It was so impressive to look down at the Sunken Garden, view the various water fountains, step though the peaceful Japanese Garden, walk through the Rose Garden, and admire the hard work and passion that went into this 55 acre garden. Next, it was time to explore the island's wild side.
We started the adventure off in Port Renfrew, which in nestled between the famous West Coast Trail and Juan de Fuca Trail. Here, we hiked to Botanical Beach to see the beautiful tidal pools and to Sombrio Beach, where we found a small trail leading to a spectacular waterfall. The water may have been cold but that didn't stop us for taking the chance to go into the waterfall. I mean, it's a waterfall in the middle of the rainforest, how could you not https://uscasinosguide.com/best-online-casinos-for-usa-players/? Another thing Vancouver Island is known for is whale watching so we jumped on a boat, cruise out into the Pacific Ocean and had one of the best whale watching tours of our lives. First, we saw dozens of orca whales breaching the surface with their amazing black dorsal fins pointing out of the water to the backdrop of the mystic west coast. We even saw them jump off right out of the water, something we've never seen before. Then, as if that wasn't special enough, we came across a massive meeting of humpback whales. We must have seen between 50 to 70 of them, breaching the water, showing us their huge tails and swimming right next to the boat. What an unbelievable experience! Next on our island journey was Campbell River, and after visiting the beautiful Elk Falls, we went on a tour to see grizzly bears in their natural habitat. This started with a boat trip through beautiful mountain scenery where we saw humpbacks and orcas before arriving to the bute inlet and the home of the Homalco First Nations. Thanks to the salmon swimming up the inlet to their spawning grounds, grizzlies arrive here by dozens, eating salmon to fatten up for the winter. It was incredible how close we got to the bears and we even saw one catching a salmon right out of the river, an awesome experience we'll never forget! The next day we had the opportunity to go snorkelling with the salmon. First, we hiked to a nearby canyon where tens of thousands of them swam around us and then we went down the river with them, letting the current take us up and over rocks and back into town. This is truly a unique way to get into nature! Next, we drove to Tofino, stopping at a couple of beautiful waterfalls as well as Cathedral Grove to marvel at the massive 800 year old Douglas Furs. Standing over 250 feet tall with circumference of over 29 feet, we couldn't even come close to wrapping our arms around it. Walking through this ancient rainforest felt like we were in Jurassic Park and it's one of the things I loved most about the island. Once in Tofino, we could't leave without trying of the activities that makes it so famous...surfing! After a great lesson, we spent hours catching little waves and riding them back to shore. It was such an exhilarating experience to be able to stand up and feel the power of the waves push us forward. We surfed all the way until sunset before marvelling at the sky as it turned red, pink and orange.
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AuthorEva Dunlopd Archives
March 2019
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