Started the day walking down to the waterway behind the motel - was blown away by the reflection of the clouds on the still water. Unbelievable!
I decided that I wanted to go whale watching, since I have never done that and I can't imagine it would get any better than here. Left the motel at approximately 10:30 am headed for the Inner Harbor area. I took a different route that incorporated pretty much all designated bike lanes, and was pleasantly surprised to find how easy it was to get downtown. On the way, I passed through several lovely neighborhoods, and also came across a Trek Bicycle Store. Decided to stop at the store and check it out. Also got some more map and route info relevant to my planned ride to Sidney tomorrow, as well as where I go from here.
After checking out the various companies, I decided to go with the 3 1/2 hour tour with Eagle Wing Whale Watching - it was rated #1 on tripadvisor for outdoor activities in Victoria. I had about 1 1/2 hours to kill, so wandered around Fisherman's Wharf. There was a floating boat community that looked just like a bunch of colorful tiny houses on the water. One even advertised as a B & B.
Thought I better get something to eat before the whaling adventure, so stopped a Barb's there on the wharf and ordered a cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. I later learned that Barb's is famous - especially for their fish and chips. The sweet potato fries may be the best I have ever had. Homemade and as flavorful as any I have had - downright succulent. As is often the case with these food stands on wharfs, seating was limited, and I took up a seat on the end of a table next to some folks. Two women came up soon after and sat across from me. I learned that they were Connie (mother) and Janice (daughter), and lived in Victoria. I asked all sorts of questions about Victoria and Sydney, and told them about my current journey. Turns out that Connie is originally from Scotland, and moved by herself to Toronto in the 1950's. An adventurous sort! Eventually, she married and had a family, and ended up in Victoria. While she loves Victoria, she bemoaned the fact that some of the character of the city is being disrupted by what some might call "progress." I have sometimes felt the same way about Austin in recent years. I learned that they had even lived in Sydney for a while, and Connie, like others I have met, confirmed that I was in for a treat when I visit tomorrow. Connie and Janice happily agreed to let me take a picture for the blog, and asked if they could access the blog. So, maybe we have a couple new people to ride along with us! Canadiens, no less.
The whalewatching adventure was, I am told, extremely successful as we had no trouble finding both humpback and orca whales. They bundle you up in rain gear and take you out in high speed boats to areas of reported sightings. There, you wait for the whales to appear - which they did in several groups. While it was a thrill to catch sight of the whales, it was too far away to get a really close picture. But, did my best and here are a couple. The most interesting part was parking alongside the shores of the San Juan Islands and watching several families of Orcas swim along the coast. While we did see a couple of "whale tails," mostly we would catch sight of the fins and backs - sort of like you see with porpoises.
All in all, I enjoyed the whale watching, but have no burning desire to do it again. Another item checked off my list.
Hopped on my bike and found an even shorter bike route home - took me about 25 minutes. And the good news is that it was mostly downhill! Heated some soup for dinner in the kitchenette that I have been carrying around the whole trip (camping provisions). I am tired, and ready for an early night. Have definitely decided to stay over until Tuesday, so I can check out either Butchart Gardens or the city bus tour on Monday.
Heard from Randy, and it sounds like he is adjusting to life and the heat back in Tucson. I miss him - he would have loved Victoria.
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