Goats on the Roof in Coombs - Taking a Break Driving from Tofino to Victoria, British Columbia

Friday, Day 8

Leaving Tofino in the late morning, we continued our west coast vacation, driving towards to our next destination in British Columbia, Canada.

We needed to be careful following big trucks like this on our driving trip in BC

Driving most of the way in the rain, on Highway 4 along narrow mountain roads, my husband needed to negotiate his ways carefully and shared the roads with cars from the oncoming traffic, especially those big trucks carrying heavy loads of logs.

We passed by Coombs, a small community on Vancouver Island

We passed by a little town called Coombs.

Coombs is a small community situated on Vancouver Island with  a population of around 1,300 people.

The Old Country Market, Coombs, British Columbia

                                                                                                                                                                 

The Nanaimo Bar is everywhere in B.C. stores

We stopped and visited a marketplace, right on the main road, selling more than groceries.

The smell of bread, pastries and freshly brewed coffee drew us inside this nice market.

Colourful kites hanging from the ceiling beckoned visitors to come in to browse and shop.

There were a lot of interesting old fashion toys, games and kids' stuff.

We took a brief driving break at this old country market with a restaurant inside called Goats on the Roof.

The entire roof of this grocery store/ restaurant was covered with green grass.

Apparently, this restaurant is one of the famous tourist attractions for this small community.

"Goats on the Roof "- We saw goats on the roof of the Old Country Market, Coombs, B.C.

Though it was drizzling, we could see three goats standing still, at times moving slowly and gazing on the grassy roof.

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That was an interesting sight!

It did draw many visitors to this area. I heard the delighted laughter of little children in front of us.


I was glad that R., my sister suggested us to visit this place

We also went across the road and visited some of the stores on the other side.


Anything that is rustic always captures my attention













I liked these benches made out of huge logs beckoning visitors to sit and linger a little while at the Coombs' Emporium.

It was a fun stop at Coombs!

The rain never relented since we landed in British Columbia. S. was good and steady, never complaining about the weather, kept driving towards our next destination in B.C.












R.T.
Goats on the Roof
Coombs, British Columbia
Canada

Ecolodge, Tofino - A Different Kind of Accommodation for Travellers

Friday, Day 8    Ecolodge, Tofino, British Columbia

We spent a night at this Ecolodge in Tofino, British Columbia

We visited Tofino, British Columbia, for a couple of days

Guests could enjoy their meals/ tea on this rustic porch at Ecolodge

We spent our second night at the Ecolodge, a different kind of accommodation than the one we are used to.

















We booked this place because we wanted to visit the botanical garden the next day.
















We love the surrounding of this rustic place as it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, right in a forest.

Preparing a snack in the Ecolodge's well equipped kitchen

The Ecolodge has a well equipped roomy kitchen where guests could prepare their meals should they choose to do so. We did prepare some snacks after we settled into our room.

It has a good size common area/ living room where guests can relax, read and chat. Guests could help themselves with tea, coffee and home made cookies provided here during their stay

A roomy sitting area in our bedroom suite

Guests could choose to stay in dormitory style with shared bathroom at Ecolodge.

Our unit could sleep 4 people comfortably

We chose a bedroom suite with a queen size bed and a set of bunk beds which could sleep 4 people comfortably.

We asked for a unit with more privacy requesting to have our own private washroom at this lodge.

















It had a spacious sitting area overlooking a forest outside the picture window.



















The Ecolodge was clean and comfortable.

Geographically, British Columbia is more prone to earthquake and tsunami, therefore, it was no surprise to us when we saw an emergency manual and guide provided in our room.

Enjoying an evening snack in the Ecolodge's common dining area 

Tofino is a very popular tourist town with limited accommodations provided by a few hotels and its townspeople. Our room was not cheap nor was it luxurious.

One of the sculptures in the garden of Ecolodge

Ecolodge gave us a different kind of accommodation experience from the other hotels.

We were happy with this place and would definitely recommend it to other travelers!


R.T.
Ecolodge
Tofino, British Columbia
Canada

Tofino Botanical Garden - A Marvellous Sculpture and Botanical Garden in Tofino, B.C.

Entrance to Tofino Botanical Gardens, Tofino, British Columbia

Canada is a huge country with borders stretching from the western coast to the eastern coast, as well as to the northern most coast of the North American continent.

Our only land border is our southern border running along the entire United States.

The province of British Columbia, located on the western coast, just above California, is the warmest province in Canada.







Because of its mild weather, B.C.
 ( British Columbia) is famous for its flowers and gardens.

A carved bench in the Tofino Botanical Garden, Tofino, B.C. Canada

The Tofino Botanical Garden is an amazing garden with many interesting features to enjoy!

A space for community gardening

It encourages community gardening.

The botanical garden provides a space for a community garden where people have planted plants and herbs neatly within certain designated area.

This garden is more than just flowers and plants.

A sculpture named Babysitter in the Tofino Botanical Gardens 

The most special feature about this garden is the numerous wooden sculptures standing among the plants and shrubs.

We saw many wood carvings of animals, birds and people throughout the garden.

We enjoyed walking among beautiful flowers, admiring these huge wooden art pieces and learning about their names and artists.

My favorite sculpture in the garden named - The Couple

My favourite sculpture was the piece named The Couple.

There is even a children’s garden within this botanical garden.

A scary sculpture lurking under a tree in the Children's Garden

We came across a scary sculpture lurking under one of the trees there too!














I think the kids would like the surprises in this garden.

The Darwin's Cafe inside Tofino Botanical Gardens

We found a cafe in the garden where visitors could rest their tired feet and enjoy a beverage amid this tranquil surrounding.

It started to drizzle a little, so we stayed inside this rustic gazebo.

















Looking out from this gazebo, right in front of us was a beautiful pond and behind it the Pacific Ocean!

View of the Pacific Ocean from the Tofino Botanical Gardens, Tofino, B.C.

Despite the drizzle, we continued walking on the winding paths leading us to explore the fabulous sculptures and other things in the gardens.

There was a station with a display and explanation of how canoes were made.

There were so much to see and observe; we could have easily spend a half day enjoying all the sculptures in this marvelous garden!




It started raining cats and dogs;  we had to finish our tour of the gardens in a haste.

I love gardening and I always enjoy garden tour. Despite the rain, we  had a good visit to this sculpture and flower garden!

Thanks to R., my sister who put this garden on our itinerary of the west coast tour.


R.T.
Tofino Botanical Gardens
Tofino, British Columbia
Canada