September 14 - The Sunshine Coast

For the past few days Lyle and I have been travelling on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. The weather has been perfect and I thoroughly recommend this coastline as a holiday destination.

On Sunday and Monday we travelled both by road and BC Ferries to Mile Zero of Highway 101 to the picturesque village of Lund. The village was originally settled by two brothers from Sweden and at first was only accessible by water. We took the ferry from Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay, drove past Gibson and Sechelt to Earl’s Cove where we took another ferry to Saltery Bay. From there, the highway leads through a forested region into Powell River and then on to Lund.

Of course, you might wonder what took us to this particular spot. It is definitely isolated.  Lyle and I are fortunate to have a friend who lives in Lund for a good portion of the year. Ron was a member of our White Cane Support Group in Alberta and we have kept in touch. Because Ron is also visually impaired, he and I share an understanding of what it is like to be a tourist who is visually challenged.

People with little or no sight can still take enjoyment from being a tourist. For instance, in Lund, although I couldn’t see the mountains across the bay, I could hear the waves rippling onto the rocks. I could hear the seagulls splashing in the fresh water of the creek and the occasional barking snort of a seal in the water. Together, Lyle, Ron and I enjoyed coffee and cinnamon buns while we sat outside in the sunshine at Nancy’s Bakery. On the previous evening we had had a great seafood meal at the Boardwalk Restaurant. Because we were the last to leave, the staff gave us each a little key chain flashlight to find our way back home in the dark. I think that the idea was that we could also find our way back to the restaurant again on another occasion. Nevertheless, the light from the flashlight was tiny and I was glad I had my cane with me.

The pictures below show just a snippet of life in this peaceful village.  In the first picture I am standing beside Ron in front of the old hotel near the Mile Zero marker. In the second picture we are standing on the boardwalk which leads around the harbour area. Lyle took this one from the top of a steep stairway which we had clambered down to reach the water. Fortunately the stairs had rails on both sides. The last picture is a view of the many small boats in the harbour. I liked Lund for many reasons, and so did Ron. I think that one of the reasons for its appeal was that it was so easily accessible to us as pedestrians.  

Ron and Sue in front of hotel

 

Sue and Ron on the boardwalk

 

Lund harbour