Vancouver Island is Lovely Too

March 8, 2019

The grass is always greener on the other side, they say. That's why tourists spend the big $$ to leave where they are and go someplace else. Of course there is great value in broadening your perspective by visiting other people and landscapes. But sometimes you can also be impressed by things, maybe a little ignored, close to home.

Just looking around on our local ride today, we got that feeling that this really is an attractive place. No, we are not cancelling our air tickets, but today we are offering a peek at some scenes from here.

France is more famous but we have vineyards too!

Saltspring Island south end, viewed from our own Cherry Point Beach

Cherry Point is a good place to bring your dog. This is quite near our place. The stream that runs through our land reaches salt water here.

Occasional ships, we hope, do not disturb the whales.

A nice place to live, along Cherry Point Road.

More of Spring might actually come here soon!

One of the best known interpreters of the scenes on our island is the painter E.J. Hughes. Hughes was born in Vancouver and raised in Nanaimo. He went to famous Emily Carr University of Art in Vancouver, graduating in 1933. He lived in nearby Shawnigan Lake, and died in 2007 in our town centre of Duncan.

In Duncan on the high street there is a shop devoted entirely to Hughes stuff. It has been there a long time, and has a mural with Hughes in it on the wall above the windows. We passed by today, and were impressed by Hughes' images, which capture well the ambiance of the Island, which is our theme today.

The Hughes gallery is prominent in Duncan

The City has it covered, with a historical marker.

Hughes looks out from a mural, high up on the building.

Here is Hughes take on "The Beach at Cherry Point" (this image is from ejhughes.ca)

And here is the wharf at Cowichan Bay, just over from Cherry Point (also from ejhughes.ca)

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Tricia GrahamIt looks lovely. We always think that one day to get to Europe we should fly into Vancouver, get the train across Canada then fly on to Europe. We lived in Portland , Oregon for a while but never went up to Vancouver and the only time we have been to Canada was when Ken was at a meeting in Toronto
Have a lovely trip
Tricia
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonWell, this is timely. I’ve been spending my idle hours yesterday and today plotting out our summer tour, which will begin in Victoria and end back home in Portland. We’re planning on taking the loop west through Port Renfrew and Cowichan Lake on our way up to the Comox ferry, and expect to bike through Duncan. We noted the attractions of Ladysmith a few days ago also. It will be great to see this country again - Rachael and I haven’t been up there for about 25 years.
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5 years ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesWhen we had lunch with the Klassens last week we tossed around the idea of having a first annual Cycleblazers west coast potluck picnic. Hopefully this would happen in mid July, or thereabouts. Maybe you can time your trip to join us. Anybody else out there interested? A more definitive level of planning will happen in June when we get back from our upcoming European jaunt. If the timing is off for you and Rachael re the get together you always have a welcome here whenever you are passing through.
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesI think we know our dates, actually. We expect we’ll arrive in Victoria on July 8th, the day after my mother’s birthday weekend, stay there three nights, and then head west for Port Renfrew. We’d be back in Duncan 4 nights later (roughly 7/14), and then head up the coast.
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5 years ago

Sue PriceWe are sorry we will be gone by the time the West Coasters get together! Next year!!! I didn't know that Hughes lived in Nanaimo or about the gallery in Duncan. We will stop in next time we head down island!
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5 years ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Sue PriceWe will instead watch your progress across Canada by van, and see what you make of cycling on the Route Verte in Quebec!
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5 years ago