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| Getting Away from Victoria |
Located on the southwest of the island, these are each popular in their own way. French Beach is a Provincial Park with a campsite and a beautiful rocky west-coast beach. Take the Old Island Higway past Sooke to get there (it will only take about an hour and a half). Botanical Beach is a marine sanctuary and is a little trickier to get to. Continuing north from French Beach, the road gradually gets more narrow, steep and winding, so it takes a couple of hours to get there. It is near Port Renfrew (which is also the southern start of the West Coast Trail) and access has been greatly improved recently (it used to take a couple of hours to hike in). There is still a small hike involved but it is well worth it for some incredible tide pools and rugged coastline. (If you are looking for a hike which is easier than the West Coast Trail, Botanical Beach is also one entrance to the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. Be sure to check the tide tables for Port Renfrew before you make your journey!
Head for Port Alberni and keep going! This area continues to amaze me -- it is world-famous for its beauty and its controversies. The park is an impressive reserve of coastal rain forest and nearby towns (Tofino to the north -- populated largely by left-leaning environmentalists and Uclulet to the south -- populated by right-leaning fishermen and foresters trying to earn a living.) offer overflow accomodation, and tours of every variety (fishing, whale-watching and eco-tours). The Park itself includes a nature-house with displays, videos and a cafe -- great for the days when the rain is too thick to see through! One appreciates the rain forest even more after driving there -- along the way are several examples of clearcuts, some barely hidden behind a "hedge" of old-growth.
The joke is that Nanaimo is an aboriginal word for "Town of Many Malls" which is evident to any visitor! Nanaimo started out as a coal-mining town (Boosted by Robert Dunsmuir, who also commissioned Craigdarroch Castle) and is known today as the "Hub City" since its proximity to Vancouver and central location on the island makes it the ideal port for transporting of goods. It is also home to the annual Bathtub Races. Take the Trans-Canada Highway north for about two and a half hours.
Both of these communities are growing ever more popular for Canada's retirees; they are each full of retirement resorts and golf courses! But they are also full of campsites, B&B's and cottage-resorts which take full advantage of the area's beautiful beaches (we stayed at Beach Acres for our honeymoon). Parksville is famous for its annual sand-castle compettition which was suspended for a few years after a disastrous riot in 1997. Just north of Nanaimo about half an hour.
What can I say? Most people know where Vancouver is and have some idea of its fame as "Hollywood North" or as a major player in Canadian fashion, culture and music. Check my page on getting to and from Victoria for your travel options. One note, you can now buy Vancouver transit day passes at the Tswassen ferry terminal, so you can travel (off-peak hours) for a very low price (about $5.00) on transit busses, SkyTrain and the SeaBus. I highly reccommend visiting the Art Gallery of Greater Vancouver (Robson and Burrard) and the Aquarium at Stanley Park (heck, all of StanleyPark) while you are there.
Known as the little town that could, the town is blanketed in murals depicting local history. While you're there, take in some dinner theatre or pop into one of the many antiques shops. Take the Trans-Canada Highway north, past Duncan; it should be about an hour and a half drive.
Our nearest big American city (we are actually much closer to Port Angeles -- you can see the lights from Dallas Road) is also one of the largest centres in the U.S. and has much to offer for shoppers, sports enthusiasts, music fans and more. In the off-season there are some great packages to be found through the various ferry services which combine travel with hotel costs, though with our dollar so low lately, they have to try extra-hard!
Take Highway 17 north about 45 minutes and you will find this charming little town, sometimes referred to as"Sidney-By-The-Sea". It is great for shopping or resting before taking the ferry or a flight (it is near both). Tanner's Bookstore (one of the many book stores in town) is well-known for its huge selection of magazines. One can easily walk up and down the main street in an hour or so.
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