Tag: vancouver island

Spoiled By Nature In Port Alice British Columbia

Off the beaten track places are always alluring to me. For some reason those places that are a bit hard to get to, and not visited by many tourists is always what my adventuring soul yearns for. Port Alice on North Vancouver Island is a hidden gem of beauty and serenity.

First of all, the road to Port Alice from the main highway is a bit of a doozie – well, unless you enjoy roller coaster rides, then this road was made for you. It is all up and down and sharp corners, even being the driver I get a bit dizzy every time. However, it is well worth it for the destination that awaits.

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Being welcomed by a rainbow is always a great way to enter somewhere. 

Port Alice is a very small coastal village of 664 people, with a million dollar view.

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You are surrounded by a 360 degree view of the mountains, and incredible sun rises and sunsets.

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The town itself is very well maintained and super clean. I found it so interesting to hear stories of cougars roaming into town, and how you have to keep your eyes peeled at times for them. I am so used to looking out for bears and wolves rather then cougars in my neck of the woods.

I was lucky enough to not only wake up to this spectacular view, but to also dine with it every day.

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Did I forget to mention the abundance of fresh seafood?! With prawns and crab galore you are bound to enjoy a multitude of it here.

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There was so much left over that I had to create an equally as amazing lunch the next day, consisting of crab cakes and prawn salad.

And yes, it was absolutely divine. In case you were wondering.

img_7334 It’s the perfect place to soothe your soul of life’s everyday hustle and bustle.

The various birds are always singing and the humming birds buzz around sounding almost like a large bee. I absolutely love humming birds, so it was very convenient for my basking pleasure that there were bird feeders hanging off the deck, as the birds loved to come and enjoy a refreshing drink of water.

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In the summer you can enjoy watching the whales and sea lions swimming through the bay, right in your own back yard. I happened to visit a bit too early this time around so I was not able to see that action, but I have every intention of returning in the summer to enjoy a bit of the show.

Port Alice is the perfect spot for kayaking, scuba diving, and fishing, and it also has easy access to the Pacific ocean from the inlet. There are plenty of areas to go hiking, and a beautiful 9 hole golf course. Being less touristy, it offers crowd free adventures, which is exactly the way I like it.

Port Alice, is small in size, but big in beauty. An absolute must see if you find yourself in the North Vancouver island area. Happy travelling days!

 

3 Highlights Of A North Vancouver Island Road Trip

Random and spontaneous adventuring has always been in my blood. It’s just what I do. At times a planned trip is where it’s at, or it’s just what has to happen. Even in those circumstances, I like to leave room for the unexpected and unplanned. Some of the best adventures of my life have been when I turned down that random road, bought that last minute ticket somewhere I never heard of, or simply seized the moment.

Upon arriving to Vancouver Island the only plans I had were to get from Comox to Port Alice. I booked a car rental with National Cars at the comox airport, and decided I was going to hit the road of open adventure with no real time frame. Just go with the flow kinda day.

With that kind of open mindset, the trip that is normally 3 hours, turned into 7 awesome hours, of ‘Me time’ adventures. It was exactly what my spontaneous adventure loving soul was yearning for.

Vancouver island has always been a favorite destination of mine to visit, it is such a beautiful place with endless things to see. I am sure you could travel and explore for a year straight and still not discover all the hidden treasures.

Here are a few treasures that I came across on this little road trip filled with random and unplanned pit stops.

  1. The sandy beach shores of Campbell River

With Campbell River sprawling down sandy and driftwood covered beaches, it is a stunner of a place. Resorts line the beach shores, and the fresh sea air is a sweet treat to inhale – that is, if you enjoy the smell of salty sea air. 


There are ports for the boating enthusiasts, and cherry blossoms setting the scene.


 I really enjoy the small quaint feeling of Campbell River, it feels free and open. I am sure that changes in the summer season, but in comparison to a city on the shores, it will still maintain a somewhat relaxing mellow charm I am sure.

I also made a coffee stop at this cafe called Fogg Dukkers. 


It is full of rustic charm, with the water as the backdrop. Lined with picnic tables and a bonfire, it’s is a beauty of a place to enjoy some RnR while sipping on a fine cup of java. I am a lover of great coffee, and this was some pretty tasty coffee.

I decided this was the perfect stop to take myself on a lunch date, so I grabbed a table for 1, and dined with my coffee and veggie wrap, while soaking in the beautiful view.

  1. Stop in at a Cable Cookhouse in the village of Sayward

Built in and around 1970, the Cable Cookhouse is a steel framed building bolted to a cement base. The entire walls are wrapped with used logging cable. The weight of these walls is a massive 26 tons.


They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee and desserts. It has been a popular stop for tourists, and locals for many years. It is truly full of character. They have some seriously old and rusty tractors and such in the back, as well as a totem pole that was also built by the original builder.

There is a patio to enjoy the warm summer weather in the season, and they even have ‘Pooh Howses’ in the back, which I got a kick out of.

  1. Check out Telegraph Cove

Telegraph Cove was an old sawmill town established in 1912, it had deteriorated to the point where everything had to be restored and rebuilt. Everything has been restored and rebuilt, with an 800 foot long boardwalk and dock surrounding the old village put in. It was created into a resort in 1979, and has grown to welcome upward of 80 000 tourists a year.

There are so many activities on offer here, from whale watching, to fishing trips, and onward to grizzly bear tours.

I love historical places, and when things have an antique feel to them. However , this little visit I paid was before the season even begins, so it was completely empty. I love seeing places in that state though, it gives you a chance to really take it all in with no distractions or hustle and bustle. I enjoyed a nice stroll around though, I can imagine it’s pretty amazing when it comes to life, and I would love to come back in the summer and stay in one of those old houses.

Spontaneous adventures always bring you to places that you otherwise would never have discovered. Each of these spots made my road trip that much more interesting , and that much more memorable.

Before I reached the beautiful destination of Port Alice, I made sure to pop in to Port McNeil to check out the world’s largest Burl.

I never even knew what a burl was prior to this, but I learned that a burl is an abnormal tree growth. I suppose like a tree tumor. Who would have thought?! You really do learn something new every day.

For me, successful trips always stem from open mindedness, and not being too rigid on my plans. Just loving life everyday brings endless awesome adventures. So get out there and see what you unexpectedly come across, and don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers.