Happy Happy Anniversary

Day 4

Happy Anniversary Breakfast at Ruby's

Another great day in BC! Breakfast at the Ruby was, unsurprisingly, superb. And then the ride began. We started off as we had yesterday—30 meters from the hotel lobby we were back on the Galloping Goose, headed north. After crossing the switch bridge over the Trans-Canadian Highway (BC 1), we hooked left where yesterday we had hooked right. Soon we were in a trail construction zone that required a brief hike-a- bike, but the trail itself was in great condition. We cycled about 20 kms before we headed back, taking a short snack/comfort break at Happy Valley Market.

The section of the Goose we rode today traverses suburban areas, so there were quite a few street crossings, which slows one’s pace, particularly when there are traffic lights. Some of the crossings were straightforward – i.e., straight across two or four lanes of traffic. Others were a little more technical (or “clumsy” as Rob said impolitely). For example, we had to bike through one set of lanes onto a concrete island and wait for the light to cross other traffic lanes. Sometimes there would be four sets of islands to cross, because of dedicated turn lanes for vehicles. Sometimes, where the only traffic control was a stop sign for cyclists, there would be deep gravel to slow cyclists (to prevent them from racing onto the road and getting T-boned).

And we repeated some of these crossings on the way back. But we were able to skip some and the construction zone, by taking a planned exit onto the E&N Trail. The E&N runs about 7 kilometers, with good ups and downs, and only a few crossings, all very simple. When the E&N ends, one rides only a few city blocks on streets with wide bike lanes, before connecting with the southern end of the Galloping Goose.

This part of the Goose crosses the Upper Harbour on the Selkirk Trestle, just north of a small island in the harbor. (Curious about the small island, Diane read that it had been a Songhees tribal burial ground and that European settlers called it Deadman’s Island. Sadly, in 1867, two white men torched the island, desecrating human remains and artifacts.)

Shortly after crossing the harbour, we arrived at our hotel, from the south. Thankfully, Rob knew where we were. Diane, absorbed in her immediate surroundings, was surprised when Rob dove off the trail into a parking lot. Turns out it was our hotel parking lot!

The day’s ride was only 45.2 km with a little over three hours in the saddle, mostly due to our inability to maintain a steady pace. But it was a good ride, nonetheless.

We had a late lunch at nearby Brown’s Social House. Rob had #28 Dragon Bowl (teriyaki chicken, rice, wok fired vegetables, red cabbage, crispy onion, spicy yogurt) and Diane, Ahi Tuna Crunch (rare ahi tuna, avocado, mango, crispy noodle, peanut, cilantro, lime ginger dressing) without the crispy noodle. Tasty!!

We decided to forego dinner out tonight. Instead, we stopped at Whole Foods for heirloom tomatoes, Canadian cheeses, and bison salami (harkening back to our 12th anniversary where, on a bicycle journey from Moses Lake, WA to Redding, IA, we stopped for the night in Hamilton, Montana and gorged on bison steaks). And then to the nearby liquor store where we bought a bottle of Drambuie.

In a while, we will “exchange” our card and imbibe on delectables. Ah, life is good!

Diane & Rob

Pics from today's ride.