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August 31, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Dining
Like many, I'm a sucker for fish & chips, and more often than not, I'm disappointed. You know what happens... about halfway through you've got that old bloated feeling and you're wondering "how did I get sucked in again"
So I wasn't too impressed when somebody told me about the great fish & chips at the Lighthouse Pub. Well a few days later, on a sunny Friday afternoon, I decided to treat myself to lunch on the outside deck at the Lighthouse Pub. This is the perfect place to enjoy a cool one, while watching the boats and float planes coming in and out of the marina. There's not a better location on the Sunshine Coast.
And, I decided to take a chance on the fish & chips. Well, they were good... a perfectly cooked piece of battered cod, just the right amount of fries and some tasty cole slaw. It was so good, that I'm already thinking about my next lunch on the deck at the Lighthouse, and I think I already know what I'm going to order.
June 27, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Adventure Tours
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I hadn’t planned to take the boat tour to Princess Louisa Inlet, but after seeing West Coast Wilderness Lodge’s sleek, red zodiac I decide to jump aboard. A smooth ride at forty knots takes us up a glacier-carved fjord with towering mountains all around.
After a dozen waterfalls I stop counting – we pause at Soda Pop Falls, where the boat pulls up close enough that a German couple in the bow can fill their water bottles. The Lodge's owner, Paul, has tagged along as our tour guide. He tells a tale of young First Nations who would challenge each other to hold a large rock underwater for long periods of time. They survived by gulping bubbles of air forced down from the falls.
Paul winds up his story with an offer to anyone on board to take the test – he’s brought along a rock for the occasion. Looking up to the icy snowpack high above, no-one takes him up on it.
The jokes and fun turn to respectful awe as we cruise through Malibu Rapids into Princess Louisa Inlet. I can believe that for many of the international tourists on board, this one tour has made their entire trip to British Columbia worth it. Imagine travelling through an inlet 500 feet wide, surrounded by mountains 6000 feet high. Majestic and breathtaking are the only words to describe the experience.
As we approach the end of Princess Louisa, Chatterbox Falls comes in to view – a huge, glacier-fed waterfall surrounded by rainforest. We dock at the provincial wharf where Paul fills our coffee mugs and sends us off to explore. Walking up the cedar boardwalk as I feel the mist and spray from the falls, it strikes me that a few hours ago this water was ice and snow from the alpine. The plants here are a lush shade of green I have never seen before.
On the return journey, we stop at some ancient pictographs – thirty feet up a sheer rock cliff. Thousands of years old and made from the bark of local Arbutus trees, the paint is still a bright red. We pause at the mouth to Vancouver Bay as well. Towering above this bay are Mount Churchill and Mount Vancouver, both named by the first European tourist to the area – Captain Vancouver.
Total trip time? Just over three hours.
June 21, 2009 | Tips from Us > Sechelt, Dining
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Combine spectacular coastal scenery, first class accommodations and unforgettable cuisine and you get the
Painted Boat Resort & Marina which I was lucky enough to spend a short time at recently. While the villas are comfortable and elegant, the infinity pool relaxing at any hour and the spa (which I did not enjoy on this trip) inviting, I was particularly impressed with the food at the Resort's cove-view restaurant. As it turns out, the Painted Boat Restaurant (open year round) has the ambitious but achievable goal of creating a "culinary trail" for the Sunshine Coast along with a number of other fine eating establishments that string the Coast from Gibsons to Lund. These restaurants focus on creative regional cuisine and they purchase most of their fish, fruits, vegetables, seafood, coffee and honey from local farms either on the Coast or off the nearby Gulf Islands. The Queen Charlotte Islands halibut we enjoyed for dinner was of the melt-in-your mouth variety and, when paired with the organic greens salad and white wine from BC, I was in heaven. If you plan on heading up to Madeira Park and the Painted Boat Resort, make sure you meander off the main highway from time to time to enjoy the communities (and the food) along the way - Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay & Secret Cove, to name a few. I can't wait for my next trip and my next splendid meal.
June 6, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Wildlife Viewing - Marine & Land
We've seen lots of wildlife around Sechelt in the last little while.
A herd of 8-10 harbour seals travelling together will often appear for a few moments just off our dock - first one head will pop up, then another, and finally the whole herd, only to gracefully slide back under the water.
The last few days, just before sunset, we've seen a Hooded Merganzer with a flock of six chicks riding atop her back - it's really quite entertaining as it appears there's only space on her back for five of the chicks. So, as the one trailing chick attempts to climb on, one or two others fall off, with this scene repeating itself several times. Undaunted, the mother steadfastly paddles to her evening resting site.
Naturally, our resident family of eagles is very interested in all of this action. This year there are four who have returned to our cove - two juveniles and two adults. The juveniles are quite active early in the morning, whirling and chasing each other through the sky.
It's a great time of the year, watching this timeless saga of wildlife passing through the various phases of their annual reproductive cycles.
May 8, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Dining
A group of us went to the Lighthouse the other night to watch Game 3 of the Canucks/Black Hawks series. The Lighthouse is well known for its huge outdoor patio with stunning panoramic views of Porpoise Bay
The Lighthouse offers a pretty good menu - I ordered the Mariner Mussels, a huge platter of succulent mussels steamed to perfection in a white wine cream sauce. My wife ordered El Pollo Loco, a very large grilled chicken breast with melted mozza & red pepper mayo. The Beer Battered Fish & Chips was a popular order at our table and with good reason - the order comes with two very large fish fillets allowing couples to split the plate between them. The Special for the night also made a grand appearance at our table - Build your own Fajitas, served in a sizzling pan and exuding wonderful smoky aromas.
It was a great night, the Canucks won the game!
January 16, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Kayaking (Ocean) Sechelt, Kayaking (Ocean)
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What a great find! I couldn't figure out why the place wasn't very crowded..
We took a shortie 4 day holiday at West Coast Wilderness Lodge. We were lucky, the weather was absolutely spectacular. We took a guided kayak trip one day, a guided canoe trip another day, we hiked to Skookumchuck rapids the 3rd day, and visited the Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve the final day.
The owner himself took our family on the canoe trip and he knew the place inside-out. The kayak tour was THE highlight of the vacation for me: the water was calm, the weather just perfect. We saw hundreds of seals on islands and swimming in the water with us, orange and purple starfish, many, many types of birds, including bald eagles. The kids loved it almost as much as I did.
Accommodations were very good: we got a big suite with a comfy queen bed for parents and a foldout sofabed for kids. The balcony overlooked the water and mountains. it looked like the room an bathroom had been very recently renovated - bathroom looked brand-new. We spent a bit of time with our binoculars watching seals from our balcony and from the huge scenic balcony just outside the main building. Nothing like sitting out there after a busy day, catching up on some reading, enjoying the fresh air and great views. For the finicky, there was no TV, but if you need a TV in a place like this, you've got a problem!
We had breakfast everyday at the lodge - it was a great start for every day. We only ate dinner at the lodge one night and had a great meal.. Kids also enjoyed archery, the pool table in the evenings and of course the hot tub. The only thing missing was a good beach for swimming - Ruby Lake and other swimming beaches were a short drive away, but not within walking distance.
June 1, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Cross-Country Skiing
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Dakota Ridge still has snow up top on trails to ski. Could be there for another couple of weeks or more. This area has snow on the ground for 8 months of the year. Only 1 short ferry ride and a 40 minute drive from Langdale ferry terminal. Great veiws of Georgia Strait and howe sound. Many miles of area to ski, snow shoe or just hang out in the snow. The Picture was taken May 17th 08.
January 16, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Snowshoeing
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So much snow and not enough people to enjoy it. 20 minute drive from Sechelt and you may be the only ones up here. Mid Week there are few people up skiing or snow shoeing. On the weekends there may only be 50 people through the Day but miles of trails and virgin areas. Views of Howe sound, Mt Baker, Gulf islands and up Georgia Strait.
And it is all free this year. Play in the snow and 30 minites later go kayaking or hiking to the Skookumchuck. Visit the Mollys reach resturant. Go for a walk on the beach .
January 16, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Snowshoeing
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Great snow shoing and Snow mobiling Lots of deep snow and great views.
January 16, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Sechelt, Cross-Country Skiing
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Great snow plowed road and great views. Ranging from 2400ft-4000 ft with snow depths from 4 ft to 18ft.
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