“Have you seen the Prime Minister?”
It was a simple question asked to me by a guy I had just met as he stood in the Canadian morning sun waiting for his coffee. As simple as the question was, it confused me for a moment.
We were waiting in line at the Beach Shack Café, an eatery that serves guests of the Pacific Sands Resort, a tourist paradise located south of Tofino, a town on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I had arrived there a few days earlier, accompanied by my wife, her sister Jean, and her husband Steve.
The guy and I had been discussing one of the best things about the resort, the long, sandy beach that draws numerous surfers, picnickers, dog owners and just as many non-dog walkers. Although I had no canine company, I had explained how satisfying my sunset stroll the night before had been.
And then the guy asked his question. And even though it was a friendly enough question, I had to strain for a moment to remember who Canada’s Prime Minister even was.
Oh right, Justin Trudeau.
“No,” I replied, reaching for my Café Americano. “Where was he?”
“Went for a walk on the beach last night,” the guy said.
I smiled as I quickly realized that I might not have even noticed an alien invasion, the sunset was so spectacular. As I’ve written in several previous blog posts, I love sunsets.
We had arrived at the resort a few days earlier. My wife and I had met our in-laws in Seattle, where we had spent two nights at the Maxwell Hotel. The highlight of our stay in Seattle was dinner on Saturday night with my Going Mobile partners Leslie Kelly and John Nelson. Thanks to Leslie, the six of us and our friend Bruce were treated to a virtual tasting menu at Terra Plata.
The next morning, we drove to Port Angeles and boarded the ferry to Victoria, where we spent two nights at the city’s historic Fairmont Empress Hotel. Visiting Victoria for the first time in perhaps four decades, I was struck by the fact that the once sleepy town had been transformed into a sort of mini-Vancouver.
We didn’t do much other than relax. We got a feel for the city by taking the hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour and taking long walks around the wharf and past the many restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlors, clothing stores and souvenir shops along Government Street. (Note: Crust Bakery, located a few blocks off Government Street, serves croissants to die for.)
Of course, we indulged in the hotel’s “world-famous traditional English afternoon tea.” And we enjoyed a gourmet dinner at Marilena, whose executive chef Kristian Eligh has created a menu “inspired by unforgettable West Coast cuisine with an emphasis on local and globally sourced seafood.” All I can say is that I ate the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had the pleasure of ordering.
Leaving Victoria, we headed north to Nanaimo and stopped for a few hours at the world-famous Butchart Gardens. Strolling through the various collections, from the Rose Garden to the Italian Garden, the Mediterranean Garden and the Japanese Garden, we had a truly international experience – not least because of the many foreign languages we heard.
We left the gardens and headed west on Highway 4, then up the coast to Tofino. Note to anyone prone to motion sickness: The winding, twisting Highway 4, with its many climbs and descents, while very scenic, will probably require a dose or two of Dramamine.
When we arrived at the resort, we settled in. It wasn’t long before I was walking along the sandy beach that is said to be Canada’s best surfing beach. As I strolled, I watched all the surfers – many of them being taught by a group of instructors – trying to catch waves in water so cold they had to wear head-to-toe wetsuits.
What’s special about the town of Tofino is that… well, there’s nothing there. However, it is a base for many outdoor activities, from surfing (of course) to whale watching, hiking and fishing, golfing and kayaking.
We also enjoyed a few good meals. Aside from lunch at the resort’s Surfside Grill, where we devoured fish and chips and burgers at outdoor picnic tables, we ventured into Tofino to order more seafood at Big Daddy’s Fish Fry. It’s the kind of place where you stand in line just to order at the window, then find a table – if possible – while you wait for the food to be announced (everything from clam chowder to fried oysters to “locally caught lingcod burgers”).
For a proper sit-down meal, we chose a restaurant with real linen tablecloths (just kidding, the wooden tables were empty, but at least we could eat inside). The venue, Roar, is located in Hotel Zed, which describes itself as a place that “celebrates the unusual and we’re obsessed with combining a retro aesthetic with modern comfort.”
OK, with that in mind, Roar offers breakfast, brunch and dinner with a full range of offerings, many – but not all – of which (surprise!) are seafood-focused.
After two days we returned to Vancouver, where we spent one night before heading home (more on that later).
So what can I say about our vacation on Vancouver Island? Aside from one major disappointment, I agree with my fellow travelers: it’s a great place to visit.
What disappointed me? Well, that I didn’t have the opportunity to greet the Canadian Prime Minister.
I’m just glad I remembered his name.
