Vancouver island and Prince Rupert to Jasper.
Woohoo. Camping season is almost upon us. Last year we explored up to parksville and then over to Ucluelet and Tofino. This year our intention is to make a great circle and go from the Okanagan to th...
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Some more details on the ferry schedule. This was in May 2003, with Port Hardy departure around 6pm, 3 stops during the night, and arriving in PR late afternoon. Our ride to HG was the next evening around midnight, arriving with the morning mists. We got a cabin for both legs, but not for the daytime return ride from HG.
We got to Port Mcneill in the afternoon, and took the ferry to Malcom Island, and camped on the north shore. That was a nice ocean view campground with hiking to the point. The only downside was some local kids partying in the evening. Besides some history at Sointula (sp?), the island has some nice hiking, with cute locally painted signs.
The ferry also serves Alert Bay, with more history and culture sights, but we didn't stop there. It may also be a cruise ship stp. Since the ferry didn't leave until the evening we spent time hiking at Fort Rupert.
While I believe there's a RV park near the PR ferry terminal, I opted for the nearest Provincial Park (which had just opened), Prudhomme Lake. That was the first a nearly constant week of rainy nights. We toured Terrace and Kitimat, with short hiking at Lakelse. And Greek restaurant in Terrace (don't all BC towns have a Greek restaurant, as well as Canadian-Chinese?).
On the return we drove straight to Terrace, and got a motel for showers and laundry (and a tire patch at Canadian Tire). On the earlier return trip from Alaska we did the full tour at Ksan, but this time just spent time viewing the rapids.
It used to be that the summer ferry was nonstop and only 12 hr; now it's 16hr with one stop, leaving PH 7am, and arriving 11ish. For that I've probably try to get reservations at private campgrounds near both terminals.
Our return from Haida Gwaii had a bit of schedule change. For the first part of the week we camped on the north shore near Tow Hill, the second part as near Village of QC, with several day trips. A ferry employee stopped by in the evening and said we needed leave a day early. There was a delay in bring in a summer boat on line, so they had to juggle the schedule, and continue to use the Queen of the North (yes, the one that later sank) for this run. So we had to pack up early the next morning to get to the Skidagate terminal and wait. I think this was Victoria Day.
We got to Port Mcneill in the afternoon, and took the ferry to Malcom Island, and camped on the north shore. That was a nice ocean view campground with hiking to the point. The only downside was some local kids partying in the evening. Besides some history at Sointula (sp?), the island has some nice hiking, with cute locally painted signs.
The ferry also serves Alert Bay, with more history and culture sights, but we didn't stop there. It may also be a cruise ship stp. Since the ferry didn't leave until the evening we spent time hiking at Fort Rupert.
While I believe there's a RV park near the PR ferry terminal, I opted for the nearest Provincial Park (which had just opened), Prudhomme Lake. That was the first a nearly constant week of rainy nights. We toured Terrace and Kitimat, with short hiking at Lakelse. And Greek restaurant in Terrace (don't all BC towns have a Greek restaurant, as well as Canadian-Chinese?).
On the return we drove straight to Terrace, and got a motel for showers and laundry (and a tire patch at Canadian Tire). On the earlier return trip from Alaska we did the full tour at Ksan, but this time just spent time viewing the rapids.
It used to be that the summer ferry was nonstop and only 12 hr; now it's 16hr with one stop, leaving PH 7am, and arriving 11ish. For that I've probably try to get reservations at private campgrounds near both terminals.
Our return from Haida Gwaii had a bit of schedule change. For the first part of the week we camped on the north shore near Tow Hill, the second part as near Village of QC, with several day trips. A ferry employee stopped by in the evening and said we needed leave a day early. There was a delay in bring in a summer boat on line, so they had to juggle the schedule, and continue to use the Queen of the North (yes, the one that later sank) for this run. So we had to pack up early the next morning to get to the Skidagate terminal and wait. I think this was Victoria Day.
