Pender Island, relaxing in the Canadian Gulf Islands

July 12, 2013

Pender Island, relaxing in the Canadian Gulf Islands

Donna gets back from a 5 day conference in Jackson, Wyoming, is home for a few days and off we go to coastal British Columbia via Salt Lake City. Stopped in and saw Anna and Nic and their new home, had a great dinner up Big Cottonwood canyon with Anna, Nic and Matt. Then it's off to Canada - an overnight stay in Pendleton, Oregon. Then into Washington, and over the border - a nights stay in Surrey, BC, and the BC Ferries ride from Tswassen to Pender Island (with stops at Galiano and Mayne). The ferry ride is beautiful - and we are settling in to the typical July/August weather in this part of the world - sunny skies, no rain, highs usually in the 60's, low 70's. We bring the heat with us though and our first few days, it's actually in the 80's for highs.

We are staying for 3 nights on Pender Island at Gnomes Hollow, a wonderful B&B tucked into the woods at the end of a road, with a fantastic water pond feature that we look out at and hear from our room. Dave and Tania are the proprietors, just a few years older than us - and seasoned travelers - having been to many world destinations. Dave is the schmoozer, Tania cooks and rolls her eyes at Dave. Also staying here for our first two nights are a young honeymooning couple, Amanda and Kye, currently living in Belingham Washington, but from Missoula Montana, where they intend to move back to in a few years (with Amanda growing up in CO, and Kye in Florida). We really hit it off with our young friends who are biking across the Canadian Gulf Islands on their honeymoon. Amanda is 6 months younger than our eldest daughter Kirsten. Amanda is a physical therapist, and Kye is a social worker. They are similar ages to our ages when we got married, and it both makes me feel young (we brought our bikes too and ride the hills a couple of the days on Pender) and old (they're the same age as our kids) all at the same time.

The Penders are now two islands connected with a short channel, although they used to be one island, before they blasted the channel back around 1906, if my memory serves me, to create a shortcut through the Gulf Islands. About 2500 people live on Pender, making it the second most habited of the Canadian Gulf Islands after Salt Spring Island (where we go next).

While we are here we stop at the museum at Roe Lake near Otter Bay (and the ferry terminal) and have a picnic lunch. A beautiful spot that we will return to. After stopping in at the B&B, we go on our first bike ride that afternoon/evening to Thieves Bay and then to the end of Pirates road, and go to dinner at the Port Browning marina - a delicious heartichoke pizza, on the deck overlooking the harbor. Our second day we bike over to South Pender Island (we are on North Pender), check out Ainslie Point cottage (we looked at staying here, but usually it rents on a weekly basis - primo location) and talk with the wealthy but very friendly owners of the property (they have an estate next door - drive a Jaguar, etc.). We hike up a very steep, about mile long trail up to Mt. Norman, the highest point on Pender Island for a great panoramic view of the islands. We decide to do a picnic dinner back at the Mueum spot, so we stop at the local store and buy some food and drive out to the park. We have the place to ourselves, and relax, reading, taking pictures and taking in a beautiful sunset.

Amanda caught a cold on her honeymoon (boo, hoo) and is feeling a bit subpar our second morning, so we offered to put their bikes on top of the car and drive them to the ferry. Saved them probably a good 45 minute to hour long very hilly ride that morning. After dropping off Kye and Amanda we head back to Port Browning where we have rented a double kayak for four hours. We had a great paddle in Browning and Bedwell Harbors, going thru the channel between the two. That evening we drove down to the driftwood shopping center, picked up some more food, and drove to the end of south Pender for another picnic dinner, and explore. We can see Mt. Baker in Washington State from here, and is another beautiful spot.

A final breakfast and visit with Dave and Tania (we are the only guests this morning), before heading off to the ferry (with a brief stop in Hope Bay on the north part of the island) and on to Salt Spring Island.

There is something about the island life - slower paced, surrounded by water, that is so appealing. Expensive to be sure (real estate, food, transportation to and from, etc.), but definitely an attractive lifestyle.