The Final Push
“Still, round the corner, there may wait, a new road or a gate” JR Tolkein
Only 1,537km from San Francisco to Victoria if you count the twisting and scenic route of Highway 1 and 101. It has to be one of the most beautiful drives other than the Garden Route in South Africa (but it’s only 300km)!
We had 5 days to meander up the coast. It’s not really meandering as there’s little time to dawdle and take photos, hike trails or sample wines. It’s drive, drive and drive. And since we don’t like to set up camp for less than 2 nights there’s little time for lingering.
The sun shone, the nights were cool and the scenery spectacular. We never saw one sailboat, fishboat or tanker out on the coast but there were deserted beaches, quiet campgrounds and not that much traffic.
The last time either of us drove this route was back in the 1970s but not much had changed. We even saw a few hitchhikers along the route but had no room to pick them up having our worldly belongings from Sage onboard as well as the Thule container.
Gone were the wild tied dyed clothes of the late 60s and early 70s to be replaced by typical dull earth toned coastal jackets and jeans. Instead of VW vans one saw swanky SUVs and Teslas (by the way counted 14 Teslas as we drove from the east coast but upon reaching San Francisco we lost count)
Leaving the Teslas and the smoke from the fires we headed north and 5 days later landed in Victoria.
We did discover a stowaway on our route north from San Francisco.
This guy climbed onboard to get away from a dog called Ajax in San Francisco. Ajax is a grand-dog of friends we stayed with. Ajax is a puppy and as such has a habit of tearing toys apart. So, this guy climbed onboard. Unfortunately he didn’t have the right identification to cross the border in Canada. So, he got across by claiming refugee status. Welcomed with open arms by Canada immigration he finally escaped Ajax and the American political system.
Our road trip comes to an end and thus you as the reader are released from having to read another one of our blogs – at least until we start another adventure. The decision now is to figure out what to do with the blog – kill it or keep going…
Halifax to Victoria – 11,619km and $1300 in fuel!
Sage on sail 
Congratulations!! What an amazing journey!
Wow, what a sojourn. Welcome home. Going to miss following all your exploits.
So is Victoria gone for a while now. I do get out there several times a year and we must all get together, including old Ted😃
Is Victoria “home”
Sorry, fat fingers!!
Such a great blog, supplemented by the retro snail mail postcards. My fave. My first response: keep it going!!! Then I thought, “but it has the name of Sage on Sail…”. Then I thought “TWO Sages keep on sailing through this wild ocean of life” so yeah keep us posted!!
Welcome home. Looking forward to the next blogs, wherever they might take us all1
Fred!
Welcome home T&C !
Hopefully will hook up in 2020, mates.
Don’t you dare kill the blog!
What is a bar harbour? Id hazard a cruze through one or two
A good example of a bar harbour is the Columbia River. The river has deposited an amazing amount of silt where it exits to the open ocean. The silt builds up a massive shallow area for which in the Columbia River example the Pacific Ocean tries to cross. It’s shallow, usually needs to be dredged for deep draft vessels and the ocean swell can break over the shallow areas. In storms with large swell these harbours are usually closed to boat traffic as they cause boats to surf down the front of waves causing somersaulting or initiating a broach which puts the vessel broadside to the waves and then the ship is rolled over.
That fits with my typical bar experience 😉
congrats on a decade afoot and afloat and welcome back to the pac nw. good to be home, i reckon, and to have time to ponder the next adventure! ‘least that’s how we’ve been using our time since back. in any event, it’s a different world since our mtg in srinagar back when — we wish you all the best and hope our paths will cross at some point in the future. well done! lotta water under that hull. [nb. the blog remains up – you’ll savor it for years to come, trust me!].
Welcome back! I am writing from Sorrento on Amalfi coast..on 28 day vacation..
Your blog was wonderful..what next for Connie and Tony.?
I am heading to Mexico soon as I get back for 4 months.
Welcome Home! Yes, it always surprises me how wild and vacant it is when you drive up the West Coast from San Francisco. Kinda neat in this overdeveloped world we live in.
IMHO … Keep it going!!!
Welcome home. Yes, please … continue with the blog…perhaps a ski experience at Sun Peaks this February would be something to write about?