Nanaimo, Victoria, and Golf - by Craig

awesome tarping Craig

View more photos 

Today we made our way down Van Island towards Victoria. First we hit Tim Hortons for some b-fast and the trip almost stopped right there. Someone (I won’t mention any names) forgot her purse in the place! Thank god she realized only about 10 mins down the road to Victoria, AND that some honest souls had turned it in! It contained our passports, and all of her ID, which would have made the border crossing planned for tomorrow next to impossible!! Anyway, a lucky break on that one!!!

We setup camp at the KOA just north of town. It was the earliest we’d been into a campsite so far, but of course to make up for it being light outside, it rained instead! hah! I got to build a giant tarp structure that would have surely kept us dry all night, but of course as soon as I got it all setup, it stopped raining! That was a good thing because the next thing on our schedule was a game of golf at Bear Mountain Golf Resort, a course designed by Jack Nicalaus himself, just outside Victoria. What a place. The course was great, but quite a challenge!!! It ate me alive … it was Steph who was hot today!! On the 11^th signature hole, a par 3 island green, she stuck her tee shot to about 2 feet and drained the putt for her first career birdie!!! She was thrilled. Don’t worry, all the action was captured in photos so you will all be able to re-live it upon our return! Anyway the golf was great. As for scenery, I think Kananaskis in Alberta was a bit better, but this was still very nice. The 16^th tee has a stunning view of all of Victoria. Then we sat out on the patio and had a drink, and were about to head downtown to find an internet café when one of the very friendly staff members here suggested we use the hotel business centre for free. Dynamite indeed. So here I am now, typing to you all from the Westin at Bear Mountain. Sweet!

First Birdee!

View more photos 

I think we’ll still head down to the city centre to check the place out at night. We’ve made it all the way to the west coast of Canada! Apparently there’s a place in Victoria called “Mile Zero”, which is where the Trans-Canada actually begins. I’m hoping to find that tonight or tomorrow before we get on the ferry for Seattle.

More to come!!