Surfing, Goats, Crabs, and the Gnarliest Tree

I've done a lot of boating in my life, which involves, of course, gracefully gliding into a dock at a 15 degree angle, at just the right speed, and quickly turning the wheel to reverse the back end of the boat into the dock. This is a challenge at the best of times. To witness our captain pull the ferry into the dock into the terminal at Port Hardy with absolute precision was truly a feat! After a 10 hour ferry ride, we arrived at the top end of Vancouver Island. We had very low expectations for our lodgings (the Airport Inn), but, besides the warning that there was a large bear wandering around the premises (which the owner Bernie assured me was not at all a joke), it was a fairly pleasant stay.

The next day we headed to Campbell River (also with low expectations) and we were all pleasantly surprised. We stayed at the Ocean Resort which was some sort of yoga retreat lodgings with beautiful frontage along the ocean. We were content to eat Domino's pizza and drink wine while the kids skipped rocks. Earlier in the day we drove to Elk Falls Provincial Park which was conveniently located only a few kilometres from town. Complete with massive old growth trees, a waterfall, and suspension bridge, this park had it all! We were also impressed by the pier and the beachside trail (there is a 28 km bike/walk trail loop) - this city, with some really nice neighbourhoods along the coast seems to be a bit of a hidden gem - definitely worth spending a few days if you are up that way.

Next stop - Canada's surf capital - Tofino! (unfortunately we missed Trudeau - he is likely there today on his annual family trip) We met up with my brother Cam (ironically an avid Trudeau supporter ;)) and his friend Bryanna. We stayed at an AirBnb on 1st Street - fairly expensive compared to what we were used to, as everything in Tofino is, but very well located and it came with surfboards and wetsuits. We spent that evening at Chesterman Beach and enjoyed and absolutely incredible sunset on the fall equinox. The kids had a ball surfing the waves on the boogie boards and Cam and I fired the frisbee around and drank beers. A perfect evening! The next day we hiked a trail that led to a plane wreck in the middle of the woods. Kind of interesting/weird to see. Later that evening we went to Long Beach - this time Cam and I brought the surfboards. Cam had some trouble getting into the wet suit (the kid said he looked like a T-Rex with his arms stuck in the sleeves). I got mine on, but it didn't really matter. After about 15 minutes of getting my ass handed to me I was done. Surfing is tough. I think I will stick with Squash.

On our drive from Tofino to Victoria we stopped off at Goats on the Roof. Pro tip: If you are thinking about opening a business, or if you currently have a business and it is struggling, consider putting some goats on your roof - it seems to work. This little market off in the middle of nowhere, had hundreds of people roaming around and snapping pics. We grabbed some delicious tacos and Margaritas and then headed off towards Victoria (Sidney). Bryanna was generous enough to have us stay on her family's boat at the marina which was awesome! We played an epic game of 6 person cribbage and Liam and I prevailed after Liam got his "God hand" (4,5,5,6,6) for 24 points.

Next we visiting my cousin Brittany and her partner Jonny and their dog Snoopy. We stopped by for a delicious lunch at their new brewery called Small Gods. They just opened the brewery in August and the place looks so amazing. Johnny is the head brewer there and - not being biased - these are some of the most delicious beers I have had in a while. I hope they start shipping to Ontario soon :)

After lunch and a healthy sampling of brews we all made our way over to visit another new cider company - Victoria Cider Co. I don't normally seek our ciders, but these were absolutely delicious - farmhouse, dry, and even a lavender (purple) variety. It is a really nice family setting beside a field where families were gathered - kids running around playing lawn games and adults passing the sunny Saturday afternoon sipping ciders (say that 5 times fast!)

Next we all went back to Jonny and Britt's for an absolute feast! Here is a breakdown:

• Tuna sashimi

• Seared tuna

• Home made chicken wings

• Lingcod fish tacos

All the fish courtesy of Jonny's recent fishing expedition off the coast of Tofino. We were all blown away and Mel was in her "happy place" with all the fresh fish (she grew up on the Pacific coast and dearly misses seafood). What an amazing meal!!

Britt and Jonny gave us the tour of Sidney - we had a nice walk around the coast and stopped by the aquarium. The aquarium operates on a catch and release basis such that the marine life is only there for a short period of time. The star of the show there was the Giant Pacific Octopus (it was a baby, so it was really just normal sized). Apparently the octopus spends 90% of its time balled up in a corner. We were very lucky that it was active and moving all over - it would stop and stare at us and stick its tentacles to the glass - very cool. Brittany seemed to be in a trance watching it and we had to peel her away.

After viewing all of the fish at the aquarium we worked up an appetite, so naturally we went to the pier to eat some fish and chips! Yum!

Prior to visiting the aquarium we had dropped a crab pot off the pier to see if we could catch some crabs (using one of Jonny's salmon heads for bait!). When we came back after lunch, we ended up catching one crab and one shrimp - it was a fun experience for us the kids!

Next stop - Victoria!

Bryanna hooked us up to get some good rates at the Delta located in beautiful downtown Victoria. Definitely a step up from some of the motels we have been staying at! Cam and I spent the day golfing and had an amazing time with beautiful weather (I haven't golfed since I tore my achilles back in April). Mel and the kids toured around downtown Victoria. We met up with a work colleague of mine (Pierre) at Spinnakers which was about a 15 minute walk along the coastline path. They make there own beer there, but it was fairly mediocre - maybe I got spoiled at Small Gods!

Our last stop on the Island was Port Renfrew. This is a 2 hour drive up the coast from Victoria. We stayed in a nice 2 bedroom cabin at Trailhead Lodge with Cam and Bryanna and her son Anders (2). Port Renfrew seems to be another hidden gem - everyone talks about Tofino, but Port Renfrew has many of the same features - nice beaches, surfing, fishing, trails, etc.

We set out the next day on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. This is a 47 km trail that goes from Botany Bay down to China Beach along the coast. We hiked for 4-5 hours on a fairly rugged trail. Lots of roots and we had to be careful with footing since it was fairly slippery - fortunately no injuries!

On our last day, we stopped by Avatar Grove to check out Canada's Gnarliest Tree. It was pretty gnarly! I understand why that call it Avatar Grove - it feels like somethin out of the movie!

We had a great experience at Port Renfrew and I would love to come back and do the full Juan de Fuca Trail or do the West Coast Trail. Or do some charter fishing!