Storm watching in style on Vancouver Island

The wild and rugged west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia receives some of the most ferocious winter squalls in all of North America.‚  Clouds churn and gale-force winds howl.‚  Thunder rumbles as lightning streaks across the sky, sheets of rain pour down, and mountainous waves pound the shore.

The Wickaninnish Inn near the quaint township of Tofino sits on a rocky promontory surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on three sides, with a backdrop of temperate rainforest.‚  The inn offers a two-night Storm Watchers Package from November through February, starting at $799 per couple and including a three-hour guided walk with a local naturalist.‚  Guest rooms are thoughtfully equipped with binoculars, field guides to local flora and fauna, and rain slickers and wellies.‚ 

You can experience the exhilarating thrill of the elements firsthand or enjoy the spectacle of nature’s fury in cozy comfort while sipping champagne in a bath tub built for two or curled up fireside with a mug of hot chocolate.‚  The Ancient Cedars Spa is nestled on the ground level of the inn, within spray distance of the waves.‚  The Cedar Sanctuary treatment cottage is an especially romantic place to receive a side-by-side massage with a loved one.‚  This rustic structure made of cedar, spruce, fir, and yew wood smells like the forest and opens to the sea.‚  For more information visit www.wickinn.com.

Gina Hyams

September/October 2007

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