Day 32- Prince Rupert

Route: Prince Rupert

Distance driven: < 5 km

Today was a pretty uneventful rainy day. We got some chores done and Pat took Jasper for a solo walk around town. Pat came back to report that there wasn't anything "blog worthy" in the whole city. Pat wanted to watch the Jays game, but he and Jasper were refused service at every bar in town. They take their liquor laws seriously in Northern BC (and Jasper's fake ID sucks).

Happy guy in the car. (Not pictured, screaming guy 15 seconds earlier)

We did go down to Cow Bay for a coffee at Cowpuccinos Cafe. Cow bay is where the cruise ships land, and there are a few very touristy shops with some cow-themed decor.

At Cowpuccinos.

The weather has been poor enough that Pat has worn pants for the last two days, after having only worn shorts every day on the trip so far. Katie has informed us that it is snowing in Whitehorse, so that will definitely be a change from the 38 degree weather in North Dakota a few weeks ago!

For Jasper's fans, here are a few more pictures and a video of him giggling. Tomorrow, we're off to Alaska on the ferry! We won't have wifi access, so you won't hear from us again until Thursday Sept 3.

Jasper trying to eat his own foot.

Trying to change Jasper's diaper is becoming like putting a cat in a bathtub.

We really move into any room we stay in.

Day 31- Inside passage ferry

Route: Port Hardy- Prince Rupert
Distance driven: <10 km
Distance sailed: 507 km

Today was our first long ferry ride, 15 hours up the inside passage from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. We were up at 4:30 am to check in and board the boat.

Seeing the sights from the cafeteria.

It was a pretty rainy day, and the first couple hours were pretty rough waters, so we mostly stayed in our seats, napping and playing with Jasper. Once we got to calmer waters, we were able to go outside a bit to check out the view. It was cloudy and misty, and you could see the rain sweeping across the channel behind us.

Watching the rain come in.

Eventually the rain caught us, and while the rain really poured down, we explored inside the ship, took naps and had snacks. As usual, Jasper was a pretty popular guy with the other passengers and staff. The cafeteria staff took turns holding him, and I think they gave us extra fries with our dinner because of his cuteness. I think Jasper would prefer if we could take a ferry all the way back to Ontario instead of driving.

A happy little sailor.

The ferry only stopped once, in Bella Bella, where a lot of passengers disembarked. It would be very strange to live in a town only accessible by boat. In the Bella Bella harbour, we could see salmon jumping every few seconds, and a lot of fishermen trying to catch them.

Playing around at the big map of the coast.

In the evening, it cleared up enough that we could hang out on the sundeck again while we passed through the narrowest part of the passage. We saw quite a few whales and one sea lion. I tried to take a picture, but had no success. They announced that sometimes you can see moose and deer swimming and a white bear, but we didn't see any of those.

Family picture on the back of the boat.

The sun even peeked through the clouds for a couple minutes before it started to set. After dark, Pat went to watch Argo in the ship's theatre, and I walked Jasper around until he fell asleep. I wasn't sure about taking the ferry, since it was so pricey, but I'm glad we did. The trip was an attraction in itself, and it was a more relaxing way to travel than driving, especially with a baby.

Can you see the whale? (Me neither)

A Jasper-sized sailboat in the kids area.

We arrived in Prince Rupert at about 11:30 pm, and went right to our hostel to bed.

Day 30- Port Hardy

Route: Port Hardy
Distance driven: < 10 km

Today was an unexpected rest day in Port Hardy. We definitely made a good decision to stay indoors last night! It was pouring in the morning, and we saw a few really soggy hikers and kayakers come through the hostel.

Watching the Jays game at the hostel.

The down time gave Pat a chance to watch his first Jays game since we left on the trip. He has had a hard time not being able to watch and sometimes not being able to check the score while we're on the road, especially since the Jays are doing so well.

Play time.

We hung around the hostel, had some giggly play time with Jasper. We've seen lots of interesting sights so far on our trip, but some of my favourite moments are when it's just the three of us hanging out. Jasper was able to roll over one more time today, so it's not completely by accident.

A warm lunch on a rainy day.

In the afternoon, we went to the #1 Trip Advisor ranked Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre. It was interesting to learn how they capture, fertilize, grow and release the new salmon.  Jasper napped through the entire tour of the centre.

Pat practicing swimming upstream as a salmon.

Pat did get a chance to fish after all.

We went for another walk around town in the evening when the rain let up for a bit. There was a fishing pier and walking trail along the coast to explore. Then, it was back to the hostel for dinner, a bath for Jasper and early to bed. We have to be at the ferry terminal at 5:30 am tomorrow to set off for Prince Rupert.

Jasper was bored of all the rainy walking.

Day 29- Cathedral Grove and Horne Lake

Route: Little Qualicum Falls- Port Hardy
Distance driven: 397 km

Pat found a new friend at our campsite this morning, a giant banana slug. He kept reminding me to watch out not to step on the slug as we were packing up camp.

Banana slug with razor for reference.

Just a few minutes down the road, we stopped at MacMillian Provincial Park, to check out the old growth forests at Cathedral Grove. We took two short hikes around the forest with Jasper in the front carrier. It was an exhausting hike for him.

Sleepy baby in the front carrier.

Family photo by the biggest Douglas Fir.

Our next stop was Horne Lake Caves provincial park.  We weren't able to do the guided tours, since Jasper is too young, but we did hike to the self-guided caves.

Happy and awake Jasper with Dad.

It was a nice hike through the forest to get to the caves. One of the caves was big enough for Pat and Jasper to fit in, and I went in the other one by myself. There was a ladder to climb down in the cave, which reminded me of when the McIlroys visited Horne Lake about 15 years ago. I was extra careful in the cave, since I already have an injury from falling on flat ground in broad daylight.

Jasper didn't know what to think in the caves.

Our plan was to camp near Campbell River for the night, but after checking the weather forecast (rain, rain and more rain, starting tonight), we decided to drive on all the way to Port Hardy. This way we are in the same hostel for 2 nights, and our gear won't be wet when we get on the ferry on Sunday.

Pat and Jasper by the fishing pier.

Jasper has rolled over a couple more times and has a new trick of sucking on his toes while we're trying to change his diaper. Hopefully he will start sleeping better again soon!

What do your toes taste like, Jasper?

Day 28- Victoria with Kate

Route: Victoria-Little Qualicum Falls
Distance Driven: 169 km

We had a slower start to the morning, mostly because I really wanted to go for a swim in the waterfalls at our campground. We'd walked down there the night before and saw some kids go in. It wasn't as cold as I'd feared, probably about the same temperature as the ocean at the beaches on Gabriola.

Morning dip in the waterfall

Our plan for the day was to head into Victoria to see my friend Kate from U of T. Unfortunately, Kate was feeling under the weather, but we made it work. Kate was very wary of getting Jasper sick, so we made sure to keep a safe distance and use hand sanitizer. It was really great to catch up with Kate, I think it had been at least 3 years since we'd seen eachother. A lot has changed in that time!

Staying a safe distance from Kate.

Kate treated us to lunch at Re-bar, an excellent vegetarian restaurant in Victoria. It's always exciting to be at a restaurant with so many vegetarian options! Kate pointed us in the right direction for Victoria tourist-ing, and headed home to rest up. I hope you feel better, Kate!

Photo bomb in Victoria Harbour.

We wandered around Victoria harbour, and up to Beacon Hill Park. The petting zoo was a highlight of the park, as were the pretty gardens and ponds. I'm sure we exposed Jasper to way more germs at the petting zoo than from Kate's sickness.

Jasper eyeing the goats.

After a pit stop at Long and McCuade to buy a green ukulele, we headed north and stopped for the night at Little Qualicum Falls.

Day 27- Saying bye to Gabriola

Route: Gabriola- Nanaimo- Victoria
Distance driven: 103 km
Distance sailed: 6 km

Today was our last day with Aunt Pat and Alex on Gabriola. We spent the morning hanging around the house, doing laundry and taking some walks around the neighbourhood.

What has Patrick been teaching Jasper? 

Ruby isn't afraid of the tiny human anymore.

We had waited all week to take a trip to "GIRO", the local recycling depot. It is like the dump exchanges that they have at the Kincardine and Carling dumps, except highly organized, manned by volunteers and huge! It was quite the sight to see, and I'm sure we would have picked up some items, if it didn't mean we'd have to carry them 6000+ km home.

Gabriola Island Recycling Organization.

Baby fins.

Baby badminton.

In the early afternoon, after consulting the ferry cam, we set out to head back to Vancouver Island towards Victoria.

Tailgating the ferry.

We really enjoyed our time spent on Gabriola with Aunt Pat and Alex. After a lot of travelling, it was nice to have some time to relax and hang out. Alex was such a great host, and his local knowledge made sure we were at the best beaches every day. He also had the magic touch to be able to calm Jasper with his guitar and ukulele playing. Have a great trip East, Alex!

Goodbye Gabriola!

Day 26- Blackberries and Bambi

Route: Gabriola
Distance: < 20 km

Today was another day of hanging out on Gabriola with Aunt Pat and Alex. Jasper had some tummy time fun this morning.  He is enjoying it a lot more now that he can hold his head up for more than a few seconds.

We went on a blackberry picking expedition and got enough berries to make a cobbler, and only a couple scratches from the brambles.

Jasper was a pretty happy guy most of the afternoon, and even had a nice long nap, which allowed me to go for a run and Pat to do some reading.

 

When Alex got back from a trip to Nanaimo, we all went to the beach together for a swim.  The sun was shining, the tide was high and the water was refreshing.

Jasper had a nice shady setup in a shady spot, and we took turns between playing with him and swimming.

 Aunt Kate must be teaching Jasper well, he took a selfie at the beach. 

 Jasper got fussy towards the end of our beach trip, so it was Alex and Duke the Uke to the rescue.

During dinner, we had some animal visitors on the front lawn, a doe and her fawn. Pat and Alex fed the deer some apples and they seemed appreciative of the snack and water bowl. Pat has enjoyed all the wildlife he's seen on the island, including a peacock today.

Day 25- Drumbeg Park

Route: Gabriola
Distance Driven: 46 km

Today we took a trip to the far south end of Gabriola island to visit Drumbeg Provincial Park. Alex had to work, so Pat, Jasper and I went for lunch at the Old Crow Cafe and then went exploring the south of the island. Aunt Pat provided the musical entertainment on Duke the Uke to keep Jasper (mostly) calm while we drove.

At the interpretive sign at Drumbeg park.

We went out for dinner at the Surf Lodge that has a patio with a great view of the ocean and mountains in the distance. The food was excellent, and the view couldn't be beat.

Enjoying dinner on the patio at the Surf  Lodge

After dinner, we walked along the shoreline, picking blackberries, exploring tidal pools, searching for whales and enjoying the sunset. We didn't see any whales but we did see a few other sea creatures. Picking blackberries isn't the best idea with a baby in the carrier. The sunsets are beautiful in Kincardine, but the mist and the mountains sure add something extra.

Dangerous blackberry picking.

Beach walk at sunset.

What a view!

Day 24- Lazy Sunday

Route: Gabriola
Distance driven: < 10 km

Another day on beautiful Gabriola island! The morning started with a concert by Alex, which kept Jasper more calm and entertained than he'd been in days.

Jasper was so impressed that he decided he wanted to be just like Alex. So, he tried on Alex's spectacles...

 

...and tried to play his own mini-guitar.

Jasper also wanted to go for a swim like Alex, so he got all suited up at "baby beach", ready for his first dip in the Pacific.

But, the water was a bit chillier than he'd expected, so the swim didn't last long.

Luckily, his Dad was ready with warm towels and clothes...

... so he was passed out on the beach within minutes.

After a stop at Hive to re-fuel with coffee...

... Jasper was ready for more playtime with the time machine...

... and more musical play on the keyboard.

It doesn't seem like such a lazy day after all!