The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: June eleventh, surveying Salt Spring Island.

Named for the dozens of saline streams that bubble from its flanks, Salt Spring is the largest of some 450 or so rocky bumps in the archipelago of Canada's southern Gulf Islands. Its 75-square miles are nestled in the Georgian Straits off British Columbia's coast, between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Most of Salt Spring's 12,000 full time residents live in Ganges, its only full fledged town, named for the British Navy ship that patrolled local waters in the mid-19th century. At 1984 feet, Mount Maxwell is literally the highest point.

That's not to infer a shortage of other high points, as evidenced by the 200,000 visitors who troop off the ferries each year from early April, when wildflowers burst open like popcorn, into October, when Salt Spring's alders and big leaf maples color up. In addition to scenic drives and hiking, visitors come to bicycle, beachcomb, birdwatch and browse boutiques and galleries of Ganges and Fulford Harbor, on the island's southern tip. There are no big hotels, but the island's 60 B&Bs and dozens of small restaurants are very accommodating.

Salt Spring's resident population is interesting, a mix of old farming and fishing families and creative newcomers. Some claim the island has a magical ability to inspire beginnings. Or maybe the secret is its distance from the modern hustle. Only 35 miles from Vancouver, the 3 hour ferry ride makes visitors slow down. Moving to Salt Spring means giving up a lot, but new residents discover most of that wasn't necessary, while the sense of place and self they gain really is.

There's a Salt Spring sojourn in this issue of the magazine, National Geographic Traveler, a supporter of our program. You can register for a free, sample copy at our home page.

FMI Salt Spring Island Visitor Center: 250-537-5252 or www.saltspringtoday.com

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