I’ve been wanting to voyage for my birthday, and this year, it happened by chance.
There was an old timeshare week to be used before the end of March, so last November, I made arrangements to travel to British Columbia the week of March 6.
Getting ready for the trip was a little nerve-wracking: the passport arrived only the Friday before, along with a couple of checks.
The day before the trip, Emme was performing in a production by the traveling Missoula Children’s Theater, an honor to be sure, and I was glad to be able to see her.
I had to get up at 3:30 am on Sunday the 6th to make my flight with the recommended 2 hour lead time.
After a lot of indecision on my part about how to get back and forth to Logan, Peter suggested I call a limo service – an unheard of luxury – but it turned out to be a good decision, for a lot of reasons: no bus service at that hour, and I got to leave my car in the driveway rather than risk being towed or plowed in should there be more nasty weather (and in fact, there was) during the week.
I was staying at a resort in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island, which is only reachable by ferry from the mainland, but decided to fly in to Vancouver instead: both airfare and car rental were almost half the cost of going directly to Victoria, the provincial capital.
United Airlines did well by me this trip: I had four flights, each of which left on time, and arrived early.
There were only two negatives in the course of here to there and back: I was “44”d by US Security at Vancouver, and on one of my 6 ferry trips, BC Ferries managed to “lose” my reservation, but let me and my car on anyway.
All’s well that ends well.
First impression when I got to the Vancouver airport: fabulous terminal, including a gigantic welcome room with a huge First Nation abstract bird suspended in the air, a full-sized canoe and a replica of the seashore, including sound effects.
Second impression: the flowers and flowering trees, blooming everywhere – daffs and crocuses. Found the spring.
Third impression: confusion over money, actually, the coinage instead of bills for $1 and $2 currency.
The BC ferries are gorgeous, gigantic (6 decks), immaculate, modern ships. The one I was one has TWO dining areas, a gift shop comparable to the nicest ones on Cape, and a “sundeck” on which they’ve placed abundant ashtrays. Civilized.
Heard my first (and oddly one of the few) “eh’s” as the ferry was docking into Departure Bay at Nanaimo: I asked a crewmember about getting to “the highway” to Nanoose Bay. He wasn’t sure, but a young man standing nearby gave me good directions, wishing me “Good luck, eh?”
He was only the first of a series of gallant, courtly gentlemen I was lucky enough to meet on the trip.
News flash: Canadian men DON’T HATE WOMEN. What a welcome and delightful change.
18 hours after leaving the Cape, I arrived at the resort.
They’d given me late check-in instructions and a flashlight, so after some roaming around, I finally found my unit: and what a nice surprise.
Not only did I have TWO gas fireplaces, two decks and a jacuzzi tub, but a view of the bay and (as I discovered the next morning) the mountains. And even in the dark, I noticed the abundant flowers, including some perfectly beautiful, orchid-like iris on the walkway to the front steps.