Fernie Fun Finally – The End of 2014 Canadian Adventure

We drove towards Fernie with every intention of leaving after three days to pop up to Banff before flying out of Calgary. Imi had lived in Fernie for five years, so her pull towards the town is stronger than mine (friends still there). But as we got closer, everything inside me screamed happiness. It wasn’t until we actually pulled into Kelly’s driveway that I turned to Imi and calmly informed her that we wouldn’t be making it to Banff this trip (she had been there before so no skin off her nose).

We settled into our den, unpacked the essentials and tested that our fold down bed would support the both of us and we were off. Introductions and reunions were quickly made, and I felt at home as part of the Fernie family once again. Kelly, Hannah, Rob, and Imi would be the key players in helping to make Fernie the best and most action packed part of this Canadian roadtrip.

We got straight into Summer living, heading out to Coal Creek for some rock jumping and sun baking. Rock jumping never seems scary until you’re standing right on the very edge (like many things in life). It was Rob, the husky voiced musician/snowboard instructor from Ireland, that showed us ladies how it was done, smashing out a classy breakaway backflip.

Fernie is Freedom. Freedom to express yourself, freedom in nature, freedom in activities and in lifestyle. It is a place that opens the soul and relaxes you into doing things you have previously told yourself you didn’t want to do or couldn’t do. One example for me is trail riding on a mountain bike. I’m not the most coordinated person on a bike…. I tried it for the first time several years ago in Fernie with an old friend. He took me on a trail far too advanced for both my ability and confidence! As a result of that, for many years the thought of trail riding scared the crap out of me. Back home my brother has started to get more serious about his mountain biking, so took me on some trails around Jindabyne in NSW Snowy Mountains. It was a massive confidence boost and I ended up really loving it. So, seeing as 2014 is all about saying yes to new adventures, and Fernies Summer activity IS mountain biking….I pumped myself up to try it again in Fernie.

We rented some amazing bikes from the guys at Gear Hub and climbed the hills up to Ridgemont. For the next few hours we slogged our way uphill, downhill, back up, down stitch backs, tackling blue runs. I pushed my comfort barriers, sweated like never before, and learnt that turning left is just as hard as Zoolander makes it out to be! I had my first fall of many within minutes of starting downhill. Raised bridge as wide as me….Imi forgot to mention that speed was my friend… I was down…landed in a tree and received a bruise that went from mid thigh up to mid buttocks! Next was a head first dive over the handlebars after hitting a rock …. This one left me with bruises up the arm, a sore wrist, a bent up ring and a hole in my finger. I then managed to wrap my bike around myself and bruised thighs, knees and somehow under my arm! We laughed so loud and so often that people commented upon meeting us further on the trail. It was amazing and I can’t wait to get back on a bike trail again.

These wouldn’t be my only biking injuries for the trip…..
Walking my bike down 2nd Ave with the group, I went to sit on the middle bar when I over balance and fell on top of it in the middle of the pathway. As I landed on the bike, the side of my face landed right into the side of the handle bar….after a quick intake to ask if I still had all my teeth (all good ma), my numb jaw wouldn’t open too far as the swelling started. After a minute the giggles started and turned into hysteric laughter at the stupidness of my actions and unbeleivability of how it actually came about….
And lastly, during an attempted beer pass off while peddling into town, I hit the wrong brake and launched myself over the handle bars landing in the middle of the road about 10 metres away from my bike.  It’s probably safe to say I’m not a bike person but I wouldn’t have changed any of the spills. But I will be adding the last two to my list of “what the..?!” moments.

Our next adventure was a drive out to Island Lake. My first trip out there in the Summer and it was breathtaking. We took our time and cruised around the Lake Trail . The Island is home to three moose, a mumma and her two little ones….was a little sad they didn’t want to grace us with their presence. The pictures only give you an idea of how pretty it is out there. As you sit on the lake, you look up into the mountain and see the areas used for cat skiing…..what I wouldn’t do to get back there and ski those bowls!

In Fernie, there is never a dull moment, we filled the inbetween time with:
– Late night bonfires with guitar sing alongs and s’mores.
– Late night bike rides through town doing Supermans and wheelies
– Trips to the Brickhouse, Northern and The Royal for beverages and pool.
– A wobbly, group bike ride out to Alpine Trails to take a late night Hot Tub under the stars with drinks and music at Kelly’s friends house.
– Hang over mornings at Big Bang Bagel with Avo Launchers and hydrating smoothies
– A trip to the Art gallery on 2nd Ave to find a wedding present (photograph) for our friends to remind them of where they met and where their relationship took off.
– Group family dinner in Yamagoya Sushi
– Rainy afternoon movies
– Lounge room pillow and doona forts
– Mac and cheese night
– Late night games of sardines (bug kids hide and seek)

– Walks out to the old abandoned barn in town
– Gourmet picnics in the park

….. Just to name a few things

Travelling and seeing new places is nothing without the people you meet and the experiences you have. Kelly introduced us to so many people in town that wanted to include us.

One such person was a guy that had every toy imaginable! 4×4, Boats, motorbikes, mountain bikes, snow mobiles, and quad bikes just to name a few. He took us 4x4ing and then let Imi and I drive his Quad bike up to and back from the “Microwave towers”. Thumb full throttle, puddles splashing us our legs, we charged along the trail. At the top of the mountain we lit a fire, drank peppermint hot chocolate, drove golf balls off the lookout, and embraced the scenery with our whole bodies.

Our next new friend owned a wakeboarding boat. She took us out to Lake Koocanusa for an afternoon of water adventures. Water skiing for Imi and wake boarding for me. Kelly drove like a rockstar, and Rob looked like he was snowboarding on water. Lucy took the biggest wipeout of the day and Karina was clearing the wakes and making us all look like amateurs. We stayed in the lake for several hours, five of us taking turns in the water, until the light started to fade and a giant storm looked imminent.

Our last day was a slow start….After a Big Bang refuel, Kelly decided that taking a swim in the river would be a fabulous idea (in reality it was only ever going to be the boys that would take the plunge). Kelly managed a splashing, while Hannah and Imi built up a small campfire on the side of the river. A cold, cloudy, and hungover fall day spent by a river came with Hannah’s camping pots, and a tin of Tim Hortons Hot Chocolate. Just as the first pot was boiled, Rob managed to split the whole pot with his Irish luck, the second pot was filled with leaves after Kelly tried to add a helping hand….we settled for the third luke warm pot of water after the wood burnt through and we lost a third of the pot to the fire! We really had done this before, I swear!

It was sad saying goodbye to Fernie again, I feel apart of me will always long to set my feet there for at least a few years. I said my goodbyes and we left town on a cloudy, dreary day to match my somber mood; starting our drive out to Calgary.

Imi took the last leg of driving, having done the drive many times before. The must stop off on the one road out to Calgary is the Cinnamon Bear for their Cinnamon buns and hot chocolates! Our accommodation for our last night in Canada was lavish compared to our month of couches, floors, fold out beds, and bunk beds. A fluffy queen bed each which we instantly sprawled out across to all corners like stars. If you are ever looking for a last minute hotel to fly out of Calgary, be sure to hit up the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Calgary. They have a restaurant and offer a shuttle to the airport. The price was half of places in the area like the Holiday Inns etc.

This marks the end to my 2014 Canadian Roadtrip and my 6th trip to Canada. A month long adventure with amazing people, creating lifelong memories and plenty of new experiences. From weddings and waterfights in Vancouver, Wineries and girlfriends in Kelowna, Comedians in Revelstoke, Art and Hippies in Nelson, to Mountain biking and Irish luck in Fernie.  Thanks to everyone involved, especially my partner in crime and sidekick Miss Imi. Canada you have reignited my love for you and I can’t wait to get back!

Nelson…the land of pirates and signs asking for help “getting home”

We made it into Nelson with our hitch hiker and kitten in toe in the late afternoon. We stayed the one night in town in the cute hostel on Main Street called The Dancing Bear Inn.

I have been to Nelson in the winter time to ski at Whitewater ski resort, but Summer is a whole new city. On one side you have the mountain bike culture, and the other….the fruit pickers and seasonal “hippy” likes passing through.

Always on the lookout for things that are away from the tourist trap we found the perfect afternoon activity. The local art school had an open day for locals to come in and create an Art piece. Create a Mandela on their interpretation of Peace, that would contribute to the community art gallery.

Mexican dinner!!! The server looked at me and actually laughed when I stated my allergies! Capsicum/peppers, chilli and coriander/cilantro. Obviously Mexican is not the best cuisine for me, but when I make it….it’s my favourite thing to eat. We settled in some fish, and cheese tacos for me and the most potent cocktails We’ve ever had!! Triple shots in a tiny glass….apparently, they breed Nelson people to be able to drink and rally like fish! Imi and I ended up in a local bar for pints and trolling the streets playing in the local sculptures. Keeping it classy in Nelson.

We were hoping to make an early hot yoga session next door this morning, however the hangover that joined me when I woke up did nothing to motivate me raising! We went to breakfast instead for eggs beni and stopped in to visit Nelson’s resident Pirate Ship. A few years back it had been sunk during a bad storm, recently it was resurrected through the assistance of the community. The gentleman that lives there is one lucky Pirate!

An awesome warm up to head into the epic finally of our Canadian roadtrip. Off to Fernie, BC next….the town I left part of my heart and soul back in 2012.

Getting Stoked in Revelstoke

The 14th of August was another day on the road. One of my favourite days on the road!!! The drive from Kelowna to Revelstoke is full of fun! Start about two hours in with the fairytale playground of Daves Goat Walk 🙂

Next, you will drive through the haunted ghost town of 3 Valley Gap.  Beware, the ghost sightings are enough to chill the warmest of blood in this valley.  The last stop off I can recommend is the Hubcap graveyard at Gordon’s New and Used Hubcaps just before you get to Revelstoke.

We planned our arrival into Revelstoke around a yoga session.  Yin Yoga at Balu on first St, was exactly what our bodies needed after a week on the road.  Yoga poses held for up to 5mins each that stretched out the hips and lower back! Perfect for me 🙂 I felt my hip flexes stretch in a whole new range of stretches and movements.  We finished the night with a few drinks and dinner at the local Village Idiots. One of my favourite establishments in town.

The next morning we went for breakfast up on Revelstoke Ski Resort. For $ 33 each got a gondola ride and got to eat a full hot breakfast; omelets, BACON, waffles, fruit, pastries, tea, coffee and juice.  Being Summer, there was obviously no snow, but there was also nothing to see….just fog.  We caught with the occasional glimps of adjacent mountains and the town and river below.  We also spotted an island within a lake within an island within a lake just like inception! Only to find ourselves three hours later on that very lake edge looking at the tiny island within!

With clouds and forecasted thunderstorms today, we decided our best option was to brave the mountains with a hike along Begbie Fall/creek trails. With the promise of waterfalls and a “beach” we set off with my fear of a bear popping up behind and in front of us!

Once again I’ll say, I’m so happy to be traveling with Imi! She kept me grounded, and made the gloomy slug through the forest as we were being attacked by every mosquito in the Kootenays, seem like a picnic in the park on a sunny day!

We walked down and around switchbacks, up and over ridges and bridges, dodged puddles and squelched through mud, until we found one small waterfall.  We decided that this COULDNT be the one we had read about, so we kept walking.  Down the trail playing Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo at intersections, until we found the large waterfall.

Seeing the waterfall we managed the customary ‘timer shots’ with some trial and error with my camera almost rolling down the hill.  Looking through the treeline we saw that the lake was just a short distance down, so we looked for a trail to get to the waterfront.  We found a narrow pathway through, and with no bears or moose in sight we stripped down to take a dip….Quick and shallow dip being the operative words needed due to the glacial temperatures and water depth that quickly dropped away to the black nether regions of god knows how deep!!

After a hot and sweaty slog out of the trail we made it back to our accomodation….the classy establishment of the Frontier Motel. Conveniently a greyhound bus stop, it also has its own restaurant and petrol station.  The Frontier was perfect, fitting snuggly into our budget, was a short walk into town AND we had a resident bikey next door for added protection!

Dressed and ready we set off into town for a night of adventure that would be spontaneous and unexpected. Ice creams and milkshakes at Nomads. , then a stop into the town Museum to see the new exhibition on World War One. Our walk led us to the town centre where we found the “Revelstoke Homecoming” gathering. A chance for all Revelstokers to come back together from near and far as a community for the day. Live music by The Maritime Kitchen was rocking the town square. Down the main street, there were two rows of old classic done up cars, opened up and on display for everyone to drool at…my favourite was probably the Red Dodge Pickup with refurbished wooden tray.  We sat down in a beer garden to watch and sing along to The Maritime Kitchen as we tasted the local golden ale and honey lager.

While we sat we saw that the Roxy, right across from us was holding Revelstokes Second Annual Comedy Festival that night. We went to try and get tickets but it was all sold out!!!  With only the one night in town, Imi had the brilliant idea to double check with the door staff and see if there was any chance of extra tickets becoming available. We put our names on a waiting list, and hoped that people wouldn’t show up. We made our way through the doors just before 8 🙂

We managed tickets, but they weren’t next to each other….actually on opposite sides of the theatre.  With couples next to me, Imi asked the guy behind her if he would swap…he did 🙂 so she ended up infront of me for the first two acts until one of the guys next to me left and we sat together.

Four comedians presented.  Revelstoke local girl Katie struck gold with her viewpoint of guys and girls in small ski towns….”Guys are always looking for a girl who can “KEEP UP”…..well…..slow the F*** down!”

Rupert Common – rapper, singer and guitar player, has a way with words like noone i’ve ever heard! He is in a class of his own that would be able to make the most serious of human beings crack a smile.  Canadians …. check him out if you have the opportunity. Tour dates.

To finish the night we had my favourite….the number one, under 30 comedian in Canada, Ivan Decker…. He extended his act by probably double his set to keep the audience in fits of laughter! I don’t think I’ve felt my face muscles cramp and hurt so badly!  A MUST SEE COMEDIAN !!! Check out some of his work at http://www.ivandecker.com/video/

A PERFECT way to end our time in Revelstoke.

Kelowna Wineries and Girl Time

11th of August saw Imi and I making the drive from Whistler to Kelowna.  It would be our longest day of driving for the trip, covering half of BC….we took the back routes to avoid driving back through Vancouver again. It was this day that we stopped at Joffrey Lakes and watched the car thermometer rapidly climb to 41degrees Celsius. We stopped at a petrol station in the middle of nowhere that was full service (people that fill the car for you!) A good idea to find employment for people in an area with not a lot happening. We had a Bald eagle flying beside the car which was incredible to see.

For a large part of the day we stuck to the river system, cruising along cliff edges that turned into one lane as parts of the road had slid away. Not ideal for Imi driving at the time and me hanging out the window to get a closer look, saying “Im, the road is literally falling down the cliff side” ….the reply was, as you could imagine, something along the lines of…”really Mel… I see that….do I need to know how bad it is while I drive?!?!” We made it around the cliff sides safety and drove into Kelowna to a killer sunset….blood red due to forest wild fires all over the area from yesterday, and roughly around 130 burning today.

After a night of catchups with our Kelowna based bombshell Daisy, we woke up to gorgeous weather and decided on a trip out to Cedar Creek Estate Winery. With views looking down to the lake we sat in the outdoor marque area. They had run out of the rose so I took waitress suggestion without a menu and managed to get a much fuller bodied red for twice the price as the rest of them…well played waitress…wellll played!!!

Next up…..Girls trip down to the lake with Ava dog. We all took a dip in the lake but had to make it out over the worlds slipperiest rocks/pebbles known to man!  We spent that night eating Daisys belated chocolate Rolo birthday cake, while receiving a world class country music education focused on the dream boats of the industry. It was an educational experience that would make my little sister proud.

Kelowna is known for its wineries! FACT! One of these is the very popular Mission Hill Family Estate Winery. It holds this reputation for good reason. The views and constantly changing art exhibitions are just the tip of its iceberg. Then you get to the restaurant and the wine tasting bars where the servers are full of information and facts. You can also walk through the perfect rows of grapevines on the estate, or attend one of the many events held throughout the year. But it’s essentially the wine that keeps the people flocking in. The Rose I taste tested while sitting in the outdoor patio, was incredible. So good, that I went back in and bought a whole bottle for later. I know this is the point, but as a budget traveller, taste testing is usually the extent of my purchases. THIS I hope tells you how much I enjoyed said wine! The bottle was later enjoyed on my last night in my second home, Fernie.

The girls and I enjoyed a delicious Momo sushi experience in downtown Kelowna, followed by my first froyo experience….blueberry cheesecake and vanilla yogurt with strawberries and blueberries….thank you to the inventor of froyo! We finished our time in Kelowna soaking up the last bit of sunshine in and out of the pool before a family dinner in town. Amber ale and the universes most peppery Mac and cheese!! Not so great for someone that can’t have pepper……

 

Vancouver Playtime and Whistler Trains

After a fairly uneventful ferry ride back to Vancouver, we navigated to one of Barlows friends houses to crash for the night. A case of beer and three Irishman provided great entertainment, and I only had to ask them to repeat what they said a handful of times in the hour…..We ended up having pizza from an Indian restaurant that tickled the taste buds and passed out on three respective couches to get some zzzzzz.

The 9th of August turned out to be one of my favourite days of my Canadian adventure. Vancouver really showed me a good time this trip.
We started the day heading into Granville Island Markets. The tiny island offers everything you could imagine, for every age. First we made a quick stop at my favourite brewery Granville Island Brewery to fill our growlers and then off I to the food hall for lunch. So much fresh produce and the variety of food stalls make the very indecisiveness in me struggle to pick one thing. So I decided on three stalls, walking away with fresh ciabatta, hummus and a fresh pesto pasta.

We needed to leave the Island and make our way to Stanley Park for our next activity. We were unsure what level of entertainment this activity would bring, so we set our standards low. Vancouvers Annual Water Fight. We rocked up with water bombs and high spirits. Hundreds of other people arrived with super soakers with back up tanks strapped to their backs, giant buckets and any other water fight instrument you could imagine. When I say hundreds…..I mean more people than we could possible have imagine….young and old, dressed up and bypasses that joined in. It didn’t matter who you wet, everyone was in the spirit and before we could throw our first water bombs we were soaked through. As you could imagine our little rubber balloons didn’t last long. Us thinking it would be over as soon as everyone ran out of water… Not realizing it was in a water park where the water freely flowed! We were given a large ziplock bag out of pity and took it in turns hunting down new people to add water too. A truly unforgettable experience that everyone should try!! Giant water fight….who can say NO?!?!

After over an hour of constant water being thrown and splashed, the party was showing no sign of calming down and was only growing in participants. But sadly we had to make like the departed for our next highlight. Back on Vancouver Island we were decked out in vests, sashes, and face paint to make us feel like real pirates! Vancouver Pirate Adventure is an interactive pirate ship adventure for any person with an imagination. So Vancouver pirate ship had now recruited Captain Wat of your Kins (Miss Watkins), Captain BarBeard (Mr Barlow) and Captain Bow Down (Miss Bowden). We caused mayhem on Vancouver harbour, harassing other vessels, disrupted a wedding with water cannons, danced up a storm, played limbo on deck, tried to mutineer against our captain, watched sword fights, solved clues to find a missing treasure, and drank “rum” to celebrate our victories. Pretty much all my pirate dreams coming true in a two hour pirate ship adventure!

On a massive high and energy levels seriously depleted, we started the drive that evening out to Whistler, BC to take Barlow home.

The next day in Whistler, Imi and I went exploring in the woods in search of the infamous Whistler Train Wreck. A 6km round trip leading to 7 carriages scattered through the forest next to the train tracks leading down to the river below. To get there, you can walk in part along the train tracks (though this is strongly advised against), along mountain bike tracks, and along rocks skirting a roaring river. The metal carriages have been used as canvas for artists to come and spray-paint to their hearts content. There are so many cool pieces inside and outside the carriages to explore. We ended up venturing on to the top of one carriage to chill out from the heat and take in our surroundings for a while before making our way back.

Back in the Village we spent the rest of our time gorging on food and shopping. Pasta Lupino provided us with the biggest bread basket with oil and balsamic, and we met Barlow for early dinner at Merlin’s in Blackcomb for my traditional pulled pork and chorizo nachos the size of a house!

Once again Whistler turned it on for us. Thanks again for the couches Barlow!

Tofino – Vancouver Island

The 4th of August 2014 started early for Imi and I as we went to pick up our noble stead that would belong to us for the coming weeks. After misdirecting Imi through downtown Vancouver, across the bridge towards Whistler, we made our way back to the hotel to load up and make our way off. We just had to make one final stop in Vancouver before we made our way to Tofino, on Vancouver Island. As if the wedding and cocktail reception wasn’t enough, Gills family held one last gathering at the Stevenson family home. A fully catered champagne brunch for everyone to see the new Mr and Mrs Collins one last time before we all went off on our own mini holidays.

Tofino was almost like a mini moon for us. 4 activity packed days with four other amazing kids. Barlow, Alice, Sam and Imi made for the perfect combination of characters who would make Tofino one of the most memorable destinations of this Canadian trip. We killed time in the Tsawwassen BC Ferry terminal trying on hats and picking out travel snacks before we loaded the car into the boat and made our way on deck.

The ferry ride out to Vancouver Island kicked off the trip by ticking off one of my bucket list moments in life. As we were sitting out on deck soaking up the sunshine looking out at the ocean and catching up in life, a man walked passed with fantastic news. A pod of Orcha had been spotted off the other side of the deck!!! Killer Whales IN THE WIlD!!!! As a child and adult I have been to Sea world in Orlando twice and the highlight was seeing the Orchas. My last visit I made the sad realization that the tanks holding these amazing animals were beyond too small. Too see them in their natural environment, breaching the water and in such a large group (I counted maybe seven), was something I will never forget.

When the BC Ferry gets you to Vancouver Island, it’s still another few hours driving to get out to Tofino. Car sickness took its toll on me in the back seat, so I’m sad to admit I missed most of the scenery. For our first night in Tofino Imi, Barlow and I couldn’t get accommodation with Alice and Sam, so we decided to camp on the beach. Destination: Bella Pacifica Campground. Right on the beach we paid $50 for the last camp space only feet away from the beachfront. Arriving just on dusk we flung the tent out of the car that Barlow managed to wrangle from a friend in Whistler and started to unpack it. There was a series of emotions to follow……from confusion, to shock, onto repulsed, then anger, to pant wetting laughter, back to disbelief and then more laughter. The facial expressions from Imi would probably have killed a weaker man! Barlow had one job for our trip – the tent we needed for one night….it was full of mud, mold and god knew what else!! Epic fail! Having already paid for our site, we decided to use the fire pit, the beach and ended up sleeping in the car. Not ideal camping but made the best of what we had. For example; Imi building an epic fire and us roasting marshmallows under starlight, moonlit walks down to the shoreline. This week we had heard that the water was supposed to be bioluminescent, giving it a glowing effect. Caused by algae in the water and sunlight …. Because it had been so cloudy all day it didn’t come out for us while we were there 😦
Sleeping in the back of the car with the driver and passenger seats back, was a claustrophobic feeling that rated top three of my worst ones ever…after my brother putting a pillowed over my head and sitting on me and underground caving. I like the freedom to move around….especially while I’m sleeping. When I did manage to sleep it was full of nightmares which resulted in me shouting ‘bear’ in my sleep and freaking out my bed buddies……

The next morning after a restless and sleepless night we met back up with the love birds and took ourselves out to a lavish Breakfast at First Nations owned and run Best Western – Tin Wiz – for delicious Eggs Benedict and views right on the beach front. We moved into our hostel next ….wooooo. Whalers on the Point Hostel Location right on the water, near high street and minutes walk to beaches 🙂

Our next group activity was Whale watching. Our First Nation driver filled the trip with entertainment starting with radio chatter with other boats, leading to mini dance parties across the ocean and ALOT of “Roger Dogers and Oh yer Aye”. We saw one Young grey whale who was lone wolfing it, plenty of seals, and sea otters that waved to us…..the defining moment of Imi having the greatest life ever!! The high speed boat ride, wind in our hair and dense fog that lifted at the perfect moment to reveal some truly breathtaking views of the Clayoquot Sound and surrounding islands.

That afternoon we went for a hike along the Wild Pacific Trail: Lighthouse loop. We saw Bald Eagles and took side walks down into the woods, along the rocks and to the waterfront. Perfect few km to see some Tofino “wilderness”.

The following day we made a slow start and drove to West Side Surf to gear up for our surfing lesson! Being a group of 5 we got an instructor to ourselves; Rowan, an Aussie from Wollongong only just arrived into Canada a few days before us. Thank goodness he knuckled down a job because he helped me catch my first baby wave ever! A truly amazing feeling! We stayed in the water for several hours with us all exhausting ourselves trying to catch waves. We even had a seal came to join and check us out about 30 metres from where we were.

That afternoon we stayed on Chesterman Beach into the evening. We wandered, yoga posed, photographed, played frisbee, napped, played some of the funniest charades, we built a fire, roaster marshmallows and played with sparklers and exposure settings.

Our next day we started with a 4hr sea kayak and walking tour of Meare Island. It was my first sea kayak. It was confident enough to try a solo vessel. Being on the water and paddling I was fine, but the peddles to help with direction confused me for a while….I wasn’t spinning in circles but I definitely had to stop and think a few times! We had two amazing guides that knew some great stories and bits of information to keep us engaged as we paddled. We saw seals, jellyfish the size of a small child, and got stuck in sea kale as dense as cement! We hugged 1800 year old trees and saw Meares island “three bears”! The island holds some of the tallest trees in BC and the walkway/trail is maintained by locals and is made only of fallen trees.

We drove out to the Tofino Brewery for some beer samples and ended up walking out with a 1L glass growler each full of our preferred beers! For lunch we went to legendary Tacofino. I indulged in a burrito that burnt the living bajeebas out of my mouth with its chipotle mayo! But followed it up with a cheese and black bean quesadilla that stillllll makes me want to either order a plane delivery or jump a flight out there just to have another! To finish our afternoon we took a stroll to Tonquin beach to relax and nap in the summer sunshine and saw several bald eagles….huge majestic birds!

We ate our last dinner together at the Ice House on the water. We got ourselves all dressed up and walked down to enjoy blackberry and vodka cocktails for me, bottomless seafood bowls for Sam and Imi, first oyster tries for Barlow and Alice made a new friend in Restaurant owner Al. The views of the sunset, the food and the atmosphere was amazing!

We said our farewells the next morning, but our travels took a pause as Barlow gave himself food poisoning somehow and ended up in the bathroom several times over the next few hours. We attempted to leave Tofino but made it as far as Tacofino before needing to stop again. Imi and I decided to leave Barlow to slowly die while we waited for some more burritos for lunch. We made one more stop at Long Beach for some snaps and finally hit the road to catch the ferry. We managed to miss a space on the 530pm ferry and were settling in to wait another 3 hrs. Suddenly we looked out to see all the cars behind us driving around our car and getting let onto the ferry. There out little beast was, sitting all alone when we started hoofing it to try and catch the earlier ferry with people that were originally behind us. We ended up squeezing on as the very last car and cheeeeering as the ferry pulled away towards Vancouver.

All in all, a great trip with an amazing crew and some unforgettable memories of new experiences. Tofino did not disappoint!