Andrew Namespetra's Travel Blog

Surprise, surprise... still raining!!! Lone Cone would just have to wait another day for my ascent. After saying goodbye to the Germans, I went into town for groceries, more art-gallery cruising and cabin-fever relief. While I was returning to the island, something miraculous happened ... The rain had stopped! Most importantly, the peak of Lone … Continue reading Day 23 – September 24, 2015

Slowwwwwwww day. I had a first-hand look at life in a temperate rainforest - the rain was unrelenting and came down hard all day. I decided NOT to hike Lone Cone Mountain, but remain indoors near the fireplace and get caught up on my reading. After awhile I started to get antsy, so I hopped on the … Continue reading Day 22 – September 23, 2015

Eager to continue surfing, I got up early, rented a board and strapped it to my roof. I surfed at Cox Bay, which is a 10 minute drive from town.  Although I don't have photo-documentation, trust me when I say that the waves were great. Fixed myself a little a picnic for lunch.... This ham-tomato-and-avocado … Continue reading Day 21 – September 22, 2015

Today was the day. I finally made it to... wait for it .... TOFINO!!! Wasting no time, I signed up for the first available surf lesson (with Westside Surf School). After a refresher on technique from our instructor Nathan, I was up and surfing. Gnarly. Get up there. I celebrated surfing-success with Tede and Aude, … Continue reading Day 20 – September 21, 2015

Fun start to the morning - I realized that I locked the keys in the car... good one Andrew. Lesson learned: Keep those keys on you at all times!!! CAA and Parkville Towing pulled through for me, especially at 8 am on a Sunday morning.  The sound of a lock being popped open never sounded … Continue reading Day 19 – September 20, 2015

Kate and I cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast, while reminiscing about cereal sessions and other Holy Name memories.  We then said our goodbyes and I traveled two blocks to downtown Victoria. Nice place from what I saw.  Beautiful Parliament buildings: Cool hotels like the Fairmont Empress: Walking into the Empress, I was determined to … Continue reading Day 18 – September 19, 2015

It was time for me to say goodbye to Vancouver, but not before making a trip to the famous Stanley Park! Unfortunately, it was drizzling rain, which made me sad. But have faith!  The seawall was still walkable, and I managed to see a bit of the city from across the city by foot (at … Continue reading Day 17 – September 18, 2015

Big day today. I had to take care of some business in the morning: an oil change for the ol' girl.  311,000 kms and still running strong! Next, I eat lunch in Edgemont Village (North Van) at the Windsor Meat Co. (great spot for sandwiches!!) I needed that meaty roasted-chicken sandwich since I was soon … Continue reading Day 16 – September 17, 2015

I didn't take many photos today, but I'll still fill you in. We packed up camp and headed down Highway 5 to Vancouver, stopping briefly for coffee and blogging (yay!). Unfortunately, today was the day that Kate and I would part ways.  She would stay with a friend near UBC for a couple of days … Continue reading Day 15 – September 16, 2015

Busy morning.  We were told to move our tent to a "legitimate" campsite (sorry...), which actually worked in our favour.  Here's the waterfront view from the "new" site: It was then time for a wine tour up the West side route with West Kelowna wine tours.  Who wouldn't do a wine tour in the Okanangan... … Continue reading Day 14 – September 15, 2015