Jenny 'N John: Happy 41st!

Today is hubby's 41st birthday. He's well over the hill now. And, I'm posting a big happy 41st birthday message to him because I NEVER made the time to post about the big 4-0 last year! Horrible, I know. But, par for the course for me. I guess it works out though because I've been thinking a lot, over the last week, about our wonderful trip last summer.

I surprised him with a trip to the west coast of Canada. We flew into Vancouver and immediately caught a ferry to Vancouver Island. We drove west, all the way across the island, to a little town called Tofino. It was truly the neatest place we've ever been. We were on the water, on a rocky cliff, but next to a beach...a little fishing/surf town...interesting combination, but it was cool. One of our waiters at dinner one night told us that 70% of the town's residents were, at one time, visitors who decided they couldn't leave.

The drive from Nanaimo (where we got off the ferry) across the island to the Pacific Rim and Tofino is known as one of the most scenic drives in all of Canada. And I just learned that Tofino was named one of the 'World's 20 Best Surf Towns' by National Geographic Adventure.

the drive across Vancouver Island from Nanaimo to Tofino

And the hotel we stayed in, The Wickanninish Inn, was the most relaxing, beautiful hotel with the most amazing services and staff I've ever encountered. From the time we arrived to the time we left, we were treated like the only people in the hotel...like we were the most important people who had ever stayed there. And it obviously wasn't us...that is the high quality service they provide. Just as an example...available to us was the ability to order a sack lunch for our day's outing by hanging an order form on our door the night before. We did this one day and when we walked downstairs the next morning, not only were we greeted by name, but our car was at the door within five minutes with our sack lunches sitting on the back seat!...I mean seriously!!! And then later that day, I talked John into taking a surfing lesson, but I didn't know where to go to set it up. I called the hotel concierge and told him what I was trying to do. He hung up the phone with me and then called back five minutes later to let me know they had set up a lesson that was to begin an hour and a half later and gave me the address to go to. Really?!?!?! Service! Unbelievable!

We listened to waves crashing on the rocks from our room...walked on Chesterman Beach...watched whales from our room...went sea kayaking...hiked through a rainforest on an Meares Island...went black bear watching...rode bikes to and from our hotel/town...feasted at a crab boil on the beach, complete with a fire and marshmallow roasting...John learned to surf on his 40th birthday!...and I got to visit the spa!

An absolutely amazing trip! I wish I were back there right now! And we are definitely going to plan a trip there for "storm season", which we were told is unbelievable!

the view to south from our patio in our room, looking toward Chesterman Beach

the view to the west from our patio in our room, looking out to the Pacific Ocean

sea star -- they were all over the rocks, mostly under the water

view from the boat, looking at the islands to the east of Tofino

adult, female, black bear we watched looking for crabs
(we saw two yearlings as well in different places)

crab boil on Chesterman Beach

that's our hotel behind John, on the right

logs on the beach that are washed up during storm season
(I thought this one looked like a seal.)

Sea Kayaking to Meares Island

my view from the kayak

boardwalk trail on Meares Island

us in front of a large cedar on Meares Island

another beautiful tree on Meares Island

John in his surfing lesson

catching a wave

...and standing!!!

river along the drive back across Vancouver Island

After spending three days in Tofino, we traveled back to Vancouver and spent three days there doing city stuff.

Visited Grouse Mountain where John completed "The Grind" (a 1.8 mile climb up the mountain, a 2800 feet elevation gain) while I took the gondola up...biked around Stanley Park downtown...visited Granville Island Market...ate lots of fresh seafood...walked lots and lots of downtown Vancouver.