Finally, we got to Vancouver BC, the site of our first tour. I was going to go kayaking with Wildheart Kayak Tours.

Since Cymoril isn't really into kayaking, I dropped her off at a kennel and stopped at this charming diner, the Cable Cafe. Great pie and good stories. The man who built the cafe told me a story about how he and his wife had been walking in the woods one night and he had stopped to tie his shoe. When he looked up, he noticed she was still talking to someone - someone rather large who he couldn't quite make out in the dusk light. Suddenly he realized it was a black bear! He also realized that his wife didn't know this - she hadn't looked back and thought she was still talking to him, not a bear. Luckily he was able to frighten the bear away.

He created this totem pole out of logging equipment to honor the loggers in the area.

Kayaking was GREAT! I am definitely addicted - you are so close to the water, so quiet and peaceful.

The whales were amazing. They swam within 6 feet of my kayak, graceful, beautiful. I saw dozens and dozens of whales - the oldest was 74 years, the youngest 2 months. My pictures of them aren't that great since I was busy watching these beautiful creatures.

The whales rub against the rocky cliffs to get rid of parasites. Sometimes they "spy hop" - rise straight out of the water (vertically) to take a look at the kayakers. That was pretty cool, but a little disconcerting - who's watching who?!

The second day out, we climbed a steep trail (requiring ropes and ladders at points) to the top of cliff overlooking Johnson Strait. The view was great - and I think I managed to collect most, if not all, of the mud on the trail with the seat of my pants.

On my way to pick up Cymoril, a black bear walked across the road in front of me. Halfway across the road, he turned and looked at the truck, then looked surprised and hurried across the road as if to say "Sorry! Didn't see you there!"