Vancouver Island: Parksville and Qualicum Day Two

Easter Sunday broke with sunny patches in the clouds. Sleep was necessary so the girls were groggily shaken awake around 9:30 to head out to a coffee date...of sorts. In the end, we forgot about coffee but it was great to catch up. From there, we visited Lantzville and Great Godmamma.

Now, if I wasn't visiting family and friends, I would definitely have gone down to wander the beaches and pick up shells. There are lovely secluded nooks and crannies all over the shoreline around Lantzville, not to mention local artists. I still have pottery that I brought home from my last trip.

The afternoon was another matter. This time, I had heard about Cheeseworks in French Creek. It operates year round and there was a rumor being able to witness calving. On arrival, the girls headed straight for the rabbit enclosure to visit the bunnies. From there, we could wander the barns to visit the calves, the escapee goats, the animals in the field and the large dairy herd. There is also a lovely walk through the field that you can do if you are not wearing heels. Rubber boots were recommended so I decided to opt out of that.

The fascinating part for us was watching the milking. The milkmaid had the cows coming in on the cows own schedule four by four on each side. It was amazing to see how the process worked and to see how curious the cows were about us. Once the process was losing impact, we wandered into the gift shop to sample the cheeses. Tipsy girl was definitely my favorite, to the point that I came home with some of that as well. Also on site is Mooberry Wine for tasting and the Cheeseworks. Even better? You can picnic here and it is free.

After that, we all drove to Lefties for a delicious supper. We sat by the lovely fireplace and ate some more treats on a plate. The salmon was memorable. From there, I sadly went back to the hotel to pack, sit in the hot tub and visit with friends that were willing to trek out to visit me. They are always appreciated as the best kind of peeps!

Lefties: Qualicum location

Lantzville Church

Cheeseworks!

Vancouver Island on Dwellable

Vancouver Island: Parksville Area Things to Do Day One

Being a tourist in your own backyard can be a bit odd. I grew up on Vancouver Island and would definitely classify myself as an Islander at heart. As a child, I spent hours tootling up and down the coastline, being frustrated by tourists and sometimes doing educational things because the schools or my parents made me. Now fast forward several years and I am back in my own neck of the woods and have to find interesting and fun things to do with active 8 and 11 year old children.

First, I opted to hotel it in Parksville as my mother had already left for the UK. I choose Pacific Shores when I can as it has an indoor pool, outdoor hot tubs, beachfront, grassy fields, and family friendly rooms. There is a spa and restaurant on site, with close access to the highway. The kids love it there and even the sofa bed is comfortable. It was awesome. 

In the area, you are two hours away from Victoria and 15 minutes from Coombs and Qualicum. This trip, we only had three days to visit friends and family. The main goal was to spend time with my Dad. In order to do this with the girls, I have to find interesting and unique opportunities as my family doesn't have a place that is welcoming to congregate. So, off we went. First, I took the girls to Oceanside Village Spa called Tranquil Moments. Massages and pretty nails were accomplished and then it was time to meet up with the family.

I chose Tiger Lily Farms as we had been there before and I knew it was great for kids. There the girls giggled ecstatically over the baby goats, bottle feeding them and thoroughly engaging with them. 4 day old chicks were cuddled, calves were petted and ponies were ridden. We hunted eggs and decorated Easter baskets. The girls couldn't have had a better experience. From there, we visited the Vancouver Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, which is just down the road. We explored the gift shop and then saw the flight practice cage. What I love is that the goal is to rehabilitate wildlife to the wilderness. The birds that are caged are not ever going to be well enough to fly so they are given beautiful spaces to live. The grounds are spacious and we met Oliver the owl. He was lovely.

Time was still on our side so we wandered back up the road to Englishman River Falls. There is a gorgeous walking trail that meanders around both sides of the Falls. It is just long enough for a good stretch and there are plenty of picture opportunities. After that, we were hungry or at least the girls were. That mean ice creams at Coombs Country Market. I have always said that they had the best ice cream cones on the Island and they did not disappoint.

In the evening, the grandparents decided to wend their way home. The girls and I went back to Pacific Shores and wallowed in the hot tub on the point. The waves rolled bay and the soothing sounds of the birds kept us company. Hot tubs are the best invention ever after a day of being outdoors. All in all, if you are looking for fun on the Island - Parksville might just have the best of all worlds.

Craig's Bay from Pacific Shores

Oliver

Parksville on Dwellable