Shiny, happy faces!

Can you tell we got a bit of sun??? At least from this angle you can't see the freckles that are spreading across my nose!!! Porteau Cove was great - I will post a few scenary shots later on, but this was a fabulous weekend getaway!

We had three reserved campsites and each one had its strengths. I ended up picking a semi-private one with enough ground cover to provide shade when it got scorching hot in the afternoon. We were right on the beach (as were most of the campsites here), and it was a magical place and a little private, you weren't sitting elbow to elbow with your neighbor. Kevin and Regan got the wooded site, which had nice separate areas for sleeping, eating, and chilling :] Michael and Veronica had the unfettered view of Howe Sound. Saturday started out somewhat dodgy - we felt a few sprinkles, but it cleared up by noon and it was beautiful! A stalemate at Cranium (boys vs girls) with a win a piece, and the guys departed to play some bocci and the girls retreated to the beach. There wasn't any sand, but it was easy enough to scout of a piece of beach and bake our buns in the sun, and talking instead of reading :] Ronnie stayed on to watch the site, and Regan and I went for a fabulous swim. I went at a leisurely pace, but Regan would burst out in a few sprints as she alternated between huge strides and paddling a little closer to shore than I was. The water was pretty murky from silt in the water, and the initial plunge made me gasp. I was first in and last out, and I ended up bobbing in the water quaffing a cider before I finally decided to get out.

The only drawback of camping at Porteau are the trains. Our campsite was a meagre 50 feet away from the line, and friday night at 3am a train went by - screeching along the tracks like a banshee, creaking, and groaning, and it went on forever! The sound bounced off the mountains on both sides of Howe Sound, and I am pretty sure the ground was shaking as well. Racoons also paid us a visit, and absconded with our shrimp chips, but decided against our licorice? Saturday night the last train came by at 11 - so it was a much more restful sleep. Time flew, as it always does when you are away, and it was time to check out on Sunday at 11am. Nice to camp an hour away from home in a place that seems worlds away. Definitely worth checking out again!