March 17, 2011 | Tips from Us >
Sooke, Sightseeing Tours
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While driving between Duncan and Port Renfrew along, we stopped to stretch our legs at the Harris Creek Sitka Spruce.
This old tree is massive! Take a close look at the photo – that’s me in the bottom right corner to give a sense of scale.
The trunk and branches were coated in mosses of all textures and colours: soft, stringy, bright green and pale green.
The Harris Creek Spruce is located near Port Renfrew and was easy to find, as there were “point of interest” signs indicating where to pull over. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re on this route. From the road, we couldn’t even tell the tree was there, but less than a minute walk from the car and we were staring at it’s enormous trunk.
A couple of tips if travelling the road between Duncan and Port Renfrew:
- Gas up in Duncan or Lake Cowichan. There are no gas stations in Port Renfrew.
- The entire route between Duncan and Lake Cowichan is now paved (a large section used to be gravel), but keep in mind this is still an active logging area. Take it slow and watch for logging trucks. We were travelling mid-week and saw at least a half dozen fully loaded logging trucks along the route.
April 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Sooke, Sightseeing Tours
Sooke is a little off the “beaten path” as far as Victoria tourists are concerned. We have a few but very worth wile places to visit. Just like visiting Saltspring Island or Cowichan Valley, you pretty well have to make it a day trip, but it can and will be exciting and eventful.
Imagine this scenario: early sunny morning you jump into your car and drive out to Sooke where first, you can fill up with coffee, pastries and some picnic fixings. Little Vienna Bakery is a fantastic spot to drop by to do that. Then, you head out up the coast and you will have at least half a dozen of great beaches to visit. Most of then have spectacular trails, long and short, well marked and many have picnic areas and free parking. You can be free to go as far or as close as you wish. Within first minutes from Sooke town you will hit the first few beaches, the farther you go the wilder they get, if you enjoy a bit of drive, you can get all the way to Port Renfrew which is the only open ocean point on this side of the island. Wonder Botanical Beach with it's tide pools and ten foot waves. On the way back stop by BC's first meadery at Tugwellcreek Farm and sample this ancient beverage as well as their organic honey. By now, you've had enough fresh air so turn into our Sooke Harbour House to browse its' extensive indoor/outdoor unconventional Art Gallery. Stay for dinner or even spend the night. If you trip happens to be on a Friday, enjoy an appetizer and a glass of fine wine in the Lounge listening to some live music in the Garden Room.