Saturday, September 30, 2006

Vancouver Island, Here We Come!


The week's vacation we've been waiting for since booking it last April is here! We leave the house in a few minutes for our flight from Atlanta to Vancouver, BC, Canada, via Salt Lak City (with a one-hour layover, pray that our suitcases make the next plane!). At the airport there we'll pick up a rental car and head straight for the BC Ferries for the 2-hour ride from Vancouver to Nanaimo. Then it's a 3-hour drive through the mountains to Ucluelet on the southwest side of the island.



Here's a close-up of Ucluelet, not far southeast from Tofino in the Pacific Rim National Park on the Pacific Ocean.


Here's a link to where we're staying for the week. It's the wild nature we most anticipate. The crashing ocean. It'll be heaven for us! Weather now is in the high 50s or low 60s, which we'll love. If we can see whales, along with the sea lions and bears and whatever, we'll be in SECOND heaven (better than first :).

Don't think we'll have Internet access but I'll take my laptop to store the myriad photos you know I'll take. One day soon you'll see it all through my eyes, of course. Till then, take care of yourselves and have a good week while we remember you from afar.

BTW, since I probably won't be able to blog while we're gone, we'll see Expat Traveler and her husband on Friday in Vancouver. Donica then flies to Palm Springs for business on Saturday and I'll fly to LA to spend a couple days with Dennis' parents who have graciously invited me to stay with them while I'm on the West Coast. It'll be our first time to meet, after many e-mails and phone calls.

Lots to look forward to!

11 comments:

  1. Well, you know you'll be taking a little bit of me with you when you go. I know you won't be disappointed with the natural beauty of the place - it's just stunning.

    Can't wait to see the pictures!

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  2. The maps you found are great! And well, you get to visit Tofino before me. But actually it's first on the list of next places to visit. We really don't care which time of year we go, but we do hope to go soon..

    Can't wait to see you on friday!!! ;-)

    (I'm thinking of you now since you are coming this way soon!) It's a rather sunnier day todaay too...

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  3. Christina and ET: I guess we shouldn't have been concerned about our luggage but about our flight out of Atlanta! Because it left 2 hrs. late, we missed our connection from Salt Lake City to Vancouver. We're here in SLC now, hoping to make the 3p flight. If not that, we're both confirmed on the 9:23p flight but would not have a ferry to the Island until tomorrow a.m. So, things aren't as planned right now but we're trying to roll with the flow. What else can we do, right?!

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  4. Oh man - that is not good!

    The day has been spectacular here! Geeze, I hope things work out!

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  5. Thanks, ET and James. We are definitely making the most of everything, since there's nothing we can do about it! We dropped into bed at 12 midnight (3a Atlanta time) near the Vancouver airport and are now waiting for the 7:45a BC ferry to the Island. Then the 3-hr drive to Ucluelet. But that will be during daylight hours, which is better than what it would have been last night. Also, Delta gave us miles for all the trouble (which they shouldn't have since we were flying frequent-flyer status). So we're seeing lots of good with the delay. "In acceptance lieth peace!"

    Thanks for all your thoughts!

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  6. yeah! thanks for the updates! You should be on the ferry now and leaving... :)

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  7. Glad you're ON YOUR WAY, even though more slowly than expected. Breathe in that sea air for me!

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  8. So glad to know you're at least getting somewhere despite the delay. Hope you'll be able to make up for lost time!

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  9. Happy to hear that you're finally on your way. And extra miles can't hurt, right? :-)

    Have a wonderful time, you two! That place looks absolutely great.

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  10. OMG! You are not gonna believe this place. We totally made up for lost time yesterday and got a preliminary preview of this part of the island--Ucluelet--walking 3km around the area of the lighthouse. Our lodging is out of this world; the view of the harbor is right outside our living room window. I got a pic of the morning fog a few minutes ago that is worth the entire trip for me :)

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  11. What a great post - good to know where you are going!

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