Nanaimo, British Columbia - May 25th to 26th, 2022
The little pleasures in life can bring a lot of peace and joy. Taking a stroll to stretch our legs, breathe fresh air, and explore an area can be relaxing. Trying new foods can be just as exciting as seeing new sights. In the Nanaimo area on Vancouver Island, we did a little of both.
We woke up to rain on Wednesday morning. It was a driving day, from Pacific Rim National Park on the west side of Vancouver over to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park on the east side of the island. Due to the clouds and rain, there wasn’t much scenery to take in along the way, but it was the same route we had traveled two days earlier. It was better weather on our way to Pacific Rim so we got to see the beautiful snow-capped mountain peaks which were now hidden behind clouds and fog.
As we were approaching Port Alberni, we saw some red shirts hanging from trees and utility poles. We had noticed some red dresses hanging from trees a couple of times before driving around the island. A little research revealed what the red dresses were for. The REDress Project was an art installation in Winnipeg to raise awareness of the missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW) epidemic in Canada and the United States. The art installation prompted the creation of Red Dress Day. Red Dress Day is an annual event in Canada on May 5th, which started in 2010. It got our attention.
Another thing we noticed along the highway was that there normally were not any billboards. Then, there would be about a half mile of billboards all in a row, right on top of each other. It was as if the billboards were restricted to a certain small area, or perhaps on someone’s private property with their permission, or within a First Nation. We’re not sure.
As we came out of the mountains on the east side of the island, the clouds parted, the sun came out, and the temperature rose a little bit. We stopped at the Coombs Old Country Market to check out the goats on the roof. It reminded us of the goats on the roof of Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay in Wisconsin (Door County, Wisconsin - July 10th to 12th, 2021). The market is full of wonderful local and imported goods along with a small cafe.
It was lunch time, so we headed straight to the back of the market to the cafe. We both ordered the donair with fries. It was the first time we’ve heard of a donair. It is Canada’s version of the doner kebab or gyro. It originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1970’s and spread across Canada. It is made with beef in stead of lamb and typically served with a sweet garlic sauce instead of tzatziki. However, we didn’t know this when we ordered our donairs. They gave us a choice of sweet garlic sauce or tzatziki, and we chose tzatziki. Maybe next time we’ll try the sweet garlic sauce.
After enjoying our lunch outside on the deck of the market, with a view of the sod roof, we went back into the market and picked up a few items. There were also shops next to the market, with some interesting statues filling the courtyard.
The campsites in Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park are in the woods next to the shoreline. Several short paths take you over to the beach. Before dinner, we went for a walk to check things out. The beach is pretty rocky and not easy to navigate. However, there is a nice trail, just on the edge of the trees, that runs alongside the beach. The trail is perfect for walking with ease, riding a bike, pushing a stroller, or walking your pet, since pets are not allowed on the beach. The trail goes the length of the campground and into the day use area of the park. As we strolled from one end to the other, we passed by a deer, which was grazing just about 20 yards off the trail.
We were able to cook outside, but it was just a tad bit too cool to sit outside to eat our dinner. Back into our Red Tail Lodge (our van) we went for the rest of the evening.
The weather forecast predicted the rain would start about midday, so we drove into Nanaimo in the morning to get a walk in before the rain. We try to walk at least three miles every day. Despite the rain and cold, we’ve managed to reach that goal almost every day so far this season.
We parked in Maffeo Sutton Park and walked the Harbourfront Walkway over to McGregor Park. When we walked out onto the fishing pier, a seaplane entertained us by taking off. A group of people were gathering for a whale watching excursion. They were going in a rather small open-air watercraft, so they were being suited up in anti-exposure suits. The sign indicated the tour lasts from three to five hours and that there was a toilet on board. Looking at the vessel, it was hard to imagine where the toilet was. Hopefully, it was more than just a bucket and asking everyone to look the other way!
After McGregor Park, we headed inland. At Bastion Square Park, we walked past the Bastion, a small, wooden fort from 1853. We thought there would be a plaque or sign giving us more information about the fort, but we didn’t see any.
Strolling up Bastion Street, we explored the Arts District by going down Commercial Street and coming back Skinner Street, past the Palace Hotel. Bastion Street becomes Fitzwilliam Street when entering the Old City Quarter. After circling around the shops on Fitzwilliam, Selby, and Wesley streets, we headed back to the harbor.
We wanted to try a Nanaimo bar. We heard that A Wee Cupcakery on Fitzwilliam was one of the best places to buy one, but it was not opened yet. Besides, it didn’t look like it had any place to sit down inside.
The Nanaimo bar is a dessert created in the town of Nanaimo. It is three layers, a coconut crumb base, a custard icing middle layer, and a top layer of chocolate ganache. The town even has a Nanaimo Bar Trail, with 34 stops that include not only the classic version of the treat, but there are also Nanaimo bar lattes, spring rolls, cocktails, and deep-fried Nanaimo bars. We just wanted to try the classic. Back on the Harbourfront, we walked into the Javawocky Coffee House. They sold the classic Nanaimo bar. Ann ordered one, but Keith ordered a butter tart. Neither one of us is a fan of coconut, so we weren’t sure we’d like the Nanaimo bar. However, the coconut flavor in the bar is very subtle, since there are so many other flavors competing for dominance, like the chocolate.
Unbeknownst previously to us, the butter tart is another Canadian treat dating back to 1900 in Ontario. The sweet tart is baked in a pastry shell with a filling of butter, sugar, syrup and egg. We found the butter tart just as tasty as the Nanaimo bar. To accompany our sweets, Ann ordered a Bombay fog, while Keith chose the chai latte. The barista assured us that there is a difference between the two, but we struggled with what those differences were. All we could tell is that the Bombay fog included a tea bag and had a slightly stronger taste of cinnamon. If you handed us one or the other and had us taste it, we would not be able to distinguish the two apart.
By the time we returned to our Red Tail Lodge, it was lunch time. There were a couple of food trucks set up in Maffeo Sutton Park, but we opted for the food we already had with us in the van. It was already starting to sprinkle. Our afternoon was spent doing laundry and going grocery shopping. It rained pretty steadily the rest of the day. We’re glad we got our walking and exploring done in the morning.
It’s a good thing we managed to work in our walks, because we took in just as many calories with our treats, if not more. We haven’t stepped on a scale since we left home. Maybe that’s a good thing. We’ll find out when we get home in the fall. For the time being, we enjoyed the experiences.
Check out our related video: Nanaimo, British Columbia
(Ann)