Holiday flights to Victoria, B.C. from $199 pp/ow! Book your flight!
Surrounded by 12,000-foot mountains, the sleepy town of Ketchum, Idaho, is the birthplace of American ski resorts — Sun Valley.
The quaint destination has yet to be taken over by skyscrapers. The world-renowned ski slopes and fresh, dry powder are the main draws. And while luxury touches can be found in farm-to-table restaurants and high-end accommodations, echos of the mining-turned-farming town remain.
Read more
A place where the ocean meets the sand, the sand meets the forest, and the forest meets the end of the road. That’s Tofino.
It’s a place where the WiFi is newly updated, the cell reception spotty, and the days move slow. A place that feels as though it’s been plucked from time and preserved from the bustle.
The charm is undoubtedly due to its remote location. Prior to 1959, the only sustainable way to reach Tofino was a long, and slightly dreary, boat ride up the coast of Vancouver Island. But when HIghway 4 was expanded, the adamant traveler could tackle a 3-hour trek around hairpin curves and frequent rainstorms that visit the Pacific Rim National Park to the end of the road. (Quite literally, Highway 4 leads directly to Tofino’s First Street Dock.)
In those early days, these travelers were often outdoorsy hippies, looking to find a place beyond the crowds. Today, any number of visitors still take this long trip. But for those in the know, a charter flight can take them directly to Long Beach Airport — a small and friendly airport situated between Tofino and Ucluelet.
While the famed hot springs have been closed until further notice, the town of Tofino isn’t short on fun things to do year-round. Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, you’ll find hiking in the Pacific National Park Reserve, a spa with ocean views at Ancient Cedars Spa, a food scene that’s bursting with seasonal flavor, and so much more.
Tofino rests just 1,200 miles from the Arctic Circle. Despite the low-temperature water streaming down from the north, it’s fondly been dubbed the Canadian capital of surfing. Tiny Tofino tots have been known to start honing their riding chops at just three- or four-years-old, boggie boarding above the sand.
But undoubtedly, it’s learning to stand atop a wave that brings the ultimate thrill. Thanks to the gentle swells during the summer months, the sandy-bottom beaches stretching up and down the coast are ideal. Chesterman Beach is particularly beloved by locals and visitors alike. It’s the closest beach to town (and right next to the Wickanninish Inn).
Stretching 1.7 miles, it receives year-round swells that range from mild to challenging. It is here, that many of Tofino’s surf schools hold classes — like Surf Sister, a woman-owned and operated surf shop and school.
Fun Fact: You’ll want to wear a wetsuit year-round while surfing in Tofino. The water temperature stays relatively consistent, ranging from a brisk 48°F degrees in winter and a ‘toasty’ 59°F degrees in summer.
Anchored in a remote section of Clayoquot Sound, the traditional territory of the Tal-o-qui-aht First Nation, bobs a floating wood-fired sauna. It’s outfitted with dock hammocks and equipped with paddleboards. A rope swing dangles overhead and an outdoor firepit is rimmed by Adirondack chairs.
Moving from the steamy heat to an icy plunge, and back to the warmth again is an exhilarating mix of relaxation and timeless fun. But there’s also a stillness amongst the forest-lined waters, even as laughter ripples through the air. Perhaps it’s that you’re completely unplugged. Because while you can now find WiF in Tofino, it’s nowhere to be found in the sauna. It’s just you and those you travel with, savoring the shocking disparity between fire and ice.
Looking to fill your soul and your belly? Round out the excursion by foraging for crab and prawns. For the ultimate treat, bring your catch back to the tainted chefs at 1909 Kitchen where they’ll give it the love it deserves.
It’s said that Tofino’s ‘storm season’ falls during late autumn and winter. And while that may be the best time to witness the gale force winds, towering waves, and moody skies—Mother Nature has a way of rearing her head when least expected.
The storms that shaped Tofino’s coastline (and shape it still), pound the rocks mercilessly. A spray-filled fireworks display of salty water, the storms often ebb and flow, raging full force with interluding moments of calm.
Watching a winter storm from the comfort of a warm room, perhaps with a steaming cup clutched in your hand, is to be mesmerized. Listen closely as the ocean surges into the forest and you’ll hear the trees moan. And as the waters reside, slip on a pair of boots to explore how the shoreline has been given new form before your next round of storm watching begins.
There’s something about a building that was literally built among the trees, the ground hand-cleared to prevent unnecessary damage. It offers a sense of refugee, like a childhood tree fort. And yet, there’s nothing rough around the edges about the Wickaninnish Inn.
While the lively wonderscape of its setting perched atop a rocky cliff immerses you in the untamed wilderness, the Relais & Châteaux accommodations of this luxury destination are pure serenity. It has all the trappings you’d expect to find in a place of its stature. It also has something a little more. It has spirit.
Take a look at the wood fireplace mantles that adorn each room. They are carved from logs where the resort once stood and shaped in the Inn’s Carving Shed. Touches such as these can be found throughout the Inn, like echos from the forest beyond. You’ll also find such echos in the Ancient Cedars Spa, The Inn’s exquisite sea-side spa that incorporates local ingredients into the healing and restorative treatments.
At the heart of the Inn, The Point Restaurant sets the stage for fine dining with panoramic views. The exquisite seasonal menus are loaded with freshly caught seafood and island-grown goods, creating a meal that’s only rivaled by the restaurant’s impressive wine list.
Make no mistake about it, the seafood in Tofino is fresh. The tiny surf town is tucked beside the Pacific Ocean. And the chefs are well-versed in sea-to-table cuisine that’s amped further amped up with foraged goodies.
In addition to The Point Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn and 1909 Kitchen, local favorites include Wolf in the Fog, which Bon Appétit heralded for its menu that “highlights the best that the area’s foragers and fishermen have to offer, with an emphasis on hands-in, family-style feasts.”
Wildside Grill is beloved for its reasonably priced, seafood-forward menu. A take-out eatery, the Fried Oyster Burger is a consistent crowd-pleaser. Big Daddy’s Fish Fry tempura-battered selection of local halibut, lingcod, and wild Chinook salmon is hard to beat. And for those who are all about the oysters, look no further than The Fish Store and Oyster Bar — which is indeed a store and a bar.
It’s indeed possible to make the Seattle to Tofino drive. The classic route begins with a nearly 2-hour jaunt on the highway to the Peach Arch border crossing just outside of Vancouver, BC.
Travelers then catch the Tsawwassen ferry to Duke Point in Nanaimo, a 2-hour sail to the eastern edge of Vancouver Island. The remainder of the nearly 8-hour Seattle to Tofino drive follows BC-4 West testing along a two-lane highway of switchbacks and hairpin turns.
Alternatively, you could reach Tofino in roughly an hour. Kenmore Air’s Seattle to Tofino charter flights are a direct and beautiful trip offering stunning views of the coastline and mountains to Tofino’s Long Beach Airport. Yep. It’s that simple.
Originally Published September 9, 2014 | Updated March 13, 2022
Some places are just places. They’re dots on a map to which you can drive, fly or walk. Other places are experiences. Rich and vibrant, they are filled with the essence of souls who came before you. The old souls whose wisdom and skill – whose life – was responsible for the very walls which mark the spot.
Charter flights let you chase the sun to a desert destination on your own schedule. Get out of the rainy and snowy PNW to Palm Springs where you can relax, take a dip, explore, and dine in perfect Palm Springs weather!
Located 100 miles east of Los Angeles in the Coachella Valley region of the Sonora Desert, Palm Springs has become one of the most popular resort cities in America. Thanks to its annual 300-plus sunny days per year, exquisite resorts, and exceptional restaurants — it’s been a destination favorite for celebrities since the 1930s.
Imagine Cannon Beach before its coast was lined with a concrete jungle and you might be close to picturing Tofino. At least, you’d be close to picturing Tofino’s Chesterman beach. Unlike its grass-lined southern brother, Tofino’s shores are rimmed with old growth forests. Here, trunks grow out of dirt that rests next to sand.
Smack dab at the end of the road – literally, it’s the last stop on Canada’s transcontinental highway, the Pacific-Rim Highway – this quaint town has yet to be overrun by commercialized tourist attractions. Its landscape remains pristine. It’s locals, all 2,500 of them, embody the back-country, wave-as-you-pass friendly attitude you’d expect in a small town.
Sipping, eating & chipping through Walla Walla.
Someone much less clever once said of New York, that it was a city “so nice, they named it twice.” But those of us who spend our time between the nether regions of Parallels 46 and 47 understand that there is really only one city that accurately fits that description.
Walla Walla (a town so nice … you know the rest) is tucked away in the southeast corner of Washington, where the state meets with Idaho and Oregon to serve up a hardcore Northwest vibe with a little something for everyone.
It is where small-town hospitality meets the French Rhone Valley. Where Lonestar belt-buckles and old faded Levi’s meet oaky notes and bold tannins. It boasts one of, if not, the top golf course in the state. It’s a burgeoning Foodies delight and the recreation options are endless year-round.
It’s hard to experience all that this sleepy little Eastern Washington burgh has to offer, but my good friend Sara and I figured we’d give it a try. Read more
Tucked beside the quiet shores of Ludlow Bay, on the majestic Olympic Peninsula, the Resort at Port Ludlow offers a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Seattle.
Though resort feels like it’s located in the middle of nowhere, it’s just a 15-minute flight from downtown Seattle.
This tranquil location is a favorite for dinners. Guests are treated to The Fireside Restaurant’s casually elegant Northwest cuisine. The menu features the local bounty from both the land and sea. Its windows offer views of a small seaplane dock at the edge of the restaurant’s Marina.
It is this vantage point that the inspired the resorts Food and Beverage Manager Thomas Skipper and Beverage Manager Amy Taylor to develop the Kenmore Fizz. Putting a bright spin on the Aviation cocktail – the duo created a beautiful tall-glass cocktail perfect for sipping on the restaurant’s porch.
With a mix of gin, muddled cherries, lemon, and Crème Yvette, this lovely libation is topped with a bit of soda water and adorned with a playful toy monkey.
Doesn’t summer just taste grand?
The Pacific Rim of Vancouver Island is a place like none other. It’s close enough to reach in a day and yet somehow it feels removed from the “real world.” Once you slip into this little slice of coastal paradise, it can be easy to forget just how close to home you really are.
The coastal towns of Tofino and Ucluelet are major tourism hubs in the summer months and visitors come from all over the world to experience fishing, wildlife watching, kayaking, hiking and surfing on the West coast. While both towns are without a doubt charming and picturesque, a truly authentic West coast experience requires venturing a little further beyond the well-worn tourist track.
My home away from home each summer is Eagle Nook Resort, nestled deep in Barkley Sound about an hour outside of Ucluelet, and it provides exactly the kind of authentic West coast adventure I’m talking about. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the resort offers one of the most unique all-inclusive experiences on Vancouver Island and as remote as it is Eagle Nook is still less than half a day’s travel from Seattle; direct flights with Kenmore Air mean it’s easier to get to than you might imagine.
Adventure is abound in Barkley Sound. Between Humpbacks that can often be seen breaching along the coastline, the excitement of landing a trophy Chinook salmon and breathtaking views from every angle, it’s pretty hard to get bored.
I was lucky enough to guide our Eco-Adventure Tours last summer, 4-hour cruises through Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands searching for Humpback and Gray whales, sea lions, seals, porpoises and even the occasional black bear foraging for a snack at low tide. I can honestly say that before guiding these tours I had never seen so many types of wildlife, so close and so frequently.
Although growing up on the West coast means I’ve spent my fair share in, on and around boats and the ocean, being brand new to guiding was still slightly daunting; for starters I had no idea where to find whales. Thankfully in Barkley Sound they aren’t hard to come by.
In fact, I’d say anytime you head out on the water you’re far more likely to see at least one whale (but probably several) than to not see any at all. We’re fortunate to have summertime populations of both Humpback and Gray whales off the West coast of Vancouver Island, as well as transient Orcas that frequent the area (although they can be a little less predictable).
I was lucky to have no troubles finding whales on any of my tours last summer, and from Humpbacks lunge feeding right next to the boat to Harbour Porpoises playing in our wake, the shows were pretty spectacular.
My favourite day on the water was the very last tour of the season. I had a Dutch couple on the boat, Trudi and Cor, who had never seen whales in the wild before – I was especially keen to make sure they had a great trip.
Our tours are generally 3 to 4 hours long depending on the weather and how fast we can find wildlife. On this particular day it was cooler than normal. Fall was already heading our way, and I was slightly worried the whales may have already vacated my go-to spots.
September is when Humpbacks and Grays start their annual migrations South. Although I’d heard there was a lone Gray whale just outside of Ucluelet Harbour I opted to head for Bamfield instead, hoping the two Humpbacks that had been hanging around in Trevor Channel were still there.
After over an hour on the water without so much as a distant spout I began to feel doubtful. Maybe Ucluelet would have been the better choice. At this point we were running out of time to head in that direction. I put the boat in neutral and was about to ask Trudi and Cor if they wanted to stay where we were and hope for the best or make the run to the other side of the Sound.
Then all of a sudden a Humpback spouting off our starboard side. My question was answered before I could ask it.
The whale wasn’t far off at all, maybe 50 meters away, slightly behind us and moving steadily forward every time it surfaced. After a minute or two we realized it wasn’t alone. There was a second spout just a little further back.
The whales didn’t seem to be feeding and I figured they were probably preparing for their Southbound trip. Trudi and Cor seemed happy to snap photos of their signature “humped” backs as they slowly cruised past us but I kept hoping they’d do something a little more exciting.
After a couple minutes their tails curved out of the water one after the other, and they propelled themselves back into the depths. Humpbacks can stay down for a long time when they dive and it can be nearly impossible to know where they’ll resurface. I wondered if these two had decided to hightail it towards Hawaii.
Then out of nowhere, both whales burst out of the water in almost perfect unison, fully breaching the surface before crashing back down with explosive force.
In all my tours, I’d only ever seen Humpbacks lunge feeding (still a pretty neat thing to watch). Witnessing two of them breach less than a hundred meters from the boat left me just as excited as Trudi and Cor. It was nothing short of unbelievable.
The whales surfaced once more, one of them rolled onto his side and slapped a pectoral fin on the water and then they were gone. The show may have been short but it had certainly been spectacular, and the three of us were left speechless and smiling from ear to ear.
Once again, the West coast and its inhabitants hadn’t disappointed; I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the season. Trudi and Cor went home with a great story to share with their family back in Holland. I can only imagine and count down the days to see what the 2017 season has in store.
A travel-loving, hiking, and fishing gal, Nadia Linning is originally from Surrey, British Columbia. But thanks to her dad’s Port Alberni roots, she spend much of her childhood on Vancouver Island, especially the Pacific Rim. And she fell in love with the area. Which is great for her job as Guest Services Coordinator and Eco-Adventure Tours Guide at Eagle Nook.
As though sliced from a time when folks wandered just to wander and sat just to sit, the Semiahmoo Resort maintains an idyllic sense of quiet. Less than two watery miles from Canada and a few hundred feet from Blaine, Washington, the recently restored destination sits at the end of the Semiahmoo Spit.
From bird watching and biking to kayaking and kite flying, the shorelines here welcome family gatherings, romantic getaways, and solo retreats alike. The resort is home to a spa and two golf courses. At night, bonfires are lit on the beach.
And while all of those things are wonderful – I mean out of this world amazing status – I want to give you a peek inside the kitchen. Executive chef Bruno Feldeisen recently joined the Semiahmoo team. His cuisine is as exceptionally full flavored as his passion for the land.
Here are some of my favorite snippets from our recent chat.
Mikaela: You’re originally from a small French town. How do your roots influence your cooking today?
Chef Bruno: The area I’m from isn’t well known for its cuisine. The economy is driven by farmers and ranchers. Growing up there gave me a deep connection to the land, which has really shaped my approach here.
I make it a priority to buy as much of the products we use from local farmers as possible. This not only insures we’re using the freshest ingredients we can, it allows us to support our local farmers and preserve the land. Farmers take care of the land like no one else. That’s essential to keeping this place so beautiful.
I also make it a priority not to waste anything. Growing up we learned to appreciate the entire plant and animal. We’re always looking to give items a second life.
Mikaela: Did that desire to support local farmers influence your decision to come to Semiahmoo?
Chef Bruno: Definitely. If you work in a big city, you don’t have the same connection to the land. You’re not as close to the people who are growing and raising your food.
For example, oysters are tagged at the time they come out of the water. We obviously buy our oysters locally. But locally here means just down the road. It’s not uncommon oysters arrive at our kitchen door within minutes of being pulled from the water.
We have a saying here about our food, ‘Local. Seasonal. Authentic.’ And that’s really what you’re going to get. We don’t serve strawberries during the winter because strawberries aren’t in season around here.
Mikaela: What’s the process been like to find local farmers and ranchers?
Chef Bruno: Fun. Before I started working here, I didn’t know there was this kind of quality and variety available in the region. I thought it all came from California. But the farmers around here are amazing.
The big difference between Washington and California is the size. Washington is still driven by small farms and co-ops. It’s a totally different dynamic than in California. Our farmers have a deeper respect for the seasons. And, that’s something our diners really enjoy.
There is one farm in particular with which I have developed a close relationship – Growing Veterans. They teach (US) veterans to become farmers. It’s incredible. Buying food through them ensures we get good local products, pay a reasonable price, and support our community.
Mikaela: You offer cooking classes regularly. Do you spend time discussing where food comes from?
Chef Bruno: Yes. We started these classes when I came onboard. Every class is centered around a local product. When did a class on Foie gras, we found a local farmer who does Foie gras.
We also focus on how to know if a product is good, how to know if it is fresh, and how to prepare it.
Mikaela: So, does that mean classes are hands on?
Chef Bruno: Only if you want them to be. We hold our cooking classes at the bar in the Packers Oyster Bar. Everyone has the option of grabbing and apron and coming behind the counter to help. But, pitching in isn’t mandatory.
Want to take a class or simply sample chef Bruno’s cuisine? Plan your trip today.
