Home Again

Yesterday was a pretty chill day in Tofino. Half our group went out kayaking and Reilly, Miranda, and myself went up to the old radar station site to check things out. I got a heap of photos, especially with all the bright foliage in the area.

R&M decided to head out for a nap after our wander so I got them to drop me off on the way into town so I could walk around and check things out. Found some interesting sights (which you can see on Flickr) and an awesome bookstore that stocked an impressive selection of books. It wasn’t a big place but all the books were well-chosen so you didn’t have to wade through masses of mediocre books like you do at Chapters. The lady working also had a cute dog named “Chewbacca” who was keeping an eye on the scene.

I hit up an art gallery after picking up a couple of books (Rum Diaries and a cookbook) that featured the artwork of Roy Henry Vickers, a native artist who’s made a name for himself on the coast.

That evening was mellow. We hit the Weigh West for their burger specials, had a couple pints of Winter Ale, and retired to the cabin to chitchat into the night.

The drive home today was fairly laid back and uneventful. We tried to go down a 4×4 road that shortcuts the highway but found ourselves at a dead end. Fun ride though. The river crossings were particularly exciting as was Reilly’s flat tire. The Nissan Xterras have a sensor that will light up on the dash when your tire pressure’s uneven which helps catch flats before the tire deflates and wrecks your rim.

We also stopped at Cathedral Grove to check out the old growth forest before the last bit of daylight disappeared. Neat place! Lots of big mossy trees to investigate.

I had an awesome time with everyone! The New Zealanders were especially fun to hang out with. We learned loads about their corner of the world, especially as they just went through an election and it gave us a chance to compare our different political systems. There was also much exchanging of music. I’ve promised to make a mixtape of Canadian bands like the Hip, Sam Roberts, Arcade Fire, and the like. They’re going to send along a recommended list of bands for us to check out.

Was great to hang out with Reilly and Miranda too. They’re at the tail end of their wedding season (they’re amazing wedding photographers) so they’ve been busy these past few months. Dave and Amelia were also out for beers after work and it was great to catch up on all their news.

I’ll be back out in Tofino at the beginning of December for some more adventures with Dave. Now it is time for some sleep. Can’t wait to get back out there. Tofino is fantastic! Ironically Vancouver was a monsoon when we returned so we timed the weather perfectly.

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