Victoria, B.C.

After a two hour ferry ride we arrived in Victoria, British Columbia. Mike and Jenna had set us up with a place to stay, Jenna’s sister’s place on the island -- a cute, quite farmhouse on the southern half of the island. The directions getting there (on paper) had been simple: get on the Galloping Goose bike trail and head south. For the life of us, we couldn’t find the trail, and ended up riding the non-scenic highway to our destination.

The next morning we work up early so that we could see some sights in Victoria before boarding the 10:30 a.m. ferry to Port Angeles. Three measly miles before the ferry, I felt that awful foreshadowing mushy feeling of a flat tire. Turns out I not only had a flat, but I had a big gaping, not-so-friendly looking hole in my back tire. After a not so quick detour to a bike shop, and an $84 tire, we had missed the ferry.

So on to Plan B: taking a later ferry to the San Juan Islands in Washington state (which quickly became Plan B when the employees at the bike shop told us about the amazing bike riding the islands offered. Previous to Plan B, we were on the Be-Pissed-Off-And-Cry-Because-You-Missed-Your-Ferry-And-Have-No-Idea-Where-You-Are-Going-Or-What-You-Are-Going-To-Do-Next Plan). Plan B seemed like a nicer option. Plan B also gave us time to explore Victoria.

When it was time to head to the ferry, Melissa and I looked (again) for the Galloping Goose bike trail. (Again) we could not find it. Apparently, the elusive Galloping Goose is rarely seen, except by those native to the area (hence, when we would ask a local for directions, they would point in the distance and say, “right there. You can’t miss it.” And then we would miss it.).
We would catch glimpses of it, be on it for a second, round a corner, and then be off of it, in the middle of a housing development, completely lost. But magically, like an angel from heaven, a cyclist on a carbon Trek Madone came to our rescue. “I’ll take you there,” he said, “As long as you can keep up!”

So, lungs bursting, legs pumping, we followed him a couple of miles (in the opposite direction of the one in which we were originally heading) to the Galloping Goose -- a beautiful rails-to-trails bike path that is so heavily signed and well kept, I’m not sure how anyone, including us, would ever miss it.

So Plan B: Island hopping!

Brooke

Lining up for our first ferry ride of the tour!

The Parliament building in Victoria.

The mythical Galloping Goose.

On the ferry to the San Juan Islands.