For the BC day long weekend, Sean decided we should go on some adventures. Our mini-break would be all about things we haven’t seen or done before.
The thing is, the BC Day long weekend are to Vancouverites what Thanksgiving Day weekend are to Americans. Newspapers predicted it would be a weekend of traffic jams, long border and ferry line-ups and carnage on the roads. As BC Day long weekend is considered the most busiest travel time of the year, it seemed like everyone had upped and left the city.
On Saturday afternoon, Sean and I took the chance of going to Horseshoe Bay to board the ferry to Bowen Island. Luckily for us, Bowen Island was not the hot spot this weekend. The ferry took only about 20 minutes and as soon as we disembarked at Snug Cove, it felt like we left the city behind.
Bowen Island is a quaint little island community. It has that small-town vibe, where people smile and say hello as you pass them on the trails.
From the ferry terminal, we walked on the causeway, checking out the marina on the deep bay side and the really nice summer homes on the lagoon side. We spied one of the houses that was built on stilts and in-between the trees and imagined what life would be like living here in this sleepy little town. Close enough to Vancouver, yet removed enough to feel like you’re not a part of the rat race. There’s no gentrification here that I saw, just local businesses.
We walked along the maple trail at Crippen Regional Park, a lush forest, to get a view of the other side of the lagoon. We hit the fish ladder and Bridal Veil Falls, where there were a few people sitting down by the sluice and either having lunch or trying their hand at fishing.
Hunger snuck up on us and we made our way back to the main drag to find ourselves a patio to have dinner. We almost passed on Tuscany restaurant because we laughed at the $24 spaghetti and meatballs on the specials board. $24 for spaghetti and meatballs?! Are those meatballs rolled in gold flakes?
But the choices on the main drag were somewhat limited and we like the sounds of the other items of the specials board, so we decided we could splurge a little bit. And the restaurant looked charming, nestled in a heritage style house with a lush garden patio.
I ordered the napoli pizza with fresh buffalo mozarella, extra virgin olive oil and Bowen Island basil. Sean ordered the mango seafood salad: mixed greens in oil and vinagrette, with pan-seared scallops, prawns and halibut, topped with mango chutney. For dessert, we ordered a refreshing lemon gelato (served in a lemon) to cleanse our palatte. Delish! And to think we almost passed on the Tuscany! $24 spaghetti and meatballs…
After dinner, we had to kill an hour until the next ferry sailing, so we walked around the marina and pier at Snug Cove. We were pleasantly surprised when we came across 2 deer, about 20 ft’ up on a slope, munching away on bushes. As they were safe enough from human’s reach, they weren’t skittish when we approached them gingerly to take a few pictures. we were just delighted because normally you can’t even get near a deer.
We also came across a random red clipper helicopter just parked in a field.
A bonus about day-tripping to Bowen Island? You only have to pay for the ferry going over there. Ferries departing Bowen Island are free. As soon as we boarded, Sean and I went up to the top deck to catch the evening sun on our way back. Also to watch the dock dance happening on the pier below us.
The dance was organized by the fire department. Locals were out for the rock band performing on stage and for “chicken shit bingo.” There was a group of people standing a little too intently around a cage with 2 chickens in it.
Course this wasn’t cock-fighting or anything of that sort. I even had to look up what chicken shit bingo even was. It’s basically 2 chickens squaring off in a cage. The plywood floor is marked with numbers in a grid pattern. People make wagers on a chicken and which number/square that chicken will poop on.
For reals. This was like Vegas, but honky tonk style.
Okay. I gotta declare a new winner here. Nobody parties like Bowen Island people party.
View more photos of our getaway on my Flickr album.
No Comments