The juxtaposition of the view is remarkable. First, you may feel the melancholy, fires destroyed approximately 30,000 hectares of land in 2017, but now there is an influx of fresh greenery popping throughout; hope sprouts post-tragedy.
The small town is charming with souvenir shops and restaurants that only span two blocks of the street and a beautiful lake on the other to enjoy pre or post-meal stroll. For me, walkable destinations on vacation are favorable. One, I’m lazy, and two, I want to drink a beer and not worry about the stress of driving, traffic, parking, etc. From the center of Waterton, you can walk to beaches, restaurants, hikes, or rent bicycles to cruise around with.
Bear’s Hump Hike
Crypt Lake Hike
Our first hike was to the famous Crypt lake. This trail is only accessible by boat, and can often be fully booked, so plan ahead. It’s a long hike that requires a lot of water and sunscreen as we attempted it in the middle of summer. Crypt is the Greek word for “secret” as the hike reaches its end, the secret is revealed beyond a tunnel and steep hill. This last part terrified my mother, so this “secret” lake remains as such for me. Oh well, perhaps just an incentive to return and do it again? Book the shuttle here:
Bertha Lake is an excellent medium-intensity 8 km hike; you walk from town to the base near the campground.
Bertha Lake
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon
Paddleboard or kayak: I brought an inflatable paddle board that was the perfect break from sweaty days of hiking. A lot of people out on kayaks too. (You can easily rent these in town if you don’t have your own). The water was on the cooler side but still suitable for a quick swim.
Bike- rent or BYOB 😊
Eats
Pearls is my favorite breakfast food; this café had terrific coffee and delicious food. Pearls
After two canceled trips to Mexico, I racked my brain for places to recharge that would be adventurous and relaxing for a family vacation with my parents. However, horror stories of stranded travelers and increased costs prompted me to consider a local trip instead. Having driven to Vancouver Island from Edmonton, I knew the distance and rise in gas prices couldn’t compete with Flair’s $100 flight to the island.
While Victoria, British Columbia’s capital city, is most often sought out with direct flights or ferries and shuttles. However, I decided to take advantage of the lesser-known Comox, which offered a cheaper & less busy flight and a rental car; book one in advance; the checkout counter had a sign that said they were sold out! I spent a few days exploring Qualicum Beach, Parksville, Nanoose Bay, Coombs, Ucluelet, and Tofino. It sounds like many destinations, but these are quieter, smaller towns with most people found content on a beach with a picnic.
Qualicum Beach
Qualicum Beach
We chose the longer ocean route to get to our hotel and stopped to have lunch on the beach. My mother packed us an entire lunch of sandwiches and fruit, which I swore we would have to throw away at security, but we were able to keep to our luck! This town has a Saturday market to check out if you fly on this day, but we were eager to check in to our resort and enjoy a drink in the sun.
Qualicum Beach
Parksville
Rathtrevor Provincial Park
We stopped at a grocery store to pick up more snacks, smoked salmon, cheeses, and fruit. We then headed to Rathtrevor Provincial Park, a lovely park with a nice beach full of kites and picnic tables. We came here once for a walk and then the following day for a 5km run through the park before heading for lunch.
Rathtrevor Beach
Nanoose Bay
View from the Pacific Shores Resort
We stayed at the Pacific Shores Resort, which was great. It has an indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna, which we enjoyed each night. My dad and I also borrowed ping pong paddles and played a few games to give my mother a break from us for an hour! There were the most beautiful sunsets in the evenings, and with outdoor propane firepits, it was a charming way to end the evening. Several families brought smore kits and roasted marshmallows with their kids. We snacked on the meat, cheese, and beer we bought in Parksville.
Sunset at the Pacific Shore ResortNotch Hill Loop
Activities:
Rathover Park- 5km loop to run or walk
Nanoose Loop – 2.9Km loop that we choose to run, nice gravel trail.
Notch Hill Loop Trail- 5 km loop with a view of the bay and a swing!
Coombs
Coombs
A quick stop, most people come to see the goats that walk on the roof of the building; however, there is much more to discover at this stop. This pit stop was the liveliest place we found on our trip. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch at an Italian restaurant, Cuckoo. I bought some fresh doughnuts from Billy G’s doughnut shop and more snacks from the market, which was quite ample. There, were picked up heart-shaped truffle cheese, the tastiest sausages, and an apple galette. I would also recommend the cheese bread and pies if we had time and more real estate in our stomachs!
Cuckoo Restaurant Coombs
Ucluelet
Wild Pacific Trail
We stayed at the Blackrock Resort. It is a picturesque place on the ocean, with an outdoor hot tub, and is steps away from the West Pacific trail. There is also a beach where some people had made fires and cozily eaten near- something to plan for the next time we go! We opted for a room with a kitchenette to cook breakfast in (eating out every day isn’t ideal for us); the room had high ceilings, a nice balcony to sit out and listen to the ocean on, and a large soaker tub. It is also dog friendly if you planning to bring a furry family member.
Wild Pacific Trail
Tofino
Long Beach
We went to Tofino to do a bear tour via boat. Unfortunately, the covered boat was not available, so we ended up with these bright red spacesuit-looking overalls in an open boat. We have several bears in Alberta, so the sightings weren’t too eventful. But my mother wearing the red get-up was priceless. If I went again, I would do a seaplane tour, as it would be cool to see the beaches from that unique vantage point. We stopped at Shelter for lunch, which had a lovely, heated patio with a fireplace and a great view.
Tofino Eats
The catch of the day, cooked over an open fire at the Zedd hotel was our best meal of the trip!
At the Zedd Hotel & Shelter
Activities:
Atelo– recommended by our guide for seaplane tours
Chesterman Beach-Nice beach for walking and watching surfers
Wild Pacific Trail
Chasing Waterfalls
Qualicum Falls
Road Trip Pit Stops
To break up our drive, we visited Cathedral Grove and Qualicum Falls, and they were the perfect easy hiking spots! Hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to take your own trip to the majestic Vancouver Island!
Ski Marmot Basin, the parking lots are staggered up the mountain so if you want to bring a cooler and come back to your car for snacks or wardrobe changes it’s convenient. Or take a shuttle from the hotel so you can enjoy some spicy Cesar’s with your lunch!
Ski Marmot Basin
2. Stay at the Whistler’s Inn, is located in the center of town and has two rooftop hot tubs.
Stay in Whistler’s Inn
3. Visit Jasper Park Lodge for Sunday buffet brunch. I’ve stayed here a few times; it’s quite the treat, but also quite the expense. If you can afford it, treat yourself! If not, pop in to enjoy their amenities, go to the spa and enjoy the outdoor heated pool, rent skates and do some loops, or enjoy a Sunday breakfast brunch. The hotel has a rustic charm and it worth visiting just to walk the grounds with a hot chocolate and enjoy a cocktail in the lounge.
4. Visit Pyramid Lake for pictures where a tight group of trees sits on a remote island circled by mountains. We went early and were lucky to get the private little island to ourselves. Strike a pose and re-create it in each season!
Pyramid Lake
You can also pick up cross country ski’s, skates or snowshoes at Pyramid Lake Resort.
5. Participate in a hike on the Maligne Canyon, make sure you purchase foot covers for the walk. You are walking on sheets of ice, pick some up at the store in town, they are worth the money. Or, if you are feeling extra adventurous, try ice climbing. I’ve visited the canyon three times now and never miss it; each visit is unique with the amount of snow or colors exposed to the frozen water. It’s an easy trek that will take about an hour, depending on how many pictures you stop to take…
Maligne Canyon
6. Spot the locals! Jasper is known for elk, bighorn sheep and moose roaming close to the roads.
Local Jasper Residents
7. Satisfy your sweet tooth at Candy Bear’s Lair . There’s a great candy shop for your sweet tooth’s with fresh fudge and chocolate bear paws.
8. Dance party? If you still have the energy to shake it at night, go to the 4peaks Night Club.
9. Enjoy a great beer at the Jasper Brewing Company, and I like the Blackeye Blueberry Vanilla Ale.
10. Um, I like photos, of any kind, go if only for the photo opportunities!
The idea may scare you! Thoughts of your parents taking the wheel, following the speed limits, playing terrible music, and nagging you all day, did you use bug spray, is your seat belt fastened, are you hungry, do you need to pee yet? Sitting in the back of a car, getting to crack into a new book takes me back to my childhood. The idea for this Jasper trip was a present to my father for his 58 birthday. I booked an inexpensive motel in Hinton and a day tour of the Columbia Icefields and Skywalk. Here are a few images from our weekend away.
After the hike, we ended up at the Miette Hot Springs. We ended up waiting about 10 minutes in line, and it was well worth it. We spend about 2 hours here, dipping from hot to cold pools to stimulate our mitochondria and revive our stimulated muscles. Upon our drive down, we had to slow the car to let none other than a black bear pass.
The ice fields were spectacular, be sure to take an empty water bottle to gather a bottle of cold glacier water. What surprised me the most was all the cotton-topped (white-haired tourists). It makes me realize not to wait until you get old to travel; start doing it now; there are plenty more places to visit. At the end of the trip, I discovered that my Father’s best part was reaching the top of the mountain, and my mother’s was getting an up-close view of Mr. Grizzly. Mine was that I had a great vacation with my parents, and I was happy to have planned it. There were no fancy restaurants with our heads down scrolling through cell phones; my parents still don’t have phones with data on them; bless their souls!
After the hike, we ended up at the Miette Hot Springs. We waited about 10 minutes in line, and it was well worth it. We spend about 2 hours here, dipping from hot to cold pools to stimulate our mitochondria and revive our stimulated muscles. Unfortunately, upon our drive down, we had to slow the car to let none other than a black bear pass.
The ice fields were spectacular, be sure to take an empty water bottle to gather a bottle of cold glacier water. What surprised me the most was all the cotton-topped (white-haired tourists). It makes me realize not to wait until you get old to travel; start doing it now; there are plenty more places to visit. At the end of the trip, I discovered that my Father’s best part was reaching the top of the mountain, and my mother’s was getting an up-close view of Mr. Grizzly. Mine was that I had a great vacation with my parents, and I was happy to have planned it. There were no fancy restaurants with our heads down scrolling through cell phones; my parents still don’t have phones with data on them; bless their souls!
UNANCHORED EVE 