www.rvsnowbirds.com | August/September
Long Beach, Tourism BC Photo
trails, world-class fishing in wild and stocked lakes and streams, and even passing over the Gold Rush Trail.
Part 1 - Ferry to Vancouver Island • 282.49 km - about 4 hours 12 min In Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, board a BC Ferry to set off on the coastal leg of your journey. Stop in Sidney – the book capital of Western Canada, before moving on to Victoria where you'll check out the city’s gardens, parks, museums and beaches. North of Victoria, stop in the seaside village of Chemainus.
In Nanaimo, take a heritage tour and stroll along the waterfront or head to Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park where a shoreline of sandstone cliffs, complete with caves and caverns. Continue north towards Port Alberni.
Part 2 - Side Trip to the West Coast • 615.54 km - about 9 hours 38 min A side trip across the island on Hwy 4 to Port Alberni will take you through
Cathedral Grove, an ancient forest of Douglas Fir in MacMillan Provincial Park. From here you have option of heading west to one of several wilderness lodges in Ucluelet or Tofino to take in the springs at Hot Springs Cove (only accessible by boat or plane), and Long Beach, the longest stretch of surf-swept sand on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Return along Hwy 4 to head north on Hwy 19A, and relax on the sandy beaches of Parksville – ideal for warm, saltwater swimming – and the stunning shoreline of Qualicum Beach. Continuing north, cast a line in Campbell River, the Salmon Capital of the World; stop in Telegraph Cove, a village raised on stilts, and join a whale watching tour.
Part 3 - Ferry to Bella Coola • 253.88 km - about 3 hours 54 min In Port Hardy, board a BC Ferry bound for the ocean inlet of Bella Coola. Depending on your sailing, stop in remote coastal communities such as McLoughlin Bay, Shearwater,
Klemtu and Ocean Falls for fishing, sea kayaking and visits to Aboriginal sites. As you ferry north, keep your eyes on the ocean to see whales blowing up spray or sea lions sunning themselves on off-shore boulders.
Part 4 - Bella Coola through Tweedsmuir Provincial Park • 230.97 km - about 3 hours 34 min Drive the celebrated “Freedom Highway” (Hwy 20), named for the determined locals who built the road from Bella Coola to Anahim Lake on the Chilcotin Plateau. The highway climbs a steep, exhilarating switch- backed route – known locally as “The Hill” – to an elevation of 1,524m/5,000ft. (Note: this road is mostly paved, but there is also a well-maintained gravel section; suitable for all vehicles.) Head from Bella Coola past the rugged Coast Mountains to Tweedsmuir
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