Rather than drive down island this year, my husband and I were looking for a Christmas Lights…read moredisplay closer to home. So, we decided to check out Woodlands Garden.There were tons of lights, but, they we're mismatched, long strands of one type attached to short strands of another type, all rather haphazardly put together. The display didn't really make sense, other than a bunch of strands strung up. Nothing Magical about the display at all.

The key word to read in Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens is "woodland." Because if you arrive at time…read moreother than peak rhododendron blooming season, woodland makes up the majority of what you'll see here. But that's the whole point, right? Spread over many acres, there are some fantastic forest trails to be walked (but take one of the trail maps at the honour-system entrance area - it's super easy to get lost!), leading through prehistoric-looking glades overgrown by natural flora, bypassing huge driftwood logs stuck unnaturally into the earth along the way. Pretty little lakes and ponds reflect perfect skies and trees in their still waters, and birds are abundant. For a civilized taste of northern Vancouver Island's forests, look no further.

A very nice scenic and relaxing beach and a very nice place for a nice relaxing walk.read more

Lovely public space on the neck of the park. The water isn't very clear, but it's nice and warm in…read morethe summer. Goose Spit is surrounded by a lot of sand and mud bottoms, making it great for wading in the water. Access from Hawkins Avenue by car, or the Hawkins Greenway on foot. There is ample free parking beachside, fire pit rings, and porta potties. At the tip/end of the Spit is the Naval base and civilians are restricted from visiting. If you want nice views, head for the Nob Hill Greenway. The trail begins with a set of stairs near the beginning of the Spit which lead up to residential areas. If you keep going along the narrow blackberry trail, you get even wider vistas.

A very very nice scenic are along the Puntledge river and a nice place to sunbath and relax but I…read morerecommend being very careful swimming in that area because of strong currents and undertows.

Easily the unexpected highlight of our trip to BC and, especially the Comox Valley. This is a…read moreregional park near Courtenay that's easy to find and worth a side trip for the falls. Its a nice, short hike to the falls, which are just beautiful and super fun for the whole family. Its hard to describe but picture a clear stream with rocks and deeper pools that you can walk or swim across. When we were there, we ran into quite a few families, as well as travelers, many of whom appeared to be ready to spend much of the day there. Super chill and just gorgeous. Don't miss.

For the last 8 years we have gone to Bates. Over the 8 years for the most part it was positive with…read morea few issues. However our 2018 year was horrible. It started even before we arrived. We got a phone call as we are traveling from Alberta to the campground, the owner informed us that for our first night at the camp we wouldn't be in our reserved and prepaid for site that we book each year usually before we leave the site for the next year. So we would spend one night and then need to move the next day to the actual site we paid for. So that was the beginning of this trip..The night of our arrival we needed some firewood for the night so I went down to the office to pick some up but the office was closed. Like I have done on multiple other occasions I pick some up and would pay in the morning. The issue was when I went down to pay for the firewood and get some change for the showers. I paid by debit the 10.00 in wood I took and got 20.00 change for the shower I was charged tax on the 20.00 in change and the wood. I let that go as well. The next night I found that a 6yr old had filled the toilet up with water by pressing on the but it was too late to ask if I could use another site to dump (the site we normally stay at only has water/power) the next morning when I got back from an appointment with my surgeon (I had my shoulder replacement done a few months ago) I stopped at the office and spoke with the owner and he reluctantly agreed to let me but for a charge of 20.00. I didn't have much choice as setting up and tearing down is challenging with my shoulder still in Recovery. The other option was to hook up and take it to Courtenay to dump. So I was in a bind to say the least. The next issue was when my 8.5 month pregnant daughter showed up and parked at our site. It wasn't an hr before she/us got told she had to park at the office. When we said she was pregnant and walking distance was an issue the reply we got was "it still needs to move". I understand why he needs parking control my issue is in how it was done. My other daughter decided to come camp with us over the Canada Day weekend. She had her own trailer and was put in the overflow. She with her dogs came to visit our site but she drove down to unload her chair,dogs and other things for our visit. The dogs were off leash for a short time and when asked were immediately put on a tie out. But again the parking was an issue for the owner. Again rude we were told she had to move. A night or two after that we had a large family in the next site that had multiple vans and cars. Not once were they told to move any of them but I was blocked from getting my truck in my site. When we were leaving I asked what did we do that he didnt want our business again, this is where things got fun....... I went over the above issues with him and had to ask him several time to let me finish what I had to say as he kept interrupting me. I told him the he might as well put up neon signs the we aren't welcome back after 8 years. At one point I had to ask him 3 times to step back and stop with the finger in my face. He was trying to make the point that he is on his sewer system so he has to charge more and I wasn't paying for a site with Sewer My point was everywhere else is 2-4 dollars and he was charging me 20.00 for 1 dump and I felt that I was being taken advantage of because I was in a bind. Keep in mind I always dumpthere for free every year but this year I didn't know till now that it was an issue. I guess I shouldn't have asked and been honest. I was shocked he got in my face I didn't think I was being aggressive. But apparently I was pissing him off because I was pointing out the price difference. I refused to pay it. As far as I'm concerned it's Compensation for being bumped out of our site the first night. The first clue for me should have been the year I got called back to work early. Bates gives a 10% discount for over a certain amount of days stayed. But the policy is no refunds for leaving early that I understand. However I was asked to pay for the 10% discount as I was no longer staying for the amount of days to qualify. But I didnt get a refund on the days not used. His attitude was oh well and definitely not one of a business owner trying to keep a happy client. This year was a sad year because we do like "our site" each year. But I can't justify giving them more of my hard earned $$ with the attitude we got this year. I'm still shocked he got in my face doing the finger in the chest thing. Wow who acts like that when a good customer is brining you issues. We would consider going back if an apology was given and a attitude change from the owner. But it would need to be one hell of an apology.

Nice find of a beach. The washrooms were decently clean. Abundant of spaces in the parking lot…read more Free access to the beach. You walk through this fairly short path through trees and then there is the beach. Water ranged from being warm to being cold. Saw some hermit crabs and sculpins fishing around. Sand was soft. Shade by the shore area but also rocky.

Beautiful beach, stunning views. Fantastic at low tide to explore tide pools and plenty of sandy…read moreplaces to play and swim. Breathtaking place to spend the day. Picnic tables for your lunching needs and public bathrooms and rinse showers available.

About 15 min drive from Qualicum. We spent an hour walking…read morein a loop on the trail around the falls Watch your step Wear good shoes Did not see a bathroom ! Don't leave valuable in your car Very beautiful place Kids liked it too Nice place for a picnic

Nice, easy outdoor activity with beautiful scenery. The lower falls are only a few flights of…read morestairs down from the parking lot. There's a nice bridge to cross and you can go further down stream for a better look at the area. The higher falls are a further walk but are worth it! The walk isn't tough and the trail well kept. There's a series of falls and different look out points along the way. Very beautiful!

An amazingly peaceful and serene spot to anchor or stern tie. To get in or out of the chain of…read moreislands you must time the currents perfectly for the time of day or it will be too strong to get in or out. Once in its spectacular. You can hike up to Newton Lake, an elevated lake on one of the mountains with fresh crystal clear blue water to cool off! Warmer than the ocean. We took some time to drop the crab traps and enjoyed watching an abundance of wildlife.

For an easy, scenic walk with ample parking, come to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park! You can walk…read morethe trails, on the beach and sit on one of the many beautiful benches they have provided. Vancouver Island is simply beautiful and scenic and reconnecting with nature is so easy in this lovely land. Highly recommend and will definitely return, eh!

While we were at Parksville on Vancouver Island, we took a morning stroll along a good length of…read morethe Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. This is a beautiful place whether you want to stay for a couple of hours, or camp overnight (we didn't, so I couldn't tell you where the campsites were). Washrooms are conveniently spaced apart, there are lots of trees and shaded areas, and dozens upon dozens of solid picnic tables galore. I could imagine hauling all of our food with lots of friends/family down to this beach and NOT worry about having to find parking or a picnic a spot. There are plenty of trees to provide ample shade, and the sandy beach is never more than a minute away. The beach is the most awe inspiring and beautiful when it is low tide; you will see a stretch of sandy flats as far as the eye can see!

This is a beautiful and easy 8k hike through the woods and along the water to the narrows…read more Tide pools reveal an abundance of sea life including an astounding PURPLE starfish! There's plenty of room to picnic on the rocks and watch the tide rush past. We saw a bear on the far shore and enjoyed it from our safe distance. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water along and especially don't forget your camera! Happy hiking :-)