Facts about Tofino
Welcoming in every sense of the word, Tofino is ready to greet you. Offering idyllic beauty and unaffected hospitality, Tofino is a feat of art, adventure, culture and cuisine–an experience that can never be outlived. Thrilling physical spectacles, coupled with a rich community heritage make Tofino the ultimate destination for any traveller: whether you spend your day absorbing First Nations traditions, daring body and soul to conquer the many exciting challenges presented by the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, or engulfing your palate in the vast sea of local flavours, there truly is something for everyone in Tofino.
Friendly Faces
Alex: Our pilot on the flight from Tofino to Vancouver. He said that he always dreamed of flying when he was growing up, but that living in the Ukraine, it just wasn’t possible. He went to university and got a degree in bio-engineering, yet, his passion and desire to fly helped him reach new heights. And here he is today, flying us away!
Today’s Highlights
Andrew writes: I had a really great talk with Terry McKinnon (www.terrymckinnon.com), a chainsaw artist, and all around great guy. He was very generous and open with our group all weekend, there was also a sense of purpose about him. He showed me around his workshop, and then we talked a bit about auras and life purpose. I think he clicks with a lot of people because there were people coming and going from the workshop all weekend, and there were two friends of his visiting while I was there. We really clicked too.
Today’s Lowlights
Andrew writes:Having to go to bed. I spent most of the night on the internet, trying to connect with people in different ways. This time next week I won’t have that. I think I will struggle to give up my ability to instantly connect over social media. Time will tell.
What happened…
Andrew writes:
Plan A: Wake up early and go fishing.
Plan B: Sleep in, make a big breakfast and relax.
I love it when a plan comes together. We ended up waking up around 0830hrs, and unsure of what was happening inside the RV, Amanda and I walked into town to get some coffee. We met a really neat character at the coffee shop, Dave, who switched jobs from being an engineer with 5 kids in the seventies, to a successful entrepreneur with 9 kids now. His youngest son Chris was having coffee there too. Dave’s dream, he said, was to ensure the financial success of his children. His previous dream, of moving to Desolation Bay, was something he was able to realize 8 years ago. He now spends the summers there.
We walked back to the campground, had a shower, and on the way back to our site, Amanda was listening to music, and a Jack Johnson tune came on. Banana Pancakes has always been a favourite of mine. When we got back to the tent, I whipped out my recorder and started figuring out how to play the song, and Amanda went inside to help with breakfast.
Next, everyone took off to run errands, but I stayed back at camp to talk with Terry. I took some pictures, just relaxed.
Around lunchtime, we walked up to the delicatessen and grabbed some sandwiches. While we were there, we ran into Skylie and her boyfriend. This really is a small town! She wanted a hug because we were so rad (and I’m so ruggedly handsome).
The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around the RV, cleaning up, taking pictures, relaxing. Pretty much how the whole weekend had been. Nice and chill. Yet I felt a sadness amongst the group, as if no one wanted the magic to end. Maybe that’s just how I felt.
We took a taxi back to the airport, and wouldn’t you know it; Ellen was our driver again! She regaled us with stories about the “weird and wonderful” things that have happened while she has been driving people around. Truly some strange happenings.
The flight home was uneventful, and I spent most of the time taking photographs. Who knows when the next time is that I’ll be able to view this majestic land from above!?
My brother-in-law Glenn, and my nephews picked us up at the airport. There were some hugs and tears as we left Paul and Megan and family. We ate dinner. Vegged out with some internet time, and recharged some devices. I really liked watching videos of mega-crews hip-hop dancing with William. I know that over the next few years that’s how I’ll be able to watch him progress and pursue his passion for dance. I look forward to it.
Tomorrow is almost the start of our trip, with our flight to Whitehorse. There is nothing to do tonight since all of our stuff is already in Inuvik. I’m glad that all of those pieces are already in place. Here is a video of Amanda and I talking about our upcoming departure:
Today’s Photographs