Port Alice and Port Hardy

At Port Alice, we enjoyed strolling along the hill overlooking Port Alice's harbor. We had been told that a "must-see" sight is Devil's Bath, Canada's largest cenote (water-filled sinkhole), at 1200 feet around, 150 feet deep. Nearby is another unique sight, called Eternal Fountain, emerging from a small hill and disappearing into the ground as an underground river. Just 12 miles along a gravel road to get there, they said.

Reality: Getting twisted up in a maze of criss-crossing unlabeled gravel roads with no signage whatsoever (and no cell signal). After an hour and some backtracking, we finally found it. The size of Devil's Bath and the massive, steep limestone cliffs are hard to see because the trees and bushes obscure the view. Hence, no pic.

Port Hardy is as far North on Vancouver Island as you can get by paved road. We ambled along their coastal walk overlooking the Pacific, spotting 9 bald eagles! Our trip total is 17. As has happened with all the other towns on the island, we saw 2 deer lazily cross the road in the middle of town.

Back near our hotel, we stopped at Telegraph Point for an ocean and mountain view from the hilltop. I heard rustling in the overgrown berry bushes, 20 feet from me, and out popped a black bear! Coal black, adorable ears, and too close! We slowly backed away, and he went back to the business of foraging berries. Great ending for the day! Tomorrow, we drive South and catch the ferry to Vancouver.Read more