Despite not getting into camp until after midnight, we were both awake early. Not wanting to stay any longer than necessary in our ‘parking lot’ campsite, we packed up quickly and decided to have breakfast somewhere more scenic.
We stopped at Port McNeil just a few miles down the road and pulled off near the marina. Port McNeil was built for the logging industry, not fishing as one might assume. Brian made coffee and bacon to have with the cheese ‘muffins’ I baked and froze in Prince George. Pancake mix, by the way, makes a great alternative to home made muffins and is lighter than biscuit mix. Great for traveling.
We had hoped the route to Campbell River would be along the coast but that turned out not to be the case. We had not realized how mountainous Vancouver Island is and the route was inland through beautiful forested terrain.
Campbell River is a very pretty port town with lots of shopping and restaurants. I needed a pair of walking sandals. The Sports Experts in town had just what I wanted, a basic pair of black Tevas. We had lunch at Dicks Fish and Chips, just across from the marina and Discovery Pier where the most popular attraction was the ice cream stand. We were told that a pod of orcas would be coming down the channel. We waited for about half an hour but the orcas obviously had something else in mind than entertaining us. We watched the ferries going back and forth.
Elk Falls Provincial Park is in a stand of very old cedars and redwoods. We walked for about an hour (in my new sandals) to view the falls and walked across the suspension bridge.
We were both tired today after losing so much sleep for the ferry ride. After such a big lunch of the best fish and chips in a long time, dinner was hotdogs, salad, yogurt and raspberries… and early bed.
Louise and Brian McLeod Travel Blog 
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