Category: Vancouver Island

Last summer, August of 2009, I had the opportunity to visit Chemainus, BC, to see a friend in their annual summer musicals. I had never been to Chemainus before and didn’t know what to expect. However, after only about an hour after arriving I realized I had fallen in love with the place! It is located in between Duncan  and Nanaimo, and you can either take a ferry from Vancouver to Duke Point, or Vancouver/Tsawwassen to Schwartz  Bay and drive up from Victoria. Each summer, Chemainus has a Musical Theatre Festival in their beautiful, newly renovated downtown theatre. I saw “Oklahoma” […]

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I have had the opportunity to travel back and forth from Vancouver Island many times, but I mostly found myself in the heart of Victoria. There are many smaller towns which have absolutely charming attributes, and nooks and crannies waiting to be discovered. My parents took me to Tofino many times as a child, and as I venture back there as an adult, the outward appearance may have changed a little, but the spiritual heart of the town never escaped me. Tofino is an absolutely picturesque, healing and calming place. It is located on the tip of Vancouver Island, and […]

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Coastal Sooke, just 35 minutes from Victoria, is a tranquil refuge from the bustle of city life. The area enjoys a relaxed casual lifestyle in a rural setting but still affords many of the amenities of city life. Sooke offers some of the mildest climate in Western Canada, with warm and dry summer months and wet and mild winter months. Sooke, the gateway to the West Coast Road, winds 74 km along the coast to Port Renfrew and the starting point for the world-famous West Coast Trail. This is one of the South Island’s most spectacular drives – it winds […]

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What a beautiful summer it has been so far. Since the end of May I believe it has only rained for 4 days. I love staying here. Whether in the upper or lower suite, the views are incredible from our private deck. At times the sunsets light up the sky till almost 10:30 at night.   They provide kayaks here which you can launch right off the beach in front of the lodge. As soon as you leave the deck you are on the beach and can walk for miles.   There are a couple of beautiful hiking trails. The Mateoja […]

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What better way to experience your destination than by enjoying local food and beverage.  The communities of Comox and Courtenay are bursting with the sights, smells and tastes of passionate people willing to share their products with you. If you are lucky enough to be here on a Saturday you can start your day at The Comox Farmers Market, a favourite gathering place since 1992.  You can sip a coffee, nibble on home baked treats and enjoy our local entertainment while supporting our local farms and businesses.  The market is located in the Exhibition Fair Grounds. After the market head […]

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Victoria BC has a diverse range of appealing attractions and activities so it naturally draws a wide range of visitors who stay at equally diverse bed and breakfasts. There’s something for everyone to do and somewhere for everyone to stay. This tiny part of BC on southern Vancouver Island offers a microcosm of the province including ocean beaches, pretty lakes, rainforest parks and mountain vistas. There are first rate attractions too such as the Butchart Gardens, the Royal BC Museum, Craigdarroch Castle and the Inner Harbour. Visitors enjoy enthralling activities such as whale-watching, kayaking, sailing, fishing, golf, biking and hiking. […]

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Nestled within the stunning landscape of the East Coast of Vancouver Island is “Fairwinds” at Nanoose Bay – just south of Parksville and north of Nanaimo.  Located on the leeward side of the mountain Nanoose Bay has the bragging rights of the mildest climate in Canada. As you drive down Powder Point Road past Enos Lake to Fairwinds, you may wonder where these names originated.  The forest engulfs the relics of bygone years, but a little delving into the past soon uncovers a colorful history here.  The first settler on the Nanoose Peninsula was John Enos.  Originally from the Azores, […]

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Port Alberni is on the way to the West Coast and is the last stop for gas and other facilities before tackling the very scenic Highway 4. Cathedral Grove is the first must see on your drive westward towards Port Alberni. A beautiful stand of old and very large Cedars and Douglas Fir trees awaits you. There are trails on both sides of the highway, but please obey the signs as all traffic headed in and out of Port Alberni use this highway, traffic can be quite heavy. MacMillan Provincial Park is where Cathedral Grove is located, a great place […]

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Pacific Rim National Park is considered a “nature reserve”, having never actually been granted park status by the Federal Government, but that aside, it is a very unique and special place.   No, it doesn’t have any ski hills or major hiking trails, but what it does have is real.  What you see is the product of wind, rain and salt spray.   The trees are often twisted and stunted and when you look at them, you can see they are clinging on to the volcanic rock and you wonder how old they really are.  It is a marginal existence, coated with […]

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Vancouver Island covers 31,284 sq. km (19,439 sq. mi.); it is Canada’s tenth-largest island. It is the visible part of an underwater mountain chain and is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Juan de Fuca, Johnstone and Georgia Straits. The southwest coast of Vancouver Island is famous for having more than 200 shipwrecks. The wild and long West Coast Trail was built to help shipwrecked people survive. The name Gulf Islands is used to describe over 200 islands and islets in the Georgia Strait between the BC mainland and Vancouver Island. Saltspring and Hornby Islands are examples.

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