As I grow older this planet of ours seems to be getting faster, louder, busier (and crazier!) and more and more I find myself seeking solace, solitude and serenity. One of my favorite retreats in search of temporary respite from the modern life maelstrom is the glorious Clayoquot Sound across from the fabled surfing and hippy enclave of Tofino on Vancouver Island.

Occupied by First Nations for thousands of years, the labyrinthine inner waters of Clayoquot Sound were explored in the late 1700’s by European and American ships as part of the fur trade as well as its wealth of natural resources, including timber. Clayoquot is possibly a derivative of a First Nation word and means ‘changing’ –a reference to the seasons?

Just a short wait at the Peace Arch border crossing meant that we were heading north in plenty of time for our 10.15am crossing from Tsawwassen  to Duke Point, Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Obligatory café lattes purchased, we decided to sit in the car and read for the two hour crossing to Nanaimo. Evidently many others onboard were heading to Tofino too as there were a number of surfboards strapped to roofs and in the back of pick-up trucks – the long weekend was under way!

After a pleasant lunch at the Lighthouse Bistro overlooking Protection Island and the distant cargo traffic out on the Strait of Georgia, we began a three hour drive through snow and rain and sunshine and rainbows across the island. The scenery is quintessential ‘Super, Natural British Columbia’ and is exemplified by the glorious and vast expanses of Kennedy Lake. The long day was approaching dusk and we finally arrived at the beautifully appointed Red Crow house for our three night stay. The sun had retreated but in the dying embers of the day, the fragile blue twilight offered tantalizing glimpses of the treasures around us and we dined that first night at the Shelter restaurant eager to explore the next morning.

The weather on Vancouver Island in early March is a veritable lottery but we had the winning ticket for the whole weekend! I awoke just after 6am that first morning and was delighted to see the rambunctious weather system we’d encountered on the drive across from Nanaimo had scraped the morning sky clean and revealed a flawless, soft blue tapestry.

Strong coffee in hand I simply had to open the door of our Black Bear suite and step onto the deck and then the beach; the magnificent cathedral of Clayoquot Sound was slowly and gently awakening to the competing symphonies of egrets, ducks and seagulls accompanied by the distant roar of the Pacific behind us.

The late winter sun rose above the altar of Meares Island, gently warming the mottled mud flats in front of our deck, the occasional bubble and pop adding to the conversation amongst the bickering ducks and egrets as they undertook their morning commutes across the still waters.

An occasional distant hum announced small fishing boats as their bows unzipped the battleship-grey waters, creating temporary cracks in the mirror of stillness that is Clayoquot Sound at 7am.

All the while the Pacific Ocean unfolded itself upon the golden sands of the beaches to the west of us, a beguiling shuffle of nature’s soundtrack and at once comforting and mesmeric.

We caught up on reading and took long, languorous walks on the stunning expanses of Chesterman Beach. I took a canoe out into the Sound and enjoyed the silence. We ate lavishly at the Pointe Restaurant at the Inn at Wickaninnish and the highly rated Wolf in the Fog. For three days we’d escaped the clutter and clamour and chaos and it was so life affirming. We’ll be back in the summer!