Family Travel Countdown

Months ago, Paigey sat online waiting on the clock for summer camp registration to open up in Sidney. This was the week we were to benefit from those efforts. Five days of kids off on their own at summer camp while we got to enjoy all the Victoria area had to offer. It wasn’t just the kids that were excited. I relished the routine of bedtimes, wake-ups and even packed lunches. Paige was excited about the weather and lunches without crayons or kids’ menus.

As it turned out, camp was a mixed bag. The day before, we found out Julie’s class had got cut to a half-day camp due to labour shortages. In the end, it worked out for the best as her organic farming camp took place entirely in a farmer’s field. 3 hours each day in a farmer’s field is probably all she could have handled in the 30-degree heat. Plus, some great memories are from just the three of us going for lunch in the town. And then there was the kids magic show at the local library we would never have stumbled upon if we didn’t have Julie with us in the afternoon. As for the organic farming, each day Julie brought home a new vegetable from the garden. By the end of the week, I had a perfect deconstructed greek salad. She insisted each day on wearing Izzy’s straw hat calling it her “farming hat”.

Isabella’s tennis and basketball camp went off without a hitch. She hadn’t played either before and we were skeptical as to how it would turn out. Indoor tennis was manageable and, since it got quite hot, basketball which took place on pristine outdoor courts got replaced with swimming most days. Since this was BC, it meant the town had another top-notch aquatic centre that the day camps took full advantage of. The waterslide was so intense that it had a height restriction! Izzy was more than happy with her camp (waterslide) experience.

While the kids were at camp, Paige and I took care of some necessary “trip” admin. We could finally get a spot at a service centre for the Jeep and brought it in for a check-up. We had been concerned with some noises that fixed themselves but wanted our fears allayed before driving back across the country. With that taken care of, we decided to give the Jeep her first car wash of the trip. The picture makes it looks like I did a good thorough job, but the dirt is so caked onto the vehicle, it was a futile exercise.

A final note about Sidney / Victoria: We had some delicious meals (every restaurant in Sidney seems to be 4+ stars online) but we had to wean ourselves off the restaurants. In the latter half of the week, we opted for some spectacular picnics along the shore instead. Thrifty foods became my new favourite grocery store. Plus each night after our oceanside picnic, the kids would walk the pier and help crab fisherman throw back their undersized catch. We even got to share this culinary experience with Uncle Leif. Spoiler alert, we have a visitor for the next leg!

By the numbers:

• Visits to the Aquatic Centre: 3
• Visits to the laundromat: 4 (don’t ask)
• Iphones fixed: 0 (they did not have the part so we will have to wait for Vancouver)
• Friends made: 1. Isabella met a girl at our campsite who was riding a bike across BC with her family.

Where we stayed (five words or less):

• Smonecten Campground: Nice forested sites, highway noise

Wildlife Spotted:

• Dungeness Crabs
• Red Rock Crabs
• Bunnies a plenty