ENGLISHMAN RIVER FALLS PROVINCIAL PARK AUGUST 15-17, 2013

We returned to Campbell River late Thursday afternoon and found another beautiful campsite at Elk Falls Park. I love that BC leaves half a park unreserved so we could easily find a spot for the night in this beautiful park.  After dinner we needed to find some wifi so we went to Painter's Cove Lodge to check emails and Pk got a coffee...a free one, of course, since the barista thought he was a movie star...

Friday we moved further south to the town of Parksville and nearby Englishman River Falls Park.  Another wet and drippy day, which meant lots of vacant sites in the park.  Everyone here in BC is soooooo excited to have the rain, it's been dry for 42 days in a row!!! Guess that's not the usual weather up here.

 Later that afternoon we went into town for appys and drinks along the beach and to catch the last day of the Sand Sculpting Competition

 They were amazing!!!! Never quite anything we'd seen before. Designed five weeks ago from wet, compacted sand, they were then sprayed with a very diluted glue to help make them stay standing.

 With the theme of Fairy Tales, sculptors come from all over to participate and are given twenty four hours over three days to finish their design. When the contest first started it happened all in one weekend, where the tide swept away the hard work of the sand artists.

 The only true "sand Castle" in the contest.

 Loved the "Humpty Dumped Me" sculpture.

 This was the back side of the Three Billy Goats Gruff

Friday morning we walked to the falls... which drop into this thin sheer opening.

 Then took a day trip to visit Port Alberni, "The Ultimate Fishing Town".

 and a stop at the Ahtsik Native Art Center, then back to the motorhome for dinner and a teen community theater production of Fame.

 Such a wonderful two weeks on Vancouver Island! We'd had a week of sunny warm days and also a week of rainy, wet and much needed rains. But Saturday it was time to head to the BC Ferry at Departure Bay in Nanaimo to travel across to Horseshoe Bay and mainland BC. and a stop to see the world's tallest gnome!

 Without a reservation, we arrived at the ferry about 9:30 and easily got on the 10:40 for West Vancouver.  So fun to catch a breakfast bagel and some music before boarding the ferry and the next part of our trip.