Harbour City Howler

Prior to my visit to Strathcona Park, I really didn’t know what to expect. I discovered that Strathcona is the oldest provincial park in BC, celebrating its 100 year trademark this season. I was very impressed by the large variety of activities available for guests, the friendly service from staff, as well as the cleanliness and environmental consciousness of Strathcona Park Lodge

Upon arrival, we received a tour of the area with very informative facts about the cabins, programs provided, and activities available. We were given a list of various recreational activities to participate in; canoeing, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, zip lining and high ropes. We all decided to try out the zip lines, as well as the high ropes- both were a blast! The guides gave us a step by step demonstration and showed us proper techniques, and supervised us as we made our way through the course up in the trees. After a couple hours of fun, we cooked up some burgers and dogs on the BBQ down by the lake. Later that evening we enjoyed sitting outside on our patio (which overlooked the mountains and water) and also took advantage of the lovely sauna, and large fire-pit area down by the water!

Overall this trip was wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone who has not been to the area and is seeking to take part in some outdoor adventure. This is a park that is suitable for all demographic groups of all ages (families with children, couples, group of friends etc.). Well done and thank you very much Strathcona Park Lodge!

To check out Strathcona Park Lodge online check out their website at www.strathcona.bc.ca

We were looking for something special to celebrate our first anniversary – and we found a hidden treasure. Tucked in beside the marina in Ladysmith is a beautiful inn, and the restaurant that serves the mariners and landlubbers alike is easily the best I’ve eaten at this year.

We sat at a cozy table overlooking the sailboats and the harbor, and were immediately welcomed by the new owners, Robert and Sandy.  A very well priced menu offered seafood, pastas, steaks and more. We opened the evening with a bottle of Italian wine to toast our wedded bliss, and then tucked into mussels in curry sauce that were perfectly spice – a little Pernod to soften the heat of the curry, they were divine.

We followed the mussels with chicken breast and gnocchi for Mark, while I had a tender steak, medium rare. I hesitate to call the potatoes with my dish ‘fries’ – because they were so astoundingly delicious compared to the usual fast food fare – but they were stacked log-cabin style and a wonderful companion to the steak.

Our main dishes were priced less than $20 each, and the value and flavour packed in to our dinner was exceptional. We topped off a lovely evening celebration with a decadent mousse cake and chatted with the owner – who shared his secret of the fabulous mussels. You’ll have to ask him yourself though – I like to think I can hold one little secret to recreate for future dinner guests at my house.

We wandered the back way home – you can find dirt roads that connect the inn to Yellow Point- but I strongly recommend you have your GPS with you.  It’s out of the way, but well worth the trip.

This past week staff members of Tourism Nanaimo joined forces with our neighbouring tourism regions on the island to get a taste of they have to offer. We started off day one in the harbour city and took the group on a walking tour of downtown Nanaimo and the harbour front. Everyone was quite surprised at what Nanaimo had to offer and impressed with all the changes that have taken place over the recent past. Our next destination for the day was the Parksville/Qualicum area. Did you know the Qualicum Museum houses over 10,000 fossils? Some of them even dating back to the time of the dinosaurs! We took a quick tour of North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre; and no trip to Oceanside is complete without checking out the beaches! Public day parking is now free at Rathtrevor Provincial Park and Parksville’s Community Park hosts enough festivals and events throughout the whole summer to keep everyone busy throughout the season!

On day two we had a lot of ground to cover. We started the day at Port Alberni’s brand new information centre. The highlight of Port Alberni was visiting the Coulson Flying Tankards on Sprout Lake and taking a tour of the inside of a waterbomber. The museum will open for the summer in the beginning of July. Another great tip we learned about Port Alberni is one of the Seven Wonders of the Alberni Valley; at low tide, head down to the harbour front and you are sure to see black bears across the river channel as they scrounge for mussels and other food. From Port Alberni we headed to the Comox Valley where we toured through the quaint town of Cumberland and learned about everything Mount Washington has to offer. As most of you will know already, Mount Washington received record snow falls this year and because of the large snow pack will be offering summertime skiing for Father’s Day weekend!  Comox Valley has so much to offer and we had so little time to take it all in. The last stop on our itinerary was Blue Moon Estates winery in Courtenay, who create the most delicious wines using berries and fruit from their own gardens and the island.

We encourage you to take a tour of the island see and what our local communities have to offer. People come from all over the world to visit Vancouver Island, so why not get out and enjoy the sights and activities for yourself! Stop by our information centres and we’ll be happy to set you up with a few day trips tailored to you and your family!