My legs are shaking and it isn't from the cool early morning air.
I'm paddling on Kennedy Lake in Tofino and I'm repeating a mantra in my head - please don't let me fall, please don't let me fall. .. .
Within minutes, I lose my balance and plunge into the lake.
Lucky for me, the water is calm and warm as I've forgotten my wet suit at the Long Beach Lodge Surf Club. My instructor Chance McCullough strips off his shirt and passes it to me.
Earlier, he had set me up with a lifejacket, a paddle measured for my height and a paddle board at the water's edge. After some instructions, he joined me on his board in the water.
Wearing my bathing suit and a warm sweater, I knelt as I paddled, to get a feel for the board. Slowly I got up using my oar for balance. The board handled with surprising ease and with the sun beaming down on us through the clouds, we paddled across the lake.
Moving from knees to standing felt unsteady at first, but I felt pretty confident. I never mastered paddle boarding but by the end, I finally learned how to stay on without falling. Getting up was my forte. Soon, we were far out on the pristine lake surrounded by sweeping views of the rainforest on all sides of us. After a couple of hours, I was hooked on paddle boarding.
My son Mathew and I had arrived at the Long Beach Lodge (LBL) the night before on a mother/son bonding trip prior to him moving out of the country for a year.
The resort at Cox Bay, seven kilometers south of Tofino, is renowned as a world-class surfer's paradise. After we picked up the keys to our cozy cabin, we took in the Great Room. It was designed to replicate the owner's own living room, featuring a large stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows offering unobstructed ocean views. As we scanned the room, we watched as relaxed guests sit at clusters of weather-worn leather couches as well as on oversized chairs a la Ralph Lauren style. It is here where meals are served and complete strangers chat over a cappuccino or play a game of chess by the roaring fire. The next morning dawned bright and sunny. But it isn't just the sun that has people visiting from all corners of the world, but the raw, rugged natural beauty that Tofino is renowned for. Tofino is about reconnecting with nature, through the ocean and old-growth rainforest. During my brisk early morning walks, I passed dogs playfully retrieving driftwood, joggers leaving their footprints in the wet sand and surfers clad in full head-to-toe wetsuits braving the surf. Life is good here. This trip was more about relaxing, breathing in the fresh air and spending time together. However, there's a plethora of water sports activities available and storm watching is another big reason why people come between November and March. The lodge offers a front-row seat to this gale force wave crashing phenomenon. Wearing the pre-requisite storm watching garb - long gum boots, heavy duty rain jackets and bigger smiles - you can witness a storm like none other.
Cuisine: For a small town of approximately 1,800 full-time residents, Tofino has a bustling foodie scene. Whether you choose fine dining or roadside café, there's no dress code here. One evening, we dined at the resort's new beachside patio SandBar Bistro. The menu is small yet features a nice al fresco style menu. Mathew and I shared the Tofino salmon poke and baked beach oysters. Both were fresh and delicious. For our main course, we both went for the SandBar fish burritos. For these, you need to have napkins handy but the burritos are worth it.
Wolf in the Fog: Friday night, we headed to the newest eatery in town: Wolf in the Fog. At the helm is executive chef Nick Nutting, formerly chef de cuisine at the Wickaninnish Inn and Montreal's Chez Tuffet, to name a few. He's teamed up with friends Jorge Baradiaran and Andre McGillivray to open a restaurant where it's all about "honouring the ingredients." Working closely with local fishermen and foragers, Nutting has come up with a sumptuous and innovative menu, using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Inspired by the town's rugged landscape, the Wolf in the Fog's interior is a wonderful juxtaposition of natural and reclaimed woods, with a dash of contemporary and a splash of industrial chic thrown in. The effect is at once casual yet sophisticated, making the environment warm and inviting. With floor-to-ceiling windows you get a great view of the downtown waterfront.
We sat down next to a retired couple for Phoenix, Arizona. It wasn't their first visit to Tofino. Both love the outdoors and they make a trek here nearly every summer, drawn by its beauty and for the many hiking trails. Celebrating their 50th anniversary, a friend had recommended the restaurant. They enjoyed it as much as we did.
Meanwhile, after choosing a red wine from the small but well-thought out list, we ordered a few appetizers. We started with a Dungeness crab cake, with the crab both chunky and flavourful, with a sweet pineapple salsa ($19). On our server's recommendation, Mathew went for the pork belly ($14) and the potato crusted oyster ($4/each). Not a huge fan of oysters, I changed my tune after trying one. For our entrees, Mathew had a small sampling of the Stampede (typically this is a shared plate $65) and I tried the fresh locally source baked halibut seared with a pine nut and olive crust served with quinoa and apricots. ($30). Ambience and great food equaled one wonderful evening.
If you go: n Long Beach Lodge Resort, 1441 Pacific Rim Highway, Toxin. Phone: 250-725-2442 Web: longbeachlodgeresort.com. There are 41 lodge rooms and 20 cabins/cottages Price: Fall (starts October):
$199 -$529 Pet Friendly.
SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Lessons from the Surf Club at Long Beach Lodge.
$129 per person for a 3.5 hour lesson for a group of up to five people. Everyone must be 14 or older.
All SUP lessons include full equipment rentals (wetsuit, booties, board and paddle) as well as a packed snack.
Foraging for Mushrooms: Expeditions are fun for all ages. Thursday 2-5 p.m. /maximum six guests. Cost: $20 minimum donation with all proceeds going to the Rainforest Education Society. Sign up at the front desk of the lodge. You head out with the executive chef Ian Riddick. The Ontario-born chef is truly passionate about scavenging different species of mushrooms.
Where to Eat for Grab and Go:
1) Wildside Grill, 1180 Pacific Rim Highway. Funky, distinctive little spot is located in the Live to Surf plaza, a compilation of shops housed in cedar shacks that look like Hobbit-style cabins. The Wildside Grill serves up some of the freshest seafood in these parts. Chef Jesse Blake and his partner Jeff Mikus (who happens to be a commercial fisherman) opened up their outdoor eatery a few years ago. Mathew ordered the B.C. side-stripe shrimp burger and fries and I went for a small bowl of its award-winning seafood chowder and fish tacos. Our meal was so good that on our way back to Vancouver we stopped for lunch and ate the very same meal. Prices range from $10 for a full bowl of seafood chowder to $13 for three fish tacos, and the costliest dish is $15 for cod club sandwich.
2) Tacofino Cantina, 1180 Pacific Rim Highway at the back of the mall. You can't miss the orange truck with its large painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Line ups can be insane during peak lunch hours but it does move fairly quickly. Arguably the best Mexican cuisine in B.C.
