We left home on June 16th and returned on June 28th, the longest vacation I have been on in many years. And one of the very few vacations where the emphasis was not on visiting any particular friend or relative. George had wanted to join one of the Prince Rupert Adventure boat tours that were slated to travel up the Coast to view grizzly bears browsing for goodies along secluded beaches. We enjoyed the excursion very much – took lots of photos and even a few videos.

Day 1 on Haida Gwai:

George and I are sitting in our chairs in the warm sunshine with a breeze keeping the air from becoming uncomfortably hot. We are at April’s White Raven beach house in Old Masset.

The ferry arrived on time at Skidigate at 6am. I awoke to the sound of the Head Pursers voice over the microphone saying we were almost at our destination and to be sure not to leave any of our belongings behind. I quickly woke George who’d had a bad night because of a storm that came up while I was pounding my ear. We scrambled up to the main deck just in time for the announcement to get down to the car level on Deck 3. We had access to an elevator which was great.

On Haida Gwaii we followed the highway for miles. It was bordered on one side by a thick wall of trees and shrubs and on the other side by many rocky beaches. When we reached the Teilal area we noticed a sign that there was restaurant which was open. We followed a side road to a beautiful log building decorated with stone facing. When it opened at 7 thirty, we enjoyed the delicious taste of wonderfully strong coffee. My breakfast was not great though, as the cook did not know how to fry an egg so it was hard, the way I like them.. I should have told the server that I poke the yoke first. When these two hard slabs arrived they looked as if they’d been run over with an iron. The server said the cook had really tried to cook them satisfactorily for me. I ate the bacon and surreptitiously wrapped most of the egg in a napkin and stashed it in my purse -to be garbaged later.

The helper at April’s place said on the phone that we could come early as the last occupants had checked out and the place would be easily and quickly cleaned, so we were here before noon. A beautiful view, as the beach house is just a short distance from the ocean. The shoreline is mostly rocky with debris from tree branches and dead seaweed. But there are places where it is sandy. Access is not too bad for older human legs, but only in a few places. I went a little way down the street and discovered an open grassy spot, with a pathway that led toward the beach. There was an artistically designed painting with Haida symbolic repersentations on a large ball shape (perhaps an old bouey) along the way. (Turned out it had been originally used as a float)

Day 2: I stopped in at a nearby art and gift shop. Interested in buying sweatshirts for G and me. Also want to get a wedding gift for my granddaughter and hubby….maybe when when we stay over in Charlotte. Or else back in Rupert.

A fellow at the Art Shop invited me to a Pride BBQ at 5 tonight. Told G but it was too early for us to be hungry. It is Indigenous Day tomorrow so there is an event (parade?) Maybe now when we go to Masset for supper, we can find out what time?

Later we found a restaurant in a tiny pale orange building, that was across from the Co-op in Masset. The best Chinese food I had tasted in years. The innocuous looking building was decorated inside with authentic looking ancient Chinese artwork, along with 1950 style memorabilia (a jukebox with chrome sets for seating.)

Day 3: This morning we breakfasted upstairs in our building (we were late.Tomorrow we promised to be on time.) My memory is so screwed up! Luckily George’s works better. I also get vexed with myself about silly things. This morning all was well except for the weather. There is a chill wind and so far, no sunshine. Guess yesterday’s weather was an exception and George ended up with a sunburn! In the breakfast room we chatted with folks from Brandon and Winnipeg Manitoba, not far from the accident that killed at least 15 people (bus/truck collision) The one lady works as a trauma counceller. Had she not been on vacation, she would have certainly been using her training in helping with grieving friends and relatives.

We also chatted with Charlie the cook and all around helper who is from New Zealand. He was born in BC and is now back where his roots are. (His NZ accent is still so strong though, that I have trouble understanding him) I purchased 4 of April White’s art cards. Very nice. She is on Vancouver Island at this time. The White family (who are Haida) are well known and numerous in the Old Masset arts community.

April has several large monkey trees in front of the house. You can’t climb or even touch the needles or the trunk of a monkey tree. Every part of their foliage can be painful.

After breakfast I walked to the gift shop, this time with my credit card, and purchased a dark-rose colored sweatshirt. George got his later in the day. His is blue. We spent a lot of time driving around searching for Indigenous Days events – huge crowd on the hill where there was a barbecue. We wanted a map of the two villages and thought the information center would be the place to go but we couldn’t find it. The updated Haida Gwaii booklet has tiny maps of each individual town but they didn’t make much sense to me, with my directionally-impaired brain and no closeup lens in my glasses.

The fellows in Home Hardware weren’t even sure the Information Center would be open, and even if it was, whether they would have a map. Turned out they only had one big map on display but no individual copies. The lady did point out where Susan Musgrave’s Copper Beech House was located. We are going there at 1pm tomorrow.

Day 4. We had delicious halibut fish and chips served by a fellow who had no concept of what a “double double” meant, in reference to coffee. He was from Greece and our cups were only half full (I ordered hot water to thin them down. The coffee appeared mudcoloured and somewhat thick) The fellow had thought double double meant twice the strength of coffee for George.

George could not drink much of his super-strong coffee, even with lots of cream and sugar. Mine was great. I am getting more and more addicted to the strong coffee we’ve been drinking here. Maybe it will improve my befuddled brain. The halibut was the best I’ve tasted in a long while.

This evening I went for a long walk on the beach. Beautiful evening once again.

Well, we found Susan’s place and is it ever cute. Took pictures of garden and inside the house (My son in law would love it. 1914 vintage with lots of contrast in books, paintings, and ornamental do dads)

Earlier in the day we drove down the Tow Hill Road to the beautiful and amazing Agate Beach. Huge area with great mounds of pebbles, above the expance of sand and water. Children and a few adults playing in the shallow waters as the tide flows slowly in. Faster further out, with foamy waves now and again.. Wish G and I were young again. I loved watching the movement and got up the courage to navigate the huge piles of pebbles to get down toward the water. Didn’t see any agates but would not have kept any in accordance with the Haida guidelines.

G and I had really great old-fashioned hamburgers for a late lunch. For supper, I walked down the street to where there was a food truck and purchased ice-cream in a cup, got one with chocolate syrup and one with strawberry. I chose the chocolate.

Had breakfast of sorts with the guys who are staying here at Susan’s. (Had a short visit with Susan as well. She didn’t win the 300 thousand dollar Giller prize ) The young man with the Bermese Mountain dog was from Telkwa, the other two are big city dwellers, all writers etc. Chatted with friendly fellow from Vancouver named Billeh who is now my Facebook friend. He and Susan are friends from way back. He has edited, published mostly poetry and teaches (I think?)

I walked along the beach area and noted the wild roses. For a moment I wondered why they were at the same stage of blooming as ours are at home. When I smell the ocean spray etc I automatically think of the South coast. But of course Haida Gwaii is almost the same latitude north as we are.

Susan will be visiting again. She said around 11 thirty. She lives on Tow Hill Rd where we went yesterday on the way to Agate Beach. I want to do a bit of laundry today as there is a laundromat in town. George is up now and I’m sure ready for coffee.

Well, I missed Susan’s visit. Billeh and his friend were at the laundromat when I was there. They’d had lunch with Susan, Billeh said. I texted her, saying I hoped to see her before we checked out tomorrow. G and I had lunch at Mile O. I had the lunch special which was shrimp salad sandwiches and homemade chicken soup. G had halibut and chips, it all was delicious! I have enjoyed every meal we’ve had in Masset. The Food Truck was not in business so I walked a few blocks to the Causeway store and purchased Klondike ice-cream sandwiches, canned milk for coffee and to pour on the bananas if we finish them off tomorrow.

Day 5: Hopefully the Sea Raven Motel in Queen Charlotte will be comfy cozy…. It is rated pretty high in some reviews but only 2 out of 5 officially.

The Sea Raven is great. The only problem this morning was the coffee machine. This one is exactly the same as two of the others in lodgings where we’ve been, except that it is a Kuerig, which uses pods. Despite numerous tries with the others, I never did get any of the brewed stuff to come out. And this one did not work either! The Cafe next door is open I think, so I shall amble over there shortly while George sleeps.

Yesterday George bought an early birthday gift for me at the Haida Museum in Skidegate. He presented it to me last night – a beautiful copper-toned bracelet decoratively enscribed (includes a blue heron) I think I will get some copper colored nail polish. Other women my age are getting tattoos and colouring their hair. I will wear nail polish.

We had stopped at both the beach with the huge balanced rock, and at the huge Haida Heritage Museum. Lots of displays although it is still in a state of development. The large boats carved from cedar and the totem poles were highlights at the museum. It was another beautiful day yesterday, with the sunshine reflecting off the water along the myriads of rock strewn beaches alongside the road between Telill and Skidegate.

Our motel here in Queen Charlotte (now named Daajing Giids) has most of the comforts of home, including television, although only “Smart TV ” channels. (We did catch up on some of the bad news in the world. )There is a gorgeous view of the harbour with boats and a small ferry skittering across the water toward what may be Sandspit….? This evening George and I played our ritual 2 games of crib out on the covered deck. Saw only one mosquito. I won both games.

Day 6: Well today was our last day on Haida Gwaii and I’m stuck between two emotions: sad because we are leaving, and cheerful because I’m looking forward to being home.This little town is definitely a limelight, so beautiful and so convenient. Everything you may need or want that is available (or SHOULD be available) in much larger communities.

Health wise, there are two hospitals on the island, one in Old Masset and one here. Just as the doctor advised when I had the A-phib attack while we were in Prince Rupert – I had called the Nurses hot-line as I was concerned about whether or not we should carry on to Haida Gwaii. The doctor (he called from Manitoba) had checked out what medical help was available in both Rupert and on Haida Gwaii. Not even one walk-in clinic in the city, so quite likely, he said, emergency services would be at least as available on the Island. Turned out I was fine. Heartbeat and blood pressure remained as they should be.

This morning I walked down a pathway to the beach area which is just down the hill from our motel. Took pics, including one of an eagle perched majestically in a tree on her own little island out in the ocean. George said later he thought she may have a nest there. She had been circling back and forth for quite awhile.

The towns theme could be the killer whale as there is a large plastic whale leaning out far above the beach. I would like to learn more about the Haida culture and history. There is very little in the brochure.

We drove around through all the scattered parts of town today. It was quite warm, but with a cool breeze from time to time. Nowhere near the 30 degrees Heather messaged me that it is at home.

Day 7: Today was the last day on Haida Gwaii. A big screw- up getting on the ferry. As we were cruising down the ramp and about to enter the ship, we were asked once again for ID. We had already produced it to the attendant at the top of the ramp. I guess at that time, one of us had absentmindedly stuffed the two tiny slips of paper he had given us, into the cup holder. At the bottom of the ramp, the second attendant asked for our “boarding passes” My sleep deprived 85- year old brain had no idea what she was talking about. She sent me into the ticket office and I learned that we were apparently ‘persona non gratis.’ Luckily, the attendant was tall enough to peer into the car and spot them wedged into the cupholder.

On the ferry, George had to practice his driving skills, as all vehicles have to be turned around, back to front. After turning around, he had to follow the intricate hand and finger directions of a cheerful bunch of attendants who helped him parallel park our SUV into a space that appeared smaller than the length of our car. Once again, as the fellows had on the way in from Rupert, he was congratulated on doing a “good job”

I told him if he was younger and looking for work, he could always hire on as a truck driver!