Sunshine Coast - British Columbia

Ferry to the Sunshine Coast.

If you've known me for any amount of time, you probably know that Tom and I have a preference for all thing Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts related. It seems like anything this company touches is gold, whether it's their vacation properties in Banff, Lake Louise and Emerald Lake, or amazing restaurants all over Calgary.

A few years ago we noticed that CRMR had picked up a new property on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia called the Painted Boat Resort. We were both interested in trying it out, but the Sunshine Coast is a long way to go.

So when Mallary and Colm's wedding popped up in Kelowna, and the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon popped up a week later in Vancouver, we realized this would be the perfect time to head to the coast.

View of the bay from the Painted Boat Resort.

The Painted Boat Resort does not disappoint. Set in a calm, secluded embayment, we had a stunning view of the water and marina. We had a spacious suite including a full kitchen, living room and dining room, as well as a spacious bedroom and bathroom. There was also an additional bathroom and bedroom in our unit, but because we didn't pay for a two bedroom unit, the bathroom and bedroom were locked so we couldn't go inside!

Unit bedroom.

Unit kitchen.

Being close to the water gave us an opportunity to play in the water! We took out a sea kayak one afternoon, and tried stand-up paddle boarding on a second afternoon. We also enjoyed the infinity pool in the resort (which was SUPER cold), and the hot tub.

In order to keep in shape for the upcoming Seawheeze, Tom and I made several attempts to run in the nearby community of Madeira Park. Unfortunately, the community doesn't have much of a sidewalk, and running along the highway was a bit daunting. As an alternative, Tom and I investigated the Skookumchuck Narrows trail. We ran this trail twice-- once in the evening so we could see the tide pouring into the narrows, and once in the afternoon so we could see the water rushing out. The trail was approximately 7-8km round trip, and provided a good variety of elevation change and scenery. 

Tide flowing into Skookumchuck Narrows.

On our way back to the car on our last trail run, I thanked a couple of ladies who moved to the side of the path for me. As I passed, one of the ladies yelled, "SHOW OFF!" at me! In another instance in one of our earlier runs near town, and old man slow clapped for me as I run by, and hollered, "Way to to go, Miss!" I had to laugh-- there was no other way to respond!

By far, the best part of the BC is the fresh fruit. Tom and I gorged ourselves on fresh peaches and nectarines every morning and afternoon. By the time our last day arrived, we had soaked in a mass amount of sunshine and Vitamin C, and were ready to head into Vancouver.

Next up, the SeaWheeze!