One of a kind
west coast
vacation properties.

Whistler today is one of the world’s best ski resorts, with the varied terrain of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The Whistler area began as a tourism destination over a century ago. In 1914 the Pacific Great Eastern Railway completed the railway line from North Vancouver to Lillooet, and tour companies began offering excursions to Alta Lake for people to enjoy the scenery and mountain air. Whistler Mountain opened with its first chairlifts in 1966, and the old highway from Squamish opened in 1967.  Things really got moving in the late 1970s with Intrawest’s development of Blackcomb Mountain and the main Whistler Village and Upper Village.

Over the next 20 years saw the build-out of hotels, restaurants and residential housing and the evolution of Whistler’s work hard – play hard culture. The 2010 Olympics begat the build of the modern Sea to Sky highway which is a beautiful scenic trip. We like to mix it up when we come to Whistler – a day of skiing or hiking will be followed by a day of strolling in the village and enjoying a drink on one of the restaurant patios.

Victoria is from another time and place. You are in the last outpost of the British Empire, developed as a naval base for the Royal Navy in the 1860s.  Victoria is about as far from Imperial London as an outpost can be.  Stand in the Inner Harbour and admire the architecture of the Parliament Buildings and Empress Hotel, then walk up Government Street to Bastion Square and enjoy the shops, pubs and old-world vibe.  Go enjoy high tea at the Empress.  And yes, that’s a statue of Queen Victoria in front of the provincial legislature.  It is as if the locals have not yet received the dispatch that the Empire faded away a lifetime ago.

Victoria is a very walkable city, with many museums, shops and restaurants all in the downtown core. If you want to venture further afield head over to Dallas Road and watch the surf of the straight of Juan de Fuca pound against the shore, and the view of the Olympic Peninsula.  For a day trip drive head west to Sooke, Port Renfrew through the Cowichan Valley and back down the Malahat Highway. Butchart Gardens and the Bear Mountain golf course are a short drive away, but other than that you don't have to get in your car once you are settled in.  

Ucluelet means “People of the Safe Harbour” in the language of the Nuu-chah-nulth people who have lived here for centuries. Ucluelet is on the southern end of the mid Vancouver Island land mass that is framed by Clayoquot Sound and the town of Tofino in the north, and Barkley Sound and Ucluelet in the south, with the stunning beaches of the Pacific Rim National Park preserve in between. Even on the stormy day Ucluelet harbour is calm and tranquil. The beaches and rainforest are magical places, drawing thousands of summer tourists for the last fifty years. Ucluelet has an interesting history, with forestry and fishing providing the backbone of the economy for over a century.

Ucluelet even served as an RCAF seaplane base during the second world war. About 20 years ago the Wickaninnish Inn began promoting ‘storm watching season’ at about the same time that Ucluelet’s Wild Pacific Trail was built, and there is no better place to experience a winter storm than on the trail!  For the last 20 years tourism has become a growing part of Ucluelet. Although it is still Tofino’s country cousin, Ucluelet offers fine dining, a brew pub, an aquarium and a growing number of interesting shops and tourism adventures. We hope you love this place as much as we do.

Our seaside cottage is the guest house on our home property in the Woodlands area of North Vancouver. Woodlands is on the west shore of Indian Arm, which is the southernmost glacial fjord on the west coast of North America, extending 10 miles northeast inland from Burrard Inlet and Vancouver harbour. Located on the eastern slope of Mount Seymour, the Woodlands area is a paradise for hiking, kayaking and mountain biking, where you are minutes away from the North Shore's Baden Powell Trail, Quarry Rock and legendary mountain biking terrain. Downtown Vancouver is 30 minutes away in light traffic. It is our little slice of paradise. We purchased this property over 20 years ago. It was overrun with blackberry brambles and came complete with a carpenter-ant-infested summer shack. Transforming it into its current state was a many-years-long labour of love. The private dock was installed in 2006. The summer shack was replaced with the main house in 2008, and the cottage was moved to its current location. The gardens and landscaping was completed over the following eight years. Once our sons had finished university and launched, we renovated and upgraded the cottage and made it available for guests.  

The Woodlands area is a secluded group of waterfront properties on the shore of Indian Arm, just north of Deep Cove. Part of the Woodlands adventure is the road. Indian River Drive was built in 1909 to connect Woodlands to the rest of North Vancouver. It was not paved until the 1990s, and today is a beautiful 5KM winding trip through mature second growth rain forest. Summertime at Woodlands is glorious and beautiful. The property faces east, so you will enjoy the sunrise. Deep Cove is 10 minutes away by car or (if you are feeling energetic) kayak.  It has a great collection of eclectic shops and restaurants.

Then there's winter. It rains here in the winter. A lot. Nearby Deep Cove is sometimes called 'Deepest Darkest Cove' during the November - March months. It doesn't snow here often, but when it does, we have to park at the top of the Fire Lane and hike to and from the house. Keeps us fit, though. We have a propane supply, a firewood supply and a backup generator. We are ready for the zombie apocalypse. Or winter at Woodlands. Whichever comes first. You can stay here in the winter if you really want to, but don't say we didn't warn you!