Western Wanderings - Port Renfrew!

Our next and last place visited on Vancouver Island was the charming Port Renfrew, located in the far south and west of the island near one entry to the Juan De Fuca trail.

Our friends James and Ria had arranged a rental cabin with two bedrooms for three nights at Wild Renfrew on the pier. 

The cabin was simple but lovely with a small cooking area and an amazing view from the veranda/deck. The only drawback was the adjoining neighbour on one side and the other nearby neighbours. Oh well, not completely private but still a long way from the sights and sounds of old Toronto!

We arrived in the late afternoon before James and Ria and settled in to enjoy the view and a cold beverage. Christos procured some smoked salmon from the next door First Nations fishery outlet and we enjoyed a dinner of salmon salad, having done some stocking up (beer, wine and other basics) in nearby Lake Cowichan on the way to Port Renfrew.  

James and Ria arrived after dusk and after much embracing the four of us relaxed on the deck until the wee hours draining most of our immediate alcoholic resources! 

After much catching up it was finally time to hit the sack and get ready for our first full day in Port Renfrew.

We awoke groggy but happy to all be together on Thursday June 30th and, after James set up his crab trap off the local pier, managed to get out for an early visit to a section of the Juan de Fuca trail at low tide  as well as enjoyed a lovely hike on the trail in and out. Giant driftwood, amazing views, no bugs and 

Then it was back to the cabin for a lunch of avocado toast and super yummy hearty salad courtesy of Ria! Crabbing had at this point yielded no results so James moved the trap. 

After refuelling with lunch we hopped in James and Ria's car for the 20 minute drive to Avatar Grove and more adventure!

The Grove is two paths leading away from either side of the road and is a short hike through a copse of old growth forest. Christos had seen giant trees once before in the US but the magnificent trees were a first for Lisa. 

The four of us did both hikes, taking perhaps an hour and a half to complete, with numerous tree hugs as we hiked. 

On the way back we stopped off at a local beach within the territory of the First Nation. Gorgeous beach and perfect for an album cover photo! We checked in on James' crab trap and he had two crabs in it but alas they were two small for eating and were returned to the sea. 

That night we had a decent dinner at the local pub before drinking on the cabin deck which led to chit-chat with our neighbours. 

These neighbours turned out to be from Alberta and were on the anti-vax train! 

Chatter got heated and first Ria bade an Irish farewell and then James got a little belligerent (rightly so) with our Albertan neighbours before it was time to head to our rooms for some drunken slumber.    

Our final day in Port Renfrew was Canada Day! We started the day with another visit to the Juan de Fuca trail with a particular focus on the area around "Botany Bay" with its numerous tidal pools. 

We spent a good portion of the day there before returning to the cabins, doing some more fish shopping (as the stand was now open) and checking on the crab trap (one crab still not big enough for eating). The afternoon was spent resting and puttering before Ria and James prepared a wonderful dinner of morel gnocchi and salad. 

That night witnessed a massive fireworks display at the end of the pier and we had access to the best seats in the house!