My legs are shaking and it isn’t from the cool, early morning air.
I’m paddling on Kennedy Lake in Tofino and I’m repeating a mantra in my head — please don’t let me fall, please don’t let me fall.
But, within minutes, I lost my balance and plunged into the lake.
Luckily for me, the water was calm and warm because I’d forgotten my wet suit at the Long Beach Lodge Surf Club. Immediately, my instructor Chance
McCullough stripped off his shirt and passed it to me — I don’t think he counted on my second plummet into the lake 15 minutes later.
Earlier at the water’s edge, he’d set me up with a lifejacket, a paddle measured for my height and a paddle board. After some instructions, McCullough joined me on his own board.
Wearing my bathing suit and a sweater, I knelt as I paddled to get a feel for the board. Slowly, ever so slowly, I got up using my paddle for balance. The board handled with surprising ease, and with the sun beaming down on us through the clouds, we paddled across the lake.
Moving from knees to my feet, I was unsteady at first, but I felt pretty confident — ok, that might be an exaggeration. Soon, we were far out on this pristine lake surrounded by sweeping views of the rainforest on all sides. After a couple of hours, I was hooked on paddle boarding.
My son Mathew and I had arrived at the Long Beach Lodge the night before. This was going to be a mother/son bonding trip because Mathew is moving out of the country for a year.
The lodge is located at Cox Bay, seven kilometers south of Tofino, and is renowned as a world-class surfer’s paradise. After we picked up the keys to our cozy cabin, we took in what’s known as the Great Room featuring a large stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows with unobstructed ocean views. It’s here where meals are served and complete strangers chat over a cappuccino or a game of chess played by the roaring fire.
For baby boomers like me, Tofino is also about reconnecting with nature through the ocean and old-growth rainforest. Life is good here. Storm watching is fast becoming a reason visitors arrive between November and March. The lodge offers a front-row seat to this gale-force, wave-crashing phenomenon.
For a small town of approximately 1,800 full- time residents, Tofino has a bustling foodie scene. Whether you choose fine dining or a roadside café, there’s no dress code here. One evening, we dined at the resort’s new beachside patio SandBar Bistro. Mathew and I shared the Tofino salmon poke and baked beach oysters. Both were fresh and delicious. For our main course, we went for the SandBar fish burritos with a side of extra napkins.
Friday night, we headed to the newest eatery in town — Wolf in the Fog. At the helm is executive chef Nick Nutting, formerly chef de cuisine at the Wikkininish Inn, who teamed up with friends Jorge Baradiaran and Andre McGillivray to open the restaurant.
Working closely with local fishermen and foragers, Nutting has come up with a sumptuous and innovative menu, using fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Inspired by the town’s rugged landscape, the Wolf in the Fog’s interior is a wonderful juxtaposition of natural and reclaimed woods, with a dash of contemporary and splash of industrial chic thrown in. The effect is at once casual yet sophisticated — making it warm and inviting. With floor-to-ceiling windows you get a great view of the downtown waterfront.
Getting there: B.C. Ferries sails to Nanaimo from either Horseshoe Bay or Tsawwassen terminals followed by a 2.5 hour road trip.
Flights to Tofino are available with Orca Airways, K.D. Air, and seaplanes Tofino Air and Atleo Air. Visit www.tourismtofino.com/getting-to-tofino.
DUNGENESS CRAB CAKE RECIPE
Recipe: Courtesy Nick Nutting at Wolf in the Fog
Ingredients:
Serves 4
- 8 oz fresh Dungeness crab meat
- 4 oz West Coast scallops
- 3 oz heavy cream
- ½ red pepper finely chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- Cilantro (to taste)
- Lime zest (to taste)
- Spice blend: cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper,
- black pepper
- Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- Garnish: avocado, hot sauce, sour cream
Method
- Mousse
In a chilled food processor, purée scallops with a pinch of sea salt. Slowly add cream until mousse is shiny and smooth.
- Crab cakes
In a chilled bowl, combine mousse, crab meat, red pepper, cilantro, lime zest, shallot, and spice blend to taste. Portion into 4 equal sized balls; roll balls in panko and shape into cakes. Fry in a 350F deep fryer until golden. Finish in 300F oven until heated through. Garnish with avocado, hot sauce, sour cream and cilantro.
