IV The Conclusion

The day arrived to pack up our suitcases and head home. Instead of heading directly to the ferry terminal we decided to do a few trips along the way. The weather was a little better than the day before and we wanted to take advantage of that.

Our first stop was Coombs. Ever been there? A very hippy-esque sort of place. Most interesting shops and restaurants and market. I bought myself a framed wall hanging with a quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder on it. Now if only I knew where to hang it in my house. Help.

There were so many sculptures in the main square. Buddhas, animals, dogs in cars...it was all just a tiny bit bizarre.

The garden shop was beautiful and I would have loved to have bought a few pots for the garden but we lacked the room in the back of the car. I guess we could have left Liam behind but Nathan would have none of that.

The market was just packed with delicious fresh foods, imported grocery delights, souvenirs, linens, toys, crafts....a feast for the eyes! All we bought was a bread/bun basket which incidentally is 'Made in China'. I guess the locals don't make bread baskets.

We had hit Coombs quite early when everything was just opening up. By the time we left it was very busy...it's quite a tourist trap. Good timing! We then headed towards Nanaimo and decided to stop for a bite to eat in Qualicum Beach. This is really a pretty little town and it was nice to eat at a local restaurant instead of a chain. We had lunch at 'Deb's Deli' and the food was great. Afterwards the boys got ice cream at a local candy shoppe. I didn't really care for any of the flavors they offered so I passed.

We had parked at a grocery store and upon getting to our car I noticed (thanks for the tip, Keri!) that they sold ice cream from a little booth right at the entrance to the store. I found one of my favorite ice creams 'Moose Tracks' and got a nice big scoop of it on a waffle cone. Divine! No pictures as it was muggy/warm and I had to eat fast.

We headed to the beach for one last roam. The sky looks quite nice, doesn't it? What you don't see is the rain and black clouds right behind me.

The rain caught up to us about 10 minutes down the road. We had timed that quite perfectly! What was great is that it was never cold on the beach...always very temperate.

We arrived at the terminal at 3:00 pm to find that we had just missed getting onto the 3:10 sailing and had to wait for the 4:40 pm! ARG. Thankfully, Liam napped for a good deal of the wait while the rest of us found ways to amuse ourselves. The boys had their books and I people watched. Great entertainment!

Liam finally woke up and enjoyed some time in the front seat with Mom and Dad. He's really quite entertained with 'driving' and pushing all the buttons and turning all the dials on the dashboard.

I dug out some snacks and before we knew it, it was time to board and be on our way.

The weather was good (as in dry) and we had great views as we headed back to Horseshoe Bay.

Leaning children on railings usually make me verrry nervous but as long as the railing wasn't towards the water I was okay with it. I didn't mind him falling onto the car deck below...but into the ocean, now that's another story :)

We found the warmest part of the boat and made ourselves comfortable for the trip. No sense being inside when there is fresh ocean air to be enjoyed!

We really did enjoy ourselves on Vancouver Island. It was nice to have a vacation where one isn't worrying about duty, exchange rates, travelling with fruits and veggies etc. Having a vacation 'at home' is pretty good. We are learning that there is definitely lots to do and see right in our own backyard!