Jessica Sprenkle

August seems so very long ago now as I listen to the rain bouncing off the railing of our balcony. The temperature outside is a far cry from the balmy 20s of the summer when we were so warm in the car we pulled over for a walk in the Cathedral Grove and cooled our feet in Cameron Lake.

On the morning of our third wedding anniversary we headed out to Half Moon bay. It has a small sand beach and beautiful, yet hazardous if you fall, cliffs that overlook the ocean. Much like every visit we make here there was a heavy fog just starting to roll out over the water and lift gently from the treetops. Knowing how stunning this place really is, the fog was like fancy wrapping paper, as it unfolded I continued to be amazed at how breathtaking it was there and how timeless it felt.

It is one of our very favourite places out in Tofino. It is the place, not where we were married but, where we should have been married. We wanted to get married on the beach/cliffs of halfmoon bay overlooking the ocean but there was no way our wedding officiant would have made it down there. Or back up for that matter. So we decided to get married on Chesterman beach instead. No regrets. It was wonderful.

We played on the rocks.
We drew in the sand.
We picnicked.
We laughed.
We shared.
We left knowing we would be back.

please excuse the quality of the video... taken with my iphone... shaking because for the life of me I can't hold it steady.

I was going to video longer but after the wave touched my toes I decided to climb back up... just in time apparently because when I looked back the rock I had been standing on was then emerged under continuous waves.

On the way home we stopped in our traditional pit stop at Sproat Lake. We normally take the regular entrance through the park but this time we found a pull off near the end of the lake and climbed down the hill. We had our own private rock to chill on and soak in some tranquility.

We stayed over in Port Alberni and had some delicious pulled pork with red onion and goat cheese (sounds odd but so so so good) at a restaurant that serves Mexican, Thai, Indian, Greek and Southern food. We were nervous about the extensive menu and the variety of food choices but we were not disappointed in the least. We were serenaded by a man in a rasta hat playing wooden flutes along to his CD he was selling beside the parking lot. One of our best dining experiences by far.

Then it was back on the road. We didn't get very far before we decided it was time to cool off in Cathedral Grove- remember how you had to cool off in August? sigh. It is located in Macmillan Park and is filled with old growth forest. We strolled the trails and eventually found a tree extended out into Cameron Lake where we could sit and dip our toes.

Once back in the car and driving we realized we weren't quite ready to go home. It was sunny and hot; just one of those days that epitomizes the perfect summer day. So we changed our ferry time and stopped off down the road at Little Qualicum Falls for a dip. We climbed down the rocks beside the river until we ran into some locals who "showed us" the best place to swim. By "showed us" I mean we not so secretly stalked them through the forest, along rock edges, and over logs bridging expansive gaps to a small, deep, hole just before the river bends. It was powerful and cold, and green.... did I mention cold? perfect for that kind of day. You could feel the cold of the water rush over as soon as you reached the edge of the rocks overlooking the river.

We took side roads back, stopping for baked goods and eating them on the local beach while watching swarms of people. It was surreal how different it was from all of our private, secluded, uninterrupted adventures the days prior. It made it much easier to get on the ferry and head home to our waiting meows.

Nine months until August.