Cortes Island, BC July 2019 Take 1 - the setting
I have a tough time deciding exactly which photos to save as favorites (if you want to look at a more manageable set of photos, go on my instagram account) so I've saved almost 300 favorites from our week on Cortes Island. So two posts for the week each with around 150 photos (Yikes!).
We had a magical week on Cortes Island. We have never stayed on Cortes Island before although I have set foot on it twice before (jumping off point for last years solo kayaking trip and Colin and my kayaking trip many years ago into Desolation Sound). As Harold from SSI says, Quadra Island is laid back and Cortes Island is flat back. We stayed at Ian and Nora Disney's place located on ten acres at the entrance to Manson's lagoon and across from Manson's landing. Ian is 76 and moved to Cortes Island way back in 1974. Nora came along 14 years ago after getting divorced (Ian I think was married to a Cortes Island lady for a long time...not sure if she died or they divorced). The penthouse where we are staying is the top floor (mostly added on) of their old (1930's vintage) float house which was moved to its present location a long time ago (before Ian came along). The setting for the house is magical, looking out at the protected anchorage and Mansons landing. Much of the beach is covered with oysters (free for the picking), and has clams and mussels too. Nora has a large garden with lots of veggies and raspberries, loganberries and blackberries (not quite in season yet); so great eating!! We had oysters once, clams once and mussels twice (our favorites), along with squash, broccoli and berries from the garden. The nearby large lagoon fills at high tide and drains at low tide making for interesting views and tidepooling. What was not to like.
The property is island funky for sure with everything Ian has ever owned tucked here and there in the woods and a derelict old RV off to the right just above the beach (although we couldn't see it from our place.) They are land rich, income poor. The property is definitely worth in excess of 2 million dollars as a guess as prices all over coastal BC have shot up in the last decade or two, but I think their income is pretty low. Nora does about five different things (she has 100 free range chickens and sells free range eggs, Ian was involved in garbage pick up on the island and still is involved in that and they have the airbnb rental. Most everything is seasonal though as tourist season is mostly June - August with some activity in May and September too. They both love living on the island and definitely love the off the beaten track nature of Cortes. All of these islands (and Cortes is particularly this way) is a mix of uber wealthy land owners who are part time residents and poor locals with lots of local folks who think it's still 1968. Politics on the island are far left.
Lots more to tell...next post...paddling, hiking, more on island life. Meanwhile let's hunker down for some photos.
We had a magical week on Cortes Island. We have never stayed on Cortes Island before although I have set foot on it twice before (jumping off point for last years solo kayaking trip and Colin and my kayaking trip many years ago into Desolation Sound). As Harold from SSI says, Quadra Island is laid back and Cortes Island is flat back. We stayed at Ian and Nora Disney's place located on ten acres at the entrance to Manson's lagoon and across from Manson's landing. Ian is 76 and moved to Cortes Island way back in 1974. Nora came along 14 years ago after getting divorced (Ian I think was married to a Cortes Island lady for a long time...not sure if she died or they divorced). The penthouse where we are staying is the top floor (mostly added on) of their old (1930's vintage) float house which was moved to its present location a long time ago (before Ian came along). The setting for the house is magical, looking out at the protected anchorage and Mansons landing. Much of the beach is covered with oysters (free for the picking), and has clams and mussels too. Nora has a large garden with lots of veggies and raspberries, loganberries and blackberries (not quite in season yet); so great eating!! We had oysters once, clams once and mussels twice (our favorites), along with squash, broccoli and berries from the garden. The nearby large lagoon fills at high tide and drains at low tide making for interesting views and tidepooling. What was not to like.
The property is island funky for sure with everything Ian has ever owned tucked here and there in the woods and a derelict old RV off to the right just above the beach (although we couldn't see it from our place.) They are land rich, income poor. The property is definitely worth in excess of 2 million dollars as a guess as prices all over coastal BC have shot up in the last decade or two, but I think their income is pretty low. Nora does about five different things (she has 100 free range chickens and sells free range eggs, Ian was involved in garbage pick up on the island and still is involved in that and they have the airbnb rental. Most everything is seasonal though as tourist season is mostly June - August with some activity in May and September too. They both love living on the island and definitely love the off the beaten track nature of Cortes. All of these islands (and Cortes is particularly this way) is a mix of uber wealthy land owners who are part time residents and poor locals with lots of local folks who think it's still 1968. Politics on the island are far left.
Lots more to tell...next post...paddling, hiking, more on island life. Meanwhile let's hunker down for some photos.
Donna in front of the Gillean Douglas home (Cortes pioneering woman Donna read about in a book at our place at Mansons Landing)
Oystercatchers
Great Blue Heron with a snack
One of several evening sunset paddles we did here
Deb and Brain's (folks we met on SSI) son Mark at his food truck, the Bears Picnic - yummy
Orca from the Quadra to Cortes ferry ride
View from one of two large windows at our place
The walkway at our place
Loon
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