Sooke

When I pulled into Sooke, BC, toward the end of my day long road trip around Vancouver Island, I knew I was in for something special. Down the hill from the main road through the town and perched just above the Strait of Juan de Fuca is the Sooke Harbour House. This award winning restaurant and hotel has long been on my bucket list, and when I knew I was going to be in British Columbia this past April, I arranged my plans around dining here, going so far as to make a reservation four months in advance.

I arrived a bit early for my reservation so I could wander around their picturesque property. After living through a winter unlike any before, it took some head shaking to realize I was standing in a fully in bloom garden in April.

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On my trip out west back in April, one of the things I was most looking forward to was a day long road trip around the southern part of Vancouver Island. All added up, I put about 350km on my rental car on a journey from downtown Victoria to Duncan and Chemanius along the east side of the island, then across the interior to Port Renfrew, before heading down the west coast to Sooke, before heading back to Victoria. My main concern leading up to the road trip day was the weather – the forecast had been calling for very heavy rain. But as I pulled out of Victoria early in the morning and made my way toward Duncan, the skies were almost perfectly blue. My first stop was at Malahat Lookout, about 30km outside Victoria to take in this outstanding view. Not a bad place to enjoy an early morning coffee.

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