travel / travel magazine / may10
 May 2010 issue
FEATURE: Gulf Islands
Sailor’s delight
Eat, drink and take the ferry on an island-hopping tour of British Columbia’s locavore paradise
Story by Jim Sutherland with photography by Andrew Doran
IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS, I’d whistle the classic Barenaked Ladies tune at the wheel of my yacht while island
hopping in British Columbia’s Strait of Georgia, cruising from outdoor farmers’ market to seaside seafood cafe, organic winery
to artisan cheesery, wood-fired bakery to chef-run eatery.
Or maybe not. With vessels like that, a million dollars probably wouldn’t do the trick — and anyway, who can pull off a
captain’s hat? So on to Plan B. Same sparkling waters, same lush islands, same indulgent menu but an even bigger boat, this one
owned by BC Ferries, and with room for the car.
On this voyage, a million dollars proves to be unnecessary. For $199, you can buy a four-day pass allowing unlimited travel between more than a dozen ports of call — an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord that could cause travel indigestion if consumed indiscriminately. Accordingly, my wife Jessie and
I will try to keep it simple.
We’ll head from our home in Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, then make a beeline south to the Cowichan
Valley, which is rapidly emerging as the province’s locavore capital and a winery region nibbling at the heels of the Okanagan
Valley. On the cruise back we’ll make two more stops: ever busier but eternally endearing Salt Spring Island and the more
relaxed North Pender and South Pender islands, all of which have wineries as well. Any indigestion will be traceable to the
food and drink.
Click map to enlarge
THE COWICHAN VALLEY’S main population centre, the small city of Duncan, claims Canada’s warmest year-round
climate and a tidy little downtown, with lots of totem poles, some decent restaurants and a nice spot for the Saturday
morning farmers’ market in the central square. Still, we plough straight on through, intent on piercing the beating heart of
Goodgrubland, the tiny adjacent communities of Cobble Hill and Cowichan Bay.
Some of Vancouver Island’s oldest wineries are here, including Blue Grouse and Venturi-Schulze, which is even better
known for its balsamic vinegar, a Canadian first. Our destination, however, is Cobble Hill’s Merridale Estate Cidery, which
for two decades has been turning the fruits of a hillside apple orchard into delicious ciders and recently began dishing out
great meals too.
|
|
