BC Adventures - East coast of Vancouver Island

It's been many years since I've traveled the east coast of the island, but it has so much to offer, that we went back!  From nature, to wineries, to beaches and forest trails, there's something for everyone.  

We were hoping to visit a few more wineries, cideries or distilleries, but due to Covid19, most were either closed, had limited opening hours or restricted by appointment only.  Traveling with kids is not easy to hold to a timetable, so we only went to a couple this time around.  We drove along the oceanside route, Highway 19A, to explore and returned on Highway 19 to get back home.

We started with Damali Lavender Farm and Distillery in Cobble Hill.  A small tasting room selling their wine and lavender products.  We visited the lavender fields and went to the labyrinth at the lower end too.  

From Victoria, we drove up the coast to Parksville.  The beach and boardwalk is nice at sunset and the Community Park is awesome for the kids.  I've never seen so many different things for all ages, from flying foxes, trampolines, different styles of climbing structures and see saws, along with the usual slides.

Even though it was a bit rainy and grey, we headed out to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park.  When the tide is out, it stretches for miles!  It seems like you can walk forever.  And look out for little bunnies...

Qualicum Beach is a smaller beach, but still nice.  

We stopped into Wayward Distillery in Courtenay, where they make everything from honey.  Mmm, the Drunken Hive Caramelized Rum is tasty!  And they started making hand sanitizer too, in their lovely bottles.  

Miracle Beach Provincial Park in Black Creek is one of my favourites, with a narrow trail entrance that opens up to a wide beach, it builds up anticipation to the fresh ocean air.  

Up in Campbell River, we went to Elk Falls Provincial Park and the Suspension Bridge.   An easy trail to a platform for anyone who wants to view the falls but not go on the bridge.  The bridge is totally sturdy and well constructed and maintained by the local Rotary Club.  

On the way home, we stopped at Rotary Park in Courtenay so the kids could play in the playground.  There is a display of airplanes and a small urban trail, the Courtenay Riverway.

All in all, a long road trip, but with so many interesting places, it's hard not to stop!  Plan your trip with 

http://vancouverisland.com/

They have maps of the wineries and all the good stuff!

BC Adventures - Port Renfrew

Since Covid19 disrupted almost all travel worldwide, what is a traveller to do?  Explore locally, that's what! 

Vancouver Island is a natural choice for people from Vancouver, it's close, easily accessible and fairly inexpensive.  I've never been to the southwestern part of the island, so this was a new place for me to explore and I was just amazed. 

From Victoria, we headed west into Sooke and then along Highway 14 to the end, town of Port Renfrew.  Not long after leaving Sooke, did we realize that there is limited cell phone reception and data coverage.  This is great for a vacation, as it really allowed us to unwind by detaching from our regular lives. 

Port Renfrew is the end of the road for anyone hiking the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, and the beginning for most hikers on the West Coast Trail.  For us, it was a great place to stop and spend as little or as much time in the forest, along the trails, or on the beach as we liked.  3 nights and 4 days felt like a week long rejuvenation retreat.   We stopped at most of the beaches to see what the vibe was like.

French Beach is the first one along the highway.  It's the smallest one of them all, with a small playground, green grass, picnic benches and toilets, it's a great stop for lunch.  

China Beach is at the southern end of Juan de Fuca Trail, just west of Sooke.  It is a very sandy beach, great for small kids to wander and play and for adults to chill.  We went on a misty morning, which made for a different experience than a hot summer day.

Sombrio Beach has a gravel entrance and we decided not to go but we heard it's a surfer beach.

Botanical Beach is on the northern end of Highway 14.  It was amazing to explore for hours looking in the tidal pools when it was low tide.  Suitable for families and all ages, this beach has miles of coastline to wander, veg or sunbathe.  You can see kelp, mussels, crabs, purple sea urchins to name a few things.

We drove north for several kms on a gravel road to reach Avatar Grove, home of Canada's gnarliest tree.  They have 2 sets of trails, very short, and moderate elevation.  This old growth forest has very tall trees with huge tree trunks!

It was such a peaceful trip, I highly recommend it.  It's closer to Vancouver than Tofino, less crowded and less expensive.  Give the smaller communities your tourism dollars, let's make this year Discover Your Backyard year!