There is a way to circle around the bottom end of Vancouver Island, by car, on paved roads, through thick forests and clear cut forests, along wild beaches, through a few small towns and villages, across single lane bridges, without any hint of cell phone coverage on most of the route. Absolutely delightful.
A good excuse to gather a couple of friends, pack a picnic, fill up the gas tank (long distances without any sign of civilization) and head off into the sunshine.
In no particular order....here are some of the scenes along the route, which - by the way - threads its way from Duncan, to Cowichan Lake Village, to Port Renfrew on the Pacific, back to Sooke on Juan de Fuca Strait and into Victoria, then back to Duncan. A leisurely day of enjoyable stops sprinkled throughout a laid back drive.
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| Kite surfers off the cliffs in Victoria, near Clover Point. The winds of Juan de Fuca are always brisk enough to provide for exhilarating rides |
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| Kite Surfer hanging on to his trapeze. Wet suits are de rigueur, as the Ocean is freezing cold, and dunks are frequent. |
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| Juan de Fuca Strait along the Southern Shores of Vancouver Island |
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| An open air railway museum in Lake Cowichan has a fine collection of mining buggies, transporters, old locomotives all lined up on REAL rails |
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| A well preserved solid bell of a rail car |
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| Eco friendly use of an old mine buggy |
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| Profusions of blooms are sprinkled throughout the museum grounds |
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| Cowichan River next door is a summer playground for tubers, who descend the river on giant inner tubes, more or less inebriated, often throwing their empties into the river, and sometimes being swallowed by it. River residents complain about the noise, at season's end send divers into the stream to collect the detritus of public fun, and police are out in force confiscating booze and weed. Summer must be here... |
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| A survivor of clear cutting on the road between Cowichan Lake and Port Renfrew - an ancient fir tree, a giant amongst second and third growth of timber. The old guy is protected by a fence now, he reaches 300 feet up into the sky, dwarfing his younger brothers. |
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| A babbling brook passes by the giant tree, providing soothing background music to the stillness of the forest. Hundreds of wild flowers grow in the pools of light between the dense forest, and ferns spread their fronds in shadowy cool recesses. |
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| Picnic, and the Stellar Jays demand their share of lunch |
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| The marina of Port Renfrew on the Pacific. A few years ago, a fishermen died on this very dock, when he lost an argument with a brown bear who was bent on eating the fisherman's catch of the day. Peaceful today, with visitors enjoying a repast alfresco, on the patio of the Port Renfrew Inn. |
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| French Beach on Juan de Fuca Strait, where intrepid swimmers clamber over sea-smoothed pebbles to dip into the 'refreshing' sea. |
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| Cowichan Bay, becoming more gentrified every year, but still retaining its somewhat quaint style. Street scape decoration make creative use of every kind of 'antique'. |
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| Cowichan Bay Marina, after the new docks are installed... |
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| Lots of inviting bistros and restaurants to rest and enjoy, with some chair less suitable than others |
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| Back at the home front...the kids are growing up |
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| ....huge Chasta Daisies have taken over the garden (Bambi scorns them) |
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| Bambis are getting to bothersome for mother, she kicks them away from her...go find your own food! |
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| Young buck licking his chops in anticipation of mating season |
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| Still fuzzy, but don't upset him. Depending on his mood, he may charge - fuzz or no fuzz. |
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| This is 'Fuzzy' in person, a young doe without kids. She appeared in spring with a coat that looked so scruffy and mangy, that the whole community expected to find her belly up one day, dead from whatever disease ailed her. But, nourishing feasts on abundant flowers (and now my green apples) have almost restored her to 'normal'. She still sports a somewhat odd hairdo, with scraggly hair sticking from yet to recover bits of skin, but - she is the first girlfriend the old buck has managed to attach to his budding harem. Looks obviously don't count in deerdom. |
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| And another bunch of daisies.... |
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| Avon calling! When I say, the deer invade our homes, I mean it. |
And so, the circle route has gone full circle....back to the front yard.
And now, where temperatures are inching upward into bearable range, maybe one has to get ready for the watery lesser circle route again: sail around and amongst the Gulf Islands. That story to be continued....
