A Week of Sea Air and Simplicity in Tofino
Happy Monday, ladies. I’m finally catching my breath after a full few weeks and wanted to share a bit about our trip to Tofino. If you haven’t been, it’s tucked out on the far west edge of Vancouver Island, where the forest meets the Pacific and everything feels a little wilder.
Tofino is one of those places that feels slightly unreal in the best way. Every time I go, I wonder why the rest of the world isn’t rushing there… then I remember the single winding road in and realize that’s exactly why it stays charming. It’s part surf town, part rainforest, part place-you-think-you-dreamed-up. We’ve gone for years, and somehow it gets under my skin in the best possible way.
We stayed right on McKenzie Beach, where the waves practically tuck you in at night. The weather was spectacular for fall…sunny, crisp, and filled with that golden light that makes you forget it rains there 300 days a year. We spent our days walking the beaches, exploring the rainforest trails, and generally pretending we were the outdoorsy type.
HOKAS / LEATHER GLOVES /
One morning, my husband and I went whale watching, which sounds terribly serene and National Geographic-worthy. In reality, we spent most of the time flying across the water at full throttle, hanging on to our hats while scanning the horizon. We didn’t see many whales, but we definitely saw a lot of ocean…very quickly.
Meals were simple but wonderful. The Shelter restaurant was delicious, and Tacofino, as always, hit the spot. Tofino isn’t the place for fancy dinners; it’s the place for cozy sweaters, salty hair, and simple food that tastes better because you’ve spent the day in the sea air. It’s also the kind of town where everyone wears gum boots…not that I own gum boots. I did, however, buy rain gear for a planned kayak trip, but once we saw the 15-knot winds, we wisely postponed.
The highlight of the week was wandering through the rainforest on a beautiful raised walkway, surrounded by towering trees, birdsong, and sunlight filtering through the canopy. I’ve been in a lot of forests, but nothing like this! There was such stillness in the air that it made you slow down and breathe a little deeper. It’s hard to put into words, but it felt like nature was giving us all a gentle reset.
Another highlight (and a much noisier one) was watching my daughter take a surfing lesson. She got absolutely pummeled by waves but just kept popping back up with a grin. It reminded me of my own surf lesson years ago that ended with me gracefully retiring from the sport forever. I’ve since discovered I’m much better at supporting surfers from the shore, preferably with a hot coffee in hand.
Evenings were blissfully simple with bonfires on the beach, early bedtimes, and the kind of deep sleep that only happens after a day of sea air and no schedule. We knit by the fire, sipped wine on the patio, and listened to the waves.
And because we’re us, we naturally found a bit of shopping to do. My daughter and I both fell for the same black maxi sweater skirt. It’s a perfect, packable find, and we decided to twin without shame.
It was one of those weeks that feeds your soul. There was no rush, minimal makeup, no alarms, just us, the ocean, and the luxury of slowing down.
Something about that mix of ocean, forest, and quiet seems to reset me every time. It makes me wonder where you go when you need that same kind of breathing room. And if you’ve ever wandered through Tofino yourself, tell me what stayed with you.
The most beautiful place on earth!! Would love to live there! Vacationed at the Wick for winter storm watching back in 2012 and it was so awesome! Loved everything about the area and beaches are my happy place! I dream of returning someday…..
Sounds wonderful. We use to go to the Missouri Ozark Mountains every fall and I always said it was food for my soul. We all need refilling. Now I have learned to love the fall in my native corner of a fly over state and have discovered a peace I had been passing by.