Those words stir the imagination, invoke a little bit of fear and take me back to the good, old days. You remember? The long family road trip, the arguments over front seat, back seat, who is looking out which window. The days when kids actually had to look out windows and were not glued to smart phones watching full length feature films. The only source for music, if you were lucky, was the local AM radio station....top 40 all day long! Fond memories of "parental units" threatening to either turn around or stop right now and make everyone get out and walk, motion sickness and getting lost....but, the most important and treasured memories of all...the laughter and shared time together.
As our family matures (at least chronologically) the family trip, or FAM JAM gets more difficult to coordinate due to busy schedules, but when we do manage to find the time, we attempt to make the most of it. This year, we found a free weekend and decided to head for Tofino - the end of the road!
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| Room with a view - Long Beach |
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| The lounge is open |
Tofino is absolutely the place to be if you want to get outside and play! It is located in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Bioshphere Reserve and features the best of Mother Nature's work and a rich First Nations history. The rain forest and beaches offer so much to do, not to mention the surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, birding, hiking,wildlife viewing and fishing that is available.
Our first stop was Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. I have always felt that surely someone could have come up with a more inspiring name for Long Beach, yet, when you first step on the sand and gaze down the 16km (9.94 miles) of expansive beach and surf you gasp for breath and think to yourself, "WOW..that is a looooooong beach!" I giggled as I came to the conclusion that maybe Long Beach is absolutely the perfect name for this magnificent stretch of waterfront. No matter how many times I visit, my breath is taken away and I feel inspired!
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| Long Beach - it takes your breath away |
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| Exploring tide pools- underwater photo of Giant Green Anemone |
You can't visit Tofino without trying to surf. We connected with Pacific Surf Co. and arranged for an afternoon lesson. The staff team were brilliant! We shared a laugh with the front office crew as we signed the waivers and arranged for our equipment rentals. We also had the great pleasure of meeting Paul Levy, a globe trotting professional photographer who currently spends his days on the beach photographing surfers. We enjoyed chatting with Paul and learning more about his work and his travels. Paul is extremely charismatic and clearly enjoys meeting the many tourists who visit Tofino. He manages to capture his love of people and travel in his photos - quite a talent!
I must confess, I am very jealous of Paul's office. I suspect that he may be staying in Tofino for a while....it seems to have captured his heart!
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| Harry leads us through a safety talk - photo credit Paul Levy |
We arrived at Cox Bay beach ready to go. We were assigned to Harry - a crazy and very knowledgeable surf instructor from Australia. At first glance, Harry was the stereotypical surfer....long blond hair, sunburned skin, athletic, Aussie accent and devil may care attitude.
He appeared to be quite puzzled by our group. He had been told he was teaching a family, so I suspect he was expecting a mom and dad with a couple of little kids. He was not at all prepared for the Weiss Goon Squad. We chatted as we walked to the beach. He was still confused by the age differences in our group and asked how we all met. He seemed to think that since we were having so much fun, we must be friends, not family. I must admit that comment warmed my heart.
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| Harry - Down Under. This is what happens when you give your surf instructor an under-water camera. |
Under Harry's expert leadership, we donned our wetsuits, completed our safety talk and hit the waves. Kudos to Harry - he managed to get us all up on the surf boards. Sadly, time has taken it's toll and I was certainly the weakest link! In my head, I was able to pop up and ride the wave, but in reality it was an afternoon of crashing and burning Tofino style. Harry was so encouraging! Of course, Rob and the gang quickly learned the tricks and were soon riding the waves with confidence.
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| Adam auditions for Baywatch - photo credit: Paul Levy |
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| New twist on sibling rivalry as everyone attempts to catch the same wave |
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| The "boys" face off |
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| Emma brings it home! |
We enjoyed getting to know Harry a little bit. He has a degree in Journalism and is of course, an avid surfer, having traveled extensively looking for waves. I asked about his favourite place to surf (after Tofino of course) and he shared a few stories about his time in Nicaragua. Not just a "pretty face", Harry recently published his first short story, "The Best of Both Worlds." We are looking forward to seeing more of Harry's name in print.
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| Harry - Making it look easy! |
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| Even the four legged visitors are captivated by the sunset. |
Giggle of the Day:
Five Weiss' in wetsuits.....hard NOT to giggle!
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| Thanks to Harry and Pacific Surf Co. for a great day! Also thanks to Paul for the great photos! |
Map and Route Tips:
Be sure to check your ferry times: www.bcferries.ca
Once you leave the Island Highway, the drive to Tofino gets more challenging. Lots of twists and turns....imagine it years ago, when it was a logging road!
Accommodation in Tofino ranges from tent camping to 5 Star Accommodation. Be sure to book ahead, especially in the summer!
#surf #explorebc #family #nature #yourtofino
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