11th Day 31.07.2016 - Vancouver Island North Saanich - sunny

Today we had to pack our bags again. After another abundant breakfast, we said goodbye to Nick and the travelers and headed south. First, we wanted to visit Ucluelet. The place is very small and manageable. It consists of many hotels, guesthouses, and surf shops. We continued to the Amphitrite Point Lighthouse in the south. There was a beautiful 8 km trail for hiking, but unfortunately, the family didn't feel like it and were concerned about the time because we still had a long drive ahead of us. So we just took a short walk to the lighthouse and looked out at the ocean. Then we went east along the Pacific Rim Hwy. We stopped at a beautiful creek near Port Alberni where we had a rest, refueled, and cooled off by hanging our legs in the water.

Then we continued east and south, passing through Parksville, Nanaimo on Highway 1 towards Victoria. We also passed through the town of Duncan. It is supposed to be the city of totem poles. But since it was already late and our mood wasn't so good, we couldn't decide to visit this town. The further south we went, the busier the highway became and when we finally arrived in Victoria, there was some traffic. But by now we had become more relaxed and so we looked at what was happening around us. Thanks to the GPS, we quickly found our way towards Saanich, Airport, but the roads were very busy. When we finally arrived in North Saanich, we circled the town a bit until we finally found the entrance to our B&B Dragonfly Beach House. But it was a dream. We couldn't believe our eyes when we drove down the 100-meter road to the property and saw deer and rabbits crossing our path. The kids were immediately thrilled. And when we finally arrived at the property, it was simply fascinating. Right on the Saanich Inlet, with 3 terraces and a view of the ocean. We were greeted very warmly and shown into the apartment. It was a very large apartment with a living room, open kitchen, bathroom, and 2 bedrooms. All rooms had a fantastic view of the ocean.

After unpacking, we drove to the town of Sidney, about 8 km away, to the harbor, found a restaurant for dinner, and found The Surly Mermaid. After we had fortified ourselves, it was already getting dark and we drove back to the B&B to enjoy the sunset on the terrace. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, the sun practically 'runs' in the evening on the horizon. Still, Anne and I enjoyed the evening atmosphere on the terrace with a glass or two of wine. Now we also knew why it was called 'Dragonfly Beach House. We saw lots of dragonflies and even a hummingbird. It was a beautiful atmosphere, and we finally went to bed in a good mood.