Category: travel

why am I in Blubber Bay?

On By Rick McIn humour, travelLeave a comment

Our so-called friends 🙂 dumped us at the Powell River ferry landing 5 hours before our departure.

What to do?

Another ferry for Texada Island was just leaving. Why not joy ride over and back in our spare hours? 

Though it’s the largest island in the Strait of Georgia of British Columbia, nobody has ever heard anything about Texada. Very few tourists have visited. For good reason. 😦

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The only ferry lands in Blubber Bay. In 1970 there were 35 families here. Meg and Jennifer Tilly once lived here before fleeing to Victoria.  The day we arrived there was one guy in a gift shop. And a few squatters.

The whale flensing station is closed. The quarry looked closed.

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Despite having no active employees, some Union members are still seemingly drawing disability insurance.

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The highlight of Blubber Bay was sitting on some rocks. Watching dogs fight over sticks.

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Destinesia

kayaking Desolation Sound

On By Rick McIn friends, kayaking, travelLeave a comment

After our spiritual leader – Blill – led our hiking group down from Manzanita hut to civilization, we had 2 extra days on a B.C. hiking holiday.

What to do?

start of the Sunshine Coast Trail

We decided to rent kayaks on Okeover inlet and paddle into the Marine Park. It was inexpensive. C$31 each for an assortment of fibreglass and plastic singles and doubles.

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The weather on the water was fantastic. Very calm.

When it got too hot – needless to say – water fights broke out.

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This area is known for Oyster farms.

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One oddity was seeing a deer in the salt water. It needed salt, we assumed.

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See the full resolution photos on flickr.

 

lowest tide of the year – Parksville

On By Rick McIn cycling, McCharles family, travelLeave a comment

Parksville is famous for some of Canada’s lowest tides. I cycled out to Rathtrevor Beach to wade the lowest tide of the year. It’s way, way out there.

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AND … I believe these are the Brandt geese I’m always hearing about, but have never seen. Until now. 🙂

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out on the town – Midland, Michigan

On By Rick McIn food, travelLeave a comment

My last night in Michigan we did Midland starting with a bottle of the cheapest Syrah available at the wine bar – Give me Five. Reverse Wine Snob loves it.

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We walked over to a Mexican place to share a plate of Hawaiian fajita. The best Hawaiian fajita I’ve ever had. The best I ever will have. 🙂

IMG_3319Too stuffed for desert, we finished the evening with a specialty coffee.

gain TIME in your life

On By Rick McIn cycling, happiness, health & fitness, philosophy, travelLeave a comment

🙂

Jed’s radical choice to quit his job and ride his bike across the world is a perfect challenge to the rest of us to get out of the routine and make some scary decisions. …

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

my new Granite Gear Cross-Trek Travel Duffel

On By Rick McIn product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

I travel non-stop. My luggage of choice for many years has been an MEC rolling duffel with (emergency) backpack harness.

It’s both holesy and Holy to me at this point.

On the recommendation of Kraig Becker I just bought a 32″ wheeled duffel by one of my favourite companies, Granite Gear as a replacement.

Click PLAY or see how it works on YouTube.

It lists at US$210. I got it on sale for $169.

So far I’m loving it. 🙂

The zippers might not be as strong as the MEC. But the rest of the Granite Gear looks superior.

Gatineau, Quebec

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

I stayed 5 nights at a small motel called Auberge Du Lac Beauchamp.

Best thing was nearby Lac Beauchamp Park. I walked or jogged each day. There was much wildlife including coyote, fox, wild turkey, mink, etc.

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India hates tourists … less

On By Rick McIn economics, government, product complaints, travel, travel IndiaLeave a comment

New. Announced November 2014 for tourists wanting to travel to India.

e-Tourist Visa. Online. US$60. Good for 1 month. Single entry.

Here’s the application page (I hope). I’ll try it for a trip September 2015. Wish me luck.

Original post from 2014 ____

I’m in Nepal. Visa on arrival. No hassles. Nepal loves tourists.

India still requires a visa in advance for Canadians, a stupid and time consuming process from the days of the Raj.

Though open-for-business Modi promised Obama it was coming, it’s not yet here.

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India is working on a proposal for visa on arrival (VoA) facility for US tourists, one of the big-ticket announcements expected to be made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile visit to the US beginning September 26. …

Times of India

Since 2010 visa on arrival was available for citizens of these nations: Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia and South Korea.

Yet they cannot bloody add more nations to that list? 😦

UPDATE – The list has been expanded to 43 nations including the USA. … But NOT Canada. NOT U.K.

related – India hates tourists (2013)