Canada on the cheap-ish

[diplomaticdanny]

Because almost 21000 steps wasn’t quite enough, we walked to a massive supermarket to have a look round, found whole hot chickens for sale, so that was dinner sorted, liquor store next door to our hotel and a wine box that will last us a few day purchased. Chicken will do two days of lunch and dinner, they don’t seem to have coleslaw so bought some salad, ranch garlic and bacon sauce and made our own.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Luckily, through my job and credit card I manage to acquire a fair few free hotel nights, have booked the first two weeks so far and only spent less than £100. This was our first two nights.
Found this in the car park.

Not only free nights with points but I also get free breakfasts as well (usually pretty expensive).

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Monday 16th

Another very nice free breakfast and then off to the ferry to Vancouver Island, very pretty crossing, no whales or dolphins though, a bit lat in the season apparently. Off the ferry and join the rest of the traffic heading for Victoria, very busy, nobody sticking to the speed limit at all (since we’ve been here). Oswego Hotel tonight, really nice and very central.

Worlds narrowest street repotably



Another bridge, this time a pivot lifting mechanism.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Nice place but one night enough

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Luckily, through my job and credit card I manage to acquire a fair few free hotel nights, have booked the first two weeks so far and only spent less than £100. This was our first two nights.View attachment 287509
Found this in the car park.
View attachment 287510View attachment 287511
Not only free nights with points but I also get free breakfasts as well (usually pretty expensive).
View attachment 287512View attachment 287513

Did you get a voucher for a free beer when you checked in? My last stop using loyalty points at a Holiday Inn scored me a free pint & a bag of peanuts in the evening then a luke warm buffet breakfast that I merely picked at before finishing my coffee and going to the Golden Arches for a double sausage & egg McMuffin.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Did you get a voucher for a free beer when you checked in? My last stop using loyalty points at a Holiday Inn scored me a free pint & a bag of peanuts in the evening then a luke warm buffet breakfast that I merely picked at before finishing my coffee and going to the Golden Arches for a double sausage & egg McMuffin.

They’ve changed now, you get a choice of points, a drink or breakfast, I always choose breakfast because otherwise they want £10-£15.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Monday 16th

Drove from Victoria to Tofino stopping at various beauty spots, last time I was above the clouds was in the Picos.

We had some horrendous weather so didn’t see much of the mountains, but by the time we got to the Ucluelet Lighthouse Loop the sun had come out and was too hot!

Onwards to our Best Western which was free with what I thought was my last remaining rewards points for BW, I had enough for 3 free nights that I used in Douglas IOM 2015, they never took the points so I used them for 3 free nights in America in 2018, they only took 2 nights so tonight is the 3rd (or 7th) free night with the same points!.

Apparently the beach we can sea from the patio door is the best on Vancouver Island.

A quick look around Tofino and back to our hotel with excellent fish & chips from a local restaurant.

 

[ronnie69]

Where's the fish n chips pic?
Canadian ones might be different ...

Sent from my SM-G780F using Tapatalk

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Where's the fish n chips pic?
Canadian ones might be different ...

Sent from my SM-G780F using Tapatalk

Forgot, sorry. They were very similar to a really good chip shop back home.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Tuesday 17th

A walk on the beach after breakfast.

A bit damp today, stopped at Cathedral Grove for a walk amongst these amazing trees on the way to our cheap motel in Nanaimo ton.


Anyone know what this is?

Proper dodgy looking motel tonight, looks like something on Better Call Saul. But it’s very close to our ferry back to the mainland tomorrow.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Of course, the Mediterranean restaurant with the good reviews 3 minutes walk from here is closed on Tuesday, a 30 minute walk each way resulted in an excellent Japanese place, little bit of a misunderstanding an we appeared to order one starter (intentional) and one main course between us, turns out it was just as well, couldn’t have eaten a whole main each. Oh well at least we got a beer each, £37 all in, back to the motel to watch The Morning Show on Apple TV.

 

[Flintlock]

Enjoying this - think that might possibly be a White Tailed Deer. Brother lives in Alberta & would have lots of them around his place.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

3 weeks on hand luggage only? Chapeau.
I can't do 3 days on hand luggage inly.

Yet you managed 3 weeks on 3 panniers? Challenging times.......

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Good point, well made.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Enjoying this - think that might possibly be a White Tailed Deer. Brother lives in Alberta & would have lots of them around his place.

Turns out its one of these.

Columbian black-tailed deer​

 

[diplomaticdanny]

Just the one stop today as the weather was atrocious.

Shannon Falls, now at the Hilton in Whistler

 

[diplomaticdanny]

The view from our hotel room and guy that checked us in, Jasper in Whistler.

 

[diplomaticdanny]

As we have a microwave in our room, we walked into Whistler and bought a lasagne, some garlic butter and bread rolls, was a lot tastier than it looks.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

I liked Whistler very much and would love to go back.
Where are you heading to next? Jasper?

 

[Sgt Bilco]

I liked Whistler very much and would love to go back.
Where are you heading to next? Jasper?

Hopefully on R99 via Lillouet. Lovely ride.......!!