UCLUELET, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Since I've been adding comments on my last post about what's happening thus far, I made my own executive decision to add a post sans photos (I don't have Internet for my laptop where my pics are stored but at least we have Internet access).

As I said in a comment on the last post, 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 3 km 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 :)

Today we are gonna drive the 41 km or so up the coast to Tofino (see last post for the maps), spending the day on the beach along the way, beachcombing. Once in Tofino, we'll visit shops and galleries, drive around, get the lay of the land, eat dinner, and take lots of pics (but of course!).

Tomorrow we have a reservation for a 5-hour Archipelago Nature Cruise in the Broken Islands of Barkley Sound, with a gourmet meal while anchored in the islands. It's mostly for whale watching but includes sea lions, bears, eagles and whatever else we see! It's run by a husband and wife team on their 53-foot motor yacht. Doesn't that sound heavenly?!! And it all starts and ends a stone's throw from our living room window across the harbor!

Thursday is a "do nothing" day except for whatever strikes our fancy. Just BE in this incredible nature. Friday morning will come soon enough when we drive 3 hours across the mountains (memories of Colorado and northern California) back to the ferry and ride over to North Vancouver to meet up with Expat Traveler. Friday afternoon she'll be our tour guide of that incredible city, Vancouver. Her hubby will meet up with us for dinner. Then we'll spend the night at the airport before we both go our separate ways on Saturday--Donica to Palm Springs for a week of work and I to LA for a couple days to visit Dennis' parents (Judy and Dave) before I head back to Atlanta.

So, no pics yet for a post (lots of pics taken, tho'!) but just a more detailed itinerary of what we're up to. In case you wanted to know :)

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!