Anniversary getaway! 28 years & counting

We are stopped at the Ellis River look-out on Highway 4. Take note of the fence in the background it is covered in locks.

My hubby and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary with a bike trip to Tofino last weekend.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect, the road was clear and traffic was light!  The twisties were FABULOUS!!!!  We ride a lot together, but have never ridden to our favourite island destination and it was our first moto overnighter, which always leads to a packing dilemma when you are a packrat who always brings too much.  I worry that part of it to death, because Island weather is so unpredictable particularly up Tofino way, it truly is the Wet Coast. In any event I got it all sorted and packed into 1 bag in my side case, and I did cull out some stuff.  Hubby actually ended up bringing more stuff than me and was surprised at how light I was travelling.  Yay me!

 

The day dawned sunny and hot!  We were off on our adventure riding the beautiful narrow and twisty Highway 4.  This road is an adventure during peak summer travel time, lots of motorhomes, campers, trucks and trailers, and quite a lot of the drivers are not prepared at how twisty and narrow the road is and a lot of folks end up crossing the centre line when taking the corners, so you have to keep this in mind when travelling through there. 

There is a small fence ad people have taken to attaching locks and memorabilia to the fence.  I stood an read some of the messages, most a very touching commemorating an event, milestone or the life of a person.  We decided to add our own memento.

We added a lock with our initials and anniversary date, we did this together.  I have the keys for the lock as my keepsake. It was quite a touching moment.  Happy 28th anniversary honey! My life has never been boring and always full of adventure. 

This spot is so picturesque!  You can walk down and dangle your feet in the water if your inclined, but watch out for the drop off and swift current. It can also be a bit hairy trying to get back on the road or pulling into this place.   More adventures await us!

Our next stop was the Visitor Centre to snap a few pics.

Tofino is a funky little hamlet which is a fishing town, and have a vibrant art community and one that attracts free spirits. Most who follow my blog will have seen pictures from our previous vacations there. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at Long Beach for a quick amble on the beach. Long Beach pulls surfers to it like a magnet. 

We stayed at a lovely beachside resort Ocean Village.  They have the most charming A-frame cabins that are fully stocked and have gorgeous views.

It was time to settle in and have some snacks and then beach walk time! 

We went to Picnic Charcuterie for lovely meat and cheese.

Then it was off to our favourite eatery Red Can Gourmet, it is run by a former chef who was up at Whistler and has a few Michelin stars.  The carrot cake is the BEST I've ever eaten. They have  marvelous entrees and seafood chowder that is served with their heavenly baguette.  Tofino is a foodie paradise.

On Saturday we opted to have freshly made Gelato from Chocolate Tofino for dinner!  I had my favourite white chocolate raspberry.  To die for! We seem to do a lot of eating when we are in Tofino! It all gets balanced by the amount of exercise we do, we usually shun the car and walk everywhere and go kayaking or other adventurous activities.  We tried paddle boarding for the first time, and I left the camera at the room, I could foresee it being at the bottom of the ocean.  It turns out my balance on a paddle board isn't as stellar as it is on the bike.  I stood up 4 times and promptly fell 4 times, so decided to do it kneeling instead which worked well for me anyway.

After a full day of fun there were beautiful sunsets to watch while sitting on the beach with our favourite bevvies. 

I never get tired of this place. Its amazing how fast the time flew and we were soon packing up the bikes and getting ready for the 4 hour ride back home.  It was wickedly hot while we were on our trip and I think when we were going inland towards Port Alberni it must have been around 35 degrees Celsius, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it was a little toasty in all the gear. 

It was a great adventure and I think we will be doing a few more come vacation time!  I am getting used to the idea of travelling with less, I am going to look for some keen sandals that will replace my need for sneakers and flip flops, one less thing to carry.   As the sticker says "I survived Hwy 4" it can be a very interesting road to ride and can be a bit crazy at times.