The moment we crossed over to the east side of the island, BAM — we gained 10 degrees like someone cranked up the vacation thermostat. Goodbye fleece, hello sunscreen (and sand in everything).
We kicked things off at the Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, which looked more like a vast desert when we arrived at low tide. According to Google Maps, we were already swimming. In reality? We had to trek a whole kilometre just to get to the water.
Then, like a sneaky tide ninja, the water started racing back — surrounding us from all sides. Every 15–20 minutes, we had to relocate like a family of migrating seagulls. At some point, we stopped mocking the people who’d set up their tents 500 metres back. They knew. They were the wise ones.
Then, we ventured to another beach— much to Joey’s mild horror. Let’s just say sand isn’t his love language. But the kids were thrilled, and Joey bravely pretended to be fine while secretly plotting a beach-free escape route. But this one had a sandcastle contest, a splash pad, and a giant playground, so the kids were basically living their best lives.
We even went swimming in the Strait of Georgia. The water was surprisingly warm — like, I might actually go past my ankles warm. Unlike the Pacific Ocean, which we all agree is mostly for penguins and polar bears (and our kids that did not seem to care much).
We ended up returning THREE times. Joey coped by pretending the sand was lava and staying near the rinsing station. Haha.
Parksville Beach could’ve been our full itinerary and the kids would’ve been thrilled. But so off we went for a round of mini golf.
Now, for our kids, the ideal game length is exactly 10 holes. After that, they morph into tired gremlins with golf clubs. There was a moment of chaos — lost balls, emotional turbulence, snack negotiations — but after a solid pep talk and some bribery (let's call it parental motivation), the final holes were actually a blast. Teddy even landed his second hole-in-one on the last one. Cue proud parental screaming.
We also stopped in Coombs, a tiny town with a big claim to fame: goats. On the roof. Yep, actual goats living their best life grazing above a market like it’s totally normal. We wandered into a second-hand bookstore bursting with books and found a couple of French novels for the kids — parenting level: expert. Then we hit a butterfly garden because Emma’s been dreaming of butterflies. One even landed on her like she was straight out of a fairytale… but of course, I missed the shot. Classic.
Next stop: Englishman River Falls Provincial Park. A quick walk took us to beautiful waterfalls, shady trees, and an icy-cold river that was perfect for swimming — if you enjoy temporary numbness! 😅
The river was deep enough for cliff jumping, and both kids went for it — but Emma really stunned us by launching herself off a 5-meter ledge. I aged five years watching it, but she stuck the landing like a champ. Of course, I couldn’t just stand there holding the towels like a bystander. Pride was on the line. So I took a deep breath, and jumped too.
Our rental came with direct beach access, so we made the most of it. The kids enjoyed some peaceful shoreline adventures. During a swim, sea lions popped up nearby. Emma and Joey immediately bolted out of the water like cartoon characters. And that, folks, was the end of their aquatic fun for the day. To redeem the day, we tried paddleboarding, which was... a core workout and a comedy show. Despite my best effort, we barely moved against the waves.
And yes, while in the Nanaimo area, we did what any self-respecting traveller would do: we ate our way through some Nanaimo bars. Joey attempted a “foodie influencer” pose for the camera. Let's just say... he's keeping his day job.
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