We have been waiting for this weekend with anticipation since October...the official start to camping season! Our 2018 season ended early because we decided to sell Phoebe our 19' Airstream. We loved her but she was too small for how we were using her. The Airstream goddesses were working in our favour and everything turned out perfectly. We purchased a 2007 25' Airstream Safari Special Edition from friends of our family in Saskatoon. Finally after waiting seven months, we got to try her out!

We went in to the long weekend with two goals:
1. set up the site and clean the trailer inside and out
2. name the trailer

Stick with me, turns out the two goals are related. 

Once we had the trailer positioned on the site we started the hook ups - batteries, propane, electricity and water. The next task was to de-winterize it and get the fridge powered up. We love the bigger fridge in this trailer. 

James got zapped hooking up the batteries but he was only momentarily stunned. However, his Fitbit stopped working for a spell. We thought we had completely de-winterized the lines so we turned on the hot water heater. Slight problem here - there were still chemicals in the hot water tank and that led to a bit of a fire. We turned it off, drained the tank, and started the process again. Fortunately we didn't have to call the Seba Beach Fire Dept. 

While James worked on the site and the outside of the trailer, I cleaned every corner of the inside. The Airstream is in great shape but it sat in a field for a few years so there was a lot of dust, dead bugs and cob webs. 

Seba Beach was bustling on Saturday. The Farmer's Market was packed and Derby's (the General Store) was crammed with people stocking up. It was really windy so there wasn't much activity on the lake. The Village tore down the old community hall and we believe the plan is to build a new one. We'll have to wait and see. 

We enjoyed fires over the weekend and visiting with our friend Val. One night we tried a strawberry basil margarita and a blackberry Moscow mule with elderflower. Click on the names for the reviews and recipes. The next night Val brought a bottle of wine with accoutrements for wine pairings. We are so fancy at the camp site. 

Of course we also had s'mores! 

And some Girl Guide cookies because a smart Brownie was going from site to site selling out of her wagon.

The Tails really enjoyed the new trailer and spent much less time in the car than they usually do.

It was a bit chilly in the trailer in the mornings and Phin found (and enjoyed) the heat vent. Note the hair on his side being blown back. ​The furnace works great!

When we left home on Friday we decided we needed to finalize the name for the trailer this weekend. We have been tossing around three different names but could never decide. They are all great names we just weren't sure which was "the one".

After cleaning the trailer for a few hours we took a break and I said to James...I've cleaned so many cob webs, Charlotte must have been living in here. James mulled it around in his noodle and said - I think that's it. Charlotte. The name has royal connotations and it is the feminine form of Charles which means free man...thus in our opinion Charlotte means free. 

It was not one of our three finalist names but after staying in the trailer for three nights, we think it's...TERRIFIC

A couple weeks before we headed out on our trip to Victoria, I started searching Airstreams for sale in the Vancouver area. I thought if there was something that we wanted to look at, we would stop in to see it. We did stop in at Traveland RV in Langley and found the style of Airstream that we think would be perfect for us but that's for another time. 

My internet search brought me to the Woods on Pender site and I was intrigued. Airstreams set up on Pender Island for the purpose of glamping? What?!? A dream come true. We can glamp without having to haul our Airstream through the mountains and on a ferry? And dogs are welcome? Let's do it!

Since April is still off-season, we were able to book Airstream 6 for two nights. In high season the minimum stay is three nights and I imagine they book quickly for the summer months.

Pender Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands located in the Gulf of Georgia, BC. If you take the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria, it is one of the islands you sail by. We arrived via a direct afternoon ferry from Victoria (Swartz Bay). The ride was about 40 minutes to Otter Bay.

We were greeted at the front office and then headed to Airstream 6 for the tour and instructions. Airstream 6 is a renovated 1978, 31' Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht. We were told there is no crime on the island so the keys stayed in the door of the Airstream the entire time. It is a very friendly island!

The inside has been renovated with modern comforts.

Westley immediately sniffed out the treats that were left for them (him?) and was thrilled. Much better than the vegan treats they wouldn't even touch at Jasper Park Lodge. 

The site also has a softub, propane fire pit, hammock and our favourite -  a Bunkie.

Let's talk about this Bunkie - we totally want one! It is brand new with a super comfortable bed and a TV with bluetooth and Bose speakers. We actually slept in the Bunkie and it was like sleeping in a tree house - with wifi and Netflix. 

There is also a massage Airstream on site for total relaxation. We'll have to try that out next time. 

The island is very dark at night which makes for a spectacular celestial display. Thank you Mother Nature.

We had a great time exploring the beautiful island. Before we arrived we were told by family and friends that it is "hilly" - that's an understatement. We didn't ride our bikes on the island - we are not in Pender Island bike riding shape!

​The island is full of amazing forests and hiking trails. There are no predators on the island so the dogs were safe however, we were warned that eagles and owls have been known to swoop down at little dogs. Pender Island is actually two islands - North and South Pender which are connected by a narrow bridge. ​We had a great time exploring both islands and we might have tired out The Tails. 

There is a Car Stop program on the island. Basically if you need a ride you wait at one of the many car stops and someone will pick you up and give you a ride. How cool is that?!

The food at Woods on Pender is also incredibly good. Since we were only staying two nights, we had no intention of cooking. We had dinner one night at Coffee + Kitchen. The drinks and food were fresh, beautifully presented and delicious. James said he had the best burger ever. I had the gnocchi - amazing!

One thing to note is that many things are closed on the island on Monday and we were there on a Monday. The second day we had a late lunch at The Camp Truck and it was outstanding. I also ordered a home made gourmet s'more which I took to go and toasted myself later to enjoy by the fire. 

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. We had a reservation for the 7 am ferry to Vancouver (Tsawwassen). The ferry takes about two hours because it also stops at Mayne and Galiano Islands. We had breakfast on the ferry and were begrudgingly ready to hit the road once we hit the main land. 

We had an absolutely amazing time exploring the west coast and we didn't want to come home. In hindsight, I should have stayed but that's a story for another time over a cocktail.

We returned from a wonderful two week trip with the Tails from the west coast. We spent a night in Jasper on the way out, enjoyed all the spring flowers in bloom in Victoria, celebrated Easter, visited with family, relaxed in the sunshine, celebrated James' birthday, took a day trip up island and spent two nights on Pender Island (I'll write a separate post about our awesome stay at Woods on Pender). It was an excellent time away. We spent a lot of time in nature and it was so good for the soul. 

We even saw a couple black bears on the drive home. 

There is still frost in the ground so that means no water at Shadybrook and it is only open for dry camping. We are not into dry camping but we wanted to start getting ready for the season. 

We decided to pack up the vehicle and take our supplies out to start figuring out where to put things. ​It seems like the Bounce sheets and Irish Spring kept the critters away again this year.

We made a mess in the trailer and tried to determine some sort of system for organizing it. Although there is more space in this trailer, Phoebe had really great storage for her size - especially the cutlery drawer!

We managed to get everything put away but I suspect I will re-organize a few times. And do some additional decorating. It was a great start!

The water will likely be off for another week or so but we have our fingers crossed for the May long weekend. 

Oh, and our deer made it  through the winter but he is not looking well.