We were awake by 5am when the early bird surfers rolled into the parking lot. There was talking and waxing (the boards) and banging tail gates. And then a garbage truck with a back up beeper.

We were still in the parking lot! No one asked us to leave!

We nodded on and off (not really for me. I just wanted to check if we got a ticket!)

We didn’t!

I had another sink shower this morning, with a wash cloth, and some hot water mixed in from the kettle.

Then, as we packed up and walked Hank, we talked to Dad with one last check in from his favourite west coast beach.

Then we were off!

We drove south to check out Ucluelet. Nice town. Nicer than Tofino? Busy. We didn’t stop anywhere. There was a market somewhere near the waterfront but where to park?

That theme continued all day.

The road back to Port Alberni was thankfully way less busy, but just as narrow with tight curves.

But Cathedral Grove was packed with cars parked up and down the highway, so we didn’t get to see the big trees again. Thankfully we’ve been there before, but it would have been nice to walk Hank there.

So we kept going with the goal of stopping at the Goat on the Roof store.

Nope.

Full parking lot. People everywhere. It’s Sunday morning for goodness sake!

Saw the goats as we drove by though! My sister’s kids would love them!

We headed east and then up the coast to Comox.

We had lunch parked on the side of the road along a beach.

We stopped at a grocery store and a Canadian Tire again. Then drove around the outside of CFB Comox. It’s a Canadian Forces base where Jeff trained for a couple of months for his last job as a Fisheries Officer.

It is so dry around here. Everyone’s lawn is brown and crispy. There are water usage limitations in some communities so I don’t think they can water their lawns. There is agriculture around here and at least one winery we drove by today.

We found an available site at the Puntledge RV park in Courtenay that we booked online from our parking lot last night. Oh the promise of a hot shower!

The office closed early but they left us our contract to sign. It is a nice enough park. Large sites. Looks like a field. Some newly planted trees are struggling for life between the lots. I think many of the lots are long term stays. Some have patios! And I saw a garden!

We have full hookups and immediately we’re on their wifi. And it is decent!!! We have water hooked up and power. This is the life!!

Jeff took a load of laundry over to the laundry room where he had to wait for the two machines to finish first. When their owner didn’t show, he eventually had to remove someone’s laundry so he could gets ours done.

Hank and I relaxed outside.

Jeff messaged that he was able to get a cleaning lady to help him make change for the dryer and he got a shower card for me.

I put Hank in the camper and brought our shower stuff over to the main building.

Jeff explained that the showers were free for the men but the ladies still needed to use a card but that there was only a deposit on the card and it was free while they fix the machines.

There were three showers at the back of the ladies room. With zero privacy. So I had to strip down and dance around trying to get the shower card to work, in the buff, ready to bounce under a shower head when it turned on.

But none of the stupid machines would work to activate the shower. By then I danced around so long, managed to rip my necklace off somehow and sent it and its pendant flying, that Jeff was already done showering!

I told him I was solo in the women’s and let him in to fiddle with the machines.

Nothing.

So he go the bright idea I should shower in the men’s.

Only if you stand guard outside I said!

So I ran in there, where there was also no privacy. Jeff had turned the shower on. And I had a wonderful, super fast shower, imagining him outside holding off any man who was looking to poop. Or maybe worse, shower!

I skedaddled out of there wrapped in a towel and went back to the women’s to get dressed, all while typing in the necessary door access numbers in the security pad.

But I’m clean!

This is me right now.

Jeff and Hank are going for a walk. And then we are going to bury our faces in the wifi so see ya LATER!

Oh, update. Jeff and Hank are back. They’ve made friends all around the park. He’s already met two people who lived in the Yukon at some point and another who loved Hank.

Good night!