Photos, lots of photos below.

Salish Seaside RV Haven

With just two shower stalls and more than 14 RV sites, it can be a wait for a shower in the morning. There was one woman waiting for a free shower when I arrived. “Clearly you are first in line.”, I said. She almost rolled her eyes, “clearly” unspoken but intended.

“Are you from the US?”, breaks the ice every time. “No, I’m originally from Belgium and moved to Germany.” She spoke French, Dutch, German, and clearly English. We talked about US language classes, travel in Europe and here in the US. She is traveling with her daughter, her husband, and their six week old baby.

I don’t know what it is about women from Belgium, but this is the second time “wow”.

The weather was overcast this morning. New was the clear blue breaking through here and there. It promised to be a better day today.

Bushart Gardens

I purchased tickets to Bushart and Butterfly Gardens on line. It saves a bit to do so. Imagine not being able to access the ticket at the gardens.

The drive to the gardens was on a rolling, bumpy two lane road with construction and flag women now and then. It’s refreshing to see women working on road crews. I’ve seen it in the U.S., but not very often. We waved every time.

Bushart Garden’s parking lot is huge. It was mostly empty at 11:50. We parked beside three other RVs in an area that could park 40 or 50 RVs and Busses. “The gardens must be huge.”

We skipped the gift shop and the local artist gallery, and walked past the coffee shop. We stopped at the restaurant, noticed capellini con vongole and took one of the last 2:45 reservations. Into the gardens we strolled. I enjoyed the sunken gardens most. Walking a path I a heady floral scent hit me in a wave. A woman’s perfume? Could this be a plant? The scent faded, then grew. I wonder how I looked sniffing the various plants along that path. Pretty funny I’d guess. I found the source. A tall stalk with a spray of white flowers that I’d never seen before. I asked a horticulturist what the plans was. She said the name has changed, but the common name is bugs bane. There are two photos in the array below.

The Japanese garden was very well done. The Italian garden seems small. We were “gardened out” by then.

Bugs Bane has a Wonderful Scent

The capellini was good though the vongole were disappointing. The clams were not as fresh as I’d like. I do not recommend the restaurant’s vongole. However, their tomato soup is wonderful.

Yesterday Revisited

Chinatown

Hi, I’d Like Some Funk, Please.

Ellen Preferred The Raptor to “My” Wolf

A View from Finn’s Seafood

Along the E&N Rail Trail

Yesterday’s Walks

My GPS watch is charging. It was nearly out of charge this morning. Yesterday we walked a total of eight miles and I feel good.

This is great, let me explain. All my life (until recently) I’ve been active, exercising 2 hours a day 6 days a week on average. I played racquetball for hours, ran an hour a day, and/or did weight training. I’ve been in great condition and pain free.

Last December my replacement xbox came with Battlefield V, a single person shooter with thousands of players across the world. I could play in a team of 32 players against another team of 32 players. It is fascinating, challenging, rewarding, and frustrating. I’d found a new addiction. I’ve played practically every day for an hour or two in the afternoon and three to six hours in the evening.

About a month ago, after not exercising much for months, I hopped on an exercise bike for a two hour extravaganza. This sort of all-or-nothing approach to exercise is “me”. What was startling for me was the pain I was in the next day and few weeks. My legs: hamstrings, inner leg, ankles, and lower back screamed in pain. After sitting for a while I couldn’t stand straight without pain and had to stretch my lower back to stand. This was agony; a new experience for me, and something I hoped was temporary. All those TV ads for solutions to back pain made sense to me now. When would this stop.

Each time I exited Li’l Beast, I’d have to stretch my lower back to stand straight. It was painful to walk, though the pain subsided a bit with each step. Sitting still during the 3 hour performance of Hamlet in Ashland led to a stiff neck that has hounded me these past few days. More agony, pain was layered on pain. This Sucks!

However, as we walked more I found the pain in my legs subsiding. The pain in my lower back eased a bit each day. My stiff neck was less stiff. Then we walked everywhere yesterday. This morning I feel great (again). My neck is still a bit stiff, I have a bit of leg pain, but my back feels normal again. ASTOUNDING.

I conclude (and for me), that some form of exercise is necessary every day to maintain a moderate level of neuromuscular health. Muscles atrophy much more quickly than I had imagined. Becoming couch potato for a few months, exercising my fingers on the xbox controller and nothing else did me in!

Consider the implications for society at large. A sample of one is not statistically significant, but not if you are that “one”.

Morning Sunshine

I wish! The skies opened up at 5:55 AM. We awoke to a symphony of timpani on the roof. The timpani have subsided, though the rain is still heavy at 8:26. Welcome Fall in the North West. 62 F says the outdoor thermometer. It’s a cool day and probably will not warm much with clouds masking the sun. We’re in for a gloriously gray day,

There are a few markets on Esquimalt. The first two were so small, we didn’t bother to stop. The Save-On Market looked to be a good choice and it is not far from Salish RV Resort. The parking lot has a median between parking rows. There is no way we could park in that cramped lot. “Look over there, there’s lots of parking.” The parking lot Ellen spotted was at the Da Vinci Center, an Italian American organization.

Returning with our groceries, a woman said from her open window, “You cannot park here. People pay for those spaces. If an owner wanted to park there you’d hear about it!” I apologized, “We’re just leaving. Sorry. We’ll be gone in a few minutes.” I looked the center up. They host speaking Italian lessons and cooking classes. They even have an October guided trip to Italy scheduled in October.

For some reason Li’l Beast’s GPS wanted us to go over a bridge into Victoria. Luckily that bridge was under construction; and closed to traffic. We headed south to another bridge into Victoria when the GPS woke up and guided us away from the bridge and right to Salish Seaside RV Haven.

Salish Seaside RV Haven

This is one of a very short list of favorite RV stops. What makes Salish so special? The view for one. Proximity to Victoria via the inner harbor water ferries; two. Proximity to the path around the inner harbor to Victoria; three. The relatively new clubhouse, four. Good WiFi and Sat visibility, five. It is a small RV “camp”. Add to that we simply “feel good” here.

At check in we were met by the same personable, well spoken fellow who was here last year. Tom has a wonderful true British accent, speech pattern, and mannerisms. Check in was fun. The office has a small selection of gifts and clothing for sale. I have a new travel cup to replace the Home Depot one I’ve been using. We’re snug in space 9 overlooking Victoria and the inner harbor. We’re in site #9 for a few days. We have a view of Victoria, the inner harbor, and float planes coming and going.

The wind has shifted. Float planes taxi all the way from Victoria to our RV park, turn, run toward Victoria to take off.

A lazy day of reading, playing cards, talking, watching floatplanes come and go, and planning. We drove a total of An RV neighbor said the salmon run this year is poor. Orcas follow the salmon and they’re also not here. We are planning on a kayak experience off San Juan Island and a whale watching tour from Orcas Island, weather permitting. We will play that by ear.

I read in the upstairs rec room by the fireplace with windows all around while our laundry washed and the rain fell. It’s a slow day today, and welcome after yesterday. Our neighbor’s comments about the salmon run has Ellen thinking we will not go whale watching. I’m more confident the weather will break. We’re not due on Orcas Island for five days. Change is inevitable.

The timpani drummers are at it again! Let ‘em wail away. As rainy as it is, the inner harbor is visible and not socked in. There’s hope for tomorrow. No fettuccine for us this evening, though I did grab a personal chicken pot pie at Save-on earlier. We definitely will not starve.

I’m reading Richard North Patterson’s “the Outside Man’. It started slowly and it’s building. I also picked up Moment of truth by Lisa Scottoline with a “New York Times Bestseller” banner.

Retired and Lovin' it.

Where do you want to go today?

Tag Archives: Salish Seaside RV Haven

9/18/2019, Bushart & Butterfly Gardens, Salish Seaside, Victoria BC, Day 8

Photos, lots of photos below.

Salish Seaside RV Haven