) out of my winnings. Gwen always plays Bingo so she was more
excited that I was about the winning game. She grabbed the $137 left
of the winnings and put it in our Canada "fun" money.  |
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Saturday, June 17, 2017: A travel day from Keizer, Oregon to Saint Helens, Oregon. We have parked at the Saint Helens Elks Lodge which has a deck overlooking the Columbia River. Our friends, Tim and Dana told us about Sauvie Island. It is only 20 miles from Saint Helens and we are told of the wildlife, hiking trails, bike riding and a couple of country stores. We plan to check it out tomorrow. Click the photo for a panorama of the Elks Club parking. Note the new Ubiquity WiFi antenna on top of Miss Dory. We have been able to get good enough WiFi to be able to watch NetFlix.
Friday,
June 16, 2017: Rain all day in Salem but enough time to walk around
the corner to the Lion's Club rummage sale. You can spot a few Elks
RVs in the top left corner. The Elks "garage sale" is tomorrow
morning. So a rainy day is good for laundry day and the Elks RV park
has a small laundry facility with new washers and dryers. Tomorrow
we move to the Columbia River and the Saint Helens Elks Lodge RV
parking. The weather forecast is for greatly improved weather and we
are looking forward to it. 
Thursday,
June 15, 2017: Considering the winter we have had in Oregon it is
understandable that we must begin our summer adventure in the rain.
Both Miss Dory and the Forester have been washed for the trip but
driving in the rain reverses all that. We began with breakfast at
Rice Hill Dennys, only about 12 miles north of Sutherlin. We
originally planned to drive north on the coast but learning the
Reedsport bridge was closed by a hit/run driver damaging the Umpqua
River bridge changed those plans. We drove north on Interstate 5
instead to the Kaiser Elks Club RV park and arrived in time to
capture the last site. There are 41 sites so this is a busy park,
partly because of the low rates and quality sites. It rained most of
the 2.5 hour drive and rain is forecast for tomorrow too. We have
friends, Tim and Dana in Salem so spent the afternoon and evening
with them. They are planning a spectacular summer adventure
beginning in August. Click this photo for a panorama of the Elks
park. Today was my second time to set up the Miss
Dory network. After watching part of the video for a
"refresher course", I got it working as best it could work with this
over used WiFi in the park. 
