Girls Trip 2019: Kayaking in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia

Girls Trip 2019 took me to Johnstone Strait in British Columbia for four days of kayaking in the wilderness.

Last fall, I was already thinking of where I wanted to go for my yearly "girls trip" with friends.  Past trips had included Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, Colorado, Newfoundland, Maine, Michigan, and so much more. My parents had agreed to watch my young children in Portland, Oregon for the week so I started tossing around ideas for the Pacific Northwest.  My parents are experienced travelers and adventurers.  They suggested taking a kayak trip with Spirit of the West Adventures in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia with the promise of seeing orca whales in the wild.  SOLD!  Over the next few months, I assembled a group to join.  My sister, Kelly, reached out to her friends as well which made this year the largest group in a decade of doing these trips- we had ten!  We booked the Johnstone Strait Ultimate Tour for July 12-15, 2019.

The only problem with taking a trip with Spirit of the West is getting there!  Our group was coming from all over the country - Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, California, and Washington.  Even though the kayak was only four days, the actual trip took seven because of the travel.

Here's how to recreate this adventure:

Day 1 - Travel to Vancouver, British Columbia

View from Vancouver waterfront

I needed to leave from Portland, Oregon because that's where my kids were staying.  Matt and Leanne flew to Portland to keep me company on the first (and longest) section of driving.  We rented a car in Portland and drove to the city of Vancouver.  The drive took about 10 hours including a border crossing.

I found that Vancouver's West End lodging is very expensive, even with a favorable exchange rate, so we opted to stay at a hostel.  We were able to get into town in time to enjoy some sightseeing including sunset over the waterfront. I enjoyed dinner and cocktails at Mary's on Davie which was having their "Drag Queen Bingo Night".  Fun!

Day 2 - Travel to Quadra Island, British Columbia

Another day in the car.  We caught a 10 am ferry from West Vancouver to Vancouver Island's city of

Lovely loft room at Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge

Nanaimo.  Be sure you are getting to the correct ferry entrance! We made the mistake of pulling up to the pedestrian entrance only to have to get back on the highway four exits until we found the right place.  This could have been catastrophic if we weren't already early. From Nanaimo, we drove up the island to the town of Campbell River.  We got in line for the ferry to Quadra island (no reservations offered) and since the current one was full, we had to wait an hour for the next.  No worries - we saw seals in the harbor and grabbed snacks at a local pharmacy.

Once on the island, we drove a short distance to Heriot Bay Inn where we met our guides and owner of Spirit of the West Adventures owner, Rick, for our Pre-Trip meeting.  It was the first time our entire group got to meet each other!

After the meeting, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Inn before driving down island to our lodging at Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge. This place was BEAUTIFUL!  I highly recommend the location and venue.  The lodge was gorgeous and super affordable compared to Vancouver.  They even had a loft room with three queen beds.  Before bed, we drove down the road to Cape Mudge Lighthouse where we watched the sunset.  I was sad we couldn't explore this area longer.

Sunset from Cape Mudge lighthouse on Quadra Island

Day 3 - First Day of Kayak Tour - Water Taxi to Camp and Short Kayak

2.5 hour taxi boat took us from Quadra to camp

We were finally ready for our kayak tour!  This place is remote.  To get there, we took a water taxi 2.5 hours into Johnstone Strait to Spirit of the West's remote camp.  The taxi pilot pointed out notable scenes, told about the history, and was a friendly introduction to the area.  What an enjoyable boat ride!

Once at camp, we all helped unload the gear from the taxi boats and got to explore camp. It is GORGEOUS!  Tent platforms are sprinkled on the cliff side with views of mountains and water.  The open air dining area, kitchen, toilets, and shower were all clean and welcoming and perhaps most surprising of all is the wood-fired hot tub on the cliff side.  I was so excited to be there!

Short paddle on Day 1 - got to see abundant intertidal life

After choosing tents and setting up our sleeping area, we met with the guides and got to get out on the water.  In about an hour kayak, we explored the intertidal life and local scenes.  I saw sea stars, sea cucumbers, urchins, and more.  As marine biology majors, Leanne and I were really geeking out over the organisms.

We wrapped up the day with appetizers, free time, salmon dinner, and a soak in the hot tub.  I fell asleep to the sound of water lapping on the rock beach below.  I was in paradise!

Glamping!  Wood fired hot tub

This is lunch - Spirit of the West Style!

Day 4 - Kayak and Hike to Eagle Eye

After a delicious hot breakfast and coffee, we took off for a day of kayaking and hiking.  We enjoyed kayaking north in search of beautiful views and wildlife.  We stopped for snacks and potty breaks at rocky beaches.  Later we enjoyed a long lunch break with a wide spread of sandwich fixings, fruit, and veggies.

Another great stop was to hike up to Eagle Eye - a orca monitoring station.  At Eagle Eye, there was an informational talk by the volunteer scientists about resident killer whale behavior.  After the hike, we returned to camp hitting mostly calm, smooth waters for our return.
Again, we were greeted by appetizers, amazing meal of chicken and rice, and hot tub time!  I took up the challenge to jump off the cliff into the frigid sea before hopping in the hot tub.

Camp time was a great time to relax, socialize, and undwind

Day 5 - Kayak and Camp

Chose a double kayak with
my sister, Kelly, on Day 3

We headed the opposite way on this day.  Kayaking south, we had flat water for the first part of the day.  We pulled out at snack spots and enjoyed another lunch on a pristine rocky and driftwood covered beach.  Returning to camp after lunch, we hit some wind and slightly rougher seas.  I got my workout for the weekend on this day!

Nachos, tacos, and fondue were the perfect end to the day.  We realized our adventure with Spirit of the West was almost over.




Day 6 - Leaving Camp and Travel to Nanaimo

Our guides: Mac, Bob, and Nicole

The final morning, most of us opted to do an optional early morning kayak.  The tide was in our favor - a low low.  We saw amazing intertidal life and by guide Nicole's suggestion, paddled the 1.5 hours in silence.  The seas were the calmest we'd ever seen with the bluest skies of the trip as well.  It was magical!

Back at camp, it was bittersweet as we packed up our gear and cleaned out our tents for the next group.  Around noon, our water taxi arrived to take us back to Quadra Island.

Humpback!

As we boated down the strait, we reminisced about how (almost) perfect our trip had been - except for the one disappointment of not seeing any whales.  Then to our delight and absolute glee - our pilot spotted a humpback!  We got closer and watched as the whale essentially put on a show - tail flips, fluke slaps and more!  After about 20 minutes we left our whale friend and continued on.  Again, in a magical conclusion to our trip a pod of fifty or more dolphins bow rode our wake for another 10-20 minutes.  It was truly amazing.  All including our pilot expressed joy from the experience.

Completely elated, we pulled into Quadra, grabbed our rental car and got in line for the ferry to take us back to Campbell River.  From Campbell River, we drove to Nanaimo where we spent the night at the Coast Bastion Hotel.  We also had a fantastic Italian dinner in Nanaimo at La Stella Trattoria.

Ali and the dolphins

Day 7 - Travel back to Portland, Oregon

Nanaimo, BC

We took an early 6 am ferry from Nanaimo to get Ali back to the Vancouver airport for her midday flight.  We dropped her off at the Yaletown train station which would take her directly into the airport.  From there, Matt, Leanne, and I drove to Stanley Park.  We wanted to see the aquarium!

Now...Leanne and I have this observation, that on every girls trip, there's some sort of mishap - this is when the mishap finally struck.  Our tire popped right in Stanley Park!  After much frustration on the phone with tire stores and our rental company (thank goodness Matt had international calling), we were able to get the spare tire on.  Since we couldn't drive all the way back to Oregon on a spare tire, we arranged to exchange it for a new rental vehicle in Vancouver.  Matt was determined not to let this influence our plans to see the aquarium however, so we went there first.

After the aquarium, and with a new rental car, we booked it back to Portland just in time to get Matt to the PDX airport.  Leanne and I returned the rental car and went back to my parent's house.

Vancouver Aquarium

Girls Trip 2019 Wrap Up

Me and my companions about to part and get on the Quadra ferry

Girls Trips have brought on a whole new meaning for me.  Now, with young children, it's almost impossible to have five minutes to myself - let alone a week.  This trip is something I desperately looked forward to all year - time when I don't have to care for children, pets, house, and carry the mental load of the family.  I can feel free to socialize, exercise, and relax.

I couldn't do this trip without the amazing support of my parents - who cared for my children while I was away and wholeheartedly support travel and adventure.  I also am grateful to my best friend Leanne who has been my reliable and faithful companion every year.  As I discovered on this trip, her love language is the quality time she spends with me - and she shows it well.  Love you friend!  I'm also thankful for the other companions: Ali, Matt, Kelly, Trux, Lil P, Serb, Dana, Kama, and honorary Brad, Lyndsey, and Kelly.  Everyone was a blast!  Thank you also to our guides Nicole, Bob, and Mac - you guys were great.

Until next year...

Heaven

If you'd like to learn more about my trips or see more photos, follow me on instagram @FreelanceAdventurer and Facebook at The Freelance Adventurer.  Thanks!

3 Family Friendly Nights in Acadia National Park

Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park.  Photo by Leanne De Craene

This time our little ones joined the trip!
Photo by Leanne De Craene.

It's that time of year again...Girl's Trip!  For the ninth year in a row, my best girl-friends and I planned an adventure trip together.  Years past have included everything from far off Newfoundland and Iceland to stateside Michigan and Colorado.  Not only have the trips changed through the years, but we have as well.  While we started off this tradition as carefree 20-somethings, we now have husbands, families, careers, and mortgages.  Still, we have found a way to continue our tradition of enjoying an adventure every summer together.  This summer, we honed in on the Northeast.  I had a two month old baby, and Courtney a toddler (and pregnant with number two). Acadia National Park in Maine seemed like the perfect destination - great views, lots of hiking, and relatively "close" to home.  It was the perfect destination for our crew.  Read on to recreate this adventure...

Adventure:  3 nights, 4 days on Mt. Desert Island - Acadia, Bar Harbor, and more!

Hadley's Point Cabins

Lodging:  We wanted an affordable housing option near Bar Harbor (VERY HARD TO FIND!)  Having a baby, I wasn't ready to camp (especially since I booked before I had even had the baby).  We were lucky to find Hadley's Point Campground where we were able to book rustic cabins for $80 a night.

 The cabins included a bathroom, queen bed, twin bunk bed, porch with picnic table, and fire pit.  It was only 10 minutes north of Bar Harbor and 5 minutes from the Acadia Visitor Center.  We loved our stay there.
** Important note - book your stay early!  We booked our July stay in January and Friday and Saturday was already sold out so we stayed Sunday-Wednesday.

View of interior cabin. 

Outside the cabin porch

Trying out the new Baby Bjorn One Outdoors!
Photo by Leanne De Craene

Gear: There's a saying in Maine - "If you don't like the weather...wait 5 minutes".  This is important to keep in mind when packing.  Besides food, camp gear, linens, and beach gear, we also were glad we packed rain gear, warm weather gear, and hiking gear.  I used this trip to gear test a new hiking baby carrier on the market - Baby Bjorn's One Outdoors.  It was crucial as a hiking-mom and allowed me to hike tens of miles each day without pain.  See my gear review HERE.

I also purchased the Appalachian Mountain Club's Acadia National Park Hiking and Biking Map.  This map provided detailed trail information including carriage road and bike trails.

Itinerary: Below is the itinerary for our trip.  I like how we were able to spend time hitting some of the main highlights of the park/island as well as some more offbeat adventures.

Day 1 - Bar Harbor Afternoon

Our first day we arrived by car to a damp and cool Maine day.  We decided to spend the afternoon walking around Bar Harbor, grabbing a bite, and setting up/snuggling in our cabin.  We enjoyed such a great lunch at Side Street Cafe that we ended up going there for dinner again on our last night!  That night we made a camp dinner and enjoyed each other's company at the campground.

Cool and rainy first day in Bar Harbor.

Day 2 - The "Right" Side

View from Gorham Mountain Summit of Beehive.

Mount Desert Island is divided into two sides - almost like two large peninsulas.  The "right" side (north-
east) is more populated and contains the popular tourist town of Bar Harbor as well as the more visited Acadia park destinations like Sand Beach, Jordan Pond, Otter Cliffs, and Cadillac Mountain.  A park loop road takes visitors to the various destinations (note- part of this loop is one-way).  Although there is a free park bus, we decided to drive ourselves around this portion - knowing there was risk of not finding parking at various spots.  Our first stop was the Visitor Center where we purchased our $25 week parking pass.

Our main stop of the day was Sand Beach.  Parking here provides access to the beach as well as popular hiking trails.  We split ways here - some spent 2 hours on the beach, some hiked the challenging Beehive Trail, but I chose to take baby Lucien up Gorham Mountain. It is an easy to moderate trail that provides amazing views of ocean, mountains, and forest at a relatively short distance.  It took me about an hour and a half to hike the out-and-back trail and return to Sand Beach.  We all met up for a little beach time before moving on.

Sand Beach

Courtney decided to stay with her toddler at the beach while Leanne and I meandered on.  We walked the Ocean Path the 1.6 miles from Sand Beach down to Thunder Hole. I enjoyed cliff and ocean views on this easy, flat path.

Ocean Path Views

Back at Sand Beach, Leanne and I hopped back in the car and drove the Ocean Drive around Otter Point.  We stopped for a beach stroll and more scenic views at Otter Cove before making way to our next big stop - Jordan Pond.

Jordan Pond is a heavily trafficked stop.  It took a while to find a parking spot here.  Besides great

Jordan Pond

hiking and views, there is the famous Jordan Pond House where guests can enjoy lunch or tea on the lawn or restaurant.  I've tried this before- it was nice enjoying gorgeous views and their famous popover rolls.  Be prepared for a long wait if you decide to dine!  We decided to pass this time and opted for another hike instead.  The 3.3 mile Jordan Pond Shore trail is an easy trail that takes you around the entire lake.  The trail is flat but involves a mile stretch of "bog bridges" which can be hard for small children and slippery when wet.  Leanne and I decided to add some challenge to our hike by climbing up the South Bubble Trail.  From the south, we climbed the rocky and steep trail to the gorgeous views of the summit.  Near the summit, the trail was very challenging.  The decent on the north side of the mountain was more moderate although involved lots of boulders with some tricky footing.  Hikers can also take a look at Bubble Rock - a precariously perched boulder on the summit of South Bubble.

**Note - Jordan Pond is the water-source for the area.  As a result - swimming and motorized vehicles are not allowed in the water.

Hike up the Bubbles was more challenging.

After our Jordan Pond hike, we returned to our car and headed north back to Hadley Point Campground for a home-made dinner at our cabin.  It was a wonderful day!

Day 3 - The "Left" Side

Hike up to Acadia Mountain.

Day 3 was designed to explore a little bit of the left (or south-west) peninsula.  After a delicious home-made breakfast in our campground, we drove south to Echo Lake.  This spot is a great place to swim, sunbathe, and relax at the freshwater beach.  After setting up Kendra and Sarah with little Cedar, Courtney, Leanne, Baby Lucien, and I headed up Acadia Mountain Trail (a short drive up the road) for a morning hike.  The trail was a moderately challenging.  Although it can be made into a loop with Valley Peak and St Sauveur Trail, we decided to just go out-and-back so we could fit in more adventures.  The peak had gorgeous ocean and mountain views and was a perfect morning hike.

After dropping Courtney back off at Echo Lake for the day, Leanne, Lucien, and I continued south on 102/102A.  We saw quaint views of Southwest Harbor and made stops to take nature walks at Wonderland and Ship Harbor.  Both trails were very easy and provided cliff, beach, and woodland views.  Ship Harbor was my favorite for the pink/red cliff views in the harbor.

Views along Ship Harbor Trail

Ship Harbor Trail

Bass Harbor Light

Our next stop was at Bass Harbor Headlight.  This picturesque light sits at the southern most point of Mt. Desert Island.  A short walk down some steep stairs and you can get the post-card shot of the lighthouse sitting above the seashore cliff.

After the lighthouse, we continued our scenic driving tour up 102.  We returned to Bar Harbor for a delicious dinner at Side Street Cafe followed by ice cream at Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream.  After watching the sunset in the harbor, we returned to our cozy cabins.

Sunset in Bar Harbor

Day 4 - Sunrise on Cadillac and Delicious Breakfast

On our last day, Leanne and Sarah got up at 4 am to drive the auto road up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain.  This popular activity gives viewers an opportunity to be the first in the US to see the sunrise for the day.  I'd experienced the sunrise view on past trips so I decided to sleep in on this occasion.  After a little more shut eye, Leanne and I packed up and went to Bar Harbor's 2 cats for breakfast.  After a yummy breakfast, we spent time gift shopping in town and lounging in the grassy knoll in the town center before leaving the island.

Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain. Photo by Leanne De Craene.

Final Thoughts 

Acadia was the perfect place to spend sometime with kids and girlfriends.  We enjoyed gorgeous views, endless choices in hiking, and a wonderful seaside town.  It would be easy to spend more time there finding more hikes and getting adventurous on the carriage trails.  It was great to realize that even with our busy lives, we could still escape for a wonderful friend and adventure filled vacation.

Me and my girls (and boy)

You might also enjoy the following adventures:

Four Family Friendly Days in Olympic National Park

Waterfalls and Swimming Holes - Vermont Adventures

Girls Trip 2014 - L.A. to Colorado

A Must-See New Hampshire Lighthouse

Fort Constitution, New Castle, NH

Lighthouses, sailboats, and rugged coastline greeted us on a casual weekend drive in New Hampshire.

After parking, visitors walk
through the US Coast Guard Station

To beat the heat on a recent summer day, Matt took me on a scenic drive along New Hampshire's  18 miles of coastline.  One of my favorite stops along our seacoast adventure was at Fort Constitution State Historic Site in New Castle, NH.

To get to Fort Constitution, we took Route 1B to the US Coast Guard Station located on a peninsula in the northeast corner of New Castle.  Parking was available outside the gates of the Coast Guard Station and was free of charge.  Visitors had to enter the Guard gates on foot and walk on a paved colored strip through the base to the historic park entrance.


Inside the park, we were greeted by impressive views of the Piscataqua River, Atlantic Ocean, and a majestic lighthouse- all underlined by the crumbling walls of the old fort.  Picnicking was

Seawall and Lighthouse

available, and we saw families sharing a meal and playing games on the grass lawn.  I am a die-hard lighthouse fan, and I instantly fell in love with the large light at the fort.  The clear day also awarded me with a view of Maine's Whaleback Lighthouse in the distance.

There are no hiking or walking trails in the park, but I enjoyed photographing the classic New England scene.  Matt had fun climbing around on the fort and exploring the rocky shore below its walls.  This was a perfect stop to view a historic treasure on a summer day.



More Information:

Remnants of Fort Constitution

Fort Constitution has a long history. It is one of seven forts built to protect Portsmouth Harbor.  It has served as a fortress, training location, and battery in multiple wars including the Spanish-American War, War of 1812, Civil War, and WWI and II.  For more information on the history of Fort Constitution, download the NH Parks and Rec Brochure here.

Entry gate to park

View of Whaleback Light across the Piscataqua River

Please leave comments and questions below!

A Day at Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Some of my favorite childhood memories were weekends spent at my grandparent's house at Tolovana Beach, Oregon.  We would walk the long coastline, build sand castles with moats around them, and visit the Cannon Beach bakery for a maple bar and loaf of Haystack Bread.  Now, as an out-of-state visitor, I try to visit the vacation spot of my childhood whenever I am in Oregon.

On this summer day, Matt and I drove to Cannon Beach from Portland for a day of beach walking, tide pooling, and magnificent views.

Here is how to recreate this adventure...

Camp 18 - As I shared in a previous blog post (Oregon Coast Day Trip), I always stop at this
restaurant for breakfast.  I enjoyed my flapjacks with marionberry syrup while sitting in the grand log room.  Afterwards, Matt and I explored the outside grounds that is a museum of logging equipment.  Interpretive signs gave information about the machines and equipment.

Interior of Camp 18 Restaurant

Short Stack with Marionberry Syrup

Camp 18 Logging Museum

Tolovana Beach - Instead of parking in Cannon Beach, we took the Tolovana Beach exit and parked at (free) public parking next to Mo's Restaurant.  Matt and I planned to arrive around 10 am since the low tide was around 10:15 am.  It was a clear, beautiful day and we enjoyed our walk north to the iconic Haystack Rock - known to some from its role in the 1980's movie "Goonies".  It was about a mile and a half walk to the rock from Tolovana Beach.

Tolovana Beach

Tillamook Lighthouse at Cannon Beach

Haystack Rock - Haystack Rock is a basalt monolith that towers out of the shallow seas at Cannon Beach.  The site is a marine preserve due to its impressive tide pools and sanctuary for rare marine birds.  Matt and I strolled around the rocks at low tide - viewing the large sea stars, barnacles, mussels, and sea anemones.  Wildlife volunteers walk the area at low tide and are willing to share information and give advice.  On this day, we also saw many sea birds, including tufted puffins, nesting on the rocks.

Tide Pools

Sea Anemones

Town of Cannon Beach - Matt and I walked another mile further and ventured into town.  We visited the public restrooms and went for coffee, donuts, and a loaf of the famous Haystack Bread at the Cannon Beach Bakery.  Afterwards, we strolled around town window shopping and enjoying the quaint village.

Cannon Beach Bakery

Haystack Bread

Ecola State Park - We walked back to our vehicle via the beach and drove via 101 N up the coast to Ecola State Park. This is accessed just north of Cannon Beach.  There is a $5 fee per vehicle to enter the park.  We drove to the Indian Beach area inside the park, where we saw surfers enjoying the waves and picnickers taking advantage of the fine weather.  Matt and I took the Clatsop Loop Trail.  This hike is 2.5 miles round trip and provided views of the Tillamook Lighthouse (a decommissioned light house off Tillamook Head), large Sitka spruce forest, and Pacific Coast wildlife including butterflies, deer, and reptiles.  The trail is an easy to moderate challenge level and perfect for families.

Hiking Clatsop Loop

Tillamook Lighthouse viewed from Ecola State Park

Big Trees

We returned to Portland around 4 pm.  Our adventures on this beautiful day were the perfect end to our one week trip to Oregon that included exploring Portland, Mt. Hood, Central Oregon, and the Oregon Coast.  For more info about our trip, see the blog posts below:

Portland, Oregon - Biking, Beers, and Baristas
Cross the Cascades - A Scenic Drive from Portland to Sunriver
Glass Mountains and Lava Tubes

Tillamook Lighthouse

Please leave comments and questions below.