Oh, my. Oh, my. If ever there's a location outside the U.S. I might want to spend a life time, it just might be somewhere along this most gorgeous coast that seems to have a bit of everything nice. The beaches, the mountains in the distance, cities a good size, yet homey. Yep, very doable. I loved every minute of the time spent here, and, as always, it wasn't long enough.

Picturesque boat harbors, large and small, named beaches lined one after another, long fishing piers, and enough driftwood to ... well, shake a stick at. If one wanted a change of scenery, there are a handful of islands that are a short ferry ride away, each with its own quaintness and charm. Need a big, big city? Victoria lies not far to the south. The area's untypically mild climate, the mildest in all of Canada, , is, in itself, a draw for many.

This stretch of coastline starts in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island's eastern shore, looking out to the Strait of Georgia. It travels northward to Port Hardy, but I concentrated on the 100 miles between Nanaimo and Campbell River. It will be another two years before I get farther north.

The highway that stretches through this area north to south is referred to as the island highway, or the Oceanside Route, or the Old Island Highway. On the map it's the 19a, and it distinguishes itself from the faster Inland Highway 19 which bypasses the towns.

The photos are in no particular order, as I traveled up and down the coast each day with no particular stopping point, not always knowing in which direction I might head. But no matter which direction I went, or where I ended up, I had discovered yet another piece of Heaven.