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| The Salish Eagle at the Powell River Westview dock. |
Summer means Wayne and I are at
home on Powell Lake in Coastal BC. Life in our float cabin is like a vacation every day, but we do leave for other adventures. Last week we hopped in our Tucson to take the ferry to Comox on Vancouver Island.
The trip across the Strait of Georgia takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. Our condo in town is above the BC Ferries terminal. That makes it handy plus an interesting view from our balcony.
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| Our truck towing the double quad trailer on a previous trip. |
The purpose of our three night and four day road trip was to explore backcountry roads and campgrounds on North Vancouver Island. We are preparing for a future trip in our truck towing two quads on a long trailer.
Many unpaved logging roads are rutted and potholed. Some backcountry campsites are too small for a truck and large trailer. Scouting in the SUV will make future truck and quad trips easier.
We started north to Campbell River using the
Old Island Highway 19A. It's the scenic Oceanside Route. We gassed up at the
Discovery Harbour Centre that we know so well from our boat trips, then stopped at the classic
Ideal Cafe for a late breakfast. We eat here every time we drive through Campbell River.
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| The Ideal Cafe is a classic breakfast and lunch spot. |
Two lane Highway 19 north of Campbell River is wide and uncrowded. We had a mix of sun and rain, but that didn't stop us from exploring logging roads and potential campgrounds.
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| Island Highway heading nort |
If you would like to read more about our offroad adventures,
click here to go to the Powell River Books Blog.
The first two nights we stayed at the
Quarterdeck Inn and Marina Resort in
Port Hardy,
the end of the paved road and the gateway to
Bella Coola, the Central Coast, Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii
via BC Ferries. The hotel is south of town with lots of boat and fishing action to enjoy. Try the
Sporty Bar and Grill in town for good beer, pub food and interesting people.
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| The Tucson and Wayne at Georgie Lake and a logging train display in Woss. |
North Vancouver Island is strongly linked to the sea for fishing and transportation. We enjoyed exploring
Sayward,
Woss,
Coal Harbour,
Port Alice,
Port McNeill and finally historic
Telegraph Cove while we were there.
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| Port Alice, Port McNeill and the boardwalk at Telegraph Cove. |
To conclude our road trip, we stayed in historic
Telegraph Cove. In the early 1900s, it was a fish saltery, lumber mill and the terminus of the Campbell River telegraph line. We stayed in the
new lodge overlooking the cove, or you can choose to stay in the
suites with kitchens, one of the
historic homes or cabins, the
forested campground, the
marina or nearby
RV park.
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| To celebrate our road trip, dinner at the Killer Whale Cafe in Telegraph Cove. |
Thanks for coming along on our North Vancouver Island road trip. Even though it was a holiday long weekend, we found rooms and campsites readily available. If you want an exciting yet relaxed vacation, come north. You can arrive by car via
BC Ferries to Victoria, Nanaimo or Comox. You can fly from Vancouver to Comox on
WestJet,
Air Canada or
Pacific Coastal (my favourite) and
rent a car to use on paved roads. You'll be glad you did. -- Margy
