Zipping across Canada by car

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Toronto to Vancouver, Monday am May 2 through Thursday afternoon May 5^th, 4 days, 4280Km, 48.5 driving hours, out-of- pockets of $780 including gas, accommodation, food and a lube job.







Thankfully, the little Red Beast performed impeccably. Monday through Ontario to Sault Saint Marie, into Minnesota and overnight at Marquette on Lake Superior. Tuesday was the marathon day; top of Michigan, then through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and to overnight in Estevan, Saskatchewan. The latter part of Tuesday saw lots of strong prairie headwinds that frequently tried to rip the kayak off the roof; endless oil trains as far as the eyes could see with nodding donkey-pumping stations everywhere throughout the Bakken fields of North Dakota and Saskatchewan.







Wednesday am was a pit-stop break, as the little Red Beast got treated to a lovely lube job. Then off across the flats of Saskatchewan and Alberta -- very dry with lots of salt patches near swamps full of a crazy variety of water fowl, swans, geese and ducks. Dust clouds following huge agri-machines working the wheat fields. Finally,… finally waking-up to some hills on the horizon, suddenly onto North Stoney Trail to circumvent the Calgary rush hour traffic and join a stream of commuters heading for ‘suburbanized’ Canmore overnight. In the morning it’ was raining and cloudy through the Rockies and Kootenays, but sunny and beautiful as you cruised into the bumper-to-bumper traffic of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver. Wow, the backpacker motel in Burnaby was 100% Chinese; much difficulty to speaka da english.







Friday, up at the crack ‘o dawn to catch the 6:30am ferry from Horsehoe Bay to Naniamo, then up Vancouver Island to Campbell River; first a ferry to Quadra Island, and then a second ferry to Cortes Island, finally a slow meander across hilly Cortes Is to my cabin home for the next 2 months. Arrived by mid-afternoon and finished off with fish dinner at the Gorge Harbour Restaurant with my host, Murray Rae.

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Comments

[Sofie Kaegi]

Thanks for this detailed account! It sounds like the trek across "countries" was an eye-opening experience. It must have been interesting to see first-hand some of the building blocks of our industries. Cortes looks lush and beautiful too. Jealous about the fresh seafood! Sofie xox

[Blair]

Great trip -- will emulate soon!
But I'm going to be doing it on my motorbike...leaving June 19, stop to see my brother in Saskatoon, and then who knows! Cheers mate