Holly Hosts me in Sidney, BC Canada (July 20, 2024)

I have embarked on what I hope will be a 4 month, 17,000 mile motorcycle ride through the US and parts of Mexico and Canada to visit family and friends and to benefit Children International.  Please consider supporting me – learn more here Will's Charity Ride for Children International - PledgeIt

Sidney, BC Canada
July 20, 2024

I’ve arrived Sidney, BC Canada 16,175 miles from home.  Holly who I “met" via ADVRider Forum is my host.  Back before the ride, when I was planning and researching solutions for lodging, Sam Mucha Paz from Costa Rica, one of our Bunk-a-Biker guests suggested to use the ADVRider Tent Space.  Supposedly, it functions similar to Bunk-a-Biker.  However, my experience was that it was unmonitored and of the 10 or so hosts to whom I reached out to, only one responded.  So I never actually used the service till now in Sidney, BC. 

As I was figuring out how to use it, she and I messaged and I shared that I would be riding up to Vancouver to visit my friend Etienne and she offered to host me for a night here in Vancouver Island.  She's been an avid rider for 60 years (she’s 80 and still rides, she rides a CanAm) and has ridden all over the US and Europe, including the Italian Alps.  She's given me good suggestions about ferry routes to take to get back to Vancouver Island.  From Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver to Departure Bay in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Holly offered cold beer upon my arrival and after some introductory chatting, began to prepare dinner.  We dined on steak, baked potato, and a green herb salad from her patio garden, with a bottle of local red wine.  The following morning, Holly served me coffee and Eggs Benedict, my first time, delicious and very generous.

My plan from last night was to take the 9:00AM ferry, but since I didn´t wake up till 8:00AM, I messaged Etienne Ricárdez that I'd get the 10:00AM ferry, but I didn't make that one either.  As I am writing this sentence, the 11:00AM ferry is departing from Swartz Bay on its way to Tsawwassen, the ferry terminal for Vancouver, BC.