Houseboat. Salt Spring Island. 2008.

I really needed a break, so my girlfriend and I packed up our bikes and camping gear and headed to the Canadian version of the San Juan Islands for a little R&R.

The Gulf Islands require a 3 hr drive, followed by a 3 hr ferry boat ride to arrive at the main island: Salt spring Island.

We camped there, by the sea, for two days, biking and checking out the beaches and farms of the area. At night, we roasted marshmallows and chilled out by the sea. On the third day, we headed to the least populated island, Mayne Island, to stay in a funky little cottage where we managed to squeeze in a day of sea kayaking around glassy smooth inlets full of seals and bald eagles.

I feel rejuvenated, but part of my mind is still back on the islands, chilling out.

-Kirk