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Welcome to the latest series of Super, Neighbours blog posts where we highlight incredible travel destinations in British Columbia!The 2nd Annual Otalith Music Festival took place in Ucluelet, BC this past weekend, so I not only took the opportunity to watch two days of great music, but to spend an extra day up in Tofino. |
As always, we begin with the journey. The wonderful people at Ford let me take out a Fiesta SE for the trip, which was a gem on the winding road to Tofino (you know what I mean if you've done that trek!). It handled perfectly on all the twists and turns, and had tons of room for all of the camping gear I lugged with me along the way!
The gracious crew at BC Ferries brought me to and from the mainland, and I had very different trips each time. The first ferry was an early one and I used the break in the trip to get some still-required shut eye while they shipped me across the ocean with ease. On the way home it was super hot in Nanaimo, and the breeze on the deck as the sun slowly started towards setting was a beautiful way to end the trip.
The 2nd annual Otalith Music Festival was a welcome break from the giant, overwhelmingly busy festivals I've attended this summer. It felt like a special community of people celebrating summer and music with some great drinks in a beautiful location. To see more photos check out my post on VIA or the album on the VIAindie facebook page!
After the festival I decided to spend an extra day in Tofino; I was practically almost there already, so why not!?
It's a good thing I have some great friends in this beautiful town, as once again I was treated like a queen. My first stop was to the Ice House Oyster Bar - when I was in town in May they had a quick, soft opening for the long weekend, so it was great to see it up and fully operational. If you are in town, you need to come by, have some oysters, wine, and check out the AMAZING view on the deck.
I spent some time with the amazing team, including seeing the freshly caught fish come in, and the ice house (yes, it's operational!) the joint is named for!
I made sure to space my meals out as I knew I was going to be in for a treat that evening. Again, while in town in May, the Wolf In The Fog was still in construction-mode, but has since open to much fanfare and great reviews.
The staff treated me to a special dinner, sampling some of the exquisite items on the menu and drinks at the bar! Check it out below (and the menu by clicking here):
Cedar Sour - cedar rye, lemon thyme, lemon, egg white
Potato Crusted Oyster - sweet corn, truffle
Okanagan Fruit and Beet Salad - radicchio, blue cheese dressing
The Last Word - gin, lime, chartreuse, maraschino cherry
Rare Albacore Tuna - tomato, guanciale, espelette, orange
Baked Halibut - pinenut & olive crust, quinoa, apricots
(My neighbour got the Pork Belly and kindly let me take a bonus photo for you all...)
Pork Belly - squid, cucumber, scallion
Butterscotch Brulee - caramelized white chocolate, raspberry gelato
Needless to say I rolled myself home that night, and felt very lucky. Thanks to the amazing staff at the Wolf In The Fog for an amazing meal - a place not to be missed on any trip. (They also have coffee and pastries downstairs in the morning, as well as sandwiches to-go (or stay), and a bar with a lunch menu.
The next day I had a little walk around Mackenzie Beach before heading into town to meet up with the folks at Tofino Air.
My lunch at the Ice House with owner Alan Beesley led to arranging with Tofino Air to have me jump on board while they did a few runs the next morning. I had my fingers crossed when I woke up that it wouldn't be another day of Fogust, and got my wish. (Apparently there is so much fog in August that the locals have nicknamed it Fogust...and Tofino Brewing Co even named a beer after it.)
I climbed in the plane while we dropped off a doctor at one site and picked up a couple from the hot springs, with my camera trained on the sweeping vistas and the seemingly endless oceans.
The company does scenic charters all over the island, Sunshine Coast, and of course Tofino - you can check out their available tours by clicking here and see a peak into what I got the witness high up over Tofino in the photos below!
Thanks to everyone for showing me another amazing time on the far west coast of our beautiful province, and for once again making me breathe a deep sigh of sadness to leave it behind.
There are many more trips to be had an places to explore, so happy travels and we'll see you on our next "Super, Neighbours" adventure.
