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Date of Trip: Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Blog Written: August 29, 2007

Photos by Dianna

The Pacific Rim - Ucluelet, Pacific Rim National Park, Tofino,
Mussel Beach Campground

It is with fond memories that Barbara and I recall the beautiful Victoria Day weekend that we spent in Tofino last year. It was easy to remember that it was this particular weekend because we visited historic Clayoquot Island, which is only open to the public on Victoria Day.

Another highlight of last year's trip was that we were fortunate enough to get a camping spot at Crystal Cove Beach Resort just outside Tofino, our best campground ever.

http://www.crystalcovebeachresort.com

Among other things, I am still impressed with the huge urn of hot coffee that is available to guests all day long.

Victoria: Blog 7 - Pacific Rim - Tofino (61 photos)

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Unfortuantely this year, none of that was to come to pass.

There was not a camping spot to be had in Tofino, nor the Pacific Rim National Park, nor in Ucluelet several days before we left Prince George. This is the summer high season and everyone wants to be in Tofino (if the weather co-operates, and that is a big if!)

The only place I could find with tent placements available was a wilderness campground called Mussel Beach near Ucluelet.

Where Highway 4 makes the big turn north near the Pacific Ocean to Tofino, turn south towards Ucluelet. Turn left at Juntion 4 for 1 km and turn left on Port Albion road for 4 km's and then turn left on to a gravel logging road for 8 km's to mussel Beach.

http://ucluelet.travel.bc.ca/listings/mussel-beach-campgroun d/23309/







The emphasis in this campground is on "wilderness|". That word translates into: no electricity, no running water, no hot water other than showers, and earth pit toilets.

I must say that we were pretty apprehensive and some of us were downright resistant to camping here.

Our spirits picked up a lot when we arrived at a beautiful bay lined with camp spots along the beach.

It could have passed as a set for the TV series -Survivor with a beautiful spot already constructed for the council meeting to vote the next person off the beach.


Susan the owner/caretaker was very helpful and friendly. She invited us to go and select a spot either near the beach, in the woods or on the beach.

We certainly paid attention when she said, "after you have made your selection, I will give you the bear speech". At that point we looked at each other and the empty spot near the beach right in front of the office/residence looked mighty inviting and that is what we selected.

As we had arrived close to 21:30, night fell quickly and that is when Glenn built a campfire. It is a nice part of camping which I have not yet integrated into my camping routine.

We spent the rest of the evening falling over each other with comments as to how beautiful this spot was and watching the unparalleled starry sky full of moving objects.

One of the first we saw was the space station. Bigger and brighter than any star, it moved quickly across the evening sky. How appropriate that the Space Station with a Canadian aboard, astronaut Dave Williams, should cross this little section of Ucluelet.

If one looks long enough at the night sky, a lot of things seem to have some movement to them and it is difficult to tell the real from the mostly imagined or illusionary.

We slept well and the next morning we were on a mission. Today we had to reach Victoria with a stop in amazing Chemainus.

For further info about Mussel Beach Campground, please read the comments below.

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YOU TUBE - http://www.youtube.com/user/TravelsWithLobo

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