Upcoming ferry trips for me - Rt 30 & 2

[Low Light Mike]

I've got an Uncle's memorial service to attend in Hope BC this coming weekend, so this will involve some ferry travel for me.

I'm planning on taking the NewWest from Duke Point to Tsawwassen on Friday night. We plan to stay overnight in a Tsawwassen hotel that we like, and will then drive to Hope on Saturday morning. I'm thinking of driving the Zero-Avenue route that Kyle suggested to me in an earlier thread. I look forward to a sunny day with fantastic views of Mt. Baker as I drive from Tsawwassen towards Hope.

Coming home from Hope on Saturday night, I'm thinking of going to HorseshoeBay, as I haven't been on a C-Class for a few years.......in fact I don't think I've been on a renovated C-Class yet. !

So my mind is still thinking old decor for the Cowichan and OakBay. Here's my question:

- how are the cafeterias different on the remodelled C-Class ships? Are they still the same (just renamed as "Coastal Cafe"?), or is the menu different than 10 years ago? In case of some ferry food cravings, what do you "C-Class regulars" suggest from the Coastal Cafe? What's good food value on the Oakie or Cowichan? I enjoy my food and so I like to think out the menu choices (call me Homer Simpson)

Also, does anyone recommend having a reservation on the Friday 5:45pm sailing out of Duke Point, or the Saturday night 7:00pm sailing from HSB to Departure Bay?


ps: my Uncle was a free-spirited lifelong bachelor who loved the outdoors and did things like West Coast Trail, Bowron Lakes canoe trips, Dempster Highway, etc.....and had lots of historical books on Kettle Valley Railroad and Great Northern Railroad etc. Living in Hope, he was great to talk to about the Othello tunnels near Hope, and the early days of the railroad thru the Coquihalla. I suppose I get some of my love of history from him.

[Quinsam]

Speaking of the Interior, I did actually go over the mountains on route 3. (Hope-Penticton)
Hope looks like a small town, but also a lot of mountains near it!
I didn't see Mount Baker when I went though.

[Balfour]

Hope is at the very end of the Fraser Valley. You would normally see Mount Baker in Abbotsford.

[Mike C]

flugelhorn said:

- how are the cafeterias different on the remodelled C-Class ships? Are they still the same (just renamed as "Coastal Cafe"?), or is the menu different than 10 years ago? In case of some ferry food cravings, what do you "C-Class regulars" suggest from the Coastal Cafe? What's good food value on the Oakie or Cowichan? I enjoy my food and so I like to think out the menu choices (call me Homer Simpson)

Also, does anyone recommend having a reservation on the Friday 5:45pm sailing out of Duke Point, or the Saturday night 7:00pm sailing from HSB to Departure Bay?

Okay, as a C regular: New menu choices include Bread Garden sandwiches, Villages Pizza, but most of all I recomend the Original w. Cheese from Triple O's.

There is also Coastal Cafe Express, which is the same as the traditional Snack Bar.

In terms of reservations, I would recomend it. It's a Friday night, and they can be very unpredictable. (Don't rely on the terminal staff at other terminals to give you advice. I was at Duke Point, and asked the ticket lady if there was a sailing wait at Departure Bay, as there was at Duke Point. She said "Heavy Traffic", and we (me and my Dad) took it there wasn't. But it turns out, that when we got to Departure Bay, that it was a two sailing wait!)

[Ferryman]

Me and Karl were on the Coquitlam today, and I got a BC Burger in the Coastal Cafe (White Spot Triple O's), and it was pretty messy. Karl just got a Bread Garden Sandwich, which he seemed to enjoy. The Coastal Cafe Express (Snack Bar) is mostly a place to go if you want a coffee and a muffin I guess. Slim pickens there, so depending on your appetite, I wouldn't know which to recommend. You should be fine on Route 30, no need for a reservation. It should be a comfortable trip. Same with the route 2 on the Saturday night. If it was Sunday, then you might want to consider getting a reservation. But you'll be in for a bit of a suprise with the new interior of the C-Class, say good-bye to the yellow window frames, with the V-Class seats, and Green Dogwood carpet, and say hello to the West Coasted themed interior with wavy blue and green carpets and blue lino.

Sorry to hear about your Uncle though, Ultra Walker.

[Koastal Karl]

I ended up coming home on the 7pm SOBC tonight instead of the 9pm Queen of Saanich. The 7pm was pretty full tonight too. Berth 5 was suppose to be out of service this week according to the service notice till the 12th but when I went over yesterday and coming back tonight they were using it so I dont know what was up with that.

[Curtis]

flugelhorn said:

Coming home from Hope on Saturday night, I'm thinking of going to HorseshoeBay, as I haven't been on a C-Class for a few years.......in fact I don't think I've been on a renovated C-Class yet. !

So my mind is still thinking old decor for the Cowichan and OakBay. Here's my question:

- how are the cafeterias different on the remodelled C-Class ships? Are they still the same (just renamed as "Coastal Cafe"?), or is the menu different than 10 years ago? In case of some ferry food cravings, what do you "C-Class regulars" suggest from the Coastal Cafe? What's good food value on the Oakie or Cowichan? I enjoy my food and so I like to think out the menu choices (call me Homer Simpson)

I think the new cafeterias have a slightly different floor plan than the original plus some of the food is different I found the Breakfast Bunwich on the Oaky to be more like an Egg McMuffin at Mc Donalds cause they don't scramble the eggs anymore But I live with it at least I get it on the Burnaby...if she's not upgraded this year So the new C Class look different then the original look you would almost think this isn't the Ship that's supposed to be on this route this must be a cousin

[Low Light Mike]

Here's my report:

- friday night I was on the NewWest on the 5:45 sailing out of Duke Point. We saw her come in and do her turnaround into the berth. We also saw Quinsam and Cowichan in the backgrounds. NewWest was only 1/2 full, and we found a quiet place to sit in the upper aft lounge. When we got near to Tsawwassen, I looked out to starboard and saw the MV Malaspina heading north in the dark.....that was neat to see. ps: I had the BC Burger combo.

- saturday night I was on the OakBay on the 7:00pm sailing out of HSB. I again enjoyed the BC Burger combo. The sailing was pretty full.

As an educational service to all of you, I offer the following social comment:
- there was a time when travelling on a ferry with strangers meant that there would be opportunity to strike up conversations with people, to learn new things about the world by talking to people, and to socialize in general.
- today my trip involved watching lots of strangers pass the time by sitting alone and talking into a little metal gadget that they were holding to their ears. Every few minutes, I'd be treated to sounds of silly music, and then the sounds of "hello: like yeah, and stuff....oh my god, are you serious? like stuff and totally yeah". Those without those gadgets would have headphones on. Zero opportunities for conversation or for feeling part of community. I was on a full ferry, but felt so solitary.
- a further social comment: back in the old days, butt-crack was something you'd see on a 50 year old fat plumber. Today it's something you can see everyday on a 13 year-old girl.

oh the humanity...............I think I'll log off now, and watch a Waltons DVD.

[hergfest]

Some of us like that butt cleavage...DISCLAIMER: NOT ON 13 YEAR OLDS.

[Koastal Karl]

yeah, lol!! Were you sitting there watching all the young girls Flugel?? lol!!

[Low Light Mike]

Well, I had the shoe-camera hooked up, and .......NO, just kidding: sorry to come off sounding like a perv there. No need to ban me from the Queen of Oak Bay for life.

But since teeny-boppers can't do anything without giggling or saying "yeah totally", thereby distracting me from my reading of a most-intellectual Leah McClaren column in the Globe & Mail, my eyes avert from the printed page to the direction of afformentioned giggle, and my eyes are presented with crack-exhibit A.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[Curtis]

He's right you know. It's more common for some stupid reason. One small distraction from them and, huh?? Meh! I've seen it one or two times before. Think I sat behind one in school last year "ugh" stupid small jeans. Would make you want to say hike those jeans up or something!

[Ferryman]

How crowded was the New west when you took the 5:45, Ultra Walker? I was on the 5:45 this evening due to the fact that the 5pm was sold out just before 4pm today. I just barely squeezed on to the New west as well by 4:15 (An hour even before the ferry was supposed to arrive! Anyways, it was like seeing an old friend again to be on the Newwest for the first time in three years after travelling on nothing but upgraded C-Class vessels every 2 months.
But, similar to the other V-Class, it lacks in enough seating. I managed to find a seat in the upper lounge, where it was peaceful, compared to the regular deck where everyone was going insane and needed White Spot Tripple O's to relax them, seeming the lineup never let up until we touched the dock at Tsawwassen, or I mean....Sawwassen...how they pronounce it now....but anyways,
Pics to come tomorrow......

[Low Light Mike]

The NewWest was only say 60% full, in my estimation.

[Koastal Karl]

Wouldent you have got home around the same time Chris if you waited at DB for the 7pm??? Although that wouldent be much fun waiting around for 3 hours though.

[Ferryman]

Yeah, I knew it would take the same amount of time to get home if I took route 2. But simpily, I didn't want to wait in Departure Bay for 2 hours, and then get on the ferry, so I took Route 30 instead for fun basically, as I'm getting a little bit bored of taking Route 2 everytime I go to the Island. The Cowichan was still unloading when I was going through Horseshoe Bay, so it actually took me the exact same amount of time to get home. It was a nice change to go to Tsawwassen this time, to get a glimpse of the new mini mall Lonsdale Quay type building that's situated where the cafeteria was, and seeing all of the little changes to the docks at Tsawwassen. The Ramp to drive off of berth 3 from the upper car deck is nice, as it's not like a mall parkade ramp being narrow wih tight turns anymore. I went through the Massey Tunnel as well, and saw the North at the Corner of my eye, I've never actually seen it before, so that was pretty neat.

[Low Light Mike]

I'm just back now from a 12-day road trip thru BC, to the Rocky Mountains etc.

2,958 km, 11 nights, 2 provinces.....and 6 ferries:

- Q-Cowichan
- Little-Fort reaction ferry
- MV Shelter Bay
- MV Needles
- Q-Nanaimo
- Howe Sound Queen

I'll post photos once they are developed.

Also, I took Kyle's advice from a few months ago, and drove to Tsawwassen terminal (from Abbotsford) using Zero-Avenue....which was nice and relaxing.

On my Route-9 trip on the Q-Nanaimo today, I met a couple of friendly & conversive deckhands. I gained more admiration for the job that they do, and the various challenges that they have in their work during loading the multi-destination route-9 vessel. It's always a treat to meet a talkative ferry-employee, for me to enjoy a conversation with a real mariner.

[kylefossett]

HMCS Nanaimo, hop you did not run into any radar traps along zero ave. should have warned you about that, especially through the langley stretch

[Low Light Mike]

kylefossett said:

HMCS Nanaimo, hop you did not run into any radar traps along zero ave. should have warned you about that, especially through the langley stretch

No radar, but the "traffic calming" raised intersection pavement was annoying.

The Aldergrove border crossing area was a bit confusing, but I managed to pick up the zero-avenue trail on the other side of Hwy 11.

I liked how the American road next to me had "MPH" speed signs. Very surreal driving right next to a foreign country.