Big Birthday in Tofino
Somebody turned 65 on April 10 and their considerate husband
decided that a momentous occasion like this should be celebrated at the
Wikaninnish Inn in Tofino.
We were anxious to find some signs of spring anywhere, and
the Tofino area is noted for its wild weather on the Pacific Ocean, so we set
off.
The trip was very pretty/dramatic, for it went through a
number of mountain passes in the 5 hour trip to the coast, which was then
followed by a two hour ferry ride, and then required another 3 or so hours to
get to Tofino over some rather remote country.
On our way out, we stopped at a provincial park previously
called Cathedral Grove, still mainly known by that name.
The living trees are huge, only to be surpassed by the size
of the fallen trees, and the roots of windblown trees.
This was a massive trunk left behind, unfortunately the
result of a sad story.
Vegetation was really lush, featuring many ferns, and to my
surprise…trilliums! Trilliums are a
famous sign of developing spring in Ontario, so these ones clearly met the
standard of a good find.
A feature of another part of the grove was the “Big Tree”.
Our arrival immediately confirmed we had done the right thing, for this was the view from our hotel room. Every little comfort was taken care of, from the complimentary port for the first evening, to the gas fireplace, to the view (and sounds) of the Pacific surf and the tree frogs.
The next day, we went out to Pacific Rim National Park,
which is just south of Tofino, and features miles of windswept beaches. While we were there, there was high winds and
driving rain, which merely added to the drama of the park.
The beaches were a mix of long stretches of sand, rocky
outcrops of volcanic rock, and piles of driftwood everywhere.
The retreating tide unveiled worms which were of great
interest to the crows.
With the strong winds, the surf crashed against rocks to a
deafening degree.
Tide pools were of great interest for exploration, with sea
anemones gracefully waving their fronds.
An Oystercatcher thought the pools interesting as well, and spent
considerable time poking into them.
Sand dunes formed part of the park, and had their own
possibilities of excitement.
Beachcombing was fun, because a lot of natural sculpture
waited to be discovered.
Some of the forested area in park also showed definite signs
of spring. Skunk cabbage blooms before
even the leaves form, and the blooms could be a foot high, making a definite
statement. They did have a skunky odour
because they depend on flies for pollination, and the musky smell is apparently
more attractive.
Travelling through the park back to Tofino was a bit of an
education regarding local conditions.
The signs say it all.
Tofino is a small town that is overrun with tourists in the
summer, so we were actually better off going in the off season.
Blooms were evident all over the place, which was a relief.
The town seems to be a hideout for old hippies, so it had
many quirky elements, but the whole atmosphere was that of “go with the flow”.
I had to take a picture of this sign on the municipal
building, which I think says it all.
Obviously, the top of the sign is self-explanatory, but the
bottom still has me puzzled. “Pamplemousse”
is the French word for “grapefruit”.
Does this mean no grapefruit either?
Beware of rogue grapefruit?
Grapefruit will be ticketed? I still
need to get adjusted to West Coast culture.
This getaway was a wonderful break from the mountain (we left
4” of snow on the ground, and much painting still to be done, so it was worth
becoming a senior citizen for it.
Last quirky note—on the road back from Tofino, in the middle
of nowhere, was a fence decorated with locks, plus any other lock substitute people
could find. I don’t know what it meant,
but it was sure interesting.
We are going to make a point of exploring BC this year, so
stay tuned for further excursions.
