This is the start of the 2018 cost and quality of food in Zihua. Under construction
Prices will be what the tab is, we try and tip at 20% if the service is good but that amount is not listed. NOTE: The waiters down here get a salary of around $85p a day.
20.4 pesos = one US dollar on this trip.
This blog is intended to assist one's dining choices. The totals do not include the tips.
We have been to this town for 11 different visits over the years and we must like it because we keep coming back.
Previous visit Articles:
Click here for a look at dining costs in Zihuantenjo for 2017.
Click here for the 2016 blog.
click here for 2014 and 2011
click here for 2014, 2012 and 2011
click here for 2011 with maps
This is the documentation of our dining costs for our visit of Dec 12-23, 2018
Wednesday night (arrival day):
We met another couple from our area and went out to dinner at Patty's on Playa La Ropa
We ordered paella for 4 and we each ordered a salad to split too for each couple. The other couple ordered two mixed drinks and we ordered two glasses of wine (It turned out it was two for one happy hour so we had double that.) (two glasses of wine each for us!)
The mixed salad would be a meal for two on it's own. HUGE and VERY good! HIGH Marks!
The paella was excellent but the light (at night, candles only on the beach) was not good enough to see the shells and other seafood hazards. Lots of lobster, shrimps, mussels, maybe fish? and little sausages wiht some veggies and rice. Very tasty but a bit treacherous to eat
Our half of the bill was $410 p
Thursday afternoon:
We had to go downtown to get some pesos out of the cash machine (Do NOT wait until Friday when all the paychecks need depositing). That done we went to visit our friend Nahume at Casa Elvira, near the fishing boats on the water near the basketball courts. He is the manager or owner of this place and we have known him for 8 years as he was our waiter at our favorite beach restaurant on Playa La Ropa, (now called the Cantinita and next to Patty's).
We ordered one order (3 pcs) Tacos Pastor con pollo (not on the menu) and it ws /SUPBERB. We also had a beer a piece and some chips and pico de gaio.
Total bill: $175p
Beach drinks in the afternoon:
Canitinita
One grande Juego de mango, frozen (no booze)
One limonada
Total: $105p
Dinner:
Cafe Marina (just north (towards the pier from the basketball courts)
Mixed salad (split for two)
Shrimp with pasta (split for two)
Ice tea (2)
Total: $230
Comment: Very good food and Juan was our waiter and was from Oakland so no issues in talking with him! Great food here every time and very reasonable with good people watching as they walk by.
Frday day on the beach:
Cantinita on La Ropa, Lenny and Tony were our waiters
chips and pico de gaio
quesdillas (not on menu)
one Dos Eqius amber
bottled water
liminada
$200p
Friday night:
Daniels by the Sea, Jimi Mamou playing his rock and blues. The best music for us!
Princess Salad for the Count
Mixed salad for the girl
chips and pico de gaio (best so far)
Ice tea (5of them)
Total: $365p
Saturday on the beach:
Patty's on La Ropa
A note of amenities: Rinse off showers, foot wash basin and the same owner forever. nice banos
Chips and pico de gaio
2 beers
3 liminadas
quesidilla (best so far)
Total $275 p
Saturday Night:
Daniels by the Sea, live music by Alfredo Moya (Tues and Sat) EXCELLENT guitar
Chips and pico de gaio
2 glasses of white wine
Mixed salad split (Excellent)
Mixed fajitas split (couldn't eat it all between us! YUMM)
Total $387 p
Sunday
Sunday lunch
Patty's
Quesidillas
Chips and pico de gaio
3 beers
Total $225p
Sunday night:
Casa Elvira
Sopa de Tortilla (tortilla soup) (2 bowls and awesome!)
two iced teas
Total $180p
Monday:
Monday Lunch:
Carmelita's
Sope con frijoles
Sope con Mahi Mahi
3xs limonadas
side of frijoles
side of rice
Way too much food! We could only eat 2 of the three sopes served to us but was it ever GOOD!
Total $440p
Monday dinner:
Patty's
Mixed salad with chicken salad (could not eat it all and it was split between the two of us!)
pan
ice tea
fresh strawberry dacquiri
bottle of water
Total: $225
Tuesday Lunch:
Downtown near the basketball court on the beach: Started with an A
Best thing about this place was the view and the breeze under a roof in the shade!
Chef salad (split) and french fries
Two limenadas
Total: $200p
Tuesday dinner:
Tratorria de Gianni ( Near La Ropa)
Two glasses of white wine, Pino Grigio and Sauvagnon Blanc
Comprese salad
Pasta Alfredo with chicken (homemade pasta) YUMMY (split)
bread with garlic butter
water
$510p
Wednesday on the beach:
Patty's on La Ropa
Two beers
two liminadas
enchiladas
BLT with fries (best BLT I have had down here)
Total: $365p
Dinner
Casa Elvira
We first purchased a half BBQ chicken at Pollo Feliz for $77p
Then because we know Nahume, manager at Casa Elvira and had his permission,
we brought it over there and added beans, rice, salad and drinks.
That chicken is the BEST BBQ ever!
Total: $139 + 77p = $207p
Thursday lunch:
Patty's
Club Sandwich (HUGE with fries)
Quesidilla con pico de gaio
Fresh orange juice, grande, frozen
Liminada
water
$330p ? memory issues
Thursday dinner:
Agave (downtownn and on the second floor)
We were the first dinners for the night at 7:30
We split a house salad
Split a chicken breas
rice and beans ordered separately (surprised the waiter we should order this common food)
two glasses of wine
water
Total: $380p
Comment: Nice presentation of food but too chi chi for us. Nice view looking over the street.
Friday lunch:
Patty's
Chips with refried beans and pico de gaio
Orange juice, frozen (grande)
Liminada grande
Total $120p
Friday dinner:
Marina Cafe:
Pizza with pesto sauce and lots of veggies, half with sausage
two ice teas maybe the best ice tea around!
Total $240
Comment: One of the best waiters in Zihua, Juan, down from the states 3 years now.
Tasty food always. Good price too.
From here down is the blog from 2017
As of this writng, we are enjoying our 7th trip to this town in consecutve years, this is written December of 2017. There were a couple other visits here too, (3) prior to that.
click here to read about our previous visits.
I guess we like it here. Certainly the sun and fun make it very fine for 2 weeks.
New activities for us could be taken but being laid back has it's appeal.
This post is just going to document our evening and some of our lunch dining with assoicated costs and rating for the food.\
Breakfast:
Our breakfast is at our BnB and is easy and simple. Cereal, yogurt,banana, coffee and tea. Toast is available but is usually too much to eat.
This is the documentation of our dining costs for our visit of Dec 11-22, 2017
Total costs for dining out:
The total expense to feed the two of us for the 12 days was a bit over $5000p or a bit over $300 US. Not including tips or taxi rides or shopping for whatever....
The log below reflects 10 years of experience eating here in town: Have fun if you try any of it.
Day 1 (Monday arriving at the airport in Zihuantenjo at 2:30 PM): Dinner at El Vira's (renamed Cantinita) but with our same waiters on the beach with the moon, feet in the sand. White linen napkins!
We split each meal! Our plan unless noted otherwise.
Shrimp cocktail in mango salsa YUMM to all here
Chicken Fajitas
chips and pico de gaio
$440p plus tip
Day 2:
Lunch was quesidillas just off the basket ball courts towards the fish market. With 2 beers. Maybe $175 p. YUMMY
Dinner: Tried to go to the rooftop at the Sophia Restaurant on our street but the cook had injured himself and will not be back for 4-5 days!
Ended up at Paty's, next to El Viras.
Mixed salad (HUGE and GOOD).
Mahi Mahi with baked potato and veggies.
$375p
Day 3: Wednesday
Lunch at Elvira's,
Chips and pico de gaio (Lori brought her own chips made at the tortilla making shop downtown and ignored the commercial chips brought to her). The pico de gaio is amazing!
Fish tacos fried extra crisp for the Count
one large limeada
2 frozen coffees con creama (some kind of Frape, I think) YUMM!
$175p
Dinner and dancing at Daniels downtown by the basket ball courts toward the Archeological Museum. Jimmy Mamou is playing at 7 PM Wednesdays and Fridays. YES!
We shared a Princess Salad, grilled chicken on lettuce with orange and grapefruit.
Two dishes of ice cream with chocolate sauce and Ice teas.
$275p
Day 4:
We have a plan to buy a BBQd chicken at Pollo Feliz and take it to our friend, Nahume who manages the Casa El Vira by the fish boats and he will see it served to us with all the other stuff. I always wanted to get BBQ pollo but the ambiance at those places does not exist.
This was an astonishing good idea! The chicken was tasty, the best we have had anywhere! Nahume served it to our choices of a shared mixed salad (really good and lots) and then plates with rice and beans, followed by the best Flan ever! Cost $244 plus the $72 for the chicken at Pollo Feliz.
Day 5: Friday
We had this figured out early. We spent the day on the beach at Cantinta (former El Viras) and that cost $200p. Lori was going to have cheese and bean enchiladas but they brought out chicken instead. Not charged for it. The Count had beers and fish tacos, extra crisp. Good stuff.. Add in a limenda for Lori and that was about it. We did buy some string cheese from a vendor on the beach too for $50p
Out to dinner at Daniel's By the Sea, downtown near the basket ball centro. Jimi Mamou was playing and starts each Wednesday and Friday there at 7:00 PM. Lori and I shared an order of chicken fajitas which was good and too much even split! Add in a couple of ice teas and an iced coffee and we had $344p
Day 6 : Saturday
An exploration of shopping took us to Carmelita's as it was near the very cool antiiquities store, maybe Casa del Tierra? Anyway Carmelitas was chosen to direct the taxi and he knew the place and took us right in to the tables! We might not have gone in because it has NO street appeal but inside was remarkably bright and clean with so many staff bustling around it just astonished us.
I had something called Huevos Montulo (?sp?) and was a layered egg, ham, tortilla, beans, peas, onion, avocado, etc.... Amazing for $110p. Lori had chiliquiles and liked that but couldn't eat it all.
Total bill was $275p including fresh tangerine juice and fresh OJ for me.
Dinner is to be at Rossi's on Playa La Ropa as they are to have a rock and roll band, Steve is the main guy and we had heard his band before. VERY good. We shall see about the food. Not great memory of that but? It was excellent. A good mixed salad (they have ALL been exceptional) and a great chicken/prawn kebab. With a rum, a water the bill came to $340p. We split both salad and kebab and couldn't finish either of them. The band was great too.
Day 7: Sunday
We had a light snack at Cantinitas (sp) and the days bill was $200p, chips and pico de gaio along with a beer or two and a limonada.
We went downtown to get a pizza at Cafe Marina but it was closed so we went to the Mediterreano by the church. Late night service had this very crowded but the restaurant was mostly empty so we had street front seats. Ribs (beef) were a special so I had those while Lori had Fetticini Alfredo (the best she has ever had). Both were good and so were the iced teas but they charged us for each one! (30p) I had 4 and Lori had 2! Anyway the bill came to $710, our biggest yet! We had split a greek salad too. All was tasty! Great food but a bit more $$$.
Day 8: Monday
Spent the morning at massages (my 5th and Lori's first) then some chips and pico de gaio. A VERY FINE fresh strawberry dacquiri wiht vodka and no sugar was great, and a couple of beers got our bill to $275p.
At 6 pm we went to the ATM at Commercial and then to music at Sirenas ($100p cover, unusual)
Where they do not have food but a couple good guitar players until 8:00 . (we had water on ice, $40p) Then we went over to Cafe Marina for pesto sauce pizza and 3 beers! MMMMMM. $320p worthy stuff! A great place to eat!
Day 9: Tuesday
Flush with our third withdrawal of $5000 pesos at Scotia Bank ATMs( cost $100p each time but no line to wait in) it seems likely we should partake of some paddle boarding. That went well and we spent the day at Cantintata (sp) again. The bill was $275, with $160 of it being a HUGE fresh strawberry dacquri made with vodka and no sugar! YUMMM.
Out to dinner had us change our plans from Memos (across from Coconuts in a back street to the Cafe Marina which is becoming a favorite. I had quesidillas with shrimp and bacon (couldn't eat it all), we split a salad, and Lori had rice and beans. Total bill $220p. No drinks except water.
Day 10: Wednesday
The beach cost was low as it was just drinks and peanuts ($20p a bag of shelled peanuts) with at total
of $130p for the day on the beach. Also found out the waiters make $82p per day plus tips.... OUCH
Dinner is to be with Jimi Mamou again at Daniels by the Sea downtown.
We split a salad and each had a bowl of tortilla soup. MMMMM. $220p
Day 11: Thursday
We were invited to lunch today with our neighbors, Mike and Barbara from San Francisco, in the BnB. Posole on the menu!
We took a cab across town to a new section we had not been in. The restaruant, St. Prisca, was down
some stairs and a two man band was playing well and loudly! It was a fun atmosphere and the tables filled up. The mescal was sold in pop bottles and Mike decided to live vividly! He got a 16 coke bottle full. It was half consumed by all of us. Very smooth but look out. Mike was getting vivid input at the end of the meal!
The snack plate was enough for a meal with 3-4 different snacks on it. The posole was good and 3 of us only ate about half a bowl, Mike ate all of his large serving! Filled up again! Cost was $521 for the 4 of us. Taxi to this remote part of town was $60p.
We had dinner at El Viras (Cantinita's now) and had a mixed salad, coconut shrimp and two glasses of wine for a $580p bill. The ambiance of being by the sea in the sand for our feet with the moon overhead is amazing! A must do dining experience. The shrimp was the best we have had!
Day 12: Friday
Heading to the beach for a few hours for a massage (number 6 for this trip) and a beverage or two before going to the airport and saying farewell to the warm sun and sea for a while. Seattle will NOT be this nice.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Disc Golf Road Trip 2017
Road Trip to play disc golf:
He put out the four days on the calendar and I signed up with no idea where we were going. In the end it was just two retired big guys going where ever the car was pointed. People would ask us where we were going and we would have to tell them "disc golfing". Most times they would need an explanation of that sport.
Road tripping is an art form of tolerance for your fellow passengers, the weather, the car, roads, diners, etc... Done correctly, none of those items are a hardship, in fact they all enhance the experience. There is a caveat called the "7 Ps" which came to me through a friend in his first year of engineering school at the UW. Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
The Rear Admiral had done some research on disc courses and coupled with the concept of finding the sun and my thought of going east of the Cascades ASAP he had both Count Ferrari and the Rear Admiral rolling along at mid day on a Monday heading over Highway 90 to points East!
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| Our route in broad strokes |
Dawson Park in Suncadia: Cle Elum, 9 holes, gated entrance no worries, gorgeous, we played it on the way over and then again on the way back.
Downriver: Spokane, 18 holes, along river with hills and pines, gorgeous
Sunset Park: Lewiston, 9 holes, park setting with hills and nice lawn, view was amazing
Hell's Gate State Park: Lewiston, 9 holes, no map of course, #5 target is out of sight behind trees to right, along river
Fort Walla Walla: Walla Walla, 18 holes, map on line, long
Wide Hollow: Yakima, 9 holes (going to 18 soon), in a park setting with lawn and grooming.
Transport:
The car was a question mark for the Count. A Chrysler?, granted it was nearly the highest end luxo ride that car company makes. A 300 C, model year 2014 with 27,000 miles on it. The 300 S is the only step up from this apparently and we did see one of those during the trip. If we had an air bag suspension it might have been better and the shifter could easily have been better. but the 300C was AMAZING.
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| The 300 C Chrysler at the Taco Bus in Yakima |
Previous vehicles for road trips, from most recent to earlier trips were:
(for a visual aid on what these vehicles look like, you can click here and scroll about)
Mercedes Benz S-500, 2001
Cadillac Seville, 1976
Nissan Maxima, 1982
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| An art photo from the camera of the Rear Admiral. Shows the enormity of the fields that we passed through at 80 MPH and they seemed endless! |
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| The OPEN road! |
Day one: Monday October 23, 2017
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Road Trip Tips:
 A cooler is a great idea. We both brought a medium sized unit and we used one for cold and one for dry food storage. Ice was renewed in Ziplock gallon bags each day at the motels. Our cooler lids did not have hinges so the top just comes off, that allows for easier access when the cooler is in the back and the road tripper wants to get a snack out while in the front seat.
A kitty is a good idea too. Just fund it with equal amounts of cash and then spend the kitty. We didn't have a small baggie to put the funds in and so we just kept the receipts, added them up and split the difference. Count Ferrari is waiting for his $82 from the Rear Admiral....
 Cell phones have really made navigation much easier but a paper map is much better for planning purposes.
A good app for cell phones is WAZE. It shows where the police are hanging out if you like going fast. It does suck a battery dry quickly so be plugged in to the car for full time juice. DON'T FORGET YOUR CHARGER CORDS FOR 12V AND 110V.
DAY ONE of the Disc Golf Road Trip 2017:
We met up at 1:00 pm in Kirkland where Count Enrico dropped off his ride. The route was to be over the North Cascades Highway but it had closed two days previously so the Rear Admiral opted for tHighway 90, the biggest and fastest route to Eastern Washington. The weather was sunny and mild in the low 60s which was very warm for October 23!
The WAZE app saw many police by the side of the road so we kept to the flow of traffic and even then we saw a couple of sleeper Washington State Patrols, one in a grey pickup with canopy and another in a grey Suburban. Both trolling stealthily for speeders. They were NOT on the WAZE.
The time of year was seeing the trees in full color (check the photos).
We found the Safeway (new) at the south end of town, out in the bush and provisioned with some whiskey, rum, chips and sandwich for lunch. We backtracked a bit and ended up at the disc course in Suncadia. You have to go by the manned gate entrance but the fellow is fun to fool with and just allows passage if you tell him you are going in to disc.
This is a VERY nice 9 hole course and will soon be an 18 as there were temporary tees set up with spray paint. The 9 was great and there are very nice restrooms near the first tee. Playing in the pines with the sun out was outstanding! The field was wet so we were glad we had booted up in our water walkers.
Following that we got back on Highway 90 and headed for Spokane. We made arrangements to meet with Hawkeye on the following day for a disc round the AM. The RA also did a Priceline bid with his phone for a room at the RL hotel downtown and then had the $12 parking fee added after our bid price. We were upgraded to a very nice room on the 10th floor overlooking the River Park and that was $84. Our most expensive room for the trip and didn't include a breakfast.
We walked out to dinner at the NUDU Asian Fusion and made it in at 8:40 and they close at 9:00. Good choice. The walking downtown saw many less fortunate than us. The streets were clean and there were walkers in the park after dark that we saw. This is a very nice river park.
DAY TWO:
Awoke early, dark still at 6:30 now. Got a cup of coffee in the room and headed down to the car. It was chilly out!
We used phones to navigate to the disc course, Downriver, that Hawkeye selected. It was an epic 18 hole course! Along a river with lots of ups and downs with pine trees galore! This is worth returning to for the views. It was foggy that morning and the Count was happy to wear his disc gloves.
 
After the round, about 10 AM we hit the road, Highway 90 again en route to Missoula. A stop at a one of the best breakfast places put us in good humor! The Corner Cafe was the place. Cafe and Diner are two types of road food stops liked by us. This one didn't disappoint! The road to Missoula was absolutely gorgeous as the fall leaves and the larch trees were all turned gold to red! The views through the windshield were all one could ask for. We zoomed into Idaho and with Montana soon to come. Wallace, Idaho is worth the stop. A great mining museum on the way into town and seeing the freeway built up over the town from below is a sight too. This is the last place to get multiple lanes on Highway 90 from the Pacific to the Atlantic and they had to build it over the town! We got some good fudge filled and lemon curd filled innovative cookies and rolled out towards Montana.  Then we saw a speed limit sign that said 80 MPH! The RA locked the cruise at 90 MPH and even checked the top end speed on a long straight stretch. The car went 120 MPH and was limited by some sort of electronic governor. 90 seemed slow after that! We stopped at truck stops and even went to a Peterbilt dealer to check them out. A new tractor with sleeper, full dressed was $168,000 and good for a million miles or so! The new ones even look liked the older ones with a squared engine cover. RA took many photos of all sorts of trucks. He has a 'Jones' for them. The more lights and visors and chrome the better!
We found the smoke jumper school but it was closed and then went on in to our Priceline hotel which turned out to be the Broadway Inn and Conference Center. Nice rooms but the halls could use a serious face lift. Dinner was at the Notorious P.I.G. (Pig Is Good) and we had ribs. YUMMY ! It was a good food day! Back to the hot tub at the hotel for the Count while the RA messed with photos. DAY THREE:  Early start around 8 after 'free breakfast' which was only OK. The car had ice on the windshield! Apparently it snowed in Missoula the next day! This was our furthest point out in our loop. A Tri-State road trip! We headed south to find Highway 12 and the LOLO Pass road. High marks for scenic here! Might have even been frost on the road in a couple of spots.
We pulled into Lewiston and the RA 'Yelped' a taqueria which was OUTSTANDING! Then out to find Sunset Park for a round of disc in a groomed park setting with views of the Snake River valley that went on for ever! A beautiful course with lush green grass to walk about on. Not much chance of losing a disc here! Lots of up and down too! Weird technology on the hole targets. Solar powered lights? Not sure. The RA called the college that installed them to find out. Not a definitive answer. She thought they might be for lights at night but we couldn't see any bulbs.
The next round was a Hell's Gate State Park on the Snake River. A fine nine hole in a river bottom that makes good use of the limited up and down available. No course map at the course, we got some help from a local who steered us to the #5 target from the up bank tee. It is hidden behind some shrubbery to right of the #7 target we thought was #5. After this round, we saddled up and headed to Walla Walla which we attained in a couple of hours. We got there in time to catch about 8 holes at Fort Walla Walla Park. It was tough to find the tees to match the targets but the RA got his phone out and found a course map that helped but it was still tough. This course has some length to it. Not my favorite thing in a course. We found our Quality Inn on Priceline and the Count discovered he had left a jacket behind in Missoula and he lost a pair of reading glasses on the Fr. Walla Walla course (a function of old age?) . Check your room closely before leaving! Dinner was put to Yelp and a discovery of a 5 star Whoop 'Em UP Cafe took us there. $$ Creole food and it was fabulous. We both had File Gumbo! YUMMY. As we were finishing, 6 witches came in to have some wine and fun. They were a good group in pre-Halloween celebration. Well done costumes.
DAY FOUR:
Wiccan witches of the west,
Magic moments are the best
When the leisure expert wizard is left
To put the six witch’s to the test.
-by Joy Love-
 We motored out of Walla Walla after a reasonable 'free' hotel breakfast toward Yakima. A friend, Jesse Ingram, had moved to Yakima about 9 years ago and he designed a course the Count wanted to play. It was excellent. Wide Hollow Course in some park in Yakima. 9 holes in a lush green grass setting with enough trees to make it interesting. Lunch was at the Taco Bus (see photo at the top of the blog) which is our favorite taqueria ever. We had tortas. Taqueria Jauciense!!! YUMMY again! After that we took Highway 821 along the Yakima River to Ellensburg and then on Highway 10 to Cle Elum to fuel at the Safeway. This car was remarkably fuel efficient averaging 27.5 MPG. With only an 18 gallon tank and burning regular it still got us over 400 miles a tank. A round of disc, repeating on the Suncadia 9 hole course saw Count Ferrari finally catch and beat the Rear Admiral for a one stroke lead at the end of 9 holes. The Rear Admiral had really stepped up his game since retirement! From Roslyn we took Highway 90 to the West and to Kirkland where we parted company around 5:30 PM. A good trip!
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Sunday, October 1, 2017
GHEDI 2017 Fall Tournament
The GHEDI
(Griffin Hill Equinox Disc Invitational)
occurred on September 23, 2017
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| Group photo of the players! (23 counted) Photo by Sonia |
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| The score card! Photo by Joy |
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| The loot for the awards. Many returning trophies. |
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| Legs driving #7 of 10. Photo by Joy |
The weather was perfect in the high 60's and sunny. The amount of players did not crowd the course and the food was too much, as usual!
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| The tee box on hole 8 of the 18. Photo by Joy |
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| The target is just visible on the tree with the survey tape showing. #8 on the 18. Photo by Joy |
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| Horses check out the discs. Photo by Joy |
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Legs and her escort of RBGs
Really Big Guys!
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| Legs showing the path her disc took on it's way to target #15. |
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| That's right, through here! |
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| The awards ceremony by Count Enrico. |
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| Taking a break at the clubhouse between rounds. Scorekeepers on the right working hard to set up the teams for best disc on the 10 hole round. Note: Previous scorecards mounted on garage door dating back to 2008. |
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| Ozetta (the white horse, Nick, Cajun (reigning course champion), B Eh?, the Count. Quite a team playing on the 18 hole pitch and putt course. Photo by Legs! |
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| Wildlife in the pond at Griffin Hill. Note water level is very low. Agatha, the hippo usually has just her head above water. Clingmon, the swamp monster, is looking for chow always! Photo by Joy |
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| Entrance to Griffin Hill. Photo by Joy |
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Disc Golf, island courses in the San Juans and Gulf Islands
Disc Golf Cruise, June 2017
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| Disc Golf courses known as of this writing to Count Ferrari |
Narrative:
The expedition to play disc
golf from the boat was a 2.5 week outing.
The boat was Jah Mon, a mighty racing Catalina 42 that was repurposed
for deluxe cruising. The crew was made
up of Count Enrico Ferrari (CF), JP, the Rear Admiral, and Sara Jane (SJ),
Legs.
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| Our exploration vehicle at the dock. |
The 1994 Catalina 42 Mk 1, Jah Mon, was our home away from home. Very comfy. We mostly motored but had a couple good sailing runs that make it much more relaxed than listening to the iron spinnaker (the diesel). We tried to keep our daily moves under 25 miles and mostly did so.
Departed Anacortes at 1630 on June 17. Anchored in Swift Bay
Arrived in Roche Harbor and toured the Sculpture Garden Cove
Park
Headed out the next day to Saturna
Island
Motor sailed across to Port Browning on Pender Island that same day and took a taxi to play
the Pender Island Disc
Park
Headed to Mayne Island Disc at Dinner Bay Park Wallace Island
Motored north to Dogfish
Bay inside Kendrick Island
Got an early start to transit the Straits of Georgia, 0700
to 1300, beam reaching in 8-20k apparent winds and then motoring in English Bay Vancouver ! Stayed two nights.
The over view of our path on Jah Mon
Motored to Keats
Island
Motored north to look into Smuggler’s Cove and then anchored
at North Thoromby Marine
Park
We ended up at Lasqueti
Island and took the dink over to Jedidiah Marine Park
Turning south now, we departed for Naniamo and had to cross
the Whiskey Gulf Weapons Testing area.
It was active and several boats had the helicopter warning to “turn 180
and make best speed until exiting the zone!” The military had 3 vessels and
were testing torpedoes.
Arrived at the Naniamo Yacht Club and took advantage of the
reciprocal moorage getting the last spot on the guest dock. We took a taxi direct to the Bowen Park
We took another round at Mayne Island
Our final round for the trip was at Roche Harbor
OVERALL SYNOPSIS
The order and amount of holes we played in 2.3 weeks of
bopping about in the boat.
Saturna: 9
Pender: 27
Mayne: 18
Keats: 9
Naniamo: 18
Mayne: 18
Roche Harbor 18
Total Holes 144
Courses in the NW Islands
from a boat.
Our path to Roche Harbor from the Gulf Islands
Course Notes:
18 hole course of moderate
challenge. Lots of trees, keep an eye on
discs gone wrong.
Sunday AM best disc
tournaments (10:00am ?)
Mach baskets
Rubber tee pads
Club house (shed) with good
course map
Parking
Boat access: Customs clearing is done here. Arrival before 10:00 am will get you to the front of the line. After clearing, one can either go to the dock
at the Roche Harbor
Directions to the disc course: Ask at the
store or hotel for a map of the Roche Harbor Trails. The walk is 45 minutes to the course up past
the water tanks or a 7 minute drive if you take a taxi. There are nice benches at most tees. Look for a worn trail between holes and a
photo of the course map might also assist getting about the course without
getting lost.
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| Map available at the Roche Harbor Hotel or maybe the Grocery Stroe. |
The course is tight with
trees and very garden like BUT a spotter is recommended on most holes or a lot
of time will be spent looking for errant throws. The round took a bit under two hours for 2 of
us playing.
JP needs to be documented by getting a 120’ bird on hole #8. A hyzer shot around a tree and in! He had a very good round at a +9, soundly beating the Count who scored a dismal +17. Perhaps the extra G&Ts contributed to the score?
A fine bit of art on hole 13. Titled the “Shrivler”.
Course Map:
Course Notes:
Nine Holes
Small tonal targets
Course map
Tee boards, painted white in
ground
Numbers on tees
Shorter but technical holes.
Grass field park with picnic
tables
Parking
Dock
Course Map:
JP and SJ contemplate how to
get to the target behind the tree. Note
toe board and tee number signage.
Tonal targets, maybe 14” tall
and 4” in diameter. Appear to be old
fire extinguishers. Good tone when hit.
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| JP and SJ check out the target, up behind a tree from the #6 tee box. |
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'Thrusters ' left on stump by us. One ‘3’ and two ‘2’s |
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| Dock we accessed the park from. Jah Mon tied to dock. |
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| Anchorage in Port Browning for the Pender Island Disc Course. |
Course notes:
27 holes, 9 tonals and 18
chain baskets
Dirt tees with stone tee
boxes
Championship quality disc to
be had here with every kind of tree, rock elevation change variation.
Located on top of a hill and
is a $20 taxi ride (includes tip) from Port Browning or is a 45 minute walk on
the Heart Trail and some roads. Get
local directions
Water available at course
Course map
Established over 30 years.
Nice course decoration on
rocks at tees
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| Course Map, worth the $20 taxi ride to the course. |
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| SJ teeing off on Hole 1. 9 holes of tonal targets on top of a huge rock! |
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| Hole # 5 tee board/rock with art stones. JP and SJ walking to their throws. |
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| #14 is the longest hole on the course. |
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| This is a day anchorage on Mayne or overnight if things are peaceful in the weather. The dink ride goes over a long shallow beach that would be tough to haul a dink with a motor on up to the beach. There are stairs up to the park in the deep left part of the bay. |
Course Notes:
18 Holes
No map and a bit tricky on 6
and 8 to find the tees.
Chain baskets
Technical, especially the
‘Signature’ hole (12?)
Mown lawn for some holes and
nice trails under trees for some others.
Amazing Japanese Garden
This park is one of our favorites and has something for everyone.
This park is one of our favorites and has something for everyone.
Photo of the tee location for hole 7:
You will need to commit this to memory as the location of it is tricky and not really well marked. It is near the road intersection turning into the park.
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| Entrance to Japanese Garden, VERY worthy of viewing. Donations keeping it very serene! |
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| Horse shoes available by pits. Other amenties include a putting practice green, swings, zip line, picnic facility, baseball field, etc.... |
Queen Elizabeth Park,
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| Our path sailed across the Straits of Georgia on a glorious day of sailing. Arrived at the False Creek Yacht Club around 11:00 AM. Most excellent location! |
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| Sign and Hole #1 are near the lily pad pond |
Course Notes:
18 concrete tees and 9
targets
The easier and older 9 hole
course features octagonal tees with brass numbers embedded
Targets were chain baskets
Mown lawn fairways
Course Map across a small
bridge near the pond and there are two practice baskets there.
Hole one is just above the
pond full of lily pads (which one can elect to throw over at great risk of disc
loss)
General Notes:
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| SJ, JP, and LD watching the cricket match at Stanley Park. |
Sights seen:
Maritime Muesum (water taxi)
Granville Market (water taxi)
QE Park Disc (LD taxi)
Van Duesen’s Botanical Garden
(taxi)
Urban Fare Market
(provisions) (LD taxi)
Dispensary for LD tincture
Dining out:
Mexican taqueria was superb
Vietnamese dinner in Yale Town
Drinks at the False Creek YC
(had live music!)
Course Map located near
bridge by the lily pad pond.
Bonus photo of the crew
watching a Cricket match at Stanley
Park
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| We motored out of Vancouver, north of Keats. ETD around 11:00 and ETA around 14:00 at Plumper Cove Marine Park. |
Course notes:
This is a nine hole private
course open to the public. Tonal targets
and no tees as of June
25, 2017 .
No course map but it starts
low and goes up hill. The targets are
well marked for sequence.
Located on Keats Island
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| Where we got a mooring buoy at |
A fine walk on a nicely mown
lawn on the grounds of an 80 acre compound.
Note: There could be a retreat in session with up
to 90 guests. There are 40 staff, a
small general store with limited hours.
A treat to see the fancy construction.
All well done and fun to see.
Sara Jane says “ No vampires
were spotted”. (Dark Shadows reference)
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| We just missed seeing a pod of whales swimming by while we were playing this course. |
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| 25,000 sq. ft.conference center. Looking North over Howe Sound |
A 30 minute walk through a gorgeous forest trail.
This conference center (not finished yet, 3 years in the build so far)
has a GREAT view. All posts and beams
were logged and cut on the estate of 80 acres.
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| An unusual tonal target. Labels on targets, note #7 at top. |
East Coast of Vancouver Island , British Columbia , Canada
Chart of Jah Mon’s path from Lasqueti to Naniamo
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| Another good day of sailing with a north breeze. Whiskey Gulf was active, just to the right of our path. Not a good place to stray on that day. Torpedoes were being tested. |
Course Notes:
36@ 10’ concrete tees, 18 chain baskets
Longest hole, 650’+
Mown lawn under dappled sun
most days.
Lawn bowling(VERY COOL),
swimming pool, horseshoe pit, volley ball sand court are all featured. NICE
Course map at hole one at the
top of the park, above the pool.
6x6 posts with signage and
tee numbers and map of hole at each tee.
Our round:
CF = +1, JP = +3, SJ = +7 on 6-27-17
Sara Jane hit a ‘double
miracle’ 90’ bird! JP had a ‘miracle’
bird around two trees at 40’. The Count
had some nice drives with a couple ‘gimme’ birds with one putt for bird turning
to a dog poo bogie.
Both JP and SJ noted the
elevation changes really enhance the course.
SJ notes the ‘tincture’ also assisted in the lift.
Other notes: A taxi ride was a bit over $10 Cdn up to the
course from the Yacht Club or it would have
been a 30 minute walk UP.
Navigation Chart (revisited with some anecdote) :
Our chart for the day wound south
around Whiskey Gulf
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| 36 tees, 18 targets + practice targets. Amazing park! |
Map of disc course, located
on the slight rise above the pool. Map
located next to Hole 1. There are Blue
and White tees. The tees with the most
wear around them are the older and easier holes. The easier holes are what we played.
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| 100' from where SJ shot to target. Double Miracle Bird! |
The view from Sara Jane’s
‘Double Miracle’ 90’ bird shot. JP and
CF standing next to target. Her first
bird on this course!
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