We arrive in Ucluelet

 
They grow BIG trees here!

By the time we got to Ucluelet, it was past noon, time for lunch. There is a ranger-guided walk in the sand dunes at Long Beach, but we'd have to rush to make it, so we opt for picnic in the little fishing village of Ucluelet. We found a small park on the harbor downtown, and as we were setting out the vinyl cloth, a bird hit me and the table cloth with a yucky gift! I used one of our two napkins to wipe the bulk of the gift from my hair and neck, and wadded up the jacket, gift inside. We moved to another table, where Stuart spilled his drink, so we used the other napkin to soak that up. Hey, the fish sandwich, from leftovers, was good!

The room we'd reserved at the Copperstone Inn was so effectively tucked in the forest we had a hard time finding it. Did we land in heaven with this! Debbie and Gary Richardson have just finished building a beautiful house on the cove behind the lighthouse (lighthouse NOT visible from the house), and made the most beautiful, comfy room downstairs. The lumber for all the posts and decks came from the trees on their lot,downed by a storm a couple of years ago. It is a carpenters dream. They thought of everything! The rail is glass, so as to not obstruct the view, the kitchen is small and perfectly planned, the colors are woodsy but far from dark or dull, the bathroom is something from a fancy hotel! There is even a fluffy robe hanging on the hook by a shower that is big enough to hold a square dance in. The bathroom tile floor is heated,the wood floor in the rest of the suite is dark and polished. She's arranged a table outside on the deck, situated perfectly for a view of the cove. There are a couple of soft throws, just perfect for wrapping around your shoulders to stay outside comfortably just a little longer. A fireplace with gas logs (for ease of use,they burn wood upstairs). It's just below high tide when we arrive, and by dinner time, the tide is dead low, about an 8 foot change. I'm NEVER leaving here! this is the view from our deck...

 

OK, we must go to the grocery, and we take a quick detour to the lighthouse before going back to the village. See the little orange dot in the rocks? That's Stuart, getting a good view of the lighthouse for his photograph. Tomorrow, we'll hike one of the many trails along the coast.

 

The fish market, Fishful Thinking, is closing for the season later this week, and right now everything is on sale,so we picked up a piece of halibut to cook tomorrow night...tonight, Stuart wants red meat on the grill. Cocktail hour on the porch is perfect, with the sound of loons and gulls, waves and the foghorn keeping us company.