From Pacific Rim National Park to Tofina then on to Victoria , BC.
I had planned to go all the way to Tofino. Got up early so we made it to Tofino at 6 am. The breakfast restaurant opened and 7 so we walked around in the stillness of the harbour.
We didn’t stop until we got to Victoria. There was the 20th Anniversary of the Victoria Ska and Reggae festival and had a free show all afternoon. The driving music for today was, of course, Bob Marley and the English Beat.
We made it to Tofino. End of the road. I turned and looked back east to Toronto. Our journey home would take us to a different route. We caught the sunrise here in Tofino.
This was one of the many tourist offerings. It was 6 am so nothing was open. We watched people heading to work down on the docks.
Overlooking the harbour and that big white cloud that seemed to be glued to that mountain.
The 1909 Kitchen was scheduled to open at 7 am. I used the time to walk the pugs around the town. I settled them into the car in their beds and they went to sleep. I headed to 1909 Kitchen. I was their first customer. However the waitress handed me the dinner menu by mistake. I didn’t know if they had a breakfast menu and she disappeared. When she finally came back I showed her the menu and she realized her mistake.
I did have a nice view so I didn’t mind waiting. However, I was planning on driving straight to Victoria but I wanted to take my time driving so I could enjoy the old growth forest.
I ordered the breakfast burrito. I figured this would last me until I got to Victoria.
I had made a reservation at the Chateau Victoria because it was just a couple of blocks from the Inner Harbour walkway. Also it was pet-friendly.
There is a statue of Mr. Piercy, one time owner of the Chateau Victoria, and his faithful dog Shaker. Shaker, a short haired German pointer, and Mr. Piercy often went hunting together for pheasants. The statue is located outside the main doors. It is a dedication to that warm, wonderful bond between a human and a dog.
Our morning walk was around the inner harbour – a promenade with a view of the boats, the water and the cityscape.
I was looking for a food truck for lunch. There was an excellent breakfast bowl vendor. I got the fruits, nuts, yogurt and turmeric blend. We sat and watched the harbour.
There was a reggae music festival happening that day. We went over to where they were setting up. One of the bands was doing a sound check. We listened to them for a while. I planned to come back after lunch for the festival.
However, even though we were able to see the sound check, dogs were not allowed into the festival. We found a shady, grassy spot just outside the fence. The pugs enjoyed the event by taking an afternoon nap. I swayed to the reggae beat.
Back to the hotel. The pugs settled in after dinner and I went up to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant Vista 18.
I was planning an early morning walk before we checked out of the hotel so we all went to bed early.