For breakfast we walked to Nourish, a restaurant with excellent reviews. When we arrived 10 minutes before opening, there was already a short line-up. By the time they seated us, the restaurant was nearly full up for seating, but they also have a take-out counter. We dined al-fresco. The menu is vegan/vegetarian with a couple options for carnivores. Everyone was very happy with their meal.
Leaving the city, we drove north along the scenic sea drive, stopping here and there to gaze out at the ocean views, then to Sidney at the North end of the Saanich peninsula. Continuing from there along the coastal roads we drove to our final destination for the day, Butchart Gardens.
The gardens are world famous and we easily spent hours wandering through the various sections. It is pricey, but worth seeing if gardens are your thing. Chris and I bought a yearly pass knowing that we will likely be back with family and friends a few times. Each season at the gardens offer something unique.
Next day, a trip to Tofino and Ucluelet (you-clue-let) across the island to the Pacific side. Another must see when visiting the island if you have the time. We stopped along our route at Cathedral Grove to walk a short trail among the giants. Some of the oldest trees on the island, some 800 years old, live in this forest. After passing through Port Alberni, there are no other towns until the Pacific, but there are camps, hikes, lakes, mountains, and many scenic places to stop if you have the time.
Tofino is a small town known for its surfing community. We hiked a couple trails to deserted beaches, old growth forests, and had a picnic at Long Beach where surfers were coming and going. Afterwards a quick visit to Ucluelet and a stop at the lighthouse gave a good view of the wildness that the ocean here can offer up on a cold and windy Nov. day. Storm watching is one popular tourist attraction here on the Pacific coast of the island.
We visited a couple local favorites; Englishman River Falls and Little Qualicum Falls and tried to get some beach time at Cameron Lake, but it was a windy day and not great for swimming, so back at home we headed down to our local beach for a walk in the water.