So the Canadians were warned about the imminent arrival of Caroline and Dawn and they prepared well – stocked all the chocolate shops and baked all the cupcakes!
And after 7 days they are all sold out! Ha…
So we picked the girls up and took them to Gastown for the first night of drinks and food – Steamworks with Millie and Ewan.

So Friday came and we headed off to Tofino, a small town on Vancouver Island at the southern edge of Clayoquot Sound. Rumour has it that this place is the “best place to go in all of Canada”, and the rumours may well have been true. The drive was astonishing through a place called Cathedral Grove with 800 year old trees, and onto a gorgeous windy road that goes through the interior mountains of the island, surrounded by lakes and mountains is stunning!
Tofino itself is nothing more than a small fishing, with a few beaches to the south – that are by far the best we have encountered in Canada – we even had a camp fire one night and toasted Marshmallows – something Dawn still needs to work on! Every night we also BBQ’d – a true holiday adventure!

The highlights of the trip were Hot Springs Cove which is still enjoyable in its natural state (no swimming pool), located in Maquinna Provincial Park in the remote northern end of Clayoquot Sound. The boiling spring water bubbles up from deep in the earth and cascades down a small cliff into a series of natural layered rock pools, cooled by the incoming Pacific Ocean surf, was so cool (well not cool, but very hot!). On the way back we saw a Breaching Humpback Whale! Something we have always wanted to see! And we also had the privilege to watch some Black Bears search for crabs on the shore with their cubs… so beautiful! Along with sightings of Porpoises, Sea Otters, Chipmunks, Star Fish, Grey Whales and Harbour Seals it was by far the most wildlife we have even seen in wild Canada.

The trip was topped off with a trip to the Pacific Rim National Park in Ucluelet, which was a gorgeous hike around some of the wild coastline. All in all it was a long weekend we will all never forget… stunning scenery, great food, and some sensational pictures. Definitely a highlight of Canada and one of the most beautiful place we have ever been.

So it is back to Vancouver for Canada Day on Thursday, but not before stopping at the local “Goats on a Roof” restaurant for some funny pictures