Monday, October 14, 2019

Day Three of Lower Mainland BC Road Trip: Lonsdale to Sunshine Coast and Powell River


Day three of our Lower Mainland BC road trip took us along a route we drive frequently when we want to get from our home in Powell River to and from the big city or Bellingham.



First at the Horseshoe Bay lineup, our ferry in the distance.
We waited for the morning rush hour traffic to subside then drove from the Lonsdale Quay Hotel to catch Highway 1 northbound.

Our first stop was the Horseshoe Bay BC Ferries Terminal. We had a reservation for the 11:55 ferry going north to Langdale on the Lower Sunshine Coast.

But today it wasn't very sunny. At least the rain showers were light, making driving not too difficult.

We got a front row spot so remained in our car.

Front row on the upper deck of the Queen of Surrey.

There are comfortable seats and food service on the passenger deck. If you are parked on the enclosed lower deck you must go upstairs. If you are on the open upper deck you can remain in your car if desired. You can also walk on as a foot passenger and have an economical round trip scenic "cruise."


The first stop was the Langdale Terminal where we exited the ferry to take Highway 101 north along the Sunshine Coast. This is a beautiful drive through lush forests with glimpses of the Strait of Georgia along the way. The 84 km (52 mi) drive takes about an hour and a half.

Driving Highway 101 on the Sunshine Coast to Powell River.

Highway 101 is part of the Pan-American Highway that runs all the way to the tip of Chile.  Lund, a village 28 kilometres (17 miles) north of Powell River, claims to be Mile 0. The two lane road is good but has lots of winding curves as you near the Earls Cove Ferry Terminal.

Scenic Trout Lake is a favourite viewpoint north of Sechelt.
About a third of the way up you pass through the Village of Sechelt with full services including gas, food, lodging, camping and outdoor activities.

Other stopping points not far off the highway include: Gibsons where the popular Canadian TV series The Beachcombers was set, Roberts Creek, Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour and Egmont with it's impressive and dangerous Skookumchuck Narrows rapids.


Backeddy Marina is popular with locals and cruisers.
We were early for our second ferry at Earls Cove so we decided to head over to Egmont for an early dinner at the Backeddy Pub.

We've been here before by car and in our own boat.

Docking at the Backeddy Marina can be challenging for boats when the tide is running strong because Skookumchuck Narrows is just around the corner.


We got on the Island Sky for the last ferry ride home. Gray skies made photos naturally black and white. Looking up Hotham Sound on a sunny day is very different.

Comparing Hotham Sound as seen from the ferry in clouds and sun.

After a 50 minute ride we arrived at the small residential community of Saltery Bay.

Driving off the ferry at Saltery Bay.
It was originally the site of a fish salting company back in the early 20th century, hence the name. From there it's about a about 40 minute drive to Powell River.

Along the way there are several resorts, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and sporting goods establishments. There's also the ocean, forests and the expansive sky to enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed our Lower Mainland road trip and can come visit our Powell River home town sometime soon. I know you will enjoy it as much as we do. -- Margy

34 comments :

  1. Hi Margy, I had fun catching up on the rest of your latest RV trip and then this lovely Autumn roadtrip. You guys are travelers ... right up our alley, everything you do makes me want to add to our travel wish list! I agree with you even on favorite travel meals (pub food and brew). We do what we call grown-up camping”... eating meals out whenever we stay near interesting places to eat!

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    1. We agree with the "grown-up camping" idea whether we are on the car, RV or boat. - Margy

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  2. We did that trip backwards last spring break and thoroughly enjoyed it. Such a beautiful part of the world. I think that the BCFerry system, although expensive, is very good.

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    1. Sounds like you might have done the great circle route with ferries taking you to and from Vancouver Island in addition to the Sunshine Coast link. - Margy

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  3. Margy - a lovely road trip. The comparison of the Sound in differing weather conditions was very interesting - sometimes I prefer a gray day for taking photos since a sun that is too bright makes for shadows, etc. It sounds like you made good time on your trip, but I suppose sometimes having a specific time for the ferry can be a bit stressful? Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday, my friend!

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    1. I like a mix of blue an clouds best for photos, but sometimes fog and gray can work out for a natural black and white shot. - Margy

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  4. Thank you for the tour. I love traveling and though most of our trips are auto (gave up camping when the kids were raised there’s nothing like a good road trip. Ha e a wonderful week !!

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    1. We didn't have kids, so haven't needed to give up camping. But using an RV has been nice. It's like traveling with your house on your back. - Margy

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  5. Hello Margy, what a great road trip! I would like to see some of this area some day. It is beautiful. Lovely photos. Enjoy your day, have a happy new week!

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    1. I've made it to the east coast a few times, but most of my travels have been in the north, west and southwest. - Margy

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  6. Looks like a great road trip. Hope you get some sunshine soon.

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    1. Promised for tomorrow, but we'll see. After all, it's fall in BC. Wait fifteen minutes (or so they say) and the weather will change. - Margy

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    1. Thanks. BC has some beautiful places to visit. - Margy

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  8. Nice road trip. I used to take ferries in Texas when I lived down there. They were a lot smaller than the one you showed and everybody stayed in their cars.

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    1. I bet they were cheaper too. Unless you fly, they are our only way to travel out of town. That can add up, but for tourists it isn't a huge expense. - Margy

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  9. So many scenic places and I’ve been to many of them. It’s funny how sometimes getting from point A to B takes us through X, Y & Z before we can conclude the journey.

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    1. That's for sure, but sometimes we get in ruts too. It was nice to try a few different things along the way. - Margy

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  10. Fun road trip and you took some nice shots too

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    1. Thanks. The colours on the trees didn't show up as well without sun bringing out the yellows and oranges. - Margy

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  11. A beautiful area for a road trip. Thank you for sharing your photos.

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    1. We had a bit of rain so stuck to the major roads. Next time I want to take some less traveled ones. - Margy

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  12. Thanks for visiting my blog. My son lives in Burnaby and last yr. we spent a few day on the Sunshine Coast. We hiked to Skookumchuck Narrows, through the beautiful rain forest, Stayed at Halfmoon Bay and had lunch at Gibson's diner, (The Beachcombers Diner). A beautiful part of our country. I will follow your blog. A lot of interesting topics. Thelma..

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    1. We travel through Burnaby quite often. Isn't Gibsons a fun spot? - Margy

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  13. Happy travels. Thanks for the road and boat trip! I like the sound of the ferry ride. Have a great week and thank you for visiting my blog this week.

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    1. I met someone tonight who said there were dolphins following the ferry this afternoon. You never know what you might get to see. - Margy

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  14. Sounds like a wonderful road trip. Fabulous photos!

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    1. I liked having short driving legs so we could enjoy our destinations more. - Margy

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  15. Hey careful what you offer Margy, this little Wren would love to come to Canada someday. Your post is exactly how I imagine a perfect Canadian roadtrip. I love that you have to take two ferry rides. The air looks so clean and fresh and the countryside so pure - can you tell I'm a country girl living in a big city?! Thanks for a beautiful read.
    Wren x

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    1. Having two ferries to get home can be long, but it does keep our small town small. The towns that are only one ferry ride from Vancouver have had a lot more growth. - Margy

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  16. Thanks for sharing. I like ferry rides, as long as the weather is decent.

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    1. I'm with you. I don't like a lot of rock and roll. - Margy

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  17. Replies
    1. Sometimes we forget to explore locally when we think of taking a trip. This one was nice since we didn't have to drive too far between stops. - Margy

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Thanks for stopping by. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome. - Margy