We really enjoyed our west coast anniversary trip the last week of October. Kent had been working away for most of the four months prior so a getaway was wonderful!! It had been a few years since we’d been to Vancouver Island – which I realized I didn’t even share that summer road trip to the west coast on the blog. Spending time surrounded by trees, mountains and the ocean is always a good setting to be in we think! Along with celebrating our anniversary each year. We prioritize experiences over gifts for each other and this trip to the island worked out well. The weather was not ideal and quite rainy but we didn’t have any set expectations for how it would be in late fall. We still got out and explored as much as we could!
We flew to Nanaimo and spent our first night at a hotel on the water in Parksville. Then drove across to Tofino the next day. Stopping in the Cathedral Grove to walk the boardwalk through the giant fir and cedar trees. Highway 4 had road construction so we made sure our timing lined up with when they were opening in the afternoon. We loved our stay at Ocean Village on Mackenzie Beach. Our cozy studio had a kitchen and oceanview.
It rained quite a lot but still felt warm enough to go out for walks along Mackenzie, Tonquin and Chesterman Beaches and other trails in the area. There was a storm the first couple days so it was super windy. It was energizing watching and listening to the waves crashing on the rocks. The ocean is amazing. Kent was brave enough to even go in for a quick dip! I only joined him for the warm up after in the hot tub!! Our west coast anniversary trip to celebrate 14 years of marriage was good for the heart!
We spent some time in Tofino, shopping and touring around. Which led to meeting a friendly fisherman at the marina that had all sorts of suggestions for us about the best food in the area!
This was the hike down to Tonquin Beach. It’s a beautiful, small, secluded beach.
The location of Ocean Village was perfect to enjoy time on Mackenzie Beach and by the ocean each day.
This was a magical time on one afternoon when the sun tried really hard to break through the clouds.
We made sure to walk every time to the little cove at the end of the beach too. It was a favorite!!
We watched lots of surfers along Chesterman Beach and walked all the way along to Frank Island where you get a view of this lighthouse.
From Tofino we stopped quickly at Long Beach then went to Ucluelet. This is a dreamy house in the bay tucked away in the trees that I remembered from the last time we were there.
We stopped on our way back across the island to visit friends at Sproat Lake. The fall colors were really pretty! It was our visit over supper that spurred the idea of us heading back there at the start of this year.
Medium format film images taken on Pentax 645, processed and scanned by the Canadian Film Lab.
More photos from Vancouver Island to come from spending January staying at Sproat Lake!
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Great pictures and stories