Canada Travel Stories

Exploring a Vancouver ‘Hood

by Julie H. Ferguson

Shops on Denman Street in Vancouver — Denman Street, Vancouver

When I’m in a big city anywhere, I often avoid tourist traps by exploring a neighbourhood. The experience gets me in touch with the locals and shows me what it’s like to live there.

If you happen to be visiting multi-cultural Vancouver, many neighbourhoods offer tourists the chance for an exploratory day trip: Chinatown, Main Street, and Little India (aka Punjabi Market), to name a few. In the spring of 2013, I roamed around Denman Street in the residential West End, sandwiched by the sea at either end. It stretches from Coal Harbour in the north to English Bay in the south, with Stanley Park two blocks west. I could walk Denman one-way in about twenty minutes but I took six hours to browse the ‘hood’s funky cafés and unusual boutiques, its residential streets, and stunning beach.

The aroma of roasting coffee wafted around me as I set out on a sunny morning at Denman’s north end where motor cruisers and yachts rack up in Coal Harbour and harbour cruises depart. Between West Georgia and Robson, bike and skate rentals predominate so visitors can circle Stanley Park’s famous sea wall on a bike, choosing from the most popular electric version up to racing models. Trailers for little ones are available too.

South of Robson, the buildings are older and some, ramshackle. Here are the cafés, restaurants, and a pub or two. I lost count when I reached fifty and there must be every cuisine on the planet represented here—from the haute cuisine of Rain City Grill at the south end to a tiny spot creating homemade empanadas (Latin-style pasties), which I devoured. I ate at Kingyo’s, an unusual Japanese place just south of Haro Street, and snacked on Ukrainian perogies.

I saw few tourists here in spring. Instead Denman was full of locals walking their pint-sized Yorkies and poodles before work, and elderly residents chatting in coffee shops. Many said, “Good morning” to me, and one lady wheeling a Pug in her walker-basket stopped to chat for ten minutes. I felt like a local.

In high summer, Denman hosts Vancouver’s Pride Parade and it was no surprise to me to see some risqué stores amidst the ordinary ones. I did not explore all of these as I was solo and a bit apprehensive, but I did peek in and blush.

I reached English Bay Beach, one of many sandy beaches in the city and hugely popular. Today under cool skies, the dog walkers had displaced the sun bathers, but it is a spectacular spot to enjoy Pacific sunsets on summer evenings and sip a glass of BC chardonnay.

I’ve long loved the statues, all fourteen of them, at the corner of Denman and Davie that have graced the intersection since the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Today I enjoyed people interacting with Yue Minjun’s A-mazing Laughter, imitating them and acting the fool.

I meandered back to my hotel, Times Square Suites at Denman and Robson, through Stanley Park’s eastern edge starting at the heron rookery and ending at Lost Lagoon, where the Stanley Park Ecology Society runs children’s programs in the summer.

The Denman neighbourhood is funky, small, and friendly and very close to downtown Vancouver with all its attractions. But don’t forget Stanley Park’s Vancouver Aquarium, a ten minute bike-ride from Denman—it’s one of the best day trips for every age group.

The author wishes to thank Spectacular Ink and Times Square Suites for making this exploration of the Denman Street neighborhood possible.

If you go:

Best months to visit: anytime, but May to early October are the dry season
Also walk east on Robson to the high-end stores like Armani and Tiffany’s.
Thirty-fifth anniversary Pride Parade, August 4, 2013.

Tourism Vancouver: www.tourismvancouver.com.

Denman Street: www.insidevancouver.ca/2009/06/16/exploring-denman-st-from-english-bay-beach-to-coal-harbour/.

Harbour cruises: http://www.boatcruises.com/tour.php?pv=p5.

Stanley Park: http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx.

Vancouver Aquarium: http://www.vanaqua.org/

Bike rentals: Ezee Riders (best value at Denman and Robson) www.ezeeriders.com

Pride parade 2013: http://www.vancouverpride.ca/

Times Square Suites, ranked Vancouver’s sixth best hotel out of 97, at Denman and Robson: http://www.timessquaresuites.com.

About the author

Julie H. Ferguson is an addicted travel writer and photographer who is intensely interested in the history and culture of foreign lands, as well as Canada, and her stories and images reflect this focus. She never leaves home without her cameras and voice recorder, always looking for the colour and sounds that captivate readers everywhere.

Julie is also the author of twenty-six books, including four about Canadian history and seventeen travel-photo portfolios. Her travel articles and images have appeared in global markets, both print and online.

She invites you to visit her travelog www.stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com, her website at www.beaconlit.com, and her portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/beaconlit.

Taming the Dragon

by Joei Carlton Hossack

The Skytrain ride for my day trip to downtown Vancouver for my first experience of dragon boating had me intimidated. Even as I walked from the Main Street/Science World station to the Creekside Community Recreation Centre on False Creek I wondered how to break it gently to my family.

I was thrilled that I wasn’t alone in wanting to back out.

My niece, trying to keep us all calm, warned that if we didn’t go we would regret missing out on a true adventure. This was my great nephew’s birthday party and there were almost seventy of us going dragon boating and except for Daniel and a few of his friends, we were all novices.

Six instructors, standing on the concrete wall shouted instructions and demonstrated the dragon boating row – different from canoeing or kayaking – more swift and crisp. En masse we learned and practiced on shore.

Life jackets on, we readied to board. The two seats in front filled first followed by the two back seats. The next two in front were followed by two in the rear and continued until all nineteen of us were on board. The three other boats filled the same way and I was disappointed that none of the boats had the ceremonial ‘dragon head.’

Now I was really nervous. All of the old people, of which I am one, were put in the same boat even though there were others. I feared we were going out to sea to be put onto an ice floe to float into oblivion and when I aired my feelings a few laughed –.nervously. Last to board were our instructors – one in front – one at the rear. We immediately shoved off and crashed into the dragon boat crossing our rear. No harm done.

For one hour we paddled – sometimes fast, then slow and made every effort to do it in formation so our oars wouldn’t touch and we could gain some speed. With our paddles stuck in the water at a ninety degree angle, we learned to stop on the spot when commanded to do so. We raced the other boats. When floating we marveled at the skyscrapers and Granville Island in the distance. I was splashed by my niece sitting in front of me and goaded her mother, sitting directly behind me, into picking up the paddle and getting back to work because the captain wanted to water-ski. It was all is good fun — and a great adventure.

By the time we floated back into the slip I knew that I could cross dragon boating off my bucket list even though I didn’t realize that it had been on my bucket list.

About the author
Joei Carlton Hossack is the author of ten adventure travel books, an entertaining and inspirational speaker and amateur photographer. Her favorite mode of transportation is traveling solo in her RV. She teaches memoir writing and travel writing. Please visit her website at www.joeicarlton.com. Joei has created a new line of books called Mini Reads and a new line of bookmarks combining her love of photography and bead work. The bookmarks are available at www.etsy.com/shop/BookBlingbyJoei

Entrance Fee to Denman Island

by Susan Black

The adventurous 81-kilometre drive to Denman Island is a pleasant day trip from Campbell River south along Highway 19A, also known as Oceanside Route. Our Russian Ural bike rally team was presented with views of Georgia Strait on our left and property in full bloom on our right.

Even with a ferry schedule to match, the drive south offers a wealth of panoramic views of life on this part of the central Vancouver Island.

If you don’t own your own boat the only way to get to Denman Island from Vancouver Island is to pay the twenty-nine dollar entrance fee. You are guaranteed a safe return.

The ten-minute over-seas excursion begins at Buckley Bay and presents a spectacular view of Denman Island’s west face, the salty spray of ocean water and a brilliant blue-sky vista. At the port, we disembarked and drove across the Island on Denman Road to the Saturday Market at Old School. The smell of fall vegetables filled the air. Artisans display their wares on tables strewn over the grassed property and there is an indoor ‘reusables’ building with many free items.

We travelled south on East Road and turned onto the driveway of one of the potters on the Island. Unfortunately, the artist’s masterpieces are revealed by appointment only. We stopped next at Jaquie’s Wild Fruit and Ice Cream at Gravelly Bay and picked up some luscious blueberries to add to our picnic feast.

Further down the road, at Bill Mee Park and Boat Launch, we barbequed turkey and pork sausages, fed on various salads and devoured our treasure of berries. At this point we were presented with an expansive view of Hornby Island to the east. The boat activity was plenty, the ocean smell pungent and the light breeze refreshing. We walked over the volcanic rock in search of fossils and interesting crustaceans.

After a calm and relaxing session at the ocean’s edge, we boarded our bikes and headed off to roads less travelled. Our return trip north on East Road led to Swan Road, an undeveloped 17-kilometre path of gravel, sand and more gravel. As we headed north, we were rewarded with spectacular views of mountains, brilliant blue skies and untouched wilderness.

We arrived at Denman Village where friendly folks at the General Store steered us toward their world famous Denman Island Chocolate bars. We boarded the next ferry and said farewell to the pleasant, quiet and gentle Denman Island.

About the author
Susan Black is a published author. The Little Red Book Teaching ESL in China reveals her expedition to China, along with her husband. Most recently, her essay “How Detachment Changes Everything” was included in the anthology of stories published in The Moment I Knew–Reflections from Women on Life’s Defining Moments. She won Second Prize for her story, “Cowboys and Indians” at the 2010 Powell River Writers Conference. Susan’s interests include traveling with her husband on their Russian URAL motorbike, walking, swimming and reading. To learn more about Susan, visit her at: http://susanbraveheart.blogspot.com/ and http://uralbuddies.blogspot.ca/

Short But Sweet – Roberts Lake Resort

by Susan Black

The short 31-kilometre drive to Roberts Lake Resort on Island Highway North, part of Sayward District, is a pleasant day-trip from Campbell River that offers one of the cafe’s world-famous sweet cinnamon buns and a steaming cup of coffee.

During our visit, the chatter among the cottagers was pronounced by raving reviews of their recent catch of Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout. Our view from the cookhouse included the lake with treed hills in the background.

My husband and I overhead the owner, Lorna Duncan, telling her customers that the area was once logged by the Norie Brothers in the 1960s, but returned to resort status as it was established originally in 1945. Roberts Lake got its name from the surveyor who discovered it.

The interior of the café feels much like a museum. There are dramatic photos of the area’s logging history and the lifestyle it took to live in the bushes. One photo shows a young boy looking up at his father with a big smile on his face. His father is holding a cougar by the scruff of the neck; its eyes glazed over, lifeless.

The nearby cabins range in size from one-bedroom at $75 per night to three bedrooms with a loft, two double beds and a single cot, a shower and indoor plumbing at $99. Each cottage is fully furnished and you are provided with bedding, cooking utensils and cleaning supplies. You can capture more details from the owner who can be reached at (250) 287-9421.

Later, at the lakefront parking lot, only a few kilometers south, we climbed off our motorcycle and walked briefly to the nearest picnic table. A long dock provided us a platform to overlook the expanse of the lake. The water was clear and calm. The layer of smooth rock at the lake’s edge made it easy to wade into the swimming hole and refresh our body and head with repeated plunges. Children’s laughter filled the air and then only the chirping of birds could be heard as the explorers ran to another area.

We changed into our walk-about attire and took a hike over the wooden bridge. A two-person team of canoeists was paddling gently south along the lake, their oars silently dipping into the deep water. I picked up a rock and skipped it forcibly across the lake. It sank after only four licks.

Our visit to Roberts Lake that day left a calm feeling in my heart. The serenity of the property had left a mark that would have us returning regularly.

Fort Langley: A Step Back in Time

by Joei Carlton Hossack

It was a perfect day trip from Vancouver, British Columbia to the National Historic Site at Fort Langley. It was sunny and warm and there was little traffic on the highway for our mid-week outing.

My friend Edith and I arrived at the Fort just in time to attend the staged wedding of Allison, a First Nations woman and Jason, a fur trader with the Hudson’s Bay Company, or in this case, audience members. Before vows were exchanged gifts of Hudson Bay blankets, cranberries, hides for moccasins and tools were traded between the husband’s and wife’s families. A simple ceremony followed and promises were made that when a judge arrived at the Fort the marriage would be formalized.

For two hours we lived in the 19th century, wandering in and out of the reconstructed wooden buildings. From the cooperage, where barrels were built to store and ship salmon, cranberries and farm produce, we went to the blacksmith shop where farm tools were forged then set out for viewing and giant bellows hung from the ceiling. The storehouse, built in the 1840s and renovated in the 1930s is the only original building left on the site. We drifted into the First Nations building, next door, for a little fur trading and to examine the pile of pelts on the tables.

We stopped at the Barrel Café and realized that a traditional lunch menu of harvest soup with bannock (bread prepared by frying), scones, chicken and cranberries sandwich, maple baked beans or settler’s shepherd pie to mention just a few items, were available. We had already lunched on a “James Dean” burger in town but couldn’t resist a cup of tea and a cranberry scone.

In November, 1858 British Columbia was proclaimed a colony at a ceremony in The Big House. The building served as the Fort’s office and residence of the chief trader, the clerk and their families.

After an informal introduction to the livestock, consisting of rabbits, pigs and sheep all housed in individual pens, we took our seats and listened to a presentation at the Heritage Garden. We sampled green beans and a vegetable that was the precursor of celery but tasted harsh to my palate. We munched on tiny edible flowers and enjoyed the delicate flavor. Small paper bags were handed out to carry away sprigs of mint and sage and handfuls of beans.

Now well fortified, I tried my hand at some gold panning. There might have been nuggets in that water but I found nothing larger than tiny flakes and certainly nothing I wanted to take home. We ended our tour at The Servant’s Quarters, walking from room to room and taking pictures of the food in the center of tables, the bear rugs on the floor, the chamber pots under the beds and snowshoes that hung from the rafters or propped against walls.

To ease our way back into the 21st century we browsed through the antique shops on Mavis Avenue before hitting the ice cream shop in Fort Langley.

About the author:
Joei Carlton Hossack is the author of ten adventure travel books, an entertaining and inspirational speaker and amateur photographer. Her favorite mode of transportation is traveling solo in her RV. She teaches memoir writing and travel writing. Please visit her website at www.joeicarlton.com. Joei has created a new line of books called Mini Reads and a new line of bookmarks combining her love of photography and bead work. The bookmarks are available at www.etsy.com/shop/BookBlingbyJoei

A Golf Getaway Deep In The Fraser Valley

by Julie H. Ferguson

The view gobsmacks me as I wheel into the Pretty Estate Resort in Harrison Mills, an easy day trip from Vancouver. Why hadn’t I stopped here before?

“You’re early,” the man at the pro shop tells me. “Is it your first time?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like a tour?” My eyes light up.

Alan whisks me away in his cart. He’s a player’s assistant at the Sandpiper Golf Course and sets the tone for my stay.

Alan shows me the forested course that sweeps down to the unspoiled Harrison River and gives me tips on how to play it. Sandpiper’s front nine winds amongst towering Douglas firs, but it is the back nine that has spectacular holes running along the banks of the river. I also get my first look at the restaurant and Rowena’s Inn.

As I play Sandpiper, all I can hear are birds singing and the plop of my ball dropping into the cup. The fairways are lush after a wet spring, though players using power carts must still keep to the path. I enjoy this uncrowded course, not too difficult but with enough challenges to keep me interested. The views through the firs distract me periodically, but when I reach Sandpiper’s signature hole, the fifteenth, my scoring comes undone. The fast-running river is cloudy turquoise with snow melt; the snow-capped Coast Mountains, smoky blue; the old fruit trees, white with blossom. I inhale spring.

I struggle to restore my wandering focus and tackle Sandpiper’s final hole. I manage a par before lunch at The River’s Edge restaurant.

This cozy restaurant nestled in the firs is filled with old world charm but in high summer, guests eat on the terrace and drink in the view along with VQA wines. River’s Edge focuses on west coast food with fresh ingredients mostly from Fraser Valley producers.

Rowena’s Inn on the River, which I’d heard about but never visited, is the former Pretty family home and looks out over the open fairways to the river and mountains beyond. Here the goal is seriously comfortable hospitality and impeccable personal service.

Inside Rowena’s, I’m transported to an era where the art of unhurried conversation was encouraged. The main rooms are elegant and refined, and filled with carefully acquired antiques; natural light pours through the south-facing windows. Upstairs the guestrooms are all different; in one, the carved bed of Dame Nellie Melba, the opera singer, takes centre stage. If guests desire more privacy, they stay in one of four luxury log cabins that nestle close beside the inn overlooking a small lake.

I enjoy the traditional Afternoon Tea in the drawing room with other guests who anticipate a gourmet breakfast in the inn’s solarium next morning.

Later with a glass of Okanagan Chardonnay by the pool, I breathe the pure air and unwind. Now that I’ve found the Pretty Estate Resort, I never want to leave.

If you go:

A car is essential to visit the Harrison-Agassiz region. The drive from Vancouver takes under two hours and the most scenic route is along Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser River.

Pretty Estate Resort: www.SandpiperResort.ca
Packages: http://www.sandpipergolfclub.com/rowenas_packages/
Fishing expeditions, wildlife and ecotours available

The inn and restaurant are wheelchair accessible.

Harrison Tourism: www.tourismharrison.com

About the author

She invites you to visit her travelog www.stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com, her website at www.beaconlit.com, and her portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/beaconlit.

Swap, Sip and See on Vancouver Island

by Barb Rees

parliament building victoria bc — Canada Day at BC Parliament

On Canada’s 145th birthday, we started celebrating with Vancouver Island’s biggest swap meet at Western Speedway in Langford. We’d camped next door at All Fun RV Park and Campground for the weekend and woke Sunday at 6:00 a.m. with the sound of vehicles going through the lot.

Too early for a race? Puzzled I peeked out to see vendors arriving for the All Fun Swap and Shop held on the race track from April-Sept, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The entrance fee is $2 unless you’re staying at the campground. Oh, what a perfect way to start Canada Day! We were prowling the aisles by 8:00 a.m. If you can’t find what you’re looking for at this swap meet, it probably doesn’t exist.

Our day trips from Victoria continued by heading up the Saanich Peninsula to Victoria Spirits, 6170 Old West Saanich Rd. Along a pastoral road, we found this family run business. Peter Hunt, the Master Distiller’s background was in the field of cancer but now is producing Canada’s first premium gin. In his spare time he volunteers in Uganda building schools for Partnerships for Opportunity Development Association. He introduced us to the wood fired still which heats botanicals and produces an alcohol distillation at 85%. The first portion, the “heads” aren’t drinkable but they will run your car. You could be the only one on the block with a “gin fueled car.” The second portion, the hearts is 86% alcohol, still not drinkable. The third portion, the tails, is used for bitters which you can purchase upstairs in the tasting room. The hearts are blended, and spring water added to make a 45% spirit. Victoria Spirits are sold as far east as Quebec and up to the Yukon. Upstairs in the tasting room, we were introduced to Oaken Gin, Victoria Gin, Hemp Vodka, Gin Bitters, and distilled wine. Oh my, so delicious!

Peter recommended going across the street to de Vine Vineyards. Overlooking the Saanich peninsula de Vine Vineyards panoramic setting is breath taking. Inside, an outrageously beautiful blown glass chandelier shaped like a berry made by Chris Windsor with Yesterday’s Sand graced the room. Ryan Windsor introduced us to the wine selection. De Vine Vineyards started in 2007, and now produces 24,000 bottles annually. We left there with a bottle of crisp Pinot Gris.

The last stop was Canada’s birthday party taking place in and around Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Colorfully outfitted crowds on the Parliament Buildings lawn were being entertained. Down in the harbour, buskers made people laugh, and vendors tempted with various crafts. We came away with seasoned sea salt made from local sea water, a dream catcher, and stomachs full of delicious Greek food. Thousands of people mingled, and munched. At the end of our day, we were pleasantly tired from all the things we’d experienced. Victoria and area overflows with a wide variety of things to “swap, sip and see” any time of year.

About the author:

Barb Rees, travel writer, author, and speaker, with husband Dave has taken four working holidays from coast to coast to northern coast of Canada. She is passionate about finding human interest stories. It’s reflected in her books. They include: “RV Canada On A Dime And A Dream,” “RV Canada With Boo The Menopausal Van,” and the latest “RV Canada’s Far North On A Dream.” The fourth in the series will be on tour to Newfoundland in 2013.Owner of LoveToGo Writing she can be reached in Powell River, BC at www.write2dream.com

Victoria’s Gardens: Free for the Viewing

By Chris Millikan

Year round floral spectacles may inspire a day trip from Vancouver to Victoria, BC, where a passion for gardening is evident everywhere. Riotous flowers adorn boulevards and store fronts; hanging baskets, wooden tubs, classy ceramic urns, window boxes and yards overflow with rainbow colors.

Often staying in Victoria a couple of days, we launch daily garden visits from our lodgings. During teatime in the Villa Marco Polo’s classic Italian garden, the innkeeper tells us that every February Victoria announces her billion plus flower count to snowbound Canada. And throughout the summer, there are gazillions more to find…

Wanting to view as many flowers as possible, my husband Rick and I start by exploring the unique public collections surrounding nearby Government House. The Sunken Rose Garden features contemporary and heritage blooms surrounding a tiered antique fountain; a carved Salish orca supports a sundial among flowering lavender, sage, basil and mustard in the adjacent Herb Garden. Winsome buttercups, foxgloves and other wildflowers are sprinkled throughout the preserved Garry Oak forest.

Former Lieutenant Governor Lam established the formal Victorian Rose Gardens. Even earlier, another Lieutenant Governor planted ornamental shrubs and evergreens on shady Pearkes Peak, three rocky ‘islands’ surrounded by grass. And our present Lieutenant Governor hosts summer programs on those lush lawns. At Robert Dunsmuir’s regal Craigdarroch Castle, we notice garden areas being re-established.

Victoria’s wondrous and historic park is a pleasant walk away. Beacon Hill Park was established in 1882 when Scottish landscaper John Blair planted over 2,000 trees and shrubs, some of which are now rare and endangered. Today’s visitors can putt greens, feed dabbling ducks, watch peacocks strut, even clip-clop under oak canopies in horse-drawn carriages…or like us, delight in the alpine rock gardens and roam the endless beds of brilliantly blooming perennials.

Just outside Victoria we also visit the under reported garden treasure at Hatley Castle, a suburban mansion once belonging to James, Robert Dunsmuir’s son. Now open to the public for a small fee, this former Colwood estate boasts nine traditional ‘garden rooms.’ A classical Italian garden stretches below the ocean view balcony. Nearby, a meticulous Japanese garden retains its original Zen essence, which was bestowed by a Yokohama garden master at the turn of the century. There’s also a fragrant Rose garden and restored century-old greenhouse. And nature continues to abound on this large estate. A wildlife sanctuary encircles a saltwater lagoon and fifteen-kilometers of trails loop through urban forest.

Visits to Greater Victoria’s gardens provide us with days filled with beauty and inspiration.

When You Go:

Villa Marco Polo: www.villamarcopolo.com
Hatley Castle: www.hatleycastle.com

About the Author:
Chris Millikan is a freelance writer/photographer living near Vancouver, BC. As a former teacher and elementary school principal, Chris now presents articles as an inviting ‘curriculum’ depicting the joys of travel. Many BC community newspapers, Open Road Driver Magazine and Senior Living Magazine regularly publish her articles; In-flight Magazines, the Vancouver Sun and Province have also featured her stories. As BC Association of Travel Writers Vice President, she supports colleagues’ aspirations. And traveling off the beaten track with writer/photographer partner and hubby Rick, their published tales reflect great adventures. Their 2009 Kalama Award acknowledged an array of their stories reflecting the rich culture of Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Horne Lake Caves: Sightseeing Under Vancouver Island

By Chris Millikan

An exceptional day trip from Courtney, BC introduces us to the mysterious world of spelunking at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park.

In Horne Lake’s caverns, caving encounters can be easy or extreme, self-guided or guided.

When younger, my husband and I might have chosen to climb the underground waterfall, rappel down sheer rock faces or crawl on our bellies through narrow passages. But on this day, we join popular family spelunking with other novice cavers. Strapping on miner’s helmets topped with little headlights, we set off to take a look UNDER Vancouver Island.

Guide Janna explains this area’s unique geology during a moderately strenuous 30-minute hike up an old logging road. “Melting glacial water dissolved Vancouver Island’s underlying limestone over millions of years, hollowing out this new island’s topography. Today, an extensive cave network of 1400 caves provides a geologists’ paradise!”

And pointing skyward, Janna states, “That towering timber took 85-years to grow.” Craning necks admire the second-growth coastal Douglas firs. Next holding up a small calcite soda straw, she whispers dramatically, “THIS took over 100-years to form! NEVER touch ’em! Porous cave structures are easily harmed!”

She further prepares us, “Our cave’s rocky floors are natural and uneven; none have permanent lighting, sidewalks or railings. You’ll be stepping off rocks nearly a meter high!” Instructing us newbies to use our hands, feet and bottoms to travel inside the cave, she unlocks the protective steel door…

One-by-one, bodies stuff themselves backwards through an opening not much bigger than my oven! Climbing down a vertical iron ladder into a pitch-black underworld, we perch on gigantic boulders in eight-degree darkness. Awaiting the others, claustrophobia threatens some, including me…until suddenly everyone is ready!

Janna introduces us to Riverbend Cavern, one of seven in the park. “This cave is 384 meters feet long and though fairly dry, it’ll feel clammy due to cool temperatures. In spring and winter, spelunkers would see it pretty wet and wild. With its larger, easier passages, there are no squeezes in here, no crawls or tight passages ahead…so don’t worry!”

Crawling forward over huge boulders, gingerly locating footholds and creeping downward into this wondrous subterranean world, we gradually feel and slide our way into dim light. Gathering in several airy chambers, headlamps reveal high ceilings and walls with astonishing limestone formations: creamy popcorn, bacon stone, moon rock, stalactites, draperies and stalagmites. Natural ‘sculptures’ include a cigar smoking alligator, ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ and a mystical white wolf. According to folklore, this sleek wolf devours careless cavers! Sooo…with utmost attention, everyone slithers back, slowly moving upward, v-e-r-r-y careful NOT to touch fragile crystals.

Curiosity first inspires us to sight-see below the ground. But in the process, we learn that the limestone topography’s thousands of caverns make Vancouver Island a unique caving hub, the only one like it in Canada. This very cool experience in our own backyard leaves us with a sense of wonder.

*Note: Due to the terrain, tours are not recommended for youngsters under five years old, the very elderly or those with limited mobility. Warm clothes are advisable as temperatures in the caves dip to eight degrees. Cameras are recommended.

Getting There:

Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park information: www.hornelake.com
BC Ferries: www.bcferries.ca (From Vancouver, BC take a ferry to Nanaimo. Take the Island Freeway north: Highway 19, Exit 79)