Amy Marie Visits: Ganges, Salt Springs Island

Saturday is the best day to visit the town of Ganges on Vancouver Island as that is the day you will find the Salt Springs Island Village Market is held in Centennial Park from mid-March to the end of October.  We needed fresh produce, so we arrived at the Kanaka Public Dock ready to shop.  It was a rainy morning so we slipped into our rain gear, shouldered our dry bag and walked up the ramp, past the Tree House Café and over to the area where tents were erected to provided shelter for the market merchants.  

Beth is excited to see what treasures she can find at the market

She quickly zeroed in on the fresh produce

The rain did not deter the shoppers

It was well attended

Right at the entrance, there was a pre-teen young man selling home made cookies - $2/each.  He was doing a brisk business.  Beth found some good fresh produce so we are set for the next week or so.  Arts and crafts, fresh bread and pastries, pizza, BBQ and Indian food were also available for purchase.  You could even have your fortune told…. for a price!

Beth was pleased with her purchases

Here's what we will be eating this next week

Not wanting to purchase hot food and eat it in the rain, we looked for someplace to sit down, inside, with hot coffee.  We found Cassette Café and Dive Bar nearby.  We shared a hot breakfast sandwich and enjoyed their HOT coffee!  Best of all, it was warm and dry inside.

Yes!  The breakfast sandwich was quite good...

The hot latte was heavenly

The library was almost next door.  It was the perfect spot to sit down and get caught up on email and produce a couple of blog postings.  We stayed until they closed at 3pm.

Libraries are a cruisers best friend.  

Warm, dry, and fast internet

I found the RV we will purchase when we are done with boating

Ganges is located at the end of a long inlet on Salt Springs Island. As the island is well populated and many visitors enjoy the island, there is a active sea plane operation moving people onto and off of the island.  It is sufficiently busy that a “sea plane runway” is marked with buoys in the harbor.  Boaters are required to travel outside the marked area to insure everyone’s safety.  Seaplanes are the most versatile method to quickly move about the islands and as feeders to the major transportation hubs.

Love the sound of the radial engine on these DE Havilland Beavers

Two generations of seaplanes

The buoys which define the area for exclusive seaplane use

A final caution for boaters traveling to Ganges, is to be on the lookout for logs and other debris in the water.  There are active forest product factories in the area and logs like to escape.  Consequentially, you will encounter logs of all sizes in the surrounding waters.  Another good reason not to text while skippering! 

You must also look out for Ferry boats.

They can come from any direction