Howdy
I'm more of a lurker here than active but I live in Port Alberni, and Tofino is just a short jaunt for me so I am planning to go up for the day. Any plans for a show & shine/meet & greet?
I was on that highway just 2 weeks ago, and other than obscene tourist traffic, and the occasional heave or sinkhole its great condition. Most of the tourista's pack it in by supper time, so traffic drops off after 7PM.
If the weather continues hot like this (40C in Port yesterday; maybe again today), you might want to plan a couple of stops to take a dunk. There is a beach right next to the highway on the Nanaimo end of Cameron lake that is mere seconds off the road. Some folks are swimming the river/inlet just about 1km west of where the highway passes through downtown Port Alberni. There is also easy beach access at Sproat lake Prov. Park, about 10mins further toward Tofino and at about 45km west there is an excellent spot on the Kennedy river, where it cuts through some bedrock to create pools deep enough for diving. Then there is a small beach/boat launch on Kennedy lake, roughly 65km from Port.
I am checking to see if there are any car shows in Port that weekend; anyone whose has spent time here can tell you that Alberni is a muscle-car/vintage/collectible haven.
A couple of gotchas for those who have never made the trip -
* If you take the Coombs/ Errington exit off the freeway, there is the Coombs tourist-trap. Nice but the highway can get choked by stupid tourists (is there any other kind?)
*Cathedral Grove is beautiful, but the tourists are exceptionally STUPID when it comes to parking/merging on the highway here.
*If you want to grab some of Dr. Ho's magic elixer (Horton's) in Port, making a left turn back onto the main road is basically futile. If you do drive through, exit right (back up the hill), take the next left, then the next left again, down to Gertrude Ave, left again, then right at the lights, and you are back on the road to Tofino. If you go inside, then exit the Timmy's on the side road instead of the main, go left & follow the road as it turns right, go straight down to Gertrude, turn right, then left at the lights, and again you are on the road to Tofino.
*If you want to grab a bite of excellent cuisine during your pit-stop, then there is an Japanese restaurant in the motel on the left just as you arrive in Port. Some have told me the service can be slow, but it has always been good for us, and the food is great. If you are up for fish & chips, then just a couple of blocks west of the Tim Horton's is a restaurant in an old church called Bare Bones that is also excellent; but they only do fish & chips, a bit of salad or soup; limited menu.
*If you are in need of parts/repairs/etc, there is a Canadian Tire, Wally-world, LordCo all in 2 large malls opposite each other; you can't miss 'em
Regards
Ken
