March 2023: Port Alberni-Bamfield-Gabriola Island
This trip began with BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, Nanaimo. Next we stopped for a sunny morning walk at the very scenic waterfront Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
Next stop, the Old Country Market at Coombs with gifts, groceries, great food and goats on the roof!
Overnight at Best Western in Port Alberni, and up early to board the MV Frances Barkley, for a leisurely boat trip down the Alberni inlet, with supply and mail stops at various communities on the inlet.
Destination: Bamfield – historic remote village where passengers had a chance to stroll around the area, the waterfront boardwalk, and eat ice cream on the pier while our supply ship made its deliveries.
Arrival back in Port Alberni at 5:00pm, with dinner options nearby.
Depart Port Alberni back to Nanaimo, with a stop at Cathedral Grove to walk among the ancient giants of the old growth forest. Timing back to Nanaimo was impeccable, driving straight onto the ferry to Gabriola Island! Coffee, a circle tour of the island and back to Mad Rona’s for lunch. Stopping off for a walk to the majestic sand sculptures of Malaspina Galleries.
Another ferry back to Nanaimo Harbour, with time for a walk on the seawall of Nanaimo Waterfront Park before catching the ferry back to Horseshoe Bay.
May 2023: Radium Hot Springs / Banff
Fraser Canyon, Hell’s Gate Tram, lunch at Packing House in Spences Bridge, overnight at Comfort Inn in Salmon Arm.
Day 2 coffee on MacKenzie Street in Revelstoke, majestic Rockies through Rogers Pass, lunch in Golden, to Radium Hot Springs Prestige Inn. Optional pre-dinner trip to the Radium mineral pool.
Day 3 day trip to Banff Alberta, including ‘tour’ stops at Surprise View Point (across the river from Banff Springs Hotel), Bow Falls, Banff Springs Hotel, lunch and pool time on Sulphur Mountain, main street Banff souvenir shopping. Back to Radium Hot Springs for the night.
Day 4 return through Golden, lunch and train museum in Revelstoke, photo op at Craigellachie (Last Spike site), overnight in Vernon.
Day 5 – Peachland, coffee at Bliss Bakery & Bistro by the lake, lunch in Oliver, Hope Princeton NO.3 Hwy back to Bonsor.
September 2023: Okanagan-Nelson-Nakusp-Kamloops-Whistler
Bonsor via the Coquihalla Hwy to lunch at Merritt, with early afternoon arrival at Off The Grid Organic Winery in Westbank. Sadly, wildfires were still burning in the hillsides above us so the showers that kept us huddled under cover during our visit were very welcome and helped to clear the air.
Overnight in Kelowna, and Day 2 took us south on Hwy 33 to Rock Creek Trading Post for coffee. Continuing on Hwy 3, to a delicious group lunch at Borscht Bowl in Grand Forks.
Arriving in Nelson to check in to the Hume Hotel by mid afternoon, with time to visit uptown shops and cafe’s on nearby Baker Street.
Next day brief stop in Kaslo, then Hwy 31A to New Denver, and north to lunch at the Leland, Oldest Hotel in BC! On to catch a ferry at Galena Bay, a 20 minute ferry trip to Shelter Bay, then north to Revelstoke. A couple more coffee stops and we arrived at our hotel in Kamloops.
Day 4 first stop for coffee at Cache Creek, then through Marble Canyon with lots of grand scenery, past beautiful Pavilion Lake, and alongside the Fraser River, often far below the highway.
Another coffee break at Lillooet, then via Duffy Lake Road and Pemberton, to an extended lunch break at the Whistler Village.
A short stop at Shannon Falls, and back to Bonsor by 6:30.
2023 was a busy and eventful year of travel on the Bonsor MiniBus! Our Beautiful B.C. has so much to offer from Vancouver Island to the majestic Rockies, and so many beautiful and interesting places to learn about. 2024 trip planning is in progress, a trip for late Spring 2024 will be announced here on this website and at the Bonsor 55+ Centre.
Monica Robidoux
Bonsor 55+ Society Volunteer
Overnight trip co-coordinator