Gold River, gateway to Nootka Sound was, until recently, home to Luna the whale. Once we reached this small town, we headed straight for the deep sea harbour which is beautiful and interesting. We were happy to be able to see the MV Uchuck III which travels twice a week, carrying passengers and freight, to the remote settlements of Friendly Cove, a national historic site, Tahsis, Zeballos and Kyoquot along the coast.
Gold River is also considered 'The Cave Capital of Canada'. Upana Caves in particular are easily accessible and safe for notices who wish to enjoy the sport of spelunking. Not being into spelunking ourselves, we discovered there are various skill levels of trails throughout Strathcona Park where a hiker, or a stroller, can enjoy the sight of bald eagles, deer and mountain views.
Spending a good part of the day happily exploring some of the areas we had chosen to visit, it was six o'clock before we realized that it was time to find a campground before darkness was upon us.
Almost missing the sign, faded and nearly obliterated from age and weather, we pulled into what appeared to be an empty campsite. What luck we thought when camp spots are so difficult to find in the busy summer season. All was not as one would have expected though. Picnic tables were covered with moss, payment was on the honor system using damp envelopes which were to be put into a bolted, rusted metal box. Outhouses were devoid of toilet paper and the locks were long since useable. Firewood was damp wood we found amongst the trees surrounding our site. The water pumps had signs posted warning users to boil water for a minimum of two hours but were lacking the water to boil. Finding a site with the least moss on the picnic table, on the river side, we decided to set up camp. We were delighted with the thought of our enjoyment at the sound of rushing waters while we slept. This, we felt was going to be an enjoyable experience - but it was only the beginning.
But first things first! Because of the multitude of flying creatures, I pushed all the buttons in our van looking for the right one to put up the windows so we wouldn't be bothered while we were sleeping. Next I slammed the door against those pesky insects. Then we gathered wood for the fire and set up the camp chairs. Then it was time to start dinner so back to the van for the stove and cooler. Locked! Everything was securely locked; with the keys safely in the ignition.
"You didn't," he tried valiantly not to glare at me but didn't quite succeed.
I had an uncontrollable urge to laugh but was clever enough to know that this was not the time, nor the place, to remind him what a great sense of humor I have. I tried a smile. The smile didn't work and neither did his cell phone.
"I'll bet we'll laugh about this tomorrow," I suggested.
"It isn't tomorrow," he retorted.
"Are you feeling a little bit out of sorts today?" I asked.
Fortunately for me there was the sound of a car. "We have a little problem," I called as they approached our campsite.
A nice young couple got out, pierced and tattooed, with beautifully coloured florescent hair. "I've had that problem myself," he explained as he pulled out a key chain full of keys. Trying Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and Honda keys, he was finally able to open the door of our Blazer with a Volkswagon key. How happy I was that they were staying at our campground.
Later in the evening sitting around our crackling campfire, I marveled at our luck of the only other people in the campsite having a key that worked in our car. The look I received does not bear explaining.
Ignoring the look, I pointed out that there were flashlights moving along on the rocks beside the river. Suddenly there was a loud blast. The sound vibrated up the banks of the river at our feet, seeming to last for many minutes before utter silence.
In our rush to the van, we collided and tripping over wet firewood I bruised my nose and stubbed my toes. With a minimum of discussion, we decided that an early night was just what we needed to enjoy the sounds of the river from the comfort of our mosquito-free van.
Leaving the campsite the following morning, we waved to the nice young couple. Deciding not to wonder what the young man did for a living or what caused the loud blast of the night before, we concentrated on when we would take a trip on the MV Uchuck III to some of the remote coastal villages of Vancouver Island
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