I have rented through Tofino VR as well, Osprey house on CHestermans which is my 'dream house'. If you decide to rent through them and want to be on the beach choose
'beach ' on the left hand side and read carefully as some are across the road from the beach, which is not a problem but could be dissapointing if you were expecting to be right on the beach. 'Ocean' section is in Tofino and not the sandy beaches of Chestermans.

NWW, thanks so much for the info. I'll print out this thread for reference during our visit. And good to know you were happy with Tofino Vacation Rentals.

I have a question about surfing lessons. Daughter is a fair swimmer. She enjoys long distance biking so has good strength. Do you think surfing would be a wise choice? She's saving up for this and I'd hate for her to be disappointed if her skills aren't up to the skill needed.

Thanks for all the help. I promise a trip report with photos.

'surf sister' in Tofino is a good place for her to go. They cater to women surfing, because as my son who is an avid surfer says, there is a difference because women have a different centre of gravity. I have heard great things about them http://www.surfsister.com/

lots of begginers here. And the surf is not too big in the summer and there is no undertoe to speak of.

just one more thing....the water is bloody cold, so she will need a wet suit, which they rent

That video is wonderful and quite interesting, inspirational!
Still I remain concerned about that drive from Parksville across the highway to Ucluelet. Can someone comment more on its challenges or lack thereof? Best time of day to drive it?
If I took a bus are there car rentals in Tofino or Ucluelet?
Thanks.

It's fine if you just take it slowly on the curvy/windy part beyond Port Alberni. Stick to the suggested speed limit and don't get rattled if there are people on your tail wanting to go faster (I just pull over at the next turnout and let them pass). That part doesn't last for more than about 30-45 minutes or so of the 3 hour drive (if that). It's a good road, it's just got a lot of switchbacks on that part.

I would definitely do it during daylight hours.

There is a Budget car rental office at Tofino Airport.

I agree with NWWanderer. THere are a lot of locals who travel that road a lot and can seem to ride your bumper so every time you see a pull out use it. It will make you journey much more enjoyable because the sceanery is gorgeous. The bus is costly. I am sure you will not have a problem driving the road. When it says slow to 40, slow to 40. Or less. Just drive the speed you are comfortable with and stopping at the rivers and rest stops will make the journey much more enjoyable There are only a few spots that are windey and as said above do in daylight hours.

You'll be fine.

Ok, you guys are awesome.
So here is another question:
we will pick up a rental car in downtown Victoria at 6pm on a Mon. night. Lets say we want to drive until dark and stay someplace and then drive the rest of the way on Tues.
How far, where can we go for that stop?
Thanks.

It got dark last night at around 10PM. If you leave Victoria around 6PM you could make your way up to the Parksville area for the night. That would be a couple of hours drive and so you could see a bit of the Parksville area. http://parksville.travel.bc.ca/listi...bayside/24188/
There is a hotel on the beach which is nice called the Bayside which would take you for one night. A wonderful view resteraunt.
On your way to the west coast the next day you could stop in Coombs at the (Goats on the roof ) Market which is 10 minutes from Parksville, and then another 15 minutes is Cathedral Grove (MacMillan Park) which would be good for a 1/2 hour stroll.
From there is is around 2 hours to Tofino at a nice easy pace.

We are now having second thoughts and thinking of seeing the coast/parks in Washington within driving distance of Seattle.
It seems like the coastal areas are not accessible but for hikes such as 1, 2, 3 beachess, Rialto beach, etc.
Thanks.

HK, you might want to start a new thread in the US forum to ask about Olympic National Park.

It's not a day trip from Seattle however to the beaches (4+ hours each way).

Here's my Tofino trip photos. I'll write a trip report if anyone has an interest.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Kansan24

Looks like you had a good time. Did you daughter enjoy her surf lesson? I see you did use Surf Sister

We did have a good time. And daughter loved Surf Sister. She had a 9am lesson so it was still a bit chilly and misty. They put on the thick wet suits at the beach parking lot and then headed down to the beach for the lesson. There were two instructors for eight pupils so it was a good ratio. One guy from Germany joined the class. The pupils wore pink tee shirts to make it easy to spot them. The instructor asked everyone where they were from and why they wanted to learn to surf. Daughter replied Kansas and because she lives in Kansas. :)

They drew imaginary surf boards in the sand to learn how to pop up and hold their arms for balance. Then out to the water to try their luck. She was lucky to get up on her second try. The instructor had said to watch for a wave and when it got ten feet behind, to start paddling with your arms. Not princess paddles, but big girl paddles. You can see it was all good fun. One instructor spent last winter in Indonesia teaching surfing. They are very experienced.

Daughter really enjoyed her lesson. It was $75 for a two hour lesson including all the gear. She felt it was a good deal. http://www.surfsister.com/instructors.html

We leave the 7th if Aug for Tofino, staying at Harvey House B&B. Do you know it? This forum has been great but I can't seem to open the video. I see the screen with someone walking taking the picture looking down but when I click on the play icon nothing happens. Any suggestion? I would love ti view it.

HEYJUDE, Regarding Harvey house, you cant go wrong with the location and it looks like a lovely B and B. It is not on the beach but close to beach access.
THe video still works for me, i just hit the play and it comes on. I dont know what to tell you I am sorry.

Live42day, Thanks for the reply. I'll try opening your video on my sons computer. Mine is old and may not have enough memory. I have enjoyed all of the posts and am really looking forward to our trip. I'll post when I return.

book marking -- thanks

Well,we are back from Tofino, where we stayed 5 nights at Harvey House B&B which located just across the road from Chesterman Beach. The B&B was excellent with wonderful breakfasts brought to your door every morning. The owners were very helpful with suggestions on activities and restaurants. The ferry ride over to Vancouver Island from Vancouver was pleasant even theough we had rain all the way and actually all the way to Tofino. A couple of restaurants not mentioned by other posters that we really liked were: Black Rock Resort (for lunch), Long Beach Lodge, Shelter something, and we did like Sobo's. All are a little expensive but not outrageous. We spend 2 days hiking the trails of the Pacific Rim National Park. Very different from other national parks we have visited. The trails are usually through some woods, nothing challenging, to the beach where you will see whales, sea lions, starfish, and anemonies all over. Very interesting. One day we went to Ucluelet and hiked the lightouse loop. Another day we took a canoe trip to Meares Island with a native canadian indian who was excellent. The Wickaninish Center and Beach should not be missed. The entire 6 days were relaxing and at a slow pace. We enjoyed our trip but would fly another time. Flying to Seattle, train to Vancouver, ferry to Vancourver island, and then driving 3 1/2 hours and then doing it all in reverse was a little much.

I am glad that you had a good time. I dont know if you were there on the 11th but we were walking Chestermans, a gorgeous sunny day, and saw whales right from the beach. The beach was packed though, I had never seen it so many people. You really covered a lot of ground during your stay. That is great.