Tofino Wrap-Up and a Treasure Hunt
We’re back in BrownTown. I mean Calgary. I do love this place, but I’d love it more if I had a condo in Vancouver and a private jet. Wait right here while I go buy a lottery ticket.
As usual, I’m seriously behind. This time I’ve been slacking in this department, not keeping you abreast of our meals. This wasn’t an actual holiday in that I brought my work with me – it’s been a kind of half working, half playing couple weeks, with the goal that I’d spend more time with W than I have been of late. So I have been working – just not as much – and I wanted to remind him that I do have a face and am (almost) as much fun as dad, and the computer isn’t an actual appendage.
It might sound from your end of the computer that we’ve been living on crab, cookies and pancakes. And that’s partly accurate, but we’ve been eating out a bit, too. I’ll get to that in a minute – first, I neglected to tell you the whole story of Tonquin park, but I can chalk that up to a hot bath and a half bottle of Red Over Heels. The combination amounts to the opposite of a motivational speech.
The short version of the story is: we found treasure on the island at Tonquin. I heard that something was buried there, in a teeny cave, and had the foresight to (finally!) bring my little video camera so that I could take you on the forest walk, then share the discovery of said treasure. And post it! I didn’t, unfortunately, have the foresight to bring spare batteries – they died as I came to the end of the path and out onto the beach. Which really is in keeping with the theme of the past couple weeks.
So there’s this global game called Geocaching, where people with GPS systems track down these well-hidden “treasures” placed around the world. (I’d try to explain the concept in more detail but the website would do a better job of it.) This spot was on a teeny island you’ll see just as you get to the end of the path from the road to the beach. On it is a tiny cave, not much bigger than a breadbox.
W was on cloud 9, let me tell you. He was a bit disappointed though, when we didn’t run into trouble with any pirates, and the box we dug out wasn’t full of gold dubloons.
It was Tupperware, in fact.
We left the string of beads from Mike’s cowboy hat, and a hand-written recipe for Chocolava cookies. W left the fuzzy little blue rabbit he got in his Kinder Egg and was convinced was magic.
I chose a well-worn double decker bus keychain, left by an Aussie who left a note with a brief version of his story:
Which is appropriate in ways I couldn’t begin to explain. Also – the keychain I’ve had for at least 10 years got wrecked a few weeks ago, and I was, likely due to stress and lack of sleep, unreasonably upset about it.
When I pulled my keys out of my pocket to attach the bus, I noticed that the keychain I reluctantly replaced mine with a couple weeks ago had broken. Huh.
I have to tell you too about Ukee Dog – a hot dog joint (and so much more) in Ucluelet, where we went after visiting the wee aquarium.
There were homemade cinnamon buns in three varieties – raisin, apple or blueberry.
The pies were all hand-made too, and rows of jars full of cookies.
We pooled our cash and brought home a half dozen pies – salmon Wellington, curried veggie and curried beef, and a beef-mushroom. They were all divine.
The hot dogs were pretty good too.
And of course – we lunched at SoBo.
The boys had enormous bowls of bouilliabaise,
K had their famous fish taco,
we shared an order of polenta fries (which are getting better, if that’s possible),
even the kids had plates with bowls of buttered noodles and sides of cheese with beans, carrots and corn alongside (not a chicken nugget in sight),
and I had a salmon pizza.
And look at that pie! I want to marry it.
But did I tell you about the hail? And snow? We had to seek refuge indoors, really.
I’ll have a new recipe for you tomorrow – and some free stuff. Promise.
Glorious! I’m glad you’re all back home in one piece.
I looooooove those polenta fries. These photos made me miss Tofino something crazy.
Tofino is now in the running for our family holiday next year. Where did you stay?
Wow amazing pics, thanks so much for sharing Julie.
Welcome home darling 🙂
Erin – lucky us, my parents just finished building a house out there. But there are plenty of great places to stay – I can certainly help in that regard! we’ve stayed in a lot of places there in the past.
Mmmmm….looks yummy!
But that’s Lock ‘n Lock, not Tupperware (says the Tupperware lady).
H =)
LOL @ Look at that pie, I want to marry it 🙂
That place in Uculet looks like carb heaven to me…
Welcome home.
You missed the snowstorms.
It sounds like a wonderful get a way.
Anonymous was me – software usually fills in my name.
Welcome home Julie 🙂
Ukee Dog has to go on my list of places to visit when we finally make it out that way.
Tofino sure seems to be getting more and more intriguing places to shop, eat and just plain visit! Any hints on how to make those amazin-looking polenta fries?!
Loved this entire post but especially the photo of the polenta fries. Had those with Rach when we were there exactly three years ago this weekend. Funny how a photo of food can stir up such huge emotions.
Thank you, Jul.
My 4 year old prairie girl was digging into the bouilliabaise at SOBO. That’s how delicious it was! Yaaay Ukee Dog!! That was a great day!