MCHANPHOTO

Studded bangle.

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:01:08 -0700

Studded bangle.

Chinese-style egg tarts.

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:01:23 -0700

Chinese-style egg tarts.

Silver web.

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:01:22 -0700

Silver web.

Mango pudding.

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:01:10 -0700

Mango pudding.

The golden wheel.

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:01:26 -0700

The golden wheel.

Yogurt topped with cereal, roasted pecans & dried...

Fri, 10 May 2013 18:01:05 -0700

Yogurt topped with cereal, roasted pecans & dried cranberries.

Coloured weave.

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:01:10 -0700

Coloured weave.

Dotted reflection.

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:01:23 -0700

Dotted reflection.

Homemade Jap Chae. Dangmyun noodles with thinly sliced...

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:01:13 -0700

Homemade Jap Chae.

Dangmyun noodles with thinly sliced cucumbers, onions, Chinese mushrooms & egg, and sprinkled with sesame.

The surprise proposal. From all those previous posts on our...

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:01:09 -0700

The surprise proposal.

From all those previous posts on our amazing weekend trip to Vancouver Island, there’s one thing I have left off until now. Turns out, my ~~boyfriend~~ fiancé had a surprise up his sleeve! Long story short, after a fancy dinner and romantic walk on the beach.. he got down on one knee and popped the question :)

Apparently, our families were already in on the plan in the weeks leading up to the trip. My parents had a delicious celebration ready for us the day we got back.

This is gonna be one exciting year ahead!

Nanaimo to Vancouver. After 3 amazing days, it was time to...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:01:20 -0700

Nanaimo to Vancouver.

After 3 amazing days, it was time to return and get back into the “real life”. We took the afternoon ferry, and spent most of the ride on top deck soaking in the rays while getting blasted in the face with super strong gusts of wind.

Like I said in the 1st post on this trip, the sunshine never stopped. Just look at that landscape.. beautiful British Columbia, indeed! You can’t go wrong visiting any one of the islands. This is why we love living on the West Coast.

Until next time!

Lantzville. Gentle waves and a mini waterfall against the...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:01:17 -0700

Lantzville.

Gentle waves and a mini waterfall against the rocks.. as we were heading back to Nanaimo the last day, we did one last stop at this little coastal community. It was really small, and seemed to have just one main street going straight through. I don’t remember whether it was their public beach or park, but we saw on the GPS there was this small road pointing towards water and so we just followed it down (in most cases, this works out very well). It was a rocky type of beach, with just a couple people out walking their dogs, and a cute young family having a picnic and flying their kite. Such a perfect spot to literally lie there and do nothing (as shown in the last photo!).. it’s very much one of those hidden gems.

Balcony Sunrise @ Rathtrevor Beach. Who wouldn’t love...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:01:25 -0700

Balcony Sunrise @ Rathtrevor Beach.

Who wouldn’t love waking up to such natural beauty? I usually like to sleep in, so this is one of those rare times where I was able to watch a sunrise! This was actually my second attempt during the trip. The previous morning, I woke up around 5 AM and that was way too early (probably cos it’s still early spring, it didn’t rise until around 7 or so). I bolted out of bed when I saw some light creeping through the curtains. We stood out on the balcony for awhile, wrapped up in blankets and just taking it all in. It was a bit chilly, but totally worth it :)

Rathtrevor Beach - Low Tide. When we got back from the hikes on...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:01:02 -0700

Rathtrevor Beach - Low Tide.

When we got back from the hikes on the second afternoon, we walked out to the beach again. I know, this is the 3rd post with photos of this beach. If you couldn’t tell already, I was just really fascinated by how far out the water receded and how gorgeous it looked with the pockets of sand and water! Apparently I wasn’t the only one though, as you can see from the top photo, there was a big wedding at the resort that weekend. They were out on the beach for awhile taking photos that afternoon.Those must have been so breathtaking shots.

Like many others there, we decided to walk as far out as possible, stopping now and then to look back at the resorts (where the line of trees were). Certain parts of the beach had receded more so than the others. It’s hard to tell from the photos here, but I think we walked a good 30 min and still didn’t quite get to the edge yet. The ocean floor was mostly packed, wet mud littered with open shells and seaweed. Again, this beach is probably a good feeding ground for the birds. In the mornings as the water slowly rolled out, I would see packs of seagulls standing on the tip of the exposed sand, just waiting.

Qualicum Beach. This is one of the many small towns along the...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:01:23 -0700

Qualicum Beach.

This is one of the many small towns along the Eastern side of the island, about 10 min drive from Parksville. As you can imagine, there are numerous houses and resorts down the stretch, all with picturesque ocean views. There is a long boardwalk next to the public beach. Parts of it are covered with seashells and other marine life. I imagine it’s a big feeding ground for the seagulls and such, especially during the summer months. Walking further down, you will find miles of soft, sparkling sand. It’s an excellent spot to spend the day, whether you want to play in the water and build a sand castle, or just spread out on some blankets with a good book! The beach is only a couple blocks from the city centre as well, so it’s pretty easy to walk up and browse the cute shops and restaurants if you need a break.

Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park - cont.

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:00:59 -0700

Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park - cont.

Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. We will not forget this park,...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:01:18 -0700

Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park.

We will not forget this park, because it was such a pain in the butt (literally) getting there! After exiting the highway, it was an extremely long and winding drive into the forested road. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t so bad until it turned into a non-paved road, so there were major chunks of rocks scattered throughout, and giant potholes so big our car was going up and down the entire way there! You couldn’t even try to drive on the side without the holes, because they were everywhere and just unavoidable.. so the few cars that we did see, were all swerving back and forth going at a snail’s pace. I was so relieved when we finally got there, because I thought we might have to get out and change a flat tire or something.

The good thing was at least it was worth the drive. The campground located halfway in the road (the Horne Lake Regional Park) was just a beautiful sight. The lake was huge and the water so clear. There were many picnic tables the beach, and you could take a boat out or do some water-skiing.

When we got to the actual caves park, we didn’t know what to expect. They had a small info centre/gift shop near the entrance, with tour guide information and gear rentals. The park has several different caves, some that are still being expanded. You could either do a self-tour to the smaller ones, or join one of the group tours with an experienced guide and visit the more “dangerous” caves (one of them said enter at your own risk!). We didn’t rent any gear, and decided to just walk around first to check it out. There were man-made trails near the beginning, and slowly changed into more of a natural state the further you walk in. There was one trail that was so narrow it would barely fit 1 person, and it winded all the way up the mountain. As someone who has a fear of heights, I think I only looked down once. Some of the caves had really small entrances (top photo) and you could barely squeeze into the space. We didn’t venture too far in, since we were not equipped with helmets. Some of them were so wet and just pitch black in there, you couldn’t go in without a flashlight. It was quite cold inside too, and you could see the little puffs of air when breathing out.

It’s a pretty fun place for kids to explore. We saw a few groups of them (in next set of photos), all excited running around the caves, trying to find the different exits and yelling out all their discoveries.

Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. This park is near Cameron...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:01:00 -0700

Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park.

This park is near Cameron Lake, and has a large campground and picnic area. There are various mountainous trails that loop around the entire park, and you get a fair bit of sunshine throughout. Certain areas are steeper and with tiny rocky steps, so I definitely got my share of exercise! There are 2 falls, a small and a big one, located along the trails. I’m not sure why it’s named “Little Qualicum Falls”, because they were the most powerful falls we have seen from all the hikes we have done in the last few years! The pictures don’t really do it justice.. the water was gushing so fast as it was pushed through the boulders down the river. It started pretty high up as well, so there were many “levels” of falls. When we were standing on the bridge looking down at the big fall (top photo), you could see the mist rising up in the air, and hence the rainbow. I’d say this is one of the better trails, not extremely strenuous and lots to see along the way.

Rathtrevor Beach - Night & Day. We went for a stroll on the...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:01:06 -0700

Rathtrevor Beach - Night & Day.

We went for a stroll on the beach after dinner the first night, and was quite surprised to see the tide had come all the way in. It was so calm and serene, and there were just a few small groups relaxing by their bonfires. There was even a guy on his guitar, serenading the guests at the resort up above. It was the perfect setting for a wonderful evening :)

The next morning, we got a couple shots in before heading out for more hikes. Taken from the same areas, but you can see the tide had already rolled way out into the ocean. It was so far back we could barely see the edge of the water!

Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre. This...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:01:20 -0700

Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre.

This gem sits right next to Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville, 30 min away from the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal. There are numerous resorts and inns along the coastline. Just at this particular location, there are probably 7-8, all adjacent to each other and literally minutes away from the beach.

The resort offers a variety of lodging, including spa bungalows, oceanview units, pool-side lodge rooms and independent cottages. We decided on an oceanview studio with an in-room jet tub. It was slightly more expensive than some of the lodge rooms, but we just couldn’t pass up the chance of enjoying the beautiful scenery right from the balcony. (As you can tell, it was low-tide when we arrived at the resort. More photos to follow, showing what a huge difference it makes when the tide comes back in at night!)

I love how everything is made of wood, with a very rustic cottage style to it. They have lots of amenities within the resort, with 3 restaurants, a spa that’s rated #1 in Western Canada, gift shops and conference rooms, and easy access to nearby parks and outdoor activities. It’s also a very good place for kids to stay at, thanks to all the playgrounds and sports equipment, and even a children’s club/kids zone. I think 3/4 of the guests there that weekend were big groups of family.

The service was good, staff were very hospitable. We tried out their fine-dining restaurant and also the sports bar/lounge - delicious West Coast style cuisine. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to vacation on this side of Vancouver Island! For all of you BC residents, you should check out Backyard BC as well - they offer great deals on accommodation all across the province, which is how we got a discount on this studio!