Arlington Aviation Adventure

If you're a pilot, you've probably heard of Arlington Municipal Airport (KAWO). It's about 45 miles north of Seattle and the home of the Annual Arlington Fly-in. (Map not for navigational purposes)

Hundreds of planes arrive from across Canada (including our friend Bob from Powell River) and the US arrive for a week of airplane camping, exhibits and flight demonstrations. If you've never been, put it on your calendar for July 6-10, 2011. If you don't have a plane, drive in for an experience you'll never forget.

When we flew to Arlington this week, it was much quieter. With a slight north wind, we landed on Runway 34. It's 5332' long and 100' wide with a good asphalt surface. Runway 11/29 is shorter and narrower, but also in good condition. Be sure to keep your eyes open for gliders, ultralights and experimental aircraft that may not have radio communication.

After landing, we taxied down to the self-serve fuel pumps. Our destination was the pilot shop next door, but unfortunately it was closed. Another sign of difficult economic times in private aviation. But we did see that the restaurant mid-field was open again, so we hiked down. The NASA Restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:30 to 2:30. Darn, we just missed it.

We saw a sign for another place to eat near the pumps, so we backtracked and found the Flying J Cafe. You can't miss it at the end of the hanger with a large banner and American flags flying. You can arrive by car or airplane. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 4:oo and serve breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, and seafood baskets. The grill was already off, so we had sandwiches and some really tasty clam chowder.

In less than thirty minutes, we were back in Bellingham. But as you know, in altitude (and attitude) adjustment, we were miles away and light years ahead. Come fly with us on other adventures here at the blog and in Wayne's book Up the Airway also available online at www.PowellRiverBooks.com. -- Margy

2010 Texada Island Airport Fly-In is the Sunday

Mark your calendars! The Texada Island (Gillies Bay) Airport Fly-In will be returning this Sunday, July 25

The fly-in will have lots of activities for pilots and non-pilots alike. Pilots can come and stay at the airport campground for a weekend of fun. Everyone is invited for the festivities on Sunday. Just looking at the planes and talking to the pilots is well worth a visit. With all the hard work by Doby and the other planning committee members, it's going to be another outstanding year!

On Saturday night, July 24, there's a Fly-in Fling at the Royal Canadian Legion. Then on Sunday morning, the gates open at 8:45 and a pancake breakfast will kick things off at 9:00 am. That will be followed by displays, presentations, live entertainment, games for kids and a lunch BBQ at 12:30. Bring a folding chair or grab a place on the grass for aerial demonstrations. The highlight of the afternoon will be the Fraser Blues Flight Team.

If you are flying in, please e-mail ahead to reserve one of the available airplane parking or camping spots at texadaannualflyin@gmail.com. For more details about the event and runway, click here. It's a bit early for details, so check back periodically. Wayne and I hope to see you there. -- Margy

Quick Shuttle Bus Service to Vancouver, BC

Today I took the easy way (relatively speaking since it was a holiday weekend) south from Powell River to Bellingham to visit with Mom. This route uses both Pacific Coastal Airlines and the Quick Shuttle bus.

Quick Shuttle provides international bus service between the greater Vancouver area and Seattle, Washington. Scheduled service from Canada starts at all major downtown hotels and cruise ship terminals (in season), continues through downtown Vancouver, followed by a stop at Vancouver International Airport. One final stop is made at the Campbell River Store in South Surrey before crossing the border at the Pacific Highway (Truck) Crossing.

The Quick Shuttle has resumed direct service to Vancouver Airport. Drop off is on the upper departure level of the International Terminal. If you are catching the bus heading southbound at the airport, the pick up location is on the lower arrival level of the International Terminal, just outside the main set of doors at pillar number 4.

There are also some new border crossing rules. You must make a reservation by phone or online thirty minutes before the bus leaves it's first stop in the direction you are traveling and you must provide travel document information that can be transmitted to Customs prior to your departure. This makes travel planning a bit more difficult. You can't just hop on the bus like the old days.

A special U.S. Customs and Immigration building takes care of bus passengers. After everyone has been cleared, the bus continues south with stops at Bellingham International Airport (perfect for those cheap Allegiant Air trips to Reno, Vegas and Palm Springs), Tulalip, downtown Seattle and finally Seattle International Airport. The cost $55-56 for adult one-way or $98-99 round-trip. Fares can be paid in either Canadian or U.S. dollars and you save 5% by booking online. You may select your own start and stop points within their route (as long as it includes a border crossing) for a reduced rate.

Heading north from Seattle, the stops are in reverse order. Canadian customs and immigration is handled in a special building as well. All passengers must remain on the bus until their luggage has been removed for inspection. You take all personal items with you, pick up your luggage and get in line to meet with a Canada Border Services Agent. You will need to present your travel documents (see the U.S. and Canadian websites to verify the current requirements) and a completed Customs Declaration Card. Once you've cleared, it's back on the bus for the remainder of your journey.

Wayne and I use the Quick Shuttle frequently for our trips between Bellingham and Powell River. The buses are clean and comfortable, have a restroom onboard and free WiFi so you can surf the web to your heart's content as you roll down the road. In fact, I'm sending this post right from my comfy bus seat.

The Quick Shuttle is a good way to miss some of those longer border lineup waits. So, if you need cross-border transportation, check out Quick Shuttle online at www.quickcoach.com or call them at 800-665-2122. They'll be "quick" to take care of your needs. - Margy

7 Awesome Things about Summer in Powell River

Today is the first day of Spring and I'd like to invite you to my favourite place on earth, Powell River, BC. Here are 7 awesome things about Powell River for this summer.

1. An exciting ferry ride to get here. BC Ferries serves Powell River. You can easily turn your visit into a Circle Route vacation. Check out the CirclePac and Experience Card for extra savings. On the Vancouver to Powell River route you will travel through majestic fjords and pass towering snow-capped peaks. It's an E-ticket ride for sure.

2. Uncrowded campgrounds. We have a special place in our hearts for Willingdon Beach Campsite. We stayed at this oceanside campgound when we discovered Powell River. Hookups are available at Kent's Beach near Saltery Bay, Garnet Rock near town and Sunland by-the-Sea near Lund. We love the remote forest and wilderness campgrounds such as Nanton, Dodd and Khartoum Lake. You can even rent a float cabin to experience off-the-grid life on the lake for yourself.

3. Offroad adventures. Do you ride a quad, off-road motorcycle or drive a 4X4? Logging and forest roads take you to trails, lakes and quiet forests. The Powell River ATV Club loves to help visiting riders. They have an ATV Trail Guide with GPS coordinates. Contact our president Dave through the ATV/BC website or in town at Guy's Cycle Works or Quality Parts. Some of our favourite destinations are Theodosia, Fiddlehead Farm, Poki's Place and Khartoum Lake. You can read about more ATV adventures in Up the Main.

4. Restaurants with views. From everyday to fancy, we have it all. South of town at Beach Gardens is the Savoury Bight, great for sunset dinners. North of town on Okeover Inlet is the Laughing Oyster for great seafood. Continue to the end (beginning) of Highway 101 to the Lund Hotel's for a marina view. And don't leave town without a brew and steak at the Shinglemill Pub on Powell Lake. Sit and watch boats coming and going from logging sites and float cabins up the lake.

5. Events and festivals. Summer is event time in Powell River. The International Choral Kathaumixw from July 6-10. July also brings the Texada Sandcastle Weekend on the 10-11th, the Texada Aerospace Camp for kids from Jul7 21-24 and the annyal Fly-in on the 25th. The 47th Annual Seafair at Willingdon Beach from the 23-25th. Then Marine Avenue closes on Friday, August 20, for the annual Blackberry Street Party. The weekly Farmers Market in Paradise Valley is open April to September. For more activities, read Around Town in the PEAK or PowellRiverDirect.com.

5. Beaches. Powell River is overflowing with fresh and saltwater beaches. In town, Willingdon Beach is the place to go with it's grassy park, sandy beach and Beach Hut. South of town there's Saltery Bay Provincial Park and north there's Gibson's Beach. Keep going towards Lund and you will find Dinner Rock Park tucked away on a gravel road. Or take the Lund Water Taxi to Savary Island for some of the best sandy beaches in BC. Prefer fresh water? Try Mowat or Haywire Bay on Powell Lake, or one of the many smaller lakes in the region.

4. Hiking. Whether it's a stroll down historic Willingdon Beach Trail or a hike on the 180 km Sunshine Coast Trail, we have a path for every ability. Inland Lake's circumnavigating trail is wheelchair accessible. Stop by Breakwater Books or Coles to get Eagle Walz's books (Sunshine Coast Trail Guidebook and Along the Edge of the Salish Sea) about hiking in and around Powell River. They are a must! Also, stop by the Visitor Centre for maps and information.

6. Kayaking and canoeing. Powell River is a great destination for both kayaking and canoeing. Bring your own, or rent one when you get here. Choices include Skeeter Jacks, Powell River Sea Kayak, Alpha Adventures and Y-Knot. Each outfitter also offers lessons and guided tours. The Powell River Forest Canoe Route through pristine lakes is world famous. So are nearby ocean destinations such as Desolation Sound.

7. Boating on the chuck. Around here we call the ocean the salt chuck. The Westview Harbour is the perfect fueling, restocking, maintenance and jumping off for Coastal BC cruising to Desolation Sound and all points north along the inside passage. Nearby Lund also has a marina with fuel and moorage. Check out some of the exciting anchorages and marinas along the way in Wayne's book Up the Strait.

Stop at the Tourism Powell River Visitor Centre in the Crossroads Village Shopping Centre next to Quality Foods on Mondays through Fridays 9:00-5:00. They will give you great tips about our wonderful community. Pick up a free Powell River Living magazine or buy a Powell River PEAK to see what's happening around town. Need more reasons to come? Visit the Tourism Powell River website. I'll see you here soon! -- Margy

Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park

We had a wonderful overnight cruise in the Bayliner. We left Powell River in the afternoon and arrived at Heriot Bay on Quadra Island in time for an early dinner at the Inn. With Halcyon Days' tanks and our tummies full, we motored over the adjacent Drew Harbour to spend the night at anchor.

Today we stopped at Mitlenatch Island. The whole island is a Nature Provincial Park. The environment is very different from neighbouring islands. Because it is in a rain shadow, you will find the rocky cliffs covered with low growing bushes and few trees.

In winter, you will find California sea lions basking on the shores and feeding in the rich waters. In spring you will find wildflowers and nesting sea gulls. Today, most of the wildflowers were gone, but the gulls were roosting in every nook and cranny on the exposed cliffs.

If you follow the path from the north anchorage, you will come to a bird blind. From here you can view the gulls on the cliffs below without disturbing them. A handy guide above viewing window give you tips on behaviour and species identification.


We hiked back down the trail to our waiting Halycon Days. It was such a nice day that we decided to slowly troll on the way back to see if we could catch a salmon. Wayne did hook a nice ling cod, but we let him go. We are the catch and release kind of fisherpersons.

What a wonderful place to live. So many options: boat, quad, hike, kayak and live up the lake. Powell River has something for everyone to enjoy. -- Margy

After the Storm

Spring showers clear to beautiful blue skies with puffy white clouds on Powell Lake in Coastal BC.

That's one reason we're called the Raincoast and have such lovely green hills and valleys. Come visit us this summer. You might want to stay for a lifetime. We did. -- Margy

Horseshoe Lake Kayak Adventure

The Powell River Forest Canoe Route draws paddling enthusiasts from around the world. It follows a chain of 8 lakes through the back country and is best navigated in a canoe or small kayak. That's because of the 5 portages between the lakes. Wayne and I own what we lovingly call the Big Yellow Banana. It's a Current Designs Libra XT that's almost 22 feet (660 cm) long and 92 pounds (41 k) soaking wet.

Add our camping gear and you can barely lift her off the ground. Obviously, we aren't going to take her on the whole Canoe Route, but you can access portions of it by vehicle. Last week on a warm spring day we transported the Yellow Banana to the Nanton Lake Campground. Nanton is a beautiful Forest Service camp on the Goat Lake Main logging road. This is an active logging road, so use caution and obey signs.

After launching we paddled the north side of Nanton. It's shallow near the shore and the bottom is covered with plants, perfect for trout but tough on lures. We let this little guy go home to his mama. Nanton connects with neighboring Horseshoe Lake through a wide channel. The waterway is dotted with lots of old snags from logging early in the 1990's before the dam was installed on Horseshoe.

Horseshoe also has lots of floating logs and stumps. We found hundreds (maybe thousands) of them in a solid log jam blocking the opening. We decided to work our way through. At times we felt like explorers moving through ice floes in the Northwest Passage. We would nose forward and pull logs past our hull. Sometimes we were blocked by a solid mass and had to reverse course. After about an hour we made it to open water.

We followed the north shore to the campground at the portage to Little Horseshoe Lake. It was late afternoon and the camping area was already in full shade. We decided to continue south to find a sunnier spot. About two thirds of the way down the lake (just above the canoe symbol on the map) we crossed to the west side and found a perfect spot on the bluff of an island.

It was a rustic site with a stump bench, a mossy flat area for our tent, a fire ring that we chose not to use and a dynamite view. Our kayak floated safely below tied to several beached logs. From the healthy look of the Bearberry plants and moss on the ground, we were the first occupants of the season. After our dinner of subway sandwiches we turned in to be serenaded by frogs and loons.

After a leisurely morning in camp we worked our way north fishing and trolling. About half way to the head of the lake we encountered the log jam. We paddled around it and back through the channel without any obstruction. It must move back and forth en masse with the wind. Back in Nanton, we stopped at the new picnic site built by the ATV Wednesday Trail Building Group.

After a snack and rest we paddled back to our car. On the way we passed this empty Osprey nest. It looks ready to receive its new occupants for the summer season. Osprey must need and claim a large fishing territory. We only saw one other nest in Horseshoe Lake.

Back at the campground we took time to unload and organize our gear for our next kayak trip. If you are planning to visit Powell River and want to camp, Nanton is an excellent choice. It has several lakeside spots, some with their own launch ramps. You can also headquarter here for ATV rides on the extensive logging road and trail network south of town.

If you have any questions, just leave a comment. If you want more information about exploring Powell River's back country, I recommend reading Wayne's books Up the Main or Up the Winter Trail. They are both available online at www.PowellRiverBooks.com. -- Margy

Night Ferry

The ferry between Powell River BC and nearby Texada Island runs day and night, transporting residents and visitors alike.

When the 7:15 p.m. ferry comes in from Comox (the lights in the distance) on Vancouver Island, the Island Princess to Texada hovers off the breakwater waiting to pick up passengers who want to complete their journey home. Isn't she a beautiful sight?

Thanks for visiting "my world." If you want to see more exciting places from around of the globe, go to the "That's My World" website. -- Margy

Mount Baker Highway Road Trip

Yesterday was my mom's 94th birthday, so we all bundled up and went on a road trip up the Mount Baker Highway.


Mom rode shotgun and our good friend Jeanne drove. We started at the junction of I-5 and Sunset Drive then headed east. In a few miles we left busy Bellingham behind and entered lush green fields dotted with farmhouses. Along the way there were lots of Christmas tree farms and u-pick berry fields. We'll have to come back this summer for sure. At about the 25 mile mark we entered the small village of Maple Falls.

We pulled into the Frosty Inn. It was just what we were looking for. Inside were two locals drinking coffee and talking about "the old days" and a cheery fire was burning in the dining room. Just the place to get a leisurely late breakfast fit for hungry travelers. The friendly waitress took our order and made us feel right at home. If you are headed up to Mt. Baker for skiing or sightseeing, I highly recommend stopping at the Frosty Inn for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It also appears to be a night spot, too.

After a hearty breakfast we continued up the road towards the ski area. In Glacier, there were several ski and snowboard rental shops, more restaurants and a few places for lodging. Just before the road started the final climb to the Mount Baker Ski Area we decided to turn around. The snow along the side of the road was building up and we didn't have chains with us today.

We reversed course and followed the Nooksack River back down to the coastal plain. It was a gorgeous day for a drive in the mountains. Puffy white clouds stood out against the clear blue sky. Before we returned to town we stopped briefly at the Deming Homestead Eagle Park. It's a great place to view Bald Eagles in winter months, but today the robins were heralding spring instead.

To plan our trip, we used an excellent guidebook, the Insiders' Guide to Bellingham and Mount Baker by Mike McQuaid. He is a Bellingham local that really knows the area. It is available at Amazon.com by clicking here. If you are coming to Bellingham it's a must.

It was a fun way for all of us to celebrate Mom's big day with good food, good company and great views. Glad you could come along for the ride with us. -- Margy

Take Chuckanut Drive to Edison, WA

If you take Chuckanut Drive either north from I-5 or south from Bellingham, an interesting side trip is to Edison, Washington. From Chuckanut Drive take Bow Hill Road west. Where it makes a bend to the south, you will find the small town of Edison situated near the mouth of the Samish River and along the Edison slough.

Edison’s main street has some interesting turn of the century buildings that now house restaurants, antique stores and bakeries. Edison was first settled in 1869. By 1876, there were 46 residents and a post office. In 2000, there were 133 people living in Edison. Call it small but mighty. And yes, the town was named for Thomas Edison, the famous inventor.

Edison is about a mile from the Padilla Bay, but at high tide it is accessible by medium draft boats. This was a great benefit for the growing community. You can still see some small boats moored along the channel. The area is well known for seafood, especially oysters that are available at the local restaurants at very reasonable prices.

Last week Wayne, Jeanne and I went to The Edison for lunch. The atmosphere is casual and friendly. When the weather is nice, they have outdoor dining. Each night there's a different special. We recommend coming on Fridays for their steak and rib BBQ. There are pool tables, shuffleboard, TVs and evening entertainment - great for adults, but no minors are allowed.

Down the street is the Breadfarm bakery. Go in the afternoon and watch them make bread. We got the Chuckanut Multigrain, but they have several flavors and styles to choose from. If you go to the Bellingham Farmer’s Market, stop by their booth for a quick and easy bread fix.

After a good meal and a tour of the town, you can retrace your route to Chuckanut Drive or go south on Farm to Market Road. This will take you through lush farmland reclaimed from the delta on your way to Highway 20. Left on 20 takes you back to I-5. Right takes you to Anacortes and other adventures. An alternative is angle right off Farm to Market Road on Bayview-Edison Road. In the community of Bay View you will find Bay View State Park strategically located along the wide tidal mudflats. This route will lead you to Highway 20 as well. So, take a side trip to Edison for a great meal and a beautiful drive. -- Margy