Exploring Vancouver Island: Off to Tofino We Go

It’s been a minute since I’ve added a new post, and I can’t believe how much has happened in the span of five years. I had a baby, started a new job, got remarried and moved to a new house. I also lost some close family members along the way. Needless to say, life happened and while travel didn’t always top the list (because face it, we’re basically tired all the time now), we’ve still had some great adventures over the years and hopefully many more to come, so I’m back at it with a renewed force.

As I’m coming up on a milestone birthday this year, I look back on all the places I’ve been and hope to instill the same sense of wonder in our soon to be 4 year old; that drive that makes a person crazy, yet brave enough, to stick a 4 year old on a 9 hour flight. (We’re going to Italy this fall.)

So where to? Let’s start with Canada because who doesn’t love Canada.

There’s a place on the western coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia called Tofino, and man, it’s like driving into a little piece of Hawaii reincarnated in the Pacific Northwest. Good vibes and happy times. Southeast Alaska meets surfers paradise.

We crossed the border and took a BC ferry across from Horseshoe Bay, outside of Vancouver, to Nanaimo. It’s definitely worth making a reservation on the BC ferry website ahead of time to secure a spot if you plan to take a car. It’s about a two hour ferry ride through the scenic Salish Sea and straight of Georgia. Along the way to Nanaimo, whales passed by in the distance.

Traveling with a toddler, we’ve also learned to manage expectations. To date, we really can’t go more than four or so hours before our son starts to get squirrelly, so we always try to break up the days as much as possible for everyone’s sake. This trip, we opted to stay in Nanaimo a night on each end, since it’s a three hour drive between Tofino and Nanaimo.

Nanaimo is a cute city nestled in the harbor. There’s a great walkway along the harbor and a park at one end that’s perfect for kids. It’s also fun to watch the sea planes take off from the dock. We stayed at the Coast Bastion Hotel and the Courtyard Marriott on each end of the trip, which are both nice hotels downtown. We tried Mambo’s Gourmet Pizza in the heart of the city and on the way back, Smokin George’s BBQ, a short drive from downtown.

Yet, the best part of the trip was Tofino. We headed west over the mountains, winding on the narrow road to the coast. The drive felt a bit like passing through a secret passageway from one side of the island to the other. Once on the other side, there is a long strip of the Pacific Rim National Park and Reserve, dotted with beaches, before arriving in the town of Tofino. Tofino is quaint with surf shops and trendy restaurants, a little bit reminiscent of Hanalei. We’re always in search of a good playground these days too, and Tofino has a fun one downtown.

We stayed at Pacific Sands Beach Resort and it’s truly an oasis. The resort sits on Cox Cove Beach and has a cafe, beachside grill, hammocks, fire pits, on site sauna rentals and arguably one of the best massages I’ve ever had. The resort is also dog friendly in case you want to bring a four legged friend.

The sunsets are stellar and you really can’t beat sitting in the sun, next to the fire pit, reading a book on a beautiful fall day. There was a women’s surf competition going on during the weekend which added to the vibe. We left Pacific Sands feeling refreshed, even in the short time we were there, and really that’s all we could ask for. We drove back in time to spend a little more time in Nanaimo before catching a ferry early the next morning. It was a great trip to feed an adventurous spirit, even if it’s only a few hours from home.