One summer Mike and I set out on 15 day road trip from Edmonton to Vancouver Island and back. We spent a lot of our time on “The Island” (as us Western Canadians call it) since it has a little bit of everything- great beaches, whimsical towns, gorgeous provincial parks, and romantic gardens. There’s no…
Derek Christensen - How accessible – for Persons with Mobility Impairments – are these wonderful places you wrote about?? I’ve been to some of these places, but not all and am taking my wife to some of these in July 2013.
I have had many frustrating days trying to inquire to many locations to find out how “accessible” these places are for Persons with Disabilities. I’m disabled.June 20, 2013 – 10:42 am
Rhonda Krause - Out of all the places we visited, Butchart Gardens is the most accessible. There is only one part in the Sunken Garden (a lookout point) that wouldn’t be accessible because of the stairs leading up. The Rose Carousel is even accessible. The Gardens also have wheelchairs available on a first come first served basis. They are free, you just need to make a $10 refundable deposit.
Schooner Cove trail involves a lot of stairs and the boardwalk can be slippery.
A website that may help you out regarding accessibility of beaches in the Tofino area is http://tofino-bc.com/blog/hiking-trails/wheelchair-accessibility-in-pacific-rim-national-park-reserve/
Hope this helps!June 20, 2013 – 3:28 pm
Giles Gonnsen - Thank you for this entry. My girlfriend and I are going to be visiting Vancouver Island for the first time this June. We are coming all the way from Florida, so any insider looks always help!April 15, 2014 – 3:20 am
Sarah King Stern - Thank you so much for your post!!! we are leaving tomorrow for B.C. and will be visiting many of these spots thanks to you!!June 20, 2014 – 5:48 pm
E - Thanks for posting this – it was helpful on a recent trip.July 12, 2015 – 2:11 pm
Gina - Thanks for your insightful article..we are currently planning our first trip to Canada and will spend a week on Vancouver Island..it sounds like the perfect itinerary ;)
Best wishes from Tasmania, Australia!February 20, 2016 – 6:08 am
Rhonda Krause - Hi Gina! Glad you found my article helpful. Vancouver Island is a great place to visit and with a week you’ll be able to experience a lot of it. How long will you be in Canada for? You should definitely try and make it to my home province of Alberta. We’ve got the beautiful Rocky Mountains!February 22, 2016 – 3:24 pm
Clare Alayne - This is a fantastic post! I love the island, and my partner and I are planning our wedding there. The best part – his Aussie family and friends getting to experience the island for the first time. Thanks for providing a great road trip template!April 4, 2016 – 1:13 am
Amanda - Thanks for your excellent article. We are planning a short trip on Vancouver Island, we only have 3 full days to explore as much as we can this June. Your article has given me plenty of ideas. We can’t wait!May 20, 2016 – 8:31 am
Rhonda Krause - You’re welcome! Hope you have a wonderful trip!May 23, 2016 – 3:02 pm
Chad Schill - This is a great read and very personal with the explanations you have given. Great job and more importantly so glad you both had a great time! I live on Saltspring Island, next time include our little island in your trip!June 14, 2016 – 11:56 pm
Kati - Hi Rhonda,
I’ve been following your blog for some time, it was really helpful when we were planning our six weeks Canada road trip last year!
But I didn’t quite listen to your advice on Vancouver Island and we stuffed up our road trip by packing way too much in (and we were heading north to catch the ferry from Port Hardy as well). I virtually didn’t see anything you saw and now looking your descriptions and pictures, I can only smack myself in the head and wonder why none of your advice had sunk in… Ah well, I guess I can say I learnt some lessons. ;)March 3, 2017 – 3:06 am
Rhonda Krause - Oh no! That’s too bad. I’ve been guilty of that a time or two myself. I guess you’ll have to come back one day. ;)March 5, 2017 – 2:19 pm
Seymour Balling - Thanks for posting such a wonderful trip experience.July 9, 2017 – 6:19 am