Day 20 – June 25 – We were met this morningby Bill Kendall who took us over to see his garage. In addition to his incredible collection of antique cars, Bill has a warehouse full of antique appliences, including washing machines and vacuum cleaners, bicycles, and household items. It was hard to tear ourselves away but we finally left Victoria, headed north up Vancouver Island. The drive up the island was a perfect Model T drive. The road was good, hilly but not too hilly; enough curves to make it interesting but not so many that it was dangerous. The traffic was pretty light and the scenery was spectactular. Ranging from moutain views to ocean views with a sprinkling of farms and pretty little towns, the drive to Campbell River made for a wonderful day. We were met at our motel by a man from the local vintage auto club. Blaze Taylor led us to the home of Del and Lorraine Kyle where a group of 60 or more treated us to a salmon barbeque and potluck supper. We had moose sausage and local salmon and had the chance to admire their beautiful vintage cars. What a fun night! This is the kind of good time we had hoped for on this trip and we were so flattered that they would take the time to do this for us.

625a – An early attempt at a high-compression engine. Not off of one of our cars, fortunately. Someone had poured aluminum into the cylinder head cavaties and then added some stove bolts to provide a good anchor.

625b – At the summit of Malahat Mountain, a beautiful view and a striking totem honoring the place. We met a driver here who was part of the group planning to entertain us in Campbell River later this evening. One again, it was difficult to take a photo of our cars because of the crowd that gathered. From left to right, the Touring belonging to Joyce and Ken, the pick-up driven by Jennifer and Ginger, Ben and Nancy’s fordor with the 1916 trailer, the right-hand drive roadster belonging to Ross. The Johnson/Capps car was a little further to the right and didn’t make the photo. All theTs made the hill, in spite of the concerns on the Victoria car club. It was a good road, with a wide shoulder and a small retaining wall so it was much easier than some we have gone up.

625c – The totems have become more plentiful, the farther north we have driven. These are colorful and significant in the history and culture of the natives in this area. We see them in many towns as we go through and, frequently, they oversee some magnificant view.

625d – Ginger, Jennifer, and Nancy Hardeman on Malahat Mountain. Ross Lilliker is visible to the right.