| Dog Salmon! Hard to imagine what it might look like. | | | | two rivers, the Englishman and French Creek. When |
| Four-legged fish with floppy ears running up and | | | | the tide goes out, it feels like we can walk half-way |
| down the beach! I don't think so.The Coast Salish | | | | to the mainland.Everywhere you go in Qualicum you |
| (First Nation people) on Vancouver Island called Chum | | | | see immaculate gardens, so we decided to check out |
| or Keta Salmon, Dog Salmon. Chum salmon develop a | | | | some of the attractions. Milner Gardens and |
| very hooked jaw with fierce teeth at spawning time. | | | | Woodlands is a rare property perched on the shores |
| Perhaps that is why they were called Dog Salmon. | | | | of the Strait of Georgia. It has a 10 acre garden |
| Chum, on average, weigh eight to ten pounds and | | | | complete with a character home that is used primarily |
| measure about 40 inches in length. Their ocean | | | | as a tea-house. The garden is surrounded by 60 |
| coloration of silvery blue green changes at spawning | | | | additional acres of Coastal Douglas fir. |
| time to splotchy purplish red and with distinct yellow | | | | Malaspina-University College acquired the site from |
| and pink vertical bars on their sides. They are one | | | | Veronica Milner in 1996. Veronica's mother was a |
| ugly fish!When we arrive at Qualicum Beach (which | | | | cousin of Winston Churchill. Much of the Royal family |
| means, "where the dog salmon run"), the last image | | | | has visited or stayed at the gardens.From the |
| that comes to mind is Dog Salmon. Qualicum Beach is | | | | tea-room and gardens you can enjoy super-natural |
| a quaint village in the middle of absolute paradise. | | | | views of Georgia Strait and the Coastal Mountains on |
| Everything is beautiful from the endless expansive | | | | the Mainland. The Gardens and Woodland is operated |
| sandy and pebble beaches to the beautiful | | | | by a non-profit horticultural society with a mission to |
| snow-capped mountains that provide a backdrop to | | | | maintain and restore the gardens and buildings. |
| the area. The town has worked hard preserving its | | | | Volunteers and students carry out much of the |
| heritage which is obvious walking through the | | | | maintenance of the gardens under the supervision of |
| downtown area. A heritage style design is | | | | horticulture staff. I recommend these gardens and |
| predominant, providing a friendly village atmosphere. | | | | walks through the woodlands.Looking for a tourist |
| Everywhere we go from the spectacular heritage | | | | trap? Well, the best little tourist trap in BC is the Old |
| designed Quality Foods grocery store to the funky | | | | Country Market in Coombs. Just a few kilometers out |
| Smithford's, we meet very friendly people.The town | | | | of Qualicum you will find a country market with goats |
| hall in Qualicum Beach | | | | living on the roof. This eclectic market has something |
| Photo by Ron KirsteinFinding a place to stay is not | | | | for everyone. My favourite is the ice cream bar. It is |
| difficult. The area has an abundance of | | | | no ordinary ice cream bar. It is about 40 feet long |
| accommodations from bed and breakfasts to motels | | | | and offers many choices of ice cream, sorbet and |
| and resorts. We chose the Seaview Beach Resort | | | | gelato. A single cone cost me just $3.00 and I swear |
| because we are having a family get-together. The | | | | that it had a pound of ice cream in it. After eating |
| quaint cottages range from 1-3 bedrooms and come | | | | the mound on top, I gobbled ice cream to the very |
| fully equipped. When we walk out our door, within | | | | bottom of the waffle cone. I consider myself an ice |
| seconds, we are right on the beach. The Seaview is | | | | cream aficionado and I have never seen a place so |
| well off the road and sits among modern residential | | | | generous. This is a shop till you drop market with |
| properties. It is very quiet and peaceful. Across the | | | | vegetables, meats, food specialties, clothes, toys, |
| road we discover a large Federal Wild Life Sanctuary. | | | | unique gifts and a whole lot more. It also has a very |
| As we walk down the beach and the roadway we | | | | fine restaurant which seems to efficiently serve a |
| are drooling over incredible new oceanfront homes. | | | | never-ending line-up. It has my vote for the best little |
| My wife is scoping out the fire pit where she will | | | | tourist trap in the world!The area boasts some of the |
| roast her marsh mellows just as soon as the sun | | | | best of BC Provincial Parks. If you like to camp, hike, |
| goes down.One of the beautiful homes along the sea | | | | explore the beach or visit spectacular waterfalls you |
| shore | | | | should check out Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, |
| Photo by Ron KirsteinNow we are settled in to our | | | | Englishman River Falls Provincial Park, Little Qualicum |
| cabin by the sea. Besides the obvious, we check | | | | Falls Provincial Park and Cathedral Grove Provincial |
| around to see what we can do while we are in | | | | Park. Other attractions can be found throughout the |
| paradise. Locals inform us that you can beach walk | | | | area by checking the web at Kirstein is the owner of |
| almost continuously for about 50Km (30 miles) along | | | | a Canadian Travel & Tourism Web |
| the coast line with the exception of interruptions by | | | | site (since 1995). |