For many years the romantic notion of storm watching always intrigued me and one of the premium destinations for this is the famous Wickininish Inn located in Tofino, BC Canada.  Dewy nights and cool breezes give way to ferocious South Easters that roll in from the Bering Sea, whipping the ocean into spectacular winter storms. 

This 5* deluxe Relais and Chateau property is amazing!  If the setting doesn’t take your breath away, the tranquility will.  The hotel is equipped with triple pane windows against the winter storms of the Pacific and if you love a good storm (from the inside, looking out snuggling by the warm fireplace in your ocean view suite) this is the place to you. 

Tofino, British Columbia, Canada, is not the easiest place to get to, but that makes up a lot of its charm.  It’s located on Vancouver Island, approximately four hours north of the City of Victoria, on the west coast.  The area is in the Pacific Rim, a rainforest and the Douglas Pine trees are enormous!

 http://www.wickinn.com/gettinghere.html 

From extreme to extremely laid back, there are activities here for everyone during every season.  During late spring, the area is very popular with surfers and the Pacific can stir up fantastic storms and the sun can be shining but the ocean is first class surfing!  But you can’t go out swimming. For non-surfers, it’s the ideal time for WHALE WATCHING.  Gray whales migrating from Baja, Mexico to Alaska are seen in the spring in the rich waters off Tofino.  Sightseeing expeditions are easily arranged with a variety of tour operators.  There are hiking trails and natural hot springs to top off these excursions. 

The summer is all about the outdoors from hiking, biking, ocean fishing or flight sightseeing.  It is beautiful here.  The town is small but has some fun tourist shops particularly arts and crafts from very talented locals.

In autumn on the Pacific Rim the only thing more golden than the leaves on the trees are the sunsets that shimmer on the Pacific. During this time you might consider discovering some of the abundant fauna that exists here. Bear watching and birding are very popular - and this is a great time to surf, with the waves all to you.

Additionally, you might consider a nice hike in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, beachcombing or sea kayaking - an activity that allows you to explore the quiet inside waters of Clayoquot Sound to watch for river otters, harbor seals, bald eagles and a variety of shorebirds.

If this destination sounds interesting to you, give me a call and I’ll be happy to give you more details.  Don’t bother going if you only plan a couple of days – the trek getting there consumes a full day from Vancouver in each direction and it’s so beautiful you need to take it easy and spend a week exploring the area.

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