Rannoch Adventures - Awaken the explorer within...

Day 1: Arrive Friday Harbor, Washington, boarding
Upon arrival in Friday Harbor, you will be met and transferred to the Safari Escape, where the Captain and crew will greet you with hors d’oeuvres and champagne. As soon as everyone is aboard, the ship will cruise through the northern islands of the San Juan archipelago, home to orca whales, seals, sea lions, and a wealth of bird life. After a sumptuous dinner, the Expedition Leader will provide an orientation to the journey. The ship will anchor for the night at Reid Harbor on Stuart Island.

Day 2: Victoria, British Columbia & Butchart Gardens
After breakfast, you can take some time to explore Victoria on your own. You may want to visit the Royal British Columbia Museum, and then enjoy a high tea luncheon at the historic and elegant Empress Hotel. From there, you will tour the Butchart Gardens before re-boarding. Tonight, the ship will anchor in a serene bay in the Canadian Gulf Islands.

Day 3: Petroglyphs & the Harmony Islands
Not far from the ship’s anchorage, you will find some of the best petroglyphs in British Columbia. Degnen Bay is widely known for impressive carvings of animals and abstract designs. The stories behind these petroglyphs have largely been lost, but much work has been done by the Cowichan Nation to trace cultural links to their own history on the island.

After viewing the petroglyphs and enjoying some time ashore, the ship will cruise through Dodd Narrows or Gabriola passage. Your cruising day will end at the Harmony Islands in Hotham Sound. Those who have a zest for adventure may join the crew for a truly natural shower at Friel Lake Falls, a cascade that plummets 1,400 feet before relinquishing its water in a voluminous, sea level spray. It will be one of the unique experiences that this adventure will offer.

Day 4: Coastal Fjords & Princess Louisa Inlet
“Further up and further in!” (A quote taken from C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series), is the most appropriate description of today’s course through Jervis Inlet and Queen’s Reach. You will trace the path of a now vanished glacier; one that reached heights over 5,000 feet thick during the last glacial epoch. These fjords snake through vertical granite mountains, offering stunning vistas at every bend. You will spend a full day winding into the core of the Coast Range, stopping to feel the mist of waterfalls bounding down sheer rock faces. The ship’s destination will be Princess Louisa Inlet, considered one of the ten most beautiful locations on earth by Conde Naste magazine (and us). Princess Louisa Inlet is only half-mile wide but is walled in by 5,000-foot mountains. Stunning in its own right, it culminates at the tremendous Chatterbox Falls. The ship will anchor in the inlet and you can explore on foot and by kayak today.

Day 5: Exploring Princess Louisa Inlet
Rising early today will provide you with the chance to see and feel the serene beauty of Princess Louisa Inlet. Whether you choose to hike ashore, paddle a kayak out on the still waters or enjoy the scenery with a cup of coffee on the fly bridge, you will be surrounded by abounding wilderness and a calming sense of solitude.

Later in the afternoon, you will visit Malibu Club, located at the entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet. Malibu Club, a large resort-cum-camp, was built in the 1950’s as a Hollywood getaway for movie stars and the very wealthy. When it proved too much of a financial burden on the builder, the property was put up for sale and so passed into the hands of Jim Rayburn, founder of the Christian outreach program Young Life. Young Life has operated Malibu Club as a summer camp for high school kids from the US and Canada ever since. The Safari Escape will depart Princess Louisa Inlet in the afternoon and make its way to tonight’s anchorage near a waterfall located in Green Bay.

Day 6: Sandy Beaches & Vancouver, British Columbia
Today will take you back into open seascapes and a myriad of quiet islands as the ship cruises toward Buccaneer Bay. This bay lies between two remarkably different islands, South and North Thormanby Islands. Though nearly connected by a small sand spit, the south island consists of volcanic bedrock and broken areas of growth, while the north island is utterly different and made of fine sand and other glacially deposited materials such as boulders. The forest thrives here and, geologically speaking, this is one of the most interesting sites on the coast. More importantly, these islands provide a lovely anchorage with broad, sandy beaches nearby. You can go beach combing and walking with the Expedition Leader, learning about the different environments as you go.

In the afternoon, the ship will weigh anchor and cruise south to the metropolis of Vancouver, B.C. You will stay dockside in the heart of the city tonight. Arrangements can be made for the theater or a movie in Vancouver, if you wish.

Day 7: Roche Harbor, Jones Island & Farewell Dinner
You will return to the USA today, the ship’s course set for the San Juan Islands. The morning will be spent cruising among the open waters and islands of the Pacific Northwest; you will want to keep an eye out for orcas and other sea life as you cruise.

After lunch, you will arrive at the tiny port (better described as a nook) of Roche Harbor, clearing customs upon arrival. Once ashore, you can walk to several historic sites, including the grand Hotel de Haro, a beautiful resort hotel that was once a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post and later hosted presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Howard Taft. You can also visit the final resting place of early industrial tycoon John McMillin, founder of the largest lime-producing outfit west of the Mississippi in the early 1900’s. His kilns, railroad tracks and mausoleum are testaments to his strong presence here on the island and in Washington State. You will also have some time to simply wander on your own around the hotel grounds and through the colorful, single store in this lovely hidden alcove.

Later this afternoon, you can take a walk across Jones Island. Wild deer roam the island, and it’s reported that they frequent a homesteader’s long-abandoned fruit orchard at the southern end of the island. Tonight you will enjoy a festive farewell dinner while nestled in a picturesque cove.

Day 8: Friday Harbor & a Fond Farewell
You will want to rise early today for morning kayaking along the shores of Jones Island before heading for Friday Harbor. The Safari Escape will arrive just after a hearty breakfast and bid you farewell as you leave to make your connections home.