Hiking Haslam: Another #ExploreNanaimo Adventure

Hey guys! TN Blogger Megan here. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Long Weekend! Mine was filled with family, food & fun outdoors.

Since our Thanksgiving Dinner with my family was on Monday this year, we decided to embrace the sunny weather on Sunday morning and head south to Haslam Creek Trail & the Haslam Creek Suspension Bridge. This particular walking trail is a favourite with our family. It’s close to home (we live in the south end), the kids love looking for animal prints and slugs along the trail, and the best part is the suspension bridge over the creek.

Read more here: http://explorenanaimobc.com/2016/10/11/hiking-haslam-another-explorenanaimo-adventure/ 

Exploring Newcastle Island in Nanaimo

Hey guys, Heather here!

Since I began working with Tourism Nanaimo at the beginning of the summer, I’ve been inspired to rediscover the Harbour City. After checking a few boxes off my list I decided I to go on a ‘re-adventure’, and do something I had not done since I was in grade 7…  hike around Newcastle Island! I called my brother, my very first adventure buddy, to tell him the plan and he was eager to join me in reliving our youth.

Me and my brother!

The morning was a little gloomy but we made a pact that rain or shine this hike was happening, we did grow up on the ‘wet-coast’ right after all! We arrived early for the ferry (which runs every hour on the hour from Maffeo Sutton Park) so we walked the waterfront and grabbed a Nanaimo Bar latte from my favourite coffee shop, Javawocky. We made our way to the Newcastle Island ferry where we hopped on the Island Mist foot passenger ferry ($9 round trip adult fare, $6 for child and senior) and set sail on our 10 minute ocean cruise.

Getting ready to hop on the passenger ferry

We arrived on Newcastle Island and all my childhood memories came flooding back to me. The clubhouse still hosts interesting art pieces, the totem poles are still standing proud, the open campground and playground reminded me of why I loved this little island so much. My brother and I set out on our journey, first checking the map at the beginning of the trail to decide what our path would be.

We decided to stick to the perimeter path of the island, which is approximately 7.5 kilometers but there are several joining trails that allow other island adventurers to shorten or lengthen their hikes if they choose (the trails are suitable for all experience levels, including children, dogs and those on bikes).

The perimeter path follows the coast line of the island, providing stunning views of the Pacific Ocean while also catering to those seeking a more forested surrounding. I should also note that in addition to the breathtaking views, Newcastle Island is enriched in fascinating history and cool points of interest along the trails, such as the Giovando Lookout and the Sandstone Quarry.

I highly recommend leaving a few hours open to hike Newcastle Island. My brother and I kept finding ourselves running out to all the various lookout points, astonished every time at the beauty around us (we may have stopped to catch some Pokémon along the way). We even took a moment on one of the beaches to get our ‘Om’ on and reflect on how lucky we truly are to live in the Pacific North West.

We live here?! 

We met a few people during our hike who frequently like to spend the day island hopping. They begin with hike around Newcastle Island and finish it off with lunch at the Dinghy Dock Pub on Protection Island. It’s a little know fact, but if your check with your ship’s captain, they may be able to drop you off at the pub for a small additional fee. Sounds like a pretty great way to spend a day if you ask me!

Mmm. Dinghy Dock food.

I hope you are as inspired as I am to get out and explore all the wonders Nanaimo has to offer.

Until next time!

Cheers,

Heather 🙂
info@tourismnanaimo.com
250-751-1556

Exploring the Lantzville Foothills

Hey everyone! TN staffer Emily here to tell you all about my hike around the Lantzville Foothills.

I love adventuring to new places; however school and work have made seeking out new adventures a little difficult. Luckily I finally had a Friday off which had me wandering around the Lantzville Foothills. I had always heard of people walking around up there, and curiosity fueled me to explore the area for myself.

The trail is really well marked due to the fact that there used to be a plan to develop in that area.  This made it blissfully easy to wonder around and not get lost. It offers many different peaks and bluffs for you to experience amazing views during your walk.

Trail heading up (credit: Pinterest)

The best part about this hike is it was not hard at all. It is an easy 7 km loop that took a little over 2 hours to complete.  I had gone on a bit of a cloudy day, and it did start raining about half way through (big surprise), but the trail and views itself were still very enjoyable. I definitely encourage anyone who wants awesome views to seek this hike out.

How to Get There:

• If heading north, turn left off of the Nanaimo Parkway (Highway 19) onto Ware Rd (it will eventually turn into Aulds Rd about half way up)
• At the end of the road, take a left onto Harwood drive and park at the end to reach the trail head

Sunny day views (Credit: candiedfrogsmonologues.blogspot.com)

Until my next adventure,

Emily

Hiking Mt. Benson in the Snow

A little snow won’t stop me from breathing the fresh mountain air. In fact, the scenic winter wonderland motivates me to get outside during the winter months. The snow covered trees and glistening icicles are magical. Even with the little amount of snow we get here on Central Vancouver Island, you don’t have to go very far to experience it.

There is an extensive network of trails along Westwood Ridge (Mount Benson) in Nanaimo. Many of the trails are used by mountain biking enthusiasts and hikers. Access points include Westwood Lake and Witchcraft Lake.

Westwood Ridge offers stunning views of Mount Benson and leads you to a beautiful  lookout of Nanaimo and the coastal mountains. This hike takes less than an hour. Most of the trail is through the forest, but as you ascend, it becomes a little more exposed. The lookout is a great picnic spot.

Along the way, there is an incredible memorial site of two young men, one who died in a cabin that burned down in 2008, and the other who had helped build the cabin. Not far from the memorial site is a covered BBQ station that was built in their memory.

Snow shoes weren’t required on this hike as half the trail didn’t have snow and closer to the lookout the snow was packed down from previous hikers. The snow at the top was about four inches deep (as of December 29, 2015). I prefer hiking the trails when the snow is packed down – you’re less likely to trip over a tree root and puddles are infrequent. You may want to check the weather conditions beforehand.

This is a great little winter hike that doesn’t take up much time in your day and the view is almost as good as the Mount Benson summit. Watch for little signs on the trees. They’ll point you in the direction of the summit trail…. or shenanigans.

Happy hiking!

~Kyla K.
https://vancouverislandliving.wordpress.com

Follow Kyla on Twitter: @KylaK

The NO BOREDOM ALLOWED List

Got Friends & Family Coming Over the Holidays?

There is a NO BOREDOM ALLOWED rule when you have VIP’s visiting Nanaimo & Region- keep visiting friends & family busy with these festive & fun ideas!

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– Show off your hometown with some of the Top Ten Things To Do in Nanaimo & Region, including the jaw dropping Natural Wonder known as “The Abyss”

Exploring The Abyss, one of Nanaimo’s Natural Wonders

– Want them to explore Nanaimo on their own while getting out of your hair so you can clean up their mess? Here’s the Nanaimo & Region Map! Send them on their merry way!

Drive safe out there family & friends!

– Bake a batch of Mint Nanaimo Bars with them (when in Rome…right?!)

Seriously how yummy do these look? (Sidenote: I ate some. And they are amazing)

– Venture on a day trip to one of the Top Ten Outdoor skating rinks, including one on VI (short drive to Victoria)

Butchart Gardens Outdoor Rink, Victoria BC

– Take in one of the Christmas events going on in our Region – there are still a few things happening to keep the kids busy!

Visit tourismnanaimo.com/christmas-in-nanaimo for more info

– There’s also some fun Parks & Rec events happening over the holidays – who doesn’t love a good rip around the rink at NIC or a slip down the waterslide at NAC?

Winter Wonderland Skate @ Frank Crane Arena

– Once the colossal holiday eating has subsided, get out and work off those goodies. Stair climbing perhaps? It’s always fun to sweat the turkey off!

The stairs @ Blueback Beach (credit: Ian Andrew Nelson)

– Take a boat and sail away to explore a new Island – closer than Hawaii!

Aeiral Shot of Nanaimo (Newcastle Island on left, Protection Island on right)

– Still hungry? YEAH YOU ARE. Continue the love for good food & drink and try these 5 Foodie Activities

Whatever you get up to over the holidays, we hope you (& your guests!) have fun. Don’t forget to tag #ExploreNanaimo in your photos on Instagram or Twitter so we can share with our followers.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Cheers,
Megan 🙂

Finding “Me” Time in Nanaimo

It’s me. Megan.

When I sat down to write this blog, I had to really think about WHAT I wanted to portray. Finding time for myself these days seems like a daunting concept. As a full-time working mother of two, a wife, a best friend, a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter…the list goes on…it seems impossible some days to play all the different roles. However, the older I get, I’m realizing the importance of finding that elite time for just me. I am teaching myself that it’s OK to be selfish once in awhile 🙂

My go-to place for serenity has always been the beach. Growing up in Nanoose Bay, I used to walk down to the bottom of our hill to the private rocky beach with the neighbourhood kids and look for crabs, poke dead jellyfish, search for shells, you name it. Anything to get away from chores or homework or parents! That notion of heading to the beach still rings true to me, and now living in Nanaimo my favourite beach to head to is Departure Bay. I have a lot of childhood memories here from when our dad lived up the street from it, and visiting it just takes me back.

     

The other beach that holds a sweet spot in my heart is Morningside Beach, or as we called it growing up “Hollywood Beach”. This quaint little beach off the side of Neck Point has a grassy area for throwing the frisbee and a rocky beach to take in the views of Shack Island and Piper’s Lagoon. Add it to your beach list if you haven’t already.

     

Another way I am learning to take time for myself is through yoga. Although I haven’t been for awhile (too long!), my studio I attend is OmTown Yoga on Commercial Street. Having zero yoga background when I started, saying I was nervous for my first class was an understatement. But let me tell you – the staff are as about inclusive and sweet and non-judgemental as they can get and I felt so welcomed. Lesley was the teacher my sister-and-law and I sought after (always check the schedule before a class to see who’s teaching!) as we really liked her Vinyasa Flow class. Man I miss yoga! Sometimes the kids and I do it for fun at home 😉 Gotta get back into it.

Mommy and me attempt at downward dog 😉

The other thing I love to do is get outdoors for a hike. We are SO so lucky to live in Nanaimo with our abundance of parks and trails and pathways to nature. Sometimes it’s best to just get outside and get LOST in the woods. Here’s a list of my favourite walks/hikes:

• Ammonite Falls/Benson Creek Falls Park
• The Abyss
• Jack Point  
• Morrell Sanctuary
• Hemer Provincial Park
• Morden Mine 
• Harewood Plains

Meg and Morg hike Ammonite (Xeda too!)

Views of Mt. Benson from Harewood Plains

Exploring The Abyss

Beautiful summer nights at Hemer Park, in Cedar

Hope you can find some “me” time with the busy holiday season coming up. Remember ~ “don’t just be good to others…be good to you, too” 🙂 🙂 🙂

Namaste!

~Megan

Exploring the Haslam Creek Suspension Bridge

Nanaimo has a suspension bridge? Yes we do!

Hi everyone, Amanda here!  I have a secret to share with you. Not too many people know that Nanaimo has a suspension bridge.  It is one of our best kept secrets.  But I am here to spill the beans and share this little adventure with you.  I have done a few of the trails in the area, but this time was significantly shorter since we were travelling with our little guy. Warning: my pictures do not it justice 🙂

The Haslam Creek Suspension Bridge Trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail.  For those of you who don’t know, the Trans Canada Trail is the world’s longest network of trails.  When completed, the Trail will stretch 22,000 kilometers from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Artic Oceans, linking 1000 communities and 33 million Canadians.  Today more than 16,500 kilometers of trail have been developed.

The Haslam Creek Trail is just 15 minutes south of Nanaimo near the Nanaimo Airport. You will head south of Nanaimo past the airport and turn right onto Timberlands Road.  Follow the road to the end where Rondalyn Resort is and follow the bend to the left. Keep driving past the “Do Not Enter” signs into what looks like a gravel pit area. Keep going, staying to the right and along quite a bumpy road. It’s about 1.5 kilometers along the bumpy road before you’ll see a sign for the Haslam Creek Trail, along with a marker on a tree for the Trans Canada Trail. NOTE: there isn’t really a parking area, just a pull-off on the right side of the logging road. View the map HERE.

From the trail head to the bridge you will walk an easy 1.2 kilometers.  The bridge overlooks a beautiful creek with large moss covered rocks.  Once you have crossed the bridge you will find maps of the surrounding trails linking all the way to Spruston Road. Walking time from the Haslam Creek Suspension Bridge to Spruston Road is approximately 2.5 hours one way.

  

After the suspension bridge, a lot of the hike is on back roads.  For our short walk we just followed the back road for a bit and walked down to the creek to check out the sites.

So now you know, Nanaimo does have a suspension bridge.  The next time you are looking to get outdoors, make sure you add this to your #ExploreNanaimo bucket list!

Adventure on,

~ Amanda

#ExploreNanaimo Waterfall Walks

When asked what I love about living in Nanaimo, I always respond with “there are so many beautiful outdoor adventures”. Awesome, so we live in a community with over 200 parks and trails but narrowing down where to start is TOUGH! Let’s pick a theme, be it stairs, waterfalls or dog friendly – it will at least give you a place to start! I recommend the waterfall walks in the Spring or Fall because the rainfall will add to the WOW of seeing them up close.

Number One: Ammonite Falls

This place is a gem. It’s well worth hiking down to the base to look up at the water thundering over the rocks. If you pick a sunny day, the spray almost looks like glitter pouring over the edge as the sunlight catches the water drops.

I’m not the best at describing how to find it so I’m including a link to a local blogger who writes about many hikes on Vancouver Island. Pure Outside BLOG describes trail access, skill level  and directions. Best to check it out before you go! Pure Outside also covers both the Christie Falls in Ladysmith and the Bonnell Creek Falls in Nanoose. These are two short day trips from Nanaimo & Region to add to your waterfall list!

If you’d like to see some pictures of Ammonite Falls in all four seasons – click HERE to link to various images found on-line. The images below were taken in June when it was more of a trickle.

 

Number Two: Chase River Falls aka Granny Falls in Colliery Dam Park

The walk along beautiful boardwalks and through the colourful culvert is an adventure in itself. These falls are gorgeous and not that far of a walk from the parking lot. This is a great little hike for kids, the terrain is fairly kid friendly and they love the loud sound of pouring  water. Pure Outside Blog has a great post about the Colliery Dam Trails so again, I recommend checking it out for helpful hints before you go. Also, if  click HERE for a link to more images of these falls found on-line.

 

Number Three: Bowen Park Falls

These falls are so close you can almost drive up to them. I suggest parking in the lower section of Bowen Park (near the volleyball courts) and stroll towards the river, following the sound of the running water. In autumn the trees lining the falls have all changed colour and it’s a beautiful spot to take family pictures. You can go for a walk through the park after checking out the duck pond and salmon channel . For some beautiful images found on-line of these falls click HERE.

Photo By Instagrammer @IanAndrewNelson

Number Four:  Beach Estates Park Falls

It might be best to park in Brooks Landing (near the Tim Hortons). Use the crosswalk to safely cross the busy street.  Across you’ll find the Church of the Nazarene, where you can access the trailhead from the church parking lot. Nanaimo Information has a great page about directions, safety tips and images. The waterfall is found near the top of the trail but I recommend walking down to Departure Bay beach and watching the ferries dock.

Photo Credit Nanaimo Information

Have fun, #ExploreNanaimo and please be sure to send us any photos, tips or other waterfalls that we can add to this post!

Chelsea

Nanaimo to Campbell River: Visiting Elk Falls

Hey everyone!

This summer has had me working a lot, but I have found many ways to still make it enjoyable with multiple day trips. Almost every week I try and do a different day trip so explore more of this amazing Island that we live on. One of my day trips being one that I did a few weeks ago to Elk Falls Provincial Park, just 2 kms from downtown Campbell River.

This place was absolutely amazing. I have never seen a waterfall like this one. The park itself is also awesome. You can easily spend 15 minutes to 4 hours either fishing for salmon in the river, or exploring the wondrous trails that wind around the park.

The Falls

If you want to experience the falls there are a couple different viewpoints for you to enjoy. The brand new suspension bridge is only 15-20 minutes from the parking lot and it gives an awesome aerial view of the falls and the river that they flow into, so if you are short on time this would probably be the best route.

Me and my brother on the bridge!

If you are free to wander the trails a bit more you can go to a view point that is directly down and across from the suspension bridge. This gives you a nice side view of the falls and there is a constant rainbow to be seen as well.

Side view of Falls (credit: Wikipedia Commons)

You can wander the trails down even more and it brings you to the top of the falls. This part is an “at your own risk” part of the park, but you can still take it some amazing views of what feeds the falls as well as the top of the falls. There are lots of rocks to sit or lay on in the beautiful sunshine if you feel like taking a break or eating a picnic.

This is a great destination for a day trip. With lots of shaded trails, amazing sites as well as the nice relaxing sounds of the water fall crashing down the canyon, it is definitely bound to be a good day.

Credit: Island Coastal Economic Trust

Getting There:

• Head North on Hwy BC-19
• Turn Left onto Island Hwy/BC-19A N (signs for BC-28 W/Gold River)
• Continue onto Campbell River Rd/ Gold River Hwy/BC-28 W
• Turn Right onto Canal Access Rd

*In order to get directly to the falls – once in the park keep driving up the road for about five-10 minutes and the entrance to the parking lot will be on your right.

Cheers!

~Emily

Day Trip: Hole in the Wall

Hey y’all!

Since I finally got a reliable vehicle, my boyfriend and I decided to take an adventure on our one day off together. We stopped by the Visitor Centre to grab a Backroad Mapbook just in case we wanted to get real adventurous. We decided we would check out the “Hole in the Wall” in Port Alberni. I had heard about this little place on a Facebook group called “TAKE A HIKE: Vancouver Island”. This group is a really reliable source for info on little and big hikes throughout Vancouver Island.

 

“Hole in the Wall” is located across from Coombs Country Candy on Hwy 4. Make sure you don’t get this confused with Coombs Country Market (with the Goats on the Roof). It took us about an hour and a half to get to “Hole in the Wall”. The drive out this way is really nice and scenic, driving past Little Qualicum Falls, Cameron Lake and Cathedral Grove/MacMillan Provincial Park. When you arrive to Hole in the Wall, you’ll see Coombs Country Candy first. You can either park in there, or loop around the parking lot and park on the highway heading back towards Nanaimo, right beside Hole in the Wall entrance. The walk in was pretty easy, mostly downhill on hard packed dirt. Make sure when you get to the fork that you take a left, this will lead you to it. We took a quick dip, the water was the perfect temperature and the waterfall was amazing! If you walk along the rest of the creek, there are a bunch of rock statues that people have made, it looks like a little art gallery. We also saw three adorable little frogs!

        

After our little hike to the Hole in the Wall, we stopped in at Cameron Lake to test the temperature there: also perfect! Cameron Lake is a fantastic place to go swimming, canoeing or kayaking, which we saw many people doing.

Beautiful Cameron Lake

Next stop was the Qualicum Trading Post. I have driven past here numerous times and have always wanted to stop in but never have. There is a teepee outside so you can’t miss it. This store has an abundance of First Nations art, clothing, jewelry, bedding, everything really. We ended up buying some soap made on Vancouver Island that smelt amazing (Blackberries & Sage!).

            

Coombs Country Market was next on the agenda. This is a must stop as there are so many cool, crazy things here. The best though? The ice cream cones you get that are the size of your face (and that’s just ONE scoop). What’s even better than the giant ice creams? The goats that live on the roof of the market of course! From the goat topped market we grabbed some fresh produce, local sauces and candied salmon for dinner the next day.

 

Our final stop of the day was in Qualicum Beach. I love the ocean so anytime I can drive by it, or be in it, I will. If you take Hwy 19A off of Hwy 4, this will take you on the scenic route. Good news, the water temperature here was also perfect!

              

Got any other ideas for me for day trips out of Nanaimo? Let me know!

–Laura