Vancouver Island Summer

There are endless activities to do on Vancouver Island in the summer (especially if you are an outdoor enthusiast like myself).

So what is your favourite summer activity on Vancouver Island?

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Vancouver Islanders love Lucky Lager

If you were born on Vancouver Island you probably know of the beer Lucky Lager (perhaps more than others!). Here are some interesting (and SURPRISING) facts on Lucky Lager!

• It was originally made by General Brewing Company, located in San Francisco, California (in 1934)
  
• This company become the Lucky Lager Brewing Company in 1948.
• Historically, all the breweries for Lucky Lager have been in the U.S
• It is only available in selected areas. This includes most of Southern British Columbia
• It has an extremely dedicated following on Vancouver Island - notably, Ucluelet, Chemainus, Comox, Courtenay, Cumberland, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Port Alberni and Sooke. (I can vouche for Ladysmith and Nanaimo being included in this list also)

Cumberland B.C was named by Labatt Brewing Company the "Luckiest Town in Canada" in 2002 due to it's amazing consumption!

You can read the entire Wiki article HERE

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Tofino, Long Beach Vancouver Island

Here are some pictures of my recent adventure in Tofino. The day was rather stormy, but surprisingly warm! The wave warning was at extreme, it was beautiful!

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Tofino; Vancouver Island

A weekend away on the west coast is an exciting and relaxing experience. The abundance of outdoor activities will thrill and entertain all ages. Some activities to do include:

• Surfing, there are plenty of places that offer lessons and rentals!
• Beach combing, explore the various beaches that stretch from Tofino to Ucluelet.
• Hike the multiple trail systems within the rain forests of the west coast.
• Dine out and eat some fresh seafood.

We rented a room at the Terrace Beach Resort which is located in Ucluelet (Ucluelet tends to be a bit cheaper to stay and is only about 15-20mins drive away from Tofino). Off season is until June, so our stay was relatively cheap. Amusingly enough, this place is owned and ran by Jason Priestly and family (Yes, 90210 Jason!)









Inside the room @ Terrace Beach Resort







Outside view from the inlet


We walked the Wild Pacific Trail, which had an entrance directly beside our accomodations.









View from the trail







View from the trail


I was very impressed with the accomodation, the inside was spectacularly clean and cozy. It was relaxing and quiet the whole weekend. I would definitely recommend and go back! Very decently priced and the staff were pleasant and helpful.

More to come on restaurant's and beaches we checked out on the West Coast in an upcoming blog!

stay happy and healthy!

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10 Things To Do On Vancouver Island

I have compiled this random list of what I think are the best things to do on Vancouver Island (mainly in the summer months).

10. Go Fishing: There are so many fishing hot spots off of Vancouver Island it's amazing, so many choices of location (Port Alberni, Campbell River, Sooke, Port Hardy, etc) and so many choices of fish! (salmon, trout, cod, etc).

9. Nanaimo's International World Championship Bathtub Race: This occurs near the end of July and is one of the biggest events of the year for Nanaimo.

8. Vancouver Island MusicFest: This happens July 10-12 in the Comox Valley, the organizers try to keep it as green as possible, local food, recyclable products, etc! 3 days of great music!

7. Saratoga Speedway: Located halfway between Campbell River and Courtenay, drag racing, monster trucks and modified stock cars will keep everyone entertained!

6. West Coast Trail: This 75km hike that stretches in between Gordon River and Pachena Bay is a popular one, reservations required! Experience the natural world of Vancouver Island.

5. Strathcona Park: This is BC's oldest provincial park and the location of Vancouver Island's highest mountain. Plenty of hiking, mountain biking and camping can be done.

4. Camping: Lake Cowichan, Port Alberni, Goldstream, and Tofino are some popular camping areas, but any community on the island is campable! (is that even a word?)

3. The Beach: There are many beaches but the most popular ones would probably be Parksville, Rathtrevor, Long Beach and Pachena Bay.

2. The River: River swimming is very popular on Vancouver Island. Sooke Pot holes, Nanaimo River, Nimpkish, and Englishman River are some good areas to check out.

1. Long Beach, Tofino: With a population of about 1900 (this triples in the summer), Tofino is the place for surfing, classy resorts/spas, amazing beaches, fishing and the true West Coast.

Did I miss anything?

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Hiking in the Spring on Vancouver Island

Hi everyone!

Well it feels like spring today, here on beautiful Vancouver Island - I decided to take advantage of the awesome weather and managed to take some shots of the pristine landscape here in Nanaimo.

Enjoy!

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Canadian Movie "One Week"

Recently I checked out the movie "One Week" by director Michael McGown, featuring Joshua Jackson.

The synopsis is a young man (mid-twenties) is stricken with a terminal illness. He decides quite impulsively to travel across Canada (he is in Ontario) to the west coast. He leaves his job, fiancee and family on a beautiful journey which depicts many iconic and memorable Canadian cities and monuments.

He ends up in Tofino B.C. I thought it was a heart-warming, eye-opening movie that made me do a little self reflecting. It was worth the watch!

View Website and Trailer

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