A quick hop from the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal just north of West Vancouver is Bowen Island. Neither of us has ever been here so we thought it was time to load the kayak and go.
Once a favoured summertime retreat for colonials looking for a seaside escape, Bowen Island is now populated by a friendly clutch of writers and artists.
The easiest way to get to here is on BC Ferries, with or without your car.
Once we alight in Snug Cove – the breathtaking crossing over the glassy, tree-lined water takes around 20 minutes – we find ourselves in a rustically charming little community that suddenly feels a million miles from big-city life. Located in Howe Sound, the island is blanketed in forests and speckled with beautiful coves.
After a quick stop at the Visitor's Centre we clatter along the boardwalk area near the ferry dock to check out the shops and restaurants. Snug Cove is an active place for watercraft of all shapes and sizes.
Sandi needs a coffee and pastry so we climb the hill to Artisan Square and head for Artisan Eats Café. Artisan Square if full of little shops of the gallery and jewelry-store variety.
It doesn't take long before Sandi sniffs out Cocoa West who use only the finest organic ingredients in their hand-made chocolate truffles. We savour such delicacies as the Bombay Truffle (chai and black tea infused chocolate ganache), A Casual Affair (espresso, kahlua and raspberry together in the dark) and Lemon and Thyme (Meyer Lemon and fresh thyme in white chocolate). Chocoholics can also book The Chocolate Suite for 'bed and chocolate'. Next time.
Time for lunch so we head back down to the waterfront to Doc Morgan's Pub & Restaurant.
A Bowen Island institution: fish, chips and beer on the chatty patio overlooking the park and harbour.
The Union Steamship Company ran a busy resort at Snug Cove during much of the 20th century. Day trips regularly ferried people over for outings to various picnic grounds and concerts in the band shell, with refreshments being available in the company tearooms. In the 1920s some 5,000 people were known to arrive at Snug Cove and up to 800 couples could dance at what was then the largest dance hall in British Columbia.
Deer are plentiful and roam freely all over Bowen Island.
Time to head out for an evening kayak. We launch at Bowen Bay and soon arrive at the pretty Pasley Islands.
Wild daisies are in bloom all over the island.
Tim tests his balance on a bouncy log at Seymour Bay beach. Good ski training.
The colour of these trees is incredible.
Hippies and dippies and dodgers and codgers hung out here in the 60s. The Museum and Archives operates out of an old homestead.
The old general store building is now the Public Library.
The grounds at the Bowen Island Lodge.
The weather's not as nice today but we love BC so we're back in the kayak for a paddle along Bowen Island's eastern coastline from Snug Cove to Finisterre Island.
Bowen Island is so laid back we can head straight from the dock, salty and disheveled after kayaking, up the road to Tuscany Restaurant to wrap up our weekend with Kir Royales and the most delicious dinner of...
sumptuous seafood and...
delectable desserts. How can you tell Chocolate Mousse is Tim's favourite?
So ends our idyllic island jaunt.
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