Artful Salt Spring Island, B.C

Sunset, Sept, 1996 by Steven R. Lorton

One day as I was driving between Salt Spring Island's main town of Ganges and the village of Vesuvius, a small handmade sign (one of dozens along the roadside) drew me off the road and up to an artist's studio. The French doors on the small, shingled building were wide open, but not a soul was in sight. Inside, I found bowls and plates with shiny glazes lining the shelves.

Soon enough, a man in clay-splattered clothing stepped through the door and said, "I'm Mark Meredith. These are my pots." Two hours later, after having seen his showroom, workshop, and kiln as well as his house and garden, I drove away - the proud owner of four handsome pots.

Such encounters are not uncommon on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, where more than 75 artists maintain studios. In fact, the quantity and quality of the art here is one reason the island's population swells during the tourist season. But in September, the visitors begin to thin out and life slows down.

Salt Spring lies off the east coast of Vancouver Island and is about a 35-minute ferry ride north of Swartz Bay, near Victoria. The largest link in the Gulf Islands chain, Salt Spring covers 74 square miles. Its landscape ranges from thick forests to lush farmland.

When you've had your fill of art, drive up to Mount Maxwell Provincial Park, then hike to one of the lookouts for spectacular views: across the Strait of Georgia lie Washington's San Juan Islands - and beyond them, the snowcapped peaks of the Cascade and Olympic ranges.

At the south end of the island, 1,200-acre Ruckle Provincial Park has miles of hiking trails leading through old-growth forests and along the beach, where anemones and sea stars lurk in tidepools.

LOGISTICS

There are more than 100 bed-and-breakfast inns on the island. Hastings House (800/661-9255), which resembles an English country estate, offers suites from $310 to $440 Canadian per night (double occupancy); its dining room is open to nonguests as well as guests. There are also rooms available at charming late-19th- and early-20th-century farmhouses like Beddis House (604/537-1028; $140 to $170) and Green Rose Farm (537-9927; $110). At the Windmill (653-4386; $125), you can rent a cottage attached to a working windmill overlooking Fulford Harbour.

A number of good restaurants offer Northwest cuisine as well as ethnic specialties. At Bouzouki Greek Care (537-4181), owner Georgia Asproloupos will fix you up with a Greek salad chock-full of feta cheese and olives, and a skewer of souvlaki (beef or chicken). House Piccolo (537-1844) serves up traditional European dishes along with Scandinavian specialties. At Pomodore (537-2247), owner-chef Mirjana Vukman creates Mediterranean dishes. And at Seacourt Restaurant (537-4611), chefs Larry Lee from 'Singapore and Jauthra Benetau from Thailand create dishes that blend their culinary heritages.

For maps and more lodging options, call Salt Spring Island Visitor Information in Ganges at 537-5252 or stop by the office, at 121 Lower Ganges Road.

You can reach Long Harbour or Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island aboard one of the B.C. Ferries departing from Tsawwassen, near Vancouver on the mainland, or from Swartz Bay. For ferry schedules and fare information, call 386-3431.