While in eastern Canada we met a nice couple along the Bay of Fundy and they highly recommended a trip to Vancouver Island, particularly to Tofino so we added these stops to our western Canada list.
The adventure began with a scenic ferry ride to transfer us and the RV from Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) to Nanaimo. We would spend our entire time on the island either boondocking on Crown Land (which are public Canadian lands like the U.S. BLM lands), boondocking at Boondockers Welcome participant homes or at HipCamp sites. Our first late afternoon was a bit overcast but we found a nice boondocking (dry camping / no amenities) spot by Sproat Creek.
Vancouver Island offers the perfect blend of outdoor adventure, cultural experiences, and breathtaking landscapes. There’s a bit of something for every type of traveler. You can drive the Pacific Rim Highway, walk the elevated boardwalk trails of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, bicycle the coastal trail, head into the town of Ucluelet for fresh fish and chips, learn about the history of the area or just enjoy the rocky coastal views. Day 2 was chock-a-block. We were spent by the time we reached our HipCamp called “Goats and Boats”.
Day 3 on Vancouver Island included a trip to Long Beach for some sand, surf, and sun. After a quick picnic lunch we drove to the pretty seaside town of Tofino. This town boasts beautiful scenery, fun shops, wonderful galleries, plenty of food options, and welcoming locals! No wonder Anne-Marie recommended it to us. A longer stay in this area would have afforded some rafting/kayaking, a seaplane ride to a natural hot springs nestled in a coastal rainforest, and if you’re into it – surfing. Apparently the waves here cater to all levels (beginner to seasoned) surfers.
Day 4 was a quick drive around the town of Coombs before heading to a local park in Parksville. There was a cover band playing that seemed to draw out the whole island. We opted instead for sand castle art. The annual Parksville Sand Castle Sculpting competition can only be described as a place were sand is the canvas and dreams take shape. The sculptures can be seen each year between mid-July and about the 3rd week in August. It is the only qualifying event in Canada for the World Championship of sand sculpting and it draws in over 100,000 visitors annually. If you’re on Vancouver Island during the summer, definitely stop to check out these magnificent works of art.
Our Boondockers Welcome hosts Sandra and Kevin could not have been nicer at their “Dusty Acres” location in Coombs. So much so that we wished we had stopped there first as they had numerous suggestions for things to do on the island, besides well-known Victoria, but sadly we had made arrangements for Victoria the next day.
We’d been to Victoria once – before we owned the RV, but looked forward to it nonetheless! It’s such a wonderful city that it deserves its own post so I’ll link it here once I’ve completed it.
