My first order of my business was to catch up with Eric and Sara in Port Alberni after I left the ferry terminal in Nanaimo. I haven’t seen this lovely couple in four years. They moved around quite a bit for Eric’s job with stints in Hinton and in Toronto. But we have managed to stay in touch thanks to social media.
My plan was to hang out with them for a few days before I set off on other adventures. Many years ago Eric sat beside me in the Daily Herald Tribune newsroom. Coincidentally he is now the editor at a sister Blackpress paper. Small newspaper world.
We went to a restaurant that overlooks Sprout Lake. It was a lovely evening to gaze out at the lake while catching up.
I have never been to Port Alberni. Have you? I didn’t have time to research the town before I left for my trip. All I remember is Josh’s “ugh” facial expression when I told him I would visit friends there. That good, I thought. The town, a lumber and fishing town, boasts about 17,000 people.
I was struck by the amount of fruit trees everywhere. Sara & Eric have a wonderful garden on their front lawn and fruit trees border their property. They have a wonderful set up. One day we picked pears at a house on the market. (Sara gained permission from the retailer) Too bad we didn’t get their sooner – see the rotten pears on the ground.
Eric had to work so I didn’t get to chat as much as I would have liked. He was always a great writer and friend.
I bought my coffee one morning at a cool coffee house. The interior was decorated with a steam punk theme in mind. Pretty cool stuff and pretty random. Loved it.
Instead of tearing down the old churches, some business owners have converted them into new venues like Char’s Landing. We went one night to hear a band from Victoria. As you would expect the acoustics were amazing.
I noticed these Canada Post Save door-to-door signs EVERYWHERE in Port Alberni. Great to see people taking a stand on something they believe in.
One day I walked down to the beach near Sara & Eric’s place. There were signs everywhere advising people not to go in the water. It didn’t stop this salmon fisherman from bathing and shaving his head.
The Log Train Trail is about 20K in one direction. Perfect spot for a long run. I ran a short 10K one day because I got spooked out by the eerie silence and random sounds in the trees.
I enjoyed a short and sweet visit with Sara and Eric. It was great to see them after all this time. I wasn’t completely sold on Port Alberni but I always enjoy learning about and visiting new places.
You can’t beat that, right?
Read more from Road Trip 2015 here: