On the second half of my vacation I rose early and drove north from Sechelt to catch a ferry boat at Earl's Cove. Last time I did this (three years ago) it was so dark I couldn't see anything. Much better views this time. There's something so peaceful about the wilderness in this area that I just love.
The Earl's Cove ferry goes to Saltery Bay, and from there it's a short drive to Powell River. It seems like such a nice, peaceful place that if I had the money, I might consider moving there. It was a Sunday morning when I arrived, so while waiting for the next ferry, I took a walk. Discovered a nice little book store and just took in the surroundings.
The next ferry travels between Powell River and Comox. Then there is the drive southeast on Vancouver Island to the Pacific Coast Highway that heads through Port Alberni (another nice little town), alongside Sproat Lake, winds through the mountains (an actual black bear crossed the road in front of my car) over to the coast and my destination, Tofino.
I'd heard for the past couple of days that the Olympic torch had arrived on Vancouver Island and was making stops at several different places. Little did I know as I reached the final stretch, the torch was nearby on Long Beach. I did notice a lot more traffic on this stretch of road (and a few police cars), but didn't find out why until I arrived at the Long Beach Resort.
