7/17/22
I left Chuck's house in Nanaimo and headed west to the other side of the island. It was rainy and cold that morning so I took my sweet time drinking coffee and chatting with Chuck and his friends. Eventually around 10:30am I put on my gear and went down that steep hill of his driveway and headed to Tofino.
https://goo.gl/maps/zQ4zdYSpLvMNN5X2A
It's not a terribly long ride to Tofino on BC-4 and portions of it are quite scenic as it runs by Cameron Lake and Sproat Lake and up into a bit of mountains but since there is only one road and it's construction season, there are portions of it that are pretty ripped up and there are long lines of traffic that forces you to inch up these mountain roads. After a couple hours, I make it thru the mountains and into the town of Tofino.
Tofino is another one of those exuberantly expensive seaside resort towns. There are plenty of high end restaurants and cafes catering to the rich. There were plenty of tourists around town and it didn't look too good to try to find street parking. Then I saw the unicorn of parking - actual dedicated motorcycle parking spots. Maybe this town isn't so bad.
I was starving so I got some lunch and coffee and walked around town. I walked the outskirts of the town so I could see the water.
It is certainly a beautiful place and the scenery is stunning. As I mentioned back in Banff and Jasper, I am conflicted about these resort towns catering to the rich. But I'm here and I should at least enjoy the views and the food.
After walking around a few hours, I have to say that the town grew on me. I wonder what it would be like to live here in the off season when the tourists are gone and the weather is cooler but the town is quieter. Maybe then you'll get to interact with more of the locals and see the town for what it is besides a playground for the rich.
I couldn't afford to stay in Tofino so I had to drive 30 minutes to Ucluelet for lodging. I booked a very average motel room for the price of a four star hotel room. It is what it is. The thing one must do while in Tofino is to eat fish tacos from the famous Tacofino food truck. It was already too late for today since they close at 6pm. So I decided to go to the truck at 10:30am the next morning to wait in line for their 11am opening. I'll have fish tacos for brunch, no worries.
The next morning I visited a beach on my way to the taco truck.
That visit made me a little late to the food truck. I got there at 10:40am and I was the second person in line. By the time 11am rolled around there was a line of about 25 people. There are regular wait times of 90 minutes if you come during the middle of the day. When I got my fish tacos, they were indeed excellent. The portions were big and they were delicious! They are worth the praise based on taste but not worth the 90 minute wait time. But I'm glad I came early and did as Ken said, "Go to Tofino and eat fish tacos." Mission accomplished.
