Boudicca

Spouse and I are planning a trip to Vancouver Island this summer, probably 10 days max. We'll fly into Victoria, Bike Fridays in tow.I want to bike, the spouse wants to kayak. I'm assuming we can get bits of both sorted out. We'll be staying in hotels rather than camping, but happy to include some credit-card touring in the trip.

Possibilities

--Base ourselves in Victoria and take day trips from there by bike (no rental car)
--Base ourselves in Victoria and take day trips from there by car or by bike (rental car)
--Find ourselves a loop to bike from Victoria, and find hotels and B+Bs along the way (no rental car, bring panniers)
--Drive to Tofino (or somewhere else) and take trips from there (rental car)
--Ride to Torino (over 5-6 days, perhaps) and then load the bikes on a bus to come back (or the other way around, of course)
--Any other ideas

I know this is not the most active of forums, but suggestions are very welcome.

vik 

Hi there.

I live on Van Isle and bike and kayak....although more bike than kayak.

All your options above would work. The ride to Tofino is the one I would be the least intersted in given the narrow winding road and tourists driving their first rental RV.

I'd be happy to help flesh out some specifics, but you'd have to pick one of those options to run with.

Boudicca

Good to know on the winding road. Sharing a narrow road with tourists in RVs would not be fun. Striking that one off the list.

So that leaves the bike-loop idea as my favorite. Ideal world (for me) would be two nights in Victoria at the start, bike somewhere where spouse can kayak (60-80km), spend two nights (he kayaks, I bike, or find a spa), bike somewhere else and repeat. And then I guess we bike back for a last night or two in Victoria. I'm drooling thinking of it.

Unless of course Tofino is so amazingly awesome that we have to do the drive and bike from there option? I've been to Vancouver several times, but never to the island.

The weather in late August vik? Thoughts and ideas vastly, amazingly appreciated.

vik 

Sorry just managed to delete a long reply and don't have the energy to redo it so here is a coles notes version!

Suggested Loop

- Victoria to Sooke on Galloping Goose MUP
- Sooke to Port Renfrew on Hwy 14
- Port Renfrew to Lake Cowichan on Pacific Marine Rd.
- Lake C to Victoria via Trans Canada Trail & Mill Bay Ferry - then either Lochside Trail or West Saanich Rd.

Tofino and Ucluelet are amazing and worth seeing. Great kayaking, beach walking and ridding between them would be fun. You can take a bus from Victoria or a ferry from Port Alberni.

Typically sunny, warm and dry. Inland areas can get hot and coastal areas can be chilly. Victoria is pleasant all summer for sure.

I don't check in here regularly so feel free to email me. threeohm ------------- at ----------- gmail.