Travellingman reisverhalen - - Port Alberni
Day 10: Maandag 7 september 2015
Port Alberni

I started the day at 7:30 AM with breakfast and updating my website. After that I drove to Cathedral Cove a park about 15 kilometers north of Port Alberni. It is a forest that has been hit hard by a storm on New Year's Day of 1997. Many trees have been blown down, but it is very nice to walk here. I saw black snails, squirrels, various birds, there is a small river and even a lake. On both sides of the road is a path that is not too long.

Around 10:30 AM I finished walking and drove back to the city to visit the other side, about 8 kilometers west of the city, the McLean mill. This is an old wood sawmill. This is was closed for the season, but you could walk around by yourself. Many old vehicles and also the sawmill itself. The train station is also there and sometimes a steam train still goes from the city to here. It was very quiet. In the summer months the sawmill, which operated from 1926 to 1965, is opened for demonstrations. Volunteers ensure that it remains functional. Actually, it is thanks to the volunteers that the mill still exists, because it was intended to be become a reforestation here. It was a small sawmill, but for example in the second world war it was important for the wood that was needed for ships.

I was here one and half hour and then drove back into town and parked my car at the station (currently only in use for the historic train, but used to be important for the development of the city. There's also a telegraph office and sleeping quarters where in earlier times passengers could stay.

A little bit further, at Harbour Quay, is an old lifeboat that want out 1000 of times is displayed. Furthermore, here is a harbor and shoppingmall. A little bit further is an exhibition about shipping and whaling and at the former Beale lighthouse you can find information about lighthouses, both contemporary and past. I also received information to the Port Alberni Tsunami which struck at the Easter weekend of 1964. Because the city lies at bay with a narrow entrance, the waves (2 pieces) were very high. They were caused by an earthquake in Alaska and there was no warning. Yet there were no fatalities, but especially the second wave caused a lot of damage. Houses were moved out of their place, and cars and boats were moved by the waves through the streets.

Afterwards I walked to the center. Many shops were closed for the Labor Day. It was very quiet. I went looking for the salmon festival, but could not find it. I did some shopping and fueled gasoline and was around 3.30 PM back at the motel. In total I had driven around 70 kilometers. I relaxed a bit and was looking for where I would go tomorrow. After a microwave meal I watched a movie on TV and went to sleep around midnight.

Initial publication: 15 september 2015
Last update: 27 september 2015
© A. Heeroma

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