We have enjoyed our brief stay in the picturesque and charming small community of Port McNeill. This small community of 2700 clearly takes pride in it being a vibrant place to live with services to rival larger communities. We had debated about staying in the bigger city of Port Hardy, but this was good. And today, we have a pretty easy day of riding ahead of us...about 40 km to the ferry terminal. The ferry leaves at 6pm and we are required to arrive 2 hours in advance.
Screamer is raring to go. Like us, Screamer is looking forward to a day of leisure on the 22 hour ferry ride to Prince Rupert.
The Humpback Motel in Port McNeill is brand new, very quiet and comfortable. Plus the price can’t be beat in the area. Last minute organizing and we will be on our way.
We did a wander around before heading out and explored more of the marina and lucky for us, the Saturday farmer’s market was on. We went on a search for paperbacks to take on the ferry, but there was not a book to be found. The library must be busy here. ...Then a visit to the Tourist Office yielded a wonderful selection of paperbacks and we were able to find 2 books we liked from their used book “free library”. Yeah, we are all set.
We enjoyed the historic photos of Port McNeill by the marina. Such a rich history of logging, fishing and life on the coast.
Port McNeill swimming pool. It took our bigger community of Salt Spring more years than I care to remember to get a community indoor swimming pool. We are appreciating the independent, resilient spirit of community of those in these small communities in the north.
Also an arena which gave 3 local boys, Willie Mitchell, Clayton Stoner and Rob Skrlac a good start on their way to their NHL careers. We loved the caption on the sign.
The ride to the ferry turnoff was over before we knew it. If you are cycling this route, there is one rest stop on this stretch by a lake where we made lunch. The highway was fairly quiet with some logging trucks and tourists heading for the ferry. It was a good ride.
The Port Hardy information/rest stop on the highway by the ferry turnoff is worth a stop. The displays are very informative about the area‘s history, communities and wildlife. As well, there is a fascinating installation of an immense blade of a wind turbine from the Cape Scott Wind Energy project (north and inland from here). As it was damaged and unusable, the decision was to give it a different purpose. Very interesting. Just the thought of transporting it by truck is impressive.
Hearts have become a symbol during COVID times expressing gratitude to Front Line Workers and Health Care Professionals. They take every form from children’s art in windows, to professional signs to this tribute on the wind turbine blade.
Our ship is ready and waiting for us...fittingly it is called the Northern Adventure. We continue to be lucky with the weather. Fingers crossed that our sailing will have clear skies and not too much fog.
It is not fun for animals on this voyage as they must remain on the car deck, in their vehicle or in these cages. There will be frequent opportunities when the car deck is available for people to come down and check their car (or bike) and more importantly check on their pets and give them a bathroom break.
We were told that the ferry was pretty busy today, but there aren’t many cars. COVID is reducing the allowed capacity on the ferry.
The ferry ferry ride is 22 hours long. We depart at 6pm and arrive in Prince Rupert at 4 pm the next day. As B.C. Seniors we enjoy the discounted rate of $105 per person for our fare. If we are lucky enough to get a stateroom, we will pay an additional $100 which gives us a bed, our own bathroom and a shower. Fingers crossed that we are lucky, as we are on a wait list for a room as they were sold out. Knowing that we may have to sleep on the floor, we have packed sleeping mats, pillows and sleeping bag liners. We think that this trip is an incredible opportunity to see the beautiful Inside Passage at a bargain price. Our bike is free. The big cost comes with bringing a vehicle.
Due to COVID, things will be a bit different on the sailing. It is mandatory to wear a mask in all public areas and there will be reduced services. Thank goodness they have started serving food, but it will be limited in choice and for brief periods only....no buffet!😢.
Mary Ellen visited the Purser when we got on board and asked about the wait list and if we were getting a room. It turns out that the BC Ferry worker had neglected to put us on the list when we booked...grrrr. But the Purser kindly added us to the list based on when we booked our ticket. We got set up in Raven’s Lounge, prepared to hunker in as we had heard a number of calls for people to report to the Purser for their cabin. We were underway when we heard our name. Barry ran and sure enough, we got the last cabin and it was an outside cabin with a window. Wow!!
A happy BC ferries passenger. We had convinced ourselves that we would be fine but as soon as we opened the door, we realized that this was better. A window, bed, shower and our own toilet....does it get any better? Who needs a cruise ship?
Well, we have had quite a week riding the length of Vancouver Island. The riding has not always been easy, yet we have enjoyed the journey. Our reasons for not doing a tour such as this in the past were sound, yet we have learned in the past week that anything is possible. It helps to be experienced at cycle touring, to understand our limits and how to be safe on the road. Yet, many of our apprehensions have not been realized. It’s pretty simple...be prepared, do the necessary planning, carry the gear that will keep you safe and last, but not least, respect the needs of the drivers of vehicles as well as your own. When you are riding on a 2 lane highway with huge motor homes,oversized trucks and logging trucks, it serves no one to take your space on the road as you might in a more urban situation. After all, it is a reciprocal relationship and necessary for a safe and positive relationship on the road. We have always loved the varied beauty and nature of Vancouver Island from a vehicle, but somehow it has been even better from the vantage point of a bike. At our pace, no detail is missed and we continue to be in awe of the incredible opportunity we are enjoying in being able to appreciate our home province from 2 wheels.
Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles) Total: 479 km (297 miles)
9 months ago