ALP

Am I trying to cram too much into one trip? Too much travel time by ferry and car for a one week trip? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Day 1- arrive Vancouver-Tour Vancouver.
Day 2-tour vancouver
Day 3- Grouse Mt. morning-then Ferry to Tofino in the afternoon
Day 4- Tofino all day.
Day 5- Tofino all day.
Day 6- Depart Tofino for Sooke by car. I think it's 5 hr. drive?? Stay in Sooke. Dinner at Sooke Harbour House
Day 7- leave Sooke, Butchart Gardens, ferry back to Vancouver that night
day 8- depart Vancouver first thing in the morning.
Please send any thoughts or recommendations.
Should I cut out Sooke and the Gardens and just stay in Tofino an extra day. How much is there to do in Tofino? Would 4 full days be too much?

Meesthare

What time of year are you going? That might make a difference in terms of where to spend your time.

Borealis

Are you traveling now - or planning something for next spring-summmer?

Although the timimg of your plans is really tight (especially on the days that you are traveling), it can be done.

Driving Tofino to Sooke may take you a bit longer than five hours, especially if you stop along the way, or if the weather is bad (the highway from Tofino is narrow and winding almost all the way to Nanaimo; but is much better and quite fast from Nanaimo to Victoria, be sure to stop at the gorgeous view at Malahat Summit).

Leave out Sooke and stay in Tofino? I don't know.
Both Tofino and Sooke have their charms.
I envy you the dinner at Sooke Harbour House - we were there a few years ago and it was one of the most memorable meals of my entire life it was summer and they used fresh veggies and herbs that grew in the gardens around the restaurant, wonderful view too, especially if it is clear and you can see the Olympic Mts across the strait, be sure to get a window table.
Tofino is great if you like remote wilderness as you step out of your comfortable accomodations (we've stayed at B&Bs that are right "on" the beach, woke up to see through our window the stormy Pacific charging with huge waves and salt spray - awesome!!).
Tofino is a good place to go to 1.) rest, 2.) hike the west coast trail, 3.) whale watching, 4.) walk the wide beaches at low tide. However, except for #1, the other activities are seasonal (back to my first question - when will you be traveling?).

Butchart Gardens are lovely in spring and summer; as a matter of fact they are exquisite - gorgeous flowers etc. I am not sure about the fall and winter. They are definitely worth a visit, but personally, if I had to choose, this would be the acitivity that I would leave out of the itinerary, especially if you are planning your trip for this fall or winter.

Sam_Salmon

Skip Grouse Mountain-that'll give you a head start on the trip to Tofino.

April

I would expect the drive from Tofino to Sooke to take longer than 5 hours. Personally I would take Sooke out and leave Butchart Gardens in if you are visiting in the spring, summer, early fall, or at Christmastime.

ALP

Thanks for all of the advice. We will be traveling April 11-April 18th, 2004. We would definitely go whale watching in Tofino. Looking for rest, good scenery and great food and wine. Just can't decide on which towns to visit as they all have something great. Is this Sooke Harbour House for dinner and atmosphere better or worse than Long beach lodge and the Point restaurants in Tofino??

Meesthare

I agree that the drive from Tofino to Sooke will likely take longer than 5 hours. It can take you that long to drive to Victoria, and Sooke would be another 45 minutes at least. It's quite a winding road between Victoria and Sooke.
I'd recommend that you do the hike to Hot Springs Cove while you're in Tofino. It's about a mile each way, and not too strenuous although there are lots of stairs to climb along the trail.
Your itinerary sounds quite packed, but do-able. Butchart Gardens can take a good part of the day, especially in the spring when you're going to be there. If you're looking for rest, I don't think you've allowed much time for that! Have a great trip.

Borealis

ALP - you asked "Is this Sooke Harbour House for dinner and atmosphere better or worse than Long beach lodge and the Point restaurants in Tofino??"

We haven't dined at Long Beach Lodge, so I'll limit my comments to the other two restaurants.

The view -
Sooke Harbour House has a view over gardens onto Juan do Fuca Strait to the Olympic Mtns of Washington State.
The Pointe has a view of Chesterman Beach and a few little islands and the huge Pacific beyond.
Sooke is pretty, the vista can be beautiful if there is no fog or mist.
The Pointe leaves you with the feeling of being in a very remote location at the feet of the mighty Pacific Ocean.
If I had to choose between the two, it would be a tough call.

Ambience -
Sooke is cozy with a warm and intimate atmosphere.
The Pointe is constructed with lots of wood posts and beams, has a fireplace, so the warmth comes from the decor.
Again, if I had to choose, it would be tough.

The food -
Dinner at Sooke Harbour house was delicious and mouth-watering - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!!
Dinner at the Pointe was tasty but the presentation was a bit pretentious.
No contest with this choice - I'd go to Sooke Harbour House any day!!

By the way, the best meal that we had in Tofino on that particular trip was at the RainCoast Cafe right in town.

Having said all this, our trip was a couple of autumns ago, and restaurants have a habit of changing frequently.
I's love to hear other and more current opinions about these two restaurants.

Bon Appetit!!

Borealis

Oops, sorry, lots of typos in my post (see above) today.

"Juan do Fuca" should really be "Juan de Fuca".

(and "I's" should read "I'd")

Time for another cup of coffee!!