With a history stretching back literally millions of years, Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley offers a breathtaking array of gastronomic, recreational and cultural experiences.

We often put more emphasis on the getting away from rather than the getting away to. Destinations tend to be selected with little or no research- based on ease of access or sheer habit- with the possibility of wondrous new eye-opening experiences sacrificed at the altar of mere convenience.

Thus do we cheat ourselves and squander our precious time.

What if there was a place within a few hours of the North Shore where monsters once roamed, where the pioneer spirit still lived, whose bounty was celebrated around the world but largely overlooked by those nearby?

Such a place is the amazing Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and a recent visit revealed all of the above and much, much more.

Having begun my relaxation on the ferry, I chose to move at a slower pace and left the main highway just south of Parksville for the quiet pleasures of Highway 19A, the Oceanside Route.

Once the island’s main traffic corridor, the Oceanside Route is now mostly used by locals travelling to and from the towns and villages that snuggle along the coastline at the edge of the forest. It’s rarely busy and a great way to purge the demons of urban urgency.

It takes an extra half hour or so if you don’t stop, but there is much to see as you pass through the communities it serves: Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Bowser, Fannny Bay and more.

Fanny Bay Oysters

For me, the exploring began at Fanny Bay. In restaurants and markets across North America, the humble Fanny Bay oyster has pride of place alongside Blue Points, Malpeques, and Belons. Renowned for their quality control, freshness and flavour, Fanny Bay Oysters command a premium and are well worth it.

Introduced to the area in 1947 by Joseph McLellan, what started as 300 pounds of Japanese seed oysters has blossomed into a modern aquaculture industry.

There are a number of local fisheries including the Fanny Bay Oyster Company and Mac’s- McLellan’s original company. You can buy fresh oysters and clams directly from Mac’s waterfront plant but the Fanny Bay company store is about 10 kilometres north beside the Buckley Bay ferry terminal.

From Buckley Bay it’s about fifteen minutes to the town of Courtenay, capital of the Comox Valley. Here the fun and exploring begin in earnest.

The Old House Village Hotel and Spa

Once you arrive, you’ll need a place to stay and the Old House Village Hotel and Spa is one of the finest resorts north of Parksville. Nestled on the banks of the Courtenay River, this family-friendly destination provides bright, spacious accommodations around the twin centre pieces of the Oh Spa and the Old House Restaurant.

Located in the resort’s north wing, the Oh Spa offers a full selection of spa treatments including body treatments, hydrotherapy, Vichy therapy, massages and special treatment for men and pregnant women. Reservations are a good idea and if you’ve rushed up the highway to get to Courtenay, it gives you a chance to slip into the getaway spirit.

The Old House Restaurant is a beautiful rambling, rustic cottage that has been a fixture of the Valley dining scene since the early 1970’s. Inside, the building’s massive timbers and generous use of wood and brick give it a very cosy feel. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, their menus and wine list draw heavily from local sources and there’s a children’s menu for the youngsters.

Located in a quiet enclave not far from main traffic routes, the Old House Village Hotel and Spa gives you easy access to everything the Valley has to offer. It’s also pet-friendly and with advance notice you can bring some four legged family members with you. Check them out online at www.oldhousevillage.com.

Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre

The first of many surprises on the trip was a visit to the Courtenay Museum at 360 Cliffe Avenue. I was expecting aboriginal artefacts and relics of the Comox Valley’s recent agricultural past, which indeed there were.

What I wasn’t expecting was the museum’s impressive collection of local dinosaur fossils. In the late Cretaceous period, what would become the Comox Valley was home to a numerous species of marine reptiles and the 1988 discovery of the remains of an Elasmosaur in the Puntledge River encouraged palaeontologists to take a closer look at the region.

Today the fossils of long-extinct reptiles, ancient turtles, fish and more are on display in a very well organized gallery on the main floor. If you’ve got youngsters, this is a must visit. Find out more at www.courtenaymuseum.ca.

Downtown Courtenay

Downtown Courtenay is one of the most interesting shopping areas in BC. There are few chain stores and most of the shops are owner operated one-of-a kind destinations. If you’re looking for something really unique, this is a great place to explore.

Birdwatching

The Comox Valley is also a bird watcher’s paradise. The Courtenay River estuary draws many species of aquatic wild fowl and raptors and the Valley is a resting point for migrating trumpeter swans.

Comox Valley Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday, local farmers and artisans gather from 9 am until noon to share their products at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market. From October through to the end of April, the market is housed in the Native Son’s Hall across the street from the museum. Here you will find fresh meat, seafood and dairy products as well as organic fruits, herbs and fresh vegetables- all produced locally. There’s also live music that gives the market a real country fair atmosphere and it’s a must visit if you go.

Tourism Comox Valley’s web site offers maps for a number of self-guided tours that allow you to visit local farms and destinations where the products are grown, raised or created and most of the participants at the market welcome visitors: www.discovercomoxvalley.com.

Natural Pastures Cheese Company

Artisan cheese makers are a dynamic and growing sector in BC agriculture and Courtenay’s Natural Pastures Cheese Company is one of the best in the province. They sell their hand-made wares each week at the Farmers’ Market but their products can also be found in local supermarkets and their outlet shop at 635 McPhee Avenue in Courtenay, which also houses their production centre.

Their Comox Brie won the 2008 Gold Medal at the World Cheese Championships in Wisconsin and today they produce over a dozen varieties including pure Buffalo Mozzarella, Cheddar, a creamy Camembert, smoked Boerenkaas and delicious parmesan-style Parmadammer with a deep, rich, nutty flavour.

Their cow’s milk comes from two selected Comox Valley Heritage Dairy Farms, chosen for their humane livestock management and environmental stewardship.

Natural Pasture’s cheeses are literally a taste of the Comox Valley from the ground up and if you get a chance to sample them at their storefront shop or the weekly market, you’ll be hooked. For opening hours or to arrange a tour contact them at 1-866-244-4422.

Island Bison Ranch

North of Courtenay in Black Creek, Mark and Lisa Vance operate the Island Bison Ranch. Here on 150 acres they raise and care for 80 head of Bison and supply incredibly healthy meat products to local stores, markets and restaurants.

With a lower fat content than Halibut, Bison meat is an excellent alternative for those with meat allergy problems of on fat-restricted diets. Bison is also rich in iron, phosphorous, selenium, Vitamin B-12 and great for your immune system.

A visit to the ranch gives you some insight into these beautiful wild creatures and a chance to pick up anything from steaks, roasts and ground Bison to jerky, sausage and even Bison bacon. Great care is taken to make sure that there are no glutens or nitrites in any of the products.

The Bison are grass-fed, well treated and there are no hormones or grain products in the feed system. The owner, Mark, is a great testimonial to the benefits of eating Bison. Allergic to beef, pork and chicken, he is able to eat Bison with no side effects.

They welcome visitors most days, but it’s a good idea to call ahead: 250-650-9303.

Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky Distillery

Just north of the Oyster River, the Shelter Point Whisky Distillery is Western Canada’s only single malt whisky producer. With the Comox Valley’s combination of rich soil, pure water and benign weather, Patrick Evans and his partners decided it was the ideal location for a true ‘field to flask’ distillery, using barley grown from the fields that surround the new facility.

Under the guidance of Master Distiller Michael Nicholson- whose background includes three decades of Master Distillery experience at Scotland’s Lagavulin, Royal Lochnagar, Blair Athol, Glenkinchie and Coal Ila- test crops were successfully harvested and ground broken on the beautiful distillery and visitors’ centre.

Though the gleaming copper pot stills were made in Scotland, everything else is of local origin. It’s a reflection of the ownership group’s commitment to creating a uniquely original product that reflects the very soul of the land from which it has come.

While their first single malt won’t be ready for release until 2014, you can tour the Shelter Point Distillery now and even place an order for your own cask of premium single malt whisky. Your whisky will be matured in a numbered oak cask with your name on it and yield roughly 300 bottles at 40% strength when finished.

To arrange tours and find out more, visit Shelter Point online at www.shelterpointdistillery.com.

Coastal Black Fruit Winery

The Comox Valley is at the very northern range of successful grape harvesting and some local farms have turned instead to producing refreshing wines from local fruits and berries. The Coastal Black Fruit Winery in Black Creek is a former dairy farm converted to berry production and the creation of fruit wines and meads.

Their selection of blueberry, blackberry and raspberry table wines, sparkling wines and ambrosias are all produced using berries from the own fields, and in the case of their meads, honey from their own bees.

Every bottle is fermented from pure fruit or honey with no added water or enhancers. The fruit wines are complex and very flavourful, perfect for warm weather afternoon sipping.

The big surprise was the mead. I was expecting a heavy, syrupy, overly-sweet beverage that you would choke down just to be polite.

Not so. Coastal Black’s meads- regular, spiced and blueberry- are more like a dry white sherry and the spiced mead oozes Christmas flavours. This was a real find.

Their visitor centre and tasting room is the equal to what you will find in most of the Okanagan, and Coastal Black have installed a wood fired pizza oven to make summer visits on their patio even more memorable. For tasting hours call 250-337-8325.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort

Located about 25 minutes from downtown Courtenay, the Mount Washington Alpine Resort is ground zero for skiing and snowboarding on Vancouver Island. Over 5,200 feet above sea level at the summit, Mount Washington averages 10.5 metres of snowfall per year and its 1600 acres feature 9 lifts, 60 alpine trails, 2 terrain parks, a snow-tubing park, snowshoeing trails and night skiing until 10 pm Thursday to Sunday.

Even when the North Shore hills are bare, Mount Washington will have snow. Their unique location and altitude are the perfect landing point for moist air making its way from the Pacific coast to the mainland and the result is pure alpine magic.

The hill offers ski-in ski-out accommodation for over 4,000 people, a selection of restaurants and cafeterias, equipment rentals, lessons and a sports shop so popping up on the spur of the moment is no problem.

Ski runs are rated 20% novice, 35% intermediate and 45% expert so there’s plenty of challenge and on a clear day, the views are incredible. Mount Washington ski lifts operate at a capacity of 12,200 riders per hour so if you’re looking for an epic snow experience away from the crowds and lift lines, this is the place.

To get the latest snow reports or check out their web cams, find them online at www.mountwashington.ca.

And so on...

With all there is to see and do in the Comox Valley, there wasn’t room for all the photos in this story. Check them out in the attached files and have a look at the accompanying video of the trip.