View of Tofino dock from the water
Day Three, The Second Full Day
Up for breakfast at the crack of 8 a.m., to a light rain and mist, fishing and crab boats leaving the dock for the open sea, Meares Island in the distance. Cereal, grapefruit and orange slices, toasted English muffins, and hot coffee. Can life get any better? One thinks not.
As the divine Ms. Corinne F. continues her recovery from her way-too-sweltering-hot Brazilian (mis)adventure, she thinks better of joining me in my forays to the blustery beaches, and opts instead to stay in town to explore the art galleries, various docks, and denizens of Tofino (could be that she’s looking for Lloyd, but probably not …).
Meanwhile, I travel south to explore alternate accommodation, like the Red Crow On the Oceanfront and the very best place to stay if you find yourself visiting the west coast of Vancouver Island, Chesterman Beach Bed & Breakfast, a little bit of heaven right on the ocean.
Joan and her daughter have departed Chesterman Beach Bed & Breakfast for parts unknown, selling the “business” to Linda and Tod. Linda’s a high-powered PR person from San Francisco, and Tod is a Canadian — together they decided to downshift a bit, and have taken up residence on Chesterman Beach, preserving the beauty, tranquility and livability of Chesterman Beach Bed & Breakfast. Linda took me on a tour of the site, where “magic abounds”. Check out the site for yourself.
Next it was back into town to pick up Corinne, as we’d agreed to take lunch at the Wickaninnish Inn Pointe Restaurant, where during the midday meal we were awestruck at the humungous, storm-driven waves which crashed up against the rocks only a couple of hundred yards from the restaurant. We saw beach and sky as far as the eye could see. What a spectacular setting to share our clam chowder soup and seafood linguine.
After lunch, Corinne returned to town, while I braved storm winds along Chesterman Beach, climbing the rocks off Frank Island, which with the tide out, jutted into the ocean. I positioned myself such that the 10 foot waves would not carry me out to sea, but the 20 foot sea spray created by the waves crashing against the rocks would cover drench me in ocean spray.
An hour later, walking back to where I’d parked the car, I saw children surfing on the seven foot swells closer to the beach, as well as more children and dogs, men and women, bicycles and baby carriages. Once back at the car, I drove to Long Beach, at which point the clouds parted, the sun came out, and I ran across the beach screaming at the top of my lungs, filling my lungs with ocean spray and the fresh clean air.
By 5 p.m., it was time to return to Tofino, where Corinne and I picked up more seafood at the Trilogy Fish Company: fresh oysters in the shell, fresh-caught halibut and more fresh Digby scallops.
And now it’s time for dinner …
