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A Fisher’s Paradise – Blackfish Lodge

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Jan 27, 2015 Mikaela Cowles
A Fisher’s Paradise – Blackfish Lodge

Vertical rocks plunge into the ocean. Mountains surround inlets. Untouched streams tumble through the forest and into the saltwater. The scent of cedar hangs in the air and bald eagles are as common as ravens. This is a wilderness escape, untouched by modern marvels. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, Blackfish Lodge offers a cozy home base in the Canadian wilderness for both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Located within the Great Bear Rainforest, Canada’s newest preserve, it is ideal for relaxing and unwinding from life’s everyday hustle and bustle. Don’t expect to keep up with your favorite shows though. It’s a TV free zone. The average day includes 10 hours of fishing. Additional adventures are also available such as bird watching and kayaking. Those needing a little connection to the outside world enjoy the complimentary WiFi. For your musical delight, the lodge has a selection of CDs and an upright piano. The lodge is owned and operated by year-round residents, Chris and Hannah Bennett. It has a maximum capacity of 6 adults. This ensures no visit will be overly crowded.

Food & Drink
Meals at Blackfish Lodge are cooked and served family style. They often feature a fresh selection of locally sourced crab, prawns, salmon, and halibut. You might also find homemade soup, prime rib, lamb, fresh salads, pasta, and vegetables. Most of the baked goods are made in-house. And, a selection of award winning Okanogan Valley and imported wines, beer, and other beverages are also provided.

Those on all day salmon or fly-fishing trips enjoy a generous supply of food and hot and cold drinks on the boat. If you have any specific wants or dietary restrictions, the lodge is happy to try to accommodate. Just be sure to call ahead.

Fishing Season
While fishing season runs from April to October, the busy season begins in June when the weather is a little warmer. This is when the morning fog has stopped rolling in and the aspens and the poplars have begun to leaf out. Click here to view fish by month.

Reservations fill up quickly, as most of the guests return year after year. If you’re planning on visiting, I’d book my trip now.

Here’s one of my favorite comments about Blackfish Lodge so far:

Rarely today do the stars and moon work their charm so elegantly as in the sky surrounding Blackfish Lodge. The environment is the total sum of hard working, like minded people pulling in the same direction with the sole purpose of sharing an experience worthy of exaltation and wonder. I tip my cap to Chris, Hannah and their crew of volunteers and working guides. Authentic smiles, gestures of friendship and the constant desire to make the experience worthy of a lifetime memory came through. I am grateful for the opportunity to have spent time in such a lovely environment with such splendid company.

– Alan, Oregon

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Nanaimo Bar Trail Look 2

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Jun 18, 2014

The exact origins of the Nanaimo Bar are unclear, but one thing is certain – Nanaimo knows how to throw down when it comes to this chocolate and custard treat. In years past, Nanaimo was the only place you could find this specialty dessert. Today renditions of this bar pop up all across the globe, but this quaint coastal city is still the best place to sample, savor and indulge Nanaimo Bar style.

In large part, we can thank Chelsea Barr for this. (You can find her at Tourism Nanaimo. The office is located in downtown Nanaimo, near the harbour. If you see her, she deserves a huge high five)

Chelsea recognized the numerous Nanaimo Bar versions throughout the city and slowly began bringing the dessert enthusiast together, creating what we now know as the Nanaimo Bar Trail. If ever you needed an excuse to eat your way through glorious dessert after glorious dessert, this is it.

With a chance to hit up the trail again, I joined King 5 Evening Magazine’s Joan Kinsey, her amazing photographer Mike Hays on a Nanaimo Bar Trail adventure.

We hit up a few of the stops I’d already made, including the Bocca Café where specialty Nanaimo Bars include a Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bar and Chilli Nanaimo Bar. We stopped by Modern Café, where the folks threw down another round of Nanaimo Bar Martinis that’ll knock your socks off. I popped into Mon Petit Choux and strolled past Pirate Chips. Oh, it was a delightful day indeed.

We also visited some new stops along the trail, some new – mind-blowingly impressive stops including:

Nanaimo Bar Chocolate Truffles from Cherub Chocolate
Cherub Chocolate was opened in 2013 by former advertising guru Veronika Kononova. Switching career paths later in life, Veronika had the life experience to know quality is king, especially when it comes to chocolate. Her small batch chocolates are made with only the finest ingredients, hand crafting and packaging each chocolate.

Heck, when I showed up, she was in the midst of making a new batch of Nanaimo Bar Truffles. She had just finished filling the chocolate shells with cream and was about to start prepping their coconut coating. “These are one of our most popular items,” she told me. Popular they sure are. Veronika only had one left when I showed up!

Beyond her Nanaimo Bar Truffle, she also created a Nanaimo Bar Praline. During the summer, she also scoops up Nanaimo Bar ice cream! (Word to the Wise: If you are worried about finding room for multiple stops along the Nanaimo Bar Trail, Veronika’s treats can easily be taken to-go and savored later.)

Truly Decadent Bacon Topped Nanaimo Bar from Smokin’ George’s BBQ
We’re not going to pretend this dessert doesn’t include fat. It does. And, we’re oh so glad for it.

“People think fat is bad,” said Smokin’ George’s BBQ owner, George Kulai. “But it’s not. Fat is good. It’s great. We all need some of it in our diet.”

And here, at this southern inspired, slow smoked BBQ joint, we dug into bacon so flavorful it made entire tables groan with pleasure. As did the poutine – French fries smothered in house made gravy and cheese curds.

(Insider Gravy Tip: George says the trick to exceptional gravy is rendered chicken fat. Rendering the fat from chicken skin, he thickens his gravy with it rather than with flour.)

The Bacon Topped Nanaimo Bar is one of the newest additions to the Nanaimo Bar Trail. Created by the restaurant’s manager, Darcy, this amazing bite of heaven is coconut free and maple infused. The bacon is locally sourced and smoked for four hours with apple wood. It’s then sliced, diced, pan friend and sprinkled on top of their Nanaimo Bars.

“Bacon and maple just go together,” said George.

And boy do they! If you’re looking to also eat lunch or dinner at Smoin’ George’s BBQ, I highly recommend sharing a bar. (All portions are extremely large.) If you ask, they’ll probably even cut one up into bite-sized pieces.

Explore additional stops on the Nanaimo Bar Trail here.

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Nanaimo Bar Trail Look 1

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Jun 11, 2014 Mikaela Cowles

I’m headed back to the sweet, sweet Nanaimo Bar Trail.

That’s right ladies and gents. Right now, I’m headed off on a sugar packed adventure with Evening Magazine’s Joan Kinsey.

In May, I spent two days exploring this harbour city. I discovered lots of amazing things including tea at the Grand Hotel, lunch at Crow & Gate, beers at the Dinghy Dock, breakfast at Blanket and Spoon and so much more.

But, one of the best – one the ‘must-dos’ when you visit Nanaimo – was the Nanaimo Bar Trail.

This year there are 34 stops on the Nanaimo Bar Trail. To hit all of them would take a good deal of time and quite the appetite. As it was, I needed a lot of room in my belly for the seven I did visit. It was totally worth finding the room.

Guided by the Naniamo Bar Trail’s inventor, Chelsea Barr (yes, Barr is really her last name), I visited:

Let’s break it down folks.

The Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake is big enough to be a meal. I highly recommend sharing, especially if you plan to have dinner first. It’s crafted by the folks at Minnoz Steak & Seafood, one of Nanaimo’s best restaurants where dishes are made with locally sourced ingredients and dinner comes with a view.

Calorie free, the Nanaimo Bar Pedicure is no less indulgent than its edible sisters. This multi-stage pedicure includes a chocolate mask that smells so good you – or those you meet post-pedicure – might think about licking your toes. (The rest of the day after my pedicure, I was constantly stopped on the street and complimented for how good I smelled.)

I don’t normally jump on the gluten free bandwagon, but at Mon Petit Choux I’m all aboard. Here the Nanaimo Bar isn’t overly sweet. A touch of cinnamon adds an extra flavor layer and the chocolate ganache top is dark and smooth.

Like a fried Twinkie, a fried Nanaimo Bar seems a little strange. Strange is such a good thing. While it may not be a lot at which to look, this treat is worth every plate licking calorie.

The wholesome goodness of Real Food may make you a little hesitant to try dessert. But, you’ll be thankful for their waist friendly salads once you see their Nanaimo Bar Cake. This towering monstrosity of cake, custard and chocolate is a sight to behold. It tastes as good as it looks. As hard as I tried to only have a few bites, I nearly finished the entire slice by myself. (Sorry for hogging all the goodness Chelsea!)

The Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bar from Bocca Café wasn’t the most traditional. But, this small café didn’t win the 2013 Nanaimo Street Fair competition for nothing. They’re uniquely flavored bars are sweet, smooth and packed with flavor.

Our final stop on the trip was Modern Café where the bartender whipped up a Nanaimo Bar Martini with all kinds of flare. Here, the brick walls and wood tabletops are impressive. But, it’s the chocolate drizzled, coconut infused libation that’ll make you weak in the knees.

Stay tuned. There will be more Nanaimo Bar Trail insights.

Plus, we’re headed to Tofino for surf lessons, a tour of the Wickaninnish Inn and more!

Discover more stops on the Nanaimo Bar Trail here!

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Beaches on Nanaimo’s North End

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May 20, 2014 Mikaela Cowles

Beaches. Beaches upon beaches upon beaches. Nanaimo is called the “Harbor City” for good reason. Here, beaches stretch for miles. A gateway city, Nanaimo has not yet grown into the bustling metropolis of its nearby capitol. It still has the small town charm of locals waving to each other as they pass on the road.

In some cities, prime waterfront real estate like Nanaimo boasts has been so overrun by mega mansions that finding public access is all but impossible. Here, parks dot the landscape. Neighborhoods have been built around public waterfront access. Though narrow in some cases, a wide variety of these urban oases can seem to be all but untouched by modern man.

The landscapes aren’t packed with gawking tourists. (Thank goodness.) They are visited by locals. The exercising mom is as likely a sight as the grandparents taking their grandchild out for a stroll. You’ll see friends sipping coffee as they walk down the beach and lovers holding hands they sit quietly on benches.

Tides flow in and out, opening daily playgrounds of wet sand where curious minds to explore. Some parks are well marked. Others are less so. Each is beautiful. Most of the neighborhood speckled parks can be found on the north end of Nanaimo. Among the ones I visited, these were my favorite:

Blueback Beach Access
Blueback Beach Access starts near the edge of a steep hillside. Its entrance, tucked between homes, is marked by nothing more than two street signs (Blueback Rd. & Icarus Dr.) and the standard notice of city park regulations. The narrow stretch of public access takes foot passengers down more than 100 stairs, some carved into the ground and others built of wood. Occasionally, the towering canopy’s shade breaks, filling the pathway with bursts of sunlight shine. At its base, the rocky beach is strewn with driftwood. As the tide goes out, it gives way to soft sand that molds with your feet as you walk.

Neck Point Park
With more than 36 acres of waterfront, Neck Point Park offers stunning views of the ocean and mountains beyond. Named for it’s connection to a rocky “head” of igneous rock which rests in the water just off its shore, sea lions and sometimes even orcas can occasionally be seen from the tops of its small cliffs. Along its shore, you’ll find rugged rocks, pebble bay beaches and a few sandy ones too. Here, trails twist through Gary Oak groves and the heads of scuba divers can often be seen bobbing just off the coast.

Pipers Lagoon
The size of three football fields, Pipers Lagoon is so close to Neck Point Park they almost seem connected. Sporting the same stunning costal views, its shallow waters are frequently visited by sandpipers, horned grebes, loons, kingfishers, oyster catchers, great blue heron and more. Birdwatchers can often be found sitting silently, binoculars in hand. During low tide, the lagoon offers pedestrian access to Shack Island – a T-shaped slice of short bluffs ringed with cabins.

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Blanket and Spoon – Bed and Breakfast Magic

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May 13, 2014 Mikaela Cowles
Blanket and Spoon – Bed and Breakfast Magic

Tucked into the Woodley Mountain Range, past the goat farm and the ivy covered home that’s long since lost its roof, sits Blanket and Spoon. Here, wind chimes adorn eaves and Adirondack chairs speckle the lawn. This small B&B is nestled in the center of six acres. It looks as though it was plucked from a Jane Austen novel – from a time when days were slower, men opened doors and long afternoons of sipping wine weren’t just dreamed about, they happened. And here, they do.

Your room comes stocked with a small cheese platter and wine. Take it out on the deck or instead opt to curl up on the large daybed. (The 8-inch Tempur-Pedic mattress is so comfortable you might just never get up. Don’t say you weren’t warned.)

Owned and operated by the husband-wife duo, Shayne and Carol Shepherd, this slice of quiet heaven is their home. But, it feels like yours too by the time you leave. Perhaps it’s the feather pillows, multi-head showers and personal hot tub. But, I think it’s the company. The warmth with which the Shepherds greet you and invite you into their home feels like the peaceful familiarity shared between longtime friends – happy to see you, but not overbearing.

The Breakfast*
Arrive hungry. If you need to skip dinner to do so, do it. This isn’t any continental fare. This is an event. Chef Shayne, a French-trained chef who cut his teeth in some of the finest Vancouver restaurants and moonlights at the renowned Mahle House, crafts a meal meant to be savored. His subtle seasonings allow the bold flavors of the locally sourced ingredients to shine. While the menu changes – often daily – it frequently incorporates both sweet and savory courses.

Love cooking? Make sure to get to the kitchen early so you can watch chef Shayne in action. He’s a whiz. The man moves with such skill it hardly looks like work. Where the average cook might be sweating up a storm, fumbling, bumbling and unable to talk – chef Shayne glides from cutting board to stove to grill, all the while happily answering questions.

He and Carol do a wonderful host and hostess dance, filling coffee, plating breakfast and sharing tidbits about the house and the art. They display a collection of pieces by local artist Rob Kernachan.

You might begin with a blueberry puff pastry strudel. When I visited, this baby arrived still warm from the oven and packed with blueberries so sweet the only added sugar came dusted right on top. It was followed by a pear poached in local tea and sprinkled with bee pollen from the nearby honey farm, Fredrich’s Honey. (Bee pollen is antioxidant rich. It’s a little bit hard, reminiscent of chia seeds. While it does have a touch of sweetness, it carries more of a floral note, adding texture and additional depth to a dish.

For the main event, you might have poached eggs on top of grilled asparagus and a chanterelle potato cake, accompanied by bourbon smoked and locally source grilled bacon.

(I just had a foodgasim all over again.)

Unlike pan-fried mashed potatoes with their soft, gummy center, Shayne’s potato cakes are filled with texture and thickly studded with chanterelles. (Shayne forages for his own chanterelles in the Woodley Mountain Range. His picking locations are a closely guarded secret. But for those interested in dabbling with mushroom picking, he and Carol strongly recommend David Arora’s, Mushrooms Demystified. They have a copy on hand and are more than happy to share during your visit.)

*Shayne and Carol are both very conscious of any dietary restrictions or special needs their guests may have. With a little advance notice, they’re more than happy to create something special just for you.

The Suites
While this B&B may be small (it only has two suites), the rooms are anything but. They’re spaciously situated and feature large beds perfect for lounging. But, most impressive are the small details which didn’t go begging. Prior to opening Blanket and Spoon, Carol spent many a night traveling the world, staying in a wide variety of motels, hotels and bed and breakfasts. She discovered the small nuances which really make a room, some of which you might not have even realized you wanted.

From top down/bottom up shades and expertly placed light switches to shower heat lamps and great toiletry products – Carol didn’t miss a beat. She even stocked the Carriage House – their detached suite, featuring a king bed and private hot tub – with hot tub specific towels.

The Grounds
The grounds themselves at Blanket and Spoon are idyllic. There are towering trees, slopping grass hills and flowerbeds teaming with color. A large fire pit sits just behind the house and is ringed with Adirondack chairs. The trails at the base of the Shepherd’s home lead down the mountainside. They twist and turn through forest. Their causeways run past valleys where deer can often be seen. If you’re up for a light hike or easy stroll – this has your name written all over it.

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