Oct 23, 2009 - Victoria, B.C.

Wandering gorgeous Victoria; From the Inner Harbour and the Parliment buildings, to the top of the hill and Craigdarroch Castle; The Empress Hotel, draped in flaming red clinging ivy; Market on Yates, Chinatown; A busker singing and playing guitar on Douglas St, the narrow street and granite buildings making for marvelous acoustics - live music a comfort on the road.

A demonstration in downtown Victoria - part of the International Day of Climate Action....A huge parade of people on all types of bicycles ride through the city center, raising awareness, calling for action on the climate crisis. .

Oct 22, 2009 - Chemainus to Cowichan Bay

Stopped for lunch in Chemainus, a town 'world famous' for it's murals; the walls of many of the town's buildings covered in murals created by local B.C. artists....

An impressionist-style mural dedicated to the "Hermit" of Chemainus, walking along a forest path.

Through Cowichan Bay, lots of organic farming and vineyards here; The town is a sister city of a small village in Italy - the two villages are partners in the "Slow Citta" movement ( Slow City...as in Slow food ). The baguettes and croissants at the True Grains Bread bakery in town were amazing. An artisinal cheese shop next door....the place is all about locally produced, quality, "slow" food.....very special.

Watching native fisherman on a bridge over the Cowichan river, using long spears to catch spawning Coho and Pink salmon.

Arrive late afternoon at Mill Bay in a drizzling rain; From there, I ferried across to Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula, then cycled into Victoria, arriving in the late evening. From the visitors center, a fantastic view of the inner harbour and the Parliment buildings outlined in lights.

Oct 21, 2009 - Nanaimo, B.C.

Watch the locals on the fishing pier tossing out their crab pots baited with chicken necks...then hauling them back in....Dungeness and the beautiful flaming Red Rock crabs are caught.  The fishermen use a gauge to check the size to determine whether they are 'keepers' or must be returned to the sea....ropes of many crab pots tied along the pier. Watching float planes bound for Victoria take off from the harbour.  "Susie" the local harbour seal comes looking for food handouts.

The center of the old harbour town of Nanaimo centers around the Bastion, a wooden tower originally built in 1853 by the Hudson Bay Company as an an outpost.

Oct 20, 2009 - Coombs

Stopped in Coombs, a touristy little village on Hwy 4, famous apparently for "Goats on a Roof"...a herd of goats grazing on the roof of the general store there

 

Oct 14, 2009 - Sayward to Qualicum Falls, Vancouver Island

A Stellers Jay has been shadowing me ever since leaving Port Hardy.....( could it be the same one, I wonder? )  Everytime I get off the bike, to eat, or rest, or pitch camp, there he is, perched in a nearby tree, head cocked, looking down at me.

Today, as I ate my lunch, he sat in a spruce tree above me, watching intently.  I threw a piece of bread out on the table for him...He swooped down to it, but then thought better of it, flitting back to his perch without taking any.

Spent two days camped at Elk Creek Provincial Park with a fellow traveler from Huntsville, Ontario - he was hunting Chanterelle mushrooms in the mountains nearby;  We shared a Canadian Thanksgiving meal together, sitting around the fire and talking about our travels.  Cycling the north part of the island was a pretty lonely, wet affair, and I was glad to have the company.

Upper Falls, Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, Vancouver Island

 

Following the Island Highway 19 south to Campbell River, then on to the Comox Valley and Courtenay. North of Parksville, I turned west on Highway 4 heading into the interior of the island, visiting Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, and Cathedral Grove, an old-growth forest of massive Red Cedar and Douglas Fir....some of the trees over 800 years old.  

Standing at the base of "The Big Tree", a giant  Douglas Fir, 76 meters high and 9 feet in diameter 

Oct 9, 2009 - Prince Rupert to Port Hardy, Vancouver Island

Jeanne left a few days ago, headed to Tacoma to pay a visit to Scott and Heidi...from there, she will drive south to Albuquerque, then back to her home in Tucson.   Meanwhile, I got busy reassembling The Mainframe, repacking my panniers, getting gear organized. 
In the morning, I cycled out of Prince Rupert in a thick fog, headed for the ferry terminal south of town; Boarded the ferry bound for Port Hardy down the Inside Passage ...still feeling a bit low, adjusting to being solo a traveler again, after an amazing 6 weeks exploring Alaska with Jeanne....gonna have to get my cycle touring mojo workin' again.

Lake Louise to Jasper, Columbia Icefields

Resting at Columbia Icefields, with the Athabasca Glacier in the background

Sestriere, Italy

Andrew and I camped about 500 meters below the KOM on Sestriere, awaiting the arrival of the 2009 Giro. Our next-door neighbors were Anton and his lovely wife Elvira, from Germany. They wined us and dined us, fed us pasta, wine, coffee, and an authentic Lintzer Torte ( a gift from Elvira's daughter, who brought it all the way from Lintz, Austria! ).

Washburn, North Dakota

Reached the Missouri River Valley at Washburn, ND

Arrival in Fairbanks

At precisely 11:47 AM yesterday, Saturday, Aug 29th, I pedalled into the city of Fairbanks, Alaska,...Just as I passed the "Welcome to Fairbanks" sign, the sun broke through the clouds. What a feeling, to be welcomed into town by warm sunshine - especially after the last few days of rain and dreary grey skies.
After obigatory photos at the "Welcome to Fairbanks" sign, and a stop at the Visitors Center, I proceeded to the Chena River State Campground at the west end of town, where I found Jeanne in site #117 setting up her tent. A grand reunion, indeed...( actually a second reunion - she and Mary Lou passed me on the road between Tok and Delta Junction a few days ago ).
Jeanne and I celebrated last evening with a lovely dinner at an Italian place in historic downtown Fairbanks - I had Napolitano pizza, Jeanne had the Ravioli....Then we drove up the Old Steese Highway to the Silver Gulch Brewing Co. in Fox for a sampling of their craft beers -the Fairbanks Lager and Copper Creek Amber Ale were standouts.

It feels good to have met this challenge. I've gained confidence from the experience - reckon I'm prepared for something even bigger now: Anchorage to Argentina, Trans-Siberian.....
I hope you're all well...thanks to all who have emailed encouragement. It meant a lot to me.

I'll post more later.... Right now I've got to get my clothes from the laundromat next door....At this moment, I'm wearing only my tuk and Smartwool socks,...( the only clean stuff I had left !).....and the folks in the coffeeshop are staring ;?)
My best to all of you....Doug in Fairbanks