Canada's Hawaii

Canada's Hawaii, that's what Red and I called Tofino. In the sunshine, which is how we saw it, in all its color, it reminds one of Oahu---the steep green rounded mountains near the sea, covered with sculpted rain forests. The sound is a miniature version of an unspoiled Pearl Harbor, but where the islands are covered with firs rather than palms.

Of course there are the surfers, who come from all over Canada and the world, to ride the cold waves of the Pacific currents, out past on the opening of the sound in the open ocean beaches. Evidently February is the prime time for the waves. The cold then can be mitigated partially by hot springs.

But during our July visit, there were plenty of young folks in black body suits coming and going on the deck of the Tofino Traveler's Guesthouse, which felt very ohana, especially with Nick acting as the soft landing pad coach for those who come to stay there. In fact, I'm pretty sure I would have taken him for hapa, if I hadn't known he was Canadian. But I didn't ask.

Part of Nick's therapy for the mostly young mostly Euro and Canadian visitors to his house is various peppy Eighties hits, played in the kitchen during the day, starting at the tail end of the long morning breakfast, during which it is very impolite to refuse to eat at least one of his waffles, let alone two.