jjmb

My husband and I will be visiting BC from Sept 20-Oct 5 2013. This is what we have scoped out so far:
- 5 nights at Bella Coola Mountain lodge, with a focus on grizzly bear photography. We also have a day trip scheduled on a boat to vist fjords and coast line. Additional time spent hiking and exploring
- 4 nights in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island. Planning to take a boat ride through Barkley sound, and exploring tidal pools, among other things.
- 4 nights near Port McNeill, focusing on the Gulf Islands and wildlife watching. Booking a full day photography tour, but on our own for the rest of the time.
- 1 night around Victoria, then home.

We are avid wildlife (including birds) and nature lovers as well as photographers. We like to be active and out and about all day. We also like to explore back roads to find quiet, un-touristy spots.

My goal with this post is to try to find out about some of the hidden gems on our route - back roads that are really worth a drive, restaurants that are a local secret, trails that are worth exploring, anything off the beaten path.

Any suggestions?
Thanks.

lincasanova

We took the wonderful whale watching excursion up at Telegraph Cove. it was fabulous I LOVE this part of the country. Bella Coola must be amazing. We looked in awe as kayakers took their kayaks off our ferry and 4x4s picked up some passengers.

We saw lots of puffins on the west coast of V. island when we rented a fishing boat that took us way out.

Hidden Cove B+B looks amazing.. they say there are even bears on the beach there.

sludick

Wow. What a great trip you have planned. I wish I could add something useful, but I do have a question - how are you planning to travel from Bella Coola to Tofino? We have long wanted to do a driving route on the mainland BC over to north Vancouver Island and over to Tofino, but it's a long trip.

Lucky you!

jjmb

Thanks for you responses.

Originally I had wanted to do Vancouver Island first, then take the ferry to Bella Coola and then drive back from there. But the ferry schedule (much less frequent at that time of year) didn't work with our schedule, and most of the journey on the ferry was going to happen at night when you couldn't see the scenery, so that kind of defeated the purpose. So we will fly to Vancouver, then fly to Bella Coola and back, then pick up a rental car and go to the island and hit our spots.

We may try to do some kayaking on both the east and west side of the island.

Lincasanova - do you recall who you rented the fishing boat with? I love puffins.

Anyone else with some tips?

sludick

Just to stop off at Coombs Market if you can, and check out the goats on the roof. Good spot to pick up some picnic grub, too.

http://www.oldcountrymarket.com/

lincasanova

We just went to the dock the afternoon before and signed up for a shared boat. it was pricey, and foggy but we did finally see puffins and never did catch any ole fish!

You are going to such a beautiful area. It seems you may not have time but IMO the most beautiful ferry ride, and is even worth taking as foot passenger round trip is from Horseshoe bay to Langdale although we continued with our car crossed from the sunshine coast over to the island further north.. it was very scenic.

live42day

Out of Ucluelet is a great tour of the broken group on a smallish boat that will show you the local wildlife, bears, whales, eagles, sea lions etc. I have taken it a couple of times and hope to do it again this summer.
http://www.archipelagocruises.com/

Also you may be there during the salmon run and the bears hang out at the local fish hatchery, about a 10 minute drive from Ucluelet. Everyone in town knows where it is, just ask if they are there. If so you can get as close at 10 feet to them while they are feeding on salmon.

jjmb

Thanks for the tip on the tour boat and the hatchery. We will definitely stop by there!