Day 16: Heading to Vancouver Island

After we had explored Whistler – Gabriel would feel differently if I had rented a mountain bike for him – we set off on the last longer leg of our journey. Next destination: Vancouver Island.

True to the saying: The journey is the destination, we took our first break after just 10 kilometers. Shortly after Whistler, we visited the famous Train Wreck. Initially, we walked the wrong way from the parking lot. After a brief conversation with a couple from Victoria who wanted to follow us, we realized our mistake and found the somewhat hidden entrance to the correct trail.

After a little over a kilometer on a comfortable tourist hiking path, we crossed a beautiful hanging bridge over an even more beautiful creek. Beyond that, we explored the train cars that had derailed 70 years ago, now adorned with creative graffiti. Then we retraced our steps back to the road heading southwest.

Sea to Sky Highway and Highview Lookout

Before long, the road became the famous Sea to Sky Highway, with views of the first foothills of the Pacific on the right and the gigantic wooded mountains of British Columbia on the left. We simply had to stop and look. Before heading to our ferry, we made our way up to the Highview lookout in Cypress Provincial Park to enjoy the view of Vancouver.

Upon arriving in Parksville, we settled into our rooms and went out for dinner. Here, we only planned to stay for one night. Tomorrow, we continue to the capital of British Columbia: Victoria.