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English School Articles · August 30, 2011

Summer on the West Coast

You are here: Home / English School Articles / Summer on the West Coast

I`ve been very fortunate to visit a number of beautiful places throughout Japan and the world and summer season back home is certainly one of my favorites. Earlier in the month my dad, brother, friend and myself took our motorbikes on the new ferry (the previous one mysteriously rammed into an island and sank) from Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the small town of Prince Rupert, further up the coast of British Columbia. The voyage takes about 15 hours. Most of the trip meanders through narrow channels providing outstanding views and frequent whale sightings. We woke up the next morning to rain. No surprize there. If people back in Vancouver complain about the rain, they should spend some time in Prince Rupert where the locals can always tell who the tourists are because they`ll be the only ones with umbrellas. Riding east into the interior we soon found the sunshine again cruising through areas where I used to work as a surveyor in my younger years. Those survey projects often took place in the winter season and I remember being pretty much frozen much of the time so visiting in August was a welcome change. We passed bear and moose along the road and plenty of other bikers out enjoying the warm weather. After a BBQ with family and friends in Prince George we continued south to Kamloops where I used to live. Typically very dry and hot this time of year, after a stop through my old neighborhood we ended up at a historic hotel for the night after a round of golf. Frustrated with a lot of missing balls and accompanying foul language I felt much better retiring to the old saloon and discussing the history of the hotel with the bar staff. Loved the atmosphere of the place. Dim lighting from the antique lamps and candles and the creaking sounds from the old floor boards. Finding my way to the washroom through the narrow corridors in the middle of the night passing black and white portraits of previous inhabitants was a haunting experience. The caretaker who remains in this place through the quiet, winter season must have nerves of steel. Following another lovely sunrise the next morning we stopped for a coffee in Merrit and winded our way through the Fraser Canyon to Lyton then veering off to ride south down the Duffy Lake road to Whistler which recently held the winter olympics. About 10 years since my last visit here and couldn`t believe the changes. It`s just as much a summer adventure resort as it is a world class ski destination. The photos I brought back give my students a more detailed understanding of the part of the world that I come from and by the way, the guy next to me is my dad – he rides the other Kawasaki.

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  1. Martin says

    August 30, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    Hey Don, very nice that you could hang out with your dad ‘n bro on the bikes like that. Must have been a good five days ride, staying in motels along the way? Very cool ride from Prince Rupert down to Prince George over Kamloops, Merritt, Fraser Valley, Whister. The Prince Rupert ferry didn’t ‘mysteriously’ sink. There just wasn’t anything ‘conclusive’! Ha Ha Ha! Welcome back safely. Martin

    Reply
  2. Edward says

    August 31, 2011 at 8:23 am

    Hey Don,

    Were you in Nanaimo as well? We were there August 4th to 22nd. It would have been pretty funny if we’d bumped into you on the seawall. Speaking of ferry failures- did you see the news about the Gabriola ferry? Rough being an islander…

    Ed

    Reply
    • Don Cameron says

      September 5, 2011 at 6:13 am

      Howdy neighbor! Let`s hook up at the Dinghy Dock next time….or better yet, the Globe!

      Reply
  3. Rick Hart says

    September 5, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    Dinghy? Dock? Must be Otsu; I’ve seen neither in Kyoto. Glad to hear you had good hols, Don. A shame I didn’t see more of your native province during my four years in Van.

    PS. You know what they say about golf: a good walk spolied. If you fancy a rotten walk up at Funayama sometime, my mate and I occasionally head out.

    Reply

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