SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 307

At the marina overlooking Powell Lake, north of town, the Shinglemill (604/483-2001,
11am-10pm daily, $14-26) is part pub, part restaurant, with the former spilling out onto a
wide deck over the water. The menu is wide-ranging; a good choice is the seafood chow-
der served in a sourdough bread bowl as a starter and salmon baked on a cedar plank and
smothered in a tomato-butter sauce for a main. In addition to the usual draught beers, you'll
be pleasantly surprised by the well-priced wine list.
Information and Services
Powell River Visitor Centre is along the main strip of shops (4871 Joyce Ave., 604/
485-4701, www.discoverpowellriver.com , 9am-6pm Mon.-Sat. and 9am-5pm Sun. in sum-
mer, weekdays only the rest of the year). Coming off the ferry from Vancouver Island, drive
up the hill to Joyce Avenue and turn left. Powell River Public Library (4411 Michigan
Ave., 604/485-4796, 10am-6pm Mon.-Sat.) has public computers with Internet access.
Getting There and Around
Powell River Municipal Airport is east of town, off Duncan Street. Pacific Coastal
(604/483-2107 or 800/663-2872, www.pacificcoastal.com ) flies at least three times daily
between Powell River and its hub at the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport.
The ferry terminal in Powell River is at the foot of Duncan Street, right downtown. BC
Ferries (604/485-2943, www.bcferries.com ) has regular sailings between Powell River and
the town of Comox on Vancouver Island. One-way fares for the 75-minute sailing are adult
$14.20, child $7.10, vehicle $45. You can't make reservations—just roll up and join the
queue.
Sunshine Coast Transit System (604/885-3234) operates local bus service between
Sunshine Coast communities ($2 per sector, no Sun. service).
TEXADA ISLAND
A 35-minute ferry trip from the Powell River ferry terminal, Texada is one of the largest
of the Gulf Islands (50 kilometers/31 miles from north to south and up to 10 kilometers/6.2
miles wide), but the permanent population is only 1,400 and services are limited. Originally
home to a whaling station, the island has also housed a couple of mining operations and a
distillery that supplied illegal liquor to the United States during Prohibition.
From the ferry terminal at Blubber Bay, the island's main road winds south for eight
kilometers (five miles) to Van Anda, a historic village that once boasted saloons, an opera
house, and a hospital. Take a walk along Van Anda's Erickson Beach to appreciate the is-
land's natural beauty. Continuing south, the road leads to Gillies Bay and beyond to Shel-