Quimper Park, British Columbia, CanadaExploring Sooke
A Glittering Ocean
A windy and partly
cloudy morning greeted us – it felt nearly too cold unless you were right at
the motorhome – but what was amazing: today the water glittered like silver, it
was super cool to look at. After a breakfast in the sun, it is time to move on,
Are we moving to a
different Campground?
Camping at the moment
is not that simple – because we are in the start up after the COVID Shutdown,
that means all Provincial and Regional Park campgrounds are still closed – they
will open June 1 – that is in 3 days. Gine called Port Renfrew Marina and
Resort: no we do not open this year for tourists and the first nations
campground is closed too. We found another option a Marina and Camping Resort
near Sooke, so we went there and had one impression: what a dump!!! No way are
we staying there. Other options: where we were yesterday – because the other RV
resort here is also closed. So Gine called Weir’s Beach RV Resort again and
they do have a site available – not at the ocean, but then we thought it will
be still better than here and so we said we take it. Ok – now the next 3 nights
are accounted for – so let’s start the day.
We visit Sooke:
- Sooke is 38 km west of Victoria and it is where “the Rainforest meets the Sea”
- It is famous for it’s beaches (and yes we already visited a few of them)
- The Hudson Bay Company got established in Camousen/Victoria and in
1849 the first land was sold to European to Captain Walter Grant: By the way he
is the one planting the first yellow flowering Scottish Broom (which are now an
invading plant all the way from Alaska to California)
The Sooke Bluffs
Regional Park
Is our first stop –
did I mention it is super windy today!! But who cares the sun is out. We found
a perfect parking spot in front of an empty spot and walked out a short way to
see the amazing shoreline – then the steps down to the ocean – it’s gorgous
here. On the way we also saw a cute little “tree stump house” – ok that is
something we need too!!
We also saw those huge
white flowers the Queen’s Anne lace. And always the super cool view on the
Olympic Peninsula: today there was a haze around the mountains – a mystic look
to them – and all with the nice huge boulders. This was one cool Park.
The Queen’s Anne lace:
- it is from the Carrots family: as the name says Daucus Carota
- because the flower resembles lace – that is where it got it’s name from
- and like a real carrot: you can actually it the roots of the young plants – as well you can batter and eat the flowers (but before collecting make sure you really have the right plant and you don’t pick up the poisonous Hemlock which looks similar)
- it’s an invasive Perennial herb that smells like a carrot and grows 3-4 ft tall
- it flowers with white umbrella flowers from May-Oct
- it is native to Europe and Asia and is common in south-west BC
The Whiffin Spit
There are several
parks in the Sooke town area and this close by was the next stop on our
journey:
- a natural breakwater sheltering the Sooke harbour – like a finger like spit
We did not walk to the
very end (Paul has an appointment in town) but we did walk far enough out that
we had a super cool view out on the mountains as well as towards the Sooke
harbour. Lots of great views – great clouds and even more wind….
And then we discovered
a little Park where we learned some about the history: by the way this is the
Quimber park:
- here lived the T’sou-Ke people: they are part of the Coast Salish – and not there are not that many left: there are 2 reserve and they have 250 registered members – they are the name givers for “Sooke”
- The Spanish Princessa Real under the command of Manual Quimber, was the first European ship sailing into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, he landed at Sooke Harbour in June 1790 and claimed the land for Spain: Quimper was the one charting the Strait of Juan de Fuca – even he was sailing for Spain he came from Peru
Barb’s Barbershop
One side effect of the
COVID is that the barber is closed – that means Paul’s hair grows longer and
longer… today is the day it has to go and Paul has an appointment with the
Barber – I think I need to mention that Paul has the tendency to go to Barbers
when we are on vacation (Arizona, Cuba, Costa Rica, Belize and now Sooke).
Parking at least is not very complicated when you are in such a tiny town.
The Boardwalk at Ed
MacGregor Park
During Paul was at the
Barber Gine did a walk and because it was so cool: we did it again – we made
coffee and started with a relaxed coffee in the Ed Mac Gregor Park and again we
learn some historic facts:
- Sooke’s spirit Square is tribute to Sooke’s first Mayor who died in 2003 while still in office
- Here in this spot opened in 1913 the Sooke Harbour Hotel until it burned in 1934: only the entrance pillars were left: today we can see the original stone pillars being he entrance to the park
From here some
boardwalk goes down: and as we are already well aware there is always the
6ft-apart sign. And then there is this long boardwalk going over the water
giving you the perfect views towards the Strait as well into the Sooke Harbour
and you can learn about the local sea life.. If you want to find some nice
photo opportunities – I mean here you get them. And once we are at the end we
go up the street: where there is a cool house with a fish window and another one
with bears on poles.
And then I think it is
the day of history because near an Anchor and a fisherman we learn even more:
- A painting from 1847 about the Salish canoes who welcomed the Spanish in 1790
- In 1904 JH Todd and sons initiated a series of immense barriers of pilings into the Straint of Juan de Fuca to prevent Salmon returning to their spawning rivers each fall. In 1918 they started the Sooke Fishing and Packing Company: each spring they put Douglas Fir Pilings in 5 locations into the ocean floor blocking the Salmon from escaping – it operated until 1958 (I wonder if that was healthy for our fish population)
Back at Weir’s
oceanfront
Now it’s time to head
back: we did got an oceanfront spot – this time not at the lagoon with the
noisy frogs but behind the office (which gives us better wifi). And it is super
windy here!!! By the way this makes likely the campsite we stayed the longest
in one setting: 7 nights!!!!
Pink flowers in the sand:
- They are European Sea rockets and as the name suggest it is from Europe, Asia and north Africa
- it got introduced to the west coast of North America, where it became a noxious weed: that means it is not good for our ecosystem here
- It grows in the sand and on bluffs and is tolerant to salt spray
- With lobed flesh-like weeds it is an annual and flowers in summer
- It is part of the mustard family
2025-05-22