Map of World - Click a place Brad's been

August 2019 - Road trip to Van Island and surroundings

A comfy August, a few beers with friends then on the road to British Columbia all the way to Vancouver Island, Salt Spring Island and the Sunshine Coast with my trusty steed Turbo for some more beers with friends.

Most of the month living the Calgary life, riding my bicycle to drink beer, work and relax...

Chris and Nic, siblings at the Ship

Lots of friends, lots of sunnies

If I'm going to work this hard...

I'll need a drink after work and ...
Check out the new addition of Crystal Head

tend a garden to relax

Listening to the Amazing Jermaine
Jackson, the other brother.

$10 all you can play all day!

Old school Nintendo Golf

Why not the real thing

This is nice

Barley Belt Tap tour with Brendan and Elliot
Annex, Banded Peak, Born Colorado, Cabin,
The Establishment, Village, Legend 7, OT

Near the end of the month it was time to get out of town and head West to see the Pacific, friends and do some great riding!  Calgary to Salmon Arm to Whistler to Ladysmith to Salt Springs Island to Mill Bay to Sechelt, Sunshine Coast to Castlegar back to Calgary. 

Day 1 - Rode to a business lunch, then gave my bosses my dress shoes and headed to Salmon Arm to stay with my an old tenant and friend, Pascal. 

It's business time




A side track up to a look out on the side of Mount Revelstoke.

Looks good



Day 2 - a long one from Salmon to Whistler to Ladysmith....Ferries always add hours, but less ass in seat time then the day would present.

Good morning Salmon Arm

Good morning Shuswaps



















The less travelled northern route on highway 1 after Kamloops heading West. C5R8T2V7/8.









North of Cache Creek on Highway 97.



Super clear

Nice






Keep going

Right down the pipe









































Highway 99, just awesome. C8R7/8T1/2V7/8.  Then down to Pemberton C8R6T5/6V7.

Motorbike gang


No way that's the same guy, right?

Runaway lane, straight up!

Whistler is alright...a winter and summer destination 2 hours North of Vancouver.  Gotta be rich to buy here.  And to eat here...$9 for a Aussie/NZ style pie!!!  These are $3 CAD in the Southern Hemisphere.

Got to run to make the ferry!


South of Whistler on the coast heading for Horseshoe Bay ferry. C5/6R8T6V7/8. Oceans, mountains, single lane traffic to Vancouver...???





Made it with 5 minutes to spare

And now for the $9 pie!
Pretty good

Chau mainland 

Bye Vancouver

ahhhh

 Hi Vancouver Island

Walking dogs - Nothing better to do when you have had an exhausting day riding and still need to drive 25 min South to the boat in the night.

Kaz and dog 1, Marek and dog 2,
Brad and dog 3

A night sleeping in Elizabeth

I want this situation, except I don't want to have to pay to use the shower.  Probably to pricy to have a boat on Van Island.





Day 3-4 - Excited and ready I left the Ladysmith marina before Kaz and Marek made it down.  Ferry schedules really dictating the pace of my trip.


What a spot, Johnny and Jessica's farm.

Someone is behind
 us buddy



Hey Jess and John

Awesome gardens

Lay of the land

The wash station

The scrap pit keeping everyone happy

Salt Spring Saturday Market

Bright Farm

Someone is behind me aren't they?


Cruising South on the Island to see a work buddy



Dave! Met on the Pembina job in March

Ferrying back to Van Island

Day 5 - After the Saturday market in Salt Spring and an afternoon visit with Dave and Shawny I ferried over to have some beers with Brian and Dallas who are loving their move to Mill Bay. Unfortunately I have no photos from this night, too X-Rated obviously, haha.



At Brew Pub in Duncan they offer a free shuttle ride home!
Day 6-7 - Another good chunk of riding up to Comox, ferry to Powell River, then along the Sunshine coast to Sechelt to stay with Patrick S. a rider I met on the huge South American trip that started October 11, 2011 (http://www.thelifeofbrad.com/2011/10/october-2011-and-beginning-of-argentina.html)

Early morning to go from Mill Bay to Comox

Looks like a cool tourist info centre

Cute, but I'm glad they stayed off
the road!

Looks a little different than where I grew up

Heading to Powell River



Hilly Powell River

MagPies recommended by Bruce F

Eggs benny, so gooooood!

Kept on going Saltery Bay to Earl's Cove. C7R8T3V8.





Bottle house, see the wall

Mermaid Cove



Saltery Bay ferry

Beautiful



Some of the best road I have been on C8/9R7T3V7.

Sechelt!

Made to Schelt and Patrick's awesome spot. C8/9R7T3V7. Wish I had another day, oh wait. As I was leaving the next day Patrick said stick around another day, so I did.  If I hadn't I would have missed all the following...so many cool things to do.

Beautiful spot

Zoe and Pat's building family

Emelles Market Bistro in Gibson's the
town made famous in "Beach Combers"

First Salmon Tacos

At Patrick's glass blowing shop testing his art. (IG: Stratisphereglass)

Pat's personal bong



Amazing Rocket ship

incandescent...nice

Down to the marina in Gibson.

Love this door

Rock star jet ski parking

Pat's sailboat, dead battery

Hanging with the deer

eating wild berries

Going for a swim

Just perfect.

View from the Wobbly Canoe
Day 8-9 - Big day from the Sunshine Coast to Castlegar via Highway 3. 

Close call for this ferry as I didn't realise how far it was.


Last bike!
Heading to the Mainland
What a trip.

Lots of bikes on the long weekend



Hawaii???



It's not a toupee

Through Vancouver and heading East



Vedder Canal

Near Chilliwack

Big Train

Hope, BC - First Blood filmed here

Excellent early kilometres on Hwy 3 to Princeton C7R8T3V8



Oh no.  Construction...

At least I get poll position



Hitchhiker
Some great riding on Hwy 3. Princeton to Osoyoos C5R7/8T3V8. 









Wine and Fruit country

Near Liber Winery, not important





Above Osoyoos

Near Midway, BC





After a massive day I made it to Castlegar to hang with the Bruhl family.  Always nice.



What a balcony

Family Chinese food dinner becoming
a tradition with the Bruhls.

Shopping with the little devils Zaxtyn and Zenin

Zax got to start the bike like his
brother Zayden did 3 years ago.

Hit the road

The Final Day - A long one from Castlegar to Calgary via Shelter Bay through Revelstoke.  I'm not doing that again as Highway 1 traffic is so much worse than Highway 3.  Although I did enjoy Highway 6 up to Highway 1. 

North of Slocan town riding beside Slocan Lake




Motorbikes not allowed to jump the queue.
Not like the Island ferries.

Stupid

Wasted space.

Crossing Upper Arrow Lake

Lovely


I really love train bridges. Revelstoke, BC

One of the Roger's Pass tunnels.





Rocky rocky

Well that's not natural.

A break away from the highway

After Field, BC

Back in Alberta

Close to Banff

No more mountains...

Childhood Memories at
Calaway Park

Down town Calgary in the distance

Nice speed camera officer

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