Saturday, August 15, 2015

Homeward bound

We said a reluctant farewell to Magna Bay, and headed back towards Vancouver for our last stop. Our route took us down the magnificent Coquihalla highway winding through the mountains in sinuous loops.

3 nights at Brae Island, Fort Langley

Another spacious and well-appointed campground and another check on the “to be revisited” list. All told, we’ve done pretty well this trip thanks to Ali, the tireless Internet travel agent.

This was our shortest stop, nothing more than a layover on our return journey, so we didn’t plan on doing a lot. Walked across the river to historic Fort Langley, of course...
Where we learned about the trading history of BC
And glimpsed life as a pioneer

...mooched around the pretty town with its colonial-style buildings...

...and most of the rest of our time was spent lazing by the river.
Our campground is just behind those trees on the right
And a mile's cycle through the woods brought us to the tip of Brae Island

Conclusion

Finally, it was time to pack up for the last time and head to the ferry. The one slight oversight on our part was that we were traveling back on the Friday of a holiday weekend - BC Day on Monday - so we had a 3-hour wait before we were able to sail. Something to bear in mind another year.

Summary: 18 nights, 4 stops, 1,600km driven. Wildlife: Bald eagles, deer, ground squirrels, rocky mountain goats, a brief glimpse of a bear. Lots of new experiences for the kids, lots of reminiscences for us.

When we started planning this trip, the kids had qualms about all the packing, unpacking, and long drives in between. At the end of the trip, the big question on their minds? Can we do it again next year?

9 comments:

stephen Hayes said...

How wonderful that the kids had such a good time that they'd do it all over again. I've heard stories where the kids weren't so enthusiastic for a repeat.

Anonymous said...

Wow, your last stop looks pretty amazing! Sounds like the trip was definitely a success. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

They want to do it next - funny!
That was a really long trip, but that probably gave you some real time to relax.

Botanist said...

Stephen, that surprised me but it was good to hear it went down so well.

Madilyn, it certainly was!

Alex, it was a great wind-down from the pressures of work.

Sandra Cox said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. The first pic looks like the Blue Ridge Parkway

Botanist said...

Sandra, we did have a great time.

Crystal Collier said...

I love it. There's nothing so great as a family vacation. Our favorite ones involve cross country driving and numerous sites. So much fun.

Denise Covey said...

It sounds like you enjoyed the best of family holidays. Thanks for taking us on the journey with you. Love the pics. The colonial homes must have been magnificent.

Botanist said...

Crystal, Ali & I love driving and taking in the scenery. The kids generally stay glued to their screens in the back taking in a movie!

Denise, it was one of the best trips we've taken, for sure.

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