Tofino in three beaches

May 25, 2023May 25, 2023 / Greg / Leave a comment

There was lots to love about Tofino – the food and the whale sightings being prime examples – but what sticks with me most almost a year later is the time wandering along three beaches over my stay. After seven years living in the middle of the country, any time I can be near salt water feels a little more special than when I took it for granted when I lived in Halifax. So while I will always carry with me great memories from Tofino, the story of Tofino, and what will draw be back again is really the story of visiting these three beaches

Tonquin Beach

I hiked here early in the morning from our glamping pod right on the harbour. I picked this beach for its ease of access and location and it ended up being more special to me than I would have ever expected. The beach even came with this arrival preview during a short walk through the woods which pulled me to the water immediately.

Continue reading →

Writing his name in the sand

February 7, 2017February 7, 2017 / Greg / Leave a comment

December 26, 2016 – Puerto Morelos, Mexico

I’m not much of a traditions or habits guy. That’s kind of obvious since I’m in Mexico rather than Nova Scotia over the holidays. This morning, with my wife showing no sign of waking up any time soon, I packed up the camera and headed to the water to catch the sunrise.

One of my very few travel-related traditions was forgone for a newer one this morning. Rather than dipping my right foot into the sea, something I’ve been doing forever when I encounter a body of water away from home, I crouched down and wrote Chewy’s name in the sand. This is my relatively new “Greg meets water on a beach” tradition – to pay tribute to a furry little guy who got into my heart, and won’t leave. In many ways, my 2016 was a year of saying goodbye, and the May 27th goodbye to Chewy was, and continues to be, the most difficult.

Alone on a Mexican beach, remembering my dog. The best dog that ever lived.

I wrote his name in the sand

September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

As my San Diego trip was winding down back in June, my mind was starting to drift to my dog, Chewy, back at home. He had probably already forgotten about me, such as it is with dogs, who seem to have the uncanny ability to live completely in the present. With a bit of melancholy coming from the combination of the last day of a vacation as well as looking ahead to returning home the next day, an afternoon walking along Coronado Beach was the right pace for an afternoon.

I had already fallen in love with the beaches around San Diego before Coronado. This sprawling beach just added to my love affair:

Walking the beach, I thought of how this would be my mental health respite if I lived in San Diego. The perfect sand, the white noise of the waves crashing ashore and the stunning views would never get old.