Long Beach, Tofino

A sunny Monday morning, a long winding highway and marshmallow cumulus clouds. Even the drive out to Tofino was breathtaking. Vancouver Island has got to be my favourite place on Earth. There aren't enough adjectives in my vocabulary to describe the intense amazingness that is Tofino.

Long Beach Lodge was spectacular. I fell in love with their famed 'Great Room' which is a dining room/lounge with an unbeatable view of Cox Bay. The lodge has their own private access to the beach and behind that frosted glass door is what I quite literally thought was Heaven (or at least what I think heaven would look like).

Rachel and I stopped by Eagle Aerie Gallery that features Roy Henry Vickers' artwork. The colours are intense, stunning and reflective of Clayquot Sound. You'll see hidden symbolism and animal spirits subtly appearing and disappearing in the background. I currently have two blockmount reproductions of his art; Digging Clams and King Pacific Sunset.

Don't forget to visit Tea Bar. A small but delicious selection of teas in a cozy little corner. My favourite is the Lavender Mint tea.

My favourite place to eat there is The Wildside Grill. It's not a restaurant but it's a small take-out eatery that is supplied with fresh seafood by local fisherman. I highly recommend the Seafood Gumbo. It's well priced and good eats.

Then the highlight of our trip: a trip to Hot Springs Cove with Jamie's Whaling Station. Our guide Marcelle knows a lot about Clayoquot Sound. He'll take the little boat and weave in and out of islands of rocks. We hiked 1.5 Km to the natural hot springs and it was phenomenal. On the way there we saw black bears and on the way back we spotted a Sea Otter, Grey Whale, Dunlins, Dowitchers and Oystercatchers. It was more than I had hoped for.

The local area is a delicate balance of modern colonization and biodiversity. It saddens me to hear that they're going to mine out half of Catface Mountain, that salmon farms are effecting the local wild salmon population, that most of the area has been forested at some point in the last 100 years which leaves very few untouched old-growth forests. It's impossible not to fall in love with the area and it's history.

If you're heading out there please consider dedicating your money, effort or time to preserving those local untouched islands. Check out Friends of Clayoquot Sound to see what you can do to help.

Inaugural Post

It has been years since I last blogged & it feels so good to be back!

Here's a little about myself:

I'm a born and raised Vancouverite. If you ever meet me and asked where I'm from that's exactly what I'll say with no exception. Being a Vancouverite is a point of pride for me. It's not an actual achievement but I must admit that I'm a bit smug about it. I'm proud to say that this beautiful city is my home.

I've always been a big fan of the great outdoors and adventure travels. It's difficult not to be since Vancouver is THE place to cultivate that kind of lifestyle. Connecting with nature has always been a passion of mine. This whole love of mother nature was really what led me to biological sciences and there's a whole other story that leads me to my love of genetics.

It's pretty simple to describe me : Jack of all trades but truly a master of none. I'll dabble in everything. It's quite tough for me to choose any one thing since I take an interest in most anything! I've done horseback riding (English style), fencing, watercolour painting, guitar lessons, and air cadets just to name a few.

--

In a couple of days I'll be at the Long Beach Lodge Resort in Tofino. There's just something about Vancouver Island that I'm inexplicitly drawn to and I'm not the only one.

This morning I was at Raintree Day Spa in Steveston and had started talking to Barbara Bell, owner and incredibly helpful person. When she heard that I was going to Tofino, she instantly recommended a bunch of restaurants and a few activities we could do there. Her entire spa is designed with Tofino and the west coast in mind. I have got to say that Raintree Day Spa not only has excellent service but it also encompasses all that is west coast. They focus on wellness, sustainability and they even give back to nature through charity. I've tried to go to other spas but it just wasn't the same. So if you can't escape to the island any time soon, check out Raintree but remember to book early since they're pretty busy.

Oh and I'm a pretty meticulous person when it comes to travelling. I've created an entire itinerary for the trip. I want to take in as much as I can on my trips but still have it be lax and flexible. I'm beyond stoked. After Tofino, I'm heading out to Kamloops for work!