The Chesterman Beach B&B is stunning & we ate so much everywhere we went I will be full for a week!

I thought I would share the food highlights for the foodies

Long Beach Lodge: Brilliant view of the old Water Classic, great service, awesome cocktails & the mussels were delicious.

Shelter: Very cool atmosphere and great menu! Yam fries, salad, crab, Yellow Thai Seafood Curry was brilliant and Creme Brule/Choc Moose for desert was great. Highly recommending the French Kiss from the cocktail list

The Wikanninish Inn: I cannot say enough about how special this place is. Everything from the view to the decor’ to the service and of course the food is beyond perfection!

Thank you again for such a wonderful opportunity. It more than made up for my first visit to Tofino and I’ll definitely be going back!

Look at it! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, Julie! Let me go out there and let me get one wave, just one wave before you take me in. I mean, come on Julie, where I am I gonna go? Cliffs on both sides! I’m not gonna paddle my way to New Zealand! Come on, compadre. Come on!

Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true.

Little hand says it’s time to rock and roll; send me out to Tofino next week, Julie, and I’ll see you in the Green Room…

Surfing’s the source, Julie….swear to God.

In the hopes of gaining the cold, wet and glorious prize, I will share my one, my only, surfing story.

I was 12 years old, and visiting Honolulu with my family. We were staying in a small hotel in Waikiki, and the hotel owner’s son was a gorgeous 22-year old surfer dude. I could not take my eyes off this man. I was only beginning to notice boys (no, really), and here was a red-blooded man. And not only was he beautiful, he was kind. He offered to teach me how to surf.

A dream come true. Of course, Waikiki Beach is not known for serious waves, which is a good thing in hindsight. On the last day of our Hawaiian stay, we met at the beach for my surfing lesson. My surfer boy was patient, attentive and I could barely concentrate on his advice because I was too focused on looking at his face and looking good in front of him, as only a tween girl with a holiday crush could be. Despite his best efforts, I never fully got up on the board, nor did I successfully ride any Waikiki ‘waves’ to shore. But I did end up with the worst case of sunburn in my life. On the bottom of my feet. The pain was unbelievable.

As I hobbled away, looking neither cute or accomplished in the ways of the board, I could only look back longingly at my surfer dude, and silently thank him for trying his best.

This burning memory has forever clouded my first surfing experience, and as such, I humbly ask you consider my plea for redemption. Permit me to get back on the board; to brave the cold surf; to ride the Tofino waves and fashion a new surfing memory I can be proud of.

To be able to share that relationship with my wife (and two young kids) and teach them about the love and enchantment of the sea in such a cathedral as Tofino would be bliss – an opportunity to make memories of a lifetime.

The experience was ever so crap

I went with my boyfriend so dreamy

And left with my heart going splat

Like the sound of a floppy dead fish

Colliding with a steamy cow pat

Or a suicidal wet rubber chicken

Beating himself with a bat

We were going to do some surfing

And eat at the Wickaninnish Inn

That lines got far too many syllables

This verse should go in the bin

The drive to Tofino was long

In a car with his boofheaded friends

Two flat tyres and a six hour wait

When the engine blew out its rear end

But we did eventually make it

I was enjoying all the fresh air

Then my boyfriends ex turned up

With her bleach blonde skanky hair

Turns out he hadn’t been faithful

Things took a turn for the worse

We said all kinds of nasty stuff

That should never be put down in verse

So Tofino for me’s a bad memory

And one that I’d rather forget

But my therapist says that’s not healthy

When dealing with things we regret

To go again would be better

No jerk would ruin my stay

Just me and a girlfriend together

And we won’t even have to pay

http://Twitter.com/MikeBerard