This Friday September 19 2014, there are two choices.
1) You can choose to head back to Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt. Directions to Saxe Point can be found here.
2) or... for the more adventurous, Melanie & Len Barnes have invited anyone who is interested, to come and paint at the French Creek Marina in Parksville. If the weather cooperates (don't make the drive if it is raining), Melanie will meet any who make the trip near the Marina Pub around 9:30-10:00. Following painting, Len will have a BBQ Lunch waiting at their Parksville home.
If you plan on making the drive up to Parksville, please email Melanie (melaniejbarnes@shaw.ca) by Thursday Sep 18, so she knows how many to expect.
Here are the directions to the French Creek Marina (Google map here). And here are some verbal instructions from Melanie...
- Take Highway over the Malahat and reach Nanaimo in about 1.5 hours. Take bypass around Nanaimo. Parksville is another 25 minutes past Nanaimo. Take second exit to Parksville at Alberni Highway (exit 51, I think. First exit is #47 though there are no other exits between these two). Keep to the right entering Parksville in a kilometer or so. At end of street, in downtown Parksville, turn left on 19A the inland highway.
- Go several Ks to Lee Ave. Lee is the next set of lights after Wright Ave.
- Turn right at Lee Avenue. There will be signs there on the corner for French Creek Marina and Pub. This is a short street to the Marina which stretches out to the right. Find a place to park near the pub. We can meet in the pub parking lot at 9:30, 10-ish. I will wear my pink floppy hat and wave my arms! Then you can also wend your way through the extensive parking area to look for places to paint. It is huge and there are lots of viewpoints. At the far, far right is the seafood store, which has all sorts of delectable things for sale! Bring a cooler to take stuff home.
Here is a Google map showing Melanie and Len's home at 768 Doefawn Lane in Parksville for the BBQ Lunch afterwards (map here). Some written instructions from Melanie on how to get to her place are included below:
- To go directly to 768 Doefawn Lane from Victoria:
- Take second exit to Parksville (exit 51, I think!). Keep right (a left takes you to Port Alberni). Follow road to the end in downtown Parksville, reaching 19A and turn left. Drive through Parksville proper as if heading towards Qualicum.
- Reach Wright Ave. which is a long block past Wembley Mall. Turn left in dedicated left turning lane. Go to end of Wright beside Oceanside School.
- Turn left on Wembly. Go about a block.
- Turn right on Roberton (sign says Qualicum Cheeseworks, Mooberry). This is a tiny connector road leading to the right. Turn right. Keep straight ahead on Roberton past Lowry's Road. You will see the subdivision.
- Take first right at Arrowsmith.
- Take first left at Yellow Brick Road.
- Take first right at Doefawn Lane.
- We are the second house from the corner on the left. Old black Ford truck in driveway.
- I will pray for great weather and hope we have lots of ALFs come to see the place and enjoy lunch on us!