Family Travel Countdown

Months ago, Paigey patiently waited by her computer 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 perfectly 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. These were new sports for her and we were apprehensive as to how it would play out. Tennis was played indoors and acquitted herself well. Due to the uncomfortable heat, basketball (with its pristine outdoor courts) was a lost cause. The instructors called an audible and essentially pivoted to an aquatics camp. Since this was BC, Sidney had a top-notch aquatic centre that was made available to the campers. 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 “trip” admin that we had been delaying. We finally booked a slot at a service centre and brought the Jeep in for a check-up. We had been concerned with some noises that “fixed” themselves but we wanted a professional opinion before driving back across the country. The Jeep got a clean bill of health so we paid for our first car wash of the trip. The picture makes it looks like I did a good and thorough job. In reality, the dirt is so caked on, it ended up being 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 restaurants. Instead, we opted for spectacular picnics along the shoreline. 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