Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Vancouver Island Trip Report

After we left Port Alberni, we drove to Ucluelet. Our drive there was a bit wet but the day after we arrived, the weather improved considerably - so we ended up having just a little rain for our 3 night stay in the Ucluelet/Torino area. We stayed at the Ocean Mist Guesthouse in Ucluelet - which I HIGHLY recommend. Our room was huge and very well appointed. Breakfasts were absolutely delicious and definitely not the usual B&B greasy fry up. We had home-made muffins and home-made breakfast parfaits one day, Great omelets another day and "to-die-for" lemon-ricotta pancakes on our last morning. Rod is simply a fantastic, creative cook. Just let them know and they will accommodate any special dietary needs or likes and dislikes. He and his wife have thought of just about anything that you might need to make your stay better - they even supply rain gear. Bottom line, I have stayed at many guesthouses and B&Bs in Canada, the UK and the USA - this is definitely in the top 3.
What we did: On our first morning, it started with a bit of rain - so we decided to check out the Ucluelet Aquarium - small but interesting and unique - worth a visit. When the skies cleared, we drove toward Tofino and stopped at many spots in the Pacific Rim National Park - spectacular. I did short walks were I could use my walker (including at Long Beach). My husband did some longer walks.
When we got back to Ucluelet, we checked out the Wild Pacific Trail system there - some very spectacular ocean views and mostly doable for me. The next day, we drove all the way to Tofino but found it too busy for our taste - so we back tracked a bit and stopped at the Radar Hill trail - short, paved but steep. I did it but needed a little break to catch my breath at the top. The views and lovely seating area made it worthwhile. We stopped again at Long Beach and I walked (rollated?) as far as Incinerator rock because the tide was well out. We stopped for lunch at the Wickenish Inn - very pricey but worth it for the spectacular view. When we got back to Ucluelet, my husband pretty much did a complete circuit of the Wild Pacific Trail.

to be continued................