On 21st:
Wait for cousin to drive down from FSJohn.
On 22nd:
Leave PG with cousin at 9:00am heading for the Island, hoping to catch 7:00pm ferry out of Horseshoe Bay.
Pass through Hope around 4:30 in good shape to catch said ferry.
Hit traffic jam east of Herrling Island exit.
Crawl along in traffic jam at 5km/hour for 1/2 an hour before finding out the delay will be upwards of 2 hours.
Curse authorities for not having someone at north end of Hope flagging down people to tell them they might want to take Highway 7 into Vancouver to avoid the impending delay.
Finally get through jam around 6:15 and arrive at Horseshoe Bay around 7:30. Ferry traffic proves to be light. Would've had no problem getting on 7:00 boat had we taken Hwy 7 to avoid traffic problem.
Get on 9:00pm ferry....which leaves at 10:00pm.
Arrive at parents' house in Union Bay at 1:00am, 16 hours after departing PG.
On 23rd: Do some last minute shopping for a couple of items before hitting old watering hole at the Whistlestop Pub in Courtenay. Plan return visit for Boxing Day.
On 24th: Finalize shopping. Drop by sister's house for brief visit before carrying on to brother's house in Merville where nephew is under the weather with chickenpox.
On 25th: Breakfast with parents, do some visiting then head for brother's house for Christmas dinner.
On 26th: Back to Whistestop for a "board meeting". Then off to my uncle's house to finalize travel plans with my cousin for return trip north the following day.
On 27th: Up at 7:00am. Plan is to pick cousin up around 8:45 then head for Departure Bay.
We figure if we get to Nanaimo around 9:45 we might make 10:30, if not no problem for 12:30.
By the time we get to Lantzville radio says 10:30 is full, as is 10:15 out of Duke Point. Not concerned.
Get into lineup at 9:45am fairly close to terminal.
After 10:30 departs they start filling parking lot for next sailing.
At 11:15 we get to ticket window. Lady takes our money and warns us we may not make the 12:30 and next sailing is 3:00. Now we're concerned.
12:30 sailing departs with us and 7 cars ahead of us left behind. Now we're choked.
3:00 finally arrives and departs with us on it.
4:58pm (and 9 hours after I'd left my parents place) we drive off at Horseshoe Bay end with an 800km drive ahead of us.
Fortunately there is no rush hour and we make good time over Port Mann before traffic slows down for snow from there to Abbotsford.
2:15am we finally roll arrive at my place back in PG....18+ hours after first getting behind the wheel.
Arrrrgghhhhh!!!! 9 hours to get from Union Bay to Horseshoe Bay. 9 hours 15 minutes to get from Horseshoe Bay to Prince George.
Mexico for Christmas 2008 is looking pretty darned good.
