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.