Homeward bound

We said a reluctant farewell to Magna Bay, and headed back towards Vancouver for our last stop. Our route took us down the magnificent Coquihalla highway winding through the mountains in sinuous loops.

3 nights at Brae Island, Fort Langley

Another spacious and well-appointed campground and another check on the “to be revisited” list. All told, we’ve done pretty well this trip thanks to Ali, the tireless Internet travel agent.

This was our shortest stop, nothing more than a layover on our return journey, so we didn’t plan on doing a lot. Walked across the river to historic Fort Langley, of course...
Where we learned about the trading history of BC And glimpsed life as a pioneer
...mooched around the pretty town with its colonial-style buildings...

...and most of the rest of our time was spent lazing by the river.
Our campground is just behind those trees on the right And a mile's cycle through the woods brought us to the tip of Brae Island
Conclusion

Finally, it was time to pack up for the last time and head to the ferry. The one slight oversight on our part was that we were traveling back on the Friday of a holiday weekend - BC Day on Monday - so we had a 3-hour wait before we were able to sail. Something to bear in mind another year.

Summary: 18 nights, 4 stops, 1,600km driven. Wildlife: Bald eagles, deer, ground squirrels, rocky mountain goats, a brief glimpse of a bear. Lots of new experiences for the kids, lots of reminiscences for us.

When we started planning this trip, the kids had qualms about all the packing, unpacking, and long drives in between. At the end of the trip, the big question on their minds? Can we do it again next year?