Day two of our vacation we hit up Tofino! About an hour drive from the resort we left mid morning and rolled the windows down to enjoy the breeze.
Tofino was not quite what we had expected. I had been hoping to see more artisan market style shopping or little hand crafted shops like we had seen in Ukee. As a little surfing town, Tofino’s industry seems much more in the whale watching and touring avenues than Ukee.
We parked at one end of the town and meandered our way around the main loop by the water then back up to the Main Street through town. There are more commercial stores and products in Tofino than we had expected. And in April, many of the restaurants were still closed so finding food was a bit of a challenge. Most places did not allow pups on patios and when in stores, it was hit and miss if Skye could come in or not.
We were surprised with Tofino. We really wanted to love it but found ourselves preferring the easy going Ukee. Tofino is definitely a more touristy place with more busy going on a commercial scale. But for us, our pace was more relaxed and low key.
We spent a couple hours walking the main streets and had some lunch at the Burger Shack before starting out trek back down the peninsula. We know Tofino is known for a surf town, and that is very much what we saw. A town that is not popular in the off-season leading to many restaurants and stores being closed. In the summer months, this may be a very different experience!
About 20 minutes from Tofino, we hit the longest, most beautiful BC beach I have ever seen! Long Beach! Crisp clear waters and soft white sand stretched for ages across the shores in both directions. We hadn’t been out of the truck for 5 minutes when Skye wanted to run! That sand was fun!
The wind was whipping across the beach, mimicking the ocean waves crashing to shore. And Skye? She was running and jumping and had the biggest grin (when the wind wasn’t in her face anyways!). We spent a good hour walking up and down along the waves.
A little ways up from where we parked the truck (maybe 10 minutes up beach), we found this HUGE rock form. At first, it was a place of shelter from the wind, and then we thought it may be cool to climb up to the top to look out over the waves. As we got closer, we noticed the climbing idea was probably not a good one for Skye’s paws. The bases of the rocks were covered in barnacles.
On the side of the largest rock, we found this plaque cemented into the face. It’s about the Whales! Long Beach apparently is a great place for Whale watching as the whales pass through on their migration route.
“Whales: Like ourselves, these gigantic mammals are warm-blooded and air-breathing. Two distinct groups form the Whale family: Baleen whales, which strain their food and toothed whales. Of the 21 species which occur along this coast, the Pacific Grey and Killer Whales are the most common”
“GREY WHALE: Spouts seen in Wickaninnish bay are usually those of the Pacific Grey whale which feeds from the sandy bottom. These Baleen whales, up to 45 feet long, may weigh 40 tons.”
“KILLER WHALE: Legendary ‘Wolf of the Sea’, the killer whale, is a highly intelligent creature unjustly feared by man. These fast moving, toothed whales hunt in groups and grow up to 30 feet in length.”
After our frolic in the sand – and a few barnacle evasions with Missy Girl, we loaded back up in the truck and continued our way back to our little spot in Ukee.
We ended our second day on the Island on the patio at Howlers’ Family Restaurant. A fully fenced patio where Skye could actually run around freely while we ate! She was the belle of the patio and our waitress adored the little fluffer-butt’s attempts to peek in the door. Dinner was delicious and probably one of the best meals of our trip! If you’re heading to Ukee for anything, definately stop in for a bite at Howler’s. The portions are large, the food is delicious, and the price is still reasonable! Its even licensed for a cocktail or two after a long day of travel.
Our second day on the island closed with some time in the hot tub. And a glass of bubbly!
Our next day was a travelling home – and much the same experience as we had coming over on the ferry! It is so nice to sit out on the decks with Skye and not be corralled into the vehicle decks when sailing. Warmer too! The vehicle decks are breezy and cold. The wind blocking on upper decks makes a world of difference! Skye was quite tired after all her adventures and had a pleasant little snooze across the ocean.
Where does the next adventure take shape? Guess you’ll have to come back to find out!
ASR Adventures 