Vancouver Island.

One of the reasons we were excited to move to Alberta 2.5 years ago was how close we were going to be to British Columbia. We were so excited to plan trips there and be able to explore as much of Western Canada as we could. Unfortunately, the pandemic completely shut down that plan. I remember we even tried to go to Squamish for my birthday/a baby moon in spring 2021, but all of the restrictions and new variants prompted us to cancel the trip.

So, finally, in summer 2022, we made it to British Columbia! When I started thinking about this trip back in March, I decided we'd go big and spend a few days on Vancouver Island, because we weren't sure how long we'd be in Canada and it was on my bucket list to visit the beach towns of Ucluelet and Tofino. I'll tell you, it was worth the wait and I wish we had stayed longer!

We went back and forth deciding if we wanted to ferry to the island or not. Honestly, if it was just James and me, we would have probably ferried for the experience. Since we had Mia with us (at 14 months old), we decided to just fly directly into Victoria that morning and rent a car from there so our travel day wouldn't be as long. It was still long... We booked our rental car with Enterprise (obv) and ventured to Ucluelet. It's about a 4.5-hour drive from the airport to Ucluelet, so we decided we'd break up the trip with stops in Victoria, Nanaimo, and Port Alberni along the way.

Pro Tip: make sure you check the traffic and construction advisories leading up to your trip. We did know about construction happening around the Kennedy Lake area but back in the spring, that part of the road closed completely during certain parts of the day. Luckily it was open when we were there, but it was only one lane so we did have to wait a little bit for traffic to clear.

We didn't have much time to spend in Victoria but we were hungry so I found a breakfast place with great reviews called Jam Cafe. It was SO good and the place was super cute. They even had outdoor seating. Get the Vietnamese iced coffee! I'd never had it before and it was super tasty! From there, it was about time for Mia's first nap so we headed off to Nanaimo.

James was really excited to go to Nanaimo because he wanted to eat a Nanaimo bar IN Nanaimo. I had never heard of this dessert until we ate one at an event we went to the week prior. It's a no-bake bar made of a wafer, coconut, chocolate, and custard in the middle. They're actually pretty good! The drive from Victoria up to Nanaimo had gorgeous views of the ocean with mountains in the background on the mainland. It was kind of crazy when we were driving from the airport down to Victoria, you could see the snow-capped mountains in Washington! In Nanaimo, we grabbed our bars from Bocca Cafe and walked down by the water to stretch our legs. The day was starting to get very hot so we didn't spend too much time outside here.

From Nanaimo, we headed to Port Alberni. We ended up just grabbing Tim Hortons and sitting in the shade at a little park so Mia could crawl around for a bit, then made the final push toward Ucluelet. Although we were just sitting in a park, nothing special, the moment together WAS special. I remember watching Mia crawl around and climb all over us. We were laughing and just enjoying being with each other as a little family.

The last part of the drive—from Port Alberni to Ucluelet—was incredible. You drive on winding roads, through gorgeous mountains, and past beautiful lakes. It was one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done—although the winding roads did not bode well for my car sickness. Cue the gravol (anti-nausea meds).

Our Air Bnb in Ucluelet was so cute! It was tucked away on this hill right as you got into town. We had the basement suite all to ourselves and the owner gave us some baby toys and a high chair to use. Our view was of gorgeous trees and we felt very secluded. The only downside to a small, beach town is that your options for groceries are pretty limited. I highly recommend stopping in Victoria or somewhere else on the way to grab any non-perishable items you might need. The Co-Op in Ucluelet was small, didn't have much variety, and was expensive. We made the most of it though and were able to make some meals at the air bnb but also eat out.

On our first full day in Ucluelet, we let Mia take her first nap then headed out on a hike! We decided to stay in town and do part of the Wild Pacific Trail. It was nice we could access the trail by walking from our Air Bnb so we didn't have to pack Mia up in the car for just a two-minute drive to the trailhead. This hike was beyond gorgeous. We were hiking along the ocean the entire time through tall trees and thick, lush forests. It was absolutely gorgeous. One of the nice things about this trail is how many viewpoints there are. It's also pretty accessible and has different routes that aren't as steep, so kind of a choose your own adventure. After our hike, we let Mia take her second nap, then walked over to the food truck in town called Jiggers Fish & Chips. The food was amazing! I highly recommend eating there while you visit.

Wednesday we made the trip up to Tofino for the day. We got an early start so we could be the heat and the crowds. The drive from Ucluelet to Tofino is only about 35 minutes and you drive through part of the Pacific Rim National Park along the way. Our first stop in Tofino was the Tonquin Trail. It's only a 2-mile hike and not much elevation but you have the option to go down to three different beaches. It truly felt like we were walking through a rainforest on this hike. One of the beaches we stopped at was smaller and had tall rock cliffs all around, so we were totally secluded and had the beach to ourselves for a while. It was nice to just let Mia climb on rocks and dip her toes in the ocean.

After our hike, we moseyed over to Savary Island Pie Co for coffee and a snack. We made our way along the boardwalk and watched the fog roll through the mountains and water. It was so dreamy and calm. From there, we made our way over to lunch at Lil' Ronnie's BBQ. The food was incredible (I had the pulled pork, mac n cheese, and some potato salad) and the restaurant is entirely covered, outdoor seating, within walking distance to the beach. At night they have live music so it's definitely on our list to visit again when we go back. After lunch, we went down to the beach. Mackenzie Beach is gorgeous!! There are campsites and cabins and the beach is huge so it didn't feel crowded at all. It was fun to see people out surfing and we let Mia explore the beach before heading out.

It was time for Mia's second nap so we opted to just head back to Ucluelet, with the hopes she'd sleep in the car. Back in town, we went to Ucluelet Brewing for a couple beers. This is such a cool spot right on the bay! We then ordered pizza to go from Shipwreck Pizza and just relaxed back at the Air Bnb.

Thursday we grabbed sandwiches and coffee from the deli up the street and ate our lunch by the bay before checking out the aquarium. The Ucluelet Aquarium is small but it's catch and release so all of the animals that come in are released right back where they were found after they're healed up. It was definitely worth contributing to the local wildlife and being able to watch Mia get excited about all the fish!

After the aquarium, we checked out one of the local beaches and let Mia explore a bit. After her nap, we had dinner at Howler's and then went to Terrace Beach, closer to the end of the road in Ucluelet. This was crazy though, it was sunny over by the bay but really foggy over the ocean! I was just so blown away by the weather and everything in this area. I could have just sat there on the beach watching the fog roll in and out all evening.

When we woke up Friday morning, I was so sad to leave. We had such an incredible three days on the island and the weather was so perfect. As we drove back toward Victoria, we stopped at the Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park to see the really old, really tall douglas fir trees—some over 800 years old! We let Mia stretch her legs and walk with us through the trails. It was absolutely gorgeous in there!

Our next stop was back in Nanaimo for lunch. We found a cute little spot in town called Gabriel's cafe. It's a very casual lunch spot, and I highly recommend the wild salmon burger!

We got to the airport a bit early and had zero issues getting through security because it's so small. Luckily they had a kids area at the airport, so we could corral Mia but let her move around. Our flight also got delayed an hour (classic) so by the time we got on the plane, she was way overtired and didn't really sleep at all. Oh, the joys of traveling with a toddler.

Overall, this trip was worth the wait and so needed. It was a great reminder of how beautiful Canada is and how much more we have to explore! It makes it that much harder to leave a place when you feel like you've just scratched the exploration surface, but there's no doubt in my mind we will be back to Vancouver Island! Until next time...

xo, Stef