The Island
A month ago I did not understand the amount of joy we would all experience on this last little vacation. To be honest, we kind of booked this holiday as a last resort wanting to save on an expensive tropical vacation but knowing our family sees any opportunity at the ocean to be a good one so we booked a quick trip to Victoria and boy did we ever fall in love.
We had endless adventures and could have totally stayed longer. Becasue itwas a short trip, the kids and I drove out and later in the week, Brian flew to the island to meet up with us. The trip started last Tuesday morning.
The kids and I got up, had breakfast and headed on our way with the goal to drive to Vancouver and make it to the ocean by sunset. Brian and I have never shyed away from long road trips with our kids and I am so glad because they have become such great travel buddies and aren't intimidated by a wild amount of driving.
We made it to BC without any stops and then got out to mark the beginning of our great adventure.
The drive was long and we spent some time in construction traffic but it was oh so good spending this time with them. How lucky am I!
And! Just as we hoped, we made it to Vancouver and the ocean just before the sunset. I LOVE how much these three love the ocean. It is all of our happy place and we truly find it so relaxing, mysterious and fun. This is really the only place they wanted to be.
Carter was elated to see Palm Trees and instantly started a ripple effect of palm tree selfies!
I could not get the kids away from the ocean until the sun was completely set and then we walked the little strip to find something for dinner. They chose a local Pizza Place called "See the Sea".
By now it was 9pm (10pm Calgary time). I was so tired. We headed over to our hotel. We pretty quickly called it "Hotel Transylvania" It was THE OLDEST most nostalgic hotel there.
The hotel was CREEPPPYYY! Cool, but creepy. The walls were thin, the evevator was small and rough and sounded like the cords were definitely going to snap each time we got on it. However, we were on the top floor, level 8 so there was no other option. The room was nice and the bathroom was renovated but Bentley and Penny were completely freaked out. Penny slept beside me (ok, more like on top of me) the entire night, holding my hand for safety.
It was such a funny experience that I wouldn't trade. Its said that a room on the 6th floor is haunted and as much of a stretch as that sounds, I believe it. It really was that kind of hotel, you should go!
We woke up way too early the next morning. I was cranky the kids were tired and cranky and it really felt like we were a giant mess. After breakfast we were able to reset.
We checked out of Hotel Transylvania and spent the morning biking through Stanley Park. We biked 5.9km. It was magical except for the 5.8 km of whining from our sweet 8 year old. She probably could have done without this bike ride ... fake smiles for the win!
The trees in Stanley Park are out of this world. They are so so big! Just amazing. We parked our bikes and went straight to the ocean. Really, thats all they wanted to do anyway. We found so many treasures, it was awesome!
Our Ferry ride over to the Island wasn't until the next morning so we had one entire day in Vancouver and did all the things we wanted to experience. Bentley had the aquarium at the top of his list and so we spent the entire afternoon at the Vancouver aquarium. SO SO SO many fun things to see and touch. Our kids were so happy and in awe at seeing everything so close.
It was so fun for me to watch Carter with his phone taking pictures of almost everything. He was so excited and just capturing every moment possible.
We watched a 4D movie about sharks which was really fun. The theater sprayed us in the face, poked us in the backs and kept us on our toes the entire time. Penny was a little freaked out about it so she just took off her glasses wheever it got to be too much.
And although inside of the aquarium was amazing, the outside caught all our attention when the seal lions were being SO loud and active! They were so fun to watch.
They even had this cool interactive tide pool that kids could reach in and touch the sea anemone. It was super cool and we spent lots of time here.
We then treated our selves to these gross red tap water slushies that were suppose to be cherry flavoured but seriously just tasted like tap water dyed red.
We had such an awesome experience at the Vancouver aquarium spending hours exploring everything they had to offer.
We were spending the night about an hour from where we were so we grabbed some dinner at Rocky Mountain Flatbread and then arguably made the most important stop of the entire trip. The most amazing candy store we could have ever dreamt up! You paid by the container, not by the weight which inevitably made our children have the most stratigic packing skills ive ever seen. We were literally in heaven and luckily, they even shared some of their treats with me ;)
We made it to our hotel and were in bed much earlier knowing we had a ferry to catch first thing in the morning. This second hotel we stayed at was even extra glorious after our haunted hotel the night before. We all slept amazing and woke up so refreshed. We couldn't wait to get on the Ferry and head over to the island!
We got to the ferry in the perfect amount of time. Waited to board the ship and then off we went!
It was so cold and windy but so fun. We saw a couple of jelly fish right away and immeditaly got so excited! Carter's shirt was so thin that it kept flying up and then he almost lost his hat but his quick reflexes saved the day!
We were on the ferry for an hour and a half. It was SO beautiful passing through the island.
Brian was flying in later that day so we had a couple of hours to kill. When we told people that we were going to Victoria almost everyone suggested checking out Butchart Gardens. Since we were pretty close, we thought we'd made a quick pit stop. Well, that was a mistake. To my complete surprise, we were stuck in a paying line with our car.. It cost us $50 to walk around the gardens (plus a $20 ice cream stop in the gardens so we didn't cry over what had just happened). Don't get me wrong, we're all for the beautifully manicured gardens but ..... not really our kind of adventure.
It was literally an hour of every possible fighting/whining opportunity we had. It was a lot. But we did it and it can be a "one and done" kind of thing and thats ok!
In order to reset, we needed to find lunch and the ocean and we did just that! Heavenly Father definitely had us in mind finding this gem of a beach. We needed it and it was so perfect. It immediatly reset us. The boys played the best pian songs and it was the best time spent!
We rushed from this amazing beach to the airport to grab Brian. His flight was seemless and we were SO excited to meet up with him!
This was mine and Brian's 16th Anniversay. What a perfect way to spend it, finishing off the day with him. We drove around is the island to our little AirBnb in Sooke. It was at the Sooke Harbour Marina and it was AMAZING! We were steps from the harbour and sea lions and fell in love with Sooke!
Friday morning came so quick! We had to be up at 5:45 for a 6:30am Salmon Fishing tour! Our kids all LOVED salmon fishing! It was early, but it was worth it, those smiles say it all!
We were catching fish within 30 minutes of being on the boat. Everyone got multiple turns reeling the fish in and then we chose to either keep them or toss them back to the ocean.
The first fish we caught Bentley reeled in. I tried to snap a pic of him and the fish but he didn't realize how slippery they are and it literally slapped him in the face. It was hilarious and all of us, including Bentley, got a huge belly laugh out of it!
It was a five hour fishing trip and it felt like 30 minutes. It was SO much fun!
In the end, we kept 7 Salmon. We apparently didn't even catch very big ones (these were great sizes for us!). We were told that a pod of whales came through the morning before and when they do, they eat all the fish so it was a slower morning for us but we had nothing to compare it to and it was such an awesome experience!
After we got back to the docks our guide, Travis, fillet all the fish and the kids got to fees the seals!!! What?!?!? We didn't expect that and it was AWESOME. Penny said this may have been her favourite part of the trip!
We took the 40 pounds of Salmon to our fridge and then were off to our next adventure. We headed over to Witty's Lagoon while the tide was out to see what we could find.
We found so many little crabs and the kids were catching them left, right and center!
Its so relaxing walking the beach off the shoreline with your feet sinking into the wet sand. Noting feels better. Since we were pretty close to Victoria, we stopped in at the iconic Fishermans wharf and got lunch. It was cool and the colours of all the floating houses and shops was so cheerful!
We were all pretty tired and had done two days worth of adventures in one filled day but the fun did not end there. rior to coming to the island, Brian did some research on crabbing. We bought two $18 crabbing nets off of Amazon before leaving and took a shot at our docks and HOLY COW!!!!!!! SO MUCH FUN!! Its so quick and so much fun and Id say we all became experts within the first day of trying to figure it out!
And then.. on our very last cast... we saw a seal in the distance look at us and then zip down. We tried to pull out uor nets but within seconds that darn seal had cut open our net and taken all our bait. LOL thats so crazy!! Such a funny story to tell and thing to experience!
It was the perfect day and just when we thought there was no way we could ever top it, we woke up early the next morning and created another perfect day!
We had heard lots about Botanical Beach and could'nt wait to try it. We knew we needed to get there at the lowest tide so we left first thing in the morning and drive the hour to the trail head to hike in. Our minds were blown with the beauty surrounding us. The views all around us were breathtaking! We all chatted about how amazing it was and that it reminded us of Jurrasic World. Everything was covered in lush green moss and pictures so not do it justice.
We made it down to botanical beach and it was INCREDIBLE!!! The tide pools were all different shapes and sizes. All crystal clear and all filled with different creatures from the deep blue.
We stayed here for a long time exploring all the tide pools. It really feels unreal to have something to magical to experience. Worth the early morning for sure.
This day was amazing beacuse not only did we do the Botanical Beach Hike but once we left here we drove right to the next trail head and did our second hike of the day to Mystic Beach. Once again, the forest took our breath away.
The beach was just as the name said.. Mystical. And even though the kids were fully clothed, the ocean was calling them and they were completely saturated before we left.
Even though the water was so cold, this made them so happy. Penny tried to warm up/dry off with the warm rocks from the beach and we took a small walk over to the beautiful falls coming off the cliff. It did not dissapoint.
Then headed back up for the next bucket list adventure that we did not know we needed!
We stopped back at home for a quick bite to eat and then drove to the Sooke Pot Holes. We didn't really know exactly what to expect but it was better then we could have dreamt up. We parked in the 3rd parking lot and it was a short 10 minute walk up to the pot holes that we chose. Because we went later in the day, no one else was there. It was awesome! There was a few teenages packing up behind us but no one in the glassy water. It was so cold but so clear and crisp! The kids snorkeled out a bit and saw lots of trout amoungst them. Such a cool experience!
We finished the day off crabbing again at the docks. This became a favourite of mine. I really feel like I could go crabbing all day and enjoy every minute of it. Most of the crabs we had to let go back into the ocean. Theres quite a few restrictions on them. You cannot keep any female crabs and all the male ones that you catch have to be bigger then a specific size so when we caught our first "keeper" we were all ecstatic!
SO, on this day we did three hikes, swimming in the ocean and also natural river pot holes and crabbing. Our kids are incredible. They did basically 3 days worth of adventures jammed into one! We are so proud of them.
Sunday was our last day on the Island and we knew we needed to make the best of it. We checked out of our little place just after 9am and headed on our way. We weren't catching the ferry until 8pm that night so we really did have an entire day ahead of us.
There was one more Hike we REALLY wanted to try. We wanted to try to hike down to Sombrio Beach and get to a little secret cove with a waterfall. The Hike was harder because we were all so tired but still just as beautiful.
This was something that also needed to be done at low tide. Our kids weren't sure if it would be worth it but as we walked up the cold fresh water stream and they came to the cave with the waterfall and walls covered in moss they all gasped and were taken back by its beauty. Immediately they all said "IT WAS WORTH IT!" "OH MY GOSH... MOM!! DAD!! LOOK!!!" It was awesome and made a harder trek pay off pretty instanty.
Both Carter and Bentley asked for a picture with Brian and I (excuse me while I mop up my melted heart off the floor), Penny didn't care for one lol Shes got plenty pictures of us smothering her I guess.
We took our time to play in the ocean and soaked up all its beauty before hiking back to the car.
We were even lucky enough to see a black bear when we left just eating berries on the side of the road. We were so spoiled with the wildlife around.
We went crabbing one last time with all the rest of our bait so we could use it up. It was SO hard to leve even though we crabbed for nearly two hours but we were all enjoying it so much. The kids were catching SO MANY jelly fish too! At one point, Bentley leaned a little too far and fell right in! LOL a stranger mom helped him get back on the dock and Im not sure which was more embarrassing.. falling in or having a stranger mom help him get back in. He was on the other side of the dock so we didn't witness it but his big brother was there and he was safe, it was just mostly funny for him and everyone else.
We caught two more Red Rock Keepers and came home with 3 big crabs! Cannot wait to cook them and eat our catch.
We only had a couple of hours left on the island so we went back to where is started. Willow beach with the white sand. Brian and I sat on the beach while the kids played in the water and sand and then Carter challenged us to a rock throwing competition and of course, he won. That kid's arm is out of this world.
We got on the ferry, all beyond tired and Brian and I tried to nap so we could drive later.
Im so so glad Brian was able to half sleep for just a short amount of time because he safely got us all the way to kamloops and drove until 1:30am!
We stayed in Kamloops for the night but the fires in BC were so so bad on our way home that we just wanted to get home and out of the fire zone. They only rerouted us with a 15 minute detour which was great.
This trip was so remarkable. There are no words to describe the instant love we all had for this vacation. Like always, the kids were best friends again by the end of the trip and Brian and I were so refreshed. I wouldn't trade this time with out little family of 5 for anything. Catching bugs, fish, salmon, crabs, jelly fish, touching all kids of sea creatures and plants, hiking the most breath taking hikes.. the adventures were endless and timeless and we would be so lucky if we got to do it again.
What a blessing it was so spend out 16th wedding anniversary here, together. Brian, I love and cherish you so much. I love this life we have built together. You really make our lives so amazing in everyway and we are beyond lucky to have you. I hope you know how loved and appreciated you are. Love you sweetheart, happy 16th anniversary.
Cheers to the best vacation as we look forward to the next, wherever that may be!
We had endless adventures and could have totally stayed longer. Becasue itwas a short trip, the kids and I drove out and later in the week, Brian flew to the island to meet up with us. The trip started last Tuesday morning.
The kids and I got up, had breakfast and headed on our way with the goal to drive to Vancouver and make it to the ocean by sunset. Brian and I have never shyed away from long road trips with our kids and I am so glad because they have become such great travel buddies and aren't intimidated by a wild amount of driving.
We made it to BC without any stops and then got out to mark the beginning of our great adventure.
It was such a funny experience that I wouldn't trade. Its said that a room on the 6th floor is haunted and as much of a stretch as that sounds, I believe it. It really was that kind of hotel, you should go!
We woke up way too early the next morning. I was cranky the kids were tired and cranky and it really felt like we were a giant mess. After breakfast we were able to reset.
We got to the ferry in the perfect amount of time. Waited to board the ship and then off we went!
In order to reset, we needed to find lunch and the ocean and we did just that! Heavenly Father definitely had us in mind finding this gem of a beach. We needed it and it was so perfect. It immediatly reset us. The boys played the best pian songs and it was the best time spent!
Friday morning came so quick! We had to be up at 5:45 for a 6:30am Salmon Fishing tour! Our kids all LOVED salmon fishing! It was early, but it was worth it, those smiles say it all!
We found so many little crabs and the kids were catching them left, right and center!
We had heard lots about Botanical Beach and could'nt wait to try it. We knew we needed to get there at the lowest tide so we left first thing in the morning and drive the hour to the trail head to hike in. Our minds were blown with the beauty surrounding us. The views all around us were breathtaking! We all chatted about how amazing it was and that it reminded us of Jurrasic World. Everything was covered in lush green moss and pictures so not do it justice.
This day was amazing beacuse not only did we do the Botanical Beach Hike but once we left here we drove right to the next trail head and did our second hike of the day to Mystic Beach. Once again, the forest took our breath away.
Sunday was our last day on the Island and we knew we needed to make the best of it. We checked out of our little place just after 9am and headed on our way. We weren't catching the ferry until 8pm that night so we really did have an entire day ahead of us.
There was one more Hike we REALLY wanted to try. We wanted to try to hike down to Sombrio Beach and get to a little secret cove with a waterfall. The Hike was harder because we were all so tired but still just as beautiful.
We took our time to play in the ocean and soaked up all its beauty before hiking back to the car.
We stayed in Kamloops for the night but the fires in BC were so so bad on our way home that we just wanted to get home and out of the fire zone. They only rerouted us with a 15 minute detour which was great.
What a blessing it was so spend out 16th wedding anniversary here, together. Brian, I love and cherish you so much. I love this life we have built together. You really make our lives so amazing in everyway and we are beyond lucky to have you. I hope you know how loved and appreciated you are. Love you sweetheart, happy 16th anniversary.
Cheers to the best vacation as we look forward to the next, wherever that may be!