Vancouver Island
Jan 25th, 2006, 01:44 PM
#1
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Vancouver Island
We will be staying one week on Vancouver Island and need some help with an itinerary. We will arrive via the Nanaimo Ferry port. We will depart in Victoria.
Are there any special bed and breakfasts, motels, etc. you could suggest; any special highlights or areas on this route?...probably going to the Campbell River .. over to Tofino area and then down to Victoria. We have only been to Victoria. Thank you for any information.
Are there any special bed and breakfasts, motels, etc. you could suggest; any special highlights or areas on this route?...probably going to the Campbell River .. over to Tofino area and then down to Victoria. We have only been to Victoria. Thank you for any information.
Jan 25th, 2006, 06:11 PM
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You don't say when you plan to be there. If it is in the winter then this coment will not be relevent.
You may want to stop in Parksville just north of Nanimo. The beachs at Parksville and Rathtrevor have a tide that goes out about a kilometer. The sun then heats up the sand which heats up the water as the tide comes back in. As a result the water is around 70 degrees in the summer. This is one of the few places where swimming is possible without a wetsuit. There are several resort hotels on Resort Drive at Rathtrevor beach. Just enter hotels Parksville in Google and you will find them.
On the way to Tofino take the turn off for Coombs. Its about two kilometers west of Parksville. There is an excentric general store and confectionary shop there that is worth while visiting. It has a grass roof and goats. You can't miss it.
You may want to stop in Parksville just north of Nanimo. The beachs at Parksville and Rathtrevor have a tide that goes out about a kilometer. The sun then heats up the sand which heats up the water as the tide comes back in. As a result the water is around 70 degrees in the summer. This is one of the few places where swimming is possible without a wetsuit. There are several resort hotels on Resort Drive at Rathtrevor beach. Just enter hotels Parksville in Google and you will find them.
On the way to Tofino take the turn off for Coombs. Its about two kilometers west of Parksville. There is an excentric general store and confectionary shop there that is worth while visiting. It has a grass roof and goats. You can't miss it.
Jan 26th, 2006, 05:10 AM
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We are going in mid-May. We are not at all familiar with the island, so thank you for this information Stanbr. Do you know anything about the Golf Islands...should we see any of this? Thanks again.
Jan 26th, 2006, 03:53 PM
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By May the weather should be getting pretty good and you should have enough warmth for strolling the the beachs.
Either you are a real golf fan or you may have meant the Gulf Islands. They are sheltered from the rough weather on the far West coast and are quite tranquil. Best known is Salt Spring Island. My experience is limited to Denman Island and Hornby Island just north of Comox.
There are oysters at Fanny Bay just before your get there. Both Islands are beautiful, laid back and are a step back in time, particularly Hornby which has a 1960 lifestyle. I am actually hoping to camp on Hornby this summer. Lots of B&B's although we camp so I am not able to recommend one. I would use the time to visit these Islands rather than head up to Campbell River before heading cross island to Tofino. ( Which is a must see) We stay at Middle Beach Lodge when we are there)
If you have the time get off the Island Highway at Parksville and drive the old highway which hugs the coast line through Qualicum Beach and up the coast. It is a slow trip but the scenery is worth the time invested, If you need to pick up the pace the Island Highway is never too far away.
On the way to Tofino plan to stop at Cathedral Grove an old growth forest and see what BC used to be like.
Either you are a real golf fan or you may have meant the Gulf Islands. They are sheltered from the rough weather on the far West coast and are quite tranquil. Best known is Salt Spring Island. My experience is limited to Denman Island and Hornby Island just north of Comox.
There are oysters at Fanny Bay just before your get there. Both Islands are beautiful, laid back and are a step back in time, particularly Hornby which has a 1960 lifestyle. I am actually hoping to camp on Hornby this summer. Lots of B&B's although we camp so I am not able to recommend one. I would use the time to visit these Islands rather than head up to Campbell River before heading cross island to Tofino. ( Which is a must see) We stay at Middle Beach Lodge when we are there)
If you have the time get off the Island Highway at Parksville and drive the old highway which hugs the coast line through Qualicum Beach and up the coast. It is a slow trip but the scenery is worth the time invested, If you need to pick up the pace the Island Highway is never too far away.
On the way to Tofino plan to stop at Cathedral Grove an old growth forest and see what BC used to be like.
Jan 27th, 2006, 05:56 PM
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I would personally skip Campbell River. Hornby Island is nice but requires two ferry trips and other islands are okay but not worth giving up time around Tofino, in my opinion. Given your available time I would spend most of it in the Tofino area, and then go to Victoria with perhaps a night or two in Parksville on the way to or from Tofino. As Stanbr said, Parksville has a number of resorts on or above Rathtrevor Beach.
Feb 5th, 2006, 07:24 AM
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A day trip to Coombs would be interesting. It is about 1/2 hour from Parksville, which is about 45 minutes from Nanaimo. It is a market that is quite popular during the summer with a good variety of different things to see.
Feb 10th, 2006, 12:54 PM
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If you're looking for adventure and happen to be driving an SUV, try to obtain a map of the logging roads on Vancouver Island. We found one at a Visitor's Center in a small town, Port Hardy perhaps #-o , and spent a day exploring the northern part of the island. The logging trucks don't give way, but you can see them coming by the dust they create. Saw some clear-cut logging operations and some interesting geological features off the beaten path. Bear Cove and Telegraph Cove on the northeast side of the island might also be of interest as well as the First People museum at Alert Bay. For an off the beaten path accommodation, take the ferry at Campbell River over to Quadra Island and stay at the Twa Kwa Luten Lodge...great gourmet meals and rooms overlook the Inside Passage. They also have several cabins for rent.
