Scheduled Departures
2011 Long Weekends	2012 Long Weekends
BC Day July 30- Aug 1 Canada Day July 1- July 3 Labour Day Sept 3 - Sept 5	BC Day August 4 - 6 Canada Day June 30 - July 2 Labour Day Sept 1 - 3
Other Departures by request. We reserve the right to cancel any departure not meeting minimum enrolment numbers and make full refunds.

Day One: Vancouver to Ucluelet

Our tour starts with an 8:00 AM pickup at the tour bus pickup zone, in front of Canada Place, between Howe Street and Burrard. Please have your confirmation ready before boarding. Special pickup stops for groups can be arranged by request. Then a 45 minute drive across the Lions Gate Bridge and through west Vancouver to the ferry terminal at Horse Shoe Bay. We catch the British Columbia Ferry service to Vancouver Island, with priority boarding that whisks us on board ship for a truly breathtaking 1.5 hour cruise through the Gulf Islands that stand between the mainland, and Vancouver island. Arriving on Vancouver Island , we proceed right away to travel via the islands highway to the west coast.

First stop will be the famous "goats on the roof" Coombs Market is located in Coombs, 37 kms. northwest of Nanaimo. Thousands of people each year travel through Coombs, stopping to visit with the goats. Next Cathedral Grove; Walking through the immense, ancient trees of Cathedral Grove is a singular, awe-inspiring experience. The dense canopy creates a magical, dappled green light, matched by a profound quiet broken only by the occasional birdcall. One giant Douglas-fir on the south side of the highway measures more than 9 m (29.5 ft) in circumference. On the north side, western red cedars dominate the landscape by nearby Cameron Lake. Cathedral Grove is one of the most accessible stands of old-growth Douglas-fir trees on Vancouver Island - and not to be missed. By evening we arrive on the far west coast for Vancouver Island, and overnight in Tofino/Ucluelet.

Day Two: Ucluelet (area population: 1,466) sits on a narrow peninsula bordered by Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west, north and east. Tourism has replaced timber and fishing as the mainstay of the local economy. No wonder: Ucluelet lies in the centre of a United Nations World Biosphere Reserve, an ecologically significant area that supports many uncommon plant and animal species. Its scenery, which includes miles of sandy beaches, stands of massive old-growth cedars and a seascape dotted with verdant islands, is breathtaking by any standard.

This morning we embark on a Whale Watching trip. Most often viewed are the Pacific Gray Whales. The migration starts to show up along the coast of Vancouver Island in early February and continues through late April. From April on through November, we have our 'Resident' Gray whales feeding in Clayoquot Sound and Barkley Sound. Humpback whales are seen throughout our season, with the heaviest sightings in February, June, July, August and September.

We see Orca whales (Killer whales) as well. There are 12 pods of 'Transient' Orcas that we see about once every two to three weeks throughout the year. Gray Whales: Each year the Gray Whales make the longest annual migration of any mammal, traveling about 8,000 kilometers in each direction from their Breeding and Calving lagoons in Baja, Mexico to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas off Siberia. About 22,000 of these great whales parade past the shores of Tofino and Ucluelet from early February through late April. 

The Gray Whales hug the shoreline on this northern migration, making the West Coast of Vancouver Island one of the best viewing areas in the world! From mid-April on, three to twenty or more of these magnificent creatures stay and feed on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, with a few in Barkley Sound just out of Ucluelet, and the rest in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino. These 'Resident' whales, as we call them, remain feeding in our area right through mid November at which time they head out to sea to join with the main migration as it passes our coast on the southern journey. The Humpback Whale usually ranges between 12–16 m long and weighs approximately 36 tonnes. It is well known for its breaching (leaping out of the water), its unusually long front fins, and its complex whale song. It is a migratory species, spending its summers in cooler, high-latitude waters found on the west coast of Vancouver Island while mating and calving in tropical and sub-tropical waters. We see Humpback Whales occasionally March through May and quite regularly June through October.

Afternoon free to explore the village and enjoy the local beaches. As the sun sets we will enjoy a fire on the beach and fun marshmallow roast and stay to enjoy the glow of the stars. (Weather permitting) Overnight in Ucluelet.

Day Three: Ucluelet to Vancouver

Fee mourning to try try your hand at some of the many optional activities from surfing to fishing, or just enjoy a little beach combing.

Early Afternoon departure for Vancouver using and slightly more direct route through Nanimo. We we will make stops along the way including... The Bastion The Bastion is the oldest freestanding Hudson's Bay Company fort in North America. A curious, octagonal building of three floors, it was constructed in 1852 without the use of nails, using 20-cm (8-in) squared cedar timbers that were notched and then fitted together with dowels. This French-Canadian construction method was called "poteau sur sole"("post on sill"). The third floor, considerably larger than the first and second, was originally intended as a refuge for Hudson's Bay Company employees and their families in the event of an attack by the "natives" (no such one occurred). The building has since served many functions in the Nanaimo community, including jailhouse, meeting place and, currently, museum. Late afternoon cruise aboard the British Columbia ferry service from Nanimo, across the Straight of Georgia, to the mainland. Return to Vancouver. Drop off at Vancouver starting point, end of tour.