Not the Bella Coola Ferry

A number of years ago I was travelling with a friend. We got trapped by wildfires on the British Columbia peninsula of Bella Coola. No one could drive in, no one could drive out. We eventually, as I was pressured to get back for the start of school, took the only available option: a 22 hour ferry to the Vancouver Islands. It was bare bones. Basically a cargo ferry put into service because of the fires. I remember blowing up the air mattresses for a snooze on the floor alongside a bunch of other people. This ferry ride, though similar in distance, was not that. It was actually a little comical. Ten floors. Two restaurants with white table cloths. Sleeping berths with showers(I was too cheap to splurge on that). A game room. A business office. Three small gift shops/snack shops. And a lounge.(photo#1 is where I slept) And a beautiful sunset with a dolphin pod serenade that I watched while bundled up like a bank robber on the deck. I was the last one off the deck and when I got back inside, I realized the reason. Live entertainment! (photo#3 back left corner is the "stage" and dance floor) From the moment the ferry left the port, until right around midnight, there was music. And dancing. And drinking. Not surprisingly, the man with the white mustache and his wife closed the place down.
And then it got quiet as people slept. We were gifted with amazingly smooth water as you can see in the photo of me on the deck as we arrived in Newfoundland. Within minutes of driving off the ferry I was in this wide-open space of carribou habitat. My first day on Newfoundland was spent driving across this beautiful, barren land that was occasionally punctuated by little seaports. Almost everyone who was local in these little ports were driving four wheelers! Big rain and wind was forecasted for overnight into Tuesday so I made my way up to St. John's where I planned to do some history snooping for the day.
Over coffee the next morning, I met Maureen. She quickly jumped in to correct me when I mispronounced Newfoundland. .."Just remember this", she said, "Understand. Newfoundland. That's how it's pronounced." UnderSTAND. NewfoundLAND.Read more