The Place to Stay in Tofino

As it happens  I was once a huge Jerry Brown for President guy. That was back in the spring of '92. James and I both voted for him in the Texas Democratic primary (against Bill Clinton, whom we loathed, and Paul Tsongas). We lived on Duval Street in Hyde Park, next to the golf house. James is still a big Brown believer, the last time I saw him in Austin, a couple months back.

I thought about my old 1992 self a bit---my young vagabonding days---when Red and I were up on Vancouver Island a couple weeks a back. That was especially true during our three nights in Tofino, which turned out to be a an extremelyinteresting experience, mostly because of the place we had booked---the Tofino Traveler's Guesthouse. If you are ever in Tofino, this is the place to stay.

"I think that's it'," I said to Red, as we drove it, on the very last street before the waterfront. "I recognize the design on the house, from a photo I saw online earlier today."

It had not looked like that on Booking.com.  It had looked more plain and traditional. Evidentally the place had changed a bit (as we later learned, it had). Had I seen the updated version, I would not have gotten the erroneous idea it was a quiet family place. Instead, even before we got to the door, I could tell it was a different kind of place altogether. It was essentially a hostel. Fortunately that seemed just perfect for the kind of experience we were looking for in Tofino.

The place was swarming with activity of young travelers. We parked on the curve and picked our way up the drive way to the deck. Already three cars were in the drive-way, double-parked.

At the house next door, the front yard was busy with a yard sale. The young folks tending to the rack of used clothes items were sharing a joint as they talked (in B.C. we noticed it is spelled 'marihuana,' with an 'h,' at least for medicinal purposes).

We walked up the steps to the outdoor front deck. About six young folks---a mixture of sexes---were strewn in repose around a long table, in swim suits and t-shirts, soaking up the gorgeous sun and drinking beer. The deck near the door was crowded with dozens of pairs of shoes. Above them was a sign saying shoes were forbidden in the house.

We complied with the sign to remove our shoes at the patio door and stepped inside into the carpet. There we were met by gregarious and awesome Nick, a guy about my age who acts as the mother hen and proprietor of the Tofino Traveler's House. He was sitting at his computer tending to a spreadsheet when we arrived. We gave us the warmest of welcomes and showed us to our room, which was right off the living room, with its own bathroom.

He also gave us a short tour, including the kitchen, with it's long wooden table. Waffles from seven-thirty ten in the morning," he told us. Nick makes good waffles. Like I said, this is the place to stay in Tofino.

President Jerry Brown would agree.