Jack Point and Biggs Park

In early December, as all things Christmas are starting to occupy the mind, it's often a good idea to go out for a walk. Then, if the weather cooperates - sunshine and reasonably warm - there's no excuse not to visit one of Nanaimo's many parks. Today I opted for Biggs Park, with Jack Point as the final destination.

The captions on the pictures make up the trip report .

After parking the car and walking through a pedestrian tunnel, 
the path to Jack Point parallels the Nanaimo River estuary 
for a few hundred meters. (2015-12-11)

On this day, I was blessed by the sun illuminating my destination. (2015-12-11)

Before entering a boardwalk, this curious sculpture. (2015-12-11)

A bit of a boardwalk leads to a set of stairs that 
takes us to the trail at a higher level. (2015-12-11)

A modern "petroglyph" (2015-12-11)

One of my favourite stops on the Jack Point trail: a nice view of the 
sandstone cliffs that constitute the point. (2015-12-11)

Typical Gulf island sandstone "art". (2015-12-11)

The Jack Point navigation light with 
Gabriola Island in the distance. (2015-12-11)

Bowen Park after a January downpour

Bowen Park is a major park, smack in the middle of Nanaimo. There are a number of cool features to this park. In the appropriate season, rose enthusiasts can admire the garden near the park's entrance. Even more impressive, in early spring, is the vast rhododendron garden just beneath the slope leading down from Bowen Road. However, the key attraction to Bowen Park has to be the Millstone River. An interesting feature of the Millstone is the way it reflects the seasons. In early September it can be but a trickle. Come the January rains, it's a raging torrents with spectacular waterfalls. So it was on this particular day.

The Millstone River near the lower reaches of Bowen Park. (2016-01-13)

Further upriver, the waterfalls roar and send mists
into the surrounding forest. (2016-01-13)

Coming from the duck pond, this creek adds to the
 torrent that is the Millstone. (2016-01-13)

Seeing the power of this river in January, it's no wonder that,
 in earlier years, there was an electricity-generating
 power station on the Millstone River. (2016-01-13)

The duck pond. Always a Bowen Park
 favourite with the kids. (2016-01-13)