Tag: Walks

While on the last few hours of our trip to Sooke, we wanted to see one of the train trestles on the Galloping Goose Trail. This trail is part of the Part of the Trans Canada Trail. It begins in Leechtown (a former gold rush town), north of the Sooke Potholes Regional Park, to the Johnson Street Bridge in downtown Victoria. Our tiny 20 minute walk began after we investigated the Sooke Potholes Regional Park. A local said that the best way to see a trestle was to access the Galloping Goose Trail just north of Meota Drive, off of […]

Read more

For this particular side trip, we were based in Sooke. Port Renfrew is a slow 72 km (45 mi.) east of Sooke. I say slow because Highway 14, also known as the West Coast Road, winds a lot and is comprised of a mixed quality of roadway. It’s best to leave at least 90 minutes for the trip so that you can add on a couple of minutes to reach the Botanical Beach Park parking lot. To make our trip more challenging, we did this in March and the road changes elevations and also a couple of degrees in temperature. […]

Read more

In my opinion, the Top Five things to do on Texada Island are: Walking old growth forest trailsThe Dr. Kay Garner Nature Trail along the forested shoreline of Shelter Point Regional Park offers some spectacular examples of BC coastal forest. The trail begins at the intersection of Gillies Bay Rd. and Shelter Point Rd. Hiking and camping Shelter Point Regional Campground. Ocean front and rich forested camp sites, food concession, showers and there are no land predators to eat you. This is a spectacular public spot for watching sunsets. The park entrance is at the intersection of Gillies Bay Rd. […]

Read more

Located near Egmont on the Sunshine Coast, this is an unusual Provincial Park for a number of reasons.  When you think “park” one often thinks of nice spots to have a picnic or enjoy a view.  The view at the end of the trail is the ultimate purpose of the park. Visitor Centres and your accommodations will have a tide chart for Skookumchuck Narrows.  Plan to arrive shortly before the tide ebbs or floods or you won’t receive the full reward for taking the trail. The Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park’s parking lot is off Egmont Road, about 6 km (4 […]

Read more

A small mountain town known for its mining heritage, nestled between majestic Rocky Mountain peaks? Yes. Epic skiing and snowboarding all winter long? Yes. A dozen lakes and rivers to swim, boat, raft, fish, and float on in the summer? Yes. Dozens of trails to hike and bike from dawn ’til dusk? Yes. Nightlife that rivals the best night out in any Canadian city? Yes. Welcome to Fernie. I’m not from around these parts, not by a long shot. Coming from Vancouver and having lived in international cities, I was skeptical of the list I just mentioned. But having spent […]

Read more

For those of you who really love nature and natural places there is a ideal location to visit only minutes out of downtown Vancouver, and it isn’t Stanley Park.  Just over the Lion’s Gate Bridge and a bit west is Lighthouse Park; a place where the old trees still stand tall.  Lighthouse Park isn’t very large but it is packed with interest for nature lovers and people who love the great outdoors. Trip Advice: If the day is sunny and nice try the bus (Route 250, goes over the Lion’s Gate Bridge which is a thrill on its own), as […]

Read more

Cliff Gilker Park is the easiest of three walks we did on our Sunshine Coast vacation.  The problem for us was a three-year-old.  He was keen to walk his little legs off, but with roots and ups an downs, we were worried. Before I get too far into the details, Cliff Gilker Park, is at 3110 Sunshine Coast Highway near the Roberts Creek Road intersection.  The access to the park is on the east side of Hwy 101.  We took the upper parking lot.  At the same location were swings, a baseball diamond and well kept bathrooms. The key reason […]

Read more

Victoria, British Columbia, is a wonderful place to visit because it boasts the mildest climate in Canada.  Therefore, visitors can enjoy many different outdoor attractions and shopping opportunities.  One of my favourites is checking out the public markets.  There are several different markets open between the months of April and October. Public markets are appealing because they offer a wide range of different items, sold directly by the artisan or grower, which makes it much more personal.  Markets may sell a variety of local produce, meat, seafood, cheese, bread, bakery items, along with artwork, handicrafts and jewellery.  Even when I […]

Read more

Living in Vancouver for many years, my family and I have visited Victoria several times.  We do not own a vehicle so when family members come to visit we often rent a car to make the trip over to Vancouver Island.  But we’ve also gone as foot passengers, from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria.  It’s actually quite easy for those that prefer not to drive. Victoria, BC is the fittest city in the country, according to Statistics Canada.  Victorians make more than 120,000 trips a day by foot.  City planners are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and hope to […]

Read more

In the summer of 2010, I lived in an apartment hotel in Vancouver’s West End.  (Specifically 910 Beach Ave Apartment Hotel.)  I was enjoying Stanley Park’s Second Beach which has a good playground and a marvelous pool as well as the ocean.  My ride back had left and I was happy, during a warm stunning sunset, to walk along the Stanley Park Seawall, which leads to a waterfront walk along English Bay. Vancouver’s West End is known for its eccentrics.  So, people-watching is great.  Somehow with a stunning sunset and warm conditions even the more erratic people have a (relatively) care-free […]

Read more