A magical adventure on Vancover Island

Pat Neisser

As our intrepid group of mushroom seekers slogged up the moss-covered

slope, our cleated boots sank into the rich damp earth, and we

breathed in the piney aroma of the forest surrounding us.

We were guests at the charming English hotel the Oak Bay Beach

Hotel and Marina, in Victoria, Vancouver Island, and were led by our

tour planner, mycologist Joel Bridle from the hotel. The search for

edible mushrooms was an unusual experience.

We found morels and learned about other edible and not-so-good

mushrooms, as we climbed up to view an old lighthouse. We were on

Discovery Island in the Haro Straits, having arrived by landing craft

in bright orange full flotation suits, which we happily doffed upon

landing on the beach. That night at the hotel, we had mushroom hors

d’oeuvres and a superb dinner paired with excellent wines from the

Cherry Point vineyard some miles north of Victoria.

Another day, we were driven to winery country and we biked through

vineyards, stopping for a bit of homemade cheese and a taste of wine.

We also cruised over to the American San Juan Islands, about 40

minutes across the Haro Straits. Whales cavorted along the way;

killer whales live there year round.

We went through customs and were soon riding about the largest

island, San Juan, exploring parks and the charming town of Friday

Harbor. Roche Harbor is packed with sailboats and has a 100-year-old

hotel that can accommodate visitors.

One of the most thrilling excursions planned by the hotel is the

romantic crescent moon kayaking and stargazing event. It includes an

easy paddle in kayaks (with guides) to a secluded beach where freshly

cooked crab and wine are served. Guests gaze through telescopes at

the night sky as astronomers explaining the various phases of Saturn

and Jupiter.

Whale watching, serious hiking and many other unusual treats are

planned for guests at this delightful hotel. Beware of the fresh

cookies and cocoa served every night before bedtime.

Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is filled with

historical buildings including the Government House, which is lighted

up at night, and of course, the venerable Fairmont Empress Hotel that

serves a high tea daily. The Royal B.C. Museum is a must, and be

prepared for the shopping of a lifetime, since the Canadian dollar

has dropped again.

You can ferry, fly on seaplanes or regular planes to other

islands, back to Vancouver, or down to Seattle. Another Oak Bay Beach

hotel jaunt includes a train ride and a night at the Aerie Resort and

Spa.

We completed this excursion one day by taking the VIA Rail train

from the old Victoria Train Station up to the top of Mt. Malahat, a

short 40-minute hop. A liveried van driver awaited us, and in

minutes, we had arrived at the elegant Aerie Resort and Spa.

The Mediterranean-style hotel hangs above forests touching

Finlayson Arm fjord far below, and gives off an aura of being in

Greece or Sardinia.

A Relais and Chateaux hotel group member, this spa is a mixture of

modern and Bermudan decor, with guest rooms of different styles, most

offering hot tubs and plenty of amenities. The hotel has a pool,

lounges and dining rooms, while the spa buildings up the hill offer

myriad massages, wraps and facials and more guest rooms.

We were fortunate to participate in a special rite that is offered

guests at the hotel. We hiked into the nearby forest and helped in

gathering wild plants, digging a stone-lined pit and aiding our First

Nations guide in putting vegetables, fish and meats into the pit for

steaming.

We would share in eating the gourmet dinner that was to be served

later. Wine pairing is big in Canada, and James Kendal, the wine

director of the Aerie has an incredibly fine wine list from Canadian

wines to the best of the world. Needless to say, our meal was a

culinary feat of magic.

The Aerie is ranked as one of the finest small hotels in the

world. Winning No. 6 on the “Top North American Small Hotel” list, it

ranks high internationally in the Conde Nast awards.

A couple of us then headed down to the water’s edge to ferry over

to one of my all-time favorite resorts: Hastings House on Salt

Springs Island one of the Canadian Gulf Islands. The Gulfs and the

San Juans are very close to each other in the straits of Georgia

between mainland Canada and Vancouver Island. This is the perfect

place to veg out, enjoy the scenery, try new sports, eat oneself into

oblivion and enjoy smelling the roses. Although it may be an unknown

entity to you, 10,000 happy souls call it home.

Salt Spring is the crown jewel of the Gulf islands, only a

30-minute floatplane ride from Vancouver or Victoria. Sheltered from

rough weather, these islands are covered with green forests, lakes

and happy campers. The pace is slower, and creativity seems to be the

reason for living here. Many really fine artists work seriously all

over the island, showing off their works in weekly art shows.

Sheep are raised here, and descendants of the first settlers, many

of them Hawaiian, still enjoy the atmosphere of the island. Kayaking

is superb along the edges of the beaches, and if you need exercise,

climb Mt. Maxwell. Accommodations flow from bed and breakfasts, to

camp sites and larger inns to my favorite, Hastings House, located

near the float plane dock and the main town of Ganges.

Hastings House is also a Relais et Chateaux member, and its

amenities are blissful. Thirty acres of velvety lawns are dotted with

cottages, barns and sheep graze peacefully in the nearby pastures.

Its main house was built in 1930 after a 14th-century English

manor remembered fondly by the hotel’s owner. Old houses were brought

from around the island and converted into the most charming of

abodes.

We stayed in Post House, a 19th-century post office turned into a

delicious cottage with two rooms, huge fireplace and comfortable

furniture.

Computers are welcome here with ports available. Each morning, a

wicker basket of muffins and hot drinks is left at your door to tide

you over till the enormous breakfast in the hotel is served.

In the manor itself, an enormous walk-in fireplace warms the main

living room, and a discrete bar is nearby. A casual dining room is on

the lower level, while the stunning dining room requires a jacket for

dinner. An elaborate afternoon tea is served daily, and thank God the

mountain bikes are available to traverse the island, or after a few

days, you would be bulging.

We rented an aging car and visited many artists around the island,

also wandering the Ruckle Provincial Park with its open-for-view old

homes from 1872.

Don’t miss David Jackson’s Tufted Puffin Gallery. There are plenty

of fun eateries, but for superb dining, have dinner at the hotel.

Back in Victoria, a lively one-night event happens once a month or

so, called the Ale Trail. Six microbreweries have gathered together

to show off their specialties and you’ll spend the night in one of

three real Victorian houses, dining at the Spinnaker’s restaurant

pub, which owns the bed and breakfasts.

Each brewerie makes a few special ales (I never did figure out why

they’re all called beers, but ale is the word most used.) I flipped

over the ginger ginseng cream ale at Hugo’s, and became rather fond

of a spicy ale made by Spinnaker’s brewerie.

You’ll taste beer at Hugo’s Grill and Brewhouse, the Harbour Canoe

Club and the Vancouver Island Brewery and learned almost too much

about the making of brews at the Lighthouse Brewing Company.

Dining at Spinnakers is a real treat. Amazing food comes out of

their kitchen and homemade bakery goodies even have ale in some of

them. A bus carries you from brewery to brewery and your resting

place at Spinnakers, so drink up.

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Pat Neisser is a Newport Beach resident.