In 1964 British Columbia adopted the slogan "Beautiful British Columbia" for its license plates. Well, I think the time has come to really capture the essence of this province's grandeur and ratchet up the adjectives. A morning sky can be "beautiful" --- but some of the scenery we've seen in the last month defies such a mundane word.
Another revelation is that there is life after boating and it's been fantastic exploring the island with our trailer. Just 30 minutes from our home is Englishman River Falls. We've passed the sign for it a hundred times and after a recommendation from friends, decided to go there for a couple of days.
The campground was quiet as a church and smelled of fir trees that stood so tall, they formed a canopy over our trailer. We went for walks and could hear the water falls long before we saw them. Even with the water levels being low, the falls were still impressive.
We were invited to a pancake breakfast at our clubhouse on the Sunday morning, and because we were close by, we got to enjoy the gathering and meet more of our neighbours. We are constantly amazed at how many people that live in Qualicum Landing are from Alberta; many bought years ago in preparation for retirement and are now in the process of "living the dream".
Last week we headed west to Tofino; a place that is one of my favorite spots on the island and one I've never seen in the sun. Until this time.
It was glorious. Our campground made all other campgrounds pale in comparison. Located in a pristine forest overlooking Long Beach, we could hear the waves crashing from inside our trailer. A short walk led us to the expansive beach with miles of shoreline to explore.
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| Green Point Campground in the Pacific Rim National Park |
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| Long Beach is aptly named |
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| Huge clumps of kelp and sea onions spotted the beach |
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| The campsite was really private and the trees even more majestic than our last campground |
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| With fire bans finally lifted, we could have a real campfire while drinking gin and tonics |
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| Morning light shining through the trees |
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| Tofino's marina |
There is a great vibe around Tofino. Top knots, surfboards, Aussie accents, and words like "gnarly" pepper conversations and paint a picture of a community borne of adventure and young people communing with nature.
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| A surfing competition was held at Cox Bay so we sat on a piece of driftwood and caught a few rounds of the action. |
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| Watching the sun set from one of the campground's lookout points |
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| A rugged bay in Ucluelet. The black rock reminded us of the Big Island, but without the palm trees |
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| Happy days. I'm not sure why I try and take all the selfies being that I have the shortest arms! |
A trip to Tofino would not be complete without stopping by Tacofino for their fish and tuna tacos. It's an iconic food truck where locals and tourists alike flock to a parking lot where it has been tucked away in the back for years without the benefit of traditional advertising or signage. There were 50 people lined up when we were there -- good news travels fast and we again had a great lunch.
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| Tacofino started in 2009 and has now expanded to Victoria and Vancouver |
It's been a great month of settling into our new home. Roger has created a man cave in his garage complete with bar fridge, bar stools, his tools and a new rowing machine. I don't think the chances are good that I'll be parking in it anytime soon. But that's o.k. - you don't have to shovel rain.
So back to the license plate slogan conundrum. I think the plates could read, "Spectacular British Columbia", or "Breathtaking British Columbia". Anyway you slice it, the scenery I see every day is spectacularly breathtaking.
"The earth has music for those who listen."
George Santayana
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