Vancouver Island Ride

Seven WMC members and three spouses headed out on June 22nd for a three-day ride to Vancouver Island. The ride from Lake Stevens (our meeting place) was sometimes sunny and sometimes drizzly, winding up Highway 9. We did encounter some road work in a couple of places, but the wait wasn’t too long and we made it to Sumas just fine. Everyone made it over the border without mishap, and then we headed west toward the Tsawassen ferry. There was a lot of construction in Surrey, but we still made the second of the two boats we had selected.

Note: The BC Ferry System misinformed us about fares: when our road captain called ahead to confirm costs, she was told the fare for a motorcycle was $14. However, when we arrived, we were informed that $14 was for the motorcycle only, and that the RIDER was another $11 (or something like that). We wondered how many riderless motorcycles the BC Ferries routinely saw, for them to price a bike without including the rider. Oh well. And that’s the one-way price.

The ferry ride to Vancouver Island (Swartz Bay) was pretty. A few of us talked up the natives and got the scoop on the Malahat Highway. We were warned that drivers are going fast and won’t stop or yield. We found this to be true as we had a dicey U-turn to make in order to get into the Malahat KOA. However, if you are into a winding, fast ride, the Malahat is for you. Dinner at the Malahat Mountain Inn, across the street, was good, and the view of the inlet was unmatched.

The next morning, the plan was to head to Coombs to see the market with the goats on the roof, then go to Tofino for lunch. Once we all got to the market, checked out the goats, ate lunch, and browsed, most of us felt that the additional 75 miles or so to Tofino was ambitious. Plus it was raining on and off, and though we were all equipped for rain, we weren’t necessarily that enthusiastic about riding in it. About half the group decided to continue west and see what there was to see up around Port Alberni, and the other half headed back to camp to rest.

We experienced some difficulty getting dinner a second night at the Inn, as we didn’t have reservations and were assured that, despite the empty restaurant, all tables were reserved and we “just couldn’t be accommodated, sorry”. Luckily, the lovely down-to-earth Leeza at the Petro-Canada station next door was not a snob, and she worked a pizza delivery miracle for us that involved multiple phone calls and a favor from her ex-boyfriend. We shared four pizzas on our picnic table, various beverages, and good times as we chowed down, family style.

The ride back home on Sunday seemed long, but was shorter, since we decided to take highway 99 (which becomes I-5 in the US) straight south to the Blaine truck crossing. We spent about an hour and a half in line to cross. Again no mishaps once we all made it to the booths. Three of us decided to stop in Bellingham to eat (Busara at exit 252 – great Thai food!), while the rest of the group headed straight home.

The three Thai-food-eaters got caught in the hailstorms in the Mt. Vernon area. The hail was, at times, the size of gumballs, and at least one of us had nice bruises on the back of her clutch hand! The lightning and thunder were scary and impressive. This smaller group diverted to Elsa’s parents’ house in Arlington, where they waited it out over coffee as their wet gear tumbled in the dryer. After about an hour, the weather had moved east and we were able to get home just fine.

It was a long, exhausting, and very fun ride. Next time, we’ll make it to Tofino, perhaps adding another day to the trip. But all in all, Vancouver Island is full of great views, curvy roads, and interesting stops.