546 Words
Canada - British Columbia - The Wild West Coast
Sinking back on the sun-warmed wood of the deck chair, I find myself sighing...again. I am sheltered in a nook of the wall of the Ancient Cedars Spa, wrapped in fleece blankets over my thick cotton robe. My feet are submerged ankle-deep in hot aromatic waters contained in a little copper basin. The bottom of the bowl is filled with marbles providing a wonderful mini-reflexology session.
Just then, the sun breaks through the cumulous and I am bathed in bright blue-skied glory. At that very moment, the masseuse Scott Jones, appears with a small basketful of sunglasses. Of course.
The Wickaninnish Inn is located on the Wild West Coast of Vancouver Island. In 2004, this Relais & Chateaux property was voted the number one hotel in Canada by Travel & Leisure. In 2005, Conde Nast Traveler deemed it the number one resort spa in Canada. The Inn is named after Chief Wickaninnish, the most powerful Chief of the Tla-o-qui-aht Band at the time of European contact in the late 1700s...and directly translated means, "He who no one sits in front of in the canoe".
Later that evening, as I sit across from my husband in our club chairs next to the fireplace, I begin to understand what the chief might have been talking about. It feels like we're at the front of a pretty decadent canoe, as we watch the twenty-foot winter waves pounding in from Japan. And I'm guessing the chief never got to sink into a deep bath with the window at tub deck level.
There are so many West Coast moments to contemplate while staring at the bubbles in the champagne, the jasmine-scented Aveda ones in the tub and the ones in the frothing surf just past the massive cedar trees outside our window.
Heading into the surfer town of Tofino, we wander about in the grey rain and find Pasticceria Conradi. The pastries look divine but it's time for lunch. I decide on the roasted squash/garlic soup. It is the best soup. Ever.
There are no shortage of floatplanes and boats that can be chartered from Tofino. They take travelers fishing, whale and wildlife watching and over to Hot Springs Cove, where the bathers are left for a few hours with their picnics to sit in natural rock hot spring pools at the edge of one of BC's wildest coastlines. We check in again with Ocean Outfitters about our trip to the hot springs, but unfortunately, the wind warning is still in effect.
Instead, back at the Wick, we ensconce ourselves in the Helley Hansen raingear hanging in our room's closet. The front desk hands over bright yellow and navy sailing boots from the front desk. We watch wet-suited surfers smashed silly by the gargantuan waves, children in bright purple slickers jumping in puddles and dogs chasing drippy sticks. The rain sluices down our backs and the waves create vibrations in our soles. Shorebirds run in frenzied unison, their little legs keeping time to some unseen drummer.
There's nothing like salt air to work up an appetite. Good thing, since dinner turns out to be six courses, each foodie-perfection plate matched with the perfect wine.
The chief probably thought his canoe was pretty cool.
I prefer the Inn.
Feel that breeze: www.wickinn.com
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