Denman Island

and a bit of Hornby Island as well When our friends from Calgary invited us and a group of friends to join them for a long weekend at a family cabin on Denman Island there was no way we wouldn't jump at the opportunity.  Of course at the time, we had no idea we'd be waste deep in a remodel/renovation of our home-on wheels...but that didn't stop us from scurrying to put everything back together and driving north to hop a ferry.  We love exploring new lands...and anyplace you can only get to via ferry typically ranks pretty high on our lists! ;)

We actually got a couple nice days for our drive (the opposite of what we've been dealing with back at the shop) which meant a few opportunities for photos and even some time spent outside soaking up some sunshine.  Bonus!

We spent our first night in Ladysmith, BC just south of Nanaimo and met a few new friends who we hope to spend some time with next time we're on the island... then headed further north to Comox to pick up our friends at the airport.  Other friends were en route from Vancouver and we all met up at the short cable ferry over to Denman.  Allow the fun to begin!

We all got to the cabin, caught up with each other and crashed for the night (us outside in the van as per usual) and in the morning were blown away by a magical sunrise and a stellar view out to the ocean and across to Hornby Island, which sits not far away protecting Denman from open ocean.  What a lovely start!

We lounged most of the day away and then finally rallied the troops to leave the cabin and make our way to the ferry to Hornby Island.  Also untracked territory for us, but completely different than Denman.  We set out on a hike only to be almost blown off the bluffs by the constant pounding wind ripping across the trail.

Absolutely gorgeous views, felt nothing like the pacific northwest, seemed more like we were hiking in Ireland than the coast of BC.   tThe trail finally wound its way back to pristine old growth forest that felt a lot more like home.  Great outing and just enough exercise to really appreciate the hot tub back at the cabin.

Sadly, that weather didn't hold and before long we were in full on stormwatching mode.  In fact, this weather pattern was apparently so big it got its own hashtag. #bcstorm.  Luckily, we had everything we needed inside the cabin.

Great friends, our favorite games, plenty of food and an epic view from which to watch this storm rage onshore from the ocean.  I cant imagine what this storm must have looked/felt like from the opposite side of uber-exposed Hornby Island, much less the other side of vancouver island but it went strong for the next 2 days without a break.

We hunkered down, stared at the fire, took the occasional windblown soak in the hottub and connected with friends.  Couldn't possibly have asked for anything more from a pacific coast getaway.

The morning of our final day the weather let up and by late morning the clouds were parting and blue skies were poking through, so jen and I headed out to see if we could find a spot to put our new foldable kayaks in the water.  We need a bit of practice to get our setup time down, but SO very impressed by the design and build of these Oru Kayaks.

It's a perfect addition to our very small list of things allowed in the van.  They exude everything we strive for in our designs - minimalist, beautiful, compact, efficient... and focused on adventure and enjoying the journey.  Perfect!