Hello Hello Hello!
I’m back after a lil’ while and back with tons of new snap’s from my 3-day trip around the southern end of Vancouver Island over the Easter weekend!
The idea for this trip initially sparked after I found an adorable secluded wooden cabin at SUCH an affordable price on the islands west side through Airbnb. I was obsessed and quickly booked it.
As I started researching the area, I scoured helloBC.com for all the tips and tricks and decided on the Pacific Marine Circle Route, in which you can go either clockwise or anti-clockwise from Victoria. I arrived on the ferry in Swartz Bay and headed down to join the route, on the way I stopped at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens as such places have always held a place in my heart. This particular Butterfly house was pretty impressive with tortoises and flamingo’s joining the butterflies! I’d say I was there for around 45 minutes and at C$16.50 for an adult ticket I would recommend a stop if you are in the area. The world-famous Butchart Gardens are also just down the road and while I didn’t stop on this particular trip, they’re on the to-do list!
The next stop I made was to the Goldstream Provincial Park. I’d recommend using a navigation system throughout your trip as it’s not that obvious where and when to pull over and you don’t want to miss anything! As I understand it there are some falls at Goldstream however I couldn’t find them and was happy enough strolling through the various trails taking lots of photo’s! This is a great spot for a picnic or a BBQ too and there were many groups taking advantage of the sunshine when I stopped in.
Back on the road and the next main stop that I had in mind was the town of Duncan however I made many stops along the way, a good tip I have is to look at your map during your stops and if you see a side road that will link back up to the main road after a while, take it! A good example of this is when I took the Mill Bay Road, I saw that this road travels right next to the water and I wasn’t disappointed! on Mill Bay Road there is a long stretch where you can pull over, stretch your legs and take in the beauty of the Saanich Inlet.
As I arrived in Mill Bay, I stopped for some snacks and checked I had sufficient gas (always a good idea in an area where gas stations aren’t in abundance) and headed onwards, I took the Cowichan Bay Road to Cowichan Bay which was so utterly adorable! A perfect spot for lunch but be aware – parking spots are limited so be prepared to lurk around for one!
Soon enough I was back on the road and heading to Duncan, which is a good food and fuel stop, make sure to get some groceries! From Duncan it was a just a short trip to Youbou, a tiiiiny little town on Lake Cowichan where I would be spending the night.
My Airbnb in Youbou was so adorable and my wonderful host had even put out some croissants and cookies for me to devour! After a long day I couldn’t wait to run and bath and relax.
The following morning I got up and ready after a little sleep in and headed to my next destination which was Jordan River with a few stops along the way. According to Google Maps the drive is an hour and a half and what a great drive it is! There’s absolutely nothing on this road apart from trees, trees and more trees, it’s glorious! There’s a few places to pull over in your car to stretch and take some photo’s too.
I pulled over a few times on the way, once to stop at a beach that was teaming with people and again to do a quick walk to stretch my legs (can’t remember the names, apologies!).
And THEN I arrived at the Airbnb I had been so excited for, my very own wooden cabin! As you can see from the photo’s it was utterly adorable and so warm and cosy, it was located in an area that was secluded but there were enough neighbours close by that you don’t feel completely alone. The cabin featured a small kitchen, a log fire place and enough room for three people to sleep. The bed upstairs on the mezzanine had a huuuuuge window and was the perfect spot to read my book. After a stroll around the area to explore I made a vegemite sandwich for dinner and fell asleep.
I woke up the next morning and headed off to the car to carry on my journey when I came across a slightly unexpected sight right next to the car.. a big ol’ bear footprint! Now, I’m no expert on bear prints but this one looked pretty fresh so I quickly hopped in the car and off I went! For breakfast I went to Shirley Delicious which was packed, the staff were so friendly and the food super yum!
My next stop was the town of Sooke where I visited the Sooke Region Museum & Visitor Centre, which is a great spot for learning about the area’s history as well as seeing some great artwork that is for sale!
Unfortunately I didn’t have time to stop in Victoria however I will definitely return as it looks to be a beautiful city, teaming with culture and some great food spots!
All in all my Vancouver Island road trip was one of my favourite trips I’ve taken, I would recommend to anyone that’s heading to Vancouver, take a few days to explore the Island and all of it’s exciting sights!
Thank you SO much for reading and feel free to ask any questions!
Jessica Barnden 