Alan and I were off to Tofino for five and it was fantastic. It's a small town on the west coast of Vancouver Island and is very eco-touristy. We had to leave the house to catch a 6.15 bus, and we didn't hit Tofino until…Read More

Alan and I were off to Tofino for five and it was fantastic. It's a small town on the west coast of Vancouver Island and is very eco-touristy. We had to leave the house to catch a 6.15 bus, and we didn't hit Tofino until 3 because there was a one-hour wait for construction crews to blast some rocks. We attempted to visit Cathedral Grove during the wait, but it was too far back along the road. Nice walk in the sun though. However, by the time we got to Tofino the sun was gone. We wandered around the town, booked a couple of tours and bought some postcards. And broke Alan's camera lens. Alan will say I broke it, and certainly I was involved, but he had a minor role as well... Since we had forgotten my camera as well, we were left with a telephoto lens-not so good for pictures of huge cedar trees, though we may end up with some interesting pictures of bark. We picked up some disposables.

The HI hostel is really nice-the rooms are big enough that they could have squeezed another bunk bed in, but had chosen not to. The place was fully booked-even the overflow was full. We saw hummingbirds at the feeders and outside our window each morning we were woken by loud birds. One morning in particular there was a lot of noise and we assumed that some birds were chasing a bald eagle away from their nest. There were bald eagles everywhere-there are more in Tofino than the entire United States. The first day we were there one glided to a tree just feet above our heads. I was never much of a bird person until last summer, when my visit to Shetland and Orkney demanded that I become interested and now I'm fairly hooked. I don't think I'll ever become a bona fide "twitcher" but they are quite interesting.

Anyway, on our first full day the weather was still dull. We went on a Zodiac over the open ocean to the Hot Springs. We saw two grey whales (no orcas, sadly), some really cool sea lions who bob around the sea in groups, seals, tufted puffins (I've seen puffins on both oceans now). The half hour walk to the Springs was cool, though once we'd been in the pools relaxing, it was hard to drag my lethargic self along the boardwalk back to the Zodiac. The springs were cool, made up of a small waterfall and three pools. The last pool periodically filled with very cold water from the sea when the waves came in. There were only 3 couples on our tour and I'm glad we went the day we did. It wouldn't have been much fun if there had been too many more people there. There were a couple of other tour companies, some sailboats but there weren't too many people. One of the couples was in Tofino for their honeymoon. Just before we left for the tour, there was a guy from the local Global TV station doing a story on Luna, an orca who has been separated from his pod and has become very friendly with humans-bumping boats, that sort of thing. They've spotted Luna's pod nearby so are hoping to reunite them. There were shots of us going off on the Zodiac and listening to the guide tell us about the area.

We went on another Zodiac trip the next morning, this time up an inlet at low tide to see Black Bears. We saw 8 adults and 4 very cute cubs. The telephoto lens came in handy. And it was sunny! Alan preferred being in the inlet, as he had felt a bit ill on the sea the day before. It was really beautiful. That afternoon we went kayaking. Double kayaks being more stable, we went in one and I was forced to sit in the back and do all the steering as Alan's legs were too long for the steering lines connected to the rudder. I loved kayaking-very similar to canoeing really but you are that much closer to the water. Very cool. We kayaked around the islands and went ashore on Meares Island to walk part of the Big Tree trail. Huge cedars, banana slugs, salamander eggs, nurse logs-very interesting generally. We saw another seal and an osprey. After a day of ocean air, Alan wanted fish for dinner so we ended up at Schooners. The food was fantastic.

That evening we went along to Tonquin Beach, just a short walk from the hostel. It was pretty and a very normal being-on-a-beach experience until two police officers showed up. Alan suggested that maybe they just wanted a wee walk on such a beautiful evening, but I think it was more likely they were looking for illegal campers, drink and drugs.

The next day we took the beach bus out to walk the Rainforest trails in the national park. They were only about a half hour each, but were interesting. Then we went to Combers Beach, part of Long Beach, and wandered along for hours to the next bus pickup point. The waves and the mist coming off the water made the whole place so beautiful. There were other people there, but not many for the huge size of the beach and it all felt very cut off from the rest of the world. Slightly burnt our noses. We got back to town in time to see the Roy Henry Vickers art gallery-I was quite devious-I like his prints but they were very expensive. However, he has also illustrated a book and there were cheap Chinese copies of it on sale, so I bought that and can cut my favourite pictures out. We had fish and chips at a picnic table in the sun for dinner.

Our last day we just relaxed around the hostel, with the fantastic views across the bay and of the islands and read the paper while waiting for the bus back to the Nanaimo ferry. The ferry was very crowded and they had a Celtic fiddler performing to keep us all entertained. Didn't get back home until about 10.

Whether you're looking for a quiet, romantic getaway or some fun for the whole family, Tofino has it all. Tofino is a small town on Vancouver Island's west coast. It's a 1 1/2 hr ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) to Nanaimo and a three…Read More

Whether you're looking for a quiet, romantic getaway or some fun for the whole family, Tofino has it all.

Tofino is a small town on Vancouver Island's west coast. It's a 1 1/2 hr ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) to Nanaimo and a three hour drive across the island.

If you're coming from the Victoria area, it's a two hour drive north to Nanaimo. It is definitely a trek to get there, but well worth the effort.

Tofino is known for its' gorgeous beaches and views. It's also known for its' whale watching or black bear tours. In the heart of the town, you'll find the Eagle Aerie Gallery with the works of First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers. His work is simply stunning.

A short drive away, you'll find the Pacific Rim National Park. There are many hiking trails that will get your heart beating a bit faster and give you breathtaking scenery. You must stop for a visit to Long Beach, a surfer's haven.

I must say the best part of Tofino is the relaxation that can be found when you're needing a getaway. The tranquility that can be found in the Tofino area, even when surrounded by friends and family, is unbelievable. There is a calm about the place.

Whilst October is the tail end of the main season in Tofino (mainly because the weather is less predictable), people are still offering Whale watching trips to any would-be adventurers! Six of us enquired at the Weigh West Marine Resort where we were staying, on…Read More

Whilst October is the tail end of the main season in Tofino (mainly because the weather is less predictable), people are still offering Whale watching trips to any would-be adventurers!

Six of us enquired at the Weigh West Marine Resort where we were staying, on a drizzly morning - wondering whether anyone would be prepared to go on a trip. It seemed however that it didn't matter that it was only our group interested, we could have a boat to ourselves and a skipper who knew his way for $80 (Canadian) each. This was great in itself as, quite selfishly, we would be sharing our experience with each other only, not a group of strangers.

On our good ship Close Encounters II (a lime green speed boat with an enclosed cabin), we went on our own adventure to where the whales are known to feed.

After an exhilarating, wind-in-your-hair, raised-hull cruise for 30 minutes, we were taken to the shores of uninhabited islands (Meares) - with everyone on the platform at the stern of the boat, looking out for any bears, eagles and more importantly whales.

We were greeted by three whales - all feeding, diving, spraying from their spouts and waving their tailfins before plunging further into the ocean.

Our skipper was very knowledgeable, he kept our distance and respected their space. They didn't seem to mind our presence and, in fact, I think they were playing hide and seek with us at times.

Leaving the whales behind, we took a trip into the more oceanic waters (a bit more ropey and rough) to see some basking sea lions. The noise they made was so loud and piercing. The sight was fantastic - and an unexpected extra.

The whole trip was over two hours - and it is an experience which will be forever engraved on my mind. Try it, that is all I can recommend! I hope you get out of it, at least, what I did!
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There are numerous crab fishermen in the area selling fresh, live (if you want) dungeness crab. This firm, sweet crab is actually very easy to cook if you are not too squeamish about it. Steer clear of the various crab-selling places right in town. They charge…Read More

There are numerous crab fishermen in the area selling fresh, live (if you want) dungeness crab. This firm, sweet crab is actually very easy to cook if you are not too squeamish about it.

Steer clear of the various crab-selling places right in town. They charge the big-city price of $7 per pound. Go direct to the locals, either Max's crabs (find it in the phonebook), the first government pier before you come into the town (turn off at the Bruhwiler Surf), or a house on the highway as you approach town. This house will have a sign hanging by the highway. It will cost $10 for a 2- to 3-pound crab.

Each 2- to 3-pound crab is good for one person. Get some butter from the local co-op. Use your large crab pot in you condo and put a little water on the bottom. You can either kill the crabs first (ew) or do the barbaric thing a place them in the pot while still alive. I had to take a shower in the next room to avoid hearing the struggle of the crabs as they were steamed alive.

If you are able to stomach it, in 12 to 15 minutes, you have very tasty crab ready to be eaten.

There are many kayaking firms in Tofino. Ask a local concierge who is good. Short 2- to 3-hour trips to multi-day excursions to various nearby islands are available. We opted for an easy paddle in the harbour. Among the various nearby islands, some guided paddles take…Read More

There are many kayaking firms in Tofino. Ask a local concierge who is good. Short 2- to 3-hour trips to multi-day excursions to various nearby islands are available.

We opted for an easy paddle in the harbour. Among the various nearby islands, some guided paddles take you to Meares Island, where you can beach and walk among the old-grown rain forest on an elevated boardwalk. Be awestruck among the enormous trees.

While paddling in Clayquot Sound, you might come across curious seals taking a peek at you!