At the end of our Trans-Pacific crossing, we had one stop in Nanaimo, Canada, a small city on the east coast of Vancouver Island.  I set out with a small group of friends for a walking tour, led by a trustworthy Canadian.

We started with a stop at Tim Horton’s, Canada’s coffee shop that is sort of a cross between Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.  At Tim Ho’s, we ran into a few other friends from the ship, and banded together for our walk.  We headed towards the water, pausing whenever something caught our eyes.

We turned onto Front Street, which was the heart of “downtown” for some window shopping, then continued along the water front.  There were cute cafes advertising Nanaimo Bars, a local treat layered with wafer crumbs, custard, and melted chocolate.  There were also locally made statues and art pieces on display.  We walked slowly, stopping for photos, and greeting every pet that passed our way (as well as the occasional human).

My friends and I parted ways at a grocery store.  After crossing the Pacific, we all had many things to stock up on!  I’d sum up my stop in Nanaimo as a nice and simple.  It’s a quaint town, perfect for a relaxing weekend trip!

Coming up: more excursions in Canada and Alaska!