Another lovely day – we have been truly blessed with good weather this trip.  After the hundreds of miles we have traveled since leaving Alaska, the three-hour trip to Sidney seemed like a very easy day indeed.  Since Port Sidney is a home base for NW Explorations, the docks were lined with friendly faces taking lines as the fleet pulled in to the marina.  It felt all the more special since the dock is adorned with flowers from end to end.

The crews dispersed into town after tying up in their slips.  Sidney has a delightful collection of stores and restaurants and is a genuinely special place by anyone’s measure.  After two weeks in rural and wilderness areas, though, it seemed even more special. The Sidney bakery drew special attention from the fleet.  The sweet aroma of butter and sugar wafts out the door, tugging you inside.  Helayne from Arctic Star admitted to a crulller, but others went for the whole cinnamon bun.  Bob from Patos brought Deception an apple scone.  Ah, civilization!

Doug and Marta from Bonum Vitae resisted the bakery and instead headed for Butchart Gardens.  This is an absolute gem of the British Columbia coast and on a beautiful summer day a blaze of colorful flowers.  The rest of the fleet had the great pleasure of a wine and cheese reception hosted by NW Explorations owners Ross and John.  The Port Sidney marina has a lovely venue for a sunny outdoor social hour and we took full advantage.  It was great to have Ross and John mix with the fleet to share stories about the trip, the boats, and the company.  And just fun to sit in the sun and talk about boats!