We made the trip to Tofino for a yoga teacher training with Eoin Finn. The trip out here from Parksville was slow and windy. The road conditions reminded us a lot of driving to Baja with a trailer. Lots of steep hills and tight turns with no room on either side. Fast straight sections that quickly transition in to 20 MPH curves. The scenery was beautiful with lots of lakes, streams and mountains.
Once we arrived at Crystal Cove, our campground for the week we were greeted with the sound of the ocean and tons of stars overhead. The spot we are in is tight and has a uphill sewer situation. On the positive side the beach is beautiful and the kids love the playground.
Road School
Since Lara is in training this week I am on point for the kids school. It has been so much fun to work with Skye on her lessons. Slowing down and spending the time with her is a big treat. Luca’s work is challenging for him which is great to see. He also has to slow down and take his time which is a great lesson. So far road school is off to a good start.
Seaplanes
We took an amazing seaplane ride out over the islands at sunset. The country here is so wild and vast. We flew over so many uninhabited beaches with lush forests all around them. The kids had fun making chatter on the radio. Fraser our pilot did not look impressed 🙂 It was great to learn about all of the different tribal islands in the area.
PE class goes surfing!
The kids had a surfing lesson and took to the cold water like fishes. Luca loves catching waves and standing up on the board. Skye just loves being in the ocean. She had a couple of good rides but told us all how she just prefers to swim in the waves. We rented boards for a second day and had a great time surfing together. Being in the ocean is the best. When it came time to leave both Luca and Skye would not get out of the water. It is so great to see them love something so much.
So many things to photograph!
Tofino has been a great spot for taking photos! There are so many little spots for catching amazing sunset colors overlooking the ocean and islands. Even the local burger shack has great character.
The stars were so clear that I went out to catch a photo of the Milky Way. Being down by the ocean as the gentle waves rolled in was amazing. I used a faster F 1.8 lens this time and get much better results. After experimenting a bit I settled on F 2.0 at 10 seconds with a ISO of 8000. Under the stars the Milky Way seemed to stretch all the way across the sky. I wish I had a wider lens to capture a bit more of it. Photographing the stars has been such a surreal experience both times that I have been out. I definitely can’t wait to spend some more nights outside.
Not much to see here in our cramped sunless spot!
Next week we are headed back south to Salem, OR. Once we pickup the van we will head southeast to Moab, Utah.
Happy Trails!
