We started extra early this morning so we could grab breakfast out and be in line at the ferry by 7:30am. I should say, we knew from past experience this would be a tiring day. We debated about taking the coach on the ferry and spending multiple days on the island, or getting a hotel and spending at least one night on the island, or doing the one day turn around. We chose the one day turnaround because it was the simplest and didn’t extend our stay too long. The downside is after check-in, customs, waiting, and sailing, you end up spending 6 hours on the ferry in one day.
It turns out the trip was somewhat stressful for Maverick. We discovered he was very scared of the ships air horn and didn’t really like the rest of the sounds and movement either. We arrived in Victoria about 10:30 and headed straight to Burchart. The gardens were spectacular and not too crowded. We intentionally waited until Monday and NOT Mother’s to be here. It turns out the Buchart is pet friendly so Maverick got the full Buchart experience. After the gardens Donna found nearby the Seahorse Cafe. The cafe is located on the water on a very beautiful bay. The outdoor dining was just super nice with perfect weather and a pleasant breeze. Between the gardens and lunch our time was just about up so we headed to the ferry back in Victoria. You have to arrive 90 minutes before sailing to clear customs.
We sailed from Victoria at 4pm. About half-way we ran into a dense fog bank. Remember how Maverick is scared of the air horn? The blew the horn about every 2 or 3 minutes while in the fog bank for about 40 minutes. Maverick was really stressed and was very happy to climb back in the Jeep at the end of the ferry ride. We got back a little before 6pm. We were all tired so we grabbed fast food and headed back to the coach.
After a short rest we decided to treat Maverick to the Elwha dam trail. Elwha dam was bult in 1911. In 2011 dam removal was started to restore the river valley and eco-system. The 0.5 mile trail winds through old-growth forest and ends with an elevated view of the Elwha river and former dam site. The trail starts right outside our RV park so it is an easy hike. While it was busy all weekend, today we were the only ones on the trail. Maverick enjoyed about a 1 mile off-leash round trip as a reward for his good behavior on the ferry and at the gardens.