Tofino and Ucluelet

We spent an amazing weekend in Tofino with Jeff's family, hiking through the rain forest, leisurely walking along the beach and having a great time together. For anyone new to Vancouver Island- Tofino really is place not to be missed.




















We took a late Saturday afternoon hike at the south end of Long Beach, stopping to build a driftwood sculpture and search for shells. Both the tide and grey clouds were rolling in but that didn't deter Jeff's niece from finding a few rocks to scale in search of the best view.














Around the eastern side of the peninsula is Grice Bay, a secluded and quiet inlet great for skipping rocks.




















It's a beautiful rain forest hike down to Schooner Cove at the very north end of Long Beach. We packed our lunch and spent the afternoon building sand sculptures and walking in the surf.





















We decided that Green Point, where Jeff's parents, niece and nephew were camping (and the only place allowing camp fires in the midst of a VERY dry summer!), was the best place not only to roast our marshmallows, but to watch both the waves and the sunset.



























































Because the coastal winds and rain can blow in at any time, Jeff and I opted for a hostel room at the Botanical Gardens rather than braving the elements in our tent. A short hike took us from the Garden's gazebo entrance, through the forest down to the beach.































For the final day and a half, we were joined by Jeff's cousin and family. We all ended the weekend with a hike around Ucluelet and picnic on a log, right in front of the water. It was just bliss. This was Jeff and my third trip together to the "West Coast" (of the island!), and each time we have visited, we leave happy, rested and looking forward to the next visit. This place just feeds my soul.







































The only bad thing- the end of this visit signaled the end of our niece and nephew's visit. Having them around has been a breath of fresh air and so much fun for us. We're really going to miss them.

Snowbirds and Cathedral Grove

Jeff and I invited ourselves along for a weekend in Tofino with his parents and niece and nephew. The kids decided we would make good chauffeurs (thanks to some Timbit bribes) and drove with us for the 3 hour trek over the mountains. We stopped at Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park for a hike around the huge Douglas fir trees and to stretch our legs.
Just before leaving for our weekend in Tofino, we all went down to the Nanaimo Harbour front to watch the Snowbirds. We had all seen them before but somehow, their performance was much more impressive to me against a backdrop of ocean and mountains rather than the Vanderhoof airport (where I saw them as a kid!!)

Rathtrevor Beach and Parksville Sand Castle Competition

Our niece and nephew escaped rainy, cold Ontario for a two week visit on the sunny and warm west coast. We had such a great time with them, loosing many badminton games, listening to Lemony Snickets, eating ice cream, discussing the best Dr. Who episodes, playing board games, going to the beach and just hanging out. I'm probably slightly biased when I say that they (along with their cousin) are the 3 of the most interesting, smart and all around best kids around... but it really is true.

The start of their visit was less sunny than they had hoped, although we were very happy for a reprieve from the heatwave that had continued through the summer. Even with wind and overcast skies, we had a great picnic at Rathetrevor Beach in Parksville, walking along the mud flats at low tide.

We decided that our niece is half fish and half lemer. When not in the ocean, she can be found climbing some rock formation or up a tree. This girl is fearless.

The anual Parksville Beach Festival includes a sand castle building contest, this year with an Olympic theme. We all agreed that these were pretty impressive, considering the two-day length of the competition.

















































Being the serious group that we are, it was no wonder that the bobsledding Canadian wildlife and the Mr. Potato Head skiing pit crew were two of our favourites.






























The obvious winner was built by a team from Victoria. "It Has a Ring To It", depicting the mythological formation of the olympic rings, was pretty amazing.







































The tide had come in enough at Parksville Beach to keep us close to the shore. It's not as sandy, but there was fun to be found under nearly every rock.

Gabriola Island

To escape the heat wave that seems to be neverending, we took a Sunday afternoon ferry ride over to Gabriola Island. Several of my coworkers and many of my clients live on Gabriola and it was fun to finally see it firsthand. At only 14 kilometres long, it's pretty easy to check out most of the island in an afternoon. We took a picnic to Drumbeg Bay at the very southern tip of the island and walked up and down the coastal sandstone formations that make up the beach.




















































Gabriola is famous for its thriving community of artists, many of whom have studios open for visits. It's certainly a place to visit again.