We’ll Meet Again

September 18, 2024

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Some sunny day.

Don't know when.

But I know we'll meet again, Yellow Point Lodge.

Probably my favorite place for a reset. I'll return again, some day.

Up early, bags packed, room inspected for any possible left items, phone, wallet, and keys on my person. Time to head over to the lodge building for some coffee and wait for breakfast to start. Every morning there's fruit, yogurt, cold cereals and porridge served buffet style, then the usual eggs/bacon/toast/pancakes plus a special (French toast with berry butter this AM) that can be ordered in the dining room. Like your grandmother's house, no one goes hungry here. The office opens up a bit later than I thought, so mid breakfast I walk over to settle up. While chatting over breakfast, I find out the couple sitting next to me has done extensive touring around the world. They know of the former site, but had not heard of Cycleblaze. Saying my goodbyes, I retrieve the bike and and head off for the Duke Point ferry back to my car. It's about an hour ride and with the fudge time budgeted I arrive plenty early. Unlike Sunday, I'm the only cyclist boarding.

On the ride across, Parliamentary debate is piped through the boat's PA. the two sides sound awfully familiar in their rhetoric. It's a two hour ride and on arrival I'm first off. Doesn't really matter because I'm going to have to wait for all of the motorized vehicles to depart the terminal. I'd been directed to exit like a pedestrian and so ended up at this lovely spot where BC ferries has you cross back over the lanes of traffic to access the bike gutter.

Well, at least I don't have to share the causeway with drivers anxious to get the hell out of there, right?

Nope. There is now another ferry unloading and I have semis on my immediate left. Coming to a stop, I lift my bike over the barrier and ride the rest of the causeway on sketchier pavement that is maybe intended for pedestrians? At the end I ride through a potholed, gravelly what looks like an unused parking area.

They could have a really nice protected bike lane here if that barrier was moved to the left.

Deciding to stay on the sidewalk, I get past one light by taking a right and performing a U-turn. At the next light I need to take a left.

So I can push my bike while running across three high speed lanes to get to the left hand turn lane I need? don't know what the intent was with this sign.

Eventually there is enough of a break in traffic that I can get across and take my left to get to the entrance of the water park, long term parking, and my car.

Got through the border faster than the listed wait time!

At the border I'm only asked where I live, how long I was in Canada, and if I'm bringing anything back. On the drive down I hit slow traffic getting into Seattle. Not unexpected so I head over to by brother's and we go to the Highliner for dinner. It's an oyster Po' Boy for me. Once traffic has calmed down it's time to finish the drive home.

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Kathleen ClassenYour ride immediately post ferry brought back a memory of the first time Keith and I rode from our home in Victoria to Vancouver. It was a wonderful ride and we agreed the only sketchy bit was leaving the ferry. All that traffic. That is when the penny dropped that all we had to do was wait fifteen minutes and we would have had the causeway to ourselves. How we laughed. You were much wiser, it is just too bad you had two ferries one after the other.
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3 months ago

Bob KoreisTo Kathleen ClassenI'm definitely going to contact a tourism office up there regarding a shift in those Toronto barriers to create a proper protected bike lane. Funneling cyclists in and out through the center, making them go across so many lanes of traffic, is inviting a collision.
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3 months ago

Kathleen ClassenBC Ferries could do so much better with bicycles, starting with some better space on the car deck. I have sent emails, get a lovely response, but no action. You have reminded me to try again.
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3 months ago