This was a pretty straightforward day.  Get up, have breakfast, pack up, and go.  We rode the Goose to Helmcken Road, followed that as far as Interurban Road, and that eventually morphed into the Interurban Rail Trail.  This turned out to be a great discovery--a new reasonably flat route from Victoria to Swartz Bay and the ferry.

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I hadn't heard of this route until my ride with Lisa the other day.  We rode Interurban Road and the first part of the rail trail as far as Prospect Lake Road before heading back.

The Interurban Rail Trail was a Saanich (municipality) centennial project.  The BC Electric Railway opened in 1913, one of three railways that shuttled people and goods daily from downtown Victoria to the north end of the Saanich Peninsula.  It ceased operation in 1924, unable to compete with the two other railways and the introduction of the automobile.  Saanich considers the Interurban Rail Trail to be the "backbone of a second touring route from Swartz Bay to Victoria" and I concur, the first being the Lochside Trail if you're unfamiliar.

Yoday, Al and I stopped for lunch at the cafe at the intersection with Prospect Lake Road and then, fueled up, we continued to Swartz Bay.  We were even early enough that we caught the 3:00 sailing!

That was good, because the overpass over the road and rail line to the Roberts Bank shipping terminal was closed for installation of a new culvert.  We had to find a new route back to our car and there was plenty of daylight left.  This is when it's great to have a map on your bike computer!

And to top it off, I had a voicemail telling me that the footprint for our new tent has arrived.  I'll pick it up tomorrow and then we can plan more short bike tours!