After a busy summer where Kate and I both worked jobs while also running our business – Tofino Food Tours – we were ready for a departure from Tofino. Since we moved to Tofino, we’ve only take a couple trips around Vancouver Island. We’ve seen nearby Port Alberni & Nanaimo and travelled a bit to Victoria as well. Other than that we knew we wanted to explore this rugged & wild island that we now call home.

Seeing as Vancouver Island is the largest island on the West Coast of North America there were no shortages of places to go. Still, we only had two weeks and we wanted to see most of Vancouver Island in that time. Our main stops were to visit the areas around Mount Washington, Gold River, Port MacNeill, and Port Renfrew. We figured that itinerary would give us the opportunity to do some hiking in some beautiful areas while also relaxing in some quiet and peaceful surroundings. Happily, we can say that’s exactly what we got.

Mount Washington|Courtenay|Comox|Campbell River

For our first week away from Tofino we ventured up to one of the more popular winter destinations on Vancouver Island – Mount Washington. This beautiful area is home to a very impressive alpine centre, but Kate & I were more interested because of its proximity to Strathcona Provincial Park.

As the largest provincial park on Vancouver Island & BC’s oldest (opened in 1911), Strathcona had a lot of natural appeal to Kate & I. Filled with networks of hiking trails we figured we’d have lots to do while spending time at Mount Washington. But were in for a bit of surprise.

We began our vacation at the beginning of November and while the weather typically cools off, we weren’t entirely prepared for what would greet us when we arrived at Mount Washington. The night before we left Tofino, a cold snap made its way over Vancouver Island bringing with it the rare sight of snow in Tofino. While we got a small dusting in Tofino, Mount Washington being at a much higher elevation got hit with a substantial amount of snow.

While we weren’t necessarily expecting to be surrounded by snow at the beginning of November, we must say it was quite beautiful to look around us and see nothing but alpine forest covered with a thick blanket of snow.

Because of the snow, we weren’t able to hike the number of trails we were expecting to hike in Strathcona. While there was a fair amount of snow on the ground we weren’t going to be stopped from hiking some trails of the Forbidden Plateau area of Strathcona. So there we were – Kate, Bella, & I, happily hiking through the ankle-deep snow along the trails of the Forbidden Plateau.

Because of the parks popularity and proximity to Mount Washington, the snow on the trails was already mostly packed down by other hikers which was nice. Surrounding us as we hiked was a complete sheet of whiteness. It was quite stunning to see. Plus, it was so peaceful. While we couldn’t hike many trails, this hike gave us a good taste of what beauty lies within the park having us wishing to return again in the future to explore further.

While the snow may have stopped us from hiking further into the Forbidden Plateau, it opened up the opportunity to find some gems around Courtenay, Comox, & Campbell River.

Family photo in the Forbidden Plateau of Strathcona Provincial Park.

Bella enjoying the snow.

The snow alpine of Mount Washington

Elk Falls Provincial Park

Near Campbell River, we discovered a gorgeous park – Elk Falls Provincial Park. We spent a good chunk of a day at this park, wandering the many trails that wind through it. Along the way, we were able to find a couple bald eagles perched high up in the trees watching the river for food. We also had the opportunity to cross the relatively new (opened in 2015) suspension bridge which crosses the canyon giving some great views of Elk Falls.

Elk Falls Provincial Park

Nymph Falls Nature Park

Within the Comox Valley, we also found what we assume to be a popular summer destination for locals – Nymph Falls Nature Park. Along the Puntledge River, there are trails that give you some beautiful views of the river and falls. We were hoping we might be able to see salmon jumping up the river to their spawning grounds. It appeared that we were a couple of weeks late as we didn’t see any jumping, however, we saw some decomposing along the river banks. While we were walking along the rocks of the river it became obvious that with its shallow natural pools that the river would be a hot spot for swimmers during the summer.

Nymph Falls Nature Park

Courtenay River Estuary

Driving around Courtenay, mostly to find somewhere to eat, we discovered one of the highlights of our trip – the Courtenay River Estuary. Comox Bay divides Courtenay and Comox and that’s where you will find the Courtenay River Estuary. From either side, however, we were amazed at the amount of wildlife. Up close we witnessed many different birds, many of which we had never seen before. Seals would happily pop up and check us out near the water’s edge. The highlight, though, was the bald eagles. At one point, we counted probably at least 50 bald eagles including a mixture of juvenile & fully matured eagles. It was incredible to see so many in one place. I also managed to get incredibly close to a great blue heron which allowed me to snap one of my favourite series of photos I’ve ever take. Throughout the week we spent at Mount Washington, we travelled down to the Courtenay River Estuary to walk the trails or just sit in the car and watch the show.

Great Blue Heron at Courtenay River Estuary

Pair of bald eagles at the Courtenay River Estuary

Soaring bald eagle at the Courtenay River Estuary

Gold River

Located almost right in the middle of Vancouver Island is the logging town of Gold River. What we discovered when in Gold River is that it’s the hub for a lot of different activities. Many use Gold River as a way to hike the Nootka Trail. Others enjoy cruising aboard the MV Uchuck III. For us, however, we used Gold River as our gateway to the other main corridor of Strathcona Provincial Park – the Buttle Lake area.

Once arriving, we were happy to see that unlike Mount Washington, there was no snow and the temperatures were much milder. For a couple of days, we explored much of the shorter trails that wind through the Buttle Lake area. There we saw some beautiful waterfalls tucked amongst the untouched ancient old-growth forest.

One rainy day we even took a drive down a 70km logging road to reach the village of Tahsis. Once a booming logging town with over 2500 residents, the town now has only 370ish year-round residents after the mill closed in 2001. What we found there wasn’t much aside from a beautiful and protected body of water known as the Tahsis Inlet.

Buttle Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park

Bella hanging out at Buttle Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park

Port McNeill/Port Hardy/Telegraph Cove

One of the ideas behind this trip was to check out most of Vancouver Island from top to bottom. Getting to the top meant heading towards Port McNeill & Port Hardy. Before we made our way to the Port villages, we made a quick stop in Telegraph Cove.

All summer, while working at Jamie’s Whaling Station in Tofino, I heard tourists mention Telegraph Cove. Naturally, my interest was heightened about this place. What we found were postcard-like surroundings where an old fishing village has been turned into a resort. At this time of year, the resort was closed down so it felt very much like a ghost town almost making it more beautiful. During the summer, Telegraph Cove is a busy spot for wildlife tours as you can take whale watching trips that frequently see killer whales.

During our two days in Port McNeill, we did some hiking but also drove down some long and winding roads to find small communities like Coal Harbour and Port Alice. While there wasn’t much happening in either destination it was still nice to travel to these beautiful tiny communities which helped give us an idea of what life is like in some of the more remote areas of Vancouver Island.

The picturesque resort of Telegraph Cove

Telegraph Cove

Port Renfrew

Having seen the northern part of Vancouver Island, it was time to check out the other end. To do so, we stayed for a few days down on the southwestern part of Vancouver Island in Port Renfrew. Like many of the other spots we visited on our vacation, Port Renfrew is a tiny village that thrived on logging for many years. Nowadays, while there is still logging in the area, it’s the trees that haven’t been chopped down that are attracting visitors to Port Renfrew.

A short drive from Port Renfrew, there are a couple of popular destinations with travellers who are searching for massive old-growth trees – Avatar Grove & Big Lonely Doug.

Avatar Grove is home to “Canada’s Gnarliest Tree” as designated by the Ancient Forest Alliance. A short uphill hike through majestic ancient old-growth forest put us in front of the gnarly tree with its massive burl a short distance up its thick trunk.

A few kilometres from Avatar Grove is Big Lonely Doug. After a drive up some old logging roads and a short trip over a somewhat frightening logging bridge, we discovered Big Lonely Doug. Unlike Avatar Grove which is flush with untouched trees, Big Lonely Doug is famous because he is the lone Douglas fir that was spared during a 2012 clear cut of the ancient old-growth forest. So there Doug stands amongst the small trees that have begun to sprout in the last 5 years. The story of Big Lonely Doug is an incredible one and we highly recommend you read this article by the Walrus that wonderfully details the history behind Doug.

Big Lonely Doug near Port Renfrew

Canada's "Gnarliest" Tree at Avatar Grove

Bella wandering through Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew

Sooke

While we were staying in Port Renfrew, we decided to take the short trip to Sooke. I’ve heard many people mention how much they love Sooke and that next Tofino, it’s their favourite spot on Vancouver Island.

Even though we only had one day to explore, we got a pretty good glimpse of what Sooke offers. We did a couple of short hikes including the Sooke Potholes and a short hike on the Galloping Goose Trail to the Charters Creek Trestle.

It was on the trestle where we had a fun little encounter with wildlife. As we were walking back along the trestle towards our vehicle I noticed a couple hundred of meters ahead of us two big black blobs on the trail. Sure enough, there was a mama and cub black bear. Kate and Bella had failed to see them and they were walking ahead of me so naturally, I stopped, and whisper-yelled, “Kate! Bear!” Quickly, her and Bella stopped in their tracks and we stopped to watch the bears. The bears took a quick look at us but didn’t really seem to care about us which was a relief. Seeing as there was only one way to our vehicle we had to wait about ten minutes until the bears carried on into the forest before retreating to our truck.

Charters Creek Trestle near Sooke

While Vancouver Island is one large island, we were fortunate enough over our two-week vacation to cover a good chunk of it. One thing that we both learned from the trip is how lucky we are to be able to call Tofino our home. All the stops we made on our journey were fabulous but it became obvious to us both that there really is no place on Vancouver Island – possibly Canada – like Tofino. With pretty much all of the daily amenities that you need, combined with being in a beautiful remote area full of outdoor adventure around every corner it truly is hard to beat Tofino. That being said, it’s hard to beat Vancouver Island as a whole. The enormous trees and rugged coastline make for a tremendous landscape to traverse and we highly recommend you come explore someday.

The post A Fall Getaway Around Vancouver Island appeared first on Full Time Canada.

Like every summer, I’m sure you said to yourself, “I can’t believe how quickly it went by.” That statement definitely rang true for Kate and I this summer as well. Honestly, we could say that the last year has just flown by. Specifically, though, the summer just whizzed by for us this year. It seems like it was just yesterday that it was the May 24 weekend and here we are now with fall just around the corner.

The summer for us was probably the busiest we’ve ever had. You’ve probably noticed as we’ve been a bit tardy with the number of blogs we’ve put out this summer. We’ve both been working a few different fun jobs that have taken up a lot of our summer. But we also had some time to have some fun here in Tofino and other parts of Vancouver Island this summer.

So, what exactly have we been up to all summer? Let’s dive in and we’ll tell you some of the highlights…

Whales & Bears, Oh my!

Back in March, Kate’s sister and niece visited Tofino and while they visited we had the opportunity to go whale watching with Jamie’s Whaling Station. While on the boat that morning I made a mental note of how fun it would be to work for one of the many whaling stations in town that specialize in whale & bear tours.

By June, I was indeed working for Jamie’s Whaling Station. While I’ve mostly been working the front desk, taking reservations & checking people in, I also occasionally do get out on the boats as a deckhand. This has been an awesome and rewarding experience.

For the most part, while on the boats we get to see grey whales, seals, sea otters, sea lions, eagles and more. Here’s a fun video of a juvenile grey whaled named Snowflake that got close to our boat during our one trip.

While I had seen grey whales regularly while on the boats, I still had never seen Orcas in the wild. In Tofino & Clayoquot Sound, we only have the Transient Orcas which feed primarily on sea mammals. These orcas travel up to 100 miles a day and only pop up in our area every couple of weeks on average.

One foggy morning, as we were making our way back home after watching some grey whales, I was scanning an area known as the Glory Hole where we commonly see Stellar Sea Lions. This morning, through the fog, I couldn’t see any sea lions, but all of a sudden a massive black dorsal fin appeared near the rocks. My initial thought was, “That is NOT a porpoise.” I followed that thought by running through the cabin of the boat to tell our captain that I spotted the orca. We turned the boat around and proceeded to watch 3 orcas. Here’s the video. It’s not great but nonetheless, it was amazing to see these beautiful whales for the first time.

While I have seen my fair share of whales this summer, Kate and I also went out with Jamie’s on their bear watching tour. The black bears in Clayoquot Sound mainly feed during the summer months at low tide on shellfish like crab. To feed they have to toss rocks to discover their food. It’s quite impressive to watch the bears effortlessly toss the rocks. Have a look for yourself…

Birthday Adventure

As I turned 31, Kate took me away to the other side of Vancouver Island for a couple of trips that featured some outdoor fun.

Little Qualicum Falls was our first stop on the journey. The beautiful provincial park is host to camping and beautiful trails. It’s a great stop to see a mixture of ancient growth forest combined with some beautiful waterfalls.

Later that same day we tried something relatively new to both of us – caving. We’ve both been in caves before but the Horne Lake Caves we visited were quite different. While there are quite a few caves in the area we chose to take a guided tour through one of the smaller cave systems. And when I say small, I mean small in more way than one, specifically how tight the caves were. There were points throughout the experience where anyone bigger than Kate or I would have had a hard time navigating the caves. Even though the caves remain a cool 8 degrees Celsius year-round, Kate did feel a tad claustrophobic at times and even came out of the caves sweating from a small panic attack. It was quite a fun and different adventure for us. We’d like to go back sometime and check out some of the other caves.

The final stop on my birthday tour was to the North Vancouver Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. The centre is home to many animals who have been injured in the wild. Some of these animals are permanently at the centre as their injuries would mean they would likely not survive in the wild if released. There are, however, quite a few animals that are brought into the centre that are rehabilitated and then released again into the wild. We had the opportunity of seeing a lot of beautiful animals, specifically birds up close that we otherwise would likely never have a chance to see that closely.

Viva Las Vegas

For the first time in my life, I recently made my way to Las Vegas to celebrate my father’s 60^th birthday. In Vegas, I met up with my family including my aunt and grandfather. This was my grandfather’s first time flying anywhere so it was quite an experience just watching him throughout the three days we were together. Watching him casually have conversations with escorts that would approach him was a highlight.

Our arrival in Vegas also coincided with the “Big Fight” between Floyd Mayweather and Conor MacGregor. You’d think that Las Vegas would be the best place to watch the fight – not so much. The cost of tickets to the actual fight was a minimum $2700. Tickets to closed circuit viewing parties were $150+. Other than those two options, nowhere else in Vegas could you watch the fight. Rather, by chance, I ended up watching most of the fight with a small crowd gathered around some guys laptop at the hotel bar.

Throughout the trip, I was blown away by how bloody expensive Vegas truly is. A couple of examples. I lost my lens cap for my camera. To replace it I went into the only camera store on the Strip and was offered a replacement cap for $75!!! Insanity. I also unknowingly paid $6 for a small cup of pop at the Bellagio. I’m still a tad bitter about that.

The best Vegas experience we had was on Fremont Street which is essentially old Vegas. It’s a pretty happening spot with live music, zip lining over the street, street performers and more. It’s also the cheaper side of town. We had a steak and lobster dinner for $12.99. Hard to beat that deal.

How We’re Paying the Bills

While I predominately am working at Jamie’s Whaling Station, Kate is working as a guest representative where we live at Crystal Cove Beach Resort. She is learning how the resort operates and is enjoying it immensely. On top of that, we’re getting close to wrapping up our first season running our own business – Tofino Food Tours.

It’s been a fun summer touring guests from all over the world around Tofino. We feed our guests with plenty of food and knowledge about Tofino & Clayoquot Sound and everyone seems to have had an amazing time which is really rewarding.

We’ve also both been using our 30 years of combined radio experience at our local radio station – Tuff City Radio. Since April, we’ve been doing the morning show from 8-10 each morning. It has been fun to get back into radio again, especially since we’re there to simply have fun which is something we weren’t really having anymore when we were let go (thankfully) from our radio positions in 2015.

Bella & Paris Update

While I’m sure you don’t mind reading about what we’ve been up to this summer, I’m sure you’ve really been wondering what’s been going on with Bella & Paris Frances. Both are still loving life here in Tofino. Bella spends some nights at work with Kate. So if you stay at Crystal Cove Beach Resort you could meet our beloved little chocolate lab. When she isn’t at work, Bella loves wandering our world class beaches where she plays happily in tide pools and sniffs the bums of many other dogs that greet her. Here’s Bella playing this summer…

Meanwhile, Paris has become quite a deviant. More so than before believe it or not. She’s again become obsessed with drinking water from the bathroom sink. This sink is directly beside our bed so in the middle of the night she started clawing the bed or even us. This is her way of requesting that we turn the tap on. She would do this routine many times throughout the night. Twice within a week, she jumped on my face in the middle of the night. Once she drew blood from my nose. We’ve since locked her out of our room at night allowing for Kate, Bella and I to have a much more peaceful sleep. Every morning when we open the bedroom door, the little devil is waiting for us. Here she is happily enjoying her running tap…

What’s Next For Us?

Seeing as we’ve now set up Tofino Food Tours, we’ve essentially committed to staying in Tofino for a little while. How long? We’re not sure yet. Knowing that, however, we’ve decided that we will slow down and travel a bit in the fall, winter, and early spring months before another busy summer season hits us next year.

When this tourism season wraps up for Tofino, in mid to late October, we’re going to hit the road. We haven’t got an official plan, but we’re planning a 4 to 6 week long road trip that will see us travel to Washington and from there travel the US 101. The route will have us specifically travelling down the Pacific coastline of the US which looks spectacular in every picture we see.  Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to go to Astoria, Oregon to see some of the filming locations used in one of my favourite films – The Goonies. Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach is a must and is the only planned part of our itinerary at this point.

Haystack Rock, Oregon (Photo by: Tiger635 via Wikimedia Commons)

This will be one trip where we don’t book things ahead of time and rather go with the flow. We’ve never done this before as I’m a nutcase planner but I’m freeing myself of that for this trip. We’re just going to hit the road and see what happens.

How was your summer? What fun & exciting things did you do? What lays ahead for you in the fall & winter?

The post Adam & Kate’s Summer Wrap Up appeared first on Full Time Canada.

Since arriving in Tofino in October, the one thing I wanted to do more than anything was to get out on the water and explore the various islands of Clayoquot Sound.

One afternoon, a friend tagged me in a Facebook post from Hello Nature Adventure Tours in nearby Ucluelet. The company was going to be doing a couple of hiking trips to Flores and Vargas Island and as a new business, they were inviting bloggers to join them.

When Kate’s sister and niece visited Tofino in March, they went on a hiking tour with Hello Nature and raved about their experience. Knowing this combined with my desire to explore more of Clayoquot Sound, I speedily fired off a message to Kevin at Hello Nature asking if I could join. Shortly after, he informed me that I could indeed join them on both trips that week.

Elated with the news, I immediately started packing my backpack for the upcoming adventures.

Trip 1: Wild Side Trail, Flores Island

With my backpack and hiking boots ready to go, I was excited to hike the Wild Side Trail on Flores Island. The trail is an 11-km traditional trading footpath of the Ahousaht First Nations. A trail that they had used for thousands of years to trade with nearby First Nation communities.

Meeting the Guides

I met Kevin along with the other Hello Nature guides and some guests down on the First Street Dock where we were to hop in a water taxi to make our way to Flores Island. After brief introductions and signing a waiver, we hopped into our water taxi, guided by Mike, a member of the Ahousaht First Nations. Because the Wild Side Trail is on First Nations territory, Hello Nature insists on using First Nations whenever possible to taxi guests out to Flores or Vargas Island. It’s great that they do this as it helps support the Ahousaht First Nations economy.

30 minutes after we first jumped into the boat with Mike, we had passed the various mountains and islands of Clayoquot Sound to arrive at the Ahousaht dock. We happily unloaded, ready for adventure.

Mike, our water taxi guide who took us to Ahousaht.

Picking Up Some Trail Companions

To warm up our legs for the hike, Kevin informed us that we would have to walk through both the old and new villages of Ahousaht before reaching the entry point for the Wild Side Trail.

Along the way, we picked up some more guests that would join us throughout our remaining time on Flores Island – three beautiful wolf dogs. Throughout our hike, the dogs would follow or lead us along the trail while periodically disappearing. When the dogs would reappear we would hear crashing through the thick rainforest shrubs. Had they not joined us at the beginning of the hike, we would have likely been convinced we were being tracked down by a small pack of wolves. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

One of the wolf dogs that joined us throughout our hike on the Wild Side Trail

The Fascinating Banana Slug

Just before we hit the trailhead, we came across one of the more unique specimens of Clayoquot Sound – the banana slug. At first, the large slugs are impressive to the eye, simply based on their size alone. Previous to living in Tofino, I’d never seen slugs this size. Beyond their large dimensions, Kevin provided some further interesting details about the banana slug. The slime that the slugs excrete is so sticky that 3M is trying to figure out how to recreate it for practical use with their adhesive products. He demonstrated the sticky strength of the slug by placing it on his hand then turning his hand upside down, displaying the slugs strength as it remained in place.

There are other fascinating facts about banana slugs but you’ll have to join Kevin on a hike and hear the facts straight from him. You’ll be amazed at what these slugs do.

Start of the Wild Side

After about 2km of hiking through the old and new villages of Ahousaht, we had reached the trailhead for the Wild Side Trail.

Originally, when the trail was used by First Nations as a trading route, this trail would have been a lot more rugged than its current conditions. Today, the trail is well maintained and features a quality boardwalk which will eventually cover most of the trail.

The trailhead of the Wild Side Trail

Learning About The Ecosystem

While we were hiking through the thick temperate rainforest, Kevin would occasionally stop us to tell us about some of the unique features of the rich ecosystem that surrounded us. From the giant ancient red cedars, Sitka spruce & hemlock to the various berry bushes and shrubs, Kevin displayed an immense amount of knowledge of everything that surrounded us making the hike rewarding both physically and mentally. As someone who is naturally curious, I fired a plethora of questions towards Kevin throughout the day, all of which he easily answered.

One of the more interesting things that we spotted in the rainforest was a collection of culturally modified trees. These are ancient red cedars that have had pieces of bark stripped from them by First Nations. The strips will then be used in a variety of ways such as to make clothing, thread, crafts, etc… By only taking a small strip from the tree it allows the tree to continue growing as well.

A culturally modified red cedar.

Lunch & Whales

As the sun beat down us we continued to alternate between winding through the rainforest and walking along stretches of beach which cooled us down with the cool breeze of the Pacific.

A couple hours after first hitting the trailhead, we arrived at the end of a long beach near a creek where we stopped for lunch. Kevin informed us that we were about 7km into the trail at this point and that we wouldn’t be going any further today. During a booked tour, guests would continue another 4-km to arrive at Cow Bay before getting picked up by a water taxi and heading back to Tofino.

While this would be as far as we were going, our small group was content to stop for lunch and explore a bit. I quickly found a dried up sea star near our lunch spot. While it was quite dry, based on the stench it was emitting it was clear that it was still decomposing.

A dried up sea star laying on the beach near where we had lunch.

Soon after, our group enjoyed a wonderful lunch that Hello Nature provides for its guests on these hikes. They had wonderful bread and meats and cheese to make sandwiches along with some fruit and veggies and my favourite – white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. It took everything within me not to grab the box of cookies and sneak off and keep them to myself. White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are an addiction for me.

As we sat in the sun and enjoyed our lunch, in the distance we could see some of the local whale watching boats from Tofino in the area. Soon after seeing them we started to see spouts of whales blow up from the water. So, as we continued eating lunch we had the pleasure of watching grey whales also feed and sporadically appear. Peering through some binoculars, a German guest, Katie, was smiling ear-to-ear as this was her first chance to see whales in person.

While we had come for a fun and adventurous hike, spotting wildlife wasn’t a guarantee. However, Clayoquot Sound is a wild area and stumbling on wildlife anywhere you go isn’t uncommon. Not only did we see whales that day, we spotted a seal at one point, too. We also saw probably 15-20 bald eagles throughout the hike, which always puts a smile on my face.

Once we had finished lunch, we packed up our gear and over the next couple of hours made our way back to the dock in Ahousaht while occasionally stopping to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

More photos of the Wild Side Trail (Click to enlarge)…

If you want to enjoy a relatively easy hike, but also enjoy a more remote hike with little to no other human contact, you should join Hello Nature to hike the Wild Side Trail. However, if you’re looking for a more rugged and wild hike, you may enjoy…

Trip 2: Vargas Island

Unlike the Wild Side Trail on Flores Island, hiking Vargas Island would prove to be a tad more adventurous than I had expected. A couple of days after hiking the Wild Side Trail, I met up with Kevin and a couple other guides from Hello Nature at Jamie’s Whaling Station. It was here that we would grab a boat out to Vargas Island. As previously mentioned, Hello Nature will employ the Ahousaht First Nations to transport groups to the various islands, however, when they’re unavailable, Hello Nature will use Jamie’s.

A Zodiac Adventure

For this adventure, rather than take your typical boat, we were going to be flying through the water in a Zodiac. This meant that we had to get suited up in survival suits that would provide both warmth during the trip out as well as our floatation devices.

All suited up and ready to take the Zodiac to Vargas Island

Down at the dock, we met up with Sarah who would be taking us out to Vargas Island. Like the trip to Flores Island, the trip to Vargas Island was about 25-30 minutes. However, when we approached the island it quickly became apparent that our landing wasn’t going to be like one we had in Ahousaht a couple of days before.

As the Zodiac closed in on the island my eyes searched for a dock. I remarked to Kevin, “there’s no dock is there?” He confirmed my suspicion as we closed in on the island towards a group of black rock where we would indeed be landing the Zodiac.

As we got closer, in my head I was constantly thinking about disembarking the Zodiac onto the wet & slippery rocks. I was hoping I wouldn’t make a scene of any kind. My long, unathletic body leads me to be rather clumsy at times and all I could constantly picture was myself tripping as I made my way off the boat stumbling onto the rocks or into the freezing water. Thankfully, I remained composed and landed on the island without any sort of embarrassing incident.

Offloading from the Zodiac onto the black rock of Vargas Island

Time to Hike

Once on the island, it was time to start hiking. After a quick walk on a stony beach, we reached the trailhead of the unnamed trail. It quickly became clear that this hike was going to be a bit more rugged than the Wild Side Trail.

Unlike the Wild Side Trail, this trail on Vargas Island had no boardwalks. Nor was it wide open in most sections. Rather, the trail was a mix of muddy, closed in trails with some sections requiring me to do a walking squat to prevent my head from getting scratched by the low hanging trees and shrubs.

The tall trees of Vargas Island

While it sounds a little more daunting, the ruggedness of this trail was incredible to me. I loved the fact how untouched the trail mostly was. Aside from the three resident wolves on Vargas Island, not many use the path we hiked that day. Throughout the entirety of our time on the island we didn’t spot another soul.

During the busier summer months, it’s possible you might stumble on some surfers who reach the island to surf a small beach called Little Baja. Dotted throughout some of the beaches were surfer shacks made from driftwood alongside the remnants of previous campfires.

A surfer shack made from driftwood on Vargas Island

Whale Watching

After hiking for a few hours, we sat on a beach in a small cove, where like our previous hike, we spotted grey whales spout in the distance. It was in this cove that we would soon be picked up in the Zodiac by Sarah. Again, there was no dock to easily hop into the boat. This meant going from the slippery rocks into the Zodiac. This sparked up my thoughts of embarrassingly falling or slipping but I remained steady and boarded the Zodiac without issue.

As Sarah backed the Zodiac off the rocks, we decided that we were going to see if we could spot the whales we were seeing from the cove. For 15-20 minutes, we quietly sat on the water watching for grey whales. Much to our delight, we consistently saw 2-3 grey whales. More amazingly was the fact we got to see one of the grey whales breach its tail which is more uncommon compared to other whales in the area like the humpback whales.

A grey whale breaching its tail for us

With some unexpected whale watching under our belt, we made our way to the open ocean where the Zodiac was hitting big swells causing a bucking bronco feeling as we made our way back to town. I got to say, riding in Zodiacs are so much more fun than normal boats. No doubt I had a childish grin on my face as we hit big waves throughout the ride home.

More photos of  Vargas Island (Click to enlarge)…

Book Your Hike With Hello Nature Adventure Tours

With two amazing hiking adventures with Hello Nature Adventure Tours behind me, I can say without any doubt that if you come to Tofino that you MUST hike either Vargas Island or the Wild Side Trail on Flores Island with them. Not only are you going to hike trails that most tourists don’t get to hike but you’re also going to get top-notch interpretation as you hike through the beautiful rainforest and beaches that make up these hikes.

Hello Nature Adventure Tours also specialize in kayaking expeditions, primarily in the Ucluelet area. They have one of the most unique kayaking experiences you could ever imagine doing – a nighttime kayak trip where you kayak through bioluminescent waters which grace our area during the late summer.

Regardless of what type of wild experience you seek, Hello Nature Adventure Tours will take you on a memorable adventure when you visit Clayoquot and Barkley Sound.

Book Your Adventure Now: HelloNature.ca

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Tofino Sea Kayaking

The Tofino Sea Kayaking building at 320 Main Street has a triple purpose. They have guided kayaking expeditions, there is the Tofino Paddlers Inn, and Main Street Espresso. In the 1920’s, the building originally served as one of the first hotels in Tofino.

They have a large deck that overlooks Clayoquot Sound where you can enjoy an espresso from the Main Street Espresso while soaking in the breathtaking view. When we take guests out for Tofino Food Tours they enjoy a meat and cheese board from Picnic Charcuterie while enjoying the beautiful view. We also explain to our guests some of the kayaking tours Tofino Sea Kayaking offer and what better way to explain a kayaking adventure than to experience one ourselves.

A view of Clayoquot Sound from the back deck of Tofino Sea Kayaking

Tofino Sea Kayaking - located on Main Street in Tofino.

Going Solo or Doubling Up?

If you have ever been kayaking before and kayaked solo, you know how this can be a bit more enjoyable. You do your own thing and don’t have to work in synchronicity with another person. Because the tide was dropping dramatically and then rising dramatically due to the moon, our guide Candice recommended we go in double seater kayaks.

Adam and I knew this would be a challenge for us. While we communicate well, for some reason when we are kayaking or canoeing, we have issues. Adam says, “left,” I paddle right. I say, “right” he paddles left. Despite our knowing this, we decided to give it a go.

Our group consisted of myself and Adam, Candice – our guide, Jessica (guide in training), and a family of 3 visiting from Houston, Texas.

Gearing Up

While we were itching to get out on the water after our introductions, we still had to gear up and go through some safety checks with Candice. The most interesting part of gearing up was the decision between wearing Crocs or rubber boots. Because we would be hopping out of our kayaks into the water, we needed to ditch our hiking boots and make the difficult choice. Adam despises Crocs so it was an easy decision for him, however, I happily took a miscoloured pair.

Hitting the Water

With our gear all set up and safety lessons complete, we were ready to head out. We made the decision that Adam would paddle from the rear seat and I would take the front. As we started to paddle through the Tofino harbour, we noticed right away that our kayak kept going right. No matter what we did we kept going right. As we were paddling Adam figured that he didn’t set his pedals properly and it was causing issues when controlling the rudder. Whoops. It was too late now, so we figured we would adjust them on the way back.

Weaving Through The Islands

As we continued to paddle we first came upon Deadman’s Islet. We found out from Candice the tiny islet was once used as a burial spot for the Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nations. Then we went by Lemmens Inlet which splits the two main areas of Meares Island.

Around this area, there were several other little islands. Some of them even have houses on them that are completely off the grid. I imagined what it would be like to live like that with the beauty and isolation. As Adam and I discussed living off the grid I told him my fear of what would happen not having a place nearby to buy chocolate. He indicated that we would have a stockpile of chocolate and that we had to stop worrying about chocolate shortages and start paddling faster. A quick look ahead and we discovered that we were falling behind from the rest of the group. We were definitely paddling at a very leisurely place.

A view of Clayoquot Sound from our kayak.

As we continued along, the three major mountains of Clayoquot Sound – Lone Cone, Catface and Mount Colnett – seemed massive from our perspective on the water. At one point a bald eagle flew over us – one of several we would see on this trip. Jessica, our guide in training, kept telling Adam and I (in a very nice way) to hurry up. We apparently were a little slow because we kept looking at the islands and the mountains. The little islands were beautiful, covered in western red cedars and various other trees like hemlocks and the Sitka spruce.

Big Tree Trail

Almost an hour after we begun paddling, we were set to arrive at our destination on Meares Island – the Big Tree Trail.

As we approached the island, Candice guided us up onto the small gravel beach where we landed the kayak. Adam sure was glad to get out of the kayak. Because he didn’t have the pedals properly aligned both of his legs had fallen asleep. Once out of the kayak we both happily stretched our legs before going on our hike of the Big Tree Trail.

All tied up and ready to hit the Big Tree Trail

Exploring The Old Growth Forest

As soon as you get on the Big Tree Trail, you notice three things. First, your nose is almost immediately filled with the wonderful scent of western red cedar. Second, the boards on the trail are made of fallen red cedars and are uneven so you are constantly stopping and staring up at the trees for fear of tripping. Third, it’s called Big Tree Trail for a reason. These trees are old with some of the giants being in the one-thousand-year-old range.

The trees in this stunning forest are all unique. Candice explained to us because this is a natural forest, the trees are all different shapes and sizes and have grown how they want. In many second and third cut forests, you will notice the trees are planted to only grow to a certain height and width apart. The old-growth forest also allows more light to the forest floor below which allows other shrubs and plants to grow, creating a unique ecosystem.

Walking the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island

I’ve been in many forests and I will never forget this old-growth forest. What’s crazy is that this forest was almost completely destroyed by the logging companies in the 1980’s. This left me with a sickened and disheartened feeling about mankind and how we so easily destroy our beautiful planet.

When the logging company was set to log Meares Island, First Nations along with locals teamed up to prevent what would have been nothing short of tragic. This happened throughout a series of events. First, when the logging company first approached the area with their logging equipment, they were told by First Nations that they were allowed to come upon the land but they were not allowed to destroy it. Later, the logging company was told by the BC Supreme Court that they would be allowed to log Meares Island. This was then thankfully overturned by the BC Appeals Court which officially stopped most logging activity on Meares Island.

Candice explained to us how First Nations would use the western red cedar, the tree they call “The Tree of Life”. First Nations would often spend time with the tree beforehand, relaying to it that it would be used to help their people travel by canoe, make their homes, baskets, tools and more.

One of the monster western red cedars on Meares Island.

As we walked along the trail Adam was taking pictures but often when you’re taking pictures in nature the end result never really shows a true representation of what we see with our own eyes. That was no different with the Big Tree Trail. You have to see this in person.

After we finished our walk on the trail we made our way back to the kayaks. The time spent in nature made us all happier and thankful to the First Nations for protecting this beautiful, unique piece of Clayoquot Sound.

Paddling Back to Tofino

Before paddling back to Tofino Adam got his pedals fixed on the kayak. Not only were his legs not falling asleep we were now paddling faster and with more ease than the trip out. Another bald eagle flew over us as the wind was whipping against us. With the sun beating down on us and with big smiles on our faces we arrived back at Tofino Sea Kayaking.

If you visit Tofino, Tofino Sea Kayaking should be on your travel itinerary. They offer a wide variety of kayaking trips for you to enjoy. They have a handful of day trips that range in the 2.5-7 hours that will make for a great way to introduce yourself to the beauty of Clayoquot Sound. If you want to immerse yourself a little more, they have multi-day tours that range from 2 to 6 days that will have you kayaking by day and camping by night.

BOOK NOW: tofinoseakayaking.com

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Each and every May long weekend, Stubbs Island aka Clayoquot Island, is open to the public for two days. The rest of the year it’s off grounds for everyone aside from two caretakers that live on the island year-round. Before the town of Tofino was settled in the late 1800’s, most of the early European settlers settled on Stubbs Island in the mid-1800’s.

Back in the day, Stubbs was home to many families and the island featured a school, hotel, bar, jail and post office. Once the town of Tofino was settled in the late 1800’s, many moved from Stubbs Island to the mainland. Throughout the early to mid-1900’s, the island slowly lost its residents. Finally, in 1960, the post office closed on Stubbs Island. Today,  the island is a shell of what it used to be. Albeit, a very beautiful shell and one that Tofitians and tourists alike have been enjoying since the 1890’s.

Clayoquot Days

Beginning in the 1890’s, locals on Clayoquot (as Stubbs was called at the time), along with many from around Clayoquot Sound and even as far as Ucluelet would come to Stubbs Island for Clayoquot Days every May long weekend. Back then, as many as 1500 people would gather on the long sandy beaches and participate in a wide variety of sporting events, have picnics & simply enjoy the beauty of the area. Clayoquot Days was a must-attend event for locals back then and it still remains that way to this day.

Getting to Stubbs Island

As you can imagine, a picturesque, serene island that is only open to the public two days of the year draws quite a crowd. To get to Stubbs Island you have two options – take the free water taxi or kayak. If we had a kayak, we definitely would have made our way to the island that way, but we had to opt for the water taxi.

When we drove down Main Street we saw a long line of others waiting to board the water taxi’s making the trips to the island. One terrible habit of mine is that I despise lineups. My patience isn’t great. Nonetheless, Kate and I remained patient in line while eating treats from Picnic Charcuterie that were meant to be enjoyed once on the island.

The lineup to take the water taxi to Stubbs Island.

A long hour and a half later, we boarded a water taxi with Dennis who took us past Deadman’s Islet, towards the First Nations village of Opitsat on Meares Island before dog-legging towards Stubbs Island. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the large dock protruding from Stubbs Island. Happily, we disembarked, ready to explore.

Clayoquot Island aka Stubbs Island

Exploring Stubbs Island

Stepping off of the dock and onto the island it was almost like entering an enchanting fairy tale-like land. After we walked through the lush forest, we entered to an open area surrounded by fully flowered rhododendrons. As the island mostly remains untouched these days, the rhododendrons on Stubbs grow exceptionally tall and beautiful. There are many who travel to the island simply to see the rhodos and after getting a look at some, we could see why.

Rhododendrons on Stubbs Island

Beautiful flowers on Stubbs Island

"Elephant Ears" on Stubbs Island

Stubbs Island gardens

Passing through the some of the gardens, including a nice little pond where a turtle was on a rock sunbathing, we made our way to a trail head. For 10-minutes we wandered down an old boardwalk surrounded by forest which is still home to wolves and bears that swim back and forth from the various islands of Clayquot Sound. At the end of the boardwalk, we were greeted with a long, sandy beach. With the sun shining, we made our way down to a quiet end of the beach and plunked ourselves down where we let the sun bake us in the quiet surrounding for almost an hour.

A tiny sand dollar laying on the beach at Stubbs Island

Later, we returned through the forest, stumbling on some rhododendrons that were easily 100-feet tall. Our one trail led to another which took us out to something we hadn’t seen in Tofino yet – sand dunes. The sand dunes combined with the forest covered mountains of the area gave us a perfect surrounding.

Walking the beach for 15-minuts led us back to the dock as the clock approached 6pm – the time the last water taxi was departing the island. On the way back to the mainland, we had the pleasure of zipping around Clayoquot Sound on a zodiac which had us back to land in what was a thrilling 3-minutes.

Stubbs Island - where the sand dunes meet the ocean and mountains.

One of the few long, sandy beaches on Stubbs Island

Stubbs Island Barnacles

There’s definitely something special about visiting a place that is off-limits for 363 days of the year. It’s now been a week since we stepped foot onto Stubbs Island for the first time. Now, every time we go into Tofino, we look out to the long sandy strip of Stubbs Island and we think about how lucky we were to experience the beautiful, quiet island. If you ever plan a visit to Tofino, visiting during the May long weekend would allow you to visit this magical place.

The viewpoint from Stubbs Island

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For almost two weeks we enjoyed the beautiful sites of Hawaii. We traded our RV in for a room onboard the Norwegian Pride of America cruise ship that took us around to four islands. Along with a handful of days in Honolulu before and after our cruise, we had an amazing Hawaiian experience with my family. Everything you dream of Hawaii being it absolutely is – if not more.

If you’re planning or dreaming of a vacation to Hawaii, here are some of the highlights from our trip that you would surely enjoy as well.

Kualoa Ranch, O’ahu

If you’re a movie buff and/or adventure seeker, the Kualoa Ranch is a must when visiting the island of O’ahu. The 4000-acre private nature reserve is a stunning piece of property that was first established in 1850. For 6 generations, descendants of the Judd family, who first bought acreage from King Kamehameha III in 1850, have managed the ranch. Since then, Kualoa has become one of O’ahu’s most popular destinations.

From the time it was first purchased in 1850, the ranch had been used as a sugar mill, defending grounds for U.S. military & as the stunning location featured in many TV shows and movies. Some of the movies & TV shows shot at Kualoa Ranch include Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, Pearl Harbor, Windtalkers, 50 First Dates, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I., & LOST just to name a few.

Being attacked by a T-Rex from Jurassic Park.

Leftover props from the most recent Kong movie filmed at Kualoa Ranch.

Enjoying a catamaran ride near Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch offers a wide variety of activities for visitors to experience the beautiful parcel of land. The ranch has ATV tours, horseback riding, zip lining, catamaran rides, and more. When we booked our tour, we chose a package of three separate tours including a movie tour, horseback riding, and catamaran ride.

While the day was hot, it was an incredible place to visit, especially to see all the different areas of the ranch where movies and TV shows were filmed.

Kualoa Ranch from the water

Polynesian Culture Center, O’ahu

It’s estimated that sometime around the 4^th century, Polynesians first discovered the islands of Hawaii. Over the span of many centuries later, the islands began to be inhabited by Polynesians from the islands of Tonga, Tahiti, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Samoa, & Fiji. The rich cultural history of these islands is still alive and well all throughout the islands of Hawaii, but to get a good introduction to the various cultures a visit to the Polynesian Culture Centre is a great stop.

The center is separated by each individual island where you can watch and partake in entertaining and informing demonstrations. We got to throw spears, learn how to basket weave, watch fire dancers, and a lot more. For dinner, we ate some traditional Polynesian food while watching an entertaining luau. To finish the night off, in their large outdoor auditorium, the center puts on an incredible show called Ha: Breath of Life. The show was an unbelievable mix of fire dancing, music, and dance – the perfect way to end the day.

Dole Plantation, O’ahu

When in Hawaii it is imperative to eat lots of juicy pineapple from the islands. When we first arrived into our rooms at the Equus Hotel in Waikiki we were greeted with a tasty sliced up pineapple in our room. From that moment on, we were constantly consuming pineapple throughout the duration of our time in Hawaii.

Before we made our way to the Polynesian Culture Centre, we made a quick stop at the famous Dole Plantation. While the plantation has a variety of activities including a maze, train ride, and other tours, we only had about an hour to enjoy the plantation. Before we travelled to Hawaii, we were told by many people that we had to try the famous Dole Whip ice cream – pineapple ice cream topped with freshly chopped pineapple. It was so tasty!

While enjoying our ice cream, we wandered the grounds exploring the gardens where there were various types of pineapples growing on display.

USS Arizona Memorial

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor where 2403 people died including 1177 specifically on the USS Arizona. It was this famous attack that led to the U.S. officially entering into World War II in the Pacific.

For our family, we have some ties to the USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor. Almost five months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle led a team of 16 airplanes in the first attack on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. The attack was a significant morale booster for the U.S. which eventually led to their victory in the Pacific.

After watching a 20-minute documentary about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent war, we took a quick boat ride to arrive at the USS Arizona Memorial. The memorial is a beautiful tribute to 1102 crewmen who remain below the memorial. From the memorial, you can look into the water to see the rusted remains of the Arizona.

Interestingly, while aboard the memorial you can distinctively smell oil. The day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Arizona was fully fueled with nearly 1.5 million gallons stored onboard. To this day, there are roughly 350,000 gallons of oil on board the Arizona. Each day, an estimated 9-quarts of oil leak from the remains of the Arizona into the harbor. Many describe the slow leaking oil as the tears of the Arizona which will continue to leak until the final survivor of the Arizona attack passes away. To this day, there are five remaining survivors from the Arizona.

Road to Hana, Maui

Aside from having to try the Dole Whip, we had heard from people that one of the must do activities when visiting Maui was to do the Road to Hana. The beautiful road winds along the stunning Maui coastline. Throughout the drive, our guide informed us that there are roughly 600 hairpin turns. Along the road are some of the most beautiful landscapes you would ever see.

For an hour we stopped at Wai’anapanapa State Park which featured jet black beaches. The park looked like paradise. We also got to see the ‘Ohe’o Gulch aka Seven Sacred Pools. Our guide informed us that many people who rent cars only drive to Hana, turn around and head back the other way. We had the pleasure (depending on how you look at it) of continuing along the bumpy road of the coast. For a couple of hours, the bus was rocking pretty hard as it hit each and every spot of the rough road.

Out of all of our excursions throughout the various Hawaiian islands, our trip along the Road to Hana had us wanting to return. Someday we would love to return to Maui, rent a car and slowly travel along the Road to Hana and enjoy the sites at a more leisurely pace but this was a great introduction.

On the back half of the Road to Hana

Maalaea, Maui

During our second day in Maui, we were excited to finally get into the ocean. We booked a snorkeling excursion for Malolo Snorkelling Tours in Maalaea who were to take us to snorkel on the Molokini Crater. Unfortunately, as we set out on the water, the captain informed us that the water was a bit rough at the moment and that we wouldn’t be able to head towards the Molokini Crater. Instead, we made our way to a couple of other spots where we happily hopped into the water.

While I love snorkeling, Kate’s obsessed with it and could stay in the water all day and we had a great time swimming with the marine life of Maui. For the first time, my parents and brother also gave snorkeling a try. They specifically bought full-faced snorkel masks prior to the trip just for this occasion. While they looked a little bit like Bane from Batman, it helped them all get in the water to snorkel for the first time which was great.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, Hawaii

Seeing as the islands of Hawaii were all created from volcanic activities, it seems almost necessary that you take a trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. We booked a tour with Lavaland and were guided from Hilo throughout the park by our amazing guide Vince. Vince showed us all of the lush flora of the park while also taking us to some great spots to see craters, steam vents and more. It was a rainy day, but Vince made the best of the day for us.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

We also made stops at Rainbow Falls as well as the Big Island Candy Company where we sampled delicious various chocolate treats.

At night, as our cruise ship departed Hilo, we were able to witness lava spilling into the ocean as we cruised along the coast. It was great to see the bright orange of the lava against the darkness of the Hawaiian night.

Kona, Hawaii

While in Kona, we were able to do a unique type of activity – the Fantastic Race. Based on the hit reality TV show the Amazing Race, the Fantastic Race took us around Kona. While searching for clues, we were able to enjoy some of the sites of the town and chat with some locals who would help us out on our mission.

Along the way, Kate and my brother had to sample Kava – a medicinal-like drink that originated from Tonga. To finish off our hunt for clues, I had to switch into my bathing suit and snorkel out to a clue positioned in a small bay in Kona. With all clues completed, we raced to the finish line where we learned we finished in first place. There were only two teams, however, and the other team didn’t even try to finish.

Showing off our 1st place medals from the Fantastic Race Kona.

Kauai Backcountry Adventures, Kauai

Our final island that we visited during our cruise was Kuaui. During our first day, four of us went for a fun and exciting river tubing excursion with Kauai Backcountry Adventures. On a parcel of land that was previously used as a sugar plantation, there is a previous irrigation system that now is used for tubing. For about an hour we travelled down through various man-made tunnels, splashing around, having a great time all while surrounded by over 17,000 acres of plantation lands.

Waimea Canyon, Kauai

Day 2 in Kauai saw us head to the beautiful Waimea Canyon. Nicknamed by Mark Twain as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon was one of the spots I was most looking forward to visiting. Along the way to Waimea, we learned about Captain James Cook and his ties to Hawaii. It was on January 20, 1778, when Cook arrived landed at Kuaui. There is now a monument dedicated to Cook in the area.

Once arriving at Waimea Canyon State Park, a small walk up some stairs takes you to a lookout where you will instantly be struck with awe. Unlike the Grand Canyon, Waimea is a little more colourful. The reddish cliffs created by the oxidation of the soil combined with the striking greens of the rainforest to give a stunning contrast of colour. Luckily, we were able to witness the canyon as the area is known as one of the rainiest spots on Earth, but the rain held off for us during our visit to the canyon.

Waimea Canyon State Park

We Must Return

Everywhere we went, everything we did while we were in Hawaii almost acted like a magnet, trying to pull us back to the chain of islands after our departure. It was nice to trade the RV and the rain of Tofino for some fun in the sun for 13 days. We had a great time island jumping on board the Pride of America cruise ship while also enjoying some great company with my parents and brother.

Have you ever been to Hawaii? What do you enjoy most?

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With Adam and I living in Tofino, we knew we would need to get out and see the gray whales. In our travels, we have seen minke, pilot, and humpback whales and we wanted to add gray whales to the list. Neither of us had seen a gray whale and we also had never been out on the water since living in Tofino. My sister and niece were visiting, so we knew this would be a perfect opportunity for all of us to go whale watching in Tofino to see the gray whales.

Early Wake-Up Call

Our adventure started at 6:45 am as we had to be Jamie’s Whaling Station at 8 am. I looked at the marine forecast and I wondered if we would be able to go as there was a gale warning in effect. At 7:30 am I called Jamie’s Whaling Station and Stephanie let me know that we were good to go as the winds would be picking up later in the day.

After breakfast, my sister Beth, my niece Elise and I headed off to Jamie’s Whaling Station. Adam would be meeting us there since he had been working through the night as an extra for an ABC pilot tv show called “The Crossing.”

All Aboard the Pacific Springs

After signing a standard waiver, we went down to the docks where we boarded the Pacific Springs, a 35-foot cabin cruiser boat. The boat sat 12 which was thankfully cozy and warm since it was chilly outside. After a talk about safety and putting on our personal flotation devices, we were on our way to find some whales and other wildlife.

The first thing we spotted were buoys in the water dotting all around which we learned were crab traps. All around the crab traps were different gulls flying around looking for something to eat.

A gull looking for something tasty to eat.

The captain of the boat – Chris McCue started explaining the sights to us and indicated that British Columbia is the 2^nd largest crab producer in the world. Captain Chris also pointed out Opitsaht on Meares Island which is a community of the Tla-o-qui-aht people of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation. They live in one of the oldest settlements on the Vancouver Island as some say it was 10 thousand years ago that the Tla-o-qui-aht people arrived as the ice was first receding.

Spotting an Otter

As we went along the smooth waters of the inlet, we could see Surf Scooter Ducks with beautiful Lone Cone Mountain as a backdrop. Captain Chris has sharp eyes and spotted a sea otter bobbing in the water in front of Cat Face Mountain. He explained how otters are incredibly smart and are one of the few animals to use a tool to eat. They will carry a rock in the pit of their leg and use it to smash open sea urchins.

The pelt of otters are also the thickest of any mammal which helps keep them warm in the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean. Their pelts are also incredibly soft. Because of the softness and the warmth of the pelts, sea otters were hunted to extinction along the West Coast in the 1800’s. Later, the sea otters were re-introduced into the area by humans and can now easily be spotted around the Tofino boat docks and within Clayoquot Sound.

A sea otter playing around.

Geoducks

Captain Chris also pointed out Geoduck Boats (pronounced Gooey Ducks). Geoducks are the largest burrowing clams in the world. There is a huge market for them in China where they are considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac. Divers go down and dig them out of the seabed. Geoducks are one of the longest-living animals of any type with a lifespan of up to 140 years.

Bald Eagles

As we motored along, Adam spotted a bald eagle that was drying its wings on a rock. We stopped close by so everyone could get photos. Even though we frequently see bald eagles in Tofino, we never get tired of seeing them. They’re so beautiful. While we were watching the first eagle drying its wings, we noticed another eagle flying towards us from a nearby island.

Bald eagle sitting on a rocky island drying out.

A bald eagle taking off from a rocky island.

Trying to Find a Gray Whale

After watching the eagles for a few minutes, Captain Chris was informed by one of the local boats passing by that there was a gray whale over by Clifford’s Point. Since we were almost there, he slowed right down and we all had our eyes on the water. Right at that point, it started to hail as large black clouds threatened to downpour on us. Then all of a sudden the sun broke through the clouds and there was a nice rainbow.

A rainbow arching over Clayoquot Sound.

As we continued to look for the whale, I went out on the deck of the boat where Adam already was trying to spot the gray whale. A woman who was on the boat spotted the whale’s spout first and we saw the tail come up a bit. The whale then dove down and disappeared before we were able to get a good peek.

As we inched closer to the whale, Captain Chris advised us that when the gray whale goes down to feed, it would take about 5 minutes before coming up for another breath of air. Sometimes they will dive down for as long as 20-minutes. Deckhand Jeremy Randall was standing out on the deck and told us how gray whales don’t find food based on sight or smell. Instead, they dive down and blindly take a taste to see if there is anything worth eating.

As we waited, I looked all around us. The mountains were gleaming in the sunshine. I also looked at the houses that were across the water at the Ahousaht First Nations on Flores Island.

Houses of the Ahousaht First Nation on Flores Island.

Gray Whale Fun Facts

-According to the World Wildlife Federation, gray whales have a hump and a ridge of sharp bumps along their backs, instead of a dorsal fin.

-Adult gray whales can be as long as 15 metres and weigh up to 35 tonnes. Stack five male African elephants onto a scale and you get the picture. Female gray whales are slightly bigger than males.

-Gray whales are a type of baleen whale, which means they filter food from the water through special bristly structures in their mouths.

-Gray whales stay close to shore and feed in shallow water. Their well-known migrations take them between feeding and breeding areas, swimming as much as 12,000 miles round trip. It’s one of the largest migrations of any mammal on earth. The Gray Whales mate and have their calves in the warm winter waters of Mexico. They then make their way up the coast in the spring, stopping in British Columbia to eat before continuing on to the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas.

The Whale Reappears

After five minutes, close by we spotted a spout shoot through the air. Captain Chris told us that whale spout smells horrible. Whales have a protective oil on their lungs that rots and when they discharge it, it smells terrible.

The gray whale slowly floated on top of the water before diving down once again. We moved around for about half an hour watching this one whale as it floated up and dove down. Every time the whale dove down, we didn’t know where it would reappear. Whales will continue to move around in search for good food. When the whale did reappear it was never near the boat and we would have to reposition the boat to get a bit closer. It was like a game of hide-and-seek on the water.

Throughout the time watching the gray whale, it rarely breached its tail. It also never entirely breached its body. The one thing everyone wants to see when whale watching in Tofino is a whale completely launch itself out of the water. Captain Chris said that gray whales rarely do that and publications like National Geographic make everyone think it’s something common to see.

The gray whale appears right in front of Ahousaht.

Heading Back to Tofino

After viewing the gray whale, we made our way back to Tofino. Unfortunately, due to the gale warning, we couldn’t go out on the open ocean to see more whales as the water would be too rough.

Captain Chris continued to tell us more stories including the most interesting things he had seen out on the sea. The biggest spectacle being 500 dolphins feeding along with 3 humpback whales.

Captain Chris pointed out Vargas Island and told us to watch along the beach for coastal wolves which are often seen hunting. He also explained how feral cows roam around on Meares Island. European settlers would push them off the boats and round them up on the beach but some would get loose and happily live wild on the island. He said the meat and milk would taste odd as they wild cows eat a lot of sea kelp.

Some of the small island in Clayoquot Sound as we made our way back to Tofino.

Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society

As we arrived at the docks we learned about the Strawberry Isle Marine Research Station. When you go whale watching in Tofino with Jamie’s there is a $3 research fee that goes to the Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society. The research station is very important to Clayoquot Sound. They conduct research of the marine ecosystems, monitor marine life and promote public awareness of the marine environment in Clayoquot Sound. People who go whale watching in Tofino have donated over a million dollars to fund their work.

Back On Land

In total, the tour was 3 hours long, but the time flew by as Captain Chris from Jamie’s Whaling Station had many great stories to share and educated us on the area. If you’re planning to go whale watching in Tofino, this is a trip well worth taking, not only to see whales but to learn about the history of the area.

Upon arriving back at the dock, we were starving and Adam was also falling asleep after being up for over 24-hours. We knew that Jamie’s also owned the Jamie’s Rainforest Inn which has a great restaurant. So, we drove to the restaurant and had some of their homemade waffles which was the perfect way to end the adventure.

Wanna go whale watching in Tofino? Book with Jamie’s Whaling Station for an unforgettable experience.

The post Whale Watching in Tofino with Jamie’s appeared first on Full Time Canada.

For months, we would constantly visit Long Beach and Chesterman along with the equally impressive MacKenzie Beach, which is essentially our backyard at Crystal Cove Beach Resort. Little did we know, that over the course of the many months we’ve been in Tofino that we were missing out on not only the best beach in Tofino but the best beach in Canada. That beach is Cox Bay – a beach that for some reasons we ignored until recently.

A view of Clayoquot Sound from the top of Cox Bay.

You might be thinking, “seriously, the best beach in Canada is a beach I’ve never heard of?” Yup – it’s true. Cox Bay is the best beach in Canada in our opinion and we do know a thing or two about awesome beaches. This past summer we spent many days walking the red sand beaches of PEI, many of which could easily be the best beach in Canada, too. Growing up, I spent time at Wasaga Beach – the longest freshwater beach in Canada. Kate grew up with fantastic beaches in Long Point and Turkey Point in southwestern Ontario. Still, our recent outings to Cox Bay left us with the feeling that this is the best beach in Canada.

So what’s so great about Cox Bay anyways? Let me explain…

9 Reasons Why Cox Bay is the Best Beach in Canada

1 – Surrounding Scenery

From the public access parking lot between Long Beach Lodge and the Cox Bay Beach Resort, you have to walk about 500m along a boardwalk before you hit the beach. Upon the completion of that walk, your eyes are presented with an expansive beach surrounded by the lush temperate rain forest.

As you walk to the middle of the beach the surroundings get even more impressive. Look to the left and you’ll see a couple small tree covered mountains. Look to the right and you’ll see many of the mountains that make up Clayoquot Sound.

The mountains of Clayoquot Sound from Cox Bay.

2 – Beachcombing

Massive sand dollars found at Cox Bay.

Growing up, Kate loved to go beachcombing with her mother on Inglewood Beach in Florida. Kate’s passion for beachcombing has since been passed on to me. The first time I went to Cox Bay, while walking the beach with Bella I was amazed at what I saw.

With the tide out, scattered along the spacious beach were hundreds of large sand dollars. Previously, I had seen the occassional sand dollar but this sight was unreal. Because they are so fragile, a large percentage of the sand dollars were broken into pieces and sprinkled throughout the beach. Still, though, there were a lot of full intact sand dollars from end-to-end of Cox Bay.

Aside from sand dollars, the rest of Cox Bay is also covered in various shells – especially at low tide. If you love beachcombing, you’ll love Cox Bay.

3 – Sunsets That Look Like Paintings

A couple of times every week, we’re amazed at the sunsets that present themselves in Tofino. Compared to the vibrant & fierce sunsets we experienced in PEI last summer, Tofino sunsets are different. They’re much softer and often resemble a watercolour painting.

At Cox Bay, with the surrounding mountains and wide open ocean, the sunsets are the perfect way to end a day.

A soft & subtle sunset over Cox Bay.

4 – Surfing

Thousands of people flock to Tofino throughout the year to ride the best waves in Canada. While the other beaches like Long Beach and Chesterman Beach have great surfing conditions, the surf conditions at Cox Bay are a notch better. The waves are large and act as a magnet for surfers, pulling them to the ocean where they bob around like seals waiting for that perfect wave. The surfing is so good at Cox Bay that Canadian ska band the Planet Smasher wrote about it in their fun tune “Surfin’ in Tofino”. The beach scenes in the video are of Cox Bay, too.

Even if you’re not a surfer, it’s fun to park yourself on the beach for a couple of hours and watch the surfers ride and balance themselves along the huge waves.

A surfer catching a good wave on Cox Bay.

5 – Jogging/Biking

If surfing isn’t quite your thing, put on a pair of runners or hop on your bike and hit Cox Bay. The beach is about 1.5km in length making it a great spot to go for a quick run or bike ride. The sand at Cox Bay, like all Tofino beaches, is really hard and doesn’t have much give to it which makes it great for these to activities. Plus, after you work up a small sweat, if you’re brave enough, you can quickly cool down by going for a dip…or maybe just sticking your feet into the water.

6 – Lennard Island Lighthouse

If you know Kate or me, you know that we love lighthouses. Last summer, we saw over 60 different lighthouses in PEI which was a fun experience. Here in Tofino, there aren’t many lighthouses to see aside from the Lennard Island Lighthouse.

This lighthouse was opened in the early 1900’s and served mariners as they would enter Clayoquot Sound. From Cox Bay, even though it’s still in the distance, you have a great view of the Lennard Island Lighthouse.

Lennard Island Lighthouse from Cox Bay.

7 – Wildlife

Tofino is a very wild place and Cox Bay is no different. It’s easy to look up and see massive bald eagles soaring around. Also, on occasion, you may even be able to spot whales from Cox Bay. Over 20,000 grey whales migrate past the coastline of Tofino every spring which offers up wonderful opportunities to see them from shore. Humpbacks and Orcas also frequent the area through the various times of the year.

8 – Tide Pools

A common sea star clinging to the rocks of a tidal pool at Cox Bay.

At low tide, the deeper pockets of beach along the coastal parts of Cox Bay allow you to have some serious fun checking out tide pools. Within these tide pools are all sorts of wonderful marine creatures. While searching the tide pools, it’s common to find crabs, shrimp, tiny fish and more. The common highlight for us is finding sea stars. The common sea stars here are beautiful. They cling themselves to the rocks with a vicious grip. While they look soft and jelly-like, they are rough like the rocks they cling themselves to. Sometimes they can be hard to find as the purple-ish stars tend to blend in with the rocks. However, the bright orange ones are easy to find and are stunning.

9 – The View

Located at the far end of Cox Bay is a somewhat secret-ish trail. The trail is technically a part of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve but isn’t labelled or marked at all. No online hiking guides even point to this as an actual trail. After a steep 20-30 minute climb up the mountainside, you can turn around and catch one of the most beautiful views you’ll ever see.

A panorama from the top of Cox Bay looking out towards Clayoquot Sound.

Kate and I were in awe when we got to the top of the mountain with that view presented right in front of us. It seemed surreal. We spent a good half hour at the top of the mountain just looking out to the vast space in front of us.

This one will be finding a frame soon than later.

Continuing past this vantage point, a quick five-minute hike takes you to the opposite side of the mountain which also displays a completely different but equally as stunning vantage point.

A view of the Esowista Peninsula from the top of Cox Bay.

We’ve never experienced a beach quite like Cox Bay before and for all of the reasons above, it’s why we believe it’s the best beach in Canada. Do yourself a favour and take a trip to Tofino and discover Cox Bay and all of the other incredible beaches in the area.

Tell us, where is your favourite beach and why?

The post 9 Reasons Why Cox Bay is the Best Beach in Canada appeared first on Full Time Canada.

Each month, throughout 2017, we will be highlighting a national park to give you an insight into that park. You’ll learn about the history of the park, where to stay, & what to do once you’re there. Last month, we highlighted the beautiful Pacific Rim National Park Reserve along the west coast of Vancouver Island. This month we take you to south-west Alberta to Waterton Lakes National Park.

Waterton Lakes National Park

When you think of national parks located in Alberta, the first two that likely come to mind are Banff and Jasper. Those two parks see high amounts of tourists each year, but not to be overlooked is Waterton Lakes National Park to the south. The landscapes of Waterton Lakes offer up stunning views where the flat prairies meet the rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains. The marriage of these two vastly different settings make Waterton Lakes the perfect place to enjoy some outdoor adventure & camping.

© Parks Canada / Nick Alexander

Location: Waterton, Alberta

Size:  505 sq. KM

Opened: 1895 

Brief History

­-Waterton Lakes National Park was Canada’s fourth national park.

-The park is named after Waterton Lake which was named after Charles Waterton, a British environmentalist & conservationist.

-The world-famous Prince of Wales hotel first opened in Waterton in 1927 and quickly became the park’s most renowned landmark.

-The park shares borders with Glacier National Park in the U.S. & with Akamina – Kishinena Provincial Park in BC. In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was created as the world’s first international peace park.

How to Get There

By Road

There are multiple ways to get to Waterton Lakes National Park whether you’re coming from the north, south, east, or west. A lot of visitors will make their way to Waterton Lakes from Calgary, Banff, Lethbridge as well as Glacier National Park and British Columbia. Below are the driving times from the major points of interests along with links to directions provided by Google Maps.

Calgary: 258km/2.5 hours – Map/Directions

Banff:  360km/3.75 hours – Map/Directions

Lethbridge: 120km/1.30 hours – Map/Directions

Fernie, BC: 172km/2 hours – Map/Directions

Glacier National Park (St.Mary): 75km/1 hour – Map/Directions

If crossing the Canada/U.S. border there are two border crossings:

Carway/Peigan (Open Year Round): 65km from crossing to Waterton Lakes National Park

Chief Mountain (Open May 15 to September 30): This is the most direct route to Waterton Lakes National Park if travelling from St. Mary in Montana.

By Air

There are no airports located closely to Waterton Lakes National Park which means you’ll have to make the drive from one of the three closest (under 200km) airports –  Calgary (YYC), Lethbridge (YQL), & Glacier Park International Airport (FC) in Kalispell, Montana.

Where to Stay

If you’re a camper, you’ll be happy in knowing that Waterton Lakes National Park has 3 campgrounds within the park – the Townsite Campground, Crandell Mountain Campground, and Belly River Campground.

Townsite Campground (April 14 to October 9)

The Townsite Campground is located at the south end of Waterton. For RV’s, the Townsite Campground includes 90 full-hook up sites & 45 electricity only sites & 49 unserviced sites. There are also 47 tenting sites. It’s worth noting that there are no fires permitted within the Townsite Campground.

A unique experience that is offered at the Townsite Campground is Equipped Camping. Basically, if you don’t have your own camp gear or you’re not sure if camping is for you and want to give it a try – this is for you. Parks Canada has two Equipped Campsites at Waterton Lakes National Park which come with a 6-person tent, propane stove, pots & pans, etc. You still must bring sleeping bags and pillows but it’s definitely a great option for those without camping gear.

Crandell Mountain Campground (May 18 to September 4)

Unlike the Townsite Campground, Crandell Mountain is set more in the wilderness for those who like to be closer to nature. Also, unlike the Townsite Campground, you don’t need any reservations for the Crandell Mountain Campground. Instead, it’s on a first come, first served basis which is a nice service offered by Parks Canada. There are 129 unserviced sites at the campground but there are food storage areas, recycling bins, a dump station, flush toilets, piped cold water, & kitchen shelters available. Fires are also permitted within the campground at assigned fireplaces. For RVs planning to camp at Crandell Mountain, it’s suggested that your RV be shorter than 30-feet.

Crandell Mountain also has one of the most unique camping experiences available in Canada – Tipi Camping. Within the campground, Parks Canada has set up two tipis for an amazing camping experience at the cost of $55 a night. This exclusive camping experience is available from July 1 to August 25. You must bring all your own sleeping and cooking equipment. Seriously, though, how awesome would it be to spend a couple of nights sleeping under the stars in your own tipi?

The tipis at Crandell Mountain Campground in Waterton Lakes National Park.

© Parks Canada

Belly River Campground (May 12 – September 25)

If you really want to get out into the wild while visiting Waterton Lakes National Park, the Belly River Campground is for you. Situated in the aspen forest, it’s backcountry-style camping that is on a first come, first served basis. Fires are permitted and there are areas for food storage but you must bring your own drinking/cooking water.

Pass Creek (Winter Camping)

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to enjoy winter camping in Waterton Lakes National Park, there is sheltered winter camping available at the Pass Creek picnic site. There are no reservations necessary and the camping is entirely free for those looking for a winter camping experience.

Other Options

If the Parks Canada campgrounds are booked up or you don’t want to risk not getting one of the first come, first served campgrounds, Waterton Springs Campground is open from May thru September.

One of the most iconic hotels in all of Canada resides in the surroundings of Waterton Lakes National Park – the stunning Prince of Wales of Hotel. Overlooking the pristine Waterton Lake and the perfectly carved mountains, the Prince of Wales Hotel is a fantastic option if you’re looking to enjoy Waterton Lakes National Park in style. There are also some other lodging accommodations available to you at more affordable rates.

What to Do at Waterton Lakes National Park

While Waterton Lakes National Park tends to be busier in the summer, it still is very much a park you can enjoy at any time of the year. The park also offers up a tonne of things to do that range from casual hikes to thrilling adventure. Let’s take a look at the different types of fun you have at Waterton Lakes National Park.

Go for a Drive

Like Banff & Jasper National Park to the north, Waterton Lakes National Park has wonderful scenery and wildlife that you can frequently see at any time on one of the many scenic parkways. From the prairie grasslands to the picturesque lakes and mountains to the vast amount of wildlife, you will be amazed at what you see just by driving around Waterton Lakes National Park.

There are 5 scenic drives that you can enjoy when visiting the park including the Chief Mountain Highway, Red Rock Parkway, Entrance Parkway, Akamina Parkway & Bison Paddock Loop Road.

Driving the Red Rock Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park.

© Parks Canada / Jordan Fraser

Hiking

If you want to get out of your car and stretch your legs there are more than a few great opportunities to do so by hiking around Waterton Lakes National Park. The park is home to 30+ trails spread over 200+km. Whether you like quick & easy hikes or a more challenging hike, you’ll have plenty of options in the park. Check out the 10 Great Hikes in Waterton Lakes National Park from Hiking with Barry.

© Parks Canada / Nick Alexander

During the winter months, you can still enjoy the trails. All you need is a good pair of snowshoes to help guide yourself through the fresh powder of the park.

Rock Climbing

Ready to scale some rock? Waterton Lakes National Park has some good options for you if you’re ready to start climbing the Rockies. For a list of routes and route details check out rockclimbing.com. If you like the thrill of ice climbing, you can also do that within the park. Summitpost.org has more information on routes and details if you’re looking to do ice climbing.

Cycling

Depending on your bike, you can see the beautiful scenery of Waterton Lakes National Park in a couple of ways. If you have a road bike, cycling the parks beautiful parkways is a great option. The shoulders are mostly narrow, however, which may be hazardous for less experienced riders.

Mountain biking is another fantastic option to have some fun on the various trails. There are 5 total trails within the park to enjoy. The trails are mostly easy and short with the longest trail being 8.2km.

© Parks Canada / Cam Koerselman

Cross Country Skiing

During the winter months, trade in your hiking boots for a pair of skis and poles to have fun exploring the snowy side of Waterton Lakes National Park. There are a variety of 6 designated and undesignated trails within the park ranging from 1.6 km to 10.4 km.

Birdwatching

From golden eagles to trumpeter swans, Waterton Lakes National Park is a fantastic place to spot birds. In total, over 250 types of birds have been spotted in the park. During the fall, many waterfowl will travel through the park on their way south.

Canoeing/Kayaking/Paddle Boarding

The various forms of paddling are a popular way to explore Waterton Lakes National Park during the warmer months of the year. If you’re lucky enough, you will get to see wildlife from the comfort of the water. If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent it from Parks Canada.

Kayaking the pristine waters of Waterton Lakes National Park.

© Parks Canada

Watching Wildlife

Waterton Lakes National Park is a very wild place with a plethora of mammals to spot roaming throughout the park. It’s very common to see big horned sheep, mule deer & elk while simply travelling through the various parkways in the park or even in the town of Waterton. Predatory animals such as black & grizzly bears, cougars, foxes, wolves & coyotes also frequent the park.

The park is also home to a bison paddock where a small herd of bison enjoy their natural surroundings. You can drive the Bison Paddock Loop Road in hopes of seeing these beautiful animals.

Bison in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Photo credit: Lee Edwin Coursey via Foter.com / CC BY

Scuba Diving

If you wish to get wet and go for an adventure you can dive deep into Emerald Bay. At the bottom of the bay (20m) divers will find a paddle wheeler named Gertrude. For the best views of Gertrude, it’s best if you dive in the spring or fall.

Geocaching

Over the past decade, adventure seekers looking for a bounty have taken to Geocaching where you hunt for a treasure with the help of your GPS. Located throughout Waterton Lakes National Park are multiple geocaches. You can get the coordinates for the parks geocaches from geocaching.com.

Horseback Riding

Wander the trails and landscape of Waterton Lakes National Park in a fun and traditional way – on a horse. Horseback riding is very popular in Alberta, so why not hop on a horse and enjoy a trail ride? Alpine Stables offers guided horseback riding in the park. You can also bring your own horse but you are urged to contact Parks Canada for guidelines.

National Historic Sites

Located within Waterton Lakes National Park are two National Historic Sites – the First Oil Well in Western Canada & the Prince of Wales Hotel.

The First Oil Well in Western Canada is the site where Allan Patrick filed a mineral claim near Oil Creek. By 1897, oil was flowing from the site making it the first in Western Canada. Nowadays, oil drilling in the Waterton area is mostly non-existent.

The Prince of Wales Hotel is hard to miss when visiting Waterton Lakes National Park. Named for Prince Edward, the hotel sits on top a hill where it can be seen from miles away. The hotel was constructed in 1926-1927 by the American rail company Great Northern and allowed more travellers to visit the area.

The Prince of Whales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Photo credit: Gord McKenna via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

We hope this guide to the Waterton Lakes National Park has provided you with a sense of desire to travel to and enjoy this wonderful park. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our other #Canada150 national park features throughout 2017. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and family. You can Pin these retro-style posters, too!

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What would you love to see/do while visiting Waterton Lakes National Park?

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Who or What is Sero?

Immediately we both wondered, “what the heck is Sero and why are they searching for it?” Is it somebodies name? Perhaps it’s a place?

As soon as we returned home, a quick Google search found the website www.searchingforsero.com. After looking through the website we learned that Sero wasn’t a place or a person it’s something we all have – serotonin.

What is Serotonin?

Serotonin is a chemical in our bodies that has a lot of different purposes. However, in terms of Searching for Sero, it was clear after reading the website that it was highlighting the serotonin in our brains. In the brain, serotonin helps regulate our levels of happiness. Low levels of serotonin can lead to anxiety and/or depression, while high levels of serotonin can have you smiling from ear-to-ear.

So, what exactly is Searching for Sero?

Searching for Sero is a mental wellness photo/story project that was conceived by John Rathwell & Tracy Guenard. After both John & Tracy had lost family members to suicide, they wanted to use their creative talents of photography & writing to raise awareness for mental health & suicide prevention. Unsure of how they would create such a project at first, the pair later came up with the idea of collecting and sharing Sero Stories.

Sero Stories are the stories of outdoor adventure seekers who have various outdoor passions such as surfing, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, etc… and use those passions to fuel their happiness.

John Rathwell, Tracy Guenard, & RainDog

Searching for Sero Becomes an Adventure

Rather than just have people send in stories through their website, John & Tracy decided to go on a 2+ year adventure around North America in search of Sero Stories. Along the way, John & Tracy would meet outdoor adventure seekers and tell their stories through John’s photography & Tracy’s words.

After concluding their 2+ year journey, John & Tracy plan to use their collection of photos and stories to put together a coffee table book. The purpose of the book, like their website, will be to show the importance that outdoor exercise has in your levels of overall happiness. The proceeds of the book will then be donated to various mental wellness & suicide prevention charities.

The original 2-year route John & Tracy planned.

Let the Search Begin

To help them in their search, John & Tracy purchased an old, beat up Volkswagen Westfalia which would become their home on wheels for two years. After extensive upgrades and fixes to the Westfalia, the couple hit the road in Newfoundland in the spring of 2016.

Throughout the spring and summer, John & Tracy trekked across Canada capturing a wide range of Sero Stories. The stories truly are both captivating and inspiring, especially when you have John’s fantastic photography combined with Tracy’s moving words.

By the time this winter hit, John & Tracy were in BC, where we saw them rolling through Tofino in their Westfalia. As we went to contact them to see if they’d like to meet up, we stumbled on their twitter account only to see that they were leaving town that day. Still, we wanted to reach out to John & Tracy and have them shed more light on their experience Searching for Sero.

Tell us about your van and how has it held up on the journey so far…

John: Our van is a 1991 WV Westfalia. We purchased it with 360,000km on it and are almost up to 390,000km now. The van has held up great. That being said, we didn’t buy the old van and hit the road immediately. We spent 10 months going over it with a fine-toothed comb and upgrading a lot of parts. The GoWesty all-terrain kit and bigger breaks were the best updates we did. Every bit of time, energy and money we put into the van before hitting the road has paid off greatly. That being said, we have had a few breakdowns. The van is in the shop as we speak getting a new water pump. One part we didn’t replace when we did all the work to her!

Tracy: The thing is, when you decide to hit the road with an old vehicle, you are bound to break down. But the thing is with Westfalias, the community of owners is great with supportive, knowledgeable people always willing to help and that’s quite helpful.

How did you manage to pack your entire lives into a van – which you’ll be living in for two years?

John: Mostly trial and error. We started with a big house purge and focused on setting the things we wanted to take to the side. We both decided on 5 sets of clothes max. We carry a lot on the exterior of our van too. Having the GoWesty swing arm kit was huge as it meant that we could put our bikes, tools and spare tire on the back of the van and leave valuable roof space for our SUP (stand up paddleboard), surfboards, ski box and solar panels.

Tracy: Because of our lifestyle, outdoor activity took priority over other commodities. We wanted to bring bikes, skis, stand up paddles, surfboards, and camping gear so we also needed the clothes and gear that came with them like bike shoes & wetsuits. That took precedence over having trendy clothes, books or more camera gear for example, but that’s a personal choice.

Where have the best adventures been found so far?

John: Tough question. We have seen Canada from coast to coast now and every area is so unique. What is even more unique is the people we have met along the way. It is the people that we meet that make the adventures memorable. If I had to pick one adventure, though, it was our time in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland. We saw a lynx, had epic beach campfires, parked the van a top of big ocean side cliffs for the night and hiked some of my all time favourite trails. If you are a big hiker, you need to add Lark Harbour to your list.

How has your dog, RainDog, enjoyed the trip so far?

John: Every time we open the door of the van it’s a new adventure to her. She is such an amazing dog to travel with. Everyone loves RainDog and she’s part of all our adventures. She is already well traveled as well. This is her 3rd lap around North America.

Mentally, have there been any challenges throughout the trip?

John: Totally. I think the toughest moment was at the start of winter. We prepped ourselves for the cold, but what we didn’t plan on was the shorter days. It didn’t help that we changed time zones the same weekend as daylights saving time. It went from getting dark at 7 to getting dark at 4:30 in the matter of the weekend as we went from Canmore AB to Golden BC. We found ourselves going to bed at 7:30 pm and sleeping until 9 am or later.

Tracy: Financial insecurity is also part of it. I have had traditional full-time employment for my entire adult life. Moving away from that to being self-employed and dependent on contracts was a big change but one that also brings with many opportunities.

What’s one lesson that you’ve both learned from this experience that you want to pass on to others?

John: For me, it is a lesson that Lydia taught us when we interviewed her for a Sero Story. She told us “I always wanted to travel, but I was never making it happen I was just seeing all these people travel and I was envious of them. I remember this girl I was working with was going to Australia for a year and I told her how lucky she was. She responded that she wasn’t lucky, she made it happen. That just totally changed my mindset. It didn’t just happen, she made it happen. That’s when I decided I was going to go on my first trip.”

It is so true. We have so many people tell us how lucky we are to live the #vanlife, but the truth is, we worked hard for it and made it happen.

Tracy: I conquer. I have learned a lot about myself on that trip and the reason for that is I got out of my comfort zone in so many ways. I allowed myself to be scared, frustrated, cold, dependant. It taught me that I am stronger, tougher than I thought, that it’s ok to rely on people, to ask for help. Because of the nature of the project, it also forced me to meet a lot of people. I am a little more of an introvert than John and although that hasn’t changed, I have met so many incredible people on this journey and I want to keep doing that. I have seen more greatness, wisdom and love in people in the last year than I have in my entire life.

In your opinion, how can people better take care of their mental health?

John: Simply make time for the things you love. Have that outlet to release day to day stresses. We, of course, focus on outdoor adventures as that outlet, but it doesn’t have to be that. It can be anything like music, art, cooking, gardening. Whatever puts a smile on your face. For us, and the people we interview, it just happens to be outdoor adventures.

Tracy: Research shows that time spent in nature and time spent exercising both have positive effects on mood and combining both with what we call outdoor adventure or green exercise can only be better. That’s what we are trying to encourage with Searching for Sero.

Do you believe that the societal norms of Western culture – the 9 to 5 lifestyle, tendency to spend more time sitting, etc… – puts too much mental pressure on people?

John: I think what we have discovered from traveling and talking to people about it, is that everyone has a different balance. Some people can put in 60-hour work weeks, get out to play for 1 day every few weeks and be perfectly happy. Others need to get out pretty much every day. It all comes down to finding your own balance and making it happen. Listen to yourself, your body and your mind.

For those who lead a busy, pressure-filled life, what tips do you have for them to wind down a bit and maintain a strong sense of mental health?

John: Find your passion and make time for it. I know it can be hard to do sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be an epic adventure every time you go out. A quick early morning surf, mountain biking for an hour after work. Any bit of time you can make for yourself will go a long way. And while you’re doing it, enjoy it 100%, be grateful for it, notice the changes in your body, in your mood and the impact on your everyday life. If you don’t know what that passion is, go out and try out things. You’ll know right away when you find it.

Do you have one image that you’ve captured throughout your journey that, in a way, sums up the what Searching for Sero is? If so, would you mind sharing it and explaining why?

John: That is a tough one. How about this mosaic? It is the portraits of most of the people we have done Sero Stories on. It is the people we have met and that have opened up with their stories that are so key to the project. They motivate us every time we sit down for an interview and we hope they motivate our readers too.

Has there been one story throughout your journey that’s been exceptionally inspirational?

John: Every story has touched us in its own way. I think the one that has had the most impact on us is that of Sarah Spurell. This young woman has lived through multiple lives of pain and hardship yet was still so happy and excited to get out and climb. Both of us were crying when we interviewed her.

How can people support you throughout your journey?

John: Simply just help us get the word out there. Share some of your favourite Sero Stories and give us a follow on Instagram and/or Facebook. Use the #FoundSero when you go on your adventures. Bring a friend, a family member along and spread the joy. Make the world a happier place.

If people want to share their stories with you, can they meet up with you?

John: We love hearing other people’s stories. If you see our blue and white Westy in your town, wave us down and come say hi! Or shoot us a message or email anytime.

Tracy: We also have a process through which people can write and submit their own Sero Story and we’ll publish one a week on our website as another mean to inspire others. Share your story.

One of our goals, when Kate & I started full-time RVing, was to spend more time outdoors, we knew that it would help lead us to live happier and more fulfilling lives. After reading John & Tracy’s collection of photos and stories on their Searching for Sero website, we found ourselves once again more inspired to get outside and enjoy nature in the pursuit of happiness.

Just yesterday, we can with certainty say that we #FoundSero. Here in Tofino, we hiked up a mountain that was thick with brush and boggy at times but as you can see – it was well worth it.

Cox Bay in Tofino

After our hike, we couldn’t stop smiling. While it was a small challenge at times, the trek to the top of the mountain that produced that view will be happily stored in our memory banks for a long time to come.

We hope that you’ve found some inspiration in John & Tracy’s wonderful story. Be sure to continue to follow them on their journey (Facebook/Instagram/Twitter), share your Sero story, or even join them in the van for a bit.

What are some of the best moments from your travels & adventures that left you feeling happy?

The post Finding Happiness with Searching For Sero appeared first on Full Time Canada.