Strike up the band!

Certainly the highlight of Prince Rupert’s annual Seafood Festival is the parade. We joined the eager crowds along 3rd Street, bums on curbs and anticipation running high. It didn’t disappoint. There were enthusiastic marching bands, cadets, flower-bedecked floats, and a wonderful variety of cultural entries, including a crowd-favourite Indigenous representation. Kids lined the streets, absolutely delighted with the treasures tossed their way—not just the traditional penny candy, but key chains, freezies, stickers galore, and all manner of little surprises. Happy faces were everywhere. Next up was the Show ’n Shine in the Safeway parking lot. I waded bravely through a sea of testosterone and eventually managed to drag Dave away from the Alfa Romeo—but only after reminding him that the beer garden was now open. It took a false start or two (or three), plus a couple of weary excursions down the wrong steep hill, but we eventually found the brewery, where we rewarded ourselves with wood-fired pizza and a well-earned beer. Last on the agenda was the bandshell concert in front of City Hall. After another short wander and a brief listen to what could only be described as a painfully valiant musical effort, we decided to call it a day and headed back to the suite. It’s our last night in Prince Rupert. Tomorrow, we set sail across Hecate Strait, arriving in Skidegate in time for dinner. It’s only 93 nautical miles, but those miles cross some of the most unpredictable waters anywhere on the coast. Pass the Gravol, please.

Eighteen hours on a ferry

Chiming in from scenic Prince Rupert, blue sky overhead. We arrived at 2 a.m. this morning, tiptoed down the hall to our suite and keyed in the code, only to burst in on a rather confused and very asleep family. It was one of those Kafka'isk moments where you keep re-reading your instruction paper over and over, somehow expecting the words and numbers to change. A moment of complete loss of faith in my brain power, and I was not at all surprised given the past few days of travel. But! Turns out the issue was the hotel's, and after a somewhat frantic call to support staff, we managed to find ourselves tucked into two very different, but blessedly quiet and comfortable rooms. I feel surprisingly chipper despite entering day three with very little sleep. Must be the holiday endorphins. The voyage from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert was exquisite, as was our stately ship, the Northern Expedition. Waterfalls spilled down steep cliffs and every bend revealed another breathtaking stretch of the incomparable Inside Passage. It was a slow immersion into one of the most untouched places on earth, all the while being gently rocked and cradled by the ship. There were comfortable reclining seats facing the windows that were easily accessible at all times, but we spent nearly the entire time on the sundeck, wind in our hair and the sweet sea air filling our lungs. We're both windburnt. Later on, our little stateroom was nicely efficient and just the right spot to disappear to when darkness finally embraced us at nearly 10:30 pm. After a couple of delectible 'wiches crafted by the sibling chef, we were able to get a few hours of sleep in our tiny bunks before being chimed awake with the news we had landed at the terminal on Kaien Island. And now, it is time to introduce ourselves to Prince Rupert and all of his regal charms.

Haida Gwaii - At the Edge of the Coast: The Journey Begins

ETD: Two days. A bucket list trip that begins with a four hour drive to Port Hardy followed by twenty hours on a ferry that drifts into Prince Rupert at 1 a.m., in time to grab a few hours of sleep before the Seafood Festival kicks off for the weekend. Then, another seven hour ferry ride to Haida Gwaii: Misty, mossy, ancient lands holding promises of agate beaches, rainforests and the kind of cultural richness that only thousands of years can create. Stay tuned!