Bodhi goes to the beach...

 

When we were camping on Vancouver Island last September (you can read all about that in the history bar) we came upon a few places that we wanted to revisit. One of them was the Parksville / Qualicum Beach area. So we put the dog and the cooler in the car and set off to Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville for some walking along the beach and maybe scout out some fish and chips.

Bodhi likes the car and he had plenty to look at during the drive. We collapsed the back seat for him and added his comfy dog bed so he could also take a nap. At the park we walked the entire length back and forth, about an hour all told. This translates into about five km. A lot more for Bodhi because he walks in circles and zigzags while we walk in a straight line...

There are signs up along the walkway telling people that pets are not allowed on the beach at this time because every year large flocks of Brant Geese stop here to rest up and feed while on their journey back to the great white north where they further their species. Rathtrevor is a beautiful park with year round camping. We even saw a campsite set up with a tent! Some people are tough!

Beautiful Rathtrevor Beach

Plenty of picnic tables

Heading to the campground

After our walk we drove to Qualicum to have another look at a real estate development right on the waterfront. There are about 50 cottages built around a communal area with a pool, hot tubs, club house with a gym and a tennis court. You may add your cottage to the rental pool and have some return on your investment, or you can just keep it all to yourself. The down side is that you may live there for 180 days in a row and then you must be away for a few days. Then when you return you are good for another 180 days. It all has to do with some covenant regarding recreational properties. Any of you who read this blog can add your advise on owning such a property. It would be greatly appreciated.

We drove on along the shore to our favourite chippy only to find them closed for the season. Not surprising really, it's a tourist area and winter is the slow season. There is a fish and chips place in Port Alberni that we want to try called "Bare Bones", sounds good! We stopped at the Quality Foods in Qualicum where Shelagh hopped out of the car and bought some club sandwiches and some veggies for our spaghetti dinner. We stopped at a picnic area on Cameron Lake on the way home. The views are wonderful right from the picnic table. It was a bit cold there for Bodhi so we did not stay long. When we got back on the road our four legged buddy fell asleep in his doggie bed. He slept for most of the day, totally tired out. A good day for the little guy...

Lunch at Cameron Lake

Beautiful views

Totally exhausted

 

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Heading north

View point along the Malahat

With the sun shining and the car neatly packed to the rafters we headed out of the wet microclimate that is Goldstream park. We chose the scenic route, highway 19A along the coast and passed through the small coastal towns along Georgia Straight. We stopped for a while in Chemainus to look at the old town with its many murals and decided to return here for a closer look. We also drove through the towns of Duncan and Ladysmith and we were surprised by the size of them. All the big box stores were there. The drive to Parksville was easy and uneventful and we arrived at beautiful Rathtrevor park, chose our camping spot close to the beach and registered with the gate house for a three night stay.

The tent looks so much happier in the sunshine

In about 20 minutes our camp was set up and we were ready for a walk about the park. It seemed that the local high school had a weekend camping trip on the go because there were a large number of young kids in the group campground for some kind if orientation gig. They were all having a good time on the beach. It was lightly overcast but not the kind of cloud cover that produces rain. However there was a cool breeze.

This kid was tearin' up the trails on his bike

Nice homes along the shore

Just a special shot for the Beglaws

Our walk lasted nearly 90 minutes and we scored our 10k steps on Shelagh's fitbit. Along the way we came across sandcastles made by the students and took some pictures, some were very creative and very well executed. It was time to go to town and stock up on a few things, we bought a rotisserie chicken, tortellini and some sauce both made by Mr. Olivieri, and some fresh fruit and veggies.

Blissful sunshine, but a cool breeze

Once back at our campsite we decided to go to the beach near our new home and have some wine and a soak in the sunshine, the change of weather was a very welcome experience... At the check in station we ordered and paid for three bundles of firewood and asked for it to be delivered to our site. When a man arrived with firewood he filled three large plastic bins with wood and we ended up with an enormous pile. Typically a bundle of wood is about half the size of this generous helping. I went to work on some of the straightest logs and turned them into kindling. After a dinner of chicken and Caesar salad we lit our fire and enjoyed a wonderful evening with no rain...

A parallel fire works best

 

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