After our time around Puget Sound, we boarded the ferry at Anacortes to cross into Canada. It's not the easiest way, but we wanted to start with Vancouver Island.

Motorcyclists are given priority on the ferry systems. We get to go to the front of the lines, and there is almost always room to squeeze another bike on even if the car decks are full.

Victoria, at the south end of Vancouver Island, is a gorgeous city, particularly around the harbor. This is a place to get off the bikes and walk around. We also found out at ferry headquarters that our original plan to go to Prince Rupert was not an option - time to come up with a plan B.

North of Victoria is the Butterfly Gardens. It is housed in a huge greenhouse type building that is kept warm and humid. There are hundreds of butterflies flying free in this tropical rain forest, and some pretty lush plants for the caterpillars to devour.

Near the Butterfly Gardens is the world famous Butchart Gardens. The 55 acres of shrubs, trees, and flowers started as a beautification project in a worked out quarry. Over the years and generations, it has grown to include rose, Japanese, and Italian gardens. It's a good thing that digital photography is cheap!

After starting north up the island (along the east side), we took a bit of a detour west out to the Pacific. At Tofino, it's either raining or socked in under fog most of the year.

Just below Tofino at Long Beach, we couldn't resist a walk on the beach. The coast in the Pacific Northwest collects more than a few huge driftwood logs. Even at these latitudes, a good beach attracts it's devotees!

Continuing north on the east side, just after Campbell River, we were treated to views of the the islands of Johnstone Strait with the mountains of the mainland in the background. Magnificent!

A little side trip to Beaver Cove produced some lovely views of a peaceful harbor that used to be bustling with logging activity.

At Port McNeil, we stayed for a day so that we could go out in search of sea critters with Mackay Whale Watching. The boat was pretty high tech with underwater hydrophones and cameras. The operation is a family affair, and they all seem to have a good time at it.

On the trip, we were treated to the company of a pod of seven Orcas which were headed in the same direction as the boat, so we all hung out together for over a half hour!

At the north end of the 286 mile long island is Port Hardy. We have to catch the ferry here to carry out Plan B. Rather than return to the mainland from Victoria, we opted for an adventure. After a 33 hour ferry ride, we will try to negotiate "The Freedom Highway" (a 38 mile 'good' dirt road that connects Bella Coola on the coast to the closest paved road in central BC).

Since this ferry trip is a mail run, stopping at four other towns before reaching Bella Coola, we couldn't jump to the front of the line. We had to wait in the evening drizzle until the 'end of the line' traffic was allowed to board.

Once aboard, we were advised to tie down the bikes for the 'voyage'. Two guys on their way to Alaska were also tieing down their dual sports. Luckily, the weather was good, seas calm, and none of the bikes shifted or fell over during the trip.

Those who staked out their tents on the aft deck were the only passengers who had private sleeping quarters. The rest either roamed the ship or slept in reclining lounge chairs (similar to a first class airline seat). Food was offered cafeteria style, and was about what you would expect from an overpriced deli serving prepackaged food.

Food and sleeping arrangements notwithstanding, the scenery was magnificent and we spent most of our time on deck or talking with other passengers.

After several stops (including a three mile paddle in a 'First Nation' ocean canoe from Bella Bella to Shearwater) we came to Klemtu for a six hour stop.

The Kitasoo and Xai'xais peoples who inhabit Klemtu recently built a new Big House. It is used for ceremonies and gatherings of the 460 people of this First Nation community. We received a look into native life and traditions on a two hour walking tour.

The only practical way in or out of Klemtu is by water, and most of the town turns out to have lunch aboard the ferry when it docks (a floating McDonalds). I guess you can get tired of salmon!

After leaving the ferry the next morning in Bella Coola, we had breakfast with the two other riders on the ferry and then started up the Freedom Road. When the BC road engineers said a passage across the mountains couldn't be built, the residents did it themselves.

After climbing the 25 mile section know as 'The Hill' with it's switchbacks, 18% grades, steep cliffs, and rutted one lane sections, it was cause for a minor celebration! There was still 15 more miles of dirt road to go before the pavement started, but it was wide, fairly smooth hardpack - piece of cake!

At Williams Lake, Jym lost the use of his front brake and we had to ride the next 285 miles with only marginal stopping power. After riding through the mountains on highway 99, not being able to enjoy the view, we stopped at Pemberton to relax and gawk.

We ended up staying in Squamish for a few days while we tracked down parts and waited for their arrival. The scenery at the upper end of Howe Sound is breathtaking - not a bad place to be stuck.

At Britannia Beach (a few miles south of Squamish) is the BC Museum of Mining. This is the concentrator building where the copper ore was initially processed before being loaded onto barges and shipped off to be further refined. The ore was loaded into the top of the building and went through a series of crushers, ball mills, and tanks before the concentrate emerged from the lower level. In addition to the tours, the building has been used as a set for movies and commercials.

In the underground tour, we saw a variety of air powered drills and machinery (all noisily demonstrated). What wasn't demonstrated was the miner's 'honey wagon' (thank goodness). This is a two holer. For privacy, miners switched off their headlamps. Guess what job the new guys got.