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18 economist suntribune saturday sept 28 2002 advertising feature passport to west coast adventure bears excitement for a whole of a vacation try the west coast by bart card contributing travel editor in my 20plus years as a traveler adventurer and explorer ive pretty much seen and done it all during my travels i have conducted safaris across africa toured egyptian pyramids in search of treasures and flown the concorde between new york city and london england the seabourn cruise line the orient express deepsea fishing off the waters of bermuda and tours of the australian outback are all on my resume but until this month i had never had the opportunity to explore the wild west the canadian wild west that is sure ive hiked in banff and enjoyed some great food in vancouver during the 1 960s i relaxed in the pleasures of victoria yet to see the canadian west is one thing exploring it is another matter entirely a few weeks back i took a call from chris higgins who operates seasmoke communication inc- seasmokevictoriahomecom inviting six travel writers to come explore western canada the itinerary was emailed to me the same day and my flight on air canada from toronto to vancouver and then on to victoria was booked the very next day when the hudson bay fur trading company established fort victoria in 1843 oak bay was a rugged and wild frontier to the english the colonists immediately set about civilizing their new home by reconstructing icons of their imperial heritage and establishing general traditions many of those traits are on dis play in victoria at the oak beach hotel marine resort while the british ambiance ofnearby victoria can be seen throughout the city nowhere is it more evident than in the neighbouring village of oak bay with tudorstyle architecture english pubs tearooms and gardens the tightknit com munity lives up to the reputation of being more english than england with windswept islands just off the shore and the peaks of mt baker ever pres ent in the distance the oak bay beach hotel marine resort allows for a wilderness reprieve yet only minutes from downtown victoria the 1930s tudor style hotel offers 50 character rooms friend ly staff and the most unique and varied adventure menu on vancouver island if not western north america the focus of the hotel is to take guests outdoors to relax and take in the beauty around them thus replenishing the soul in natures spa reviewing the sevenday excursion i was a lit tle worried whether my aging body could handle the hiking biking and kayaking on this outdoor adventure ive canoed quite often but my 12- yearold son michael provided some needed kayaking guidance since he spent the summer at camp practicing the art little did michael know id be kayaking not on calm waters but crossing the broken islands group archipelago in the pacific rim national park my kayaking started rather gently as we navi- a climate that is the mildest in canada this land features 800-year- old red cedars a host of rich bounty of marine life and rare species of plants and animals gated the quiet passages of the inner islands before paddling to the more open waters of the outer islands with over 10000 years of evolution the area is home to orca gray and humpback whales cougars and wolves and 250 species of birds ranging from bald eagles to rufous hummingbirds each spring pacific gray whales begin one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom a journey of almost 7000 kilometres heading out of ucluelet harbour we begin an outstanding whalewatching adventure as we make our way right in the middle of their migra tion sealions continuously popped up above the surface water and i believe i saw more than i did a month earlier in orlando florida during my tour of seaworld arriving at the broken island group guide jeff huntersmith spent time discussing the flora and fauna that thrive along canadas exposed coastline before we meander among the protect ed coves and beaches of the broken group learn ing of their natural and aboriginal history the autumn weather is a beautiful time to visit the pacific northwest with the cooler weather arrives a bounty of wild edible mushrooms from the forests salmon runs in the streams and eagles fly high overhead the hotel with its expert staff offers unique environmental expeditions showcas ing these natural wonders one adventure i cer tainly enjoyed is the cowichan valley cycling winery tour that includes 60 minutes of moderate cycling through vancouver island in search of the perfect glass of wine along the way we taste gourmet cheese oven fresh baguettes and fine wines while passing turnofthecentury churches and farm animals once at the vineyards we sam pled wine straight from the barrels before culmi nating with a tremendous riverside gourmet lunch and an opportunity to prune the vines and partici pate in grape stomping day three was spent enjoying a twonation vacation mixing the old elegance in canada with the rustic island charm of the american san juan islands just eight miles away we travel on the resorts private yacht through sheltered waters that are home to bald eagles and orca whales en route to roche harbor seaside village disputed lands in 1857 awarded to the united states by an interna- tionaj arbiter 1 5 years later the following evening we kayaked under the cosmos and toured the night sky with the help of the royal astronomical society of canada the hotels crescent moon kayaking tour features certified kayak guides directing us through the watere while astronomers guide us through the night sky as we arrive to a nearby island for a bonfire and feast of fresh dungeness crab and vancouver island wines we gather around the telescopes to view jupiters red spot the rings of saturn and the orion nebula this marked the first opportunity for me to search the skies through a powerful telescope and it opened my eyes to the wonders in our universe my final west coast adventure unfolds in the quaint fishing village of ucluelet a climate that is the mildest in canada this land features 800-year- old red cedars a host of rich bounty of marine life and rare species of plants and animals cold clean rivers run with salmon and steelhead while black bear timber wolf roosevelt elk and deer roam the wilds at least 164 archaeological sites have been mapped in barkley sound many of them support ing a substantial number of longhouse villages residents call it living on the edge while first nations people call it ucluelet meaning safe har bor ecotourism is the rage here with storm watch ing whale watching and bear watching kayak ing sailing and surfing keeping us all busy the wilderness is close to the doorstep and thanks to jeff huntersmith of island adventure tours adventuretourscanadacom i had the pleasure of an upclose and personal adventure with some of the worlds largest black bears ucluelet is famous for its black bears and jeff took us for an evening drive down a dirt road to the rivers edge after a few short steps i noticed the salmon spawning but my attention was drawn elsewhere when a gigantic black bear wandered to the water in search of some supper to my amazement he sliced his paw through the water and came up with a 10pound salmon tossed it into the bushes and went back in the water for another as i focused my lens for a picture jeff whispered in my ear to look behind and there were two more in sight a fourth and fifth wandered down the lane but thankfully i was able to snap about 40 frames before we ducked back into the vehicle for safety ive crossed canada many times and yes this country is quite vast but i believe we simply dont realize the diversity of riches our country has to offer and so many of our fortunes are on display throughout canadas western wing on my arrival back home i was stiff sore and tired but i enjoyed ever minute of the canadian west my experiences have helped me realize there is just so much more for me to explore so much more exploring that needs to be accomplished right here in canada see also wwwpassporttodiscoverycom or e- mail bart at bcardpassporttodiscoverycom pity the pickpockets you might be interested in an experience i had recently the crowds could feel fingers trying to lift the velcro back during a festival in valencia i was targeted by pickpockets flaps as i had my hands in my front they tried me two while in a very dense crowd i had on my tilleys with all different times i lost nothing valuables in the front pockets and while fighting through dr jeff scott gormley ontario the worlds finest travel clothing has secret pockets wear neat and dry to breakfast durability mix and match security pockets stoploss pockets plus smart appearance versatility and exceptional style colour and size options ease of care wash in a hotel sink in the evening people buy them for travel but wear them for life 2 locations in toronto 900 don mills rd 3 lights south of lawrence 2 north of eglinton 416 4416141 ample free parking queens quay 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